Category: Advice for Players

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Planning an Almost Free Trip to Vegas

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

Do you use a points earning credit card? My flights are free.

I’m currently staying at the Downtown Grand. My casino rate (50% off) runs $50-$100 per day total, including reduced resort fee, parking, and Gallery Tower upgrade.

Downtown Grand invited me to a $10K slot tournament with currently 120 players (200 are expected) paying to 30 places, so one in four wins so far (current EV $83+). The cost was $20 for the first entry, with additional entries earned for 60 points or $120 coin-in at video poker. I plan on having three. Most VP was downgraded, but I hear they still have a progressive at Furnace bar. We’ll see.

Others may be happy with Uber, etc., if staying on Fremont or the Strip. Myself, I run around a lot, visiting 15 to 18 casinos with fullpay video poker: M, South Point, Palace Station, Gold Coast, downtown, and the Rainbow in Henderson. I might stop at Boulder Station for the $1.99 shrimp cocktail.

It was a slog, spending an hour on multiple travel sites (even U-Haul!), finally getting a reservation direct from Dollar for under $50 a day. From where it started, I ended up saving about $150, so that was worth an hour for sure.

I’m signed up for Rakuten cashback, which pays 3% on this rez and of course Dollar and airline points, plus the points earned on my credit card for a triple stack! It all ends up worth about $50.

I’ll be returning to the Pinky Ring, Bruno Mars’ lounge at Bellagio, for two nights. I expect to see Bruno and my friends in the band. They’re also playing several nights at Dolby. I’m also expecting a surprise “lady” guest to be with Bruno, as he dropped a song with her last week and she’s been with Bruno at the Pinky Ring. I give it 55% or better.

Lots of Bruno Mars superfans are in town for his Dolby shows, so it’s VERY VERY EXPENSIVE and very booked to hang at the Pinky Ring — starting at $2,000 for a table. Owww. But I can walk in on my host open invite. And I booked an early-evening table for $50! I won’t have a table after 8 p.m., so I’ll do SRO hanging at the bar (you can too), which is fine, as I dance all night. I just need a place to set my drink down and I almost always find a place to hang with the band or some guest or hosts let me have a seat.

It’s a tough job being the unofficial house dancer. Someone’s got to break open the dance floor.

I’ll also be going to the opening of Speigelworld’s brand new Discoshow. Yes, I love disco (along with funk, R & B, pop, Latin, and rock n roll) and that will be a hoot. The Friday night show is $69 (Saturday $99). Dance dance dance.

My week in Vegas: out of pocket for air, hotel, and rental car before any winnings is … $980.

Living my best life. Keep on dancing.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Documenting Video Poker Play

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 basic advice here is to keep records of your gambling results. This article is about video poker specifically, but the advice applies to all gambling activity. I’ve always advocated record-keeping for two reasons. The first is obvious — if you’re audited for taxes, you need to have a gambling log of some type or your claims can be rejected. The second is even more important. You need to have a true picture of results and this applies to both winning and losing players. If you’re playing for profit, tracking results can confirm that you’re playing with the expected edge or alert you that you’re not making enough to justify the time and effort spent. If you play for entertainment, record-keeping will tell you how much gambling is costing you. It’s not necessary to be anywhere near as detailed as the author suggests; keeping a daily log of wins and losses will usually be sufficient for both purposes I’ve mentioned. However, more information is better, especially when dealing with the IRS. The definitive source of information on tax matters is our book Tax Help for Gamblers, by Jean Scott, Marissa Chien, and Russell Fox. You can also get win/loss statements from the casino players clubs, which doesn’t require any record-keeping on your part and will provide reliable data.

This article was written by Jerry Stich in association with 888Casino.

Documenting Video Poker Play

Most video poker players simply sit down at a machine and play. They do not keep track of which machine is played, amount deposited, amount cashed out, nor anything else.

This may be okay for casual players – those who only play a few hundred to a few thousand hands per year – but are more serious players missing something by not keeping records of their video poker play?

This article offers suggestions on what details to keep and why it is a good idea for serious players to document them.

Continue reading …

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Creature of Habit, until It Changes

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

I had a buddy, Downtown Victor Brown, who once said to me, “If it works, wear it out.”

That’s me, a creature of habit. When I like something, I do it again and again. Generally, this is a good thing.

I’ve been in business since 1986, was married 30 years, traveled to Brazil 12 times, Berlin five, Vegas 60.

