Category: Advice for Players

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BAD CASINO GAMBLING ADVICE FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

Save for one point, I have no arguments with the advice given here. No betting system will allow you to beat a negative-expectation game. Blackjack basic strategy is the best way to play if you aren’t counting cards or otherwise have information that calls for departures. Most importantly, though, is the emphasis on slowing down play, which usually means playing the games at full tables. When you have an edge, you want speed. When you don’t, then slower is the goal. Bathroom breaks during play, not during the shuffle. Nice. As for the one disagreement mentioned above, I’m not sold on “dice control” as an actionable strategy in the real casino world. But that’s a whole other discussion.

This article was written by Frank Scoblete in association with 888Casino.

BAD CASINO GAMBLING ADVICE FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

Everything in this article is absolutely true (meaning absolutely false) and the words come from the mouths of casino gamblers – adult casino players, not kids. However, the advice and opinions offered go from just bad to just horrendous and everything in between.

Too many casino players just have totally wrong opinions, and yet on some of these opinions those players just can’t let them go. Indeed, all the more horror for them if they cling to such falsehoods because it costs them a lot more in losses than they need to experience. In general, casinos don’t have such real horrors in their thinking for casinos it is just money in and money in.

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Bobby Vegas: Did Corporations Kill My Video Poker Star?

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

I almost titled this “My Video Poker Obituary,” but came to a different conclusion.

First, Rainbow cut its point promotion by two-thirds and halved the food-comp program. Okay, the new owners realized they were literally giving away the store, but it’s still a great place to play, eat, and win. Are you earning points for the Vegas Aces and Rod Stewart giveaway June 26th? If not, get cracking!

Now it’s the Downtown Grand.

What a great run. It lasted a few years, as it often does, before they tighten the screws. Which they did. For one, they were running a real Gives Good Gamble program and Anthony and I were fully on board. But now, according to VPfree2, DG pulled the plug on the Furnace Bar progressive. Oh, come on!

I know they were making oodles of money on that game. There were approximately 24 places at the bar, with people pouring in money night and day, especially when the progressives crept up to and past breakeven. But nope. Gone. The other video isn’t great.

My opinion? Plain corporate mistake.

I had a conversation with the general manager as to why they no longer give points on e- roulette, a very high-edge game. I’m one of those who works roulette for comps, part of my program to easily earn half-price prime rib and $7 breakfasts with as little as $25 played. Now? Gone.

The GM’s answer? “Comp cheaters!”

Oy vey. On a 5+% game? Those “comp cheaters” playing high-low, red-black, or odd- even were paying the house 5% to earn 2/10ths of a percent in comps. Cheaters? Seriously? It seems pretty much everyone in this calculation wasn’t playing smart. BTW, when I played for my daily half-price coupon at Freedom Beat, I had an expected loss of $1.25 to $2.50 on a discount worth $7 to $15.

So here we are again, moaning like any other Boom baby for the “good old days” when the music was better and the VP was richer and Giving Good Gamble was what Vegas was all about. But I digress.

What I want you all to know is I researched VPfree2 and found 21 casinos all over Vegas that still offer games from 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%) to 100%+ games and I’ll be reporting on them, and the next places I’ll be frequenting — where the games are good, the rooms are reasonable, and the fun is real.

Until then, remember, that “It’s not hard to win. It’s hard to walk away a winner” takes work! Enjoy!

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Bobby Vegas: If Life Ain’t All Rainbows and Unicorns, One Rainbow Is All You Need

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

This is Commander Vegas speaking. Proceed directly to Rainbow. Pass the Strip and all the other crummy games and hustles. Wander down an old main street starting to come alive.

It’s sure not hard these days to see that life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, but I’m pretty sure there’s still gold at the end of Water Street in Henderson after getting my new monthly mailer. Yes, I was bemoaning the reduction of the super-lucrative points conversion and possible loss of my weekly free meal, so I was very pleasantly surprised to get both this month.

Your assignment (should you choose to accept it) will be to earn lots of tickets for the 7:15 p.m. drawing on June 26 for one of four pairs of Las Vegas Aces courtside tickets at Rainbow (worth $2,000 each) or the June 27 drawing for one of four sets of Rod Stewart tickets for his July 27 show (worth $700+) at Emerald Island.

I’m telling you now, so you have all month to earn tickets. You think I’m sexy now, people?

As outlined in previous posts, at these drawings, I often see them running through multiple names before they get a winner. People don’t show up and the barrel isn’t very big. You have eight chances in two drawings to win.

A month or so ago, they gave away four Rolex watches.

