GamingTips

The super coverall, or countdown, is a popular bonus game.  This game is usually purchased in a 3-on strip.  It is in play at the same time as the card for the coverall.

The main attraction with this bonus game is that it has a count down featuring one or more bonuses (often $10,000), if the coverall is hit within a certain number of balls.

The other benefit, often overlooked, is that the bonus strip gives the player three extra cards for not only the coverall, but also any other games played on this card.  This usually includes single and double hardway bingo, plus the coverall.  The strip pays as a blue card (other than the jackpots).  While three blue cards may not be much, it really is quite a steal at just $1.

Dual dab, also called double action bingo, is a commonly offered bonus game at many bingo halls.  The cards look like a normal bingo card, except that each square actually has two numbers.  Players can mark the square when either number is called, they do not need both numbers.  Dual dab is a coverall game, so in order to win, a player must cover all of their squares.

The payout, of course, varies from bingo hall to bingo hall, but it is usually tiered.  If a player gets bingo on the double action coverall within a certain number of balls (often 34), they win an incredibly large jackpot (often $25,000).  Otherwise, they are playing for the “guarantee,” which is usually around $200.

Continuing on the Bingo theme, let’s discuss the option to “validate” your bingo cards.  Validation usually costs $1 per card or pack.  This buys your participation in a bonus game.

The first ball of each session is known as the Ace Ball.  Although at some Bingo Halls this ball does not count for the first game, it usually does.  If a player gets a bingo when the Ace Ball is called, they win a bonus jackpot.  This is a progressive jackpot for the session, which means, for instance, that the 3 a.m. Ace Ball jackpot goes up every day that nobody at the 3 a.m. session wins the Ace Ball bonus.

Now you know what the option to validate your bingo cards means.

Alright.  Since I’ve started playing bingo, I’ve decided I should post the basic info you need to start, along with the key terms.

When you first walk into the bingo hall, you will see the “menu” so to speak.  It lists different types of packs, their prices, and their pays.  Each color of card pays differently, which is why there is a price difference.

You will also have to decide whether to play paper, machine, or some combination of the two.  If you play paper, you will need to purchase a dabber, usually located close to the window where you purchase your cards.  If you play machine, you will need to save your receipt and get a machine from the racks where they charge between sessions.  Turn on the machine, and enter the information from your receipt to load your cards into the machine.

A card is the individual square with 25 numbers on which you play.

A game is the “round” you are currently playing.  A game ends once a player gets bingo.

A sheet is the set of cards you are playing.  Sometimes more than one game is played on the same sheet, so it is important to pay attention, or you might throw out your sheets early.

If more than one player gets bingo on the same ball, the prize is divided by the number of winning players.

It’s just that easy.

Lotteries are one form of gambling which is widely legal in the United States.  Lotteries are not regulated by federal law, and are subject to the laws of each state where tickets are hold.  Some states hold their own lotteries, others participate in multi-state lotteries, the best known is probably Powerball.

Only Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Mississipi, Alabama, Alaska and Hawaii do not allow lottery.  Lottery is allowed in Puerto Rico, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  In general, lotteries donate a large portion of their profits to state funding for education.

The way that traditional lottos work is that people purchase tickets, on which there is a given quantity of numbers.  Players can either pick their own numbers or allow a machine to randomly select the numbers.  They hang on to their tickets and each week, usually in a televised proceeding, balls are drawn by machine.  Each ball has a number on it, and similar to Keno, players are paid out based on how many of their numbers match the drawn numbers.  They can usually collect small winnings at gas stations, grocery stores, or other places that sell lotto tickets, but for larger jackpots, they need to contact the agency which runs the lottery directly.

There are also several “instant win” variations in various states.  These usually involve using nails or coins to scratch off boxes on a ticket.  They come in all types of variety and can be quite fun.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

So as I believe I mentioned before, one big difference between Indian gaming and traditional Las Vegas gaming is Bingo!.  Bingo is usually a major (if not the only) activity at Indian casinos.  What if you love playing Bingo, and happen to be in the Las Vegas area?

There are a few (okay, a large handfull, but only a few compared to the total number of casinos out here) places to play Bingo when you’re in Vegas.  Here’s a list.  A disclaimer that his is based on some internet research.  There may be more, and some of these places may not offer Bingo anymore.  Make sure you check out the websites to a) verify that they still offer Bingo, and b) figure out when you should go to get in on a Bingo game.

Arizona Charlie’s- 740 S. Decatur and 4575 Boulder Highway

Boulder Station - 4111 Boulder Highway

Cannery- 2121 E. Craig Road (North Las Vegas), 5255 Boulder Highway

Fiesta - 2400 N. Ranch Drive (North Las Vegas), 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway (Henderson)

Gold Coast -4000 W. Flamingo

Jerry’s Nugget - 1821 Las Vegas Boulevard N. (North Las Vegas)

Palace Station -2411 W. Sahara

Plaza-1 S. Main Street

Red Rock -11011 W. Charleston

Sam’s Town - 5111 Boulder Highway

Santa Fe Station -4949 N. Rancho Drive

Silver Nugget -2140 Las Vegas Boulevard N. (North Las Vegas)

South Point -9777 S. Las Vegas Boulevard

Suncoast-9090 Alta Drive

Sunset Station -1301 W. Sunset Road (Henderson)

Terrible’s -4100 Paradise Road

Texas Station -2101 Texas Star Lane (North Las Vegas)

As those of you familiar with Vegas may have noticed, none of these are strip casinos.  They are all “local’s casinos.”  That being said, my personal recommendations would be:

Location wise, if you are staying on the Strip, the Gold Coast (right next to Rio) or Palace Station (a few blocks west of Circus Circus) are probably your best bets.  If you’re on the south end of the Strip, maybe South Point would be closer.

