Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Does anyone win in Las Vegas?

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Does anyone win in Las Vegas?

I am curious how many of you that goes to las Vegas actually win? I read somewhere that 80% of people lose and most are repeat business.

The casino industry in this country wouldn't be increasing its locations if it wasn't a money-making business. Most people will lose. Can't quote you the odds, but everything is geared towards driving the real profits, the gaming. The low-priced buffets, the comps, the entertainment, the room rates and package specials are all designed with one goal - get you onto a table or machine.

Actually, for every bet placed, someone wins. Unfortunately for me and others, it is usually the house.

A winning story~ while waiting for a rental car to be delivered at the Rio, I was bored,so asked my husband for $20-to put in the slot machine I was sitting in front of-he gave me a one hundred dollar bill,I said I would only play $20.00 of it.On the twelfth dollar played, I won the Progressive jackpot, $1,170.00~~~~~that was the way the rest of the trip was, we won every time we played, at every casino! It hasn't happened like that since,but we did win, a lot, and it was our first time there.We have played in casinos in other countries, and done ok at times,but not like this~needless to say-we go to Las Vegas a lot now:) and we still win more than we lose.

People like "gambler too" are the bread and butter of the casinos, and their best advertisement. They are people who win every once in awhile, and forget about the losses. In their own biased retrospective views, they feel like they're "about even or a little ahead" over the long run. Statistics time: the odds of being "ahead" after, say, fifteen trips to a casino which involved many hours of play each time are: on the order of 1 in 10,000. Anyone who tells you they're ahead over the long run is either lying, chooses to ignore their actual losses (denial), or is that one in 10,000. (BTW, the winners are out there. I know a Publisher's Clearinghouse $10 million winner. But these people are obviously rare).

Gee "Reality"-one would think that you knew us or something, making these statements of fact when IN FACT you know nothing about us,our luck at gambling,our winnings,other than what I told,quoting statistics that you have made up-If you don't win when gambling, that is probably usual, my story was of a lucky trip,in that we won all the time.Usually we only win about half the time, but we have always come home with more than we left with...I guess,as much as you would hate to admit it, some of us are winners and then some of you are losers.

I went to LV last summer.Played the blackjack tables at Ballys and won most of the night.Only time I lost was when I played a slot machine, so I went back to the tables and did well.So, Reality,how much have you lost? Sound a little bitter.

I don't count the losings,I take a certain amount that I can lose and that is all.The nice thing is when I leave with more money than I came with.But to me, Las Vegas is fun, I don't go with the goal of bringing home money,just having fun and if I win-that is fun,but losing doesn't change anything.The people that take it too seriously are the ones with gambling problems..and that isn't fun!

Reality Bites really seems to be pissed about something here~ Someone posts a question asking if anyone actually wins, and when someone answers,Reality bites them for their answer! I knew a guy who went to Vegas for the first time when he got out of college, he and some buddies.Played Craps all night at Ceasars, won enough to pay his Dad back for college tuition! So I for one ,know that some people do win. Jake

There are two types of gamblers: those that view gambling as a little harmless entertainment, and those that "try to win". The ones who play a little here and there for fun and view any losses as an entertainment expense have the right idea about gambling. I can flatly state that people who go to casinos with the main goal of trying to win money are fools. Say whatever you want to, but the numbers back me up any way you want to slice them and dice them. One of the biggest fallacies among the "trying to win" gamblers is that if they're "lucky enough" they can beat the house over the long haul. Note: the key is the 'over the long haul' part. Anyone can win a hand, win for an hour, win for a night, win for three days. Can anyone beat the house (as I stated above) over the long haul?? Absolutely not, unless you're that one in many thousand. The reason I al ways respond to these gambling questions (as I have many times in the past) is because it always amazes me, genuinely amazes me, how foolish people are who go to casinos with the intent of coming home richer. The problem is that if you are deluded enough to believe you can do it once, you'll go back again and agian. AND THAT'S where the casino always gets you. The long haul. Many people just can't grasp that concept for some reason. And the casinos would be out of business for lack of business if it weren't for them. (And BTW "Vegas", I am, and always have been, a non-gambler. I also have an extensive background in statistics...which is why I could never become a gambler).

I was twelve years old when my math teacher used gambling odds to explain the laws of probability. I was SHOCKED that the casinos set the returns so that, over the long haul (of many visitors and many attempts at winning), they would always end up winning. (I was pretty naive at age twelve, 25 years ago). Since learning that I would be better off putting my money in the stock market than into a casino, I've had absolutely no desire whatsoever to gamble, and never have. So I have no axe to grind against casinos whatsoever. My comments are simply reciting the laws of probability. Simply put, over time, the casinos will always win. There's no question but that SOME people will win over a short period of time (and that period may indeed last years). But most people will lose. Indeed, there's no LEGAL way you can escape the odds; eventually, you will lose more money than you win. Nobody is a "winner" as opposed to a "loser" (well, the casino owners are ALWAYS the winners), there are simply people for whom the laws of probability have not fully taken effect. Some of them have, over a short term, won more money than the odds would seem to dictate; others have lost more. Over the long haul, all of us will lose at exactly the same rate (given that we play the same games with the same strategy with the same odds). We can reduce the rate we lose our money by adopting certain strategies, but we can't change the fact that, over time, we will lose. Any casino that set itself up such that, over the long haul, its customers would win more than they would lose would be out of business VERY rapidly.

