Dear Mark,
Next month I am flying
to Las Vegas for the first time. Not only is it my first trip to Nevada
but also my first visit to a casino. Any do's and don'ts you could
recommend before I go? Mary S.
Here are some do's and
don'ts, Mary, that everyone should know before they make their first
flight to the mothership, Las Vegas. Learn them, live by them, and your
casino experience can be very rewarding.
First, do
decide ahead of time which games you are going to play and for what
stakes.
Do
plan other activities like shows, shopping, sightseeing, the health club or
golf. Make it an enjoyable, entertaining trip, not all gambling
.
Do
comparison shop for the best buys on meals and accommodations.
Also, do comparison shop
for bargains on the best rules and playing conditions for the particular
games you're going to be playing.
Do
monitor the status of your bankroll. At all times you should know where you
are financially.
Do
count your blessings. If you break even your first time gambling, that's a
win in anybody's book.
Do
check the many Las Vegas gambling guides found at newspaper stands for the
best values and deals.
Finally, do keep up to date
on both rule changes and different variations of your favorite game
because casinos can, and will, change the rules all the time. The
winning player is always the informed player.
On the flip side, Mary,
honoring these don'ts should put you in a position of gambling without
tears.
Don't
bet over your head but only with what you can afford to lose.
Don't
play with scared money.
Don't
borrow money from friends to finance your gambling or try to recoup your
losses.
Don't
press your bets if you're on a losing streak.
Don't
be superstitious. Knowledge is the key, not luck. Like I've said many times
in this column: "The smarter you play, the luckier you'll be."
Don't
waste your time on games or wagers where the casino has a house advantage of
more than 2%.
Don't
play any game or make any bet you know little about. Learn it first.
Don't
drink excessively and gamble at the same time. Sip for pleasure, don't gulp
for effect.
Don't
be afraid to ask questions. Who's money is it? YOURS.
Don't
be greedy. Be satisfied with a small win.
The above suggestions, Mary, should make
your pilgrimage to the Mecca of gambling all that more enjoyable.
Dear Mark,
Do you, as an informed
video poker player, ever ignore the strict rules of basic strategy?
Jenny S.
The correct answer should be, NO, not me,
NEVER. Basic strategy charts are derived not from some slick huckster
selling his latest beat-the-casino system but by mathematicians and
countless computer studies.
But, Jenny, I'll come clean here. There
is one hand in which I completely disregard the correct betting
approach. When dealt a high pair along with three cards to the royal, I
say, the hell with basic strategy.
The research conducted by
high-priced computer scientists tells you to keep the high pair. I go
for the royal flush every time. The additional strength (expected value)
of a high pair hand versus three cards to a royal is so negligible, I
always jump on the chance, as remote as it might be, of hitting the
elusive royal flush.
Dear Mark,
Who controls the payback
of a slot machine, the slot manufacturer
or the casino? Jim K.
Today's slot machines contain a random
number generator (RNG) that controls the payback percentage of each
machine. When a casino purchases a slot machine it tells the
manufacturer what percentage it wants that particular machine to return
to its customers. That amount is pre-programmed into the RNG at the
plant. A casino can always change the payback percentage, but it must go
back to the manufacturer and have them reprogram the RNG.
