If you are out to have a grand time Las Vegas style, you really need to be where the crowds swell after midnight. If you want to spend time by the pool with your kids, you should probably be checking out the family-friendly hotels. If you are on a tight budget but still want to have a good time, you should be looking at the budget hotels.Things to think about when selecting hotels: location. Best Casino Games for Beginners & How to Gamble in Vegas Whether you're looking for a game that's easy to learn or continue to have Lady Luck on your side at your favorite table, everyone has their go-to Las Vegas casino game. So we turned to Forbes Magazine, which in a report about Best Bets at the Casino, said two popular games - the Wheel of Fortune and the ever-popular slot machines- have the lowest odds of.
Roulette wheel | Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Spending a weekend gambling in Vegas may be fun, though you'll probably have an even better time if you win big at the tables. If you're hoping to beat the odds at the casino, the game you choose to play matters. You're more likely to come home a little bit richer if you sit down at the blackjack table rather than settling in with the gray-haired set at the slots.
It all comes down to math. Amateur gamblers may hope luck is on their side when they walk through the doors of the Bellagio or Caesars Palace, but what they really need to think about are the odds of winning at different games. While the house always has an edge, it's much bigger in some situations than in others. That's why you never see smart gamblers wasting their time playing keno or wheel of fortune – games where you're almost guaranteed to lose money.
Casino games with the best odds
Savvy gamblers are going to cluster around the blackjack tables, where the casino's edge is usually between 0.5% to 1%, though the number varies depending on the number of decks and other rule variations. You can calculate the house edge on a particular game of blackjack using the Wizard of Odds online calculator. Those numbers also assume you're playing with what's known as basic strategy, or making the best possible decision based on the cards you've been dealt. For the average player who's going to make some mistakes, the house's edge increases to 2%, according to the University of Nevada's Center for Gaming Research.
Blackjack table | Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
'Blackjack is one of our easiest games to play,' Jay Bean, a floor manager at Caesar's, told Cleveland's Newsnet5. 'You're just looking for a number that beats the dealer's number without going over 21.'
'You are somewhere between 44% to 48% in every single hand of winning,' Michael Magazine, a professor of analytics at the University of Cincinnati, said of blackjack.
After blackjack, the games with the best odds are baccarat and craps. In baccarat, which is a game of chance rather than skill, the odds are close to 50/50, though your chances are slightly better if you bet on the banker rather than the player. At the craps table, the house edge on a pass line bet is 1.4%.
Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to play, and the odds are also fairly good. If you only bet on red or black or evens or odds (as opposed to a specific number) the house edge is 5.26%, assuming you're playing in an American casino with double zeros on the wheel. Your odds of winning are better in a European casino with a single-zero wheel.
Video poker is another game with fairly good odds for players. 'For video poker the statistical advantage varies depending on the particular machine, but generally this game can be very player friendly — house edge less than 3% is not uncommon and some are less than 1% — if played with expert strategy,' per the Center for Gaming Research.
Casino games with the worst odds
Slots may be less intimidating to novice gamblers than table games like blackjack, but the house is more likely to take you for a ride. Each slot machine is different, but the Wizard of Odds estimates the house edge for penny slots at between 6% and 15%. If you can't resist the slots, chose a higher-denomination machine, since these tend to have a higher payout percentage than lower-denomination slots.
'The average slot machine is probably two, three times more costly to players than the table games,' Bill Zender, a former professional gambler, told Mental Floss.
Even worse than slots are 'sucker games' like wheel of fortune and keno. The house advantage on keno averages 27%, according to the Center for Gaming. For wheel of fortune games (which also go by names like 'big six' and 'lucky wheel'), the house edge ranges from 11% to 24%, depending on your bet.
Whether you choose to take a chance on the wheel of fortune or are a high-roller playing baccarat, understanding how the game is played will put you ahead of most other players.
'Ninety percent of the people who walk into a casino have no idea of the odds stacked against them,' Zender said.
Also keep this in mind: The more you gamble, the likelier you are to lose. An analysis of online gamblers found that those who bet the least also had the highest winning percentage. But even then, the numbers weren't great. Seventeen percent of the lightest gamblers ended up in the black over a two-year period. Only 5.4% of the heaviest gamblers came out ahead.
'[T]he average person doesn't understand the math' of the multiplier effect, Jim Kilby, who has written books on casino management, told the Wall Street Journal. 'Casino games are nibbling machines, and the more nibbles you have, the bigger your losses.'
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More from Money & Career Cheat Sheet:There is a ton of activities to do here and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Great place to gamble, see a show and go shopping. The rooms are modern, fun and the beds are comfy.