Use your $64 worth of MRB coupons for two free wheel spins and a 2-for-1 at Rainbow’s Triple B café (yes, you can use that with points … stacking!).

Your further assignment will be to play positive-expectation (or very close) games during high multiplier periods. Stop after these periods end and have a handmade milkshake for the points equivalent of $4, which should take you about 10 minutes to earn. If you’re really hungry, treat yourself to any of the Triple B daily specials for the points equivalent of $9, which should take you less than 30 minutes to earn or less during 25x, 50x, and OMG 100x earning periods.

Playing and hungry after 10 p.m. or before 7 a.m.? Emerald Island diner is open 24/7. Try Anthony’s fave, the one-pound hamsteak special breakfast. I take home the ham and biscuits for snacks later.

I’ll post this article on BobbyVegas.com with the incredible 25x, 50x, and on Friday evenings 10-10:30 p.m. 100x points multiplier schedule. That makes the lame Jacks or Better at the Rainbow bar 99.88%. Add in your MRB wheel spin, extra cash, gifts, ticket drawings, and yes, it’s a positive play, baby.

I’ve played lots of VP games at Emerald Island that ended up earning multiplier points. (Refer to VPfree2 for the game details). You’re earning comps, at an amazing rate. Gift days and contest credits are earned only on base points, but you need only 200. And if you’re a new signup, they’ll give you another food comp too. Wheel spins Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well as free ice cream each evening and extra free cash.

That you’re doing point multipliers during free wheel spins while earning comp dollars at a ridiculous rate and base points for tickets all at the same time — wait! I have to sit down, my head is spinning.

Okay, I just called casino promotions for clarifications. On the 26th they’re giving away four sets of two courtside tickets for the back-to-back world-champion Las Vegas Aces at Rainbow. On the 27th four sets of two tickets for Rod Stewart at Emerald Island.

We’re looking forward to hearing who won tickets or went to the game or show.

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BLACKJACK PLAYERS FACE MANY CHOICES BEYOND STRATEGY

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. says:

Most discussions about blackjack involve playing strategies, usually focusing on basic strategy. This article talks about other fundamental considerations that lead to better results, especially for beginners. Author John Grochowski correctly points out that the proper choices in the situations addressed will be different for experts who are playing with an advantage, but beginners who heed the advice to play at full tables, at games with fewer decks, etc. will benefit. Not all of the rules are absolute, so read carefully. Good stuff here.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

BLACKJACK PLAYERS FACE MANY CHOICES BEYOND STRATEGY

Player choices make a difference in blackjack, regardless of whether you’re playing online blackjack or in a live casino. That’s one of the keys to the game’s long-standing popularity.

The most obvious choices that make a difference come in blackjack strategy. Do you hit or stand. Should you double down? Should you split a pair?

Basic strategy can be your guide to those options, but there are choices beyond playing strategy that make a difference in your chances to win or lose.

Is it better to play at a crowded table or an empty one? Are fewer decks always better for players? Those are among the choices players face in addition to blackjack strategy once the game is underway.

Let’s explore some of the decisions blackjack players must make.

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ANALYZING SOME KEY COMBINATIONS IN VIDEO POKER

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. says:

Certain decisions in video poker are particularly problematic. Among them are hold choices that involve high cards and suited 10s. The cost of these errors is often low, but players should strive to make as few mistakes as possible. The “Adjacent Rule” is a good crib for making the proper plays in these instances. And if you learn nothing else from this article, you should know now that, with the exception of a high progressive royal flush, you should never hold a suited ace and 10. 

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

ANALYZING SOME KEY COMBINATIONS IN VIDEO POKER

When playing Jacks or Better, one of the hands that usually confuse players is when there is a suited high card and a suited 10 along with another unsuited high card. For example, how would you play this hand?

Jh 3d Qs 10h 6c

You have two playing decisions to consider:

Hold the suited J-10 of hearts and discard the unsuited Q.
Hold the unsuited J-Q and discard the 10.

The correct play (the one with the higher expected value, or EV) is to hold the unsuited J-Q and discard the 10. Here’s why.

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BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

Blackjack is the subject, but the advice in this article applies to all gambling games. When there’s one correct play and you’ve been told what it is, you’re costing yourself money every time you do something else. This comes up in video poker all the time, when players reason their way out of making the correct play. I can’t count all the times I’ve been asked for the correct play and given the answer, only for the player to wave it off and do something else. Amazing! You may desire an explanation that you can get your head around, but you don’t need one. One of my favorite stories is blackjack expert Ken Uston being asked for a reason that a certain play should be made. Uston answered simply, “Because the computer says so.” You’ll recognize some of the blackjack plays in the article that you’ve probably wondered about. You don’t need the explanations, but author John Grochowski obliges anyway.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

Learning basic strategy at blackjack is one thing. Internalizing it so it becomes second nature can be quite another.

