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The casino has the mathematical
advantage in every game. The approximate house advantage
for each game, given the rules common in Vegas Strip casinos,
is:
| Craps |
1.4% (drops to about .7% with odds bets) |
| Blackjack |
1.5% (when using the complete "basic strategy") |
| Roulette |
5.3% |
| Slots |
2% on the few "loose" machines to 25% |
Now you see why casinos consider slot machines their "bread
and butter". Only the few loose machines in a casino offer
the slot player anything close to the kind of favorable odds
most table games offer.
 Vegas is a lot more fun when you know
what you're doing at the tables. It not only makes the games
more enjoyable but it gives you a fighting chance against
"the house". The best surprise of all is that it doesn't take
a lot of time or effort learn how to do it right. The information
below will show you the right ways to play craps and blackjack
according to widely-held strategies, plus a little roulette
routine that I like to play which allows me to enjoy the game
without risking a big chunk of my bank-roll.
- Easy-to-follow explanation of
how
to play craps according to widely-held
strategies. (It's the BEST casino game and a lot
easier than you think!).
- A little something
to try at the roulette table.
- A beginner's
guide to playing casino poker.
- How
to play blackjack with information specific
to the "multi-deck" and "double-deck" games played in
the casinos, as well as how to use the flash-cards below.
- Three color-coded flash-cards showing
how to play all hands at blackjack according to
the widely-accepted "basic strategy". I created two versions
of these cards. The easy version is not quite as
comprehensive but there is less to remember. It is perfectly
fine for the recreational gambler. For those who want
every advantage they can get, the complete version
is more comprehensive, with all hands conforming to the
"basic strategy" for multi-deck games (which are the most
common in Las Vegas casinos).
Go Ahead - Play !
Most people are hesitant to
try table games like craps or blackjack. They're afraid that,
as a beginner, they'll look foolish to the dealer and other
players. They assume that everyone at the tables is an experienced
player and knows what they're doing. WRONG!
The fact is most people never bother to read anything at all
about the games they play. They'll play blackjack and stand
on 17 or more because that's what the dealer does. Every book
on craps I've ever read says to ignore most of the layout
yet it's covered with chips from these "experienced" players.
Chances are, if you read the documents I have above, and spend
some time practicing with Cardoza's computer game (mentioned
below), you'll be the most knowledgable person at most
tables. Keep in mind that 99% of the people at most tables
are visiting from out of town just like you, not regular players.
Typically, locals who do play more often don't frequent the
Strip casinos because traffic and parking is such a hassle
in that area.
REMEMBER: The dealers
are NOT "the enemy". They
don't get paid a lot yet they see "the boss" raking in millions.
If you were in their shoes would you have a problem giving
away some of the boss' money? Of course not, and neither do
they. As a matter of fact, they want you to win. It's
a known fact that winning players tip more, and tips are an
important part of their income. Most dealers welcome new players.
(Sure there's a few snotty ones and a few that are just having
a bad day. They're people with personal lives just like you
and I.) If it's your first time playing, let the dealer know.
If you're not sure how to play a hand or place a bet, ask
the dealer. They're more than willing to help.
When you approach a table look for a placard on the table
top. (At a craps table they're usually fastened to the inside
wall next to the dealers.) These placards will show the minimum
bet level for that table. Note that these placards are often
changed as minimum bet levels will usually be higher Thursday
nights through Sundays.
When you get to a table and need chips, always place your
money down on the table surface. Never try to hand a dealer
anything directly. The "eye-in-the-sky" cameras need to
monitor all transactions for security and in case there's
a dispute between a player and a dealer. (That's also why
you need to use hand signals in blackjack to indicate your
play.)
If you don't like the bet levels normally associated with
table games (minimum bet levels at the tables in most casinos
is $5 to $10), check out some of the smaller places. They
usually have lower minimum bet levels. Some of the older places
on the "north end" of the Strip and downtown often have lower
minimums also.
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Casino managers aren't stupid.
They offer you free drinks while you're gambling
for a reason. The more intoxicated you get the more
you are likely to bet. It's best not to drink a
lot of alcohol while you're gaming. Most of the
time I'll just ask for orange juice or a soft drink
(they're free too). |
If you're at a table and mother nature
calls, you need to run up to your room, or you just feel like
stepping outside for a breath of fresh air, you don't need
to pack up your chips and take them with you. At the craps
table, tell the dealer you'd like to "get covered". You leave
your chips in the table rail tray and wait for a floor man
or pit boss to come over and cover them with a towel or cloth.
At blackjack or other tables tell the dealer you want to take
a break. They will keep an eye on your chips for you while
you're gone. This is particularly helpful if you're at a hot
table and you don't want to lose your spot. (I've seen hot
craps tables where it is literally impossible to try and sandwich
into a spot on the rail.) Don't abuse the courtesy by being
gone for long periods of time or leaving frequently. 15 to
20 minutes per break is usually the max.
