Las Vegas nowadays isn’t just famous for the gambling. The buffets are also legendary, and they sure can give you a feast without costing you too much money.
But you might not be able to put in a lot of visits to the Aria buffet if you constantly lose money at gambling. Here are some secrets about the Vegas gambling scene that many gambling veterans have learned about the hard way.
Airport Slots are Awful
Once you land at the McCarran Airport, you’ll be greeted by lots of slot machines scattered all over the place. It’s a good reminder that you’re not in Kansas anymore, and that this is a city utterly devoted to gambling.
But though these slots may seem like a convenient introduction to gambling in the city, you’re well-advised to ignore them. On average, the payout is just worse than the other slots in the city. If you’re really in a hurry to gamble and play with the slot, just check out the casino once you’ve checked into your hotel.
Avoid the 6:5 Blackjack Tables
When you’re just into the thrill of winning at blackjack, then it makes sense that you’d want to go on a low-limit blackjack table. After all, you’re less likely to lose a ton of money.
But the problem is that these low-limit tables have a natural blackjack payout of 6:5. That means if you bet $10 and get a natural blackjack, you’re paid $12.
In contrast, the other tables have a 3:2 natural blackjack payout. That means a bet of $10 gets you $15 when you get a natural blackjack.
The tables with 6:5 payouts are clearly marked, so try to avoid them.
Try the French (or European) Roulette instead of American
There’s a difference between the 2 versions of roulette. The French version comes with a single zero and 37 pockets, so you get a 1-in-38 chance of hitting your number. But in the American version, you have the zero plus 38 pockets, so you get only a 1-in-39 chance of hitting your number. And in case you’re really bad at math, a 1-in-39 chance is worse than a 1-in-38 chance.
Be Careful with the Free Drinks
Yes, sometimes you’re offered free drinks. If they’re not free, they might be incredibly cheap at maybe a couple of bucks per drink.
This might happen when you start winning a lot. Casinos offer free drinks because they know from long experience that inebriated people tend to gamble more. And they lose their judgement, which is a natural side effect of getting drunk.
So, be careful of those drinks. You might want to enjoy those free drinks after your gambling session. Or if you drink while gambling (it’s an admittedly popular combination of vices), then maybe you can switch to a lower-stake game. That’s always a good way to limit your losses!
Don’t Accuse the Casino of Cheating You
This is just bad manners, and if you do this, you’re just plain wrong. Casinos these days have to endure extremely stringent regulatory rules to make sure that they can’t cheat their customers. And the casinos willingly comply with these regulations, because they want the customers to be absolutely confident and secure. If customers are afraid of being cheated, then they’re less likely to play.
Besides, casinos have no need to cheat. They have the house advantage that in the long run, earns them a steady flow of cash. That’s why they only get you free drinks (or even comp you a room) just to get you playing. Once you play, the house eventually wins.