Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

THE CASINOS 219
one that doesn’t hit.) A good rule of thumb is that if your slot doesn’t hit something
in four or five pulls, leave it and go find another. It’s not as though you
won’t have some choice in the matter. Also, each casino has some bank of slots
that they advertise as more loose or with a bigger payback. Try these. It’s what
they want you to do, but what the heck.
SPORTS BOOKS
Most of the larger hotels in Las Vegas have sports-book operations, which look a
lot like commodities-futures trading boards. In some, almost as large as theaters,
you can sit comfortably, occasionally in recliners and sometimes with your own
video screen, and watch ball games, fights, and, at some casinos, horse races on
huge TV screens. To add to your enjoyment, there’s usually a deli/bar nearby that
serves sandwiches, hot dogs, soft drinks, and beer. As a matter of fact, some of the
best sandwiches in Las Vegas are served next to the sports books. Sports books
take bets on virtually every sport (and not just who’ll win, but what the final score
will be, who’ll be first to hit a home run, who’ll be MVP, who’ll wear red shoes,
you name it). They are best during important playoff games or big horse races,
when everyone in the place is watching the same event, shrieking, shouting, and
moaning sometimes in unison. Joining in with a cheap bet (so you feel like you
too have a personal stake in the matter) makes for bargain entertainment.
VIDEO POKER
Rapidly coming up on slots in popularity, video poker works the same way as
regular poker, except you play against the machine. You are dealt a hand, you
pick which cards to keep and which to discard, and then get your new hand.
And, it is hoped, you collect your winnings. This is somewhat more of a challenge
and more active than slots because you have some control (or at least the
illusion of control) over your fate, and it’s easier than playing actual poker with
a table full of folks who probably take it very seriously.
There are a number of varieties of this machine, with Jacks or Better, Deuces
Wild, and so forth. Be sure to study your machine before you sit down. (The best
returns are offered on the Bonus Poker machines; the payback for a pair of Jacks
or better is two times your bet, and three times for three of a kind.) The Holy Grail
of video-poker machines is the 9/6 (it pays nine coins for a full house, six coins for
a flush), but you’ll need to pray a lot before you find one in town. Some machines
offer double down: After you have won, you get a chance to draw cards against
the machine, with the higher card the winner. If you win, your money is doubled
and you are offered a chance to go again. Your money can increase nicely during
this time, and you can also lose it all very quickly, which is most annoying.
Technology is catching up with video poker, too. Now they even have touch
screens, which offer a variety of different poker games, blackjack, and video
slots—just touch your screen and choose your poison.
3 The Casinos
Casino choice is a personal thing. Some like to find their lucky place and stick
with it, while others love to take advantage of the nearly endless choices that
Vegas offers. Everyone should casino-hop at least once to marvel (or get dizzy)
at the decor/spectacle and the sheer excess of it all. But beyond decoration, there
isn’t too much difference. You’ve got your slot machines, your gaming tables,
and your big chandeliers.
Virtually all casinos make sure they have no clocks or windows—they do not
want you to interrupt your losing streak by realizing how much time has passed. Of