Running out of luck and making new friends
Getting Back into the Game
Soon after our protagonists were free again, a new gadget became popular, the video poker machine. A game changer that used random number generators and microprocessors. It became the machine that Tommy wanted to beat. There was only one problem… he was broke. And that’s when he decided to do something extraordinary… He got a job!
Tommy worked a series of minimum-wage jobs and saved up money to buy his own video poker machine. After six months of hard work, he was finally able to do it, and now, it was time to open it up and learn how to beat it. A year of research later, he was ready to break out his newest weapon against the casinos: The Monkey Paw. This new tool was made of guitar wire and flexible spring steel. When placed in the payout slot, it made the machine release the coins. With this, Tommy was ready to face the casinos again.
Back to Vegas
Tommy chose a casino and went straight to the video poker machines. He shoved the monkey paw into the machine and out came the coins. The thrill of beating the casinos at their own game was back. he almost did a victory dance. The tool worked like a dream for a while, making Tommy a lot of money. But things are not as they used to be, and the casinos soon heard of Tommy’s success. And as the world of casinos is always evolving, Tommy knew he had to stay a step ahead. So, he came up with a cleaver new plan.
He acted like a customer who wanted to buy the newest slot machines. He talked to vendors and asked them to open the machine and explain how it worked. This way, he got all he needed to create something new to trick the machines. Slot machines were getting smarter, but so was Tommy, and soon he came up with the tool he needed for the next step of his plan: The Light wand.
The Next Phase
The light wand was able to fool these new fancy machines, making them pay out even when they were not supposed to. The tool was placed in the machine to trigger the machine’s electrical sensor. But this time Tommy decided to expand his business into a new direction. He not only tricked the casinos, but he also sold his tools on the black market. And what a business it was! They only cost him around $3 to make, but he was selling them for up to $10.000,00 apiece. He made so much money that he went on a cruise vacation for six months. Still playing at the boat’s casino, of course, where he made around 100 thousand dollars.
When he came back to Nevada, he joined his former partner Michael Balsamo and a man named Ramon David Pereira to create a ‘cheating team’. Eventually, even more people joined, all experienced cheaters. The team was very organized, and everyone had different roles, cheating, lookout, security watch, blocking cameras, etc. The strategy was a success and they started making millions. But things were starting to look too good to be true.
The Beginning of the End
Their luck finally ran out at the Circus Circus Casino and Hotel in Vegas. After the team started playing their tricks, security quickly came in and detained them. The casino had installed new cameras that could see past the blockers, which led to their capture. Tommy got in trouble for his cheating, but surprisingly not for long this time, the evidence against him was not strong enough, and he got out of custody in 24 hours. However, trouble like this tends to stink, and the stink sticks…
