Trip Report: Atlantis Comp Stay via Caesars Rewards
I recently completed a five-night comp stay in Atlantis, Paradise Island, in The Bahamas. Learn how I spent very little during the stay and met the four-hour gambling requirement with minimal cost. In 2025, I earned Caesars Rewards Diamond Elite status (75,000 Tier Credits), mostly from online Blackjack and in-person Video Poker play during 10x […]
Get The Most From ZorkFest With Gambling Sessions And Advice
ZorkFest is a conference where casino and travel rewards meet. Casino reward points and comps come from cash spending at restaurants and retail outlets in casinos, as well as gambling. The vast majority of the TravelZork community is proficient at generating rewards from retail spending. However, they might not understand the intricacies of earning rewards […]
Vegas News | Bally’s Has A Plan, Free Music Festival and More Cheap Gambling!
Before diving into the various Vegas News items over the past couple of weeks, I’m curious if anyone in the TravelZork fam took advantage of the big 5-Day Sale by the LVCVA. The deals weren’t great to me, and I’m curious if anything stood out to anyone. On a related note, the casino earnings season […]
Vegas News | A’s Stadium Construction Update, More Vegas Adjacent Deals, And Metallica Is Interested In Vegas
I’ve been sharing progress on A’s baseball stadium construction weekly. Here’s the past seven days for those of you who are curious about the future of the Tropicana site. I don’t normally follow GLPI’s earnings because it’s a real estate company, but the most recent update has some interesting info: “Finally, in Las Vegas, we […]
Learn Video Poker | How to Get Started
Learn Video Poker | Generally, video poker has better long term theoretical odds than slots but you have to learn how to play it. You must find and play only machines with the best pay tables and learn the strategies well enough to get close to realizing the best odds you can find.
When You Gamble Perfectly But Still Lose
You’ve heard the expression, “The operation was a success but the patient died.” What does it mean? Could it relate to the concept of: “Gamble Perfectly But Still Lose?”
Vegas News | KISS Storming Virgin, Wynn Is Turning 20, And Star Wars Burlesque Is Coming To Rio
Where should we start Vegas News today? Between MGM Resorts, Wynn Las Vegas, and Wrestlemania, the possibilities are endless. After a brief walk around my building, I think we’ll start with something you should all be familiar with, but it’s a place this news column with info from the past two weeks should begin just […]
Let’s Talk About Gambling!
There was a time when my focus covering Las Vegas was on gambling. That’s changed a lot as Las Vegas has changed. I still gamble often but don’t write about it much since the powers that be aren’t looking for as much coverage. Gambling has been shrinking for decades as a percentage of overall revenue […]
Vegas News | New Outdoor Bar Opens At Plaza, NBA Con This Summer And New $2 Billion Venue Has Obstructed View Seats
The two-year saga about the Oakland A’s possibly moving to Las Vegas might finally be coming to the finish line. Also, in other sports news, be sure to check out NBA Con!
Vegas News | New Casino Games, The Venetian Is Changing And Bally’s Opens An Arcade
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) blew through Las Vegas this week. As always, it was a fun time seeing new games, meeting new people, and connecting with others I don’t see very often.
Vegas News | Casino Earnings Continue, Caesars Palace Casino Shines And New Retail On The Vegas Strip
We’re going to start Vegas News with a look at casino earnings again. The season is over, so we can get back to regular news about what’s happening in and around Las Vegas next week. Also, some sparkling news about Caesars Palace Las Vegas and why Caesars Palace Casino shines!
Vegas News | WSOP Moving To The Vegas Strip And More Parking Fees
We just finished a relatively slow news week in Las Vegas, except for news about WSOP moving to the Vegas Strip. News tends to slow down in Las Vegas after the final earnings reports heading into the holidays. Day-to-day marketing mostly evolves around holiday events and sales. Side note – check your favorite property for current deals. There are plenty available.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Is All About Raiders, Pirates and Fluorescent Baby Polar Bears
Wowsers, for the first time in about a while there’s hardly any COVID-19 news in Las Vegas. There have been no changes in policies so everything remains the same as the past few weeks. Having said that, this will be a relatively shorter Vegas News.
Casino Loyalty | Casino Comps vs. Cashback
Casino Comps and Cashback are both perks that casinos offer to players to encourage them to gamble. They are related but they are different.
Best Video Poker in Las Vegas
It’s getting harder to find full pay video poker in Las Vegas, but until the costs outweigh the benefits, I will continue to play. I cannot provide a comprehensive list of the best video poker in Las Vegas, as I did with Atlantic City. Fortunately, I have been going to Las Vegas for many years and know about most of the low denomination (25c or below) opportunities.
