It seems like everyone has a gripe about casinos lately, and many are valid given recent increases in prices, fees and changes to games that give the house an even bigger advantage.

Recently, MGM Resorts, one of the biggest casino companies in the world, tweaked the roulette policies at some of its Las Vegas casinos. In these Strip casinos, players can no longer buy in for $1 roulette chips, the minimum is $2.

Double up to catch up, as they say.

This is the chip denomination, not the table minimum. Two different things. Most roulette table minimums (the minimum total bet on “inside” or “outside” bets) are $10-25. A few high limit rooms have $100-200 per spin minimums (for single zero roulette, the sweetest kind of roulette).

Some inside baseball: Roulette chips, unlike other chips in a casino, don’t have any intrinsic value. The player decides what denomination the chips will represent, and the chips have to be exchanged at the end of the roulette session for regular casino chips to get money at the cashier’s cage. A common newbie mistake is taking roulette chips away from the table to cash them in (usually before a dealer can tell them the lowdown). The cage can’t accept the chips because they don’t know what the value is.

So, when you buy in at a roulette table, you may be informed you can’t get chips at the $1 denom anymore.

It’s not news table minimums have been creeping up at Las Vegas casinos.

Nevada casinos have enjoyed a stunning 26-month run of billion-dollar-plus gambling revenue.

This post-pandemic hot streak has not exactly inspired casinos to give players better games or more perks.

But while much of the attention of gamblers has been on slot holds and table minimums, MGM Resorts was quietly testing the idea of raising the minimum chip value from $1 to $2.

We’re pretty sure the policy was put in place at Mandalay Bay first, but it’s expanding to other casinos in the MGM Resorts family. We went to see “Mad Apple” at New York-New York and were told roulette players can no longer use $1 chips. We’ve also been told Park MGM is giving the $2 chip policy a try.

As with so many things in casinos, if operators don’t see pushback, they tend to roll out such changes companywide. Chatter in the industry is MGM Resorts hasn’t seen much pushback.

That’s probably because recreational gamblers tend not to care too much about such adjustments to games. For example, triple zero roulette is common everywhere in Las Vegas. Often double zero tables and triple zero tables are side-by-side, with the triple zero game (about two percent worse than double zero for players, 5.3% vs. 7.7%) full and double zero tables empty. The lure? Triple zero tables often have lower minimums than double zero.

Las Vegas visitors are here to have fun, not hunt for better pay tables or game rules. We’re with them. We play where it’s convenient (for many visitors, it’s the casino in the hotel where they’re staying) and where we’re having the most fun.

Still, we can’t let the looming demise of $1 roulette chips pass without noting this unfortunate trend.

No individual change to a game is going to ruin Las Vegas or cause players to go elsewhere, but the issue for several years has been how the perception of Las Vegas is evolving due to a growing number of these irksome policies sacrificing long-term goodwill for short-term profit. Once, value was king. Now, you have to seek it out.

The list of gripes from visitors has gotten longer. The turning point was probably paid parking (a trend that MGM Resorts gets the blame for starting), but games continue to evolve and rarely to the benefit of players.

Ask a blackjack player about 6-to-5 versus 3-to-2 blackjack.

On the bright side, the $2 minimum roulette chip rule hasn’t spread too far. Caesars Entertainment, the other biggest casino company in Las Vegas, still lets players use $1 chips. But if Caesars sees an opportunity to increase revenue, it could follow suit, as long as it doesn’t drive away players.

In more “good news,” moving from a $1 chip to a $2 chip doesn’t change the odds of the game. Over an infinite number of spins, the house edge will catch up with you twice as fast, though.

If you have OCD like we do, $2 chips make the pay-out on a straight-up number even. It’s $70. We love round numbers!

Yes, that’s reaching for some good news, but we can put a happy face on just about anything, because we aren’t going to let bad news interfere with our enjoyment of gambling.

A glass-half-full person would say a player can lose twice as fast with a $2 chip, but we prefer to focus on the fact one can win twice as fast.

Most recreational roulette players aren’t going to play for hours on end, so an extra zero on the table, or a bumped up chip value, aren’t going to make much difference. Mojo is more important than math.

