I didn't have enough time or money to play for a $200 strike, but somehow came back from Reno with 19 strikes anyway.

I won one dupe and they traded me a 2001 strike for it. Since the old ones are gone I wanted one that couldn't be won anymore. All of the new strikes I saw were frosted, as usual an indication (according to theories) that the first ones struck have that frosted surface.

I don't know what numbers Sid's makes of each strike, but the machines had plenty of new strikes and the regulars will be able to win or trade for the full set. I can't forget to repeat how nice the people in the cage there were to us.

BTW the second lady at Atlantis was very nice and went in back to look for a strike in an uncrashed case (it was actually chipped and had a hole in it) She asked if I wanted the same one or something different and I said different but anything would be fine.

When she came back she said, none in back, and I should look for the Parrot because there were less of them. (anyone have a clue on this?) So I came home with three of the same Tucan strike from there.

Atlantis running out of strikes? Are the machines going or are new designs coming soon?

I also stopped at Bill's in Tahoe, and Delta Saloon Virginia City, nice designs, friendly folks. Asked at the cage, other places, nothing available.

The machines sure aren't the same as when they first came out. In five days and a bit of playing, I only won on the center line once and that was a double. Nice for the only one. The old way of sitting and playing one quarter for 80 spins, isn't going to work anymore.

Every win except two, were singles on the top line. The other two were singles on the bottom line.

I understand that slots are pure random chance, but it seems unusual that in the first two years the Silver Strikes were out, I played and two friends played and we all seemed to hit more tokens on the center line back then.

After the progresive changed to a fixed $1,000 and there were rumors of changes in the payout, the center line didn't pay as often.

Just remember that the reels could be blank, or not exist and the payout would still be the same, so those symbols have no relationship to the RNG and the payouts. But the placement of the bar-bar-bar could be altered so less one coin winners would be available.

The original idea was I could get 80 spins for $20 and maybe get a strike. Now it's $60 for 80 spins. That ignores the credits won during play, which also seem to be more common on lines for 2 and 3 coins play.

Summary: a cheap chisler like me can't just sit and play one quarter at a time anymore.