Circus Circus Reno | 1,400+ Slots, Live Gaming & Family Dining

I was just killing time on a Wednesday afternoon, you know, between jobs and needed a break from the house. Hit the Buffalo Gold machine around 2 PM and couldn't believe what I was seeing on the screen. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely hit the cash out button. I called my wife right there on the casino floor and she thought I was joking at first. We're putting most of it toward the kids college fund, but we're taking a real vacation this summer—something we haven't done in years.

My buddy dragged me to Circus Circus on a Saturday night, said the blackjack tables were hot. I'm not really a gambler, more of a slots person usually, but I sat down with like $200 in my pocket. Got into a good run, dealer kept busting, and I was doubling down when it felt right. After about an hour I looked at my chips and didn't even recognize the amount. The pit boss confirmed it and I just sat there numb for a minute. Already paid off my truck payment and helped my parents with some medical bills.

I'd been playing in the Wednesday night tournaments at Circus Circus for like two years, and usually I'm just happy to make it past the first few rounds. This particular tourney had a bigger buy-in and honestly I almost didn't enter that day. Made it deep into the tournament, final table had some really tough players, but I was playing smart and catching good cards when I needed them. When I won the whole thing I remember standing up and my legs felt weird, like they weren't mine. My family was shocked—I work in construction and don't usually talk about how much I play cards.

I was there celebrating my 50th birthday with my sister and we were just having fun, not expecting anything. We both put small bets on our lucky numbers and I hit on my number, 27, and then it came up again two spins later. I honestly got emotional—my sister was jumping up and down but I was just trying not to cry right there at the table. Lost my husband five years ago and he always said I had lucky numbers, so it felt like something special. Using it to finally take that trip to see my brother in California that we've been talking about.

I work nights at the hospital and sometimes I stop by the casino on my way home just to decompress. That morning in December I was running on fumes, hadn't slept great and was feeling pretty burned out. Threw a $50 bill in the machine more out of habit than anything, and boom—the buffalo symbols lined up perfectly. I remember laughing out loud in disbelief, and a lady next to me was genuinely happy for me which was nice. Used some of it to finally fix up my kitchen and the rest is sitting in savings for once.

My cousin was visiting from Portland and wanted to try something different than slots, so we headed to the Three Card Poker table. I'd played it once before but wasn't great at it, but the dealer was super patient and explained the strategy. I caught a hand—straight flush—and honestly I wasn't even sure I'd won untill the dealer explained the payout. My cousin actually screamed a little bit which probably annoyed some people but it was hilarious. I'm using it for my daughters driving lessons and to upgrade my car, which has been on its last legs.