1st Time in Vegas

Hey guys,

Me and a few guys are going 2 vegas for the 1st time in 2 weeks.

So, being that this is our first time, what pointers do you guys have as to great places to check out, gamble, etc.

I'm pretty dam clueless b/c I've never been and don't really gamble or drink (come from a very sheltered religious background) so any and all pointers would be very much appreciated!

Thanks.

 

I like the casino at the Wynn since they still use 6-deck shuffling on their blackjack tables (unlike places like the Bellagio). The best sportsbook on the strip is at Caesars, and while you're there you can check out the shops they have there. Cirque de Soleil has a show called Love inspired by the Beatles, so that might be something of interest to you.

 

when you go out, only bring a certain amount of cash with you and leave your credit/debit cards back at the hotel room so that your spending doesn't go too out of control.

Seriosly, its pretty easy to blow all your money down there.

 

if you want something very cool outside of the usual "gamble at the wynn, party at the palms, and eat at the venetian" advice that's pretty standard, last time I was in vegas, me and lady took a helicopter tour to the grand canyon - really sweet, you land in there, have lunch/dinner/champagne, fly over the strip, the hoover dam, and of course the canyon itself. Really cool, a little pricey ($300 per person, but also had limo pickup from your hotel), but worth it, i think, considering you'll probably be blowing $100 or more on good seats to a show and I think this is infinitely better..

 

To be honest, if you adhere to your strict religious beliefs, you'll probably find Vegas not to your liking. The buffets are great and the roller coasters are pretty sweet. If you go the space needle, at least I think that's what it's called; they have rides at the top of that thing. They're nuts. I think those that really like the ladies, booze, and gambling tend to have more fun in Vegas.

 

Was recently there and a few take aways: Best swimming pools were at the Mandalay Bay If you play golf, bring your clubs If you decide to go to clubs, go to the ones at the Palms

 

Thanks for all the tips, guys.

When I made a mention about religious beliefs, what i meant was that we won't be going to clubs looking to get laid. Personally, I'm engaged anyway so it makes no difference because I wouldn't be up for that anyway.

We're staying at Treasure Island. Got a sweet deal from USAirways for the 3 nights hotel and roundtrip nonstop airfare was $400/person.

Great advice as to taking a bunch of cash and leaving the plastic at the hotel.

Which casinos are the best to gamble at, given that we'd be a bunch of beginners aside from the basement holdem game? Any comedy acts/shows that you guys would recommend? How about any deals any of you got while in Vegas we should try and take advantage of?

Thanks again!

 

There aren't any deals in Vegas. Bring cash. Vegas has crap for everyone. If it's your first time, you'll want to go see all the massive hotels. Each one's worth seeing....Venetian, Bellagio, Wynn, Caesars, MGM, Mirage, etc...in that order. You won't want to miss them if not just for their huge scale. Check out CHEAPOVEGAS.com for the best "real" reviews about everything to see and do. It's dead accurate. Downtown vegas is worth seeing for an afternoon or early evening. Cheap drinks, cheap casinos and cheap (but real) sense of how Vegas first was 30-40 yrs ago.
Honestly, the best thing in vegas is grabbing a Carona and hitting the street. Drinking laws are non-existant and weirdly enough, you rarely see drunk stupidity like you do on any other major city's street corner on a weekend. Grab a Carona, my friend, and do as the the romans do.

And for the love of harry crishna, take a comfortable pair of walking shoes for the days. Believe you me, you will walk 5 miles+ a day before you know it. Leathers with a lift won't cut it. Seriously. Mirage and Bellagio generally have the best (but not the cheapest) tables for BlackJack, Craps, etc. in my opinion. They're the only places you don't mind losing money cuz you're having a good time. Other places tend to swarm uptight clientelle. I don't know why or how Bellagio does it, but I have the best time every time I go, and, yes, I'm impartial.....just amazed.

Have a full trip report on this thread on Monday morning. No, seriously. We'd be interested in your first impressions.