I find my tribe and keep dancing until the music stops. Or in Vegas parlance, until “your action isn’t welcome here anymore.” Not that I’m a high enough player to be 86’d or read the trespass act, which in my opinion is a good thing. I don’t want that level of attention. What happens is after a year or two, the offers stop coming. “You’re not playing long enough” means I’m not losing enough. Fine by me. I move on to the next casino.

I’m seeing my time at the Downtown Grand possibly coming to a close in the near future. They’ve stripped out the good video poker games and now the whole joint is up for sale. It’s been a great ride. But there are plenty of other casinos and offers. Let’s look at a few.

Circa is offering me their standard two-day deal for two nights, including $100 in food credits, $100 in drink credits, and Stadium Swim access. Problem is, the place is so loud even with earplugs (I wear them in all casinos), it kicks in my tinnitus, so no thanks. Also, there’s no good VP. And I’m still irked that after spending $10K at the Super Bowl Stadium Swim party for 15, my offers haven’t reflected that. I’m still working on that.

Then there’s the Plaza. Old school meets new school. I really love everything that CEO Jonathan Jossel is doing there. The Plaza just keeps getting better and better. They have plenty full-play (or close) video poker, plus 10X craps, single-zero roulette, matchplays. The food scene is always improving; try to order just one or two donuts at PinkBox—not happening. And fireworks in the summer. Life Is Beautiful will be there in September as well. EDM festivals aren’t my gig, but it’s still “lit” for the Plaza.

The offer they just sent is really nice. For $120 a day, you get room, unlimited drinks, two meals at Plaza restaurants, and no resort or parking fee. Throw in LVA matchplays and the new-sign-up gambling coupons and, well, I’m liking the Plaza more and more.

Now, I generally don’t need the two meals a day, as I roam a lot and of course their goal is to keep you on the property. But it’s still a strong perk.

And you can’t beat the location. At one end of Fremont, I can walk over to Four Queens or the California for some good VP. Or maybe a free glass of Champagne at Circa’s 60th floor rooftop Legacy Club using my LVA coupon. Great view!

BTW, Rainbow Casino and Emerald Island are giving away four sets of tickets to the Eagles at Sphere this month.

I’ll keep exploring for gold. There’s plenty out there.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ready for Action: Avoiding the Blackjack Fatigue Factor

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:

When someone asks what determines how long I play or when I decide to stop, they’re usually expecting a hard-stop time limit or, more likely, a stop-loss or take-profits point. My answer is, I play as long as I have an edge in the game or until I get tired and am no longer playing optimally. This article addresses the latter. Author John Grochowski addresses my point, but also brings up another important consideration: the heightened chance that you’ll make bad decisions with regard to chasing losses, described as “going on tilt.” The advice is valid: Don’t play when tired. Follow it. And be sure to take note of the lesson within the lesson in the article. That is, a bad player at the table doesn’t affect your expected result over time. Bad plays by other players will help you as often as they hurt.

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

Ready for Action: Avoiding the Blackjack Fatigue Factor

Players know the feeling, regardless of whether they’re playing online blackjack or in live casinos. From the first hand, they’re engaged, interested, thinking strategy on every card. It’s a fun game, especially, when winning streaks are coming often enough to keep bankrolls full.

But when players start to make mistakes, it’s time to watch out. The “Fatigue Factor” can undermine even the best players.

Continue reading …

Posted on by — Leave a comment

WHAT IS RETURN IN VIDEO POKER & HOW CAN IT BE CALCULATED?

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:

If you’re interested in figuring out what the return percentage was for a particular playing session or period of time, this article gives you the correct formula to do that. However, I’m not sure what the value is in doing so. Players like to whine about losses, so calculating that you just played for three hours with a return of 68.5% provides good ammunition for the woe-is-me tale, but it doesn’t give you information you can act on to improve future results. In fact, letting a bad session on a good game dissuade you from playing it again is a big mistake. Far more important is knowing going in what the long-term return percentages are for the games you have to choose from, then, in most cases, playing the game with the highest return. 

This article was written by Jerry Stich in association with 888Casino.

WHAT IS RETURN IN VIDEO POKER & HOW CAN IT BE CALCULATED?

Most serious video poker players understand what elements define a good game. These elements include return, variance, and strategy complexity. For most serious players, return is the main element considered when choosing a video poker game to play.

