When you sit down to gamble, it won’t take long for a cocktail waitress to show up by your side to ask if you’d like a complimentary drink. If you get a big hit early, you’re better off cashing out while you’re up, rather than losing it all and then stealing glances at the ATM machine that’s only a few paces away. But these things are random (and, as some will tell you, worse than random), and as quickly as you might get that big win, you’re bound to lose something like 20 of the next 22 spins. Slipping some dollars in random slot and video poker machines is a fun way to spend a little bit of money and maybe snag a free drink or two. And, for goodness sake, never, ever split a pair of face cards or 10s - that will get the whole table giving you the evil eye quickly. But odds are, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to ruin a flow of cards for others at the table by splitting. The book says always split eights, and in many cases, split nines - and if it works out, great. Still, while splitting cards might seem fun, you almost never want to do it. When it comes to table games, blackjack is the most popular, and considering some casinos only charge a $5 minimum bet, you’re bound to sit down for 40 bucks. Here are eight tips from a local to make sure that fun happens - while also making it look like you (kind of) know what you’re doing: Still, our Tahoe casinos are wonderful gems and worth a visit for gaming, dinner and perhaps a show, and so long as you don’t lose sight of things, you can have a really fun time.

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