 

I guess my vegas trip was different then what you are looking for. I mean if you want to party, there are a lot of places to name, LAX, Tao, Tryst, Pure, Jet, depends on the night and hard to say given its up and down with all the places. Best to ask a local person or someone you can trust. For places to eat, if its on a budget, Joe's stone crab and steakhouse at I believe Caesars palace was good (i.e. steak was 30 - 45 bucks). If you can spend more Tao had great food, nine steakhouse is unbelievable.

Biggest tip, be careful about ordering room service, everything is a huge rip off, i.e. we paid 60 bucks for 2 jugs of cranberry, we had no clue they would charge that.

Not sure if its the season for it yet, Rehab at the Hardcore Hotel was a good party. It's all summer and on Sunday afternoon, not sure if it started. I heard it was being renovated so it may be closed even if it is the season.

I didn't gamble so I can't recommend that, we did see Cirque, O, at the Bellagio, that was a good show.

 

I grew up in Vegas, so this is right up my alley... During the day, hanging out at the pool is usually fun. You need a room key to get into all the pools, unless you go to one of the poolside lounges like Skinny Dip at Palms or Bare at Mirage. I should warn you that both are topless optional and charge $20-30 cover. The advice about just grabbing a drink and walking around is another great idea, especially if you're interested in "clean" fun. Getting into clubs as a group of guys is going to be really difficult. You'll wait in line forever and be charged around $20 per person. I would suggest going to one of the Vegas websites that get you line passes, VIP status, or something similar. It'll cost you, but not much and it beats standing outside for an hour or two. And be sure to dress well, it helps your odds with the bouncers.
It would be cheaper to buy liquor, beer, and mixers from a grocery store or gas station. You can pre-game before going out and/or drink it while you're walking around town. You should expect to spend around $10-15 per drink at clubs or lounges.
And I think Bally's still has professional gamblers that teach people how to play the table games. I've heard it's a lot of fun and I think it's free, or nearly.
Vegas has something for everybody, if you know where to find it. The info above is pretty general but if you want more specific info, just PM me.

 

Not sure where you're from, if you can go to a casino near you and get their players rewards card, and earn some credits, then you can get better hotel rates, go in the slower times, middle summer when its really hot, early January, take a discount airline, but if you're going to Vegas to cut costs you might as well stay home... kind of defeats the purpose! lol it will be hard to save money when 8 guys want to be constantly doing something and everything costs money, Vegas is awesome.

 

Haha, funny this old thread go brought back up. I am actually going back to vegas at the end of June for another bachelor party so I'll be going to a strip club. Sapphire was pretty good, BTW.

 

Just came back from Vegas. For 5 nights $2000 is really not that much. I spent a grand in 3 nights and I wasn't even partying hard.

Some ways to cut cost:

  1. Try to negotiate with casinos to give you the cheapest room rates, rates will drop with number of people
  2. Try to pregame at the casino floor, tip the waitress 10 bucks and tell her to bring you 3 drinks
  3. Dont call the numbers the porn slappers give you, college guys think sex is legal there (only some areas)
  4. Dont buy shit from hotel lobby, fucking expensive as shit
  5. Try to bang sluts, good time to hook up is between 12-3 am
 

If you don't plan on gambling, 1500-2000 should be fine.

Drinks are $15-20 each at the clubs.

Don't eat at expensive restaurants, they are a waste of money unless you're on a date or something.

There are plenty of options for

 

Just got back from a 3 day bender in vegas. Heres my advice

1) Stay at the Cosmo: its incredible, they have amazing staff, the casino is sweet, if you get a decent enough room and have some negotiation skills...its easy to get them to comp VIP at Marquee (the club at Cosmo that is badass). Oh and also they have a $50 resort credit thing going on if you stay more than one night...you can negotiate it to more 2)Stay away from shows...they cost way to much time and waste precious gambling time 3)Stay away from the expensive restaurants unless you win a lot at a casino...then hopefully you'll get a few comps 4)Stick to the craps tables....if you are going to play poker...don't go to any of the big casinos because you will lose 5)Bellagio has an amazing buffet that is very inexpensive

Good luck my friend

XX
 
ferragamo u know:
Awesome, thanks everyone for the input.

So from what I've gathered, is it a must to get VIP to go to clubs if I'm rolling "bro-deep?"

