Chip Trays

The trip to Natchez was a resounding success.  We met Bill's brother, and went to Roux 61, a restaurant on the south side of Natchez, on Route 61.    The food was good, the company was pleasant, and the ambiance was Southern Catfish joint.  Very nice menu.  The ladies started with charbroiled oysters as an appetizer, then moved to  softshell crab for the entree.  The men ate fried catfish, and it was very nicely seasoned.  The cole slaw was excellent.

After lunch yesterday, we went to the Magnolia Bluffs Casino in Natchez.  The ladies wanted to play the machines for a while, and I pulled a lever or two myself.  My first love in casinos is craps, the only game where the players determine the outcome (and one of the better games to play if you know the odds, which are some of the best odds in the house).

After a while of pulling levers, I noticed that they were opening the craps table, so I wanted over to get my preferred spot.  (2nd right, from the croupier.)  Dropped some money on the table and got some chips.  The game started slow, but eventually, the guy to my left got the dice, I spotted immediately that he knew what he was doing.  He set the 3V and had a very smooth flip.  He held the dice for about 40 minutes, rolling fives, sixes, eights and nines.  I was betting conservatively, and watched my chip tray start to fill.    It was one of those magical times on a craps table, where the chips were flowing away from the table boss toward the players.  He finally lost, ad the dice moved down to the next guy, on the left of the croupier.  He opened with a Yo, and on the next roll set the point at 8.  Then, he started hitting the outside of the line.  fours, fives, nines and tens.  Eventually, he hit another 8, then hit a 6 to set the point.  He continues rolling ont he outside, and simply stood there and watched my chip tray continue to fill.  He held the dice for about 40 minutes.

After he sevened-out, I looked at my watch and noticed the time.  The next guy hit an 8, but I sudenly got a bad feeling.  I had $37 on the table, $5 on the pass, with $10 odds, and $22 on the inside line.  I told the dealer who was handling my chips, "Turn my bets off.  I want to color-up".  She nodded, and the guy flipped the dice, and sevened-out.  Whew!  My bets were off.

I got my chips, and wandered over to the cashier, where I got my folding money.  I didn't get rich, but I payed for the trip, came out ahead of the house, and I won't have to hit an ATM this week.

I don't know how everyone else did, but Natchez treated me very well.