Thanks for the quick medical attention

Something happened to me recently that I want to commend Rincon for. I was playing video poker and became faint. I had just cashed out and was going to walk to the ticket machine to cash in my ticket but when I got up from my seat realized I wouldn't make it. I sat back down, pushed the "call service" button and quickly a floor person came. I said, "I am feeling ill" and quickly a medical tech arrived (not a full paramedic crew but they could have been called). She stayed with me a few minutes, and a few managers showed up too -- and very quickly. But the "faint" lasted a short time and I recovered.

I wanted to point that out.

Years ago, before my transplants (August 29 is my 7 year anniversary of my transplants) I became ill at Morongo and just as I pushed the draw button for a royal on a 25-cent machine, I fainted and fell off a high stool at the machine. I was not hurt. But when I awoke I had a whole paramedic team standing over me, along with a manager and a few employees. They took good care of me and even helped find Jason in another part of the casino.

As much as we criticize the casinos for their pay tables and for being skimpy, I feel very safe and secure there.

I think some of this is liability prevention. Not to say that there weren't some good people involved (nobody wants to see people get sick or injured), but there was probably a financial motive behind this.

I once got a big cut on my hand when an employee opened the bathroom door too fast from the other side (in a public restroom at the Rio), and it slammed into my hand. It was an accident and I didn't want to get him in trouble. I just wanted a band-aid. They kept trying to insist that I file a report, but I kept repeating, "I don't want to report anything. Please just give me a few band-aids and some ointment", and they finally did. On a side note, I was broadcasting the $10,000 Limit Holdem WSOP final table for ESPN360 that night, and this happened during a break. So I went back and broadcasted while still bleeding pretty heavily! Everything was fine, though.

There is no question that there is a financial incentive for the casinos to quickly attend to you and to document the incident in case of a lawsuit.

Many times during my 32 years as an insulin dependant diabetic I had attacks where paramedics were called. If I didn't go to a hospital they would give me a release to sign with a verbal warning that by not going to a hospital with them I could die.

I learned a very interesting fact from someone on the videopoker dot com forums that I participate in.

If someone is to suffer a heart attack, the best place to receive care is at a casino. I've searched online and did find many articles that support the claim.

Aside from that, Alan I hope you are ok and that your health improves.

Having been to casinos fairly often, I've come across people who obviously had a problem. They are almost invariably surrounded by a team of EMTs. Since casinos are dealing with a crowd whose average age is generally quite high I'm sure they run into problems a lot.

My son had a problem a few months ago that was not handled well by the casino. He had just started a new medication and it was affecting his sleep. While plying BJ he started to experience some real problems which made him become loud and obnoxious (sleep deprivation can make you act like being drunk). He was actually escorted back to his room and barred from the casino floor when what they should have done is given him medical attention.

About the only better place to have an accident or feel sick is a hospital. A couple of years ago I was walking out of a local one and tripped over a small ledge that I didn't see. I went down face first. I wasn't hurt (except my pride) but was immediately surrounded by several medical staff that probably increased to around 20 before all was said and done. They took my blood sugar and checked me over pretty good. They wanted me to go to the ER (which wasn't far away), but I declined. Even though I fell on cement all I had was a couple of scrapes. Really lucky.