Gila River Casinos Lone Butte – 1000+ Slots, Gaming & Dining Destination

I was just killing time on a Friday afternoon, figured I'd play some slots for maybe an hour before heading home. Been coming to Lone Butte for years but never hit anything big. I put in twenty bucks wasn't really paying attention, and then the machine just went crazy with lights and sounds. My hands started shaking so bad I could barely see the screen. The attendant came over and confirmed it—$127,500. I just kept saying 'no way, no way' over and over. I'm paying off my truck and putting the rest toward my kids' college fund, finally.

I was at the blackjack table with my buddies from work, we go every couple months just for fun. This delaer was sharp, real nice guy, kept the table energy going. I was actually up about eight hundred dollars and was thinking about cashing out, but then I decided to stay for a few more hands. Got dealt a perfect 21 three times in a row, and the count was in my favor so I started raising my bets. By the time the shoe ended I'd turned my eight hundered into eighty-nine grand. My coworker Dave nearly fell out of his chair. I bought a new truck the next week.

I'd been playing poker seriously for about five years and had cashed in tournaments before, but never anything close to this. The final table at Lone Butte's $500 buy-in was tough—experienced players, aggressive betting. I stayed patient, folded a lot of marginal hands, and waited for spots where I had the edge. When I knocked out the chip leader with a well-timed bluff, I knew I had momentum. The heads-up match lasted almost two hours but I kept my composure and took it down. First thing I did was call my mom and tell her I was finally using that tournament winnings for the down payment on a house.

I'd been going through a rough divorce and my therapist suggested I take up a hobby to get out of the house. Thought I'd try roulette at Lone Butte on a Wednesday night when it's quieter. I wasn't thinking about winning big, just wanted to distract myself and maybe get lucky. I put a few chips on red and it hit. Then I put some on my birthday numbers and two of them came in. Before I even realized what was happening, I'd won forty-four thousand eight hundred. I actually started crying at the table—happy tears. I'm using it to finally take that art history class I've always wanted to do and rebuild my confidence.

Me and my wife drove out from Phoenix for her birthday weekend. She loves the Buffalo Gold machine, plays it every time we come to Lone Butte. I was watching her play and grabbed a seat at the machine right next to her. Hit the free spins bonus round and just kept retriggering. The machine wouldn't stop—buff symbols everywhere. When it finally finished, the number on the screen seemed impossible at first. Sixty-three thousand, seven hundred fifty dollars. My wife hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. We upgraded the trip and stayed two extra nights, celebrated properly.

I've played three card poker at Lone Butte maybe fifty times over the years. Lost money every time, but I liked the pace of the game and the dealers are always friendly. This particular night I decided to increase my ante bet, figured why not try something different. Hit a straight flush on my third hand—felt like the odds finally caught up with me. The payout hit thirty-eight thousand four hundred, and I just sat there stunned for a minute. Used most of it to finish a home renovation project my wife had been bugging me about. Best three card poker night ever.