Oh, and it should be mentioned, there are no professional roulette players. Anyone who says different is lying. It’s one of the worst games in a casino. The only people who make a long-term profit at roulette are those who bet a lot all at once, win a lot all at once and immediately leave the building.

That said, the end of $1 roulette chips is a little sad for those who like to slow their roll and enjoy the casino experience and comped drinks  over a longer period of time.

Downtown and off-Strip casinos are unlikely to follow the $2 chip trend anytime soon, there would be a riot.

This is one to watch, and on a related note, expect to see more electronic versions of your favorite games. The labor costs are lower and the profit margins are higher.

For now, margins are everything. It shows.

Casinos have said out loud it’s not about attracting the most customers, it’s about attracting the most valuable customers. You know, Capitalism.

Another twist? There are companies that help casinos track the players who gamble the worst (those better for the bottom line). We are not making this up.

The billion-dollar winning streak can’t last forever, though.

Las Vegas casinos need to remember the customer relationships they sour now might not be recoverable, especially with the proliferation of legal gambling across the country.

Want to explore more stories? Read about US gambling here:

• Best US Real Money casinos
• Best US Sweepstake Casinos

You can also learn about online gambling in Canada here:

• Online Casinos Canada
• Online Casinos Ontario
• Best Paying Online Casinos
• Online Casino Bonuses
• Online Casino Games

The post Some Vegas Casinos Are Quietly Eliminating $1 Roulette Chips appeared first on Vital Vegas.

It started innocently enough. An additional space showed up on a roulette table.

It looked innocuous, just one additional space on one table at Venetian back in 2016, no big deal.

Then triple zero roulette popped up at Planet Hollywood and New York-New York. No big deal, right?

Well, it depends upon who you ask. Or possibly whom. Have you always been this obsessed with grammar? Lighten up, you’re reading a Las Vegas blog.

Math wizards were quick to point out each additional space on a roulette makes the game worse for players.

Longtime roulette players sometimes joke about triple zero roulette, “More ways to win!”

Um, no.

On a table with two zeros, the house edge is 5.26%. Not great, but a table with three zeros bumps the house edge up to 7.69%, or as we call it, the gambler discomfort zone.

Prior to the pandemic, the proliferation of triple zero roulette raised lots of hackles. We should know, we were one of the main hackle-raisers.

Mid-pandemic, lots of things we used to get riled up about seem relatively trivial. Still.

There’s a reason you don’t hear much about triple zero roulette anymore. It’s pretty much everywhere in Las Vegas now.

We’ve visited a number of casinos in the weeks since casinos reopened in June, and we’re hard-pressed to remember a casino where there wasn’t triple zero roulette.

We’ve seen triple zero at Harrah’s, Flamingo, Four Queens, MGM Grand, Linq and others.

We used to keep a list of casinos with triple zero roulette, but that list seems almost quaint now.

We naively hoped lower demand would inspire casinos to dump triple zero roulette, but no such luck. So far.

So, why do people play triple zero roulette when there’s often a double zero roulette table nearby?

There are two answers: One, lower table limits. Two, they just don’t care.

Lower table limits make triple zero roulette tables tempting despite the greater house edge.

As for the “they just don’t care” aspect, we find ourselves in that camp lately.

We are a recreational gambler. We aren’t playing any game for hours on end. That’s true of most Las Vegas visitors, too. You’re lucky or you aren’t. It’s more about fun than math.

Ultimately, gambling is gambling. The odds are always on the side of the house.

If you’re gambling to make money, while possible, you may want to find other pursuits.

One of the worst things that can happen is to let frustration about odds or rules or pay tables overtake your enjoyment of the gambling experience.

Unless it has to do with paper straws being used in your drinks. Those ruin everything.

While it’s not fun having to report triple zero roulette tables are everywhere in Las Vegas, there are bright spots!

For example, downtown’s Plaza hotel has a single zero roulette table on its casino floor.

Cromwell has a single zero table, too. We miss you, Cromwell.

A few other Las Vegas casinos have single zero as well, but they’re typically tucked away in high limit salons where table minimums can be sky high.

