The Easy Vegas thread
Thirteen is lucky in the case of this article.
Likely no other site has all these tips in one place.
i wouldnt recommend play on-line.Quote: MichaelBluejayI overhauled my article, 13 Ways to Be a Smart Gambler (including adding the thirteenth tip, which I inserted as #7).
Thirteen is lucky in the case of this article.
Likely no other site has all these tips in one place.
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addiction is way too easy.
i think one of the reasons to goto a casino is the ambiance and getting out of the house.
How about free online games you can download that doesnt have options to buy more chips?
people can spend insane amounts of real $ for more play chips. (Look how much $ Candy Crush made by people buying more lives.)
Sorry, i dont know of any realistic slot games you can download without purchase option.
by realistic, i mean you dont win like a zillion $ in the 1st hr.
The few i tried from my desktop that had name brand slots like the casono, i never lost $.
oh wait.. Videopoker.com!
That site's VP is just like the casino.
Yeah, I tend to agree or at least this should come with a Warning.Quote: 100xOddsi wouldn't recommend play on-line addiction is way too easy.
Well, FAIR point. I think MyVegas is one of the better sites for just playin for fun. Of course you CAN buy extra "chippies", but you don't have to.Quote: 100xOddsHow about free online games you can download that doesnt have options to buy more chips?
In your INTRO you say "On the other hand, with proper strategy, you can expect to lose less than $10/hour"
Sure, that's true, but remember I assume the audience for EASYVEGAS is newbies or relative newbies. You can certainly lose $ 10 even on a good paytable Video Poker quite quickly.
At the very least, I would suggest a qualifier on that too, such as "in the long run".
I'd accidentally edited out "on average". I just added that back. Thanks for catching it.Quote: JohnnyQIn your INTRO you say "On the other hand, with proper strategy, you can expect to lose less than $10/hour"...At the very least, I would suggest a qualifier on that too, such as "in the long run".
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Mention videopoker.com if they want realistic VP?Quote: MichaelBluejayI discourage players from playing slots in the strongest possible terms, but if they insist on playing slots, then they'll get way better odds online than in a land casino, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out.
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and it's free
Also a good point, but can you say what you just said in this section of EASYVEGAS ?Quote: MichaelBluejayI discourage players from playing slots in the strongest possible terms, but if they insist on playing slots, then they'll get way better odds online than in a land casino, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out.
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Good, but what do you think about something even STRONGER than "on average".Quote: MichaelBluejayI just added that back. Thanks for catching it.
Proposal: In the LONG run, BIGLY.
What are you talking about? What section of Easy Vegas? The "13 Ways to Be a Smart Gambler"? Yes, that's the article in question, and that's where my strongly-worded discouragement of slots is (among other places), as well as my note that for those who insist on playing slots, online offers far better returns than land casinos.Quote: JohnnyQAlso a good point, but can you say what you just said in this section of EASYVEGAS ?Quote: MichaelBluejayI discourage players from playing slots in the strongest possible terms, but if they insist on playing slots, then they'll get way better odds online than in a land casino, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out.
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No.Quote: JohnnyQGood, but what do you think about something even STRONGER than "on average".Quote: MichaelBluejayI just added that back. Thanks for catching it.
Proposal: In the LONG run, BIGLY.
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No. The article is "13 Ways to Gamble Smart". Free-play is not gambling. You missed the whole point of the article.Quote: 100xOddsMention videopoker.com if they want realistic VP?Quote: MichaelBluejayI discourage players from playing slots in the strongest possible terms, but if they insist on playing slots, then they'll get way better odds online than in a land casino, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out.
