Helio Castroneves' Dancing with the Stars win foretold in a Laughlin bingo parlor

While it still amazes me to no end that so many Americans have been seduced by celebrities dancing, it was no surprise to me that Brazilian driver Helio Castroneves won the title on Dancing with the Stars. You see, the victory had been foretold at a Laughlin bingo parlor two days prior.

My wife, a Brasileira of the highest quality, was a winner during the 7:30 p.m. bingo game at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino, thus setting the stage for Castroneves. And while her victory of $50 may have seemed unimportant, she celebrated much like the popular Brazilian driver. In fact, she actually called out “Bingo” too early, leading to many angry stares and a few muttered curses from fellow bingo players.

Nonetheless, the stage had been set - this was to be a week for Brazilians to win unimportant contests.

A few other thoughts from Laughlin:

• Eat at the Harrah’s buffet. It is truly impressive, plus, prolonged staring at the unbelievable dessert bar they have could lead to instant diabetes.

• Never make a mistake playing bingo. Best-case scenario - angry stares. Worst-case scenario - being beaten with daubers.

• Play a round of golf at the beautiful Laughlin Ranch Golf Course.

• Avoid playing bingo at River Palms Resort & Casino. They call a number every .02 seconds, and you’ll feel like you smoked 17 packs of cigarettes after a one-hour session.

• Now is a great time to visit Laughlin. The temperatures are in the mid-70s, but the gambling and golf are still red-hot.

–WKW