Our advice is to find a roulette table with solid drink service and friendly dealers, and just play for fun.

Lucky Luck will either smile upon you or plant her boot firmly in your posterior.

Gamble for the memories, not the return on investment.

And also avoid keno, because the odds absolutely suck.

But mostly gamble for the fun! Life already has plenty of math.

The post Triple Zero Roulette is Pretty Much Everyflippingwhere in Las Vegas appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Triple zero roulette has been introduced at two casinos in Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and New York-New York.

Venetian got the first triple zero roulette table (two, actually) on The Strip back in Oct. 2016, and it seemed inevitable the much-reviled game would proliferate.

That it has.

Here’s a look at the triple zero roulette table at Planet Hollywood.

“What is triple zero roulette?” you ask.

Well, a typical roulette table in U.S. casinos has two zeros.

On a table with two zeros, the house edge is 5.26%. That’s one of the highest house advantages in the casino.

On a triple zero roulette table, the house edge jumps up to 7.69%.

See, that’s what makes a much-reviled game so reviled.

Given the odds are worse on a triple zero table, why would people play it? You ask great questions!

Typically, the minimum bet on a triple zero roulette table is lower than on a double zero table.

Yes, there are some single zero tables in Las Vegas casinos, but they tend to be reserved for big spenders. An exception is the single zero table at Cromwell. There’s a premium to be paid for the better odds, of course. The minimum bet at Cromwell is $25.

How did we know more triple zero games would make their way to Las Vegas casinos? Another excellent question!

We knew because players at Venetian’s triple zero roulette table (see below) didn’t care at all about the less favorable odds.

It was the same at Planet Hollywood during our visit.

Planet Hollywood has eight roulette tables. Seven have a $15 minimum, one has a $10 minimum. The lower table minimum is more than enough to entice recreational gamblers, and casinos couldn’t be happier about it.

Before you start calling triple zero roulette players stupid, consider this: They’re not gambling to make money. They’re playing to have fun.

And here’s a confession: We had fun playing triple zero roulette at Planet Hollywood, too. And we won money to boot.

We even made money on one of the bets you’ll only find at a triple zero roulette table. It’s a bet on any of the zeros, and it pays 11-to-1.

Oh, and while we’re at it, here’s another counter-intuitive fact about triple zero roulette: It can actually make your money last longer.

It’s true!

Despite disadvantageous odds, the lower table minimum at triple zero roulette means a typical player (assuming they make the minimum bet) will lose less over time than someone betting more at a double zero roulette table.

That’ll teach you to be less judgy.

So, no, not everything is ruined. But that doesn’t mean we have to like triple zero roulette.

Triple zero roulette is a symbol of an evolution taking place in Las Vegas casinos. As gambling revenue declines, casinos have to find new and clever ways of bolstering their bottom lines.

If guests play games with a higher house edge, casinos will continue to find ways to raise them even higher.

The irony, of course, is gambling revenue is declining because the perceived value of gambling has declined. Casinos tighten their slots, so players play slots less. Casinos change 3-to-2 blackjack games to 6-to-5, so fewer play the game. It’s a vicious cycle.

Our strategy is to play the games where we have the most fun. That way, we can spend our time being entertained rather than doing math.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you care about the number of zeros on your roulette table?

Thanks to our friends at the You Can Bet on That podcast for alerting us to the triple zero roulette table at Planet Hollywood.

Updated (4/26/18): Park MGM has also introduced triple zero roulette.

Updated (4/13/19): Since this story, a number of Las Vegas casinos have introduced triple zero roulette. Las Vegas casinos with triple zero roulette:

• Venetian and Palazzo
• Planet Hollywood
• Circus Circus
• Golden Nugget
• Park MGM
• New York-New York
• Harrah’s Las Vegas
• Luxor
• Wynn Las Vegas
• Linq
• Binion’s
• Four Queens
• Aria Las Vegas
• Caesars Palace
• Green Valley Ranch
• Palms

The post Triple Zero Roulette Debuts at Planet Hollywood and New York-New York and Everything Is Ruined appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Roulette is one of the most entertaining, and accessible, games in a Las Vegas casino.

