BELLAGIO Las Vegas. This high-end Strip casino is one of the best spots in Sin City for playing some cards, both tournaments and cash games, and features 40 tables and two high-limit areas. The casino is easily accessible by bus, taxi, or walking from other nearby casinos. The Best Casino Games For Advantage Players. The house edge varies between casino games and types of bets. For example, the house edge in Baccarat can be as low as 1.06% or as high as 14.36%. As with many casino games, the key to getting good at video poker is practice. There are some tips you can employ to improve your skills, but free games are generally the best way to get good.
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Tourists often have a hard time finding good returns on video poker when visiting Las Vegas. This is mainly because most of the games on the Las Vegas Strip have a house edge of at least 2%. On top of that, the games at McCarran Airport are far worse than any of the games you’ll find at many Vegas casinos. Serious video poker players will want to stay away from the Strip all together when visiting Las Vegas, or at least take a short taxi ride to find the better games with a higher RTP.
While that is the case, there are still many options available to casino advantage players; you just have to know where to look. Below we’ll go into further detail on how you can find the best casinos to play video poker when visiting Las Vegas.
#1 The D: Best Video Poker Game in Las Vegas
The single best video poker machine in Las Vegas is located at one of my personal favorites; The D. The casino at The D is located downtown on the Fremont Street Experience, which you’ll recognize by the infamous red “D” logo. The game we are talking about is called Loose Deuces Wild and it returns 101.6% on five coins (with perfect play).
There is just one single machine with this game on it at The D, and it’s located on the second floor. All machines found on this level operate on coins. The denomination for this Loose Deuces Wild machine is a measly $.05. If that machine is taken, there is also a 10/7/5 Double Bonus game available in quarters just a few steps away.
Honorable Mention: Video Poker at The M Resort & Casino
We recently decided to add in The M Resort & Casino as an honorable mention. As of 2018, The M has one of the best overall video poker offerings for players among casinos in the Las Vegas area. When considering the 99% payback games available at machines around the resort, including at the bars, The M casino in Henderson is a great choice for video poker players.
There are many 99% machines available in the high limit room as well, with denominations as low as $1. This casino is about 20 minutes off the strip, but is one of the newest properties in Henderson and has one of the most modern layouts among Las Vegas Casinos.
Other Great Video Poker Games in Downtown Las Vegas
The D is not the only place on Fremont Street to find good video poker games that return over 100%. While the Vegas Strip’s positive payback video poker machines are few and far between, Fremont Street has a lot to offer in this regard. Below we have outlined the casinos with positive payback on video poker.
#2 El Cortez Video Poker
The El Cortez offers several $0.25 full pay Deuces Wild machines which have a 100.76% payback. Aside from this, they also spread 10/7/5 Double Bonus Poker in several locations on the casino floor. With this abundance of great options, it is one of the best casinos to visit for playing video poker.
#3 Las Vegas Club Video Poker (Now Closed)
The casino at Las Vegas Club in downtown Las Vegas spreads full pay Joker Poker which has a 100.64% return. All of these games operate on coins and return over 100%, which is much better than those located on the strip. This casino has since been sold, closed and a new property will take its place. For posterity and reference, we have left this in our guide.
#4 Boyd Gaming Video Poker
Two of the three Boyd Gaming properties in downtown Las Vegas offer video poker machines that return over 100%. In downtown Las Vegas, California and Main Street Station have 10/7/5 Double Bonus. These casinos also have a variety of full pay games that return 99.5% or better. Main Street Station has full pay Jacks or Better at the bar as well.
#5 Plaza Las Vegas Video Poker
It is also worth noting that Plaza Las Vegas recently upgraded all of its video poker machines, many of which now return over 100%. Its best game is 10/7/5 Double Bonus, which returns 100.17%. It also has 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe and 9/6 Jacks or Better. Both of these games are located at the bar, which is an added plus.
Vegas Locals’ Casinos with the Best Video Poker
If you are looking to get away from Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip, there are many locals casinos that offer 100%+ return video poker machines. All major Station Casinos properties offer video poker games that return over 100%. Red Rock, Santa Fe Station, Green Valley Ranch, Boulder Station and Texas Station are among the casinos that offer these games. Not all machines at these properties have the great returns. The ones that do will be clearly advertised, so they are fairly easy to spot.
The best game on these video poker machines is full pay Deuces Wild. Other great options include 10/7/5 Double Bonus and 10/6 Double Double Bonus. Some of the machines also offer full pay Joker Poker. All games are available in quarters. The Double and Double Double Bonus games are also available in $.50 and $1 denominations.
Palms spreads full pay Deuces Wild, Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus. Sam’s Town also offers these games. All are available in quarters.
Never Use Players Card in Full Pay Machines
When many Video poker players start out, they learn that they should always use a players card when giving video poker action. The games listed above are one of the only exceptions. The reason for this is that casinos will often assume players that play on these devices are experts who are giving up no edge on the game. This can stop all mailers from casinos which means no more free play or hotel offers. For this reason it will do you well to avoid using a players card on these types of machines; even if you have a players card at the casino.
How Can Casinos Make Money Off 100% Video Poker?
Casinos still make money from video poker games that return more than 100%. That is because many players will not play all five coins required for the extra royal flush bonus. Most of the games available require a complicated basic strategy that differs from Jacks or Better. Many players do not put in the time to learn these strategies, and the casinos know this. The Deuces Wild games found on these machines should not be played like a normal game with a lower pay table, since it has a completely different strategy.
