Top Las Vegas Shows:

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular

Absinthe

PeepShow

Hard To Get Las Vegas Shows and Show Ticket Tips:

Buy well in advance, but remember: some tickets are not released more than three months ahead. Keep checking back. For reserved seat shows (most Las Vegas shows), the earlier you buy, the better the seats.

Which slots are best, how do you play table games, and what about video poker?

Which Slots Pay Best?

Almost universally, the higher the denomination, the bigger the percentage of payback it will have (it will keep a smaller chunk of every dollar you run through it, letting you play longer for a chance at a jackpot).

However, a common mistake negates this knowledge: Not playing a machine with full coins in. Most slot machines will only pay the big jackpot if you play it "loaded" (at the maximum bet). So, play the highest denomination machine you can play loaded.

It is worthless to play $1 a pull in a dollar machine when you have to play $3 a pull to hit the big jackpot. If you want to play around $1 a pull, find a quarter machine that will take three quarters at a time, and you must have three quarters in to hit the big jackpot. Although the $1 machines might be a little looser, you negate that advantage if you can't hit the big jackpot.

Beware: Many of the newer nickel (and even penny) slots require a huge investment to play them loaded. It isn't uncommon for a nickel machine to eat up 45 nickels when played loaded. That is $2. 25 a pull!

You are better off playing a quarter machine that takes only a 2-3 quarters a pull. You'll be gambling less each time to push the button (or pull the handle), but probably playing a looser machine.

How Do You Play Table Games?

You've seen people yelling and whooping it up at the table games. And yet you stand and watch and you can't figure out what the hell they are doing! Why do they place chips here and there, what do bets pay, why does the dealer do this and that?

Good questions. They look intimidating, but really aren't. And think about it: The casino floor is a sea of slots because those are the casino money-makers. You can't hit a jackpot on table games, but you are likely to lose less and have a better shot of coming out ahead.

Explaining the nuances of every game is beyond the scope of our FAQ. Go to your local bookstore and buy one of those $7.95 "How To Gamble" books that covers the basics of every game.

Then buy one of those bargain bin "Vegas Casino" software games. You can learn at your own pace and will find yourself surprisingly up-to-speed when you try the real thing. How do we know? That is how we learned and glad we did.

What About Video Poker?

This is one game that should be played full coins in. That big royal flush prize only applies to a maximum coin bet.

As suggested above, play the machine you can afford to play loaded, even if it is only a nickel machine. Take the multi-play games into account also. Only play them if you can afford to play max bet on every line, or you are setting yourself up to hit a royal flush, but not get the sizeable bonus that a royal pays when you have "full coins in."

Video poker is one game where skill counts. There are an almost infinite variety of video poker games. Double Double Bonus, Bonus Deluxe, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, and many more. They all need to be played with a different strategy. This is one game that will chow your money if you don't know what you are doing, but gives you a great shot of winning if you do.

So you know how to play poker? Playing around the kitchen table is not the same game. With video poker, you are playing against a machine to obtain the best paying hand, not trying to see if your hand beats others.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, go buy a couple of books on the subject if you want to play video poker to win. Otherwise, you are probably better off playing regular slots.