When you go to Vegas you should have some sort of betting guideline that you should follow. If you do not it can cost you some significant cash. Here are some betting guidelines that you should follow when heading to Las Vegas or any land-based casino for that matter.
• Never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you will be bummed out when losing a certain amount of money have a gambling bankroll that is less then that amount. You should be heading to Sin City to have fun not for financial gain. Gambling is fun and the gambling bankroll you use should be an amount that you do not mind losing, as there is a possibility that you will lose it.
• When heading to Las Vegas you should expect to leave your bankroll behind. The chances are that you will lose your bankroll, as there is a reason why casinos make money. The house has an edge with every game and overall they will win more then they lose at your expense. What makes you win is the good streaks that you hit while playing the games.
• When you hit a hot streak and you are ahead go ahead and quit. Don’t press your luck and ride a hot streak longer then you should. Streaks will end quickly, so if you are ahead bank your winnings and walk away, as you are sure to leave with more then when you came. If you are cold right off the bat it may be a good idea to switch games or casinos.
• Don’t get down when luck is not with you. If you have a bad session where Lady Luck is not on your side do not get depressed. Those types of bad sessions happen and it is how you ride out the cold streaks that will determine how well you do.
• Never chase your bets. Chasing bets is increasing your next bet after a losing one in order to get your money back. This is the easiest way to lose a significant amount of cash. This is a telltale sign that greed and desperation are kicking in. It is always better, and more likely to happen, to chip away at your losses rather then trying to win all your losses back in one play. Keep to your original bet totals and stick with them. The only time when you should increase them is when you are on a major hot streak and you have already banked some money.
• If you are losing lower your bets. If you hit a cold streak it is a good idea to lower your bets until the cold streak is over. Play lower bets until luck is back in your corner.
• Never buy a system or book that will guarantee that you will win money. You will see a lot of systems and books, especially online, which will guarantee that you will break the casino. Do not fall for these, as they simply are not true. Every casino game is a game of chance, with the exception of poker, so there is no surefire way that you can use a system to break the casino and win big bucks. Sure, there are systems that you can use, but they should be ones that you can find for free and they tend to deal with betting systems not ones that will beat the games.
August 15th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack, Casinos, Craps, Gambling Thoughts, Roulette, Table Games | No Comments
Why go to Las Vegas casinos, or any land-based casinos, and spend all of your time and cash playing the easy to follow games of video poker or slots? Table games can be the most exciting games in the casino and they are also much more social with you interacting with other players and the dealer. There is nothing wrong with playing slots or video poker, but you can have a lot more fun when playing table games. Also, the odds for slots and video poker favor the house more then they do for table games.
Here are some simple tips that you can follow and some basic rules that can make it easier for you to play table games.
• Almost all casinos will offer free lessons for the table games they offer. Check with the casino to see when these lessons are and never play the game for real money before you really know the ins and outs of the game.
• Take some time and watch the game you want to play before you play it. This is even the case if you have gone to the table games lessons and you know how to play. If you do this you can pick up some insights like where you can place bets and how to interact with the dealer. It will also allow you to see if chatting with other players is OK and what not to do at the table.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the dealer questions if you have them. The dealers have rules they have to follow and they are not betting their money, so they really have nothing to hide. Again, make sure you know the game, as other players can get a bit annoyed with you if you ask too many questions and are slowing down the pace of the game.
• Make sure you know the table limits of the game before you start to play. This seems pretty obvious, but you have to know what you are getting into when you play.
• Don’t let the pit bosses at the casino intimidate you. It is their job to look at everyone like they are cheating. Since you are probably not cheating so you have nothing to worry about. If you are having a problem do not be afraid to sit out a hand, roll, or spin and go up to a pit boss to voice your concerns.
• The payout odds will vary between casinos. Make sure that you check with the dealer or look on the table to confirm the odds you are getting for the game.
• Don’t think you can’t use your player’s card when playing table games because you can. Generally, you can put the card on the edge of the table, but make sure the dealer sees the card, so you can get your comps and points.