Cages & Chips
- "The cage"
is a slang term for the casino cashier. A casino
only has one cashier area. It typically has a row
of windows like you'd see in a bank. You can do all kinds
of exchanging of chips/coins/cash at the cage. It's also
where you go to set up a credit line if you're going to
be doing some heavy gaming. A credit line will allow you
to get chips at the tables by signing a "marker" so you
don't have to carry large amounts of cash around with
you.
- Change booths
are small square or circular booths scattered around the
casino, mainly in the machine areas. In a lot of casinos
these booths have bars in the windows so they look like
cages, but there is only one "cage" and that's the cashier.
Booths handle cash-to-coin and coin-to-cash transactions
only. They will not handle chips, which is why they are
typically only located in machine areas.
- There are two types of attendants
that will handle cash-to-coin transactions only
(i.e. you can't exchange your coins for cash with them
when you're done playing). Roving change attendants
roam the machine areas pushing carts around. Slot attendants
are usually located in the middle of a large carousel
of machines. They can also give you those plastic buckets
for holding your coins.
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The slot and change attendants
work around a casino's machines every day. Ask
them which machines are "loose", but be sure
to tip them if you walk away a winner. |
- Coins: Casinos
have their own "house coins" in denominations of $1, $5,
$25, and even higher for "high limit" machines. Nickel
and quarter machines take US coins. As noted above, you
can exchange cash for coins (both US and "house") at the
cage, at booths, and with attendants. You can only exchange
coins for cash at the cage and booths. Attendants will
not do this. You don't really need coins to play machines
because most have currency readers on them that will accept
a wide range of US bill denominations. However, I would
suggest using coins because it will slow down your play,
lengthening your gaming session for a given amount of
money.
- Chips:
Casinos have their own chips in denominations of
$1, $5, $25, $100, and up. (The new Aladdin even has chips
in $1,000,000 denominations.) Chips are available from
the dealer at the tables but you can only exchange
chips for cash at the casino's cashiers cage. The
exception to this rule are the chips at a roulette table.
Those chips are color-coded for each player and you have
to exchange them before you leave the table. They'll only
give you regular casino chips in exchange, not cash. When
you're ready to leave a table game other than roulette
and you've got quite a few chips, tell the dealer you'd
like to "change up" or "color up". They will exchange
your many smaller denomination chips for fewer larger
denomination chips. They want you to do this because they
need the smaller denomination chips to give to arriving
players.
In most cases one casino will not
honor the coins or chips from another casino. If you're going
from one casino to another, be sure to go to the main cashiers
cage to exchange your coins and chips for cash before leaving.
Also, while it's not widely known, if you just want to place
one or two quick bets at a table as you're passing through,
you can put cash down on the table. For example, I'll often
put a $5 bill down on red or black at a roulette table when
I'm on my way to dinner.
While casinos don't honor each others chips, most do follow
the same color-coding scheme. This makes it's easier to tell
the denomination of a chip just by looking at it. It also
allows you to ask for chips by their color. For example, instead
of saying "twenty five dollar chips" you can simply say "green".
Betting Guidelines
Rule No. 1: Don't
bet more than you can afford to lose financially or
emotionally. If you're going to be miserable because
you lost x number of dollars then don't bet x number of dollars.
Go to Vegas to have fun, not make money. Gaming is
a form of entertainment just like going to a concert or out
for a night on the town. Your "bank-roll" should reflect how
much this entertainment is worth to you.
Rule No. 2: When
you go to Vegas expect to leave your bank-roll there. Chances
are you will. Those multi-billion-dollar casinos got built
by people just like you and I. "The house" has the mathematical
advantage in every game and over the long run they will get
most of your money. It's the ups and downs in the short run
where you have a chance of coming out ahead.
Rule No. 3:
Quit while you're ahead. If you hit a hot streak at a table
greed kicks in and you try and ride it for as long as you
possibly can. Streaks end and if a table turns "cold" take
your winnings and end the session. If your luck is lousy from
the start, try a different game or go to a different casino.
Most of all, don't get depressed if you have one of those
nights where your luck is lousy no matter what you play or
where you play it. We all have those. It's part of the game.
I've even had entire trips where I couldn't find a lucky craps
table anywhere on the Strip.
Rule No. 4: Don't "press"
your bets. A press is when you use your winnings from one
bet to increase the amount your next bet or other bets. (Players
at a craps table will often have multiple bets down and will
use the winnings from one bet to press another bet.) This
too is a sign that greed is kicking in. Take your winnings
while you can get them and stick to your original bet levels.
Rule No. 5:
Lower your bet levels when you're losing. If you start to
sense a down-turn in your luck go into "conservation mode"
and play lesser amounts while you're waiting for lady luck
to return.
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You'll often see ads for "sure
thing" or "break the casino" systems or books. They're
trash. The only people striking it rich are the
hucksters and slime bags selling that stuff. Don't
buy it. Common sense dictates that if someone really
did come up with a way to beat a casino, the last
thing they'd want to do is advertise it. |
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