Pike, where would you recommend playing poker, if not the big casinos?

Pike's poker advice is terrible. If you want to play poker, the softest games are at MGM, Venetian, Aria and maybe Mandalay. Sounds like you're going to be playing 1/2 NL so you should be fine. Most other casinos are infested with locals who won't give you much action.

If you feel like being a degen, Bill's spreads .5/1 NL and everyone just throws money around.

VIP bottle/table service will run you guys around 300 per person depending on when/where you go. Most clubs have a maximum guys per bottle ratio.

 
Financier4Hire:
Must do in Vegas ? I don't know-maybe get married ? And get wasted, not necessarily in that order.
At least if you do it in that order, you drastically reduce the chances of marrying a tranny hooker.

-not sure if that's a deal maker/breaker

 

since you are from Europe have your cab driver take you to in n out on the way to/from the airport. get a table at a club one night, although it'll be like 500/bottle it's definitely worth the experience. they are all pretty awesome but i went to the bank and jet so i can vouch for those, i'm sure other people will have other recs that are just as crazy. during the day you can go over to hooters (lol) and play $3/hand blackjack and get free drinks. i'm pretty sure whatever you choose to do you will have a blast because that place is amazing all around

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

It depends on what you're in Vegas for. Partying? Gambling? The shows? There's so much stuff to do that you can't make/afford it all.

Hotels: You can get room at some of the best hotels during the weekend for like $300/night for the basic rooms. If you decide to upgrade, which could make sense if you're a bunch of guys having a baller weekend, it would prolly cost you about $100/night per level of upgrade. Definitely get a hotel on the strip! It cheaper to live in downtown (Freemont St.), but it old and not anywhere near the class that the never hotels have. Gambling is cheaper though, so you can stretch you money by going to some of the older places.

Things to do: Have a nice meal, go see a show, go crazy at a club, get a nice tan, go for a champagne brunch.

The business of business is business.
 

Been living here for a few months now. I personally recommend Cosmo (Marquee), Wynn/Encore (XS), and Hyde. Those are my three favorites. Marquee at Cosmo is definitely the best club as far as venue, clientele, etc. It gets packed very quickly on the weekends. Highly recommend bottle service, or you might not get in that quickly depending on your guy/girl ratio. XS is great because they have awesome DJ's going in and out of there, all of the Wynn properties have top DJ's in their clubs pretty consistently. Hyde is in the Bellagio, I like it better than the Bank personally, just because of the views. It's quite a bit smaller than the other clubs so just depends what you are looking for. I like TAO but a lot of my friends refuse to go anymore since its been around for a while now.

When is 'soon'? Are you going to be there for the pool party season? If so, I'd say Either Marquee Day Club or Encore Beach Club.

Restaurants? What are you looking for?

As far as where to stay, I recommend just staying somewhere that you know you want to do the club/day party. Most places wave the cost of entry to both of those for hotel guests, which can sometimes be like 50 a person if its a big night.

"Who am I? I'm the guy that does his job. You must be the other guy."
 
  1. Stay at aria or venetian. MGM is good too, but it's on the far end of the strip, as is mandalay.
  2. Play poker at venetian or bellagio. The latter has more games, but the former has a much nice poker room.
  3. Bellagio buffett is awesome.
  4. For clubs, check out tao, tryst, xs.
 
Devolution:
1. Stay at aria or venetian. MGM is good too, but it's on the far end of the strip, as is mandalay. 2. Play poker at venetian or bellagio. The latter has more games, but the former has a much nice poker room. 3. Bellagio buffett is awesome. 4. For clubs, check out tao, tryst, xs.

Not really a club guy so not sure about #4, but these recommendations are spot on.

I'm a big poker player, the other option is the Aria. I'd definitely try to play at the Venetian, but it would depend on where you're staying.

Depending on your budget, I'd get a cheaper hotel. We get free rooms at Harrahs (or Cesars), so I usually stay there. I don't care about the room at all as long as it's not a total dump and in a good location. Harrahs is a very basic room, but will definitely save you over the other recommendations here.

