5 plus 8 Ways to Beat the Odds in Sin City

Posted on 12 August 2008 by admin

Casinos pick your pockets by tweaking everything from the height of their ceilings to the payouts on their slot machines. These are tips pulled together from a collection of Vegas insiders to help you even out the odds.

#1.

Find Your Way

Labyrinthine layouts appeal to our explorer's instinct, says Anthony Lucas, Ph.D., an associate professor of casino management at UNLV. Entrances are flooded with machines for a reason: You're less likely to gamble if you encounter empty space or nongaming attractions first, says Bill Friedman, author of Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition. Things you actually need - bathrooms, cash-out zones - are far-flung and well guarded by gambling opportunities. Get a floor map at the hotel's information desk.

#2.

Choose Your Slots

Avoid themed slots (Wheel of Fortune) and aisle machines. Stick to out-of-the-way slots or settle for quarter machines, says Kevin Blackwood, author of Casino Gambling for Dummies. Although $5 slots lower the house edge to 3 percent, you'll lose your money faster there.

#3.

Boost Your Blackjack Odds

Blackjack offers some of the best odds, but it's fast-paced, meaning the casino's meager edge (about 0.5 percent) has more chances to chip away at your kitty. "Your aim should be to get more bang for your buck and stretch your bankroll," says Blackwood. Find better odds at games with fewer decks that force the dealer to stand on a soft 17. Extend gaming time by seeking out the most packed tables.

#4.

Work the Pit Boss

Photo Source: NY Times

It might be tough to score the penthouse upgrade, but the pit boss can grant you a free lunch. "They'll comp you if they think it will entice you to stay and gamble," says David deMontmollin, author of the Las Vegas Little Black Book.

#5.

Protect Your Ears

Faux coin hits and blaring sound effects make you think winning is more common than it is. Avoid the aural onslaught with an iPod and sound-isolating headphones.

The Plus 8

Placing small bets in the sports book encourages you to check in periodically, which keeps you from getting stuck in a gambler's rut at the table games.
Some casinos pump out pleasurable smells to create a cognitive hook for the gambling experience.
By swapping chips for cash, the casino makes it easier to separate you from your wad.
Cut the stiff house roulette advantage by splitting wagers between even-money (odd or even, black or white) and column bets.
Never accept the first room rate you're quoted. Agents have a secondary rate that's usually up to $25 lower a night. Play off their sense of competition.
Craps offers great odds and the slowest game play in the casino. The beginner needs to know only two wagers: pass line and don't-pass line.
Wear blinders and lay off the liquor: Research shows that both high testosterone levels and alcohol consumption hamper sound financial decisions in men. Keep it to one cocktail an hour.
Casino carpets are deliberately hideous to keep your attention on the tables.

Know any other great tips in a casino? Tell us about them in the comments!

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For me, I think the highest chances of winning is still in Blackjack.
sex_toys

Thanks for the great article! I've visited Vegas in January at its quietest when there aren’t any conventions or holidays.
Mark L. Jackson

Wearing headphones in a Casino is generally not allowed. Most casinos will ask you to remove them or leave the property.

Kmuzu, you are talking about "locals" casinos. Most casinos are still built in a labyrinthe style. You also are wrong about #2. You assume he is talking about the backend numbers. It is quite easy to know the "edge" on any machine. As for pit bosses being limited, again not true. Some of the newer casinos do have table tracking but it is FAR from accurate. Also NEVER ask a dealer for strategy. Know it before you go. Multi-deck is in the casinos best interest NOT yours. Sounds are a HUGE part of the environment in casinos. It is the number one "activator" in a casino. This has been proven time and again. Some casinos DO add smells, usually it's to overcome other smells. You are WRONG about the carpets also. They ARE designed to be hard to look at, as are most ceilings. For someone who has worked in a casino, you are so not "in the know."

NEVER play Roulette. Craps IS NOT a slow game. It does have good odds, but it's still negative, and can become VERY fast. The pass line is good, but you should take "odds."
jeff01

always use your players card to get the most comps
Kmuzu

Pretty much the information here is either outdated or inaccurate.

#1 That used to be how casinos were designed. But now a days the theory is called intimate spaces. The casino floor is broken up into small areas with centralized public facilities - bathrooms, restaurants ... see Sunset Station or Red Rock Station casino
#2 Except for high utilization casinos - like Foxwoods, denomination and hold percentage have very little to do with each other. There is no way to tell hold percentage on a machine. Wheel of Fortune usually has a high hold because IGT charge a lease fee for the game. Most slot machines have a 9 to 15 percent hold .. most poker games have a 1 to 5 percent hold. Today most slot designers rely more on volatility than hold.
#3 Don't kill yourself trying to find low deck BJ. First, Shuffle Master does a great job randomizing the decks and the reshuffle usually occurs before good stats. Also, don't bother memorizing those stupid strategies. If you don't know what to do, ask the dealer - they will tell you optimal strategy.
#4 Most modern casinos have player tracking on table games so it doesn't matter. The Pit Bosses can only give you limited comps and they have to ask the floor managers or the assistant casino manager. Good luck
#5 Sounds are only part of it .. most of the behaviorism is based on visual near-miss and pattern recognition.
#6 I've worked in a number of casinos and I've never seen any smells added to help gambling. The only thing I've ever smelled is cigarette smoke.
#7 You can't just play the pass line for long in craps (unless you're betting big money) this is called masturbation and they will kick you off the game.
#8 Casino carpets look that way - because they're cheap, are durable and the pattern hides the puke stains.

Here is the only thing you need to know about gambling (other than don't gamble) Find a casino that has IGT Optimal poker, get a player card and play 5 coin Double Double. The hold percentage on Optimal Double Double is less than 1 percent.
shaun76

Wow! Great info. I'm not an expert on this topic. I was sent this post by an anonymous author, and living in Orlando, it's hard for me to know how true these are. I'm a pretty good craps playerr, and I think the craps tips are pretty good. Thanks for the info!