4 Tips for a Successful Vegas Gambling Trip

A gambling trip to Las Vegas is, in some ways, an adult rite of passage. While it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, the thrill of possibly hitting in big in gambling – not to mention everything else Las Vegas offers – sets the stage for an unforgettable time.

Everyone has seen the cliché Vegas loser who loses it all in a frenzied gambling mania that almost seems uncontrollable. I’m going to assume that the advice of “don’t ever wager your house” is a given.

In this article, I’ll lay out the top 4 tips you need to know for a successful Vegas trip.

1 – Establish a Bankroll Before Arrival

Nobody likes to think about the possibility of losing big, but when you’re putting together a weekend gambling bankroll, that’s exactly what you need to do.

If you aren’t familiar with the term, your bankroll is the total amount of money you’ve set aside to use for the singular purpose of gambling. Rule number one of putting together a bankroll is that it must be an amount of money that you can lose without putting yourself in a serious financial situation. Simply put, if you can’t afford to lose it, don’t put it in your bankroll.

Aside from the overall amount, experts recommending selecting a percentage range between which you’ll bet. For example, you might decide to only bet between 2% and 5% of your bankroll on any one play. The goal is that you’ll never put yourself in a compromising financial position due to betting too much on a single play.

One of the challenges of determining a bankroll when you’re planning a Vegas trips is that you have to make sure it lasts through the weekend (or however long you’re staying there). This is significant because once you have it laid out, you should never add more afterward – that defeats the purpose of having a bankroll in the first place.

No matter if it is $1,000 or $10,000, it’s absolutely critical to have a pre-determined amount before arrival. Stick to your bankroll, and you’re going to avoid a lot of problems.

2 – Plan It Out

One problem you don’t have to be concerned with is running out of casinos. Because of this, you might actually face the opposite problem: not knowing where to go, and spending half your trip trying to decide which gaming establishment is your next stop.

In order to combat this, my recommendation is that you make a daily list of all the places you’re planning to gamble. You can do this before you arrive, or even the morning-of, but there should be a plan in place.

There are several reasons why you’d want to visit some places over others, but think of the type of games you’re interested in playing, proximity to where you’re staying, specials, and much more.

In terms of gambling specifics that you might want to keep in mind, here are a few piece of information that you should know:

MGM Grand

Roulette is about as easy as it gets – but not all casinos offer the same odds. Many players might be accustomed to having both a 0 and 00 on the wheel, which makes the house edge about 5.3% — not bad, but definitely not the best.

MGM Grand has single-zero tables so the house edge is effectively cut in half. Additionally, they offer a much lower minimum bet. For a high-volume betting game like roulette, this is very valuable and can help you stretch your bankroll much further.

Circus Circus

Look, Circus Circus isn’t going to be winning a ton of popularity contests, but it does have one major advantage for gamblers: it’s got the lowest minimum baccarat bet at just $10. Baccarat has a reputation for being a high-roller affair, so finding minimums this low is undoubtedly noteworthy.

Not to mention, the free circus acts and delicious steakhouse are nice perks of this often-overlooked establishment.

Treasure Island

As one of the most popular casino games out there, blackjack is always a good option for players looking to take advantage of the low house edge. Throughout Vegas, you’ll find plenty of casinos that have favorable rules, but what often gets in the high is the high minimum bet.

At the majority of casinos on the strip, you can expect a $100 minimum blackjack bet. However, at Treasure Island the minimum bet is only $25. This means you can play 4x as many hands without increasing your overall risk.

3 – Choose the Games That Give You a Chance to Win

Much like casino selection is important, choosing the right casino games to play is critical. If you’re consistently getting involved with games that have a high house edge, you’re going to slowly drain your finances over the course of a painful weekend.

Obviously, all games require some degree of luck in order to come out ahead, but some games give you much better chances than others.

I’ll start out with the first rule of game selection: stay away from the slots. The data has shown that slot machines are routinely one of the highest-earning games for the house. This is because the games are programmed to have a slight house edge, and players typically go through many, many spins.

If you want to avoid becoming a victim of the slot machines, learn the table games that have proven to be the most profitable for gamblers.

Games like roulette and craps offer a nearly 50% chance of winning, and these games are also very easy to learn. Another popular option is blackjack.

You’ve probably heard that the house edge in blackjack is less than 1% (depending on the exact rules), but that isn’t the whole story.

It’s important to note that although blackjack does have some very favorable odds for gamblers, the specific number changes based on how you play. If you make the right moves, you’re keeping the house edge low. However, if you’re making mistakes, the 1% house edge grows significantly.

In any case, before trying your luck at any number of table games, make sure you’ve done some basic research so you’re putting yourself in a position to be successful.

4 – Manage Your Time

Even if you’ve never consciously observed the phenomenon for yourself, you’ve probably heard that casinos don’t put clocks in the building. The logic being: if people don’t know how long they’ve spent gambling, they’ll keep gambling.

To the casino’s credit, this has proven to be an effective strategy over the years. Unfortunately for the casino, nearly everyone has not just a clock, but also an alarm clock, right in their pocket.

One of the best ways to avoid getting stuck at a table or casino for too long is to set reminders on your phone to re-evaluate the situation with regularity. For example, if you set your phone timer for 45 minutes when you sit down at the blackjack table, you give yourself a specific window of time to try to win money.

Think of it this way – casinos do everything in their power to remove the concept of time because it helps earn them money. Fundamentally, you’re the opponent, and thus should do the opposite in order to combat the house’s strategic tactics.

If you’re able to break down your gambling into smaller time blocks, there’s a much better chance that you avoid fulling into a lull that results in making careless decisions at the table. Having the discipline to stick to a schedule is helpful when you’re spending nearly all of your waking hours in a casino.

Conclusion

Although Vegas has the reputation for sending people home with their bank account significantly lighter, it’s important to recognize that it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re spending all of your time drinking and gambling indiscriminately, you’re most likely going to run into some problems. However, if you put a plan in place before you arrive, it’s possible to have a good time and even bring home a little extra cash as well.