My online slots videos (plus UK AWPs)

[ChopleyIOM]

Three UK AWPs featured in this video.

Apologies for the relative lack of online slots stuff recently, I'm doing the vast majority of my play at 3Dice these days and I've covered every single slot they have in previous videos.

I am keeping an eye on new releases over at Unibet but honestly, I don't think I've ever been as bored as I am now with the online slots landscape, and very few games are leaping out at to me to play with real funds, add in the widespread gimping of RTPs, insane volatility profiles and near total lack of bonus offers - and I'm just not motivated much to deposit and play, and thus by extension make slots videos!

 

[dunover]

Three UK AWPs featured in this video.

Apologies for the relative lack of online slots stuff recently, I'm doing the vast majority of my play at 3Dice these days and I've covered every single slot they have in previous videos.

I am keeping an eye on new releases over at Unibet but honestly, I don't think I've ever been as bored as I am now with the online slots landscape, and very few games are leaping out at to me to play with real funds, add in the widespread gimping of RTPs, insane volatility profiles and near total lack of bonus offers - and I'm just not motivated much to deposit and play, and thus by extension make slots videos!

Excruciating watch. Like someone trying to clean the M25 with a toothbrush. It sums up the AWP players of old in one video. Witnessing people smiling and puffed with relief when getting 70% of their session losses back in the streak, the fear of leaving it 'happy' for another player removing all financial rationale from the incumbent player.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Excruciating watch. Like someone trying to clean the M25 with a toothbrush. It sums up the AWP players of old in one video. Witnessing people smiling and puffed with relief when getting 70% of their session losses back in the streak, the fear of leaving it 'happy' for another player removing all financial rationale from the incumbent player.

I really think I'd hit some sort of bug in the code there, it was hard blocking the red £100 at the end of the trail but desperate to pay back off a normal feature board, hence £150, £100 and £50 being awarded in quick succession.

Compensated machines are an opaque, dodgy business IMO, if they're not vulnerable to some sort of exploitation or manipulation, they do straight-up stupid shit like that which makes no sense.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

A bit of further investigation into this one......

 

[Spikie]

Watched the first 5 mins , over 7000 pounds in and less than 1000 out ,, wow!!

This is exactly why compensated machines are gone to the history books .

People moan about 2% difference on 96%rtp , this one is at 9% .

I will watch the rest now , but not sure how that other 7000 pounds will get returned….

 

[dunover]

A bit of further investigation into this one......

Look, think about it - there were nearly 8,000 £1 coins piled up in the cash box. This meant they were touching the electrical contacts at the bottom of the middle section, thus shorting the thing.

Right, these £100 prize machines were pretty much lifted from the coding scripts of club machines and didn't use the same code as say the older £15 or £25 JP ones which would allow 50 or 75 streaks. A club machine would not allow a jackpot repeat. So in that case the illusion of a £100 repeater would be a kind of 'false advertising' on the glass and you would only get the single £100 from a 'white' value (as you did before).

I have an idea here - I once encountered a chap from downstairs from the flat I used to have about 25 years ago, looking very upset. When I spoke to him a few days later, turned out he's been in an arcade in town playing a 10p conversion of an old £5 jackpot slot and had spent several hours and £200, all he had that week, trying for the £5 jackpot repeater. He basically described (he didn't have the 'knowledge') all the symptoms of a coding block, he had apparently repeatedly got to 4 quid on both the number ladder and feature board and lost going for the £ JP repeater every time on 2 or 11. I explained that due to lower turnover on these reduced stakes of 10p, the arcade's percentages were set as low as possible and that this alone would block the feature rather then any specific coding.

This is something I proved beyond doubt a couple of years before. I bought a club £150 JP machine as it was identical to the one that used to be in my local snooker club and always dropped in the cashpot between £80.10 and £81.00 (it would never get to £150 on the percentage setting they had it on.) As with the Scorpion 5 board, you had a a default legal RTP minimum setting of 70% and each of the 8 dip switches added 2% for a max of 88%. On the top percentages you could never, ever gamble to the top 3 features as they were blocked, same as the £100 RED was in your case. You could however on some of the lower percentages (I recall the owner used to take £50 off of players who attained the 'reel skill' feature which was second and he could stop and hit all 4 triple bars for the £150 which was no mean feat...) and on the higher percentages it 'switched off' the £80-ish cashpot guarantee.

