Gambling Advice, Las Vegas

Favorite thing: Las Vegas is my city. I love coming here, I love gambling here. Here's why...

I ALWAYS ration my gambling dollars. If I go for five days, I take five envelopes, with each day written on the front ie: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 etc. I divide my gambling money by five, and place an equal amount in each envelope, with an additional $100 placed in the last envelope. Each envelope is then sealed, and placed in the safe in the room, or at the front desk.

I start with Day 1, and break the contents into three playing sessions, (morning, afternoon, and evening). As each sesson is played, I take half of the winnings, and place it in my fanny pack in the section that is the most difficult to get at. If I have no winnings, I sulk a bit, but, more importantly, do other things until the next session time comes around.

I NEVER, NEVER borrow from another session, even if I think I may hit a 'good one' soon. Plus, if my session was a healthy one, 'most' of the the sessions winnings and 'all left over cash' go into my fanny pack.

At the end of the day, the contents from my inaccessible portion of my fanny pack is returned to the original envelope, and sealed.

Day two, I start all over again. Day three, the same, and so on. When the last day arrives, I do my sessions as usual, but then take that additional $100 I had tucked away, and play the Progressives. At this point, I play to win, not to sustain.

I've never had days with no gambling money. I've had sessions where it all went in the first half hour, and I've had trips where I got to know the nickel machines quite well. It's all part of the deal.

Most important, always keep your day to day cash separate from your gambling dollars. I go to win, and if I feel 'down', or my luck doesn't seem to be holding, I stop playing. That's it. I wait until the next session, if my luck still 'feels' lousy, then I still don't play. I believe if you feel unlucky, you will be unlucky. My opinion...and it works for me.

Fondest memory: Getting on the return flight with lots more cash than when I came. That is my fondest memory, and I have been fortunate to have had a couple of trips like that.

On the trips where Lady Luck and I had obviously had a falling out, I at least escaped the clutches of Las Vegas by having lost exactly what I had allowed for. That is what I mean about 'being a winner'.

Gambling dollars are considered by me to be the price of admission to Las Vegas. If you can't afford to 'lose' those dollars, then you should reconsider your holiday destination. You would go to Europe and expect to spend money, it's the same as Vegas.

The big losers in Las Vegas are those who are desperately trying to 'hit the big one', in order to remain afloat once they return home.

Favorite thing: Okay, you go gambling just for fun. But that does not mean you should throw your money away. Be aware of what each casino game's house advantage is.
If a game has a 10% house advantage you are VEY likely to lose money. Look for games with a small house advantage.
For the player, the best games to play are bbalckjack, Craps and Baccarat. These are the games where the house advantage (odds in casino's favor) are most reduced, meaning in the short run you can beat them.

Stay away from Wheel of fortune and other exotic games. They are there to get your money as easy as it gets.

Sportsbook: The Caesar's has an extensive sportsbook, the best for me. But if you plan to wager a big chunk of money on a game, do some little researches and check the odds at at least 5 different hotels. A half point spread difference sometimes is huge.

Stay away for suckers bets. In craps, above all if you are not an expert stick with the Pass or Don't Pass line, don't get involved in the exotic bets where the odds are hugely against you.

Get information but be wise. learn about the games you plan to play but don't waste money in stupid books offering "systems" to beat the casino. They are trash. There is no system, because gaming is based on math.
If you are at the roulette table and a red number came up 6 times in a row, remember: the possibilities/odds of a black or a red number showing up in the 7th draw are the same. The roulette has no memory.
Same thing with the slots. If the slots just gave away a jackpot, the odds of having another jackpot following are the same as before. They are not reduced because the computer chip inside the slot does not "remember" it just paid off a lot of money.

Fondest memory: Other quick gambling tips:

- learn the basic strategy before playing blackjacks. it will reduced the odds against you.
- slots: the Palms Hotel offers the best pay-outs. For slots fans, that is the place to go.
- Use your player card every time you play (table or slots it makes no difference). You will build comps.
- If you are winning, it's time to quit. If you are losing big, it's time to quit.
- Know how much you can afford to lose. Create a gambling budget and stick with it.

Favorite thing: If you are wandering about the casino looking for a certain denomination slot machine to play, be aware that the lights on 'most' of the machines are color coded...
Red..nickels
Yellow..Quarters
Gold..Half Dollar
Blue..Dollars

Fondest memory: the tingle I get prior to playing a winning machine....always happens, however sometimes I mistake my fear for 'THE TINGLE'

Favorite thing: A rule that was shared with me many moons ago by a die hard gambler was to make sure you fill your gas tank and park your car before you decided to gamble. This way if your out of money or had your credit cards taken away, you can get home. Sounds silly, but in this die hard of a gambling town, it makes sense.

Favorite thing: Having been to Las Vegas seven times I have learnt (sometimes the hard way) a few tips for gambling. I am only talking of the slotties here because that's all I do but my experiences have culmunated in one year winning the price of my holiday is 25cent slots!! My top tips are:
Use the slot machines nearest the doors. They are prgrammed to have better odds to make you enter deeper into the casino.
Set yourself an affordable limit for each evening and only take that amount with you.
All the time you are gambling you are entitled to a free drink. Keep an eye out for the waitress, order your drink and dont forget to tip. YouI'll find some Casino's are better than others at this and dont think I mean the up market ones!!
If you are there for more than the weekend the odds are higher on Sunday and Monday night and it's quieter and easier to access your favourtite slot machine!! We usually give up gambling on Friday and Saturday and have a nice meal - then start again on Sunday when everyone else is boarding their plane home!
And lastly remember although you would like a photo of you winning that jackpot, it's actually illegal to photograph people gambling in the state of Nevada - so be warned there are cameras all around you!