The problem is that some blackjack strategy plays seem to defy common sense regardless of whether you’re playing online blackjack or in a live casino. As one player asked at a seminar I gave, “How can a play be so right when it feels so wrong?”

How can hitting hard 16 be the right play when there’s such a large chance of busting? How can splitting 8s against a dealer’s 10 be the right play when you could wind up with two 18s losing to a 20? How can doubling down on 11 when the dealer has a 10 face up be the right play when you can’t hit if you draw a low card and the dealer could be sitting with 20?

It’s enough to give you a queasy feeling even while you make the best play.

But they are the right plays. All casino games are grounded in math. Basic strategy takes into account all possible outcomes and calculates the play that, on average, yields the best chance to win.

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Bobby Vegas: Waste Bothers Me

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

I don’t get my kicks on Route 66. I get them chasing value. Wherever I go.

Friends had a kitchen in a summer-camp conference center in Virginia, which burned down recently when a neighbor’s bonfire got out of control. No insurance. I saw an eight-foot stainless-steel triple-compartment sink ($1,500 retail) in a construction dumpster. I called my friends; they said “Perfect!” I hired a buddy with a pickup for $50 to move it into my back yard until they can pick it up.

Value proposition solved. Even good for the environment.

I bought silver below $18. It’s now $28.50

At McDonalds, I get a snack and like the App offer for free fries when I buy a $2 burger. The fries would cost more than the burger and I get an additional 10% in points.

In Vegas, whether it’s LVA newsletter tips, Member Rewards Book coupons that have given me a 10-to-1 return for 20 years, American Casino Guide’s free downloadable coupons, VPfree2 for the best video poker, Jean Scott’s Video Poker Scouting Guide that’s returned 1500% to me, I’m always chasing value.

Downtown Grand is great value. Rainbow is great value.

Then there’s spending $10,000 taking 15 people to Stadium Swim for the Super Bowl when one ticket at Allegiant cost that much.

And renting a 6,000-square-foot Villa in the 5-star tower at Encore instead of a trade show booth, saving my corporate client $100,000 over what they paid every year before —completely blowing the clients’ minds and generating $1 million in new product sales in 90 days.

Or discovering, attending, and partying at the opening of Bruno Mars Pinky Ring lounge for $75 a night. An ultimate experience and an insane value.

My 17 days in Vegas for the Super Bowl and a week at the Pinky Ring cost $3,400. I made $8,000 on new-client orders in 45 days. That’s value.

Researching, devising, and implementing a value Strategy are fun for me. Doing match play or coupon runs while cashing in free food is fun. And don’t think I survive on burgers and fries. My freezer has lobster claws bought on sale and Washington State oysters at $14 a pound.

A favorite book by Malcolm Gladwell, called The Tipping Point, shows how fads, phenomena, and new-product launches happen. He identifies two key players in this process: information mavens (that’s me) and connectors (that’s Anthony Curtis).

I get my kicks researching, analyzing, and discovering new information and sharing it with others. That’s you people. Hope it helps.

Then I hand it to a connector. Anthony gets it out wide.

Coupons are a form of money. If you can’t “lower” yourself to utilize it, go ahead and pay retail.

If you can’t see value in 50%-off Seniors Day at Siegel’s 1941 on Wednesday or getting a free $8 ice cream cone sometime in your birthday month at Ben and Jerry’s, its fine by me. But I like free. Free is fun.

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PLAYING YOUR HANDS AGAINST A DEALER’S 7 UPCARD

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:
Here’s another of Henry Tamburin’s basic strategy primers, this one covering play against a dealer 7. The most important rule is to hit stiffs until you have at least 17. Many players are less inclined to hit vs. a 7 than against a ten, which is backward. And as pointed out, standing will result in losing the hand 74% of the time. I believe that memorizing a standard basic strategy table is an easier way to learn than with this presentation. However, it’s a good added learning tool to hammer in basic, which you must be able to play perfectly before advancing to card-counting strategies.

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

PLAYING YOUR HANDS AGAINST A DEALER’S 7 UPCARD

When a dealer shows a 7 upcard, she has about a 26% chance of busting and about a 74% chance of getting to a final hand that totals 17 through 21 (rule dependent). Because of the latter, we have to be more aggressive when we are dealt a stiff hand (hit rather than stand) and less aggressive when we are dealt a two-card soft hand (hit rather than double down).

