Dampening the flames

[sir ratholer]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a fair proportion of playables in pubs which could be considered pretty hot...and I'm not talking about the temperature.

I think it's more on top now than ever before (possibly with the exception of vivids due to all the rats out at the time), with people watching you being a pretty normal occurence. Further to this, comments abound, and previously ok pubs turn into fire ones after one top/jackpot due to the comments from locals.

So - how to dampen the flames? I'm not talking about the old newspaper under the arm, cupping your hand under the payout chute etc...these seem to have very limited effect these days and something else is needed. I don't seem to get barred from anywhere (probably due to my size and other factors - in fact a pub last week said nothing to me but rang round the town afterwards!) but it's very, very uncomfortable in some places, more so than in years gone by. I guess it's a demotivating factor sometimes, although I don't ever have a problem getting up in the morning and going on my route, and I wish it wouldn't be.

[tommya]

i agree with u been doing a pub for about 6 yrs and this year they banned me from the machines not the pub since 70s, use to empty a 4 reeler in there a few years ago without a problem its fire everywhere even hungry horses.

[Matt Vinyl]

Sir, I expect you are referencing at least one pub that I know. You mentioned that he turned off the other machine whilst you were playing the Red. As I (a bit drunkenly) managed to tell you t'other day, he turned them both off, whilst I was playing one of them! He stated that there was 'no money in them'. DOH! I snuck back later and the Red was back on, but not the DOND.

As they are both not the best machines, I'm not that worried. Although I do think that the two previous ones were shipped out under this guys say so.

As to he main subject, I'm really not sure what can be done to lower the heat. I guess it's the fact that we can waltz in and out of a pub in less than half an hour with more money than they may well make in an entire day... That's not our 'fault' though is it?

[griff50]

wear a suit, and tell them you work for bacta. Just make sure you have shoes not trainers on! lol

Seriously, when I go into pubs looking for machines, not that I have a 'route' as such, I always tip the bar staff, even if its 50p change. You will be amazed in this time and day how things can turn in your favour doning this.

I've even had a barman come out from behind the bar when it was quite busy and tell me 'someone lost loads in that last night' When regulars see staff are ok with you then it seem better.

[Glendale]

Its all a joke these days! Paranoid is putting it mildly! I had a punter ask me the other day if i had a magnet! I told him they dont work to well on plastic!

[deano8177]

It's a nightmare trying to get the money out. Some places make ya feel like a criminal.

I find getting 2 rounds in can work, and ya must get a pint in, as soon as ya get coke in they know what ya up too. This dose not go for all pubs just the scumbag pubs.

[jeffvickers]

I like the payout method on the new indys where your £70 dumps, its a little more discreet, whereas, the Juices make a right racket! Every pound, metal hits metal! Wish there were more machines like old extremes where you would drain the percentage over many plays, making profit without bringing much attention to yourself.

[Captain.Tattybojangles]

Worst for payouts are the old Maygay cabinets.
Anyway because I'm not that big a player, I tend to let my face be known about the pub a bit, just go there a few times only for drinks. Check the machine, how much it gets played, then try a quid in it or so, then get me mate round for the force.
In the meantime I just be friendly, if they know me I give em a greeting and such when I enter, get my drink and sit down.
Of course, this backfired on me after losing a little in the machine, the barman came up to me and said "I can never win on that either. just seems to rob me."
One barman on machines, zero drinks from me!

[sir ratholer]

Sir, I expect you are referencing at least one pub that I know. You mentioned that he turned off the other machine whilst you were playing the Red. As I (a bit drunkenly) managed to tell you t'other day, he turned them both off, whilst I was playing one of them! He stated that there was 'no money in them'. DOH! I snuck back later and the Red was back on, but not the DOND.

As they are both not the best machines, I'm not that worried. Although I do think that the two previous ones were shipped out under this guys say so.

As to he main subject, I'm really not sure what can be done to lower the heat. I guess it's the fact that we can waltz in and out of a pub in less than half an hour with more money than they may well make in an entire day... That's not our 'fault' though is it?

That was his 'excuse' for me the other day too! Obv didn't care too much as I was on the indy anyway...which is a poor program, ivor thomas bad one.

It's across the board pretty much now for me, and it seems others too. I mean the first non spoons machine of the day for me was in a beefeater and even then the guy behind the bar watched me intently. I asked him if he played it himself and he said he's not allowed to! So I don't exactly know why he was so interested...

[Mr McStreak]

My tip would be to place a damp cloth over the source of the conflagration, thus starving the fire of oxygen.

On a less humourous note I think that most managed pubs have become Chesney Hawkes.

A one hit wonder.

Around a fortnight or so ago I was in an area north of Birmingham playing an Electrocoin. Twas there on both but cost upwards of 100 pounds to get the first, then most of that back for the second. The fact that both came off wild thing didn't help me and the idiot staff and local trash were quickly alll over me, making no secret of their disliking of me. Efforts to point out that I was still down were futile and we left to a barrage of threats, and informed the police were en route. I was thoroughly pissed off, but less so when my accomplice informed me he'd managed to sneak an 80 raise out of a red completely unnoticed.

I always buy a house vodka with a splash of lemonade in any pub I go in, its a good excuse to have a drink, and ought to serve its purpose in keeping the suspicions down but its not enough anymore, you'll get fire anywhere.

[Glendale]

Your right! Bottle of water or 4 vodkas, makes no difference to whether they will ban you or not!

[Matt Vinyl]

That was his 'excuse' for me the other day too...

Aww, maybe we should gently explain to the poor old guy that there's no money in there because no bugger can get to play it before he steams across the floor like Ivor the Engine to turn it off!! Heh-heh...

[thecannonball89]

I love the fire pubs, just get a fruit shoot in pubs what take the piss now. have been bared from loads of pubs on the 1st visit latley

[darren]

The heat these days almost puts me off, we walked in a pub today for a (chipped) £35 cabin, bought a pint each and then, like magic, the machine was turned off. We hadnt 'really' done anything in the area apart from £7 from a quiz where again we had a pint each so a ring around can almost be ruled out.

5 Minutes later the barman appeared to receive a phone call and was talking about the machine and we overheard him saying "No its still not working, shall i just turn it back on?....... Ok i will do that and phone you back in 10 minutes if its still working" Needless to say there was nothing wrong with it.

We didnt play it, some guy did and it was heavily showing. He decided to rather loudly say HMS Belfast (us being from belfast and ready to get the boat home) for whatever reason. Basically we got a ring around for winning £7. Is this really what its coming too?

If you dont drink then buy a house vodka with a can of something and chuck the vodka. It makes all the diference for the same of a few pence

[trayhop123]

there's it then lads ,,,,,,were out of options ,,,,,, time to train the wives up ,,,,,,,,,,, :P

guaranteed to dampen any ''male'' flames :P