I've never played keno before, and Mission is perhaps the world's most enthusiastic keno player. We got some free pop and blew $5 in Keno each.

There was one addict there sitting in the darkened slot room playing the max on a generic slot game. The first one we went to was closed (it was 2 A.M.), but the second one - basically an ice cream parlor with slots - was open. These slot parlors are everywhere in West Virginia, but they only have six machines each. First we stopped off in a slot parlor on Wheeling Island. I then took a nap in my hotel room and when Mission's shift was over at 1:30 A.M., we drove to the casino in Wheeling.

He then showed me pictures of his family on Facebook, and we ordered said free pizza and ate while late-night walk-ins wandered in looking for hotel rooms. Mission is a very entertaining, amicable guy who is enthusiastic about his interests. (Good scotch!) I really enjoyed getting a behind the scenes tour of hotel operations. We also did shots of Johnnie Walker Black in his office. He also told me he sells the beer he finds in the rooms at the bar, and showed me his scheme for getting free pizzas. He is very good at getting top dollar for every available room night. Someone recruit this guy at the Bellagio quick!Īfter settling into my room, Mission gave me a tour of all the hotel facilities and showed me how he books reservations. Let me just say - hopefully without being too patronizing - that this guy is WAY too talented to be running a chain hotel out in the boonies. Mission runs this place like Jack Welch runs G.E. It has a pool, flat screen TVs, and the rooms are basically suites.

This guy does everything! His hotel was nicer than I expected. I met Mission at his hotel he runs (he got me the friends and family rate - cheers!) as he was taking out the garbage on a hotel bellman's cart. Because of a work trip that took me down to his neck of the woods, I recently had the opportunity to meet up with gentleman hotelier, gambler, esteemed moderator and all-around class act Mission146 on his home turf.

Does wheeling island have video poker