Luxe Living on Vivid Magazine - International Chinese Luxury and Style

LUXE LIVING

In The Know

Spring 2010
In the Know
By Laurel Chung and Angelic Shen

Comped suites at the hottest casinos, entry to exclusive events, flights and limos all paid for – these are just some of the perks of being a high roller. When my friend Daniel came back from yet another comped stay in Vegas, this time at the new Aria Hotel and Casino of City Center, I had to ask about his exciting escapades. What games did he play and how did he play it? Also, how did he manage not to wipe out his bankroll? Living the high life might not be as elusive as you think.

Comp Me Please…
Whether you’re playing the $50-$100 minimum blackjack table or the 50-cents slot machine, you will get complimentary beverages. That is just one example of casino comps. Comps are to get players to come back as future loyal customers. Casinos want to know who you are and make you feel special—so let them. Sign up for a free player’s reward or club card at every casino you like. Then, every time you gamble at a slot machine or on a table, you’ll accumulate points or benefits.

It’s up to you to get your well-deserved comps. Do not hesitate to go up to the casino club booth and ask whether you have enough points to get extra benefits. If you never ask, you’ll never receive.

Need Extra Comp Tips?
• If you’re a beginner, don’t start off by gambling with a lot of money. Casinos often offer free lessons on how to play popular table games, such as craps or blackjack.
• Have a go-to game. Know the ins and outs of a game and be confident in playing bigger hands. Take some of your winnings from your go-to game and bet small on other games to build your knowledge.
• Be friendly and be loyal. Befriend the dealer, pit boss, and ultimately your host. If they like you, they’re more likely to give you better comps. Also refer players to your club card casino. They’ll note that on your account. Play frequently, even if you’re not betting a lot per session.
• Play with pennies. If you want to have a good time without breaking the bank, there are lots of themed slots that are entertaining and affordable.

Tips on Tipping
Dealers are not quite like waiters or waitresses because the benefits from their services are not always physically tangible. However, dealers provide us a different type of service. Blackjack dealers will sometimes suggest you split a pair or roulette dealers will give ample time to place your bets. Some might automatically notify a floor supervisor of when you buy in to make sure you get more comps. Other dealers may put you at ease with a light conversation or stay quiet if you like to play in peace. Do not tip if you did not win but if you did, I would suggest tipping 2%.

Be a High Roller or Just Roll Like One
With some gaming knowledge underneath your belt and Lady Luck by your side, you can win some or even win big. To limit your losses, understand the games before you play and take gambling as a form of entertainment. Predetermine how much money you want to gamble with and be cool-headed enough to walk away from the table when the “hot streak” is over. Here are some of the most popular table games to get you started.

Roulette
Roulette is played at an elongated table with a wheel at one end and a table of numbers 00, 0, and 1 through 36. Players can place bets on either a number, a range of numbers, on the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. The dealer spins the Roulette wheel in one direction and drops a ball in the opposite direction. Eventually the ball stops on the winning colored number. The payout odds for each type of bet is based on its probability.

Tips and Tricks
• Understand the house edge and payout odds. For example, in Roulette tables with 0 and 00, there are 38 numbers on the table. If you place a bet on a single number, a winning bet will pay 35 to 1. This means you get your original bet back plus 35 times the bet in winnings. If there were no 0 and 00 on the table, the odds of winning would correspond to the payout. But with those numbers added, the true odds are 37 to 1. By paying less than the true odds, the house has built in an advantage of 5.26%.
• Listed minimums for inside and outside bets are not created equal. The inside betting area consists of the individual numbers. The outside betting area are bets in the boxes surround the numbers. You can bet on whether the winning number will be red or black, odd or even, or lie within series, a column, or within a dozen consecutive numbers. While the listed minimums for inside and outside bets may be the same, they do not mean the same thing. With a $5 inside bet, it is permissible to spread 5 $1 chips on different numbers. A $5 outside bet, however, means you must wage the entire $5 on an individual bet.
• Watch for your payoffs. On winning inside bets, most dealers will push winnings to you but leave the original bet in place. On winning outside bets, most dealers will leave the winnings next to the original bet. In both cases, it is up to you to move the original bet if you do not want to make the same wager again.
• Play with a full table. The house edge is high in roulette and save for exceptional circumstances, no strategy can overcome it. However, you can minimize your exposure by playing with a full table. A full table means less turns of the wheel per hour, which slows down the time your money is exposed to the house edge. Plus, it could be fun to strike up a conversation with the hot guy or girl next to you.
• Learn sign language. Learning the hand signals for “hit” and “stand” is helpful to prevent the dealer from misunderstanding you in a crowded and noisy casino.