I reckon this is where your Andy Capp issue could lie - as you demonstrated you can get the equivalent feature up the top which simply would never repeat, so why not the bottom one do the same? I think your feature attempt was simply blocked via the 86% setting - if you can simulate play as you did with your bot, the same method, but successively trying the different percentages in order, I reckon you may might well see it land on it - even though we know it will never repeat.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

That's an interesting theory dunover so I gave it a go, setting different instances of the machine at 70% (the minimum), 76%, 82%, (86% we've already done) and 92%.

In each case the only thing that changed was how long it took the machine to get into the loop, on the lowest percentage it took more money (consistent with the lower percentage) before it would get locked into the loop, and on the highest percentage of 92%, it got there very quickly. (They can actually be set as high as 98% but I didn't feel that was necessary.)

In every case though, the £100 shot, when red, at the end of the trail was completely blocked once the machine was in the loop, so percentage does not affect the ability of the machine to offer the win, it appears to be hard blocked in the code under all circumstances. (Or perhaps, simply isn't in the code as an award, despite being on the paytable.)

One extra thing to note is that this 'Betcom' style of machine has actually been around since the £25 days, and they've basically iterated it and bolted things onto it through the £35, £70 and then £100 jackpot days - so I think the base code is actually a lot older than you might realise!

There is of course, a video where I waffle on about this quite a lot

 

[dunover]

Ok, at least you've ruled that scenario out, it's simply false advertising on the glass and is probably a breach of some rule somewhere, but I know that on the old MPU3/4 games this definitely WAS the case, certain things on the glass became impossible on certain dip-switch combinations. But then again, AWP's were always legalized fraud so this Andy Capp nonsense surprised me not one iota.
Imagine online slot developers, under such regulatory scrutiny, putting 'impossible' wins in their pay-tables!?? Oh, hang on, Bonanza definitely depicts a G-O-L-D somewhere in the rules...

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Ok, at least you've ruled that scenario out, it's simply false advertising on the glass and is probably a breach of some rule somewhere, but I know that on the old MPU3/4 games this definitely WAS the case, certain things on the glass became impossible on certain dip-switch combinations. But then again, AWP's were always legalized fraud so this Andy Capp nonsense surprised me not one iota.

Yeah as much as I eulogise about AWPs on my channel (particularly the older ones with small jackpots that were genuinely capable of providing entertainment), one of the main things I've learned about them over the years (and indeed experienced for myself on the real machines once I got a clue, and have amply demonstrated in so many videos in the emulator), is that compensated machines have basically just never worked properly.

From the some of the oldest pub machines on the smallest jackpots of just £3 or £4 in tokens, right the way to 'big daddy' casino club machines with £1000 jackpots, and everything in-between, just about anything and everything has been subject to player manipulation and trickery, be it through developer ineptitude or corruption, or a combination of both.

I'm not blaming the players, they were just playing the machines that were put in front of them, it's the developers and useless 'regulators' I have far less complimentary things to say about.

That said though, they're fascinating to play about with and dissect in the emulator, where no real funds (or cars......) are at stake

 

[ChopleyIOM]

New Thunderstruck game innit.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Early doable ROMs for an old ACE 'Watch For My Hidden Treasures' machine, where the coders totally accidentally left a free win on the paytable.

 

[Jono777]

Watched about half of the above mate and have a couple of pointers

(Apologies if this is mentioned later in video or over at Desert Island Fruits)

When you have that rough patch of dead spins, you can knock back a couple of wins mid empty to liven things up again, not as many as the start just 2-3 wins, avoiding the mixed 7's for example.

Also you mention 3-4 times "That's a jackpot hold" (2 matching boxes treasures hint win)

Its actually not a JP, spinning the reels (holding nothing) will not spin in boxed 7's or bars It will award 3 nudges.

Sorry its me again with the input but as you probably guessed years back I was well into my AWP's (more so my empties ) and can't help myself when this sort of stuff gets posted!

Edit: Also line wins were free on certain ROM's, later ROM's they were only free from the £2.20 Quick Nudge exchange which lead to the 'newer' empty method across most of their machines.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Cheers Jono yes what you're saying there matches up with comments that were left on the video

There were so many different things on these ACE machines from the £4.80 jackpot and £6 jackpot era, I didn't have a clue of course and like the dumb addict I was just pumped them full of money time and time again.

