Historical Review Las Vegas (Part 14 – End)

Reinhold Schmitt
ISA-GUIDE Chefredakteur (V.i.S.d.P.)
E-Mail: info@isa-guide.de


Within the past last weeks the ISA-CASINOS has been reporting substantially about Las Vegas. Many of it is still not been said and for much more there would be still to write over on pages and pages, but the main basics about and the history of Las Vegas is known by now.

Las Vegas is among others the most booming City of the United States and of the world. Working positions are sufficiently available here, the sun shines on 330 days per year and who has got a lucky hand can even bring it to wealth. Not all succeed with it, as we know, though it is easier for to win in a game than vice versa. Gambling should be fun and should not exhibit the severe of life.

There are in Las Vegas more people who could live on gambling as anywhere else in the world. The question is not about the employees of the Game-of-Hazard-Branch of industry, but about the professional players. Las Vegas is a city, built for gambler and grown big by gambler. Even Casino Proprietors are now and then the greatest Gambler, how some one could already imagine. Some of the Top-Managers of the Super Hotels at the Strip are eager Poker Player and they are meeting up regularly for High Limit Games within the Top Section of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

In Las Vegas it is even not prohibited to employees they may gamble in the own Casino. There are regulations to pass for that may vary from Casino to Casino, but generally is the rule valid, someone who doesn’t be getting problems with the Gambling, is allowed to gamble. Should anyone ever get problems with it that would hence become one of the employee and the employer, then it would be solved quickly and internally.

Let’s get back to the professional gambler. They are in Las Vegas and it is a very seldom species of humans, who were to be having a critical look at the probability and chances in a very extraordinary kind. In order to mention just very few cases, as the professional Black Jack Counter. They are understood as Black Jack Players, who are having the ability and the talent to count the cards while they would be playing. Due to the rules and the offered games range, Black Jack can be played in Las Vegas with either an 1 Decks, 2 Decks or Multi-Decks (6 or 8), or with a Shuffle-Machine. The chances, to win at Black Jack, are hence high, if the gambler is:

a) could see as many as possible of cards that are to be given out, and
b) getting the occasion, to increase his bid as high as one is pleased, or just reduce.

A – It is understood under the notion „Counting“, just the counting of the cards of high value (10 points and Ass) as well as the low cards (2 – 6). The cards in between (7 – 9) are not valid for the Standard Count. A professional Black Jack Player varies his Bids depending on the actual Count of the Rest-decks, and gets by doing so an advantage against the Bank in its margin of 1-3 Percent averagely. Basically he turns over the home-advantage and will in the long term win profits. In Las Vegas it has become all the way more difficult to win on Black Jack, as Casinos are appropriately securing them selves of these Counters and may forbid someone to play.

Besides there are, and you might probably not comprehend that for possible, professional slot-machines‘ players. Regularly are such Professionals organised in Teams and the basic principle is relatively simple. In the case there is a Slot-Carousel in a Casino, where a progressive Jackpot is above-average high, what means that the likelihood is high in order to have, so far one has sufficient capital at ones disposal, the entire Carousel blocked and is playing in a team, namely as long as the Jackpot falls. In contrary to the Black-Jack-Players is not important to the Casinos if there are some Slot-machines professionals in the house, because here is played for money that is not taken away from the house, but it is money that is to be distributed sooner or later back to the players‘ pool at any rate. As long as the Jackpot doesn’t fall, even the Professionals have a theoretical disadvantage, but they balance it up because they are playing at the machines, where the Jackpot is un-proportional high and so in the end they have got a positive expectation of the profits. Who plays in the long term with a positive expectation of profits will inevitably be winning, whilst one who is just backing on luck, won’t have any chance permanently. The casinos have an advantage in favour for the house that is under regular circumstances not to be defeated.