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and it's free
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Hey, no offense. BUT, I think I have as good of reading comprehension as the average Joe, and that point didn't register with me, EVEN THOUGH I skimmed the article pretty much like most Internet Surfers probably will. Maybe NEWBIES will read it more carefully than I did.Quote: MichaelBluejayWhat are you talking about? What section of Easy Vegas? The "13 Ways to Be a Smart Gambler"? Yes, that's the article in question, and that's where my strongly-worded discouragement of slots is (among other places), as well as my note that for those who insist on playing slots, online offers far better returns than land casinos.Quote: JohnnyQAlso a good point, but can you say what you just said in this section of EASYVEGAS ?Quote: MichaelBluejayI discourage players from playing slots in the strongest possible terms, but if they insist on playing slots, then they'll get way better odds online than in a land casino, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out.
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After FURTHER REVIEW, I agree that you Discourage Playing Slots Strongly. However, there is still a valid point about getting over your head on-line, AT LEAST FOR SOME PEOPLE, right ?
If you want to say it's my fault that people don't read what I write, then there's no point in suggesting that I alter my writing, since they're not gonna read it.Quote: JohnnyQHey, no offense. BUT, I think I have as good of reading comprehension as the average Joe, and that point didn't register with me, EVEN THOUGH I skimmed the article pretty much like most Internet Surfers probably will. Maybe NEWBIES will read it more carefully than I did.
After FURTHER REVIEW, I agree that you Discourage Playing Slots Strongly. However, there is still a valid point about getting over your head on-line, AT LEAST FOR SOME PEOPLE, right ?
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I do think its a good article and it is good that useful information is being made available on the internet by people like you.
So, at the risk of people not reading this sentence:
On the other hand, with proper strategy, you can expect to lose less than $10/hour on average.
I think it might be more helpful ( recognizing that what you said is accurate ) to say "IN THE LONG RUN" instead of "on average".
Quote: Easy Vegas readerHi, dear, and first of all - mega thanks to you for the such deep and professional knowledge on the slots machines basics statements you’ve provided and shared with your readers and for me especially). Its really amazing,
Just 1 answer on yours question and 2 “in general” questions from my side towards your’s opinion and permission requests . photos from that site but i just trying to find the attach button at this form and ufortunely could not yet. Oh. By the way. At least two more online casinos (called if i do not mistake “Triumph casino” and “FLINT casino” has a totally same design, consistence, bonus conditions and promotions with it’s Just 1 answer on yours question and 2 “in general” questions.
this topic speaking about another author materials translation and publication in someone’s blogthis topic speaking about another author materials translation and publication in someone’s blog this topic speaking about another author materials translation and publication in someone’s blog
3. Could you recommend any source which provides a large statistics on the menu slots where is the actual data about their feedback on each slot or such source does not exist at the time and it’s fantastic to find something like this and properly provide itWish you to win unlimited Multiplier!
Quote: JohnnyQHey, no offense. BUT, I think I have as good of reading comprehension as the average Joe, and that point didn't register with me, EVEN THOUGH I skimmed the article pretty much like most Internet Surfers probably will. Maybe NEWBIES will read it more carefully than I did.Quote:What are you talking about? What section of Easy Vegas? The "13 Ways to Be a Smart Gambler"? Yes, that's the article in question, and that's where my strongly-worded discouragement of slots is (among other places), as well as my note that for those who insist on playing slots, online offers far better returns than land casinos.
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After FURTHER REVIEW, I agree that you Discourage Playing Slots Strongly. However, there is still a valid point about getting over your head on-line, AT LEAST FOR SOME PEOPLE, right ?
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I'm with Bluejay on this one, though I'm sure that'll get me accused of being a shill for online casinos (not by you) for the 85th time. You've got some online casino slots ("Rock On" is a good example, though I don't know if it's available at any state-regulated casinos) that can return as high as 98%...with 95-96% probably being the RTP range that I expect to see when it comes to those sites that publish their returns in the rules screen.
Honestly, when you get to talking about 96%...that's probably better than many of the Video Poker games in LAND casinos, after you factor in errors. I know of multiple casinos with no RTP pay tables in excess of 97% for VP and even one with nothing over 95.5%, if you can believe that.