What follows is the accurate blackjack playing strategy for any hand when the dealer shows a 7 upcard.

Fortunately for blackjack players, the playing strategy against a casino dealer’s 7 upcard is nearly the same for any number of decks of cards or mix of playing rules. There is one exception and you’ll find it below.

Continue reading …

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SAVING MONEY AT THE CASINOS IS A GOOD THING

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

The theme of this article is losing less. Good theme. Making moves to lose less is the same as comparison shopping for goods, services, and entertainment. In blackjack, the advice is to learn basic strategy and limit your exposure to the house edge by playing at full tables where you’ll play fewer hands. Check and check on that advice (there’s also a bonus bathroom play that makes sense). The advice is similar for craps. There’s an unexplained strategy of the author betting more on himself (and partners). I assume this has to do with the idea of controlled dice rolling. That’s a different subject that won’t be pertinent to the majority of readers of this article, although I do like the suggestion that you roll the dice when given the opportunity (it’s fun). The roulette strategy of sticking to even-money bets doesn’t change the house edge, but reduces the variance while playing, so sessions will tend to last longer.

This article was written by Frank Scoblete in association with 888Casino.

SAVING MONEY AT THE CASINOS IS A GOOD THING

I am a conservative player and I play all the time. Many trips of mine to the glamorous casino cities and counties can last upwards of 130 days. I am very much aware that what I am doing is flirting with Lady Luck and that the casino has structured its games to beat me and every other player now, and then, and usually always.

This fact I must battle as best I can. And I do. All casino players must do this. That is our lot in gaming life.

I look at playing in two ways. One is to save money as best I can by approaching games in such a way as I am not spending as much of my hard-earned cash as the casino would like me to. Second is to play the best strategies the best way that I can. That means I eliminate games that I just can’t really see myself beating in any decent amount of time. In short, the long run is the casinos’ territory.

Continue reading …

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Can’t Stop Talking about Rainbow and Emerald Isle

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

Deke, my editor at the Las Vegas Advisor, asked me to expand on the changes in the mailer from Rainbow/Emerald Isle and this is turning into a whole article on why I love Rainbow.

I stay at the Downtown Grand and drive out to Rainbow a LOT. It’s only 15-20 minutes down the freeway and as I have hundreds of dollars in unspent comps and am on a first-name basis with the staff, I love going — sometimes for breakfast, sometimes dinner, great games all the time. The Rainbow’s daily specials, most for $9, are fantastic.

I’m an anti-Strip guy. When I went to the Pinky Ring at Bellagio nightly for a week or more, I was overwhelmed by the traffic, crowds, $18-$20 parking, and the unplayable games.

But way out on funky little Water Street in Old Henderson, I found my intimate and insanely friendly goldmine, baby.

Since the recent Emerald Isle/Rainbow buyout, the first sign of ownership change is they combined the two properties’ monthly mailers. Each had weekly coupons for the Emerald Isle diner and my fave, Triple B at Rainbow. Now the weekly free meal is either/or, one coupon in one combined mailer for both properties and you can go to the diner or Triple B for breakfast at either place or dinner.

To me, it’s not that big a change. I never could use all my offers anyway.

True, some of those came from hitting some super 50x (+5%!) points on video reels 2-3 a.m. or just the 25x midnight-2 a.m. and 4 to 6 a.m. You won’t get super multipliers on 10/7 Double Double Bonus, but
I’ve played a lot of qualifying games at 101% or better.

I also want to give a shout out to locals that their monthly ticket giveaways are awesome! You earn points all month and put the tickets in the barrel; I’ve been there for giveaways and NO ONE SHOWS UP! They often have to call three, four, or more people to find a winner who’s present. And the prizes aren’t shabby — two tickets to Golden Knights games and all sorts of great concerts. I even saw them give away two tickets U2 at Sphere. That’s a $1,200-$1,500 prize. And on Mondays they have easy- peasey gift days, only 200 points.

Other things I like about Water Street in Old Henderson are all the funky cool shops and restaurants. Many of them take your points from Rainbow and Emerald Isle.

The third casino there, the Pass, gives out $10 in free play and there’s a Circa Sports outpost right by the door. While I’m at Rainbow and Emerald Island, it’s easy to place and cash my Circa bets.

So Deke, sorry, but you’ll have to edit me down again. I just can’t say enough about Rainbow and Emerald Island!