Besides these slot-machines‘ professionals there are still many other types of players. Among them there are Poker-professionals, who are able to dwell on there over hours and hours at the tables in order to await the good cards and with it the best opportunity, to have the “Fishes” fleeced just at the table. According to studies there should be in Las Vegas alone some 5.000 professional Poker-players, who are able of the exclusively living on their Poker-game. In Europe this number quotes maybe some hundreds and nowhere else in the world there are so many Poker-players, like in Las Vegas. Hence there is often given the statement, how anyone, who is able to play in Las Vegas Poker and by doing so doesn’t loose, can win everywhere in the world. Nowhere else in the world it is more difficult to win in Poker, as in Las Vegas. Statistics however show that 95 % of all Poker players loose. Not at last therefore, because the most of them play low limits, in which the commissions that the Casinos take, in percentages they are not higher as the other limits, but are when absolutely considered just to high, measured at the Pot-heights.

Conclusion: The higher the Limit, that one is able to play, the more the profit-likelihood, although also the more the fluctuation. The most difficult limits in Las Vegas to be beaten are the 10/20 and 15/30, because of here are so many professionals sitting with a limited game-capital. These are awaiting their Kings and Aces. As soon as they get the Super-hand they are fond of laying there money in the pot. Who then plays with a little Pair runs up the hill from the start, but that is not the right way to success. A good Poker player bets only then his money, when the Count is good or the slot-machines’ professional, who only then plays at the Video-poker, when the Jackpot quotes above 7.000 Dollars. Then the paying-out-quote at the Jacks–or-Better-apparatus is above 110 , and on these surpluses of 10 a professional player can live in the long term. There are also many other Survival-Professionals, who are sustaining in Las Vegas. For You, as some due Las Vegas-visitors, we have some useful advises summarised, in order to help that You will have the maximum worth form Your money offered, when You are going to spend some days in Las Vegas. It is grouped in different categories so that You could pick on what is of relevance for You.

<

p>

Flight/Journey There

USA-Visitors from Germany must have since September 30.th, 2004 their fingerprints taken. Furthermore there are photographs of the people who enter the Country. We recommend You to have a look in the Internet for different offers. To book in the travel agency or at the airline itself means that You must have to pay additionally either a fee, or the regular line-flight-price is to be debited. There are online-airlines in the internet, who can offer low prices, partly even of grey-zone tariffs, that one gets seldom in travel-agencies.
As Las Vegas is very popular for its Arrival-Destination, are the flight-tariffs for international connections rather higher, as if You would arrive for example via Los Angeles LAX, and to drive from there with the rental car to Las Vegas. The drive from L.A. to Las Vegas takes some 5 hours depending on the traffic, and the arrival in Las Vegas at nights offers you a sensational spectacle. As soon as you have driven over the last hill you will see the Hotels at the Strip in the distance of Las Vegas. As in a fire-alike light-cone the millions-city is appearing, an unforgettable sight for the visitor who comes the first time.

Hotel/Accommodation

For the short-time visitor, who has not much time and nevertheless likes to see and experience as much as possible, is a hotel at the Las Vegas Boulevard suitable. The room-prices are over the week relatively low. So they are between 40 and 100 Dollars for a standard room, which is either to get with King-Size or 2-Queen-Size beds. The Hotel-levels are divided under smokers- and non-smokers-rooms. You are explicitly asked for by Your booking.

You will reach Las Vegas by a rental car from every where in 15-20 minutes. So you could in that case also spend the night in the outskirts, as the prices are essentially more favourable as you can get however hotel-rooms equal in quality as those at the Las Vegas Boulevard. Meant are these so called „Locals‘ Casinos“, as for example: Boulder Station, Sunset Station, Orleans, Green Valley Ranch, and many others. They are not to miss and they are located at the main-traffic-axes of Las Vegas. Who is travelling on car, for them it is not a problem to find a hotel. At the same time he is making quasi a private sight-seeing-drive quasi.

Who is in Las Vegas on the weekend, should make a reservation, because the hotel-prices are at least 60-100 % higher than under the week. A room, which can be booked on a regular Tuesday for 55 Dollars, costs on a weekend normally at least 80-90 Dollars, if not even more. That is what you should be prepared of. Many Las Vegas visitors come therefore under the week to the city and departure on Fridays already or search outside of Las Vegas something to spend the night. There are many small towns outside of Las Vegas, where the hotel-prices are reasonable and are not so extremely varying like directly in Las Vegas (after the law of offer and demand).

