Question of the Day - 04 March 2023

I presume that no matter what my situation may be at the time, $5000 without the gambling stipulation would be more useful than that money with it. It's not unlike slot free play. My mission is to turn it into "real" money--that I can do with as I please--with as little mathematical loss as possible. So I would bet $2,500 on each side of a basketball or football game. That way, I walk away with a little more than $4,700 no matter what. And at that point, I can gamble with that money, spend it on bubble gum cards, or donate it to the American Banana Slug Preservation Society.

Sounds like a politician's answer. Seems like a relatively simple question which should prompt a simple answer. Guess not.

One hand of Casino War.

dumb answer to a dumb question. you get a F grade today, you have to have better questions  , I know I have sent a few

I would use it the exact same way I use Free Play - play it once through the best video poker game I could find in the casino then cash out and keep whatever I have left. For example, 500 hands of $2 9/6 Jacks.

Given that you have to bet the entire amount in individual bets or all at once, I'd find a French roulette table (only one green space on the wheel and you get half your bet back if the marble lands on green). Bet all $5000 on red and have nearly a 50% chance of doubling the money quickly. The odds against you are only 1.35%, that's lower than playing craps or anything else in the casino except a sports bet. Playing all other casino games will grind down your money, although your playtime will last longer you'll most likely steadily lose it all. The high limit areas in some of the casinos have French roulette.
-or-
I'd make a $5000 futures bet in the sports book on the Cubs to win the upcoming World Series. That could happen, right?

I enjoyed the question...and the nuanced answer.   What to do is absolutely relative to your own unique circumstances.  One idea would be to put 1k each on the 5 MLB teams with the lowest odds to win WS.  Pretty solid chance of cashing.   Or NFL for 2024 SB....

I'm not a sports better but I did put $40 on the Caesars app so I could try it and get 1,000 Tier credits and 1,000 Reward credits (which I still haven't gotten). My only money left in there is for the Cubs to win the WS. Why not? If they do I get $1,780. I watch most games (set the DVR to record) and this could make it more fun.

To answer the question, I'm mostly a VP player, only $1 games I'll play is one line VP. Usually the denomination is less. I'd use the money to play $5 or more multi-line games and have some fun with it. 

If you want to spend a few hours at a video poker machine with a 99+% payback, playing 500 max bets of $10 each with perfect strategy, and you don't hit a royal, you should clear 97+%.  If you happen to hit a royal, that would be even better!  You would also get comped on $5,000 play. Anyone want to give me $5,000 so I can try it out? LOL  
Six or seven sessions of two hours each at busy craps tables, playing $25 on the pass line 20 times, would be a lot more fun and get you well rated. The expected loss is 1.4% of $5000 or $70.
Same offer to try this out applies. LOL again!

Should be $25 on the pass line 200 times, not 20 times, for a total play of $5,000.

This would be an interesting poll question!

you could find a roulette table and put $135 each on the zeros and $2,365 each on red and black. This guarantees you approximately $4730 on one spin, which is similar to Kevin's return betting both sides of a sports event. A similar scheme could be worked out for craps, but I'll skip the calculations. In all these cases you're still paying the house edge; but a purist theoretician might argue that it's not really "gambling," since you have a guaranteed return.
Another option would be to just divide the $5,000 up and play minimum-bet Basic-Strategy Blackjack (three-to-two, of course). Your expectation would be about 98.5%, or about $4,925. Of course, unlike the roulette/craps/sports betting scenarios, there would be the possibility of a loss. But no one could argue that it wasn't really gambling.
Personally, I'd probably put it through a 10x-quarter Airport Deuces Video Poker--400 hands at $12.50, expected return about $4,950--plus you'd generate some tier credits and comp points.  

I would play Single or Double Deck $100 Blackjack at El Cortez.