Online slots are also much better for low-rollers in that you can bet less per spin, often with no RTP sacrifice, than you can in some physical casinos. There are also many online slot games, at least, at state-regulated casinos...that are once-popular titles that you might not see in all land casinos these days---such as old school Cleopatra.
That said, you make a good point about addiction to online gaming, but you can't type a full disclaimer every single time that it's mentioned. If you're going to just look at RTP value, then online slots blow land casino slots out of the water...and even sometimes beat VP games that you will find in land casinos. On top of that, depending on the casinos in your state...you'll often (depends on the site) find much better Video Poker online, as well, especially for lower bet amounts.
#3---I don't think that online slots only hold 2-3%, on average, I think it's more like 4-5%...but I don't claim to have done a comprehensive analysis of every single game return for any individual online casino-much less all of them.
#4---I would include UTH in this one. When you look at the EoR, it's a great game and it also is unique in that it offers such a low EoR AND the potential for big winnings. In terms of strategy, opinions will vary, but I think anyone who can learn Basic Strategy for Blackjack can learn passable strategy for UTH.
#8---I'd throw in an asterisk and a little note that mentions that there are, "Live Dealer," Table Games online. I've had reason to play UTH on that before and, in my limited experience, the HPH was about the same. They have a cooling off period so players can do whatever they want with their bets...so that's about fifteen seconds just between hands.
I don't really have anything to say about the rest---good article, overall. The three things mentioned above are just my opinions.
Hi M146:Quote: Mission146I'm with Bluejay on this one
Thanks for your, as always, thoughtful thoughts. But that's old news. Our latest spirited battle of the minds was on how best to word this one:
I think it might be more helpful ( recognizing that what you said is accurate ) to say "IN THE LONG RUN" instead of "on average".Quote: JohnnyQ
On the other hand, with proper strategy, you can expect to lose less than $10/hour on average.
How does online Live Dealer work?Quote: Mission146My Thoughts on 13 Ways:
#8---I'd throw in an asterisk and a little note that mentions that there are, "Live Dealer," Table Games online.
I've had reason to play UTH on that before and, in my limited experience, the HPH was about the same. They have a cooling off period so players can do whatever they want with their bets...so that's about fifteen seconds just between hands.
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still 6 players per table? Or just you? (if just you, HPH will be a little faster than land casinos)
Also, do you know any online casinos affiliated with land casinos (caesars/mgm/golden nugget/etc) that have 9/7/4 Trips bet for UTH?
Yes, you're right, as usual, thank you. I fixed it. When I wrote that article for some reason I used the average for *all* casino games, instead of slots-only. SlotTracker.com publishes returns by software provider, and the median for all providers for whom they've tracked at least 100k spins is 94.93%.Quote: Mission146#3---I don't think that online slots only hold 2-3%, on average, I think it's more like 4-5%...but I don't claim to have done a comprehensive analysis of every single game return for any individual online casino-much less all of them. link to original post
You convinced me, I added it.Quote: Mission146#4---I would include UTH in this one.
I'd rather not clutter the article with something that's extremely obvious. Of course if someone is playing online with a live dealer, that's comparable to the speed in a land casino with a live dealer.Quote: Mission146#8---I'd throw in an asterisk and a little note that mentions that there are, "Live Dealer," Table Games online.
RE: Slots---Sounds good and you're welcome! I was basing my guess on several RTP's that I observed on the rules screens for state-regulated online casinos, mostly. For some of the promotions, a player can only play slots.
Good add on UTH, I'm glad I convinced you. It's a good game for people who want a low expected loss that might be bored by vanilla bets at the other games.
Good point on Live Dealer.
Quote: 100xOddsHow does online Live Dealer work?Quote: Mission146My Thoughts on 13 Ways:
#8---I'd throw in an asterisk and a little note that mentions that there are, "Live Dealer," Table Games online.
I've had reason to play UTH on that before and, in my limited experience, the HPH was about the same. They have a cooling off period so players can do whatever they want with their bets...so that's about fifteen seconds just between hands.
