Setting Yourself up for Success
Choose games that have the best odds. In nearly every Vegas casino game, the house has the edge -- but the edge varies by game, so it’s important to choose the right games to increase your chances of winning. Limit your time at slots and roulette, which have the worst odds, and try your luck at blackjack, craps, baccarat, or poker.
Go to smaller casinos. The larger hotel casinos on the Vegas strip tend to offer the worst odds because they cater to tourists. Smaller, off-strip casinos are usually frequented by locals, so the odds are a little better in order to keep them coming back. If you want to play poker, though, it's best to avoid playing at smaller, off-strip casinos, where locals are probably very experienced.
Create a set budget for each day. The best way to ensure that you leave a Vegas casino with money in your pocket is to commit to a firm gambling budget. Determine how much money you can spend in the casino in a given gambling session, and only gamble that much. Avoid trips to the ATM to take out any more cash. If you’re going to be gambling in Vegas for multiple days, come up with a gambling budget per day. Separate the money into envelopes and only carry that day’s bankroll with you to the casino floor.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol. Cocktails are free when you’re gambling in Vegas casinos, so it’s tempting to take advantage of the free alcohol. The casino is actually hoping that you overindulge because it may impair your judgement. Keep a clear head by limiting yourself to water and soft drinks.
Set a time limit on your session. If you spend all day in a casino, chances are good that you’re going to lose your money. Fortunately, there are plenty of non-gambling activities in Las Vegas. Plan to gamble for a couple of hours in the morning and maybe a couple more at night, but spend the rest of the day enjoying all the other attractions Sin City has to offer. If you want to take an entire day off from gambling, you can even take a day trip to the Grand Canyon.
Set a goal and quit while you're ahead. When you’re winning, it’s easy to assume that you’re on a hot streak and shouldn’t stop gambling -- but the only way to walk away from the casino with any money is to leave when you’re up. Set a goal in mind, such as doubling your money, and as soon as you reach it, hightail it out of the casino.
Getting an Edge at the Tables
Practice your favorite table games before you head to Vegas. While luck is necessary to win at any game in a Vegas casino, table games require some skill too. Practicing at blackjack, craps, baccarat, and poker can make you more comfortable when you actually sit down to play at the casino, increasing your chances of winning. There are a variety of online sites that allow you to “train” at these games without actually gambling. If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of a certain table game, many Vegas casinos offer free gaming classes to help you learn how to play.
Look for clumsy dealers in blackjack. A sloppy blackjack dealer might accidentally reveal the face-down as he’s dealing, which can give you back some of the edge. Try watching a few rounds of blackjack to see the dealer’s skills before sitting down at the table.
Avoid insurance bets in blackjack. If the dealer has an ace showing, you can opt for an “insurance” bet in the event that the dealer has a 10 in the hole. It’s a side bet that’s treated independently of the main bet, and may seem like a conservative move. However, it can actually increase the house’s edge by up to 7%.
Choose Pass/Don’t Pass or Come/Don’t Come bets in craps. For the best chance to win, you should always opt for these bets. They can lower the house edge to as little as 1.4%, putting you in a much better position to take home some money.
Resist the “tie” bet in baccarat. The “tie” bet, which assumes the dealer and player will tie, carries up to 14.4% house advantage. So while it may seem like a smart bet, you can wind up losing big money.
Stay away from locals’ poker games. If poker’s your game, you’re better off playing at strip casinos where most of the players will be tourists. At off-strip casinos that are mostly frequented by locals, the players are usually highly experienced and play daily. Unless you’re an expert poker player yourself, they’ll have an advantage over you.
Improving Your Chances at Slots
Choose a higher denomination game. Higher denomination slots have a higher payback percentage than lower denomination games. For example, you’re better off paying a dollar slot than a quarter slot. This is true even if you make a lower bet on the dollar game. For example, you might make a $2 better on a dollar machine and a $3 bet on a quarter machine, but you’ll still have a better chance of winning on the dollar slot.
Play games at the end of rows. Since the slots at the end of rows are most visible to people walking through the casino, management often puts games with higher payback percentages on the end of the row to attract players. There might be a row that contains all the same game, but the machine on the end may give you a bit more of an advantage.
Bet the maximum amount on your spins. If you have dreams of winning the jackpot on a slot, you must make the maximum bet on each spin. There’s usually a “Max Bet” button on the slot, so you can be certain that you’re playing the right amount. Max bets are especially important on progressive slots, where a percentage of each bet is added to the jackpot(s). They typically have a minimum bet that you must make in order to be eligible.
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