Even seasoned roulette players will be surprised by some of the fascinating aspects of the game we’ve hastily slapped together.

Let’s start with a couple of names for things we didn’t know had names. First, there’s a term for when a roulette dealer gathers and restacks chips, it’s called “mucking.”

Also, there’s another name for the object used to mark a winning number: A “marker” is also called a “dolly.”

It’s also worth noting a roulette dealer is also called a “croupier.”

Are we having fun yet?

Here’s a surprising fact about roulette: Just as people are left and right-handed, there are also right-handed and left-handed tables.

If you’ve played roulette, you’re probably more familiar with the right-handed table. The wheel sits to the right side of the dealer.

Here’s a left-handed roulette table. If you guessed the wheel is to the left of the dealer, you’re well on your way to a job as an elected official.

Here’s what happens when a right-handed roulette table and a left-handed roulette table hook up in Las Vegas.

Here’s a relatively useless fact: On roulette tables, the ball spins in the opposite direction of the wheel’s rotation.

On a right-handed table, the wheel goes counter-clockwise while the ball goes clockwise. On a left-handed table, the ball goes counter-clockwise while the wheel goes clockwise.

Interestingly, a roulette dealer trained in a European casino will reverse the rotation of the wheel and ball following every spin.

Many of the procedures and devices on a roulette table are to try and ensure the results are random.

On a roulette wheel, for example, small devices called “canoes” are installed to give the ball additional obstacles to divert the ball from a predictable path as it falls into the wheel.

Players sometimes try to pick up on a dealer’s pattern or rhythm, called a “dealer signature,” to predict where the ball is likely to fall. When player’s see a pattern, they practice something known as “section shooting,” or betting in certain areas of the wheel to try and gain an advantage over the house.

Now, let’s talk chips!

It’s a little-known fact that dealers, when pushing stacked chips to players, can’t move the chips in a way that conceals them from the security cameras above.

Dealers spend a lot of time practicing pushing stacks of chips. If you’re ever asked, 20 is the standard number of chips in a stack at a roulette table. Try pushing five stacks of 20 chips without them tipping over!

Unlike other casino chips, roulette chips have no value away from the table and can’t be traded for cash at the casino cashier, or “cage.”

That’s because roulette chips have no set value. Players determine what value a chip will have. Chips can be worth $1, $5 or more, as stated when the player buys in.

Taking chips from a roulette table is discouraged, because it’s a common scam to buy in for a low denomination (say, $1 per chip), to take chips away from the table, then return at another time, buying in for a higher denomination (say, $5), then slipping the previous low-value chips back into the game for an immediate profit. It happens quite often, actually, and the practice is illegal.

We’ve been playing roulette quite a long time, but only recently learned about “picture bets.”

Picture bets are a way for dealers to easily recognize and pay out common chip combinations. Those chip combinations often have colorful names, and dealers memorize the names and payouts to keep games moving. (The more spins, the more money a casino makes, by the way. The house edge for double zero roulette is 5.26%.)

Think of picture bets as flash cards for dealers.

Here are a couple of picture bets, and let’s say the chips are worth $1 just to keep it simple.

The “Mickey Mouse” is two corners (each pays 8-to-1) and one straight up number (pays 35-to-one), and it pays $51.

“Deck of Cards” is called that because it pays $52 (52 cards in a deck): It’s one straight up number and one split (pays 17-to-1).

A “Basket” pays $67 for two corners and three splits. We’ll turn it on its side for you.

A “Picture Frame” is one straight up number, four corners and four splits. This pays a healthy $135. An “Empty Picture Frame” is the same configuration, but without the straight up number.

Our favorite picture bet, because it’s the dirtiest, of course, is “Dinner for Two.” This bet is two splits and a straight up number. It pays (wait for it) $69.

Hey, roulette dealers often have a lot of idle time on their hands!

Here’s something to watch the next time you’re near a roulette table: Notice that dealers in a live roulette game must keep the wheel in perpetual motion. It’s a gaming regulation.

Now, have fun, and give roulette a spin.

