Lost Soul Etiquette

[ginfre]

I never met a man I didn't like.  Will Rogers

[BillyJoe]

[QUOTE=Burtwithau] .... How do others handle this?  Do you let them flounder/flail or do you try helping them? 
 
But, if someone is standing around me watching me play and its distracting me, I tend to stop and ask if they play VP. This usually leads to me giving them this site or them walking away. 
[/QUOTE]
I guess I am just a naturally suspicious person. I have had two situations this year when someone has tried to cash out and make off with the ticket on a machine that I was playing. In each case, it was someone that was 'lurking' in the area, and not playing themselves. I tend to play at the $1 denom quite a bit, so maybe that contributes to this.
 
If I sense someone standing behind me, I will stop playing, turn around, and just sit there and not say anything. Most times, the person "gets the message", and just walks away.

[Tedlark]

  billyjoe I do the same thing when I sense that someone is standing behind me watching my play: I stop play, fold my hands and just wait. I have had people make comments like "I guess HE doesn't like anyone watching him play." Correctamundo. Now before I get criticized by the spelling police I will say that correctamundo was a phrase often spoken by Arthur Fonzerelli in the old television show Happy Days. He was better known as "The Fonz."
  I haven't experienced anyone trying to "kite" a ticket from a machine that I am playing and there are times when I will play two side by side machines. I was playing two side by side machines early this morning at Four Winds in New Buffalo MI but it was really early and the place was vacant. I did manage to eek out a tidy little profit and I left the casino happy.
 
  Have a great Christmas.

[rascal]

Agree with Billy Joe that. unfortunately, advice seekers are not always what they seem to be. If you do in fact stop to help someone, cash out your machine first and secure the ticket, even if you are just turning away for a few minutes. It only takes ten seconds for a casino con pro to rip you off.

[Buffilita]

Most casinos have "practice" machines or offer classes and that is where I direct players that ask me how to play. Or I point to the pay table and tell them play based on that.  I'm not there to instruct, and I don't like the distraction of an inexperienced vp player asking me how to play the game.  I will gladly give advice on individual hands, if asked, but only to the extent of what the correct hold should be.

[OTABILL]

Since my wife and I often play side-by-side, we rarely have anyone trying to take a ticket out of our machines. Then again, we play quarters and cash out after getting above 60 dollars so usually there is not enough to tempt a thief.  

[marie meijer]

I believe Otabill has the right idea, to cash out winnings at X point, both to lessen the chances of thieves cashing out for us and also, so others will not see how much is in our machine. IE why keep thousands in that machine! Others may be watching and plotting against us. Also, it's too easy to keep playing DOWN on that amount, eating that win alive, I assume! Losing a smaller amount might signal it's time for a break or change of machines and that we need to save a bank roll for the next casino visit. (Am I the only one lacking self control/discipline when playing VP?)  Also, keep the machine registered on the number of credits instead of the dollars registered. Again, this is another attempt at security so others will not as quickly grasp how much is in our machine. This lessens the possibility of them begging, bugging or following us to the parking lot to relieve us of our wins! Perhaps I was the last to realize if the $ amount shows up on the machine, one can swipe a finger over the dollar amount and the number of credits show up. A passerby may not be able to see or bother to calculate the amount in our machine as easily as when the dollar amount shows.

[ginfre]

[BillyJoe]

I believe Otabil has the right idea, to cash out winnings at X point, both to lessen the chances of thieves cashing out for us and also, so others will not see how much is in our machine. IE why keep a $4k royal in that machine! Others may be watching and plotting against us. Also, it's too easy to keep playing DOWN on that amount, eating that win alive, I assume! Losing a smaller amount might signal it's time for a break or change of machines and that we need to save a bank roll for the next casino visit. (Am I the only one lacking self control/discipline when playing VP?)  Also, keep the machine registered on the number of coins instead of the dollars registered. Again, this is another attempt at security so others will not as quickly grasp how much is in our machine. This lessens the possibility of them begging, bugging or following us to the parking lot to relieve us of our wins! Perhaps I was the last to realize if the $ amount shows up on the machine, one can swipe a finger over the dollar amount and the number of coins show up. A passerby may not be able to see or bother to calculate the amount in our machine as easily as when the dollar amount shows. Comprendez-vous?

Great points, MM, although I doubt a $4k RF is on the machine (can you say 'hand-pay'? ) . You may, of course, run up to $4k with many smaller wins.  
 
I always set the machine to credits. Even though I may be playing at the $1 denom, so it's not a tough math challenge, it may not be obvious to someone walking the rows just looking for a large dollar amount.
 
Another good reason to cash out when you have a substantial number of credits is power outages. A friend of mine was playing at our local Hard Rock Seminole casino, and the power went out. They, of course, have generator backups, so the lights came back on in a matter of seconds. What it did do, though, was reset EVERY machine in the casino - not once, but twice, again when shortly afterwards the main power returned. This not only took time, but not all the machines came back up smoothly, and a tech had to come over to reset many machines again. Trying to remember if the machine returned with all your credits is less stressful if the amount is smaller.   

[marie meijer]

As usual, good points, Billy and I had not thought about power outages! TY!