Not too big in the whole gambiing thing that's why I wasn't too impressed but you have girls dancing in front of your gambling tables if that makes you happy.. :)
Love to gamble in the pleasure pit. Grab a sandwich from earl of sandwich or hot dog from pinks. Cheaper water and beer from ABC store right inside mall by sports book.
Don't gamble!
Come for the gambling, stay for the naked statues.
Try the non smoking sections for easy breathing while gambling!
Relaxing resort with movies and bowling for those that don't gamble.
A beautiful and comfortable casino to stay at. Plus, it's near Red Rock Canyon, where I like to do a little hiking to get away from the gambling.
Your biggest gamble here will be at the buffet. Are eggs supposed to be gray?
Las Vegas paradise city. if you like collecting photos with the famous and quality living, go there when you visit. There is more in Las vegas than gambling.
Sometimes it's better to just sit down and gamble than try to find your way out
'[T]he average person doesn't understand the math' of the multiplier effect, Jim Kilby, who has written books on casino management, told the Wall Street Journal. 'Casino games are nibbling machines, and the more nibbles you have, the bigger your losses.'
Follow Megan on Facebook and Twitter
More from Money & Career Cheat Sheet:There is a ton of activities to do here and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Great place to gamble, see a show and go shopping. The rooms are modern, fun and the beds are comfy.
Not too big in the whole gambiing thing that's why I wasn't too impressed but you have girls dancing in front of your gambling tables if that makes you happy.. :)
Love to gamble in the pleasure pit. Grab a sandwich from earl of sandwich or hot dog from pinks. Cheaper water and beer from ABC store right inside mall by sports book.
Don't gamble!
Come for the gambling, stay for the naked statues.
Try the non smoking sections for easy breathing while gambling!
Relaxing resort with movies and bowling for those that don't gamble.
A beautiful and comfortable casino to stay at. Plus, it's near Red Rock Canyon, where I like to do a little hiking to get away from the gambling.
Your biggest gamble here will be at the buffet. Are eggs supposed to be gray?
Las Vegas paradise city. if you like collecting photos with the famous and quality living, go there when you visit. There is more in Las vegas than gambling.
Sometimes it's better to just sit down and gamble than try to find your way out
A little bit rock and roll and a gamble of a great evening in a beautiful hotel
Mr. Luckys 24/7 gamblers special for $7.77 surf n turf (steak n shrimp, with salad n mash potatoes) can't be beat. Taste great! It's not on the menu.
Beware of gambling! House of fun casino.
Inside design of the casino is wonderful! And of course architecture! Even you don't attend the gambling, you can enjoy with the interior design
Best Time To Gamble In Vegas
One of my absolute favorites. If you've never been to Paris, this is a very neat way to get a bit of the taste. It's beautiful to walk through. Not the best to gamble in though.
Go to players club if you're gonna gamble, great deals for newbies
Thee logical way to win gambling is don't gamble or be the house! Read more.
Dealers and dancers are hot! And they are in lingerie outfits. Great atmosphere while you gamble!
The game of roulette. decent rooms, casino is okay, next door to Paris so i can gamble there and jus go back to Ballys to sleep, u get wut u pay for!
Nice dealers. Cheap gambling.
Gambler's special is $7.77 for steak and shrimp. Not on menu so you gotta ask for it. Sure beats their $9.99 prime rib special from 4 pm to 4 am.
Ask for the Gamblers Special - its not on the menu!!!
Gotta go here for the Gambler's Special.. Order it, not on da menu!!!
If U're a Gambler, Welcome to VEGAS!
Great hotel and casino! Get the monitor at the table when gambling for free!
Gamble downtown. Better odds no lie
Stay at Mandalay, eat at Hard Rock and gamble at Caesars - perfect night en Sin City!
Eat, sleep, swim, gamble
All the people gambling here look depressed..find happy looking people & go gamble there..
Sat and gambled for 30mins. All of the cocktail waitresses ignored me, but not my male friends, even after I told them my order. So rude.
Do what you are going to do there soon, cause once the Linq is open its gonna be a mad house down there. Saw some good shows there. The best way to win gambling is don't gamble or be the house!
If you're here to gamble that's great but to see a cool hotel move along. The flamingo has cool history though.
Where Locals Gamble In Vegas
Gamble like there is no tomorrow..
Very friendly dealers, good music and hot outifts.. Fun!
The sexy dealers and dancers who make the Pleasure Pit the hottest casino action on the Strip make their grand entrance from The Mezz nightly at 8 pm sharp to the song 'PHamous' by Midi Mafia.
