Las Vegas. It`s everything, it`s anything, but mostly it`s casino gaming.

There is no place else in the world that offers the variety, quantity and quality of casino games.

Las Vegas casinos offer literally dozen of games.The most popular casino games are slot machines, blackjack, video poker and craps. Many people also wager on sporting events and  horse racing, or they  try their luck at roulette, baccarat, wheel of  fortune or poker. There`s something for everyone - from the novice to the seasoned gambler.

This overview of some of the  most common casino games should be enough to get you started. You  can learn  more  from  the “Las Vegas Gambling Guide”, available free of charge from the

LVCVA (Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority)
3150 Paradise Road
Las Vegas
(702) 892-0711

Casino personnel  are eager to make your gambing  experience  enjoyable, so do`nt be afraid to ask them questions you may have about any game.  Some casinos offer also free gaming lessons.

Blackjack

Commonly referred to as “21,” blackjack  is  one of the most popular card games in Las Vegas and certainly  the most widely available. All players  wager against the house, or dealer, and hope to draw cards that total 21, or at  least get closer to 21 than the dealer`s. After all  bets are placed, the dealer gives everyone two cards, usually face down.  The dealer then gives himself / herself  two cards, one  face up and one face down - the “hole card.”

Once all players stand, the dealer turns over his  “hole card” and  if  the dealer`s total is 16 or less, the  dealer  must  “hit” until  he reaches 17 or over. The  dealer must stand at 17.  At this point all players reveal their cards, and those with hands closer to  21 than the dealer win.

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Baccarat

The exhilarating card game baccarat begins when the “croupier” or dealer shuffles eight decks of cards into a plastic box called a “shoe”. Two hands of two cards are then dealt, face down - one for the “player” and one for the “banker.”
Everyone around the table chooses  to  bet which hand, the banker`s or the player`s, total closest to the number nine. Tens, cards totaling 10 and face cards count as zero. An ace is considered as one and numbered cards two through nine equal their face value.
If the  cards total a two-digit number, only the last digit counts. For example, if  the hand  has a nine and a three, the cards total 12, and the hand is worth two because the first digit of the total is dropped.
Bets are paid even money, with  the house  taking  a 5 percent  commission on winning banker bets.

The  electronic  version of keno is called video  keno. Players place their bets into the machine`s  slots and  arepresented with 80 numbers to select from the screen. After your selection  have  been  made, the machine randomly selects 20 numbers, as in a  regular keno game. Payouts  depend on how  many of your numbers match those selected by the machine

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Bingo

The  object  of this favorite American game is to match numbers on a card to the numbers that are randomly retrieved  from a blower that  jumbles numbered ping-pong balls. When a number is called, participants mark the number if it appears on their card. In  the basic game of bingo, you win by covering five numbers in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row on one of your cards.

Most casino bingo parlors offer several variations of  the traditional bingo game including “Letter X,” “Six Pack,” “Coverall” and “Indian Style Papoose.” Check out the brochures available at the bingo rooms detailing the casino rules, variations and payouts.

Roulette

A spinning wheel  and bouncing ball determine your fate on this game of chance. It is your task to determine the ball`s final resting place.

You  can bet  individual  numbers (a 35-to-1 longshot), or  you can  place your wager on various groupings of numbers and columns, or bet on “red” or “black”. Several bets can be placed and the amount of  return is determined by the amount of the wager and type of bet made.

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Poker

Most casinos have poker  rooms that features the best-known form of poker - Five Card Stud - as well as many variations including  Seven Card Stud, Texas Hold-em, High-Low Split, Razz and Omaha High-Low Split.
At a table game of poker, you  play  against other players and the casino takes a specified commission referred to as the “rake.” The games , limits, and  amount  of  rake are clearly posted in a casino`s poker area.
In video poker, your opponent becomes the machine, not other players. You`re dealt  five cards and have the option of discarding any or all of them to get the best hand.
Pai  Gow Poker  is  an  intriguing  variation gaining in popularity. It combines the  ancient Chinese game of  Pai Gow with classic  American  poker. Seven  cards are dealt  that  are arranged in a two-card  hand and  a five-card  hand. Scoring is based on traditional poker rankings. The  five-card or “high hand”  must be higher then your two-card or “low hand.”

Your aim is to get both of your hands to rank higher than both hand of the dealer.  If a tie results, the dealer wins. If a player  winsone hand but not the other,a “push”results and no money changes hands.

 Craps

When you hear chaos from across the casino floor, most likely it`s originating from a craps table  whose fast-paced action has  attracted spectators cheering the roll of the dice. This enticing game allows players to bet on what numbers will show after a dice toss. The game is operated by a “stickman” who handles the dice,two dealers who pay out and collect bets, and a “boxman” who supervises the game.

If you bet on the “pass line”,you are betting that the “shooter” (the person rolling the dice) will roll a  seven or 11 on  his or her  “come out” or original roll. You loose if the shooter “rolls craps” - a 2, 3 or 12. If the shooter rolls a  “point number”  (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10),  your bet stands and to win the shooter must roll the “point number” again before rolling a seven.

“Don`t pass line” wagers desire the opposite outcome of the `pass line” bets.
For example, if you`ve bet on the “don`t pass line,” you are a winner if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 on the  “come out roll.”  If  a point is established, your bet stays on the table in hopes that the  shooter will roll a 7 or 11 before rolling the point number again. A 12 thrown on a “don`t pass line” bet is a standoff - you neither win or loose.
Ask  the dealers  to  explain other  betting options to you once you`ve mastered the `pass” and “don`t pass” bets.