When you go to a casino, what's your favorite game?

[LeftofObama]

I haven't had a day to myself in a long time so tomorrow I think I'm going to go hang out at the casino just to get the hell out of town. I'm not a big time gambler, but it sure would be nice to win a lot of money. Heck, if I lose $50 I start getting nervous.

I like to play roulette or just play the slots. I've never been any good at poker or black jack, although I would love to learn how to count cards. Those people who take the house for a bundle of money always seem to impress me.

I think most of the day will be spent people watching and of course the buffet!

[rug]

1. Craps.

[LeftofObama]

2. I kind of get the general idea and rules of how to shoot craps,

it's the betting that confuses the heck out of me. Something about a pass and don't pass line. That exhausts my knowledge of betting at craps.

[rug]

4. The pass/don't pass line bet is pretty straightforward.

There are many sites that explain it quickly. The only other thing to know is to back up your line bet with as much of an odds bet as you can afford. That lowers the house advantage. So that's only two bets to know. Ignore all the other exotic side bets. (I won't even get into the come/don't come bets because it's a too painful eminder of high school.)

[cemaphonic]

15. "As much as you can afford" is lower than people realize though

and I don't think it's great advice for craps newbies.

Casinos don't just make money on the house edge that they build into their games, but also on something that gambling math people call gambler's ruin. If you have a bankroll of $500, and you're betting $5 per hand, win or lose, you'll probably take some of that money home after an evening's play. If you are laying 10x odds however, the odds of you losing your entire bankroll are fairly good. 2x or 3x aren't as extreme obviously, but while they do indeed lower the house edge, it's not quite the deal it's often touted as. You also have to bet in certain multiples do be able to get the true-odds payoff, which can be confusing if you're new to the game/drinking/not quick with mental arithmetic.

Stick with pass/don't pass (and really, craps is a pretty social game, and people will hate you (irrationally, but that's gambling for ya) if you bet the don't pass), so just bet pass and ignore everything else.

[rug]

22. Yeah, craps is fun but it's very fast.

You can lose everything in minutes and, infrequently, win a lot at once.

[Taverner]

3. The "make it look like you're gambling to get free drinks" game

If I can make it out with only spending $1, I will

[NightWatcher]

8. we used to start our evenings in New Orleans at Harrahs doing the same thing

a few dollars in the quarter slots would get us each 5 or so drinks before we hit the French Quarter.

[GObamaGO]

5. Because I am cheap

I play nickel video poker. I hate losing money.

[kwassa]

6. My favorite game is leaving.

can't stand the cigarette smoke.

[RebelOne]

7. It has been years since I have been to a casino.

But I loved the slots when I was in Atlantic City. And when I was in Puerto Rico, I did quite well at roulette.

[name not needed]

9. Blackjack

[driver8]

10. Pai Gow Poker!!

Easy to play and a lot of fun!

Plus, your money lasts longer than at blackjack or craps.

[cmdrowens]

11. BlackJack.

It's an easy game to learn and play.

[Major Nikon]

12. The buffet

[av8rdave]

13. 3 card poker

Easy game, easy to converse while you play, and the potential for some good payouts if you play the Pair Plus bet.

Twice lately I've hit straight flush (40:1 payout) and several times 3 of a kind (30:1 payout).

[pokerfan]

14. NLHE

A tournament if I have the time or a cash limit game if not.

If I just want to hang out with people and/or don't feel like concentrating, then craps. No fancy betting, just pass/don't pass as described above.

[MiddleFingerMom]

16. The only time I've ever been in a casino was when I arranged to meet a friend in Atlantic City.

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We would then drive down to her home in Cape May, NJ.
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I took the casino bus in from about 20 miles WNW of Philly. It cost about
$16 and they would give you a $20 roll of quarters when you got to the
casino itself.
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Well, you had to walk ALL the way to the back of the casino, past every
slot and gaming table in there (so that you would have to walk back past
them with your $20 on your way out).
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No problem. No temptation. I've always figured that everybody should
avoid one serious vice -- and mine was gambling.
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But, though I had been through some seriously stressful situations as
a medic and stayed calm and cool through quite a number of situations
where death was a possibility... I felt like I was experiencing a steadily
increasing panic attack simply walking back through that casino. By the
time I reached the front doors again, I was literally RUNNING to get out.
.
I got outside and sat down nearby... taking out my guitar and playing to
calm myself (funny -- security approached me and let me know in no
uncertain terms that I would not be allowed to panhandle with the music.
You'd realize JUST how funny that was if you ever heard me play).
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I was at a loss until a friend reminded me how much serious aggression
is involved in gambling -- and that I had unknowingly picked up those
vibes or pheromones or whatever -- and I had pretty much panicked as
I couldn't figure out why I was feeling the tension/stress that I was.
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I haven't felt like venturing into a casino since.
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[LeftofObama]

18. I think your friend is right.

The closer you get to the gaming tables, etc. you really can feel it. Best to avoid them.