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still 6 players per table? Or just you? (if just you, HPH will be a little faster than land casinos)
Also, do you know any online casinos affiliated with land casinos (caesars/mgm/golden nugget/etc) that have 9/7/4 Trips bet for UTH?
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To be clear, I've only played once Live Dealer because it was the best choice on a promo I was doing. I don't know how many players there were at this casino because you only saw your player spot...but it would say how much each person won, so I think at least five were playing. I don't know if there is an upper limit, since it's just the dealer dealing everything to one spot in that case.
Blackjack might have different table spots and there seemed to be either five or six spots in a Video I saw of Live Dealer Blackjack. With UTH, all players would just make decisions based on the same cards.
I'm afraid that I don't know anything about Trips because I didn't play that, but I'll look around for you.
In keeping with my theme, nobody else on the whole Internet has made a list like this.
+30: Non-smoking casino
+25: No resort fee
+20: Free parking for guests
+5: Free parking for everyone
+20: Slot kiosks dispense change (some kiosks dispense a receipt which you have to walk to the cage to get your change)
What other easily-quantifiable criteria should I include?
How would you adjust the scoring, if at all?
Quote: MichaelBluejay
+20: Slot kiosks dispense change (some kiosks dispense a receipt which you have to walk to the cage to get your change)
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TITO or receipt? I'd suggest lesser or no penalty for TITO for coin breakage.
i prefer slot kiosks dispensing tito tickets.Quote: MichaelBluejayI'm going to start ranking casinos by how customer-friendly (or -unfriendly) they are. Here's my contemplated scoring system:
+30: Non-smoking casino
+25: No resort fee
+20: Free parking for guests
+5: Free parking for everyone
+20: Slot kiosks dispense change (some kiosks dispense a receipt which you have to walk to the cage to get your change)
What other easily-quantifiable criteria should I include?
How would you adjust the scoring, if at all?
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that way i dont have a pocket full of change and i can easily reuse the tix from the kiosk at the slot.
(unlike caesars which prints out the change on a slip of paper which forces you to goto the cashier.)
+20: Non-smoking casino
+20: No resort fee
+15: Free parking for guests
+5: Free parking for everyone
+10: Slot kiosks dispense change (some kiosks dispense a receipt which you have to walk to the cage to get your change)
+15: No triple-zero roulette in the casino (far too stingy)*
+15: Lowest table minimum not higher than $15*
* No points for Casino Royale, which doesn't have table games
I'm purposely not giving points for no 6:5 blackjack, because besides the fact that it's ubiquitous, it's fair for casinos to offer it, because traditional blackjack is arguably unprofitable for them, and because even 6:5 blackjack has a house edge of around 1.5%, still one of the best bets in the casino.
Thoughts?
Quote: MichaelBluejayDieter, Caesars properties don't give you your change at the kiosk, it gives you bills and spits out a receipt for the change, which you have to walk over to the cage to redeem. Feedback from Vital Vegas readers shows that they're furious about this, more so than I'd expect, but perception is everything, so that's why I ranked it so high. And LV casinos did keep $3 million in uncashed tickets last year, so there's that. But how many points would you assign?
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Sure.
Breakage can be handled many ways. Most people want folding money, not a bucket of nickels.
TITO here would mean a standard TITO ticket for the fractional dollar amount. TITO tickets could be used in a gaming machine or combined with others for later kiosk redemption, or redeemed for coin at the cage.
Receipt would mean a non-TITO paper, cannot be used in a machine, can be redeemed at cage.
If the redemption kiosk gives you coins OR a fractional dollar TITO at your request, +10. Nobody does this, afaik. There are reasons; I do not like them, I do accept them.
Coin out, +0.
TITO only, no coin, +0. No penalty.
Receipt, -10.
This is just a statement of how I would relatively value the options. Nobody is under any obligation to agree. Feel free to realign the scale to suit your purposes. May contain peanuts.
It'll be a flea magnet, but any sucker in a drought.
