One of the first things people think of when they think of Las Vegas is probably the gambling. (We all know what else, but this post is about gambling, so get your minds out of the gutter.) For some unknown reason, I like the slots. They really like me too, unfortunately. There are some tricks here. You may think the penny slots are cheaper, and therefore you can play longer, but think again. Most penny, and even nickel machines offer numerous lines to play. I’ve seen as many as 30, plus a 10-credit bonus possibility, which means 40 cents per play. And that is if you are only playing one credit per line. You can easily be sucked into playing more than a couple bucks per pull. So next time you walk past a dollar machine and think it’s too expensive, think again. Supposedly those should have better odds than the penny machines, anyhow. Personally, I prefer quarter machines. Some of my favorite themed machines follow: I love the giant Wheel of Fortune game. It is a huge contraption in the middle of the floor and about 8 stations are set up. You have to bet extra to be eligible for the bonus round, like I mentioned above, but it’s quite fun when you get to it, and I’ve seen people win a few hundred bucks per bonus. I think this is a nickel machine, with a minimum bet of 30 credits ($1.50) to be eligible for that bonus. I also like the Hot Shot Game. It has a feature, where if you get any 3 or more Hot Shot symbols you automatically get a bonus turn. I’ve seen this as both a quarter game, and a nickel game. You’d do best to bet 5 lines at a time. Video Poker is also quite common. There are always plenty of these in the casinos. And, of course, I always waste $20 on the Megabucks. This is a linked system with Reno, NV and West Wendover, NV. But you can win millions! Well, somebody can.
Table games are quite popular as well. There is Let it Ride, a poker style game, Carribean Stud, another poker spin-off , craps, roulette, and various others. Most hotels offer tutorials for these games, often via the hotel channel on the TV in your hotel room. I always find this channel as I lay lamenting about my day’s losses.

I play Blackjack periodically. It has the best odds in the casino, after Craps, which looks complicated to most people. When I took my mom to Vegas, she was a bit nervous about playing Blackjack, since it can feel like everyone else at the table knows what they are doing. Don’t be discouraged. Most players and dealers will actually give you advice on what to do. The other players will, since you are not playing against each other, like poker, but a against the dealer. You can also buy a little credit card sized strategy card in most casino gift shops. My husband’s rule of thumb is to start this game with ten times what each bet will be for you. So, if you are playing a $5 minimum game (good luck finding one on Friday or Saturday nights), you should start with a minimum of $50. My first time ever in Vegas, I was down to my last 10 bucks, and 2 hours later had well over $200, so the tides can turn. But if you don’t have that bankroll, you may lose a lot at first and never be able to stay long enough for it to turn your way. Most casinos have tables whose minimums start at $10 bets in the evenings. The nicer casinos, Caesars, Bellagio, the Wynn, will have the $25 minimum bet tables. If you really want to find $5 minimums, check the Imperial Palace (south of Flamingo), Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville (just north of Flamingo), or something of that caliber. You could take a cab and head downtown to the old-Vegas. That’s where you’ll find the Golden Nugget, Binions Horsehoe, and all of the scenes from the National Lampoon’s Vegas movie. There is actually some decent gambling downtown, and a completely different feel than the strip. More on that another time…