I LOVE Roulette. I can have a pretty good time for a while on Roulette. This trip we played at Ivory Coast for minimun $1 bet so got a lot of play out of that.

My new game though is quarter slots, or nickels. Won off of both those machines. Not big money, but came out ahead.

Just wondering what your game was and if you have any tips or strategies for playing.

Like, I always pick an outside machine. My theory is that they pay off more b/c more people can hear your winnings and get sucked into playing. I have no fact if that is true.

Roulette? I play my children's ages, and place half bets so that I get more numbers for my money.

So, what is your game. And do you have any tips for winning?

video poker and wheel of fortune slots- I also try to grab the outside machines

Blackjack and Craps. I play by the rules, no special stragegies or tips.

In terms of house advantage, roulette is the second worst game you can play (Keno is first).

Casino payouts in Vegas have dried up over the last 10-15 years, as they've been severely impacted by everything from Indian gaming to the California lottery.

As for slots, it used to be one could walk into a Vegas casino, just stand there and listen... and one would always hear at least a few slot machines paying off. But do the same thing today and you'll likely hear no payouts at all.

The few times I have gambled in Vegas recently I've played video poker (by Nevada law video poker machines must be based on a real card deck, which cuts the house advantage dramatically), or played the sports book.

Roulette can keep me spellbound for hours (if I have enough money). I was once in heaven in Reno where I found a table with 10 cent chips and a $1 minimum - it was so much fun! I played for hours and hours and came away ahead about $10, but it was so much fun!

Heavens- The Klondike used to have 5 cent roulette. Talk about a lot of play! We sat there for 6 hours and played on $20. Of course, no one won anything because your odds at roulette are terrible, but we sure had fun.

I don't gamble anymore (I always lose), but my Grandpa never loses when he plays video poker. His strategy is to always keep what you have and never throw away a sure thing for a chance of a bigger payoff. He's also naturally lucky so that probably helps...

I love blackjack....not just for gambling, but because it's a social game. During the hours that I'm playing, I'm also getting to know the other players and the dealer.

As for tips.....I try to stick to the general rules while playing, no big secrets. I DO make it a point to try and find a hot table, though.

I gamble on;
1 Craps
2 Video poker
3 A new restaurant

I'm with Melissa - I like blackjack. And I play by the "rules" or odds. The main reason the house has an advantage is that people try to "outsmart" the odds.

Karen

I love to gamble, I hate to loose money! When I go to Vegas I indulge in several games but most of my time had usually been at black jack. On my last trip, I spent significant time playing poker. If you play a smart game, $100 can last a long time. Much longer than black jack.

I also like 3 card poker, let it ride and even some roulette but I don't invest lots in those games.

Video Poker gets some of my cash and somewhat to my embarassment...wheel of fortune. I also like craps but can go through my money rather quickly there. That is a big winner or big loser for me. If you find a cheap craps game, it can be great fun!

I guess I like it all!

It sounds like all of you would like Laughlin much more than Vegas for gambling. 25 and 50 cent blackjack, small stakes roulette etc. abound.

I gamble about 4 times a year, and at least once in Illinois casinos, which are totally different.

Craps
Blackjack (favorite, very sociable)
VideoPoker (Boring, but I win)
Quarter Slots/ Dime Slots in Laughlin

I am very lucky and do not advertise that to my friends who always lose. It is getting embarrassing, and that plus vacations /travel other places, is why I have not been for over a year now.
I have won trips (2 and one was in a raffle)also. The raffle one was all expenses paid fly from Chicago to Orlando WDW and with a Marriot
golf course home for a week. It was fantastic, and I had my own shuffle board court and pool. My daughter enjoyed it also, and she was about 22 at the time. No down side to that one.

I never play $ slots, although they have the best odds in slots. Too fast.

I do not pick outside machines etc. Slots in Vegas are absolutely horrible- I do not play any there. Laughlin or Tunica, I play slots that have game features I like with fewer but bigger payoffs (Sphinx original) and ones that ask me questions for extra bonus $.