As High-Roller You have however on no day of the week a problem to get a room or even a suite, of course absolutely free of costs. Big Players don’t have to even make a hotel-reservation. The trick is that one has at arrival just to put ones luggage to the Bellman in the hotel. Afterwards one would have to get to the game-tables and begins to play. Who exchanges larger cash-amounts (From 2.000 Dollars on), is already doing enough for his Self-Promotion. Who then also even plays “high”, i.e. with at least 100 Dollars per Hand at the Black Jack or 500 Dollars per Spin at the Roulette, for them it will be happen that the hotel-room-problem is been solved within shortest time. Usually the Casino-Host is going to contact You and asks, where You stay or whether You already have a room. Then You just have to say, that You’ve just arrived in the City and You don’t know yet where You would spend the night. Normally You are then invited to stay in the Casino’s own hotel, so far you are pleased. Exceptions to it are weekends, on which Box-matches or any else special events take place and the hotel is effectively booked to the last room fully. Normally, when you go to the reception desk and ask for a room and you get a No for an answer then is the regular contingent fully ladled out.

Gaming

From the initial word Gambling that after the idea of Marketing-strategic has a little bit of a disreputable connotation, became the notion Gaming created. Gaming, that should combine Fun, Play, Amusement, without remembering on the bitter secondary taste of the (inevitable) loosing. Las Vegas, the City of 24-hours of Action, where the Casinos have not even lockable doors, they don’t make there money with the few players, who are loosing their whole fortune, but with the masses and with the millions of tourists, who spend per stay averagely 300-500 Dollars each. Who drives to Las Vegas wants to get something offered for its money as well as to use the maximum winning-chance at the game tables, either at the slot-machines. Of course he likes to pay nothing for his Cocktail, he gets every few minutes from the passing Beverage-Hostess, for free, however for a small tip.

As a player one should in any care of getting a rating. At the Las Vegas Boulevard there are meanwhile Casinos, which do only „rate“ players over 25 Dollars Stake per game for gratis meals or hotel-rooms. But in any case You should make your membership at the Players Club Booth before the beginning of the game. An identity card is however necessary. You have to have for a few minutes patience, before all your data is registered and You then receive Your personal Players Card. But the few minutes are worthwhile in any case hence this is the basis for favours, Cash-Back-programs and invitations to the Casinos. You can also for coming visits be already registered with that on a mailing-list and can so get for special occasions and promotions sent according information home per email. This Players‘ Card You should in any case have, even if you want to play only a few Dollars at a Slot-machine. You should have it always available and put always before playing in the machine. So you collect points that are also not out of due, even when you might first get next year back to Las Vegas.

It is recommendable that you divide Your money for playing-reasons into, either daily or in 3-days-ratios. The rest of the money, as well as your passport and flight-tickets etc. you can deposit in a safety deposit Box for free. This is called “Front Money” or “Cash-on-Deposit”, an additional service of the Casinos that you can use for free. So you have for example the possibility, when You are playing for larger money-amounts that you make a Front-Money-Deposit and by doing so could play without cash at one of the uncountable game-tables. The only thing that You have to do now is to present Your Players’ Card with a valid identification. The Floor-man will be caring then for You and arrange the Marker. A Marker is nothing else than a charging your Casino Accounts against Chips, that you receive at the game-table. You are signing a receipt, with a copy for You, one goes to the main cash-desk and one copy goes down in the Drop-Box of the table, where You have get the Chips for your Marker. You are never forced to keep playing on that table, where you have exchanged the Marker, it is at any time up to you to change the table or to quit. Should you have a good run and win something, you have several options: Either You take all Chips with you, because you might like playing somewhere else or will later to come back. Or you go at the cash-desk and let yourself pay out the Chips. Of course it is also possible to let your chips at the table. In this case will your stake together with your profit credited on your account. You will get also a receipt for it, a copy goes to the main cash-desk and one copy goes again to the table. That would then be something like the negative Marker for you. But you could also have only a part of it let credited on your account and take for example the profit in chips with you. This is completely up to you, how ever you prefer.
Whilst playing at the Slot-machines you should consider at any rate that your Players’ Card is stuck into the device. Please take notice that the electrical scanner has recognised your data, because only so it can be guaranteed that the program of gratis dishes and hotel-rooms etc. is contributed.

