How to Get Into the High Rollers Room in Vegas, Baby

They have a nickname for the high rollers in Las Vegas: whales. Why? Because their credit line and bets are so huge that you can't help but notice them. In fact, major casinos worldwide maintain a full-time staff just to lure these loaded leviathans to their private gaming table.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Arrive with a massive bankroll. Becoming a bona fide high roller takes much more than betting big. The true high rollers--and there are only about 500 worldwide--need to have a credit line of $4 million to $5 million.
2. Make a name for yourself. Getting into the high rollers room is by invitation only. If you're worthy, then you won't even need to ask--the casinos will already know who you are and invite you and your family to stay and play as long as you like. Private jet transportation, luxury accommodations, gourmet cuisine, free show tickets, expensive gifts, fine wines, butlers and chauffeurs are all on the house.
3. Gamble big--very big--around $100,000 per bet. Australian billionaire Kerry Packer, the world's highest-stakes gambler, bets up to $375,000 per hand while playing seven blackjack hands at a time. His losses once amounted to $20 million in a weekend. Still think you can swim with these sharks?
4. Master baccarat, the richest game in the casino and the one most often played in the private high rollers' room. These are often no-limit games as maximum bets cramp a whale's style.

What to Look For:

• Seven-figure credit line
• Minimum $100,000 bets
• No-limit baccarat experience

Tips & Warnings

• If you're really trying to achieve high roller status, gamble at Bellagio (bellagiolasvegas.com), which caters specifically to whales.
• About 85 percent of high rollers are Asian, and 15 percent are women.
• Gambling can be addictive.