August 7th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack, Casinos, Craps, Gambling Thoughts, Roulette, Table Games | No Comments
Tipping dealers is something you should always do, especially if the dealer is good to you, teaching you how to play, and giving you good advice on what bets to make. Tipping dealers is not only a nice thing to do, but it can also give you some good karma. When you tip dealers you should always tip them in chips rather than cash. You can either directly tip the dealer or make a bet for them. Every dealer likes to be tipped a certain way and you should find out how they like to be tipped.
To bet for the dealer put their bet on the outside edge of the betting area. For example, you would bet $10 inside the circle and then $2 at the top of the betting area. If you lose your bet then the dealer will then lose their tip as well, but if you win the dealer wins. Slide the winning tip to the dealer. In most land-based casinos the dealers cannot take chips unless you slide them in their direction.
There are two ways that you can get more money for your buck when you tip a dealer. One way is to give a dealer one chip and then bet the other so you are basically repeating the dealer wager. If you win a few hands in a row then you have a few chips instead of only one and it only cost you one chip. Conversely, if you lose the 2nd hand the dealer still keeps a chip. The second way is to put your wager on top of the bet you make and if you win the hand you can bet the entire bet for them if that is what they prefer. For example, you make a $5 bet and put a $1 on top for the dealer’s bet. If you win the hand you can, again, ask the dealer of they want the tip or they want to bet it again. It seems a lot of dealers will bet the whole thing a couple of times. However, there are others that like to take the original tip.
You have to know that, pretty much, all dealers have to pool their tips, as this evens out the tips that casino dealers are making and it avoids player collusion. Just because dealers pool tips it does not mean that you should tip good dealers less just because they will not get all the money, as you should reward good dealers no matter what. Also, you should not feel like you have to tip bad dealers because it rips off the good dealers at the casino. If a dealer is not a good one do not tip them much, as they may get the point and their peers may pressure them into being a better dealer, as it is costing them money.
So, overall you should tip dealers no matter if you are winning or losing. It’s not just about the whole karma thing, but it is the acceptable thing to do when gambling.
July 29th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack, Casinos, Gambling Thoughts, Table Games | No Comments
When the dealer is showing and Ace with their up card they will offer insurance. Taking the insurance option is betting that the dealer will have Blackjack. If the dealer has Blackjack and you take the insurance bet you will be paid 2 to 1, which can be up to half the amount of your initial bet and you will break even on the hand. However, if the dealer does not have Blackjack you will lose the insurance bet you make no matter what the outcome of the hand is. Many beginning players believe that the insurance bet is a solid option, but many Blackjack experts are in agreement that you should stay away from the insurance bet.
The premise behind the insurance is to give the player protection from losing your entire bet if the dealer were to get a Blackjack and you would break even. If you and the dealer get a Blackjack it is a tie, which is the same thing as taking insurance and you will get even money and break even.
Even though Blackjack can sound good, but having a guaranteed profit is not easy and it may not be in your best interests to take the bet. Because of this Blackjack insurance is not seen as a solid bet, as the house advantage is high since the dealer has to hit the Blackjack just for you to break even. The Blackjack insurance option can be a good idea for advanced players, but beginning players should stay away from it. The reason that is a loss can be multiplied by two, as the player will not only lose their insurance bet, but they also may lose their initial bet.
Basically, the Insurance bet is a bad one to make because it pays only 2 to 1 odds on a bet that is usually 2.25 to 1 against winning. So, what if you have a solid hand? You need to remember that you will lose the hand anyway, unless you have a Blackjack, if the dealer gets a Blackjack. Let’s say you have a 20 and the dealer has an Ace up. You cannot get a better hand unless you hit on a 20, which is obviously not smart, and you can get an edge by taking the insurance bet. However, this means that every time you make the insurance bet when you have a 20 you will win less money overall if you just stay on your 20 and hope the dealer does not get an ace, which, odds are, they will not, so all in all stay away from the insurance bet no matter what you have.
July 15th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack | No Comments
Winning money when playing at the casinos in Las Vegas, or any other casino, is not impossible but you have to know that the odds are not in your favor and in the long run it is not likely that you will win. You should be aware of the odds of the house for Vegas casino games so you know how the odds are stacked against you.
Slots
Slots is the easiest casino game to play and there is no real knowledge that you have to have about the game. Slots will keep around 3% – 25% of money and that will depend on the slot machine you are playing at and the casino you are in. Slots players that are losing on one machine may feel that they are due and they keep playing on it. This is incorrect, as slots machines are controlled by a Random Number Generator (RNG), which will figure the payout course over a few thousand spins. Basically, there is no way that you can know that a machine will hit or not.