How do wins end up being completely unaccounted for though? It's either a terrible mistake, or terrible corruption......

 

[Jono777]

99.99% the latter for sure

 

[ChopleyIOM]

There are folks over at the fruit machine emulation forums who say that the abundance of tricks and emptiers in the early 90s literally paid to put them through university, with the fruit machines as a side gig to their studies.

Of course in the pre-internet days tricks could last for months or even years if the players were canny about it, little did I know that such things were even possible, so I was the dutiful muggins, tipping every penny I had into the bloody things

 

[Jono777]

Yeah, the various systems sure kept me in fags n booze, along with nice clothes and even a car plus the insurance.

Looking back I did do very well but could have done so much better if I'd stayed away from the other machines I was playing 'blind'

Also I missed out on an awful lot, shouldn't do but it does grieve me when you post an empty I missed out on, more so when I usually recall where there were an abundance of the machines in question.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Not an overly cheerful video to make, but it's hard to drum up enthusiasm for this stuff any longer.

 

[dunover]

Not an overly cheerful video to make, but it's hard to drum up enthusiasm for this stuff any longer.

I reviewed Debt Descent a week or so ago and it's utter shite, fucking dreadful with 'egg-timer' variance and maths so you can never win on it, kinda like St*rb*rst.
I don't quite see the relevance of World of Gaycraft in comparison to slot money costs. But I do get the entertainment factor.

You will be delighted to know we have a new BTG after Gold Megaways haha

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[ChopleyIOM]

There isn't a direct equivalence between videogames and slots, and I do make that clear in the video, but when you watch a slot chew through £500 of demo money on £1 a spin in four hours, whilst playing (and massively enjoying) a videogame for the same four hours that costs £8.50 per MONTH, questions start to formulate in the brain about whether not not this shit is even remotely worth it.

Slots are so formulaic and derivative now, there are too many of them, too many providers, and the wheat to chaff ratio is unacceptable.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

The first anniversary of Wizard's passing. He's the guy who wrote the emulator that the entire fruit machine emulation scene depends on.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Another old UK AWP, a clone of Indiana Jones.

If I find anything interesting in the world of online slots I'll do a video about it!

(Still no sign of the new game or Kyoko's Quest remake at 3Dice...... Both of which are supposed to be incoming in the not too distant future.)

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Bit of a niche video even by the standards of my channel, to revisit the previous two UK fruit machines I covered to see if (1) The Untouchable would pay back the huge amount it owed the player at the end of the last video and (2) If the lines were free on the 0.1 £6 Pay Rise ROMs, using a hacked ROM that allows unlimited time on the £2.20 yellow bar exchange.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Just keeping this thread up to date, video is already linked in the UKGC thread.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Something a little bit off the beaten track for this one.....

 

[ChopleyIOM]

A look at the new Break Da Bank Again Megaways slot.

 

[mack341]

I remember playing chase hq, I recall though fantastic graphics not these sega megadrive standard ones, my memory must be playing tricks. Haha that's a naughty freeze frame you chose there Chop, just noticed that

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I remember playing chase hq, I recall though fantastic graphics not these sega megadrive standard ones, my memory must be playing tricks. Haha that's a naughty freeze frame you chose there Chop, just noticed that

There were three main Chase HQ games mack, the original which came out in 1988 (that's the one in my video), then a sequel called Special Criminal Investigation that came out in 1989 which had slightly better graphics but wasn't a quantum leap forward.

Then in 2007 Taito released Chase HQ 2 which was a proper full 3D game and looked a world apart from the originals.

It's worth remembering what these old arcade games are up against now, when even our phones can render complex 3D games that would have needed a powerful PC or console just a few years ago, and yet back in 1988 the idea of a 'perfect home conversion' of a game as relatively simple as the arcade version of Chase HQ, would have seemed like pure dream material!

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Shit just got real in the world of fruit machine emulation, as someone has built an entire 3D rendered environment for the fruit machines to live in!

 

[ChopleyIOM]

An update on the arcade simulator with specific and updated details on exactly what you need to get it running, and what sort of hardware requirements you can expect to have to meet.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

First proper online slots session in a while, I got sent a decent bonus offer by 21Casino had a bankroll of £500 to play with.