The post Fascinating Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Roulette appeared first on Vital Vegas.

For a small, boutique hotel, The Cromwell has made some big moves recently.

To start, The Cromwell unveiled a new snack bar, Eatwell.

Eatwell is open 24 hours a day, and has a variety of grab-and-go goodies like sandwiches, pastries, salads and pizzas.

We went for a sandwich, mainly because sandwiches are a metaphor for love. Or something.

We’re pleased to report the food quality is solid at Eatwell, and the prices are reasonable.

Here’s a peek at the Eatwell menu.

We have no idea what these things on the ceiling are, but we are a blog, not a snack bar design firm.

Caffeine fans will rejoice in the knowledge Eatwell offers a full selection of Starbucks coffees.

Here’s a gratuitous photo of some cookies.

The Cromwell has also opened a new race and sports book.

We have never personally understood why they’re called race and sports books. A race is a sport. If you’re going to call it a race and sports book, you could just as easily call it a game and sports book, or possibly a match and sports book.

The new sports book at Cromwell has a tiny footprint, but sports books aren’t huge moneymakers for casinos, so the size is proportionate given the limited footprint of the resort.

The Cromwell used to be Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, and before that it was Barbary Coast and Empey’s Desert Villa. Prior to that, it was a small collection of tumbleweeds.

The new sports book can accommodate about 50 people or 75 if they all inhale at the same time.

The Cromwell sports book boasts a 32-foot-long, nine-foot-tall LED video wall.

Beyond these sweet new amenities, The Cromwell has made a serious play to attract gamblers.

Among the new offerings is a single zero roulette table. Single zero roulette, also known as “European roulette,” is often reserved for high limit rooms, but Cromwell has a table on its main casino floor.

Because photos aren’t allowed at live games, we won’t be able to share the photo below.

Unlike double zero roulette games, the minimum bet on the single zero game is $25. Better odds, higher minimums. In Vegas, that’s a thing.

On the other end of the spectrum, Venetian has a $5 roulette table with three zeros. We are not making this up. Remember, the more zeros, the more suck for players.

In addition to single zero roulette, Cromwell also offers 100x odds on craps.

Nobody ever actually takes advantage of 100x odds, but it’s great to know you could if you inherited money from a rich uncle. Possibly, one named Sheldon.

But wait, there’s more.

The Cromwell is also touting its EZ Baccarat. We’re pretty sure we played EZ Baccarat at Lucky Dragon, and it was, as promised, easy. One benefit of this version of baccarat is it “eliminates the taking of the 5% commission after every winning Bank hand.” Whatever that might actually mean.

Also being talked up are The Cromwell’s 3-to-2 and double deck blackjack games.

During our visit, we saw three open 3-to-2 double deck blackjack tables, two with $25 minimums and one at $15. Shoe games had minimums ranging from $10 to $25.

The Cromwell also lists among its new “enhancements” a “re-imagined” Interlude bar (if you’re not a fan of live music, this is a great place to not be a fan of it), a new high limit slot area called The Abbey, and keyless access to hotel rooms.

There’s also Ivy, a “personalized virtual concierge service” provided via text, developed by a company called Go Moment. It’s sort of a bot that can field questions and requests related to housekeeping and room service. Such services are mainly a way for hotels to save money and cut down on call volume, but Ivy has gotten generally good reviews since the most common guest requests can be resolved more efficiently through automation. Fewer and fewer Las Vegas hotels have real concierges, anyway.

With its recent changes, The Cromwell has certainly gotten the attention of players, and despite ongoing challenges with unsavory elements at Drai’s Nightclub on the roof, the boutique hotel is drawing new interest from visitors seeking a welcoming environment with friendly service and odds you won’t find in many casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Enjoy more poorly-framed and inadequately-focused photos from The Cromwell.

Cromwell Enhancements

The post Cromwell Rolls Out Eatwell Snack Bar, Sports Book and Enticing Games appeared first on Vital Vegas.

It appears all bets are off when it comes to casinos coming up with clever ways to increase profits. Venetian Las Vegas recently introduced Sands Roulette, a game almost identical to traditional roulette, but with an insidious twist, a triple zero.

