About 40 Million people visit Las Vegas every year and a couple of weeks ago, I was one of them. I flew out for a mate’s bucks party weekend. I know what you’re thinking, that’s a long flight for a party. But the buck is one of my best mate’s and I’m never one to say no to a little adventure and quality time at some excellent casinos.

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A few of the blokes had never been to Vegas before and it got me thinking that many of you who read this blog might like to know a few of my tips on how to navigate sin city. Here’s what you need to know before heading out to Vegas:

Sign up

No matter what casino you visit, sign up for their Player Club Card. It’ll give you discounts on shows, restaurants, attractions, swag and even free slot play on specific machines. You could even accumulate enough points to earn freebies for a return trip, especially if you’re doing a lot of gambling.

Drinks

Casinos want to keep you gambling, so if you wait for the waitress/waiter to come around, they’ll offer you a free cocktail.

Lessons

Like everything in life, having knowledge about something makes you better at it. Do some research on playing the games properly, whether through books or trusted online casinos. If you still feel intimidated when you get to Vegas don’t worry about it. Casinos offer free gambling lessons where you’ll learn the rules of the games and pick up crucial things like dealer-speak, where to sit at a table and more.

THE DEETS ON GAMBLING

What everyone should know is that the return on any game is determined by the casino’s house advantage, also known as “edge.” The lower the edge, the less the casino chops out of every bet. If the casino is taking less per play, your money lasts longer.

Tables vs machines

If something is relatively easy to learn and play, the casinos will charge you more to play it. Learning all the rules and tricks to playing table games requires more effort, but if you do the work you’re guaranteed a better gamble.

Slow vs fast

Slow is best. Try and play at full tables, not only is playing with other people more fun, it also reduces the number of hands played per hour.

Off-Strip Vs the Strip

You’ll be “charged” more to play in the biggest and most popular casinos on the famous Vegas strip. However, in most cases, if you head to the local surrounding casinos the payouts and terms will be better and the minimums will be much lower.

Just have fun

Above all, gambling in Vegas should be an awesome time. It doesn’t have to be complicated, so think of it as entertainment and enjoy playing your favourite games or learning new ones. Sure, it’s more exciting to win, but the object is to get more “bang for your buck” by getting in hours of fun.

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