Tips on planning a trip to Vegas

Many people planning a trip to the States will include a few days in the original casino homeland – Las Vegas. The city really only came into being because of gambling, and although there are many other places around the world to play casino these days, there’s still something special about Vegas.

But when you’re in Las Vegas, it helps if you can take a few steps to ensure that the cash you have available to spend on gaming and other entertainment will stretch as far as possible. That way, you can have fun trying your hand at different casino games without coming home feeling completely broke. Follow these tips and you should be fine.

Learn how to play
If you’re going to a casino, it helps if you already know how to play the classic games. That way, you won’t feel intimidated about going up to a table game and joining in. Many people arrive in Vegas not knowing how to play, and either end up losing at table games really quickly or sticking to the slots machines because they feel safe playing these simple games. The downside with slots, though, is that the casino edge is always high on them, and spins are over quickly, so you’ll go through a gaming allowance more quickly. Table games, on the other hand, take longer to play and the casino edge is less steep, so you’ll get more value from each gambling dollar.

The best place to learn how to play casino games is online at one of the many different casino sites like 32red, 888casino or SkyVegas. You don’t always have to use real money – you can play to win at 32red for example where players can switch to practice play mode at any time. This means you don’t bet with real money, so there’s no risk involved. That way you can get to grips with roulette, baccarat, or blackjack without worrying about losing money. Then when you’re actually at the casino in Vegas, you will at least know what you’re doing.

Follow the locals
The most famous street in Las Vegas is the Strip. This is where you’ll find the biggest, brightest and most glamorous casinos. Spend time there soaking up the atmosphere and looking around, but don’t be tempted to do your gambling there. The house edge is always higher at the casinos on the Strip; you’ll get better value playing casino games downtown or on the perimeter of the city, where the Las Vegas locals play.

Get players’ club cards
Whichever establishments you go to in Las Vegas, there will be some kind of player’s club. This is where players get promos and freebies for spending money in a certain casino or hotel. Apply for player’s club memberships before you go and you’ll receive email vouchers for free drinks as well as some free chips to play with. Don’t be picky and join one player’s club; join as many as you can so you can rack up the complementary gifts and giveaways.

The chances are that you’ll still end up losing more often than you win, but hopefully you won’t run out of gaming cash quite so quickly!

Text by Szeke & Wuestenigel.