I have invited my collector friends and anyone that is involved in our hobby to send in any stories about their wayward ways and collecting of chips. Please be concise and very descriptive. Being weird, funny and crazy is up to you. Thanks guys for all the stories you have sent in thus far. Reggie

A GUEST AUTHOR’s HARVEST STORY

FANTASY SPRINGS INDIO, CA

By: Steve Gobel

Got the Free slot play card... Went to the Pai Gow table first. Surprise, won the first hand at $15. Bigger surprise, they refused to pay me!
Something about Tiger 9 that I'd never heard of. If the dealer's hand is Pai Gowed, and they have a 9 to put in the two card hand, then all bets are a push. Say What! That sounds like 3 card monte on the street corner. Oh, I've got a blue Chicago so I win. I asked them to show me where that rule is posted. Nowhere, it's just part of the game. How the hell am I supposed to know that? Well there is the Tiger 9 bet on the layout just above the Fortune bet. Fine, Wonderful. Where does it say that a side bet circle on the layout changes the play of the game? You've got a computer screen with the Fortune Bonus Payouts listed, along with the Progressive payouts, but no mention of the payout for the Tiger 9 bet. "oh, it's 30 to 1" How would I know that? Pit boss went to her podium and got a little rules card to give to me. A bit late now. Title of the game on the computer is Progressive Pai Gow Poker. It does not say Tiger 9 Pai Gow poker. Nowhere is there any mention of it. The dealer did not inform me of it. PAY MY WINNING HAND! "Sorry I can't, that's the way the game is played" says the pit boss, after admitting that there must be 50 different versions of Pai Gow Poker,(really?), and that it's the players responsibility to ask if they don't understand the game. The dealer is telling me that it's no different than 3 card poker where if the dealer doesn't have an opening hand there are no payoffs. Ok but it says that right on the layout. This whole Tiger 9 thing is just a way for the casino to weasel out of paying winning hands when the dealer has a cruddy hand. It's lower and more underhanded than going from 3 to 2 to 6 to 5 for a blackjack. I grabbed my chips and ran out of this clip joint. So, no TITO from here. I wouldn't give these corksoakers 99cents of my money to get one!