Please regard these allowances are some sort of rebate on your losses or as a part of the paying-off-quotes at the Slot-machines or as a raise of your chances at the Black Jack Table. At last it is the money of yours that can get back into your bags or money that you would not have to spend on your visit at the restaurant or the buffet. The marketing-technical side of Players’ Card is, in order to find out which Slot-machine would be especially preferred, at what times of the day, and at which places, which limits and the stakes of Player-types of its age and gender. When ever you are going to play, it serves just to your advantage and can not do any harm. If you would loose or forget your card in one of the Slot-machines, you will get another one new for free at the Players‘ Club.

Food and Beverage

The traditional All-You-Can Buffets in Las Vegas are a „must“ for everyone, and something that is on a comparative basis existing nowhere else in the world. The best „Buffets“ according quality, price and variety are by the way not to find at the Strip. Very good and comparable favourable buffets are to be found at any of the Buffets at the Station Casinos (Boulder Station, Palace Station, Texas Station, Green Valley Ranch, etc.) where the Dinner Buffet is to get for 10 Dollars, taxes included, but excluding the service tip. In the USA it is traditionally customary to give the service tip separately. It is left discretely for the personnel on the table. At „Buffets“ are 1-2 Dollars per person usual, at restaurant-visits there are 15 usually given. But consider also here that you give 15 not on the amount on the bottom-end, because there are already 7 Sales Tax added and on this 7 there are not still to give also 15 tip. The 15 Service Tip refers on the dishes and beverage, also on the Gross1-Total.

In the restaurant you will be welcomed at the entrance of the Host/esse and led to your table. It is unusual just to go in the restaurant and to choose the table by your self. The American, as well as many other nations, have got here a quite professional system, in which the guest is greeted and accompanied to a free table. It is very important in America, whether one desires a smokers- or a non-smokers‘ table.

Others

Las Vegas is the capital city of Enjoyment, of Game-of-Chance and the Entertainment and every thing to its price. When you are at the end of your stay going to sit in a taxi, which will bring you to the McCarran International Airport, then you should be remembering on Las Vegas with good and happy memories. Maybe you like to come back sometime and are going to be experience even more fun.
You are getting so called Fun-Books within the most casinos. It is to be understood as little „booklets“. They are containing Vouchers that are to be torn out and comprise certain allowances up to gratis-drinks or maybe Match-Play-Vouchers for the Gaming-tables, or else surprises for oneself and the family. These fun-books are going to cheer you even more up, and are a additional part of the entertainment-principle. In the Internet there are certain sites, who are pointing out to such fun-books. You can order it even there directly and some have several hundreds of Dollars value. At the Las Vegas Advisory a membership could be made free of costs. You will receive in regular intervals a newsletter and furthermore you will receive per post a Fun-book, which will let your heart be beating more. This Pocket-Booklet of Values contains about 150 Dollars in Match-Play Coupons, different gratis-drinks (also for Non-Players), gratis hotel-rooms, and uncountable 2 for 1 Restaurant- and Buffet-visits. This Fun-book is our last but on of the hottest advises for each Visitor to Las Vegas.

In the name of ISA-CASINOS Redaktion we would like to thank you for your interest and your perseverance to follow our reports.
We hope, we could have been giving you many useful advices and recommendations for your stay in Las Vegas.

We are finishing with this our reporting over Las Vegas. We wish you a lot of Fun, Success and most of all beautiful experiences, when you are deciding to go for an excursion in the centre of Game of Hazard, to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Read as following about our next ISA-CASINOS Series: „The World of illegal Game of Chance in the Internet – Online Poker -“ and „We are highlighting the Poker Game in the Internet, the legal sides from European point of view – and American sight, Security of the Software and the Course of Game of a virtual Poker Game“

Walk through Las Vegas