Keno
For every $1 bet on Keno the casino will keep 30%. You should know that when you play Keno it is very much like playing a mini-lottery. As it stands now 20 out of a possible 20 numbers has never been won at any casino anywhere and not just in Vegas.
Video Poker
When you play video poker try to find a Jacks or better video poker game that pays 9 coins when you get a Full House and 6 coins when you get a Flush. In a game like this the house odds will fall between 0% and 5%. Video poker has better odds then slots and if you play smart you can come out ahead when you play.
Roulette
Many people think that they have a 50/50 chance when playing Roulette by betting on either the black or red, odd or even, or 1-18 or 19-36. This is simply not true because of the green 0 and 00. The green 0 and 00 give the casino a house edge of 5.25%. If you have the time try to find a European Roulette game, as it will lower the odds of the house since there is only one green 0 on a European wheel.
Blackjack
When you play Blackjack the house edge with be around 0% to 3%. You should try to find single hand Blackjack games, as they will give you better odds. One thing that may casinos are doing thee days are paying out 6:5 on Blackjack rather then 2:1. This is generally the case with single deck games, but you should stay away from games like this, as it can raise the house edge by 1%. To get the best advantage when playing Blackjack you should:
• Split aces and eights
• Double down with 10 or 11 if a dealer has an up card of 2-9.
• Stand when you have 12-16 if a dealer has an up card of 2-6.
• Hit with 12-16 if a dealer has an up card of 7,8,9,10 and Ace.
• Stand on 17-21.
• Never ever take the insurance option,
Craps
Stay away from the high odds bet on the craps table. You should only play the line bets, which are the line bets, pass and don’t pass bets, and come and don’t come bets. If you do this the odds will be about 1.4% in favor of the casino. There are some casinos that will offer a game that is called crap-less craps, but beware as even though it looks to be a good game, in terms of odds, the game actually is one that gives the house more favorable odds.
Maybe the best tip you can have when hitting Vegas or any casino is to know when to “walk away” or cut your losses.
July 12th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack, Casinos, Craps, Gambling Thoughts, Roulette, Slots, Table Games, Video Poker | No Comments
If you have gone to Las Vegas recently or have read about the economic crisis in Sin City you have probably seen that you can get great deals on rooms, show tickets, and meals. Now many casinos are lowing the minimum limits on their blackjack tables in order to bring in more players. There are also several medium sized casinos that are now offering $1 Blackjack. This may seem like a great deal, but is it?
The rules of the game come into play when there are lower table limits. The more favorable the odds are in a game the higher the table limit usually is. Lower limits for Blackjack can mean less favorable odds for Blackjack players according to Al Rogers of Pi Yee Press, which publishes both Blackjack rules and odds by casinos in their Current Blackjack News newsletter. He warned that people believe they are getting a better deal by playing at tables that have lower minimums, but the opposite is really true.
Instead of tempting Blackjack players by decreasing the edge of the house they will increase the house edge by changing the rules. This is something that happened in Vegas even before the current recession when casinos wanted to lure in more players.
On the Strip wagers on Blackjack fell by almost $1 billion for the year ending April 30th 2009 after they had hit a peak the year before. Casinos on the Strip kept 10.9% of those wagers, which is a fraction of a percentage point less in the previous year. Rogers has stated that casinos will sacrifice the profits they make in order to stop card counters, which is a relatively small portion of Blackjack players relative to the many that do not want to play the game any longer where the odds of the house are increased.
For example, there are many casinos that are on the Strip that offer Blackjack games that pay 6:5 for a Blackjack rather then the typical 3:2 payout. There are also casinos that allow dealers to hit on a soft 17, which means that they have to take another card on a hand that has an Ace worth 11, which gives the house a better chance to improve a mediocre hand. Both of these things can give the house a more favorable edge.
Rogers recently said, “They know they’re offering a worse product. Their own math will tell them that. But lower minimums make it look like the customer is getting a better value.”
July 7th, 2024 | Posted in Blackjack, Casinos, Gambling Thoughts, News, Rumors, Table Games | No Comments
