Start Playing Online

Our first tip, is one of the most important tips for playing casino games - start by practicing online! There are many good online casinos out there that offer virtually every type of casino game that you’ll find in Vegas. By starting online, once you get to the real casinos in Las Vegas you’ll know exactly what to do, enhancing your time at the tables. Online casino sites are user friendly and you can find information about each game, whether it’s Blackjack, Poker or less popular games such as Craps or Caribbean poker. Just choose the game, read about it, and start playing online. If you’re interested in slots then you’ll be spoilt for choice with most online casinos offering hundreds of different slot games. You can also play and practice for free on demo mode at an online casino – another great reason for playing online first. Play for free, learn the skills! Before dipping into the online world though we do advise doing a bit of research and going with a trusted site. There are quite a few sites that review online casinos looking at their game selection choice and bonuses. 

Know the Game

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when you walk into a casino is to play a game that you do not know. Most casinos offer free lessons for many of the table games including black jack, craps, roulette, and baccarat. When the lessons are over and you want to play for real, try to pick a table that is less than full. If there is anything that you don't understand about the game you will feel less intimidated to ask the dealer for direction. The dealers are there to make the casino money but they will help you understand the rules so that you enjoy your gaming. If the dealer is helpful and willing to assist, a tip or placing a side bet for the dealer would be appreciated. 

Money Management

Good money management is going to be one of your best friends in the casino. Money management will work for you if you stick to the rules that you have put in place. To devise a money management program for yourself, figure out how much money you can afford to lose for the duration of your trip and divide this by the number of days you will be in Las Vegas. Now divide that number by the number of gambling sessions you expect to have in each day, the result is your bankroll for each session. Place the bankroll for each gambling session into an envelope, and mark the date or session number on the envelope. When you go to the casino to gamble you will only risk the amount that you have put aside for that session and only play for as long as you have allowed. Do not use any money that is earmarked for another session through any periods of rough luck. Place your winnings back in the envelope at the end of each session and do not use this money during a losing streak. At the end of your trip you should have one envelope for each session, some will contain nothing, but hopefully you will have a few left that still have your original amount plus a few dollars. The key to making this work is self discipline, without it, you will almost always walk away a loser.

Know When to Fold Them

You are sitting at $5 blackjack and every hand you get seems to be a winner, the logical thing to do is up your bets. If your unit bet is $5 you increase your bet by one unit, win the hand and maybe increase by one more unit but still playing at a level that you are comfortable with. With each increase you will be winning a unit or two. If you lose the hand, drop your bet back down to your original unit bet and repeat the process of increases, this will make your gambling session last longer and you will have more fun for a longer period of time. If the dealer is hot and wins four consecutive hands it's time to change tables. Luck is something that comes and goes, even for dealers, but there is no point in you playing against a dealer waiting for his luck to go. Before you go to Vegas it is a good idea to practice playing some Blackjack hands.

Players Cards

Players cards, which resemble a credit card, store and track information about the person that it is assigned to. These cards allow the casino to store information on computer such as the games you played, how long you played, and your average wager per session. When you register for the players card at any casino basic information is recorded such as your address and phone number, this information allows the casino to contact you with special offers or comps which often include room discounts or invitations to slot tournaments. These comps are freebies to you, take advantage and reduce your costs for meals, drinks, shows while you are at the casino. Use of the players cards could also entitle you to cash back and in some cases free rooms. The amount that a casino is willing to comp depends on the average amount wagered and for how long a player gambles. Ask the clerk at the registration desk for specific details about the casino comp program. The time limit for using any comps you earn is usually 6 months, it is therefore advised to cash out any comps before you leave for home. In many cases couples are allowed to use one account to track the play of both players(ask for 2 cards) which will earn the comps at double the rate, this is a much better strategy to use especially if you do not anticipate going back to the particular casino within the timeframe permitted before the points expire. The most important thing to remember is to use the players card but do not adjust your play to gain any comps, in the long run it is cheaper to purchase what you want than to try and earn it with comps.

Fun Books

While you are registering for a player card most casinos will give you a fun book with coupons for discounts in their casino restaurants, discounts in their shops and free drinks. Some of these fun books also contain match play coupons which may be used to increase your bet at some of the table games, use them! If you should happen to win your hand at black jack or the spin at the roulette wheel you are being paid at 3:1 odds with a $5.00 be

Beating the Casinos is not impossible but with the odds stacked against you it is unlikely that you will win in the long run. Here are the approximate odds on some of the games in Las Vegas

Keno

Of each dollar wagered the casino keeps 30%. Keep in mind when playing, that keno is much like a lottery. To date 20 out of 20 numbers has never been won in any Casino (to the best of our knowledge).

Slot Machines

The easiest games to play in a casino that requires no real knowledge are the slot machines but these one-armed bandits keep anywhere between 3%-25% depending on the machine and the casino you play in. Slot machine players that have been losing money on a particular machine often feel that the slot machine is "due" to hit, there is no truth to this as the slot machines are controlled by a random number generator that figures out the payoff over the course of several thousands of spins. Quite simply, there is no way of knowing if or when a machine is "due". If you must play the one arm bandits be sure to follow the advice given above regarding players cards.

Roulette

Forget about betting red and black at the same time and breaking even, the casinos have put in the green "0" and "00" to give themselves a 5.25% edge in this game. If you are going to play roulette try and find a game with a single "0" to reduce the house odds.

Video Poker

Find a Jacks or better machine that pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush and the odds will be between 0% to 5% in favor of the house, Video Poker is far better than slot machines, with perfect play and comps factored in you could actually be ahead of the casino at the end of the day.

Craps

Avoid the high odds bets on the table. Play only the line bets: pass, don't pass, come and don't come bets and the odds will be around 1.4% in favor of the casino. Some casinos offer a game called crapless craps, be forewarned that although it appears to be a more favorable game for the player, this game actually increases the house odds.

BlackJack

Playing basic strategy will put the house edge at 0%-3%. Blackjack is by far the most popular game played in the casinos. Try to play only "single deck" blackjack. The lastest trend of many casinos (mostly Vegas strip casinos) is to offer 6 to 5 payouts on blackjack in many of the single deck games, again avoid this game as it increases the house advantage by a full percentage point. Following these basic strategy rules will give the player the best advantage:

• --*Always split aces and eights.
• Double down with 10 or 11 against a dealers up card of 2-9.
• Stand with 12-16 against a dealers up card of 2-6.
• Hit with 12-16 against a dealers up card of 7,8,9,10 and ace.
• Stand on 17-21.
• Never, Never take insurance.

The best gambling tip we can offer you -- Know when to walk away!