VEGAS Baby!!! Any blackjack tips?????

[underpants]

We are leaving Saturday. I am just now getting into the spirit.

We are staying for free-the in-laws are going to sit through a time share seminar-all we had to pay for was the airline tickets. :grr: Have to drive to Baltimore (3 hours) though :grr:

[Dookus]

1. always split aces and eights

[jus_the_facts]

20. and double down...10 and 11!!

:evilgrin:

....once started with 60 bucks and left with 800....in Vicksburg Mississippi at the Ameristar Riverboat Casino!! :bounce:

http://www.digital-memphis.com/Mississippi/thumbnails/Vicksburg%20casino%20Ameristar%20on%20the%20Mississippi%20River%20(8).jpg

[amazona]

24. ameristar was a good casino

I haven't been there in ages but they had a helluva game back in the day.

[jus_the_facts]

29. yeah that was about 4 years ago....beginners luck!!

.....only been back a couple times since! :hi:

[Jack_Dawson]

22. 2nd that

Don't ALWAYS split eights, but ALWAYS split Aces.

[Donkeyboy75]

30. I always lose when I split aces.

It's the only rule I don't follow.

[Dookus]

36. well

then you believe in a magical effect.

The fact is, even if you lose 10 times in a row doing so, it is still the RIGHT thing to do on the 11th try.

Over the long run, if you do it every time, it's a more successful strategy than NOT doing it.

I play poker. A lot. I know people who claim "I always lose with Aces". First, it simply isn't true - they just NOTICE more when they lose with Aces than with other starting hands. Second, no matter what your personal history is, it is still the best starting hand available.

Always split Aces. It's actually one of the few no-brainers in blackjack. Two 11's is a lot better than one 2 or 12. Think of it this way: when playing blackjack, would you prefer that the first card your dealt is an Ace or a Deuce?

[Donkeyboy75]

37. Actually, I don't believe in magical effect.

I am following what I know is an irrational superstition. I've actually found that by not splitting aces I'm at a 6% disadvantage, while I have an 18% advantage with splitting...but it simply makes me feel better, and sometimes when I'm ornery I like to piss people at the table off who think that what the person in front of them does has a bearing on their cards.

I agree with your statement that what has happened in the past regarding odds has NO BEARING on future probabilities. In fact, this statistical illiteracy is one of my pet peeves. However, I have never won both hands by splitting aces, and have lost them both often.

Anyway, I play poker now when I go to the casino instead of blackjack.

[ohiosmith]

2. The best table games are at the Hard Rock Hotel.

[Westegg]

28. Yep! HR rules. I won $900 in five minutes at the BJ tables.s.

My friend won five large at craps that night, which I'm too stupid to fully undertstand. But we got a free room! Love the Hard Rock.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Hit on 20

[Heyo]

4. Don't hit....

at 17 or over...

You'll never get that 4....even if you think "this is the one"

Heyo

[bhunt70]

5. yes, play using the rules the dealer uses...

You'd be surprised how well it works if you play as if you are the dealer, staying on 17, hitting on 16 etc.

I don't know why more people don't play with the house instead of against it.

[Dookus]

26. actually

you need a better strategy than that for one main reason, which is that if you bust AND the house busts, the house wins. You bust, they take your money, then play their own hand against the remaining players.

[Commendatori]

6. Play at Binion's Horseshoe

They have $2 hands you can get warm with, and have better odds (i.e, rules on hits on soft 17 for the dealer) than popular places like the Hard Rock.

[curlyred]

single deck at Binions

they reopened April 1.

Most fun I've ever had in Vegas....:)

[TX-RAT]

43. Binions

Only game down town that pays time and a half. Look for a Dealer named Carmine, Telly Savalis look a like.

[commander bunnypants]

7. remember

what happens in Vegas satys in Vegas

DDQM

[TheMightyFavog]

8. Always Double Down when you have 11.

End of Line.

[HornBuckler]

9. Get A Hand Held For The Plane

Little Electronic Hand Held Games Of Blackjack Can Be Found At Any Toy Store. They Usually Play Vegas Rules And Are A Great Way To Get Some Practice Playing For Free. You Can Really Get A Good Feel For It.

[wysimdnwyg]

10. Never, NEVER...

buy the insurance. It's a sucker bet.

[DS1]

11. Don't show up like Pitt in his green pimp suit.

Vegas, baby.

[4morewars]

12. Get out of the city at least once..

vegas can be overwhelming !!! We rode ATVs in the canyon of fire one day, it was beautiful. On the last day we went up to red rock canyon, a must see, and a short ride from the strip. Also, Liberace's restaurant has great food for cheap( 1/2 dozen clams on the half shell- $4.50) I had the fetucini alfredo, it was great.
The seafood buffet at the Rio was pricey, but i felt it was worth it, get there early to beat the line and see the floor (ceiling?) show. Most of all have fun, the weather will be the best right now and the desert will be in bloom.

[underpants]

13. We are going to take a trip to the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam

I can't remember which. My wife is in charge of all that.

[TheMightyFavog]

16. Be sure to go to Red Rock Canyon, too.

In some places it looks like a Marscape, very beautiful. just watch out for the Wild Burros.

[fishnfla]

14. make sure the anchor chair knows what they are doing(blackjack)

the last person before the dealer is the most important seat on the table

also, the smaller, off strip casinos, although seedier, have looser slots and video games.

also the best time to gamble is early in the a.m.

the best odds in the casino are on the crap table.

[Dookus]

27. that's not really true

it's just annoying if somebody in that seat does something dumb because you get to see the results. But in a random deck of cards, what the anchor seat does makes no more difference than what any other player does.

