I can count all the times I’ve been to the casino on both hands. There’s no reason in particular, it’s just not my cup of tea. Sure, I like to play the penny slots, but once I’ve lost my $20 that’s it. The times I have been, though, there is one game I’ve always sought out amongst the endless sea of fluorescent lights. That game is Lucky Larry’s LobsterMania.

Sure, you might laugh, but there are some very good reasons I make sure to play this nautically themed slot machine when at the casino.

The sounds, the sights, Larry the Lobster! If you’re lucky enough to spin three of this raincoat-wearing, pipe-smoking lobster, you’re off to the “Buoy Bonus Game.” I get stupid excited whenever this happens. Several buoys appear on screen, each attached to a lobster cage. The bigger the lobster you pull up, the bigger the prize.

As exciting as this is to LobsterMania fans, it isn’t the true reason I play the game. No, the real reason goes back to a tiny rural Manitoba town, and a bar that has since closed its doors.

On that fateful night, I followed my mum and uncle to the local bar where they were meeting a few friends. There were cheap, tasty chicken wings and my favourite drink of the time, the sickly sweet Purple Haze. But what I remember most fondly was LobsterMania.

Never having played slots before, you can imagine how surprised I was when I won — and $120 at that.

Sadly, though, it’s never been the same as the first time Larry and I met. It remains the one and only time I’ve ever won on the slot machines. Nevertheless, I won’t mind losing $20 on LobsterMania the next time I’m at the casino. I can’t help but be hopeful the magic will happen again.