No, for the reasons I already stated:Quote: LoquaciousMoFWMoving from 3:2 to 6:5 adds about 1.3% to the house edge alone, according to the WoO analyzer. That leads to a 2%+ house edge with realistic Vegas low-limit rules; to get under 2% you need a stand on 17 ruleset. So going from 3:2 to 6:5 quadruples the house edge (0.5%ish to 2%ish). IMO, 6:5 needs to be called out loudly.
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(1) 6:5 is already ubiquitous.
(2) It's fair for casinos to offer it, because traditional blackjack is arguably unprofitable for them.
(3) Even a 2% edge game is still one of the best bets in the casino.
Quote: MichaelBluejayNo, for the reasons I already stated:Quote: LoquaciousMoFWMoving from 3:2 to 6:5 adds about 1.3% to the house edge alone, according to the WoO analyzer. That leads to a 2%+ house edge with realistic Vegas low-limit rules; to get under 2% you need a stand on 17 ruleset. So going from 3:2 to 6:5 quadruples the house edge (0.5%ish to 2%ish). IMO, 6:5 needs to be called out loudly.
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(1) 6:5 is already ubiquitous.
(2) It's fair for casinos to offer it, because traditional blackjack is arguably unprofitable for them.
(3) Even a 2% edge game is still one of the best bets in the casino.
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One look at reported holds on BJ tables would show that #2 is nonsense. Just look at casino BJ holds from the 1990s.
6-5 BJ is the result of corporate greed and customers being ignorant of the effect it has on the game.
Holds is the wrong way to look at it. Better is profit per hour. $10/hr. x 100 rounds/hr. x 0.5% x 3 players = $15/hr. The dealer's wages and benefits alone cost nearly that much, not to mention utilities, rent or mortgage payments, insurance, maintenance, associated staff (e.g. security, cage), etc. Casinos absolutely struggle to make profits. So, I'm far from persuaded otherwise.Quote: billryanOne look at reported holds on BJ tables would show that #2 is nonsense. Just look at casino BJ holds from the 1990s.
6-5 BJ is the result of corporate greed and customers being ignorant of the effect it has on the game.
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I believe a casinos hold percentage is much more important than what the house edge is with perfect play. Years of playing in Vegas convinced me that few people who sit at a BJ table have basic strategy down. Many have 85% of it but don't know their proper splits or doubles.
6-5 BJ is greed. Nothing else. Casinos saw that sheeple accepted it and they simply expanded it.
Quote: MichaelBluejayHolds is the wrong way to look at it. Better is profit per hour. $10/hr. x 100 rounds/hr. x 0.5% x 3 players = $15/hr. The dealer's wages and benefits alone cost nearly that much, not to mention utilities, rent or mortgage payments, insurance, maintenance, associated staff (e.g. security, cage), etc.
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My pluck-numbers-from-thin-air estimates put the operating cost of a blackjack table around $30/hr, based on dealers & supervisors, and the cost of new cards (I figure 1 deck per hour). That does not include cage, security, surveillance, count, or beverage staff...
I guess at 1 average bet per player per hour as the win rate. 3 players flat betting a $10 table minimum is close to that.
Not splitting hairs or trying to pick a fight; more that our numbers are pretty close.
Quote: billryan
6-5 BJ is greed. Nothing else. Casinos saw that sheeple accepted it and they simply expanded it.
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6:5 BJ is a godsend compared to triple zero roulette.
LOL. Clearly you have no idea who I am.Quote: billryanHave you ever played BJ at a Las Vegas casino? link to original post
You don't realize how much you're revealing about what you don't know. Casino Operations Management by Jim Kilby puts the number of rounds for three players at 105 rounds per hour, and besides that, I've actually clocked rounds per hour at live tables. You haven't, or you'd know better.Quote: billryanI'm thinking not if you think a table with three people is going to play a hundred hands an hour...
