Treasure Island Resort and Casino | Las Vegas Gaming, Slots, Table Games & Dining

I was just killing time on my lunch break, figured I'd throw twenty bucks into a machine real quick before heading back to work. My hands were literally shaking when those final three symbols lined up. I remember thinking 'this can't be real' and I just sat there staring at the screen for like a minute. My coworker called asking where I was and I couldn't even talk. We're putting most of it toward my daughter's college fund, but I'm taking my wife on that trip to Hawaii we've been talking about for years.

I'd been coming to the tables every Friday night for about three years, never hitting anything big. This particular night I was down to my last $200 and honestly ready to call it quits. The dealer pushed out cards and I got into a hot streak, doubling down on three hands in a row and just kept riding it. When I cahsed out and the pit boss handed me the chips, I actualy had to sit down for a second. My buddy thought I was joking at first. I paid off the car loan and invested the rest.

I'd been playing in satellites all year trying to get into the main event, and finally qualified in October. Sitting at that final table with five other players, my heart was pounding so hard I thought everyone could hear it. When I went all-in with pocket kings and held through the river, I actually stood up and nearly fell over. The whole experience was surreal—people were cheering, and when they announced my name as champion I'm not sure it even sank in. This win gave me the confidence to consider playing professionally something I've always wanted to try.

My mom had just passed away two months before, and my sister convinced me to get out of the house. We were walking through the casino and I just wandered over to a roulette wheel without any real plan. I put down a bet on 23, which was my mom's favorite number, just as a silly thing to remember her by. When it hit I froze completely—my sister actually grabbed my arm thinking something was wrong. I felt like my mom was there, you know? It sounds crazy but I swear it felt like a sign. I'm using the money to set up a small scholarship in her name at my local college.

I usually stick to penny slots when I visit, but that day I felt lucky and bought in higher than normal. I was on my fourth or fifth spin when the free spins bonus triggered and the screen just went crazy with buffalo symbols. My wife was at the slot machine next to me and she noticed me just staring at the screen. She looked over and started screaming, which made everyone nearby turn and look. The whole experience happened so fast—one minute I was just playing casually, the next I'm getting calls from security. We used it to finally renovate our kitchen like we've been planning.

I wasn't even planning on gambling that day, just walked in to meet a friend for dinner. We had some time to kill so I sat down at the Three Card Poker table with fifty bucks. I caught fire on this particular run, kept getting good hands and dealers kept busting. After about forty-five minutes I decided to quit while I was ahead, cashed out and couldn't believe what the screen said. It took me a moment to realize I'd actually won that much money at a casual game I normally don't even play. My buddy bought dinner that night and I tipped the server really well—felt amazing to give something back.