Poker/gambling in Vegas

My dad and uncle once played pai-gow one night after a bad day of black jack. sat at the table so long they closed a dealer's shift and were still there the next day when she came in to work. final score, my dad up 20, my uncle down 30 and about 15 beers apiece.
Dad's advice, pai-gow is a push game, play to avoid going broke in a day.

 

$100 can go a very long way at a Pai Gow Poker table. Even at $10 per hand on the main bet and $1 a hand on the fortune bonus. Just remember to take the bank whenever possible if you're the only player at the table or if you have the bankroll to cover the rest of the table --ties go to the banker.

Another good game, if you can find it, is a low-limit (2-4 or 3-6) Omaha Hi-Lo poker game. Game does require a lot of thinking, but it's lots of fun when you get the hang of it. Usually takes a flush or better to take down the high side of the pot, and an ace and a deuce in your hand gives you a strong shot at the nut low.

 

between infinite automatic shufflers and terrible rules for blackjack in strip hotels now, i just play pai gow when i want to gamble, drink beer, and relax. and the best thing is, the dealer will set your hand when you become too drunk to do it yourself.

by which i mean, of course, when I become too drunk too do it myself.

 

I prefer craps in the casino and poker in home cash games. You can take $50 to the craps table, bet the pass line and have a good afternoon.

 

You have to buy those 4,5,6s and 8,9,10s, though, or else it's mighty boring.

And I play the hardways when they match the point.
An occasional yo, here and there, can earn instant gratification.

Damn what a fun game!

 

Hardways and yos are house bets. The house edge is way high. But, if the table is going well, I'll do a two-way on all the hard ways -- a dollar for me, a dollar for the dealers on each of the hardways. Kind of livens up the table a bit more.

To play dice the right way -- pass/don't pass, free odds, placing the six and the eight -- you probably need a bankroll of at least 50 times the table minimum. At a $5 table, that's $250.

 

If the people you see on television are typical of what you see at poker tables in Vegas, I couldn't play. I'd forever be screaming, "Quit yappin' and just make a damn decision, will ya?"

 

The prices on all single-number one-roll bets on a craps table are absurdly shaved.

You want fast action,
Sharlie? Welllllll . . .
you willlll payyyy for itttttttttttt . . .

 

When there's hundreds of thousands on the line, damn right you're gonna take 5+ minutes to make a decision. (I'm talking about guys on TV, assuming you mean the WSOP, that take a long time to call a bet. For someone agonizing over $15, yes, they should make a decision quickly.)

 

If you're on The Strip, I recommend one place. I love the MGM Grand. They have all levels of games, 2-4, 3-6 and then the much higher game. Truth is, if you're a good player, you can do pretty well there. A lot of tourists sit down at the smaller games there and you can stay away from the local that plays 30 hours of poker a week.
In addition, they have a great twice-a-day tournament. 88 people, 88 bucks. It's a great little time with some cool features like "sniper" bonuses and "head-hunting" bonuses.