Not such a tough crowd after all, just a couple of hecklers. Turns out not to be such a simple question with a simple answer, ay? And if memory serves, this isn't the first time Lotel's a minority of one in the negativity and I'm sure it won't be the last. Mr. Snyder is answering a good question like the long-time advantage player that he is and as for me, I'd try out one of his ideas, finally carrying out my secret ambition to be a card counter with OPM, that I've harbored since reading the inspiring 21st Century Card Counter a couple years ago. 

The OP was likely looking for one good answer, not a lot of 'depending on' unique conditions.  JMHO.  

Me: I'd spread $1000 around on each of five spins at a roulette table.  Why? Because I've never played roulette but always wanted to, and would love to have $5K to do that with.  That would be my unique condition.

Ischulz said use it on VP like Free Play.  That was actually my first thought, because, if actualy casino loaded Free Play on my card, for each hand played you get that same amount returned.  (Not the case with slots or anything else I know of.) You'd start with $5000 and end with $5000 to cash out.  Not a bad outcome.  And, you could possibly come out ahead.

Problem is, "Free Play" wasn't stipulated in the OP's question.  So that's out.

Candy

The comments prove that the answer that Arnold gave was the best that could be. There is no one answer, and the "best" way to play it really does depend on your goals. I would make sure that I had fun. And after the playing was done, I would use what was left (either more or less than the 5K) was used for something non-gambling to enjoy.

I'll assume that LVA answers the "smartest" and most interesting questions for QOTD first. Therefore based on that assumption and the fact that Lotel has posed some questions, its apparent HIS questions are both "dumber" and "less interesting" than this question. My question is why this "person" even bothers to read and respond to questions here since nearly every one is a waste of his time? I'm guessing its because he has been banned from a LOT of other forums for offering nothing of use...

2500 pass — pass line winner gives you back the 5k
2410 don’t - if this wins you get 4820
90 midnight - if this hits the don’t pushes and you get 5110 total

Not long ago I sat at the Diamond Raider $1 slot machine and bet $30 a hand. In about 15 minutes I was down to $146 and finally triggered the bonus with 4 squares totaling $6320. Only the beginning, haven't won anything yet. Got Collect once, made all my money back, but game continued. Another collect, a few more amounts added to trigger pay, got amount to over $7000, figured either Reset or End, but got one more collect. I think it lasted for 18 spins. Total win $21,090. A complete gambling experience in 20 minutes. Desperation. Relief. Victory. Unfortunately machine was in the smoking section. Had to wait almost one hour for win to process and payout. So mixed results after all.

About players' goals, something not discussed was whether you want a GUARANTEED result of over $4700 or over $4900, versus only having a CHANCE of getting that high of a result. You have to realize that if you play video poker or BJ, you might get skunked by getting dozens of losing hands in a row, and not even finish with $4000, so my position is that such games should be avoided. Neither game offers you an expected return; the quoted percents are just odds, which are potentials, or chances, not sure things. No offense, but the worst idea proposed was that of betting it all on Red on 1 roulette spin, because you subject yourself to the possibility of winding up with ZILCH. Personally, I would choose an option that has no real chance involved, but which guarantees you a result that is either 1 specific number, or else 2 or 3 possible results that are very close together.  Knowing for a fact that you will wind up with at least a certain result, or exactly one result, prevents any worry.

Sandra- good luck on your Cubs bet! 
Glad to see another fan here on LVA.
rokgpsman

Yes it depends on what you consider gambling. You could build a time machine and buy Microsoft 20 or 30 years ago.

Looks like most people didn't really look carefully at the question. The questioner asked what would "you" do not what should "I" do with the money meaning the questioner clearly wants to know what an expert would choose to do (and in this case, Arnold Snyder). I also think it is obvious that there are no bankroll stipulations.  You have $5000.00 to gamble any way you want, period. Don't deflect by giving all sorts of "depends on" answers.  In a typical casino (or casinos) with typical odds and machines on a typical day with no outside distractions (college tuition, mortgage default, wedding, etc.).....how would you gamble the money? Although the questioner was not as detailed, I think it's fair to assume that was what he was implying with his question.