Spin The Wheel

Poker rooms come up with all sorts of promotions to bring people into the casino. One of the most popular is Spin the Wheel.

The majority of poker rooms I have played in has this promotion. The large wheel has payoffs usually ranging from $50 to the jackpot which is set at $500. The player selected for the promotion spins the wheel and he wins whatever amount the arrow lands on. If he hits the jackpot, he receives $500 and everyone at his table is paid $100.

You can qualify to spin the wheel in many different ways. The two most common methods is to make four aces or a royal flush at the table. The royal flush also qualifies you to win an additional amount of money which the poker room manager sets from the promotions fund.

Some poker rooms lower the standards for spinning the wheel and will allow a player to do it any time he makes four of a kind. And occasionally a poker room manager will just select a player at random to try for the jackpot.

The other evening I was playing $4-8 Omaha High-Low when I was dealt pocket aces along with a 6-7. The dealer turned over an ace on the flop and the fourth ace on the river.

I promised the other players I would try to win $100 for each of them by hitting the jackpot, but the best I could do was $75.

About 30 minutes later I played a hand consisting of A-K of hearts along with a J-9. The Q-J of hearts came on the flop and the miracle card on the river was a 10 of hearts, completing my royal flush.

Now I have been playing poker a long time and it is not easy to make a royal flush. In all those years I have only made four royal flushes. The odds of hitting a royal flush are about the same as making a hole in one in golf.

The first time I spun the wheel I gave it only a half spin. This time I really turned it and hit $200. The poker room awarded me an additional $100 for the royal flush. As the assistant manager paid me off, she grinned and said, 'Geno, what other surprises do you have for us tonight?'

I apologized to the other players for missing the jackpot and not winning them $100 each and they forgave me. The next time I spin the wheel, I plan to give it an easy spin. Like the line from 'Forrest Gump,' when you get a box of chocolates, you never know what's in the center.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).