We’ve all heard the jokes, “If you wanna double your money in Vegas, take it out and fold it in half and put in back in your pocket” or “How do you make a small fortune in Vegas, start with a large one!”
The irony is that most of us don’t have a large fortune to start with but we’d like to win at least a small one… once in awhile… OK maybe just once.
There is a secret to winning in Vegas and it’s not as complex as cracking the Da Vinci Code. It does however require a lot of effort before and during your trip and a small kine visit from Lady Luck.
The most expensive real estate in the world “The Strip” is built on math and the Law of Large Numbers (downtown is too). The casino almost always has an edge on the player.
The Law of Large Numbers (LLN) is called “the first fundamental theorem of probability” and for folks like you and me it means the casino may lose a few hands (bets or slot pulls) short term (our vacation) but over a large number of trials (hands, games or slot pulls) the house edge will win out.
To secure and even increase their edge the casinos invest a lot of time, money and effort into seducing players, from the scantily clad pretty cocktail waitresses to the friendly dealers and free alcohol. It’s no accident that casinos are built with no windows or clocks or that the carpet is designed with a chaotic almost irritating pattern to keep you looking up at the tables and machines. Some casino’s go so far as to pipe in a specific scent to keep players in the mood. Hate to be the only player at the table; you’re not alone that’s why the casinos employ shills (someone who’s job is to sit at a table and make minimum bets hour after hour). Don’t like to sit at a slot machine with someone next to you; the casinos are changing the long banks of slot machines into smaller, round configurations.
What’s an average player to do when facing the casino Goliath with math on his side? Be David. The internet is filled with knowledge on your favorite game. Some of these strategies are developed using sophisticated computer modeling to put the Law of Large Numbers on your side. Know the best bets in a casino and put the math to work for you.
Next month here on Oceanic’s Around Hawaii, How to Win in Vegas Part II.
For the latest Vegas news and more Kimo’s Vegas visit us at www.kimosvegas.com.