I have been going to Vegas for 20 years, once a month..and I come home ahead about 75% of the time. I only play blackjack. Its the only game, besides poker, that can be "beat"..ALL the others including craps will grind you down over the long haul.Learn to count, learn how to hide the fact that you are a counter, and know when to walk away is the key.

What's this, Paul, a voice of reason here among the noise? Where are all those supernaturally gifted, multiple lottery winning, rose colored glass wearing critics from above?

You say that you have won 75% of the time, but did not mention dollar amounts. I figure beacause you may have won from lets say a buck to a thousand on those trips. But on the 25% of the trips you have lost I will "bet" that you have lost from 1k to 10k, so when all is said and done, and when you add your winnings to your losses, overall you are in the hole.

From the wizardofodds.com site (where they don't 'sell' anything except gambling facts). 1. Expect to lose. The odds almost always favor the casino. If you won't be happy if you lose then you shouldn't play at all. 2. Don't rely on hunches. Always make the mathematically best decision. I have met numerous other players who disagree with me on this one, and they are all wrong. On the players side is the unlimited use of ESP and other psychic powers. The casinos have the mathematical odds on their side. Who always wins in the long run? 3. Although you will lose in the long run your money will go up and down like a roller coaster in the short run. Regardless of how good you are your bankroll will make large swings in the short run. You should expect this. Following correct strategy is more beneficial to long term play. 4. In general the harder a game is to understand the smaller the house edge is if you play it correctly. Your best bets are the more complicated games of blackjack, craps, baccarat, and video poker, assuming you play them wisely. Your worst bets are the simple games of pure chance like keno, roulette, and the wheel of fortune. 5. Don't gamble with anything but entertainment money. The motive for gambling should be entertainment. So bet enough to make it interesting but not so much that it would hurt if you lost. 6. Don't hedge your bets. For example don't take insurance in blackjack and never make the any 7 or any craps bet in craps. In gambling, as in life, it makes good business sense to not insure risks you can cope with yourself. If you are afraid to lose then you are betting too much to begin with. 7. There is no system that can beat a game of pure chance. There are plenty of charlatans promising systems that can beat games of luck like roulette, craps, and even the lottery. Most systems trade a lot of small wins for a few huge losses. In the long run it is impossible to beat the house at games of chance only. 8. It pays to shop around for the best possible playing conditions. In many games, especially blackjack and video poker rules can vary from one casino to another and one state to another. Know what rules are favorable to the player and to seek them out. 9. Avoid the side bets and gimmicks. Good examples of side bets to ignore are those in Caribbean stud poker and let it ride. Yes, I know everyone else makes these bets but mathematically the house edge is huge. I have never seen a side bet that was a better bet than the game it was on. Gimmicks, like crapsless craps and commission free baccarat, have a higher house edge than normal rules in every example I have seen. When the casinos offer a change in a rule to your advantage you can be sure they changed another rule that is to their advantage, and that they are taking more than they are giving up. 10. Have fun. Don't forget that gambling is supposed to be a recreational activity. Like many things, what is enjoyable in moderation can be disastrous in excess. If you lose the ability to walk away from the table or machine at will then you shouldn't play at all

UCantWin> your right, I didnt mention $$ amounts, but lets just say your a little "off"..The question was "how many of you that goes to Las Vegas actually win". I was just answering his question. BTW its more like 97% of people loose, but that's another story. Again, you HAVE to know when to walk away. Never chase your loses when your cold, but when your hot, show no fear!!!

Stan: see #2 just above. There is no way anyone can overcome the sheer grinding of odds with hunches or 'hot streaks' or anything else. It's all RANDOM! You just perceive that you're 'doing the right thing'. You can't control the outcomes and the outcomes are RANDOM. There's no PATTERN. It only seems that way. If you throw a coin 6 times in a row and it comes up heads each time, what are the odds of a 7th head? That's right. 50-50. If you win 7 hands of BJ in a row what are the odds you'll win the 8th? That's right. Same as the odds of winning the first or second or third hand.

Reality> its clear you don't understand the game of blackjack..unlike craps and roulette, it is NOT random. what cards are played have a direct impact on your "odds" of winning the next hand. Your odds change from hand to hand.. This is why if you learn to count, you can beat the house at their own game, Bet small when its to their advantage bet big when its to your advantage. I should mention you need a big enough bankroll to weather the cold spells, but in the long run, you do win.

Gambler asks how many of you actually win....a couple of people tell winning stories.Then the rest of you-namely one who Never gambles, answers!and not the question but by attacking the ones who gamble-for gambling!When someone will post a question ,people will not want to answer for fear of attack by unhappy posters waiting to spout "facts" and "statistics"...I'd say this post is dead-just good for the ones to gather and commiserate together about how they cannot win....

Blackjack expert: Even with expert counting your odds are still at best 50/50. Not counting but using all the best skills of the basic stategy your odds are about 47%, the same as a non thinking bet in Craps (dont pass line).