The Six Senses of Slot Play
How the casinos make your senses tingle… all six of them
by Frank Scoblete
There are five physical senses through which we relate to our surroundings every day—touch, taste, smell, vision and hearing. There is also a sixth sense that some people claim we have—the sense of intuition, some will call it; others will simply state, “I see ghosts.” The common term for these “other” information sources is ESP or extrasensory perception.
When you enter the casino, your five physical senses are stimulated by all manner of excitements. The sight of the dazzling machines, their lights going on and off, mix with the sound of the music playing and money being won. The groans of those who just missed a big jackpot hit, “Oh, I was just one symbol off!” and the screams of those whose ship just came in, “Aaaahhhhh! I can’t believe it! I did it!” all come together.
I remember when I was an athlete—about a century ago—the gyms all had a special smell to them. It was a good smell too, not just one of sweaty socks. Your juices flowed when you went onto the basketball court because the scent was in your nostrils and in your skin and bones. It pumped you up. The baseball fields had a special scent to them too—as did the bats, the gloves, the balls and, of course, the sweaty socks.
The casino has its own scent as well—a synchronistic combination of cigarette smoke, alcohol, food, coffee, perfumes, sweat and adrenaline. When I walk into a casino that scent is the first thing I experience. I close my eyes and think to myself, “It’s good to be back!” I sometimes wonder if casino gambling is really a type of athletic event, one that tests your mettle as well as your luck.
Slot machines have their own special feel to them—the cool metal, the colorful plastics. If you like to drop your coins into the machine one at a time, there is a special sound you hear as the coins go down—that sound mixes with your anticipation and makes your heart beat just a little faster. Machines that only take paper rob you of that experience. The recorded sound just doesn’t have that ring to it.
Of course, throughout your casino visit the fine beverages and food that you consume stimulate your sense of taste. I dare say if people were to go to the casinos every day our population would be even heavier than it already is.
Yes, the casinos make your five senses tingle.
But what of the sixth sense, if it exists? Does that play a role in our casino endeavors? How many of our readers have had those outer-limits’ experiences in the slot aisles when they knew this machine, not that machine, would be the one to hit ? And it did. (If you have had such experiences, e-mail me all about it at fscobe@optonline.net.) Is there a sixth sense in casino slot play? Or is that just silly superstition believed in by people looking for patterns and controls where none actually exist?
The great British explorer Sir Richard Burton first named ESP in 1870. However, tales of ESP go all the way back to the first writings of mankind. There are hundreds of examples of ESP in Greek, Roman and biblical literature. Although relatively recently named, the recorded experiences of mankind point directly to a long-standing belief in ESP.
Although not provable from a scientific standpoint, there are many casino players who are firm believers in the powers of the sixth sense. They may not “see ghosts,” but they see other things and they attribute some of their good or ill fortunes to these other things.
Fran T. likes to play in Atlantic City. Before each trip, she puts the names of her six favorite casinos on a piece of paper and hangs her engagement ring on a string over them. She says, “The string will start to move and will ultimately point to one casino. That’s the casino my fiancée and I will go to. I find that when I follow the ring’s advice, I have better results. I am not saying that I win all the time but I seem to have a closer contest with the house.”
Fran attributes her success to the effects of the unconscious extrasensory perception she believes we all have. “I think everyone has ESP. You just have to know how to bring it out and then follow it.”
Many slot players have a host of superstitions designed to bring about good luck on the machines. Wander the slot aisles and you’ll find all manner of trinkets, charms and totems being used to generate good fortune. Often these are hung from the machines.
Jerry M. states, “I try to intuitively sense which machines are going to get hot and which are going to be cold. I will walk around a little before I play and see if I can get a psychic feel for the machines.” Does his “sense” help him win? “No, not really, but it doesn’t make me lose any more,” he laughed.
The casino has math on its side; the players have everything else. While the casino is a delight for our five physical senses, whether the sixth sense contributes to our endeavors is highly debatable.
Frank Scoblete is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. He is executive director of the Golden Touch advantage-play seminars in craps and blackjack. Looking for great gambling products and gifts? Go to www.gamblersoutpost.com. His websites are www.goldentouchcraps.com, www.goldentouchblackjack.com, and www.scoblete.com in association with CasinoCity.com. His newest book is The Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! For more information or a brochure, call 1-800-944-0406 or write to Frank Scoblete Enterprises, PO Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565.
The Six Senses of Slot Play.
