Ticket Prices

• They'll run a promotion with "discounts", but if you check the normal price, the savings is super minimal (like $5 per ticket), or you'll have a better deal on your Player's Card, mailed to you, etc. 

• Example: Caesars 2 for $50 ticket week for the High Roller, but you might have a 2-for-1 on your Player's Card that makes it cheaper ($40 total) than the "Special Price" ($50 total), etc. 

Casinos

• They're run as a business, and the people who run them are not smart, so every decision they make is how rip-off the consumer as much as possible 

• Examples: slots don't pay anything the day or two before a holiday, they collect the money short term b/c the operators aren't smart enough to think far ahead, so they grab the cash for a day or two leading up so they can pay minimal wins on the actual holiday - that way you'll post about winning on social media so people will book their trip for the next holiday, etc.

• The place is built on "almost" winning, you'll be amazed at how "close" you get to winning, but somehow always lose (this is to hack your psychology and spend more money because of how close you were to winning so you should try again)

Hotels

• They have constantly changing, difficult to understand, typically not usable "offers"

• Examples: You'll get an email with an offer (like Fontainebleau offering weeknights for $150 including Resort Fees + $150 Slot Credit + $100 Resort Credit, etc. with a 2 night minimum stay), but when you try to book within the redemption window - the link won't work, or if you call they'll say you have to do 3 nights for the offer - whatever they can do to squeeze more money from you or have you NOT take them up on the offer so they can LOOK generous without actually having to do anything 

• They'll have wildly different nightly rates on different sources 

• Example: Vegas.com has one price, Hotels.com has a different price, booking direct has a different price, they'll email you an offer with a different price, they'll have a special "package" offer that rolls in something like free drink tickets but then has a wildly different rate, etc. 

Craps

• Always bet odds if you're betting the pass line - if you're willing to bet, then believe in it!

• The longer the person's roll goes on, remove your odds bet and make it a Come bet, super long rolls rarely hit the point

• If anybody joins the table and bets Don't Pass it usually messes up the vibe and the rolling either knocks that person off the table in short order, or they stay and nobody can get a good roll going after

Slots

"More Ways to Win, More Ways to Lose"

• Huff N' Puff (win on Hardhats, Buzz Saws, Deeds, etc.), get 2 of one symbol and 1 of the other means no bonus, so they mix and block each other

• Yin and Yang effect (different colored trains in Monopoly, different colored balls on Fireball Paradise Lights - so you get 6 items that should start the bonus, but since they're mixed it doesn't do anything)

"Ways to screw you out of the bonus"

• $7 Wheel of Fortune lands on the Gold Spin icon in the final reel - but you don't get a Gold Spin unless it's 3 spin icons..

• Max bonus payout has to be on a specific payline configuration, not just getting the symbols

• Need 4-8 icons to start a bonus (used to be 3 scattered would start it)

• You get 6 icons that should start the bonus, but if you don't also get the treasure chest icon in the final reel, then nothing happens (Buffalo Luxury Line or Raise the Sails, etc.)

"Almost Bonus / Double Rev Ups"

• About 95% of the time - you'll get 2 of the bonus symbols and the machine will rev up and run and run and run, then you'll "almost" get the 3rd symbol but just barely miss it (it will be in the spot above the game where you can see it if it had just moved just a millimeter lower, you'll see it pass by and just missed it, the 3rd symbol will appear on the NEXT spin of the reels, etc.)

"1 penny short"

• The machine knows how much money you have and it will give you some tiny win on your last spin where you'll be 1 penny short of being able to afford another spin - so you better add some more money so you can spin again!

The Strip

Fremont

C-Block Reels

"More Ways to Win, More Ways to Lose"...