Most roulette tables in the U.S. have a zero and double zero. Those games have a house advantage of 5.2%. Not the worst game in a casino, but fairly hefty when compared to games like blackjack and baccarat.

Occasionally, you can find a European roulette table, with just a zero, and the house edge
dips down to 2.7%. In Las Vegas, those tables tend to be reserved for high rollers.

Sands Roulette at Venetian, with 0-00-000, means there are more ways for a player to lose,
and the house advantage jumps up to 7.7%.

We’d love to show you a photo of the Sands Roulette table layout, but photography is
strictly forbidden at live tables in the Venetian. Therefore, we aren’t able to share the
photo below.

Yes, the bean counters are at it again.

While a 2.5% increase in the house edge may not seem like a lot at first glance, it
amounts to a huge windfall for the casino over the course of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of spins.

The frustrating part about this particular revenue enhancement strategy is it’s
implemented in a way that seems underhanded. You won’t see a triple zero on the table, but
rather the triple zero is represented with an “S” and the Sands logo. The Venetian is owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Sands Roulette intentionally takes advantage of less experienced players. One Venetian
staffer even said, aloud, “Tourists and conventioneers don’t really care.”

That opinion seemed to be confirmed by the fact the Sands Roulette table (there’s only one
in the casino at this point) was packed during our visit.

That same floor person admitted, “We try new table games for 90 days and evaluate the
results. If it tanks, it’ll go away.” Good to know, although much like 6-to-5 blackjack
(for many years, the game payed 3-to-2), sometimes such “innovations” never go away.

The Venetian staffer followed up with something rather ominous. He said, “If it increases
the drop, they’ll probably try adding another space.”

We’ll let that particular brand of WTF sink in for a moment.

That’s right. Not only is the Venetian exploring new ways to stick it to us, they’re open to upping the ante. Let’s do this until we see what the pain point is, they seem to be saying.

Deep breaths.

Look, we don’t begrudge casinos the ability to increase profits. They’re doing it with paid parking and reduced liquor pour sizes and comp drink monitoring systems.

But is it too much to ask to not muck with a timeless, iconic casino table game? Seriously, WWJBS? (What would James Bond say?)

As mentioned, there’s currently only one triple zero table at Venetian, and we’re not
aware of any others in Las Vegas. It would surprise no one if triple zero games started
popping up at competing casinos in the very near future.

The Sands Roulette table had a $10 minimum, while all the other roulette tables had a $15 limit. One could make the argument the triple zero is a “surcharge” for the “lower” table minimum. Or not.

Will the average Las Vegas visitor realize they’re being dinged when they play the triple
zero Sands Roulette? Will knowing about it keep them from playing? We suspect not. Recreational gamblers don’t obsess over things like odds. These are the same folks playing the Big Six wheel, with one of the biggest house edges in a casino (as much as 24%, the mind reels).

Taken alone, Sands Roulette’s triple zero at Venetian Las Vegas isn’t the end of the world. But it does feel like another symbol of how casinos seem to be jeopardizing long-term trust and loyalty for short-term gain. With each new fee or detrimental change to a game, casinos run the risk of damaging the public perception of Las Vegas as a value-driven destination.

Ultimately, we decide what games succeed or fail. So, choose wisely.

Updated (4/13/19): Since this story, a number of Las Vegas casinos have introduced triple zero roulette. Here’s a complete list of the Las Vegas casinos with triple zero roulette:

• Venetian and Palazzo
• Planet Hollywood
• Circus Circus
• Golden Nugget
• Park MGM
• New York-New York
• Harrah’s Las Vegas
• Luxor
• Wynn Las Vegas
• Linq
• Binion’s
• Four Queens
• Aria Las Vegas
• Caesars Palace
• Green Valley Ranch
• Palms

The post Venetian Sticks It to Players with Triple Zero Sands Roulette appeared first on Vital Vegas.

One of the reasons we love Las Vegas so much is its undeniable magic. Not the kind of magic with doves or mirrors. The real kind. The kind that keeps the dream that is Las Vegas alive and kicking.

