Black Diamond Casino Billings | 800+ Slots, Table Games & Dining

I was just killing time on my lunch break from the construction site, figured I'd drop fifty bucks and maybe grab a coffee. Hit the progressive on my third spin and honestly didn't belive it at first—thought the machine was glitching or something. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely press the cash out button. I called my wife right there and she screamed so loud everyone on the floor turned to look at me. We're finally getting the roof fixed on the house and putting some aside for our kids college, something we've been putting off forever.

I'd been playing blackjack for about three hours, up and down, mostly just treading water. Then the delaer started getting cold hands and I rode that run for what felt like forever. Every time I split or doubled, it just worked out. I remember this older guy next to me kept saying 'you can't miss,' and he was right. By the time I cashed out I was sweating through my shirt. Used it to pay off my truck loan early and took my girlfriend somewhere nice for once instead of always staying in.

I'd been playing in the weekly tournaments for two years, mostly cashing out for small money, and this time something just felt different. Made it through to the final table with a solid chip stack and played tight, let other people knock eachother out. Final hand I'm sitting with pocket tens and just knew I had to make the move. The guy across from me has been aggressive all night, so I pushed. He called with ace-king and bricked out. It was surreal holding that check. I quit my job the next week and now I'm playing poker full time, finally doing something I actually love.

My mom passed about eight months before this, and she loved roulette—used to come here all the time. I decided to come play on what would've been her birthday, just to feel close to her somehow. Bet twenty dollars on her lucky number, 17 red, and it hit. Then I put it all back on the same number and it hit again. I just stood there crying right at the table, people were patting my shoulder and I couldn't even talk. I'm putting most of it toward her memorial scholarship for nursing students, something she would've wanted.

My buddy was dragging me to the casino and I didn't want to go—I'd just gotten laid off that week and was feeling pretty low about everything. He insisted, said it would cheer me up, so I grabbed my wallet and we went. I threw twenty in the Buffalo Gold machine without even thinking about it, just pushing buttons to make him happy. Got the free spins bonus and couldn't believe what was happening on the screen. Couldn't stop laughing at the irony of winning when everything else was falling apart. Used most of it to get through the rest of my job search without stress, which honestly made all the diference.

I love three card poker because the games are fast and you know where you stand right away. I was there with my brother-in-law and we were just having beers, not expecting anything crazy. Hit a straight flush on my third hand and we both just kind of froze. The dealer confirmed it and my brother-in-law bought the whole bar a round to celebrate. I took my half and helped my sister with her medical bills—she's been stressing about that for years. Sometimes you get lucky at exactly the right time, you know?