I have 17 hours until my flight leaves, a wallet full of cash, and no idea about Las Vegas.
I’m staying at the Hilton near the Sahara, where should I go, and what should I do?
Here is a basic strategy guide for blackjack, the slowest way to lose money in Vegas. It’s even printable, just don’t have it out and with you at a table. Happy blackjack!
Get on the Deuce and go to the strip…IIRC you are pretty far off.
Pay the extra for the all day pass at your discretion…but if you are only gonna strip it for a day, then go back you might just want the two way.
Make sure you are there at night. See the fountains. Depending on your gambling habits either find one awesome looking hotel and sit there (Wynn and Encore are expensive, Luxor is cheap, everything else is kinda in between) or if you wanna jump from casino to casino go ahead.
The Gardens in the Mirage are free and cool, as are the MGM lions…though they mostly just lay there. Probably can’t see a show so sorry there.
Food is your choice. If you have the time/money/other people then by all means eat in. If you’re flying solo and just wanna eat and go. I LOVE the Earl of Sandwich inside of Planet Hollywood, fairly cheap and yummy too.
That’s all I got for now.
DMark? Anything?
Per the Concierge, I am on the strip. She said it starts at Sahara, and ends at Mandalay. I am maybe a 1/2 block from the Sahara.
I’m definitely looking for some food, somewhere in the $15-$25 range. I have around $300 cash, so I guess I need a fairly cheap casino. I have heard the best ones are off the strip?
Also, I have my phone, so keep the suggestions coming.
I am trying to do a teleconference Vegas with my wife (text pictures, videos, etc). While I know that I can’t play Blackjack, is there some other game that we could do (besides slots) that I might be able to be on the phone with her while I play? (Not annoying cellphone guy, but she would like to listen) Roulette? Craps? I have only gambled in Atlantic City, so I don’t know the etiquette and don’t really want to end up in a back room with Big Bad John.
Video Poker is the best way to win money, I think. Table games take too long and sap up too much of your funds. I never won with them, but did fairly well with VP.
As for food, I always enjoyed the buffets at the Orleans and The Rio, but they can be a bit pricey.
Are you serious? Video poker is the best way to lose your mind. I don’t want to get into a long discussion about poker, but briefly 1) video poker is a sham, and 2) a good deal of poker strategy involves human interaction, which inherently makes video poker a farce.
Cheap blackjack seats + playing by the book = hours of entertainment. The cheap seats come early, but once you’re grandfathered in, wise bets can keep you playing for reasonable amounts of money for many hours.
Unless things have changed, you can feel free to look at the strategy chart at the tables. You can ask the dealer what the best basic strategy play is, and they’ll tell you, assuming they know, and feel like being helpful.
Joe
Pinball Hall of Fame - google it for current location, I think they were planning to move to a bigger better location since I was there in the summertime.
Yes, I am. Please refer to my last post wherein I said that, in my experience, I never did well at table games but usually won quite a bit playing video poker. I can only give advice based on my experiences, not anyone else’s. I should add that I’m a Las Vegas native and have played poker most of my life…maybe that gave me a leg up even in video poker.
It’s completely possible that you’re allowed to use charts. I’ve never been to Vegas and just thought it was The Rule that you couldn’t use charts.
And depending on how seriously you take your basic strategy, I’d never ask a dealer unless it was about something easy to gauge just how well he knows his basic strategy so I can know if he’ll guide me correctly in a more difficult situation.
You’re not talking about Jacks or Better or other variations are you? Because those are money losers also.
Thse are the stats thus far: Slots +10. Blackjack - 50. Poker +60. Dice" +5. Roulette -20. +2 female? hookers. +1 guy asking the bartender how he would tel his wife. +I’m not sure how many beers. + I’m not sure how many shots. + a free dinner.
It’s all god so far.
And i’m only halfway down hte strip
And typing so well too 
Amen!
Sorry I am late to the party, and my guess is that you are already here.
However, assuming you log in to a computer, you might want to check out my website.
BTW, do NOT eat at the buffet at the Sahara (or Circus Circus) unless you are really low on money and/or close to starving. Lots of other better choices.
Have fun and let us know how the trip goes/went!
Dammit, it’s to late now. I was going to suggest you rent a car and go see Hoover Dam. If they still give tours inside the dam, that is.
Actually, my work was in Kingman, AZ, so I had the pleasure. All I can say is…Wow.
So I was doing ok, until some guy convinced me to play a game called “Dice”. I’m pretty sure it should be called “What the F*** Just Happened?”. I put down money, someone rolls dice, and I get more money- Doubled it, in fact. Then someone rolls the dice, and I lose it all. Buy more chips, wash, rinse, repeat.
It was definitely the most fun of the evening, but I have no idea what I was doing, and all of my profit went away, although I had enough left over for a pretty decent steak sandwich as a midnight (4am-ish) snack.
Congratulations, you’ve played Craps. Here’s the secret to craps: don’t play.
Ok, but if you do play, you should know that the potentially best bet in the casino is a pass line bet with maximum odds. And it’s volatile. And expensive. In a nutshell…
When the big black & white puck says OFF…
[ul]
[li]you put $10 “on the line” (the pass line)[/li][li]If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, you lose.[/li][li]If a 7 or 11 is rolled, you win.[/li][li]If something else is rolled (4/5/6/8/9/10), you put $10 * odds allowed (varies by casino and sometimes by the number rolled, just ask the croupier/dealer what you need to put down to get max odds).[/li][li]If a 7 is rolled, you lose. All of it. Gone.[/li][li]If that same number is rolled, you win. A lot. What you will will depend on the odds of the number being rolled. That is, you get paid a shitload for a 4 or 10 and just a little more than even-money for a 6 or an 8.[/li][/ul]
Nearly everything else is a high-profit (for the casino) bet that is both difficult for you to keep track of and difficult to win. There are some exceptions to this, but for a beginning craps player, just follow the instruction list above. [del]If[/del] When you start playing multiple bets and increasing amounts, it’s easier for the dealer to get confused. Stick with 1 boring bet and always bet the same amount. You’ll be paid fairly and you’ll recognize if you’ve been short-changed.
With a $500 bankroll and a $10 table, you’ll go home broke or with $2000-3000 in your pocket in 15 minutes - 8 hours (it varies).