So, we were recently at the California casino, downtown, and had been playing roulette about an hour. We were up about $100. Which is pretty magical, but that’s not the magic we’re discussing here.

After that hour, we’d gotten to know the dealer a little, and our fellow players. Building that rapport makes the game even more fun. Then a young guy strides up and slaps a green $25 chip on one number.

After you’ve been in casinos awhile, you get used to seeing that kind of random behavior. Often, it’s annoying. Those “hit it and quit it” gamblers can disrupt the flow of the table, and often don’t tip, for whatever reason. You also kind of get used to those one-off players getting spanked, hard. Especially if someone bets on just one number in roulette.

That $25 bet was the only one this guy made, just the one, out of the blue. On 23. Then this happened.

There was a collective stunned silence as the number 23 was called. Then there was bedlam. The other players at the table roared, and this guy’s friends roared. He just sort of smiled, as if he’d known what was going to happen all along.

The bet paid $875. He tipped the dealer $25, and began to walk away. The dealer said, “Sir, you have a $25 chip still on the table.” The player said, “Keep that, too.”

After this magical moment, we learned the guy’s name is Ken, and he and his friends were visiting from West Covina, California.

The whole episode had us all shaking our heads for the rest of the session.

Yes, the odds are stacked against us. Everyone knows that. Yes, the casino almost always wins. But sometimes, Lady Luck intercedes, and that “almost” clears the way for us to win, too.

When those moments happen, and they happen more frequently than you’d think, it’s as close as it gets to real magic. Voila.

The post One of Those Magical Las Vegas Moments appeared first on Vital Vegas.

A new take on roulette was recently unveiled at Golden Gate casino, downtown, called Riverboat Roulette. We’re pleased to say we were momentarily able to divert our eyes away from the go-go dealers to give it a whirl.

This “new” version of roulette isn’t exactly revolutionary, as the basics of the game remain intact. Riverboat Roulette does provide some interesting new side bets, as well as an eye-catching layout (above) and tricked-out ball “pockets.”

We were the first-ever customer to make a bet on the live game at Golden Gate (where it’s available exclusively), so from here on out, please treat us with the respect we so richly deserve.

Riverboat Roulette made its first appearance at the 2012 Global Gaming Expo and was named one of the “Top New Table Games of 2013” by Casino Journal. No, really, they didn’t just make that up.

So, here’s the deal.

Beyond the basic game of roulette, Riverboat Roulette offers color-coded side bets that pay varying amounts based upon the color. Bet blue, if blue hits, you win. Same with the other colors, except for white. If you bet on a color other than white, and white hits, you lose your bet. There are eight white spaces.

But here’s the cool part. If you bet blue and teal hits, your bet doesn’t go anywhere, it’s a “push.” That’s what makes this a “multi-spin” game. If you hit another color, other than blue, the bet keeps going. That cycle continues until you hit your color (win!) or white (not so much!).

When you bet on white, it’s a one-spin bet. Any other color sends your bet home crying to its mommy.

The payouts are as follows: Blue and orange pay 7-to-5, purple and pink pay 8-to-5, teal and yellow pay 2-to-1. White pays 7-to-2.

We’d love to get into the nitty-gritty of these payouts and house edges, but we have things to do, so we’ll just say, “The odds aren’t particularly in your favor.” Then again, you know, casino.

Other than that, Riverboat Roulette adds a little flair to a classic game, and while we didn’t have much success, we suggest you give it a try because it’s at Golden Gate, and the Golden Gate is the best thing since sliced bread, although if you think about it, sliced bread doesn’t provide epic free cocktails and eye candy. So, suck it, sliced bread.

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We get asked all the time why casinos have go-go dealers. Here’s a little crash course in casino marketing.

If you’d like to do a little marketing research of your own, we highly suggest The D Las Vegas, downtown.

The post Casino Marketing Crash Course: Why Do So Many Casinos Have Go-Go Dealers? appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Being a dealer in a Las Vegas casino can be a sweet gig. You meet interesting new people every day, the financial rewards can be substantial and you get to be an ambassador not only for your casino but also Las Vegas, the most exciting city on Earth.