Then there’s always the Plaza, which is a downtown classic.

On the other hand, Red Rock is an almost-new locals casino, which is extremely nice and worth the trip, even though it is one of the furthest casinos from the Strip.

Have fun, and good luck!

The only real factor in Keno (other than dumb luck) is how many numbers you pick and how much you bet.  Here’s my advice on strategies for keno.  The first piece is universal.

Look at the keno pay table where you are playing.  Sometimes there are weird quirks.  For instance, hitting 3 of 3 could actually pay less than hitting 4 of 4.  Why then would you try to get 4 of 4?  If there are quirks, or places that seem to pay more than they should given their difficulty, by all means, take full advantage of it.  Remember, though, that there are two factors.  first, there is the factor of maximum payout.  This is what hitting 1 of 1, 2 of 2, 4 of 4, etc. is.  How much does it pay if all of your numbers come up?  The second factor is the minimum “catches” you need to break even or get paid.  For instance, if you play 4 spots, do you need 1 or 2 numbers to get your bet back?   Remember to take both factors into account.

Which brings me to my next point.  Before you play keno, know your goal.  Are you trying to pass some time, and looking to stay in the game for a while?  Or are you pursuing the unlikely possibility that you’ll hit a big jackpot, and then planning on walking away?

If you plan on sitting with your keno cards for a while, you should look for numbers that have low minimum catches to break even or win.  For instance, if you play 10 spots and need 4 catches to win, or 11 spots and need 4 catches to win, it is easier to get 4 out of 11 of your numbers than 4 out of 10.  Take advantage and play 11-spot, even if the in between and high end payouts (10/10 and 11/11) are slanted dramatically toward playing 10-spot.

If on the other hand, you’re looking to win or lose big, and are okay with getting up and leaving shortly either way, you want to do the opposite.  Say that the payouts for 11/11 and 12/12 are the same, but you only need 4 numbers to break even either way.  Ignore the minimum number of catches.  They’re not going to be the jackpot you’re looking for, right?  Play games with a higher maximum payout.  And, in general, bet more numbers.

There’s no real “winning” strategy in a game like Keno, but you certainly can adjust your style of play to fit your personal ambitions.

So for those of us who started gambling outside of Vegas and AC, we probably saw Bingo advertised all over the place, even if we’ve never played.  Think you know what Bingo is?  Think again.

Back when I was underage (but over 18), I was in Tampa for New Years.  I was there semi-on my own, and the people I did know were all 21 or had IDs.  So, I went to the new-at-the-time Seminole Hard Rock.  I was very disappointed.  They called it a casino but all they had was machines, poker, and bingo.  So I played some bingo.

But it’s not just a contest to get lines.  There were many rounds, with many different objectives.  When you get your cards, they were all color coded to correspond to the different rounds.  One card was for blackout, one for four corners, I think there was one where we had to get an “L” or some other shape.

Also, for those of us who are not that good with remembering the necessary patterns, or blotting with our red marker, they had machines that you could use.  You put your cards in (it even told you if you put in the wrong card for the wrong game) and it marked the numbers for you.

That being said, the basic game goes like this:

You come in, at the beginning of the game, and buy cards.  The cards are squares sorted into rows and colums of numbers.  Across the top are the letters B-I-N-G-O.  You have a red blotter or chips or some toher way to mark the squareson your card.  The caller will then call numbers, and the letter that corresponds to the number.  For instance, B-4, O-68, etc.  You mark them on your card.  In the classic version of the game, you are trying to get 5 in a row, vertically, horizontally or diagonally.  As discussed above, though, there are various variations.  When you get whatever pattern you are going for, you yell “BINGO!” (the best part of the game), and they come verify your numbers.  You then win the prize.  It really is that simple.  Not rocket science, but it can be a good time, especially if you go with a group or if you like people watching.

Keno is a once popular game which seems to be losing its player base, although some people still love it.  Now it is often found in bars, cafes, sports books, or other multiple-use areas of the casino, rather than in its own lounge, as it once was.

I like to think of keno as a quick, slightly tweaked version of the lotto.  It has terrible odds, but can have some pretty good (not lottery-like, but still) payouts.

Basically, you pick a number or set of numbers between 1 and 80.  The keno drawer (in a live game) or machine, then picks 20 numbers.  You get paid out according to the number of your numbers which match numbers from those 20 chosen for the game.  The odds are printed on the cards, and vary depending on the amount of numbers you picked and how many came up.

It really is that easy.  And it’s also now becoming a very popular machine-based game (perhaps this is why the casinos no longer have keno lounges), often found on the same machines as video poker.