Shoshone Rose Casino | Premier Gaming Destination with Slots, Table Games & Dining

I was just killing time on my lunch break from work, figured I'd play a couple rounds before heading back to the office. Hit the bonus round on the third spin and couldn't believe what was happening on that screen. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely press the button to see my actual payout. I called my wife right away and she thought I was joking at first. We're paying off the truck and putting the rest towards our kids' college fund, which is something we've been stressed about for years.

Been playing blackjack for about fifteen years, so I know the basics pretty well. That night I was just having fun, wasn't really expecting anything big—I'd already lost my initial two hundred bucks. Then I got on a crazy hot streak, dealer kept busting and I kept doubling down at the right moments. The pit boss was watching me pretty close by the end. I took most of it and invested it in my buddies construction company, and we're both really hoppy about how it's going so far.

I'd been playing in the tournament circuit for three years, traveling around, entering competitions whenever I could get time off work. This was my sixth time entering the Shoshone Rose tournament and honestly I was starting to wonder if I'd ever cash in big. Made it to heads-up play and my opponent went all-in with a marginal hand—I called with pocket queens and held up. I actually cried when the dealer pushed that chip stack to me. I quit my job the next week and now I'm grinding poker full-time, something I'd always dreamed about.

My husband dragged me to the casino for his birthday weekend and I was mostly just watching him play at first. He dared me to put twenty bucks on red, which felt crazy to me, but I did it. The ball landed on my number—I literally gasped out loud. I couldn't stop laughing and kept saying 'this can't be real' over and over. We used it to finally take that trip to see my sister in Colorado that we've been talking about for three years, and we still have money left over for some home repairs.

I'm a regular there, probably go once a month to relax after working double shifts at the hospital. That Friday I was exhausted but decided to play for maybe thirty minutes before heading home. Buffalo Gold's always been good to me, but this time it was incredible—the free spins just kept coming and the multipliers stacked up. A nurse colleague I ran into congratulated me, which was nice. I paid off my car loan early and donated a chunk to the children's hospital where I work.

I was there with my retired friends, we make it a tradition to spend a few hours playing cards and catching up. Never expected to win anything significant, honestly just enjoying the company. I got lucky on the Pair Plus bet twice in a row—hit a straight flush which was wild. The guys were buying me drinks and ribbing me about finally catching a break. Put most of it in savings for my grandson's first year of college and treated my wife to dinner at that steakhouse she's been wanting to try.