For me, I like to just find a small $ slot machine (penny or nickle) grab a coffee (free, of course) and people watch. You would be surprised what you see and hear people say in a casino. I love the bells and whistles and lights, but I know I'm just not a lucky kinda guy so I'm not about to donate large sums of money that I don't have to waste. Heck, if I lose $50 I start thinking, "Dammit! I could have bought gas with that!" So I stop.

One weakness I have though is the buffet. I eat healthy most of the time, but when I go there I have to admit I do pig out on the buffet.

[MiddleFingerMom]

19. I used to LOVE going to the Golden Corral buffet -- probably once every month or two.

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ALL through my three-month post-surgical ordeal a year-and-a-half ago, I kept having
fantasies about going there (just once or twice a year) once I got out.
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Wouldn't you know it, the one on my end of Tucson (one short bus trip) had shut down
while I was in the hospital.
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There's one pretty far away (an almost full-length TWO-bus trip). I've still been fantasizing
and talked to my dietician during this most recent stay this past week. She knows how
knowledgeable and aggressive I am in eating right -- recommended foods, label-reading,
etc. -- and also knew that the "proper" and "smart" response would be "don't do it at all".
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She also knows that I'm not always smart and that "don't do it at all" would not register.
She actually gave me advice on how to minimize the negative effects. COOL and realistic
dietician. That hospital is SO fine!!!!!
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So... soon you may see me post a glowing review of their pot roast and/or their dessert
bar. Then again... I may spend the NEXT year-and-a-half just fantasizing about it again.
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AN-TI-CI----------------------PATION.
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M-m-m-m-m... Susan. Then OR now. M-m-m-m-m.
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,
,

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[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. People-watching

It's entertaining, and most of all, it's cheap.

Buffet is also entertaining, just not as cheap.

[LynneSin]

20. Finding the Exit Door

Not much on Casinos. The few times I've gone I'll usually limit myself to $20 and then when I'm done I'm ready to go.

[LWolf]

21. I sit in the sports book,

make $2 bets on horse racing, get free drinks and cheap food all day, and walk away breaking even, or maybe with an extra $20 or so in my pocket.

At least, that's what I used to do when traveling with the ex, who was often posted for a week or two at a time in Vegas. I'd stay busy without losing money while waiting for him to get "home" from work.

It's been more than a decade since I've actually gone to a casino.

[Xyzse]

23. I've never been to a Casino as an adult

I want to try my luck on Black Jack though.

[MineralMan]

24. Favorite Game: Find the Exit.

[Spike89]

25. I like to play the long-odds games

specifically roulette and keno, I'll also play a bit on the slots. I'm very aware that the house odds are relatively high on those games, but if I'm going to dream about getting lucky, I don't want it to be on a 3:2 bet where my dollar pays out $1.50, I want the lights spinning, bells going off, and enough of a payout to take some cash home.

The day I got married (it was the 13th) my wife and I came back to our hotel/casino from the wedding and on a whim, I put a $5 chip (left over from playing the night before) straight up on 13. It hit, pretty much amazing the table, and I collected $185 and walked away. Another time, my wife and I decided to walk from a Vegas convention event back to our hotel...it was longer than we'd estimated and we were tired (and wanted a free drink) so we popped into a small casino just off the strip and bought a measly 65-cent keno ticket and got drinks...the ticket hit for $1100 and we were energized enough to get back to the hotel.

Overall, like most people who've been a casino more than a few times, I'm probably an overall loser, but those "big" wins were probably worth the small losses I usually have when I gamble.

[Moondog]

26. Baccarat. If you can find it.

Why? It's easy. No real skill involved. Which, since I have none, is a good thing. And the house odds aren't too onerous.