 

[dunover]

First proper online slots session in a while, I got sent a decent bonus offer by 21Casino had a bankroll of £500 to play with.

How not to use a bonus lol... 'Cunt Fruits' as you call it is a notoriously volatile game and the last one I'd have picked but you had fun haha. I was expecting a grinder video not a quick shot one...

 

[ChopleyIOM]

The dangers of going in blind to new slots!

The £3 spins on Punk Rocker were a bit stupid but Cunty Fruits irritated me so I just fancied chancing my arm on a death or glory punt at Punk Rocker (it's worked in the past ), alas it was not to be on this occasion!

I don't know why casinos are so stingy with bonus offers these days, send me a decent bonus offer and there's a good chance you'll get a deposit out of me, and 35xB WR with bonus only contributing to wagering is hardly some sort of free cash giveaway bonanza.

Unibet are a really good outfit but bloody hell the bonuses are basically non-existent.

 

[Jono777]

The dangers of going in blind to new slots!

The £3 spins on Punk Rocker were a bit stupid but Cunty Fruits irritated me so I just fancied chancing my arm on a death or glory punt at Punk Rocker (it's worked in the past ), alas it was not to be on this occasion!

I don't know why casinos are so stingy with bonus offers these days, send me a decent bonus offer and there's a good chance you'll get a deposit out of me, and 35xB WR with bonus only contributing to wagering is hardly some sort of free cash giveaway bonanza.

Unibet are a really good outfit but bloody hell the bonuses are basically non-existent.

Don't play there for 4-5 weeks an they'll send you a 100% match up to around £100.

25xB wagering too.

Best bonuses on the planet in terms of fairness but as you say, rare as rocking horse shite!

 

[ChopleyIOM]

An update on the amazing arcade simulator that is coming on in leaps and bounds, and something a bit more personal that I had no other better way of explaining. (It's why I've tapped out of the Brexit thread for the time being.)

 

[mack341]

An update on the amazing arcade simulator that is coming on in leaps and bounds, and something a bit more personal that I had no other better way of explaining. (It's why I've tapped out of the Brexit thread for the time being.)

Sorry to hear that Chop, totally understandable to not feel like much forum stuff. There's internet/social media interaction, and then the hard things happening in real life that hit you for six. That John the arcade man must be a programming genius to do all that.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Thanks mack I know we have different views on some things but I always appreciate and respect what you have to say, and the fact you keep debate civilised and mindful of others, I'm feeling a bit dinged up at the moment so the Brexit thread is beyond me for now, but I'll be back in there at some point with explanations of why we should all be French, or something

 

[mack341]

I must've been MIA as see you did a new gambling low ebbs vid in june just gone, this could sound odd but I enjoyed the first 3, so will be deffo giving that a watch tonight.

Edit: Update, bloody hell Chop! not many tales/vids can hold my attention like that did for the duration. I won't wax lyrical other than that was an eye opener, very evocative too. Respect to you recalling these difficult times. And it was funny. ?

 

[Jono777]

Not watched the latest virtual arcade installment yet (will be later today) but from previous videos I have watched, looks already awesome.

Could not help thinking as a past frequent arcade goer of some ideas which could really put the icing on the cake, if this programming genius fancies considering them (if you'd be so kind to pass my ideas on @ChopleyIOM ) Most for visual satisfaction and not particularly interactive.

* Other players coming and going and playing machines
* Doors to the 'outside world along one of the exterior walls with people going past, some coming into the arcade.
*Staff offering drinks and change, even challenging the odd punter to leave as they're under 18 (awesome RG stance in today's climate)
* Centralised change desk (like we see in seaside type arcades)
* Some form of decoration on the walls, promotional posters for example

Wil add more as I think of them.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Hey there Jono the guy has loads of plans for what he wants to do in the future, off the top of my head and to address your suggestions.

* Other players coming and going and playing machines

He's already working on online integration, so that you can visit other people's arcades and play their machines, currently everyone gets the same arcade, but the idea is (probably still a way off though!) that you can download other arcades with their own selection of machines, not knowing what state they're in, and all that sort of thing. I can't say this will extend to having actual human character models walking around and stuff (there's been no mention of that), but he definitely wants to take it in the direction of online sharing of arcades and machines.

