Vague-ass, beh-beh

That's right, it's that time again. I've skipped out on the [NAB][] convention festivities for the past two years, and will again this year, but just a week after it ends, I will be heading out for a weekend of sin in celebration of a Mac dev (dare I say) colleague's birthday bash.

[NAB]: http://www.nabshow.com/

I barely know enough about Mac-devvery to feel comfortable calling myself a Mac dev, and I have spent all of four hours in the personal company of said colleague before they invited me, so I guess I must have made some sort of impression. Needless to say, I was flattered to be thought of for the invitation, and wouldn't dare miss a chance to visit Sin City in the company of a number of people I know mostly from 'net conversations, and many of whom I greatly admire.

So, I'm doing my ritual pre-Vegas catch-up on [news and reviews][nar] (check out [MyVegas impressions][MyV]), and brushing up on [blackjack basic strategy][bbs] (of which I should have a [HowTube][HT] up later this weekend) and the [rules of craps][roc] (at which I bet *only* on come/pass (or don't), odds, and 6/8 place bets). Aside from the occasional drunken pocket-change fishing expedition to the slots (which, admittedly, has netted me some serious dough in the past), those are the only two games I'll touch, because at least there's the slimmest of chances that I will actually win something, as opposed to the heavily house-favored odds of most of the table games.

[nar]: http://www.vegastripping.com
[MyV]: http://www.vegastripping.com/myvegas/members/bobtiki/
[bbs]: http://www.blackjackinfo.com
[HT]: http://howtube.com
[roc]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craps

If you're heading out to Vegas soon, I heartily recommend two books: Las Vegas Little Black Book imparted a lot of good info about hidden gems I might not have otherwise stumbled across in all the hustle and bustle. The only problem is, things change fast in Vegas, and the older the book, the higher the chance you'll run across references to places that were demolished last year. The book is also a little skewed toward guys, but its more recent companion, the Little Red Book, seeks to balance the scales with a more femme-focused guide.

My second recommendation, the Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling proved invaluable in teaching me the true odds on a lot of bad Vegas bets, which is why I stick to the two table games noted above --- aside from the slots, which I pretty much play only when there's good friends and good conversation (and hopefully snappy service from the drink-comping waitresses). If you really want to dig deep into blackjack, then I'd add the Mensa Guide to Blackjack as a solid third tome for your Vegas research.

Happy carousing!