Top Ten Las Vegas Tips, plus our How-to-Gamble guide

I recommend only one online casino: Bodog

Since my mission is to help the novice gambler, I looked hard for a site that would make it easy for you to practice the games. And I found it with Bodog.

Here's what I mean by easy:

Completely free (no catch)

No registration required

Plays right in your browser (no download required)

I recommend against playing with real money (because gambling is always a losing proposition in the long-term). But I know that some players will want to practice with real money anyway, so I also made sure that the casino I picked is good for real-money play too. Here's why I selected Bodog over the others:

Best reputation. Online gambling is largely unregulated and if a casino refuses to pay your winnings you have little recourse. But Bobog pays out consistently.

They allow me to mediate. Bodog lets me personally mediate if a one of my readers clicks over and then has a problem they can't resolve on their own. I've never had to do this, since I've never received a single complaint from a player.

No spam. Lots of casinos sell you out to spammers. I use a specially-coded email address at each casino I test so I can tell who's naughty and nice in the spam department. Bodog is clean on this one. (They're one of the few.)

One account gets you everything. You can wager on casino games, or poker, with fake money or real money, all on the same account. Some other outfits make you use a different login for each -- ugh.

Bodog also gives you free chips: The first time you buy in, they'll add an extra 10% to whatever you deposited.

U.S. players should note that it currently takes about six weeks to get a payout by check. Of course, if you just play the free games like I recommend then you won't have to worry about this.
Bottom line: I picked Bodog because it was the best one I could find.

Visit BodogLife.com

Top 10 Las Vegas Tips

Visit mid-week. Hotel rooms often cost three to four times as much on the weekends as during the week! Plus, with weekend crowds you'll wait in line for everything. Mid-week visitors save tons of money and have a much better time.

Get a player's card. Go to the Player's Club desk at any casino you visit and sign up for a free player's card, even if you don't plan to gamble there. Then the casino will mail you offers for discounted or even free rooms on your next visit.

Don't lose your shirt. Don't bet more than you can afford to lose. Set a budget for each playing session and if you lose it, stop playing.

Don't play slot machines. They suck your money away hand over fist. See our crash course on table games to have a much better chance of winning.

Tip the dealers $5/hr. and the cocktail waitresses $1 every drink or two.

Ask for comps. When you play either slots or table games the casino will reward you with buffets, show tickets, or room discounts. Ask at the player's club booth (slot players) or at the tables (table players) for how to claim your goodies. (more on comps)

Use the buses. The #108 goes from the airport to the Stratosphere and then to downtown, for only $1.25 -- or pay $2.50 for a Day Pass and then ride the Deuce for only 50¢. The Deuce runs the whole strip and to & from downtown for only $2.00, or $5.00 for 24-hour all-you-can-ride pass, or only 50¢ if you got a day pass from the #108 bus.

Don't try to get taxis on the strip. Taxis can't stop directly on the strip; that's why they're passing you by. Go to the taxi area of the hotel to get one. Up to 4 people ride for the same price as 1; if there's just 2 of you, don't be afraid to yell out, "Anyone want to split a cab to [some casino]?" It doesn't just save money, it's eco-friendly.

Walk. The whole strip is four miles long and you could walk the whole thing in an hour and a half. When there's traffic it's the fastest way to get around.

Get Half-Price Show Tickets. You can get half-price tickets for most Vegas shows at one of the three booths on the Strip (just S. of the Riviera, outside the Fashion Show Mall across from the Wynn, and in the Hawaiian Marketplace across from the Monte Carlo), or downtown (outside the Four Queens).

Bank your winnings. Set aside half your win when you win big, and never gamble it, so you have a guaranteed win.

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