Originally Posted by
redtop43
There are all manners of casinos in Vegas. Those on the strip are by far the most expensive, in terms of table minimums. A tiny percentage of tables might be $3 minimum (I think Hooters advertises $3 blackjack) but mostly you're looking at $5.
I don't think you meant it to read this way, but it may be interpreted as such, so I'd just clarify -- you will be very, very, unlikely to find $5 tables at the Strip casinos (maybe O'Shea's?), and if you do it's for something like Let it Ride where you really have to bet $10 or $15 to stay in.
By far the best bet for the uninitiated is the pass line at craps. Find a site that explains it. I once calculated that I could play craps for an expected cost of $2.65 an hour, not including tips to the waitress. Don't play anything but the pass line and the free odds bets. The house advantage is 1.4% on the pass line and 0% (yes, no house advantage) on the free odds, but the other bets on the layout have house advantages up to 16.7%.
You allude to it later in your post, but worth highlighting - volatility (swings) in craps can be very large. I think even $5 pass with 2x odds would really need a $200 bankroll to withstand a cold table. BTW, playing just the pass line can be boring. I often recommending come bets as well (with odds) which are effectively the same, but obviously now you're increasing your overall bet and that $200 can go very quickly with a few bad rolls. Lastly, I'd note that placing the 6 and 8 (in multiples of $6) have decent odds, I think about 1.5%, so I wouldn't shy away from that as well.
But if you want to play blackjack but not learn the basis book strategy, you'll increase the house advantage a lot. (Also, don't play the side bets like Lucky Ladies or whatever else they have, because the house advantage on those bets runs up to 25%).
Worth mentioning that the strip casinos have been increasing their house advantage over time with seemingly minor changes in the table rules. It's rare to find "Dealer stands on soft 17" even at $25 tables in the big casinos these days when it used to be widespread. Under $25, it seems as if a blackjack only pays 6:5 now, vs. how it's supposed to be 3:2. But I *think* you can usually still surrender on 15 or 16 against a 10, which IIRC is basic strategy. But I rarely play BJ anymore in LV...