[fishnfla]

32. I respectfully beg to differ

the anchor chair, more than any other seat on the table, controls the dealers next card, and if he or she does not understand the game, the whole table loses. It depends on the circumstances, of course,cards showing, etc. but as a rule of thumb you dont want to be at a table with a novice in that seat.......

[Dookus]

35. but... but... but...

if somebody in the FIRST seat takes a hit they shouldn't take, the deck is different. It has the EXACT same effect on the Dealer's card as doing so in the last seat.

The last seat only makes it more obvious because you SEE the next card.

Furthermore, in a randomly shuffled deck, it would make NO difference. You may see a situation where it appears that way, and you remember it, but it's just as likely that the wrong "hit" HELPS the table.

The error is in believing there's a specific card the dealer is "supposed" to get. There isn't.

[bushisanidiot]

15. Double down on 10 or 11.. double down on anything under 11

if dealer shows 3 - 7. it's kind of a conservative strategy, but it works for me ;)

[rucky]

17. Don't take insurance unless you have 21.

it's fer suckers.

[wolfgirl]

18. Take some of your winnings

and head over to the Bellagio. The Fontana Bar opens at 5PM; sit outside (lakeside) and enjoy a few drinks w/munchies, all while enjoying the water show. In between you'll be able to hear the band and it's a perfect place to be away from the crowd, but near the action!

I spent 10 days in Vegas just this past March! It was fab! We went through the timeshare thing - for the free tickets to the Legends Show at the Imperial Palace. Don't buy the timeshare - but take the tickets!

Be sure to check out The Palms! The slots are pretty good (98% return) and it wasn't too crowded! Be sure to visit the Ghost Bar upstairs - it's a prime A-List hang out!

Have fun!!

[Erratic]

21. The Sahara

If this is your first time playing in an actual casino setting you should head to the Sahara first. They have cheap table games(Blackjack 1$ minimum), aren't very busy, and the dealers were generally very helpful when teaching me the ropes. Aside from the obvious rules of blackjack there is alot of casino etiquette to learn such as tapping for a hit, waving to stand, when you're allowed to touch the chips, tipping the dealer, etc. Do this during the day, the Sahara is nothing special and the nicer parts of Vegas are best seen at night.

I managed to piss my fair share of people at the 20$ tables during my first trip by making alot of newbie mistakes. I thought I was hilarious but the dealer didn't think so when nobody else would come play with me and my friends.

If you plan on hitting up any shows get your tickets early.

[ChickMagic]

19. Shrimp cocktails at Golden Gate

Go to
www.cheapovegas.com

IMHO the absolute best site about Vegas.

[amazona]

23. i'm afraid we have some p-poor blackjack players here on DU

Always split aces and eights -- true, always double down on ll -- almost true, don't double against an ace.

But some of the advice makes this former professional blackjack player shiver. For instance, the Hard Rock has an unexceptional to poor blackjack game. And everyone should be aware by this time of century that mirroring the dealer substantially increases your chances of losing. The dealer has a different strategy because she plays last. If you are not willing to hit A6 against a dealer's 8, 9, 10, 11, or ace, then you should mail in the money and stay home!

I don't want to pick on anyone for passing on these myths, because they have been passed around for so many years that it's understandable that people get taken in, but we need a snopes.com for blackjack myths. Computers analyzed these games not just years but decades ago, yet the same bogus advice keeps getting passed around.

Oh, and it has been proven statistically that bad play by the anchor is a wash -- it ends up helping you as often as it hurts you. Multiple computer studies show that other players have no effect on your chance of winning UNLESS you are counting cards. Then you want the table to yourself so you can get all the hands in a high count, but that's another issue.

I don't expect you to learn to count cards for a one-time trip to Vegas but anyone can learn to play Basic Strategy, which is widely published just about everywhere and which reduces the edge against you to a fraction of less than one percent. Learn the multi-deck Basic Strategy and probably best to stick to six deck games. I don't see a newbie being able to catch on when being legally cheated by preferential shuffling, which is a common practice in Vegas hand-held games. But if for some reason you do play single deck or double deck, and you notice the dealer shuffle early, yeah, they shuffle early when the count favors the players to win the next hand. In other words, they're ripping you off. It's legal, so no use complaining. And never, never, never tip the dealer when you're losing, that is just crazy. Always tip your cocktail server a buck though.

[sangh0]

25. Damn, that was good!!

You up for a road trip?


:-)

[underpants]

38. Awesome thanks

A co-worker (goes with $5K twice a year) told me that Harrah's a good relaxed place to play blackjack. He had some other tips most were like yours.

[TX-RAT]

45. Been playing at Binions for over 20 yrs

My best advice for a newcomer is to go to the gift shop and by one of those blackjack tips card,they are cheap and the casinos will let you us it at the tables. Hang around for the Fremont street light show, it's great.



Sorry meant to post on origional message.

[Lefty48197]

31. Don't play

the odds are against you, and you will lose in the long run. Walk into the casino, hand some of your money to the pit boss, and then leave. That way, you will at least have the time to do something else.

[Mass_Liberal]

33. play poker instead

thats my blackjack tip o' the week.

[underpants]

41. My wife is going to play Texas hold'em

She plays quite a lot online (not for real money) and is pretty good.

[ronnykmarshall]

34. I'm going too!

Where are you staying??

[underpants]

39. I don't know

Some sort of time share thing. PM me (if you feel like it)-I don't think we will have a computer or access while we are there.

[MichaelUK]

40. Play Texas Hold Em poker

The caddillac of card games.

[GiovanniC]

42. My Friends and I Have a Weekly Texas Hold-Em Game

It's great fun.

[Robb]

44. Tip yer dealer before you start

...then you don't have to feel like a jackass when all your chips are gone and you just walk away. :)