For these reasons, casinos still manage to make money from the games we mentioned in this article. Always make sure to play five coins every hand and learn the proper strategy so that you can play at an advantage on full pay machines. This will result in a theoretical 100%+ return on your play.
If you are considering becoming a professional player, this article will help you get started. If you are already a professional player, you may think you already know everything – but read on and you might learn something new.
Understanding why most players lose
In a nutshell, most casino players lose because of the house edge. But what does it actually mean?
Let’s consider the house edge in roulette: there are 37 pockets on the European wheel. So if your accuracy for predicting the winning number is no better than random, you can expect to win on one in 37 spins. But the payout is 35 to 1 for a single number win. This difference between odds and payout is basically the house edge, and it’s why most players lose over time.
Games and bets with the lowest house edge
You may find yourself drawn to particular games. You may find roulette wheel spins particularly exciting, or you may prefer the careful strategy of card games. But if you intend to either earn a living as a professional player, or even just subsidize your existing income, it is prudent to consider the house edge of each game.
The house edge varies between casino games and types of bets. For example, the house edge in Baccarat can be as low as 1.06% or as high as 14.36%. That’s a big difference. And when you understand the implications, you’re not likely to make bad bets. The exception is if the odds of an event are better than normal. This will be explained later.
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The difference between odds and payout
In sports betting, consider the odds being 2 to 1. This means if you win, you receive back 5 times your initial investment. In reality, 2 to 1 is the payout. The odds are a very different thing. The odds are basically the chances of a team winning. And the odds might be a team has a very poor chance of winning. Perhaps because some of its better players are missing the game due to injury.
In sports betting, usually the payouts will change depending on the bets wagered, as opposed to fixed odds. This ensures that regardless of which team wins, the bookmakers still profit. In fact this provides a more assured profit than running a casino.
In casino games, the distinction between odds and payouts are better understood by players. But the above example highlights that the payouts of casino games are fixed. But the odds are a very different thing, and can be changed with advantage play strategies. A classic example is card counting. The payouts never change, but you can change you odds by predicting which cards are more likely to be dealt.
Which game can give the highest player edge?
Contrary to what you might think, the highest edge possible can be achieved with roulette. In fact an edge of over +120% is possible with the use of roulette computers. Although they are still legal in some casinos, they are strictly forbidden by casino rules. Such an enormous edge is possible because computers measure the wheel and ball speed to predict when and where the ball is likely to fall. Then the player’s edge is a matter of how predictably the ball bounces. In most cases, the ball’s bounce is predictable enough to enable a very high edge. You can learn more about them at the page for casino roulette tips and systems.
Excluding the use of cheating devices, the highest edge possible in any casino game may still be with roulette. This is with the use of visual ballistics and related techniques, which are considered legal advantage play in all casinos. However, roulette is an extremely dynamic game with countless variables. So just because you can get a 120% edge on one wheel doesn’t mean you can do the same on another wheel. Many wheels appear to be nearly impossible to beat even with a roulette computer. On an average modern wheel, a typical edge possible with a roulette computer ranges between 20-50% without consideration to deliberate losses made by players just to avoid detection.
Next best appears to be card prediction techniques such as edge sorting. But whether or not edge sorting is illegal cheating, or legal advantage play, depends on the jurisdiction of the casino. You may be familiar with the recent case involving Phil Ivey, in which the judge ruled that edge sorting is cheating. As with any advantage play, usually you’ll need an organized team. If edge sorting in Baccarat is your focus, try a Baccarat gambling forum to find partners.
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Is the highest edge all that matters?
In a hypothetical situation, the higher the player edge, the more assured profit is over the long term. But it’s quite different in a real casino environment. Theoretically a roulette computer player could win a million dollars per day. But in reality, the casino would notice the consistent wins from late bets before you got even close to millions in profit. The Ritz roulette computer players won £1.3 million in 3 days before they were caught. But since then, casinos have become more aware of the technology.
Essentially the main limiting factor of an advantage player’s winnings is what the casino staff will allow. And this is determined by how well the team avoids detection. I say “team” because rarely do advantage players work alone.
From the perspective of avoiding detection, card games are superior to the roulette systems like visual ballistics. The main weakness of roulette ballistic methods is they are easy for casino staff to notice. So even if the player can achieve a 120% edge in a home environment, it cant be fully realized in the real casino environment.
To avoid detection, roulette players must camouflage their winning bets with deliberately random and losing bets. For example, on 80% of spins they may make random bets and lose. But 20% of their bets are based on a strategy that works, and this is where their edge comes from. The end effect is a 120% hypothetical edge is cut to just 24%. Although it’s still a phenomenal edge.
So which game is best for advantage play?
It depends on the specific rules and procedures of the casinos you play in. If the roulette wheels are poorly maintained in your local casino, and the staff usually close bets late in the spin, then roulette is likely one of your best options. But if your casino is attentive and aware of roulette advantage play, then you would be limited to systems involving bets before ball release, which are much less effective. An example is roulette wheel bias, made famous by Joseph Jagger and the Pelayo family. But exploiting biased wheels many decades ago is not the same as today. It’s still viable, but impractical and comparatively difficult considering all circumstances.
There is no single game that is most profitable for all casinos. An advantage player can either adapt to any game in the casinos they play in. Or they can scout different casinos to find which of them has the more favorable conditions for their game of choice. If you limit yourself to one game and don’t travel, your options may be limited. If you travel and are open to attacking any game, then you have far greater options. But it is important to consider the cost of travel and scouting for ideal conditions can be prohibitive. This is why many teams recruit new members on gambling forums.