Las Vegas visitors bring $788 with them to gamble, according to the Las Vegas Convention Bureau. This is about the size of our normal bankroll.
Here are some simple tips to coming home with more in your pocket.
Cash Out Often
The biggest change to our gambling habit was simply cashing out our winnings and pocketing the pay slips (TITOs). This accomplishes two things: it stops you from burning through your winnings by continuing to play, and it allows you easily track how well you’re doing. If you glance into your wallet and see a bunch of white paper, you’re doing well.
ANECDOTE: I remember getting a very nice line hit (nearly $300) then burning through most of it in less than a minute. Now, if I get a big payout, I immediately pocket it. If I think the slot will pay even more, I’ll add a fresh $100 bill.
Start With $100
Starting with a fresh $100 bill allows you to see the percentage you’re up or down at a glance. A common mistake made by new gamblers is not realizing how much they are winning or losing. By starting a hundred, you know in a second: $131 means 31% up. $87 means down 13%.
A $100 also gives you enough runway to alter your bets if needed. If you typically bet near the minimum, you may need to increase or decrease your bet depending on whether that slot is paying. You’ll often see us change the denom or the multiplier in the middle of a slot session for this exact reason. “Playing it down to zero” is what losers say.
Depending on the slot, the time you decide to cash out should be based on the kickbacks you’re receiving. On high volatility slots like Dragon Link, you need to play it by ear because the kickbacks can be poor or nonexistant. In general, however, if you’re not getting anything, make a change: denom, multiplier, or machine.
Don't Forget to Win
It’s ridiculously easy to forget to win. While watching whizzing balls, flying dragons, and cute bears is fun, unless you see something in the “win” window, try something else.
ANECDOTE: When we started gambling last year we didn’t understand that the animations and sounds were there primarily to distract the player from the fact that they weren’t winning anything. The firecracker game was fun, but we didn’t realize that how many firecrackers were lit was just marketing, unrelated to how close we were to getting the bonus.
The list of what you control why playing slots is short:
- the bet amount
- the machine you play
- the casino you play in
- and how long you play
THE BET AMOUNT
If we’re losing, the bet amount is the first thing we’ll choose. The increase or decrease doesn’t have to be extreme, but the results can be immediate.
THE MACHINE YOU PLAY
We will also change machines. We’ve watched people play the same machine for 30 minutes, feeding a slot that’s giving nothing back. While playing a slot can be entertaining in itself, it’s even better if you’re winning.
THE CASINO YOU PLAY IN
In Las Vegas, casinos along The Strip are known to be tighter than those in other parts of the city. According to statistics published by the Nevada Gaming Commission, the best return rate (Return To Players, or RTP) is highest in Sparks, Nevada. Does that necessarily translate into bigger and more frequent wins for you? Nope.
HOW LONG YOU PLAY
Finally, how long you continue to feed money into a slot is completely up to you. We always take breaks while we’re playing slots. There are natural breaks, such as going to have lunch, but we’ll also stop if we’re losing too much too quickly.