* Doors to the 'outside world along one of the exterior walls with people going past, some coming into the arcade.

*Staff offering drinks and change, even challenging the odd punter to leave as they're under 18 (awesome RG stance in today's climate)

I'll deal with these together, yes there are plans to make the arcade more visually involving and complete, but of course every new addition to the arcade has to be designed by hand, 3D modelled, rendered, tested etc and then added in, and currently this guy is doing it all by himself in his spare time as a hobby!

* Centralised change desk (like we see in seaside type arcades)

See above, this has been talked about already, but it's a question of getting it modelled and built, which takes time

* Some form of decoration on the walls, promotional posters for example

If you take a look at my latest video you'll see he's currently working on getting the correct cabinet decals on the cabinets, which is a slightly different thing but in the same ballpark. Overall this whole project is very early days, the guy has loads of plans with what he can do to make it better and more like a real arcade

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I must've been MIA as see you did a new gambling low ebbs vid in june just gone, this could sound odd but I enjoyed the first 3, so will be deffo giving that a watch tonight.

Edit: Update, bloody hell Chop! not many tales/vids can hold my attention like that did for the duration. I won't wax lyrical other than that was an eye opener, very evocative too. Respect to you recalling these difficult times. And it was funny. ?

Yes that was intended to be the 'humorous' one in terms of its main event as it were (which I still remember vividly to this day), but that was the period of time in which my gambling addiction morphed from being something that was 'bad but manageable' into something that nearly left me dead, on several occasions.

Two more to go, but it's a question of finding myself in the space where I can get them recorded, and these last two in particular aren't pretty - they're already mapped out completely in my head (which is my version of writing a script), it's just finding the time when I feel able to stand in front of the mic and get them recorded.

 

[dunover]

Hey there Jono the guy has loads of plans for what he wants to do in the future, off the top of my head and to address your suggestions.

* Other players coming and going and playing machines

He's already working on online integration, so that you can visit other people's arcades and play their machines, currently everyone gets the same arcade, but the idea is (probably still a way off though!) that you can download other arcades with their own selection of machines, not knowing what state they're in, and all that sort of thing. I can't say this will extend to having actual human character models walking around and stuff (there's been no mention of that), but he definitely wants to take it in the direction of online sharing of arcades and machines.

* Doors to the 'outside world along one of the exterior walls with people going past, some coming into the arcade.

*Staff offering drinks and change, even challenging the odd punter to leave as they're under 18 (awesome RG stance in today's climate)

I'll deal with these together, yes there are plans to make the arcade more visually involving and complete, but of course every new addition to the arcade has to be designed by hand, 3D modelled, rendered, tested etc and then added in, and currently this guy is doing it all by himself in his spare time as a hobby!

* Centralised change desk (like we see in seaside type arcades)

See above, this has been talked about already, but it's a question of getting it modelled and built, which takes time

* Some form of decoration on the walls, promotional posters for example

If you take a look at my latest video you'll see he's currently working on getting the correct cabinet decals on the cabinets, which is a slightly different thing but in the same ballpark. Overall this whole project is very early days, the guy has loads of plans with what he can do to make it better and more like a real arcade

Good stuff! To make it more realistic can we have:

1. Shoulder-surfers watching your play, sharking to see how much you lose.
2. Random entrances of smack-heads trying to sell you shoplifted jars of coffee, razor blades, deodorants and clothes.
3. Some screaming Bar-x's with a line of grannies and wheeled shopping trollies for you to trip over.
4. After the sound of a large bank collected an attendant approaching and saying "I hope you're not expecting notes for that lot, I've run out.."
5. A wino clutching a can of special brew, doing a swift recce of the coin trays on all the unplayed machines at hourly intervals.
6. Some laminated A4 sheets placed on random machines stating "Machine Taken" while the addict is up the ATM or trying to pawn their necklace at Cash Converters.
7. AT 30-minute intervals another skint player approaching you saying " Lemme a fiver, this one's gonna drop right now and I'll give you a tenner back when it has.."

 

[Jono777]

LMAO!

Trust you, this is the sort of stuff I REALLY wanted to post / ask for, however I behaved

On top of this If the emu is pre 2007, we need the busy period scenario where most of the machines are taken and every player is chain smoking, to the point they almost cannot see each other and the staff cannot keep on top of the overflowing ash trays!

