Gambling Tips

You are a winner if you left the casino with more money than you came in with. The secret is knowing to quit when your ahead! Greed is what keeps people on the table or the machines way too long. If you fight this urge you will leave the casino winning much more often. Enjoy and good luck!

One of the casinos top secret weapons used to get your money is by offering you as many free drinks you want. Drinking alcohol impairs your judgment and thinking process. Don't drink while playing in the casino. When you're gambling you've got to have a clear head in order to win, if you drink you are increasing you chance of loosing.

When you win it is customary, but not mandatory, to tip dealers and casino personnel for dealing that terrific blackjack hand or for hand-paying a big slot machine win. How much depends on how generous you are feeling and how big you won.

Vast amounts of money are always on display, and criminals find many easy marks. Don't be one of them. At gaming tables and slot machines, men should keep wallets well concealed and out of the reach of pickpockets, and women should keep handbags in plain sight (on laps). If you win a big jackpot, ask the pit boss or slot attendant to cut you a check rather than give you cash -- the cash may look nice, but flashing it can attract the wrong kind of attention. Outside casinos, popular spots for pickpockets and thieves are restaurants and outdoor shows, such as the volcano at The Mirage or the fountains at Bellagio. Stay alert. Unless your hotel room has an in-room safe, check your valuables in a safe-deposit box at the front desk.

You must be 21 years of age to enter, much less gamble in, any casino. If you look young, carry your identification with you as you may be asked to prove your age. Most casinos are open 24 hours a day.

Don't expect the dealers to give you lessons from the ground up. They can clarify rules and dont be shay about asking. The best time to do this is during the mornning and afternoons when the casino rooms are not busy and the dealers can take the time and explain the details of the game and even give you tips sometimes. But if you aren't comfortable with the basics, take a beginner's class first. They're offered at many casinos; ask your concierge.

Don't expect dealers to give you more than 20 minimum bets at a time. If you hand over three $100 bills, they aren't going to give you 60 red ($5) chips; they'll give you 20 $5 chips and 8 $25 chips. Just ask for change as you need it.

Decide before leaving on your vacation how much money you'll spend on gambling. This is your gambling bankroll -- try not to go over it. Gambling newbies are shocked at how quickly the bankroll disappears at the table. As a rule of thumb, a $1,000 bankroll for a weekend trip of gambling lets you bet $5 to $10 a hand at blackjack or play 25¢ slots for five hours. If you bet $25 a hand at blackjack with the $1,000 bankroll, you will most likely run out of money within an hour. Don't even think about hitting up the credit-card cash withdrawal machines -- not only are the surcharges and interest rates sky-high, you will be gambling with money you don't even have, which can have devastating consequences.

Casino clubs aren't for everybody. If you don't want casinos tracking your every move and bombarding you with junk mail, but you still want the freebies, ask about hotel "funbooks" (free coupon books for hotel guests) when you check in to your hotel. Most big casinos offer them to hotel guests; some offer them to gamblers as an entry-level comp. Funbooks are just books of coupons with various freebies and discounts. There are sometimes free plays or double-winnings coupons for the tables or slots that can extend your bankroll. The best funbooks can be found at the less glamorous places like Stratosphere and Casino Royale.

Some clubs publish exactly how much you have to play to qualify for rewards, but casino personnel still has the freedom to hand out perks to good gamblers. Tell the nearest casino suit in your pit that you're interested in show tickets or a buffet voucher; ask them what you need to do to get what you want. The system favors friendly extroverts.

Game you should never play (the house edge is an absurdly
high 11% to 24%, and the odds are sadistic):

- Big Six (Wheel of Fortune).

With these games you can actually beat the house under the right circumstances: Poker, Sports Betting, Horse Racing, Video Poker.

If you study the roles and play just right you'll lose money very slowly with these games: Baccarat (Bank), Blackjack, Craps (Pass/Don't Pass, Come/Don't Come), Pai Gow Poker, Single Zero Roulette, some slot machines.