Learning Video Poker Strategy at a Video Poker Bar
Scott Roeben, founder of the Vital Vegas blog and podcast, asked me some questions about video poker strategy, during my interview at the live broadcast of Vegas Confessions Podcast in November. He followed up by interviewing me for the Vital Vegas Podcast and we spoke off the record about his quest to hit his first Royal Flush.
Nuggets of Casino Wisdom | Best Video Poker in Atlantic City
I have been on a quest to find the highest returning video poker for 14 years now, so I thought I’d make a list of the best video poker in Atlantic City.
Playing Video Poker is More Than Video Poker Pay Tables
This post is NOT to tell you what to do, but instead to consider the reasons and possibilities. Playing video poker and video poker pay tables there are many things to consider if you want to give yourself the best chances to win. Let’s look at the big picture.
Video Poker | The Kind Of Attitude Problems That Benefit Video Poker Play
In casinos, their basic program is that the players lose. I don’t like that program. Going along with that program isn’t a way to come out ahead. So I regularly look for exceptions and sometimes find them. And when I do find them, and I think the exceptions are to my benefit,
The Truth About Video Poker – Jacks or Better
If you are a Video Poker Player, the Truth is…
That you should learn to play Jacks or Better perfectly and stick with it unless you have a really good reason to play something else.
[UPGRADED] Promotion Borgata Atlantic City | 5X Slot Dollar Day
Slot Dollar Day Promotion Borgata Atlantic City – This Saturday, June 23rd, the Borgata is running a 5X Slot Dollar day. The upgrades are that the multiplier day is on a weekend, which is rare and the 5X Slot Dollars can be earned for the ENTIRE gaming day.
Treasure Island | A Vegas Story for the Ages
Our destination…the place we could fit the most for the least. That place was the all new Treasure Island at the Mirage. (AKA The OG Encore). And for a splendid night of debauchery, myself and 21 of my peers piled into a room for the night. Buffets and my first slot experience later, Las Vegas became ingrained in me just as it had with my family before me.
Casino Review | Good Blackjack And Cheap (or comp) Macallan At Treasure Island Las Vegas
Generally, I visit Treasure Island to play blackjack. They promote the casino as having great 3:2 blackjack and they deliver. If you’re looking for good gambling and affordable food and drink the casino is definitely a place that should be on your radar.
Unintended Consequences | Casino Drink Monitoring
My feelings on the casino drink monitoring systems at the Cosmopolitan, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International casino bars are mixed. I generally don’t mind the systems, especially at the Cosmopolitan, but I’m not entirely happy they have to exist.
Blackjack and Brews At The Linq Las Vegas
If I am at The Linq and someone wants to play low limits blackjack and won’t go to another casino, I’d steer them to the pit that offers better beer. At least I’m getting good suds and more alcohol with each drink than I would in the rest of the casino.
Being an Informed Gambler
When I ‘m playing video poker, conversations often start with other players and I’m still surprised that there are so many players who are adamant in their belief in verifiable falsehoods. I gently try to steer them towards the correct strategy or odds, but I usually get overruled.
Vegas News | More Drink Monitoring, Wynn Expansion Shrinks And More
Drink monitoring systems may not affect you if you’re visiting a video poker bar in a casino specifically to play video poker. It’s a different story if you’re passively playing video poker expecting complimentary drinks. The systems aren’t ubiquitous…yet.
Why I Keep a Gambling Log
I really do try to be an Advantage Player, but the Degenerate within, has more power than I’d like it to. In order to validate the Advantage player, while taming the Degenerate, I keep a Gambling Log.
Vegas News | Lots Happening And Not Happening On The North Vegas Strip
I’ve just started noticing Christmas music in casinos so I guess it’s officially the holiday season. Las Vegas is usually quite festive for the holidays but the big news last week from the north end of the Vegas Strip doesn’t fit the bill.
The Cosmopolitan Has The Best Video Poker Bars On The Vegas Strip
For my money, there’s really one drink monitoring system that is customer friendly. It should come as no surprise that the only luxury property with a drink monitoring system, the Cosmopolitan, offers the overall best system for the customers. Below is information on how I ended up with this decision.
Las Vegas | Exploring Cosmopolitan Comp Drink Monitoring At The Chandelier Bar
It’s amazing how life works sometimes. I’ve been meaning to visit the Cosmopolitan to a) check out the renovated Chandelier Bar and b) see how their comp drink monitoring system worked. Unfortunately, my travels haven’t taken me to the Cosmopolitan. I’ve tested the Caesars Entertainment drink system and the MGM Resorts drink system so I felt compelled to give it a run. It turns out I had a meeting at my favorite bar on the Vegas Strip (Chandelier Bar) this week. This gave me a chance to knock two things out at once. Boom!
