7 Things NOT To Do On Your Next Trip To Las Vegas
Making the most of your casino experience requires savvy. Going to Las Vegas or any casino resort area offers you a playground where you can cut loose and have fun. You could even win some money, which is the best part. Numerous pitfalls await casino visitors and they can cost you money, spoil your good time, or both. Steer away from the following activities and behaviors so you can roll with style:
- Play the Money Wheel – Also known as the Big Six Wheel or Wheel of Fortune, you’ll know it when you see it. The wheel will be spinning and clanking and you’ll think a bet on the wheel would be a good warm up for a night of gambling. Watch out! Just keep walking. That wheel has a house advantage of almost 20%. And yes, people can even play the wheel badly. A casino typically keeps 44% of every dollar bet on it.
- Forget to tip – Most casino workers are service employees, who are paid very low wages and rely on tips for their livelihoods. Dealers and slot attendants should be tipped when you win, and valets and cocktail waitresses should be tipped always. If you don’t tip at all expect poor service and a cloud of animosity to hang around you.
- Sign up for rewards everywhere you play – Casinos market just like other businesses, and they want gamblers on their mailing lists and they want to give them rewards (meals, show tickets, better room rates). You should definitely sign up for a rewards program, but these are rated by how much money you gamble. Focus the bulk of your gambling at your favorite casino and get signed up there. Then your betting action will amount to something. Gambling at multiple casinos and signing up for rewards everywhere will just spread out your money and get you a low rating everywhere (unless you’re Bill Gates, but even then the above advice remains sound.)
- Have all your money in your pocket – You can imagine what could go wrong here. Having to stop and get more money when you’re losing will give you a chance to take a break that you probably need anyway. Also, if you win big, don’t keep your winnings too handy. Give yourself a fun amount to keep playing with and lock up the profit. You’ll thank me later.
- Drink too much at the casino – Drinking and gambling are fun, but moderation wins with this volatile combination. Casinos will claim otherwise, but they love a gambler with well-greased wheels tossing money on the table, as long as the person is not belligerent or dangerous. Get a bottle sent up to your room to celebrate.
- Think you can act like Joe Pecci from the movie “Casino” – You might feel like flaunting your hostile raw emotion but unless you actually are a “made man” of some sort, you’ll get asked to leave if you are being abusive, throwing cards, swearing, etc. Casinos are tolerant institutions but they do draw lines. They have to consider the comfort of all their patrons.
- Play craps without taking your odds – Craps can be a confusing whirlwind, but if you get on a table, please bet your odds with your line bet. Some novice craps players shy away from making an additional bet, but winning your odds is the whole point of playing craps. Make sure to ask your dealer what and when to bet.