Sure, most players don't play perfect basic strategy, but the difference between perfect and imperfect is usually slight. For example, the expected return on 16 vs. 10 for standing instead of hitting is -0.540430 vs. -0.539826, for a difference of 0.000604. Then multiply that by the probability of that hand even coming up in the first place, and the difference is negligible. It's similar for other common misplays. The Wizard's Simple Strategy includes a metric ton of deviations and gives up something like only an additional 0.5%.Quote: billryanYears of playing in Vegas convinced me that few people who sit at a BJ table have basic strategy down.
Clearly you're out of your element here.
Well, at the risk of de-railing this thread by actually trying to provide some input to the question on page 38.....Quote: MichaelBluejay+20: Slot kiosks dispense change (some kiosks dispense a receipt which you have to walk to the cage to get your change)
I agree with this one !
Not only do you have to go to the cashier to stand in line to get the coins they USED to dispense, you have to wait in a longer line at the Cashier because they closed the Player's Club counter and those questions are now handled at the Cashier (well at least at Bally's).
So, how about a + category for Casinos that still have a separate Players Club desk open ?
And another + category for Casinos that have a kiosk where you can print out a replacement Players Club card ?
1) play a machine until you had no change left- If your voucher is $67.43, why not do a 43 cent spin on a penny machine or
2) just wait in the cashier line in the first place.
I can see this as an annoyance for people who don't know how the system works but I don't see why this bothers regulars.
Of the many factors that go into choosing a casino to play in, I would put the cashier/vouchers pretty low on my priority list.
Others will have different priorities. I do think casinos that allow you to print your own player's card should be listed if they exist. I've never noticed one.
Making false accusations about me is insulting, and it doesn't reflect well on your argument that you have to do so to try to make your point.Quote: billryanYou profess expertise by copying the first entree that pops up on a google search. link to original post
I never Googled anything. I was the one who edited and published Ask the Wizard #136 on Aug. 28, 2005, when the Wizard referenced Casino Operations Management. I've used that as a reliable source ever since. And as I mentioned, I also clocked round speed myself on live tables.
This accusation is also 100% wrong.Quote: billryan...you completely ignore pushes, and the time it takes to settle side bets.
These are good ideas. But in the meantime, I came up with 15 criteria and I think that's enough for this year's survey, especially because researching which of all 64 casinos have separate players' club desks and let you print replacement cards from a kiosk would take a huge amount of time. I'll make a note to add this to next year's ratings.Quote: JohnnyQSo, how about a + category for Casinos that still have a separate Players Club desk open ?
And another + category for Casinos that have a kiosk where you can print out a replacement Players Club card ?
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Quote: MichaelBluejayMaking false accusations about me is insulting, and it doesn't reflect well on your argument that you have to do so to try to make your point.Quote: billryanYou profess expertise by copying the first entree that pops up on a google search. link to original post
I never Googled anything. I was the one who edited and published Ask the Wizard #136 on Aug. 28, 2005, when the Wizard referenced Casino Operations Management. I've used that as a reliable source ever since. And as I mentioned, I also clocked round speed myself on live tables.This accusation is also 100% wrong.Quote: billryan...you completely ignore pushes, and the time it takes to settle side bets.
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Since you want to continue this ridiculous debate, is it your contention that the majority of BJ players play anywhere close to a 99% return? You said making common mistakes adds very little to the house edge. I just want to know if you think a typical Vegas BJ table will consist of three players playing at a skill level where the house edge is one percent or less, and that they will average 100 decisions an hour. I have no idea what your BJ background is. You don't strike me as a big-time gambler or even someone who puts in a lot of time on the tables.
I see very few BJ tables that don't offer a sidebet and I've heard of some that offer multiple sidebets. The game has greatly evolved since 2005 with these sidebets and one effect has been to slow it down.
You don't get me to engage after insulting me with false accusations. If you want me to continue, apologize for falsely stating as fact that I simply Googled for an answer about table speed and then uncritically reported the first result that I found.Quote: billryanSince you want to continue this ridiculous debate, is it your contention that the majority of BJ players play anywhere close to a 99% return?
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