There are challenges to being a dealer, too, of course, and a lot of that’s on us.

We grilled a dealer, Michael Nguyen, co-owner of a new dealer school, Casino Entertainment Group (CEG), and got him to spill about the things that tick dealers off, and how we can avoid them.

5. Don’t Blame Dealers If You Lose

Gambling is a numbers game, and the house always has the advantage. Nevertheless, dealers make a convenient target when players need to vent about their bad fortune.

“We hear people say things like ‘unbelievable’ or ‘Can you believe that?’ every other hand,” says Nguyen. “We’ve dealt thousands of hands. Don’t get upset if your 17 in blackjack doesn’t beat the dealer. People must realize the odds aren’t always in their favor. They can’t expect to win every hand.”

One of the worst things about players taking their frustrations out on dealers, often to the point of verbal abuse or worse, is dealers aren’t allowed to defend themselves. A dealer who gets combative with a player, even if it’s deserved, risks losing their job. So, they just have to take it. Only jerks and cowards beat up on those who aren’t allowed to defend themselves.

4. Don’t Gamble Drunk

Yes, the cocktails are free, and drinking is part of the Vegas experience, but customers going overboard can turn ugly for dealers.

Nguyen says, “The person gambling isn’t doing him or herself any favor by tipping back one too many during the game. The more drinking, the more mistakes are made during a game. If you’re wasted while playing, you’re wasting money.

Dealers are used to players having a few cocktails, and getting a little boisterous, but excessive drinking is annoying to dealers and other players alike.

Also, gambling drunk leads to spilled drinks, one of the most irksome aspects of a dealer’s shift. Spilled drinks ruin table game felt, disrupt the game and turn dealers into babysitters. Drink responsibly. Or don’t, but don’t play a table game!

3. Don’t Blow Smoke in a Dealer’s Face

Sounds like common sense, right? Wrong.

“We understand the environment and know people like to smoke while playing,” says Nguyen. “We don’t even mind the smoking, in fact. But blowing cigarette or cigar smoke directly in a dealer’s face is rude. Be respectful.”

Agreed. Oh, and if we ever write a list of “The Five Best Ways to Not Piss Off This Las Vegas Blog,” not smoking a disgusting, big-ass cigar in our vicinity will be all five things on the list.

2. Tip Your Dealer, Already

We’d have make this number one on the list, but we defer to the expert.

Nguyen comes clean, saying, “This is a very touchy subject. Dealers don’t expect a person who’s
losing to tip. But if you’re winning, toss a chip our way every so often. We’re not looking for
a stack of chips, but don’t stiff the dealer if you’re on a winning streak.”

Somebody had to say it! We’ve seen this trend getting worse in recent months, or at least it seems that way.

We disagree with Nguyen on this point, actually. Dealers make a meager base pay, and they live on tips. So, we tip whether we’re winning or losing. We value what they do no matter the outcome of our play.

Nguyen continues, “Another pet peeve is when a player tells us we’ll get tipped at the end [of the session] and leaves a dollar or less when all is said and done. A dollar or less is sort of like a slap in the face. And while we’re talking about tipping, don’t stiff the cocktail waitress, either.”

We can’t say it enough. If you can’t afford to tip, do something other than play casino table games. Slot machines might be your thing. No tipping required.

1. Good Vibes Only, Please

Playing in a Las Vegas casino is meant to be fun, so avoid being a buzzkill.

“Remember, there are other people at the table, too,” says Nguyen. “No one wants to be next to the person who constantly complains, demands the cocktail waitress bring a drink immediately, and so on. We understand when a person’s trip or gambling session may not be working out, but the next hand or spin may be different. Keeping an upbeat attitude and staying positive could possibly change a person’s luck.”

Absolutely nailed it. The Golden Rule applies to casinos as it does to everday life.

In a casino, be the kind of person you’d like to hang out with. Keep the mood light, be polite and don’t lose sight of the fact if gambling isn’t fun, why the hell are you doing it?

Special thanks to Michael Nguyen of CEG dealer school for giving us the straight scoop, and we appreciate dealers for being such an integral part of some of our most memorable Las Vegas moments, ever.

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