I do not play keno, roulette, big wheel at all. Sometimes I just do the sports bet while passing through Vegas.

Craps!

If I can't get on to a good table I'll play roulette.

Rarely I'll play the slots.

I usually play craps and my favorite place to play in Vegas is the relatively run-down Casino Royale. They have a $2 minimum and 100x odds, which let's me maximize my bets. As we usually stay at Bellagio I'll also play there. However, the low table minimum lets me play a little more aggressively than I would at a $10 or $25 table.

While I recognize the odds are low, I'll also play the slots when I need some mindless entertainment.

Ok, I'll admit it - I'm a gambling weenie. I never expect to win - at all. So anytime I'm even a few bucks ahead I'm pretty happy. It's purely for an hour's entertainment or so.

My game of choice is video poker - the cheaper, the better. I love the 5 cent slots, but on a recent trip to Reno, I discovered they have penny video poker slots, which I've never seen while in Vegas. It was great - a couple hours of entertainment for only a couple bucks.

They have two cent and penny in Laughlin and are now starting them in Illinois/ Indiana casinos/riverboats. It is cheap entertainment and some of them are very entertaining to watch or play- they have several different bonus rounds etc. all that play like video games.

Video Poker...can't get enough of it. Last trip in 1 sitting I turned $40 into $600. My husband loves roulette, and even though the house has the advantage, he is great at guessing numbers and usually comes out way ahead.

We went to LV twice last year, and requested a win/loss spreadsheet from the Bellagio players club for tax purposes. (Gambling losses are tax deductable, but you need proof) When it came in the mail, I was afraid to open it because you never really know exactly how much you lost - or put in for that matter. Well, our coin in was just over $50,000 and we lost a whopping $632.00 - not bad considering our second trip to the Bellagio was completely comped - rooms and dinners - We were told to charge everything to the room and an hour before checkout go to the players club desk and they will adjust your bill...well they really did, they took off $1500.00 the tab, besides free rooms for 4 days. If you like to gamble, LV gives you a lot for your gambling dollar.

We have lost triple that in 1 day at Mohegan Sun.....We will never go back there again. Its worth the 5 hour flight to Vegas. We just got another invite to the Bellagio and I think its calling us!

Chepar-
There are a few casinos on the strip in Vegas that are advertising penny slots and they're also available on Fremont Street.

I think you just need to know where to look- it's more probable that the small casinos will have penny slots. I'm not sure places like the Bellagio would ever join the trend!

Annabel,
You might want to rethink using the gambling loss deduction. My accountant views it as something that increases the risk of an audit. The assumption by the IRS is that when you've reported losses and then you don't the following year, that you are not reporting winnings. He views that deduction as a trip-wire to catch unreported income and rarely advises his clients to utilize it.

Wow, interesting responses. I was just surprised that I actually enjoyed gambling on this trip to LV. I planned to play with $100, win or lose, just to have a good time. And I did.

One gal in our group put a few dollars in a slot machine, pulled and won $1000. It does happen folks, just not to me, or us. DRAT.

So, a little play here and there ain't gonna kill the budget. I don't play Roulette bc of the odds, but bc I enjoy it. It can be a slow game for some, or fast for others, depending on how you place the bets. But the crowd is always interesting to watch.

I do like the lower minimums but would like to win something. Penny slots just doesn't interest me. I have been to Laughlin and to me it is like trailer park gambling. No offense to anyone, but it is just a big frat party on the cheap side. You don't see anyone checking into their room without a huge cool chest, LOL.

Anyway, there's lots of ways to lose your money in Vegas, that is for sure...

Hey, Chepar, Paris Las Vegas has penny slots. I can't remember which of the other big strip casinos do.....but I'm sure they must, they have something for everyone!

Do shopping and restaurant hopping count as a game? My husband wins it and I spend it! A match made in heaven...