Testing Caesars Comp Drink Monitoring System In Las Vegas
Caesars Comp Drink Monitoring I recently met up with a friend who was staying at The Linq and wanted to watch football. After checking into the hotel we didn’t get out to catch the games until noon or so. This was when the 2nd half of most of the early games were beginning. The second half […]
Sunday News | More New Slot Machines And The Backstreet Boys Come To Vegas
I don’t know about you, but one of the best feelings I’ve had in Las Vegas was seeing all of the slot machines as soon as I walked off the airplane at McCarran Airport. Most of the slot machines just sat there quietly. However, there was one slot machine that would actually greet the visitors. The chants of “Wheel. Of. Fortune” would be ingrained in my head before even getting to the baggage carousel.
Video Poker | How Happy Do You Get With A Royal Flush?
Last year I read Michael Craig’s “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King,” which was about a banker from Texas, Andy Beal, taking on the best poker players in the world, one at a time, in heads up limit Texas Hold’em poker. For a discussion of the book, you can listen to the March […]
Las Vegas | Free Drinks Were Flowing At The Mirage Lobby Bar
You may know the Mirage Lobby Bar as one of the first bars in Las Vegas to install a free drinks ticket system for their video poker/slot machines.
Video Poker Coaching Done Right – Bob Dancer
Video poker coaching isn’t just about odds and techniques, but also about the person who’s playing. Everyone has their own style, games & knowledge..
Risk Of Ruin | The Truth About Advantage Play
Risk of Ruin is a concept you should consider if you want to continue casino play on a regular basis. You can usually manage a fair gamble against the casinos if you study the games and play at optimal times but that just makes it more probable that you will break even or better over the long run.
Sunday News | From The Chandelier Cosmopolitan To Billionaires
In this weeks Sunday News we cover everything from the reopening of the Chandelier bar at Cosmopolitan to the popularity of Vegas for billionaires.
Where’s The Best Place To Play Video Poker?
Every month I get at least three emails with some variation of the following: “I’ll be in Las Vegas next month and I want to know the best place to play video poker.”
How To Decide Which Video Poker Game To Play
In video poker, things are very much opposite from the situation described above. You can learn everything you need to know about a game by looking at the pay schedule, denomination, slot club, and current promotions — assuming you know how to read the “code”. There is no additional information available by tasting — for me anyway. Your score over five minutes or five hours tells you absolutely nothing relevant about whether or not you should keep playing.
Many people have a tough time accepting this concept. After all, in most things in life, you learn as you go. But not here.
Sunday News | From Corporate Speak To Sharknado 4
This week’s Sunday News takes you from MGM Resorts International and the latest Wynn Resorts stories to the important things in life like Sharknado.
My First Visit To Montecristo Vegas Cigar Bar At Caesars Palace
In recent years it seems as though everything that’s opened Caesars Palace hasn’t fit into the box of the original theme. Montecristo Cigar Bar is no different.
Video Poker | Five Hundred Dollars Isn’t The Same As Five Hundred Dollars
To me, the $500 loss at this casino isn’t a real loss. I know there are swings up and down. I STRONGLY BELIEVE I’m going to come out ahead at gambling over the course of a year.
Video Poker | Not All Lessons Are Learned So Easily – Bob Dancer
The way the class operates is that I go around the class and ask everyone in turn a question. I was coming up to Tom, Dick, and Harry — likely not their real names.
Video Poker | Have You Got What It Takes? – Bob Dancer
If you lack basic intelligence, video poker study probably isn’t going to help you very much. You might learn enough to lose less over time, but you’ll never be very good. Anyone who claims that everybody can be successful at video poker is mistaken.
Video Poker | How To Learn The Right Lessons – Bob Dancer
Bob Dancer enlightens us about how you can learn the right lessons when playing video poker: “Experience can be a great teacher.”
Video Poker | Listening To My Mentor – 10x Points At Borgata
Video Poker: My mentor (Bob Dancer, unbeknownst to him) made a comment on one of my articles, that I should put myself in a position to bump up to dollars..
