Spending some time at the most popular casinos is a must when visiting Vegas, no matter if you’ve already been here or it’s your first time. However, you need to know how to approach this properly, in order to get the best possible experience out of it, and avoid running out of money before you’ve even walked onto the Strip!
First, and this may sound obvious to some people, but you must have a very strictly defined financial limit. You’re not going into the casino to win, you’re going in to spend some money and have a good time playing their games and talking to the other guests. So treat it just like any other expense at an establishment, and know how much you can afford to spend. If you set a limit of, say, $1,000, this means that you will walk out of the casino as soon as you’ve dropped down by this amount from the sum you had on you when you walked in.
Which means that, sure, you can spend a bit more time if you end up winning, but don’t get too carried away trying to recoup your losses if your balance goes down – when you lose that money, just remember that you intended on losing it in the first place.
Also, some of the best casinos in Vegas are not actually located on the Strip, and in fact, you can often have a better time for less money if you play in off-Strip houses. Just do your research diligently beforehand, and know what kind of casino you’re walking into, and you can end up having quite a lot of fun at some of the most unexpected places.
At any casino, if you want to have a good time, it’s important to treat the staff well. Tipping is expected at most places, and the rate will vary in accordance with the establishment’s class; but even low-end casinos will expect you to leave an extra $5-10 or so every hour at most of their tables. At the same time, remember to also socialize with the other guests around you, and don’t isolate yourself in your games. You can play casino games at home if that’s what you want – there are plenty of online casinos. But part of the point of a real-life gaming house is to chat with other players and share the highs and lows of your game with them.
On a semi-related note, slot machines are usually a bad idea if you’ve come for a good time. They are a relatively monotonous game, with somewhat boring winnings, and more importantly, it’s a solo game so you won’t get a chance to speak to many people, other than those sitting at adjacent machines. Stick to games like roulette, card games, and other big-table games where you can play with a bunch of other people, and have a crowd watching you as well.
Take your time, too – if you find that you enjoy a particular game, don’t walk away from it just because you’ve been there for a long time. As long as you keep your budget in check, it’s all good – you’re here to have some fun, after all!
If you end up lucky and start winning good sums, make sure you bank regularly, and still be careful with your budget. It’s easy to justify a larger bet when you know you’ve just won a bunch of chips, but if it takes you dangerously close to your limit, this can cause you to want to make another bet once you’ve lost that one. Always remember your original limit with a sober mind.