Craps
Craps is the fastest-moving of all casino table games. Whereas blackjack players are quiet in concentration, you can often hear screams, cheers, and shouts from the craps table as players win or lose together. The objective of the game is to predict the outcome of the dice roll by placing bets on them. Each player takes turns throwing the dice. The player with control of the dice is called the “shooter.” Most craps tables consist of double layouts, a mirror image to each other so more players can easily join the game. At the center of one side is the box man, who supervises the game and takes cash collected by the dealers. On the other side is the stickman who uses a stick to push the dice to the shooter and calls the results of each roll. On the remaining two sides are the dealers who takes bets and pays the winnings. There are many intricacies to betting, but newcomers only need to know a few types of bets to get started.

Tips and Tricks
• Learn the most fundamental bet to get started. The most fundamental bet is the Pass Line bet, which is put on the “pass line” itself on a come out roll. The come out roll is the first roll of the dice. Pass bets mean that you are betting with the shooter to roll a 7 or 11. If the roll turns out to be a 2,3, or 12, it’s known as craps, and the pass bets lose. If any other number is rolled, that number is known as the “point.” The shooter will roll the dice until he rolls the same point again, or a 7. If the 7 comes before the point, then you lose.
• Minimize the house edge. You will minimize the house edge if you start with a Pass or Don’t Pass bet, followed by two Come or Don’t Come bets with the highest possible odds. An odds bet is an additional wager that the point will appear before a 7.
• Put your money on the layout. Dealers are not allowed to take money or chips from your hands.
• Take a lesson. Craps can appear intimidating to a beginner because of the jargon used and the fast-paced nature of the game. Taking a free lesson at a casino may ease your anxieties.

Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker is a variation of the Chinese domino game, Pai Gow. It is played with a 53-card deck, including a joker. Each player plays against the banker to make the best possible hands. The banker can be the dealer or another player. Each player arranges his hand into a five-card hand and two-card hand. The five-card hand is ranked as in poker, and the two-card hand is scored by pairs and then by singles. The hands are compared to each of the dealer’s respective hands, and the higher hand wins. The joker can be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush, and is otherwise used as an ace. Pai Gow Poker is more slow-paced, so a modest buy-in can keep you entertained longer relative to other games.

Tips and Tricks
• The five-card hand must have a higher poker ranking than the two-card hand. If set incorrectly, it is called a “foul” and you automatically lose.
• Be the banker. A player can choose to be the banker. The advantage is winning in the case of “copies” – exact tie hands, but the drawback is that the banker must be able to cover the wagers of all the other players at the table.
• Find an empty table. If only you are playing against the dealer, you may be able to bank every other hand.

Baccarat
One of the oldest casino games, Baccarat is played in a roped off area and is popular among high rollers and Asian gamblers. If you want to project an air of mystery, elegance, and don’t mind the high table minimums, then Baccarat is the game for you. Regardless of how many people are playing, only two hands are dealt: the banker hand and the dealer hand. The objective of the game is to correctly guess whether the player’s or banker’s two or three card hand will be closest to 9 or results in a tie. In full-scale Baccarat, the players take turns dealing. In mini-baccarat, which is played on the main floor and has lower table minimums, the dealer plays out both hands.

Tips and Tricks
• Avoid betting on ties. Ties pay 8 to 1, but carries a house edge anywhere from 5 to 14 percent.
• Manage your money. Baccarat is really a guessing game. It can be vulnerable to card counting, but the edge is so negligible that it’s not worth it. Don’t increase your bets when losing, and stick to your limits.
• Understand the rules. Know when to stand and when to hit. Unlike blackjack, there are no “busts” in this game.