Many video poker players understand what return is. Fewer understand how video poker return varies during play. Fewer still know how to calculate their actual return for a session, day, trip, or year. This article addresses these topics.

Keep reading …

Posted on by — Leave a comment

IS ANY CASINO GAME EVER ‘DUE’ TO PAY OUT?

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:

Most have heard the argument that slot machines, as well as numbers on roulette wheels, crap tables, keno games, and the like, don’t become due. Still, many gamblers feel that there is validity in the belief that “being due” is sometimes a factor in gambling games. This article makes the point that “due theories” aren’t valid in games of independent trials, which include those just listed. Interestingly, although not mentioned in the article, in a game like roulette, it’s more likely that a number that has not shown over many spins should be avoided, as its disproportionate number of appearances could be related to a bias in the equipment that’s preventing it from coming up. Essentially, it’s the due theory in reverse. In fact, the converse, which is a number coming up significantly more often than 1-in-38 spins (on a double-zero wheel), is the basis of the winning strategy of playing biased roulette wheels. This idea is touched on in our book Gambling 102—The Best Strategies for All Casino Games and in the chapter on Billy Walters in Gambling Wizards—Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers.

This article was written by Jerry Stich in association with 888Casino.

IS ANY CASINO GAME EVER ‘DUE’ TO PAY OUT?

Serious casino gamblers understand the concept of the return of casino games. Simply put, it is the amount of money bet while playing a casino game that is returned to the player.

Most also understand that the return percentages given are mathematically calculated and are based on an infinite number of bets. They understand the short-term return percentages can vary significantly from the mathematically calculated long-term return percentages.

Few gamblers understand how the transition from short-term to long-term results works. Many gamblers, systems sellers, and pundits also do not understand this phenomenon.

Is any casino game ever due? Read on to find out.

Continue reading …

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Bobby Vegas: Winner Winner Free Steak Dinner

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

If you missed the Rolex, the Vegas Aces courtside-seats, and Rod Stewart concerts giveaways, you have another round through July 31 and the prizes are still great.

Three winners will win a pair of Sphere tickets for Dead and Company. Four will enjoy a BBQ feast for eight at Rainbow. And at Emerald Island, four winners will get a pair of tickets for the Saturday Nov 9 show starring Bill Joel and Sting.

That makes 11 total chances to win. Each entry is just 200 base points at $1 per point.  And it’s a small barrel.

May I suggest you do this in any of their 25 x multiplier sessions spread throughout the day. (See BobbyVegas.com for more details.)

You won’t earn points at full-pay Double Double Bonus, but you will on just about every other VP game. And adding 1.67% (25 x) onto any game in the house, you’re playing at a positive expectation. Mutiplier points go toward excellent food comps at Triple B Diner at Rainbow or Emerald Island. My calcs don’t include progressives. Check your VP strategy guide for the breakeven on those and if it’s not at BE, even a partial adds to your total return.

Checking VPfree2, every game down to 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%) turns into 100.84%. Not too shabby while winning tickets for any of the above, plus food comps galore and gifts or cash.

A note on reading VPfree2: Just using the browse feature, the games come up looking like they’re only for pennies, nickels, and dimes. Not true. The quarter and higher games are anywhere from 10 line to 30 line, so it’s possible to play $3 and $5 VP during these multiplier periods and the comps add up very fast at 25x level.

Only your base amount counts to concert and other monthly prize drawings, but still …

There are also a host of local Water Street restaurants, brew pubs, etc., where you can spend your comp dollars.

Did I mention the 50x, 75x, or 100x periods ? Those are insane, adding 3.74%, 6%, and higher. Those super-high earning periods are often short or at an odd hour, but again, you’re earning comps like crazy, plus the drawing tickets. And every day they give out hot dogs, donuts, pizza, ice cream and more.

The thing about Rainbow and Emerald is they have so many daily wheel and other cash giveaways , it’s hard to keep up. But hey, it’s free money.

And why do I say free steaks for dinner? Well, the rib eye and shrimp with steak are the most expensive items on the Rainbow Triple B Diner menu and top out at $20.

Did you use your LVA MRB for 2-for-1 or half-off, even with points?
There it is: Winner winner free steak dinner.

If you spend 30 to 60 minutes, you’ll have more than enough points for several of ’em.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading …

Posted on by — 4 Comments

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!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

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.