Part 33: East St. Louis

I got a flyer in my mailbox from Casino Queen in East St. Louis offering me two free nights in their hotel, $50 in dining money, and free casino credits. I had not been to Casino Queen since February when I was in St. Louis for Mardi Gras weekend and ended up cycling thousands of dollars through the video poker machines that weekend. I called the hotel and asked if they would let me redeem the free hotel nights on a Friday and Saturday night. Surprisingly they gave me free hotel over a weekend when the rates typically go up. The Cardinals were not in town over the weekend, so that probably helped.

I left work around noon and drove south down I-55. I made it almost the whole way before needing to fill up with gas. At the gas station I picked up a tall can of Stag. I made it to the casino’s hotel and checked in. The hotel was nice, but maybe a little bit less than what I had envisioned in my mind. Since I was done driving for the day, I cracked the can of Stag and guzzled it while walking around the parking lot. I finished the last sips as I walked into the casino.

The first thing I did was redeem some of my dining credit for a free dinner buffet. After eating I went to the video poker machines to make some money. After a couple hours of playing and sucking down free Dr. Peppers, I was ahead over $260 when I decided to take a break and go back to the hotel. I thought about washing up and going across the river to some bars or hitting a few strip clubs on the Illinois side. I laid down on the bed for a nap since I had been awake since 4am. I did not wake up until the next morning.

My tallboy of Stag Beer.