Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City | 1,000+ Slots, Table Games & Live Entertainment

I was just killing some time on a Thursday afternoon, figured I'd throw fifty bucks at the slots before heading home. Been playnig the same machine for about twenty minutes when suddenly everything just lit up. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely hit the button to call over an attendant. I kept saying 'this can't be real, this can't be real' over and over. First thing I'm doing is paying off my truck—been making payments for three years—and then taking my wife on that Alaska cruise she's been talking about.

I came in with my buddy Marco, we usually just grab lunch and play a couple hands. But something felt diferent that night, you know? I got hot at blackjack around midnight and just rode it out for like four hours straight. The dealer was professional about it, but I could tell even she was impressed. My buddy kept saying I should walk away and I almost did, but I stayed another round and that's when the big hand came through. I'm using most of it to fix up my house—new roof, new kitchen. Been needing that for five years.

I'd been playing in the monthly tournaments for about two years, never placed higher than sixth. This tournament had like 150 people and I was nervous as hell walking in. Made it to the final table and played patient, tight poker for hours. When we got down to three people, I caught cards when I needed them and made some good reads. When they announced my name as the winner, I honestly thought they messed up. Used some of it to start a small business I've been dreaming about, and the rest is going into my kids' college fund.

My mom had passed away the week before and I came here just to get out of the house, clear my head a little. I was just standing there watching roulette, not even sure if I wanted to play. Finally bought in with a hundred dollars—not a huge amount, just enough to keep my mind busy. I put money on a few different numbers without really thinking about it. When one of my numbers hit, I just stood there staring at the board. Felt like maybe it was some kind of sign, like she was looking out for me. I'm going to use it to finish paying for the funeral and donate the rest to the hospice center that took care of her.

I was on vacation from my construction job, supposed to be relaxing, and my wife dragged me into the casino. I'm not really a slots person but she loves that Buffalo Gold machine. I sat next to her and put in some cash just to have something to do. Hit the bonus round and just kept getting free spins—felt like it went on forever. When it finally ended and I saw the number, I laughed out loud. My wife actually screamed. We're using half for some home improvements and taking the other half to do a nice family trip next summer.

I'm a regular here, come in maybe twice a month on weekends. Three Card Poker is my game—I like the pace and the strategy involved. Had been down about two grand over the past few months but decided to give it one more shot. Got lucky with a pair plus payout and then caught some good hands in a row. Within an hour my small losses turned into this big win and I decided to cash out while I was ahead. Feels good to be back in the black and I'm putting most of it toward my daughter's wedding next year.