We are going to be in Vegas this August (yes it's hot and thanks to all who have responded in the past to Vegas questions) but I am having some trouble with shows. Anyone know of a good magic/illusionist/hypnosis show to see while there? Also, which casino would be good to try our luck at for beginners at blackjack and roulet? Thanks for the imput!

Penn and Teller for magic.

I think most of the casinos have ``beginner tables'' where they offer to teach you how to play -- certainly poker, but I think I've seen other card games too.

Lance Burton is also well liked for magic. Is this for adults or will kids go too? Budget? I think Mac King at Harrahs is a lower budget magic show that people also like.

As to casinos, for beginners it probably doesn't make much difference. There is no strategy for roulette. If you can find a table with only one zero slot (as opposed to 0 and 00) you'll have better odds, but I don't know if or where they exist.

If you haven't read up on the basic strategy of blackjack, you might want to do that. You'll have fun, but get bad odds at the tables where they have "dealertainers" or the like. If you want serious blackjack (not high limit, just more about the gambling than anything else) avoid them. Look for tables where a blackjack pays 3:2 as opposed to 6:5. If you can find one where the dealer stands on a soft 17 (hard to find, but there are a few) that's better odds as well.

You'll find the lowest limits for tables and roulette at smaller, older casinos. Downtown is good for this, and it's fun there because at least in some casinos you get to hold your cards at blackjack. On the strip, try Boardwalk, Barbary Coast, O'Shea's, IP, Slotsa-Fun, Sahara.

If you're more into enjoying the casino than maximizing your odds and finding the lowest limit tables, then just explore till you find something you like and play. Most players, beginners especially, play poorly enough that the differences in odds are probably not that significant.

My family returned from Vegas a couple weeks ago. We did Lance Burton and loved it. He is not only a great magician but very funny! My son loved it and he is 9 yrs old. They do alot of kids participation.
Have fun!

The trip is without kids...staying with the grandparents so this is a vacation! I have heard that Penn and Teller were "commercialized" but I get the feeling everything else is too. Any other feelings about this subject?

Vegas is a very commercial destination, but I'm not sure what you mean by a show being commercialized? That said, at least 2 of the sites I posted above have numerous user reviews of the top shows, so you can get many, many opinions there to help you decide.

Thanks for the information...I will definitely check out the sites. By the way, has anyone been on the Lake Mead/Hoover Dam tour or any others they would like to share? Again, any feedback is appreciated.

The only casino that I know of that has single zero roulette is Monte Carlo..that is also the location of Lance Burton's show.

The Hoover Dam tour is worth it if you are into history or architecture or engineering.

Jlm mi, I went back to see what sites you posted for reviews of shows and I didn't see the sites listed. Could you post them for me so I can check them out? I have heard better things about Lance Burton so I may be leaning in that direction but I would love to check out the sites for reviews. Thanks!

Egads! Sorry! I must have posted them on a different thread. quot;>

Check out

www.vegas.com
www.cheapovegas.com
www.lasvegas.com
www.lasvegasadvisor.com

I'm not sure how much the last two have on shows, but Las Vegas Advisor does have a free LV forum where you might find more info.

Thanks jlm mi, you're a star!