Fondest memory: I actually miss the sound of the slot machines!!

Favorite thing: Gambling. Hmm. The only way to bring home a small fortune from Las Vegas, - is to bring a large fortune with you. Be aware that everything, - and I mean everything, - is set up and geared to seperate you from your money. Examples: You will never see a clock anywhere in a casino. You will never be able to see outside when in the casino. It is always late evening in the casino, no matter what time it is. Cashiers are really hard to find. The idea is that while you are wondering around looking for one, - something else will draw your attention, - like the money burning a hole in your pocket. The city has an effect on your cerebral cortex, - it makes you initially stupid. Your decision making facilities go in the toilet. Remember that you are out of your comfort zone, - initially a fish out of water, and the flash and bells and whistles are bombarding your brain. Consider this: 75% of all money lost in Vegas, - is lost on the first day!!!

My advise, - and I do know this, - when you get to Vegas, book in to your hotel, clean up, have a nice dinner, see a nice show, get drunk and party, and go to bed. The next day, after breakfast ( brunch, really.....), go strolling, and - now that your brain has adjusted and acclamated to the town, - gambling is much more of an enjoyment, - particularly knowing that you recognized their ways, and counteracted. This does not guarantee a winning trip, but you are way ahead.
Good luck!

Favorite thing: Don't forget to sign up for FREE Player's Club Cards at each casino, especially if you are a slot player! Luckily, many of the cards are good at many of the resorts so you don't have to sign up individually at each one, and can use your comps at any one of the participating hotels! (Example: Park Place Connection is good at Flamingo, Paris, Caesar's, Ballys and LV Hilton)

Comps, for those of you who aren't gamblers, are points you earn by gambling that can be cashed in for free hotel nights, free dinners and other perks!

Be sure to purchase a bungee cord to keep your cards on for ease and convieniece if they don't provide you one with the card. I lost one when I forgot it in a slot because the brightly colored, long cords also serve as a reminder the card is in the machine!

Favorite thing: If you are a nongambler who would just like to get in on the Las Vegas experience a little or, like me, enjoy "gambling" but don't have a lot of money to lose, the important thing is to decide ahead of time how much money you are willing to lose, and stop there. Just consider it part of your recreation budget.
I'm a very low roller, and usually play 5c or 25c video poker -- though some of the new "penny" slot machines are fun. (Believe me, you end up putting more than pennies in.)
The trick is I budget $20 to $25 per day (it could be even less, or considerably more, especially if you like blackjack or real poker).
Sometimes people will give me money to gamble with in LV, and once I double $20 playing on a stud poker machine and was able to return $40.
Gambling is only one of many things there is to do in LV, but having won my first poker hand as a nine-year-old, I've always enjoyed it. But I've never gambled what I wasn't ready or even expecting to lose.
I also have a video poker game (zamzone.com) on my computer, which is not only fun to play but teaches you the way to play to get the best odds.

Fondest memory: My fondest gambling moments, are of course the times I've won -- coming out $25 or even $10 ahead while you are playing nickel video poker is pretty darn exciting.

Favorite thing: ----- Video Poker!

Video poker machines do not all have the same payouts for various hands. Look at what is offered and select the game with the best payout. This game might be in another carousel (a group of machines) or the casino next door.

At jacks or better draw poker, you may encounter a machine that payer 8 coins for flushes and 5 coins for straights, whereas nearby another machine may pay 9 coins for flushes and 6 coins for straights. Or a progressive jackpot for one group of twenty-five cent jacks or better machines might be $1,200 when nearby there could be another group with a jackpot of $1,900. The chances of hitting the royal flush are the same, so why not play the game that pays the best?

Slots!

One should review the payout schedule of a slot machine if not intending to play for the maximum coins. Some machines might pay a jackpot of $600 for three sevens if three coins are played, $400 for two coins, and $200 for one coin. On these machines the payouts are all in equal proportion to the size of the wager. On these machines the player is not loosing any additional percentage of the amount wagered for playing less than the maximum amount.

However, other machines might pay equal proportions for the smaller payout of bars and cherries and such, but not pay the jackpot (say of $1,000 for three sevens) unless three coins are paid. Imagine your grief when you if you hit the three sevens and get nothing because you were a dollar short of wagering the full amount. If you want to play for less than the full amount possible on a slot machine, then be sure all the payouts are proportional to the amount bet.

Fondest memory: ----- Shop Around!

In a gaming town, it is advantageous to shop around for the best games offered.

Favorite thing: ---- Ever have a $200 beer? ----

When gaming for anything but the smallest of stakes, it is best to reserve you drinking until your gaming is complete for the evening. The casinos liberally provide their customers with alcoholic beverages drinks not only to keep the players happy, but also to loosen them up. With impaired judgment players will gamble too long, risk more money than intended, and make mistakes in their play. Don't drink and gamble, your bankroll may depend on it. Would it make sense to get liquored up before rebalancing your retirement portfolio?