How To Play Video Poker The Smart Way – Part 3
Sharp Angles Can Cut You One casino was offering a Card of the Day (COD) promotion, where players hitting a 4-of-a-kind in the designated COD received an additional jackpot of from 100 to 125 coins, depending on the denomination. Each player received a different COD which he didn’t know until he came into the casino […]
The Cromwell | Some Of The Best Affordable Gambling On The Strip
The Cromwell opened in 2014 using the bones of Bill’s Gambling Hall and Saloon (it was Barbary Coast before that). The new boutique hotel and casino was, and still is, seen by some
How To Play Video Poker The Smart Way – Part 2
“Dear Mr. Dancer: I am not a greedy player. Unfortunately, neither am I lucky. I start out each session playing for nickels. If I get ahead $20, I quit for the day. If I get behind, I switch to dimes. If that still goes bad, I try quarters, and then eventually half-dollars, dollars, and then a maximum of $2…”
How To Play Video Poker The Smart Way – Part 1
So let’s say your score has been in a freefall for twenty minutes straight. Is this a sign the machine is “cold” or “bad” or something? Not at all.
Las Vegas | Let’s Take A Closer Look At The D Casino
When you first look at The D casino floor you immediately see the energy and fun confined to what seems to be a small casino. What you don’t see is…
How To Solve The Video Poker Puzzle – Part 2
Will Things Break Even In Video Poker? I was reading a column by Mike Caro in a poker magazine several years ago where he argued that in live poker, things will not break even over the course of a year or even a lifetime.
How To Solve The Video Poker Puzzle – Part 1
How Does It Make You Feel? Assume you start with 100 credits on your favorite machine. Over the next twenty minutes, you build up the credits to 350. Full houses are coming with a nice regularity, as are straights and flushes. Four-of-a-kinds are appearing at twice their usual frequency. Life is indeed beautiful. This is […]
Why You Might Be Disappointed With A Straight Flush Jackpot: Part ||
Who Would Have Better Results? Also read part 1 of this article “Why Don’t Straight Flushes Pay More?“ I’ve asked the question presented below to probably 5,000 people at my various “Secrets of a Video Poker Winner” classes over the years. Somewhat less than half of the listeners get the answer correct and the rest […]
Is The Video Poker Game Soon To Be Over?
I love video poker. I mean, I really LOVE it! Sitting at a machine for hours, playing, drinking and hopefully winning is my idea of heaven. Focusing my attention on the strategy of the game relaxes me, so I’ve been diligent in becoming an informed gambler. I’ve been able to play with a long […]
Why You Might Be Disappointed With A Straight Flush Jackpot: Part |
Why Don’t Straight Flushes Pay More? Straight flushes, which consist of five consecutive cards in the same suit, are tough to get. In Jacks or Better (also called Draw Poker), straight flushes happen every 9,000 hands or so and are paid 250 coins. Compare that to 4-of-a-kinds, which happen every 430 hands or so […]
Casino Gaming | Video Poker vs. Blackjack | Part II
Continuing our conversation from Part I, Skilled or lucky, blackjack players are frequently barred from playing. This happens less often at video poker, even when players consistently win, although it does happen more today than it did several years ago. Why? I think the reason is that the general public thinks that card counting at […]
Casino Gaming | Video Poker vs. Blackjack | Part I
Casino gaming explained: There is considerable overlap between blackjack players and video poker players. Let’s look at why.
Casino Gaming | Why I Prefer Video Poker To Slots
Video poker machines are not at all the same as slot machines. For the most part, the two machines attract a totally different set of players from each other — players who gamble for very different reasons. Let’s compare gambling on a machine to traveling in a car across the country. The video poker players […]
Casino Gaming | Video Poker vs. Regular Poker
Some time ago, a friend and I were walking through a casino. He stopped in front of a Double Bonus video poker machine and started to deposit quarters. I commented that I didn’t know he played that game. He responded that he played REAL poker, so surely he could handle this. When I later asked […]
Casino Loyalty Cards are Similar to Those of Airlines and Hotels — But Not the Same – Part III
Picking up where I left off in Part II, in this final segment I shall continue to discuss how casino cards are different from hotel and airline loyalty cards. 5. Many casinos offer the option of having joint players’ cards — usually between a husband and wife, but not necessarily. This is an option, meaning […]
Casino Loyalty Cards are Similar to Those of Airlines and Hotels — But Not the Same – Part II
This month, I want to discuss how casino loyalty cards are different from hotel and airline loyalty cards. While we will be discussing the differences among the cards, we will cover many of the same subjects as we did when discussing the similarities.
Casino Loyalty Cards are Similar to Those of Airlines and Hotels — But Not the Same – Part I
Since you found me on TravelZork, I assume most of you are far more fluent in loyalty cards created by hotels and airlines than I am — but I’m probably more knowledgeable than you in casino player tracking systems. Let me tell you why I make that claim. In 1993, at the age of 46, […]