 

[mack341]

Yes that was intended to be the 'humorous' one in terms of its main event as it were (which I still remember vividly to this day), but that was the period of time in which my gambling addiction morphed from being something that was 'bad but manageable' into something that nearly left me dead, on several occasions.

Two more to go, but it's a question of finding myself in the space where I can get them recorded, and these last two in particular aren't pretty - they're already mapped out completely in my head (which is my version of writing a script), it's just finding the time when I feel able to stand in front of the mic and get them recorded.

I don't mind waiting if the quality is as good as it has been for the 4, I suspect you do have to be in the right frame of mind to do justice to the retelling, and you'll only know on the day or hour. You probably could've been a good History teacher Chop, that was my favourite school subject, and I should've done it at 'A' level, [1990-91] I seem to remember looking at it, but then put off by it being more the social history aspect, which at the time I found a bit dry and hard to get into.

As a listener who never really played much on fruits, you start to grasp the enormity of how dangerous these things were [for the uninitiated at least], and I remember from those times, dotted around everywhere.

The university was quite switched on not to allow the machines on campus, it beggars belief though other ones not forseeing the problems, youngsters away from home for the first time etc...we'll just plonk these addictive , money burning machines nearby

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Good stuff! To make it more realistic can we have:

1. Shoulder-surfers watching your play, sharking to see how much you lose.
2. Random entrances of smack-heads trying to sell you shoplifted jars of coffee, razor blades, deodorants and clothes.
3. Some screaming Bar-x's with a line of grannies and wheeled shopping trollies for you to trip over.
4. After the sound of a large bank collected an attendant approaching and saying "I hope you're not expecting notes for that lot, I've run out.."
5. A wino clutching a can of special brew, doing a swift recce of the coin trays on all the unplayed machines at hourly intervals.
6. Some laminated A4 sheets placed on random machines stating "Machine Taken" while the addict is up the ATM or trying to pawn their necklace at Cash Converters.
7. AT 30-minute intervals another skint player approaching you saying " Lemme a fiver, this one's gonna drop right now and I'll give you a tenner back when it has.."

It's funny because it's true!

I've seen every single one of those in my time, and as mack notes above, these things were just punted out there as 'amusement with prizes' so completely avoided any sort of proper scrutiny or regulation, when in reality they were hardcore proper gambling devices that could be found not just in arcades, but pubs and train stations and cafes and swimming pool recreation areas and literally fucking everywhere.

Compensated machines were IMO never, ever done correctly, and should never have been allowed to exist, random games are the only way to do gambling fairly.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I don't mind waiting if the quality is as good as it has been for the 4, I suspect you do have to be in the right frame of mind to do justice to the retelling, and you'll only know on the day or hour. You probably could've been a good History teacher Chop, that was my favourite school subject, and I should've done it at 'A' level, [1990-91] I seem to remember looking at it, but then put off by it being more the social history aspect, which at the time I found a bit dry and hard to get into.

As a listener who never really played much on fruits, you start to grasp the enormity of how dangerous these things were [for the uninitiated at least], and I remember from those times, dotted around everywhere.

The university was quite switched on not to allow the machines on campus, it beggars belief though other ones not forseeing the problems, youngsters away from home for the first time etc...we'll just plonk these addictive , money burning machines nearby

Cheers mack - yes I can see an alternate timeline where I ended up as a history teacher and that would have been great, but I can't complain with how things landed in the end. I think I got lucky in that I had really good history teachers for both my GCSEs and A levels and they really fired up my enthusiasm for the subject, as the old saying goes - 'Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it'.

As for fruities on university campuses, which some did allow and others didn't, I guess you could argue maybe they didn't know what they were inviting in, 'amusement with prizes' and all that, but once the cashboxes started rolling in it would have surely become clear what they were peddling to their students, and young people at that, I was still a child in many regards at the age of 18.

I consider myself lucky to have survived it (and with an incredible amount of gratitude to the family and friends who never gave up on me), and in the context of the personal stuff me and Mrs Chopley have got going on at the moment, doubly grateful that we're all still here for each other.

Today is a gift, tomorrow is not promised.

 

[mack341]

Cheers mack - yes I can see an alternate timeline where I ended up as a history teacher and that would have been great, but I can't complain with how things landed in the end. I think I got lucky in that I had really good history teachers for both my GCSEs and A levels and they really fired up my enthusiasm for the subject, as the old saying goes - 'Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it'.

