Casino Grand (V)
James put the phone to his ear and waited.
"Hello, this is Richard." The voice came from the other side of the line.
"Hey Richard, it's Sanjay." James said.
"Oh! Why hello there Mr S. Thank you for giving me a call this morning. What can I do for you today?"
"A couple of things please. First, I was hoping to come in on Friday and maybe stay the night if things went well. Second, I'd like to check if the casino cage has received my front money deposit, and if it would be convenient for me to draw markers against that deposit on Friday." James said.
"Just one second please, Mr S, while I check on that for you." Richard said, furiously typing away at his keyboard.
James murmured assent while glancing at the ceiling and stretching out his legs.
A short pause later, Richard's voice came over the line once more.
"Mr S, I'm happy to inform you that your deposit has been recorded. Simply present your player's card at any table in order to draw a marker against your deposit. As to the other matter, I would be honored if you accepted my invitation to spend the night in one of our suites here at Casino Grand. Of course, to thank you for patronizing our casino, it would be our pleasure to host you at our expense."
"That's very kind of you Richard." James said.
"Not at all Mr S. It is the least we can do for a guest of your standing. Will you require any additional amenities in your room? If you have a preference for any particular brands of supplies or a welcome package, I would be delighted to arrange that for you. Of course, if you prefer a personalized turn down service for your bed, we can accommodate that as well. Just let us know your criteria."
"Nothing I can think of at this point in time. What's a personalized turn down service?" James asked curiously.
Richard coughed a little on the line, before obliquely explaining, "After a long night of gambling and adrenaline, some of our guests find it difficult to sleep at night. Our personalized turn down service offers our guests the tender loving care from an attendant of their choice that they may need to unwind after their adventures. If the guests prefer, the turn down service may last anywhere from a single night to the duration of their stay with us at the casino."
James nodded to himself in enlightenment. So that was what it was.
"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll pass this time around. If I change my mind, I'll let you know of course." James said.
"Of course Mr S. We can provide that service with an hour's notice." Richard claimed proudly.
"One thing, I'd like to ask about my maximum bet." James said.
"What about the maximum bet Mr S? With the stake that you have, I believe our five hundred to twenty five thousand tables will be able to accommodate your level of risk." Richard deflected.
"Oh, nothing like that Richard. I like to let my bets ride on occasion, and I was wondering if the Casino Grand would indulge me." James explained quickly.
"Just so I understand you correctly, let me rephrase that in my own words. You would like the option to, if you win a bet, place the full amount of the bet and winnings at risk on the exact same bet? For example, if you bet the table maximum on black in roulette and double your wager, you would like to leave all fifty thousand on black?" Richard clarified.
"Yes, that's exactly right. Sometimes I'll leave it there for a while if it's doing well." James said.
"If you limit your bets to half the table maximum, I believe we'll be able to accommodate that desire. In return, we would like for you to gamble at the five hundred minimum bet for at least four hours." Richard said.
"So, if I play at the five hundred tables for four hours and bet a maximum of twelve thousand five hundred, I can leave my bet on the table for as long as I like as long as it keeps winning?" James said.
"Yes, that's right. I'll send you a text afterwards confirming the details of our arrangement." Richard said.
After all, once the maximum bet was limited, the risk to the casino was low. On an even money bet, it was better than fifty-fifty odds that the casino would win each time. Letting the bet ride was equivalent to giving away free money to the casino.
"Perfect. Thank you for your courtesy Richard. Look forward to seeing you on Friday." James said.
"Likewise Mr S. See you on Friday. There's no need to check in, you may leave your luggage with the staff at the high limit room, and I'll meet you with your keys at the table once you're here."
---
Friday evening came around, and James walked into the high limit room with a small backpack on his back.
"Good evening Mr S. Welcome back to the Grand. Do you have any luggage you would like to leave with us please?"
The attendant had been clearly been given some warning to expect him.
This came as no surprise to James. Although a front money deposit of a hundred grand may just be a middle sized high roller in Vegas, it was encroaching on whale territory for a local casino.
"Hello. Just the backpack thank you." James said, as he swung it over his shoulder and plopped it gently on the counter.
"May I confirm that there are no live animals or fragile items inside?" Ever since the one incident where an itinerant attendant had accidentally tossed a bag containing a high roller's loved hamsters onto the ground, this was now a standard question.
"Yeah, no live animals or fragile items." James said.
Even so, the attendant picked it up with white gloves and put it away gingerly.
"Thank you for your patronage Mr S. We wish you the best of luck. I will page Richard so he knows you've arrived, and I expect that you'll see him shortly."
James nodded politely and rubbed his hands eagerly as he walked through the corridor.
After a long period of planning, it was finally time for fruition.
Above, the cameras picked up his action, with the executives classifying it as the typical gambler's itch for action.
[ System is excited too. System can finally stretch System's muscles with no limits. ]
The high limit room was still mostly sparse, with only a couple of gamblers at the hundred dollar tables.
With the exception of one very crowded baccarat table, the five hundred dollar tables were empty.
James' curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over to take a look. On the information screen next to the table, there was a long line of red dots stretching down six from the top and twelve to the right along the long road. There had been eighteen consecutive banker wins, and every spot on the table had the table maximum on banker.
James chuckled inwardly to himself as he skipped the hubbub and headed to a roulette table.
Tonight, those gamblers would witness an even more incredible feat.
"Good evening Mr S." The duty pit boss walked over quickly and greeted.
"Hello." James said politely with a nod of his head.
"Would you like to make a withdrawal from your front money Mr S?" The pit boss asked.
"Yes please. Twenty will do to start." James said.
The pit boss turned quickly to his computer and typed in a few keystrokes. Next, the sound of an old school carbon printer could be heard whirring to life, and a small slip of paper resembling a check made it's way from the pit in front of James.
James took a quick confirmatory look at the amount before signing the word "Sanjay" in a sloppy scrawl.
Once signed, the check made its way back into the depths of the pit and onto a clipboard, where it was placed almost reverently in a small box.
Finally, the pit boss turned to the dealer and announced, "Twenty."
The dealer reached into her pile of chips and pulled out four flags, before sliding them over the felt.
James pushed two of the flags back across the felt and announced, "Nickels. Any color."
The dealer cut out twenty colored roulette chips and slid them back to James, announcing loudly, "Check change, ten thousand."
Each chip represented five hundred dollars.
James placed one of his chips on red, and turned to the pit boss. "Are you aware of the agreement I have regarding letting my bet ride on a win?"
"Yes Mr S. We've been briefed that you are allowed to let your bet ride as long as your original bet is less than or equal to half of the table maximum." The pit boss affirmed.
"Great. My bets ride until I announce otherwise." James said.
"Winning bets riding." The dealer announced, as she picked up the small white ball and gave it a practiced spin along the roulette wheel.