As for fruities on university campuses, which some did allow and others didn't, I guess you could argue maybe they didn't know what they were inviting in, 'amusement with prizes' and all that, but once the cashboxes started rolling in it would have surely become clear what they were peddling to their students, and young people at that, I was still a child in many regards at the age of 18.

I consider myself lucky to have survived it (and with an incredible amount of gratitude to the family and friends who never gave up on me), and in the context of the personal stuff me and Mrs Chopley have got going on at the moment, doubly grateful that we're all still here for each other.

Today is a gift, tomorrow is not promised.

Yes good teachers make a heck of a difference, no I was going to say that abt being happy with how things worked out but couldn't word it in. I did have a bit of fun on fruits in the 90s, but was literally £2 lost then stop, just a chance your arm thing. I had a lot more control back then than now online, when the money is represented electronically rather than notes in your hand.

I don't think I'll ever not wonder 'hmm' if I encounter anyone walking like john wayne now

 

[ChopleyIOM]

It's time for another one of these......

 

[dunover]

It's time for another one of these......

No mobile phones in 1994? You poor northeners lol....don't tell me you still watched black&white tellies?
Seriously, another frank and impactive video... thanks!

 

[ChopleyIOM]

I was aware of mobile phones existing at the time but they certainly weren't a common sight, I didn't get one until 1999 and I don't much remember any of my family or friends having them much before that either. I did get quite good at Snake on my Nokia mobile though, passed the time when sat on the throne!

As for the video, I was kind of locked into doing it as it was always going to be one of the series, I mean, I know I didn't have to but the series wouldn't have been complete or honest without it.

It seems so utterly insane to me now, to have risked losing the love of my life so I could play bastard fruit machines in the pub.

 

[dunover]

I was aware of mobile phones existing at the time but they certainly weren't a common sight, I didn't get one until 1999 and I don't much remember any of my family or friends having them much before that either. I did get quite good at Snake on my Nokia mobile though, passed the time when sat on the throne!

As for the video, I was kind of locked into doing it as it was always going to be one of the series, I mean, I know I didn't have to but the series wouldn't have been complete or honest without it.

It seems so utterly insane to me now, to have risked losing the love of my life so I could play bastard fruit machines in the pub.

I had my first at the beginning of 1994 it was a little Motorola. Once I had one, it seemed within a few months every bugger had one, this was when you got calls, messages and a backlight only. A little while after you got emoticons for texts and could buy screw-in clear aerial stubs which had flashing blue and red LED's. Trouble is, they flickered every time the phone confirmed its connection to the network which was about every 30 minutes, but it was fun when they lit up properly so you knew a second or two before the thing was about to ring with an incoming call.

I imagine you must've replayed that cashpoint moment in Essex over and over in your mind, even now. You were lucky mate. 99% of parents would've not merely been displeased with their daughter seeing you again, they would've actively banned it if they could under threat of disinheritance or worse. Now 27 years later, I wouldn't be surprised if it still scares you that could have not have had your life of now, had things gone against you back then. Yet you have proved you aren't a waster and are a clever bloke, good father and husband. That fact must still confuse you now as to how you had that in you all along, yet by contrast were enslaved for years by a plywood box with flashing lights on it.

It's clear you've controlled and beaten it which is why it did the other day concern me that you played those 'random' £500 cabinet games, shoving those £20 notes in as easy as breathing. Frightened me, after your 4 'lowest ebbs' videos!! I also came accross a video on some forum a month or so ago by chance, which had you and your pals in a IoM pub shovelling £20's in (a rainy day, blowing a gale and it was a AWP where you forced a £60 profit out after being £90 in?) So the question I have to ask, is does the good lady actually know if you for example go out with your pals now and lose £100 in the cabinet games, if she does, how does she take it? Acceptance it's an affordable loss that won't lead further, or silently wished you hadn't wasted that and say put it in your kids' saving book?

I think I ask this as I cannot understand 'cutting down' in regards to an addict - if you're smoker, you either do or don't. Same with a drug addict or alcoholic, you're either a user or clean. So it's possible in gambling that it's not the case of total abstension, but a kind of 'reduced/managed addiction?