It's hard to give too many suggestions without knowing what you want to do or your budget, but DO NOT go to Hooters. It is a huge waste of time. Depending on when you're going to play (mornings and weekdays are cheapest) you can definitely play reasonably priced Blackjack at normal casinos - no reason to stoop to a complete dump like Hooters.

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 

I've had good times at Tao and Jet. Wasn't as blown away by XS. I would definitely walk through the Wynn - go check out the Ferrari dealership (although if you're European might not be as exciting for you...) Bellagio and Venetian are also obv cool to check out. I'd play poker at Caesar's (decent daily tourney structures) or Bellagio if you don't mind higher limits.

 

Check out AllVegasPoker.com for Hotel Reviews, Poker Room Ratings, and more. A lot of hotels with poker rooms will give you an insane discount on their rooms if you commit a certain amount of time playing in their poker room.

 

Luckily, Vegas is desperate for patrons so you should be able to get a few deals on hotels, shows and restaurants. I just stayed at the Palazzo and went to a few cool shows (Love, Phantom, Wayne Brady, and one of the Cirque shows) and went to a few decent clubs (Tao, Jet, etc.) I also made it a goal to play at each of the poker rooms on the strip and a few off the strip (golden nugget - interesting characters).

If you are on a budget I would suggest the following:

1)Meet girls upon arrival otherwise you will have a tough time getting into any of the good clubs without buying bottles (and even with girls you may still have to throw down) 2)Stay at one of the cheaper hotels but def stay on the strip 3) Pre-game in your hotel before going out or drink at casino for free 4) Make your one rich friend gamble a lot and get comped 5) Always ask for upgrades

Patrick, Can you provide more detail regarding the MBA poker event in Vegas? Ever play at the straddle club in the city before it got shut down?

 

Went there this summer. A few recommendations:

1) Stay at a hotel more towards the middle of the strip (Mirage is a nice and moderately priced one, or try Treasure Island, Ballys, Flamingos if you're on a budget). This way you're in the middle of the action and can easily walk up or down the strip to get to other main hotels. You won't need to take the monorail or cab. I stayed at MGM which was a bit too far down, though it had an amazing pool complex with lazy river where people were partying all morning/afternoon. I would stay at Mirage next time cause it also has a large pool area and that's pretty much the only thing there is to do during the day (the other hotels in the center have smaller pools- you can check out the strip on Google Maps to see what I'm talking about). 2) Pregame at the hotel (contrary to what people tell you, you can buy bottles in many hotel gift shops) or gamble by the cheap slots and get free drinks on the casino floor (just tip the server a buck or two and she'll come around again). 3) Come to the clubs early when they open (~10pm) for easy entrance and get your hand stamped. Then go gamble and come back later when it's busy (~1-2am) and skip the line. I haven't tried this but heard it works. 4) Gamble in the more expensive hotels (particularly Bellagio and Caesars). The table minimums for blackjack/roulette are usually the same and they have cheap slots as well, but the place is much nicer, the servers are hotter, and the cocktails are the best I ever had. Honestly it's hilarious how many free drinks you can get just by gambling at the nickel/dime slots and chilling with your bros. 5) Highly recommend the Crazy Horse Paris show in MGM Grand. Make sure to ask for front and center seats- they will tell you they are sold out but they aren't if you book a day or 2 in advance. 6) Cirque de Soleil shows (Ka at MGM or O at Bellagio) are very good. I got the tickets free with my flight/hotel through expedia. Check for similar deals on expedia, orbitz, cheaptickets.com, travelocity. 7) Don't waste your time at the bottom of the strip (Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay). It's mostly dead down there and nothing to see. Stay for the most part in the center (Bellagio, Palazzo, Venetian, Mirage, Caesars) for gambling. 8) Some random attractions to see: fountains at Bellagio (especially at night), volcano at Mirage, pirate show at Treasure Island.

And finally.... 9) Spearmint Rhino. Call a free limo to pick you up at your hotel and take you to the club (check their website). Just tip the driver ~$5-10pp. If you want to be drunk, then pregame cause drinks here are expensive. You can then just buy 1 beer for the evening and tell the server you haven't finished when she comes by. Club is swarming with more dancers than patrons.

For more ideas, check out http://www.vegas.com/ and TripAdvisor for reviews. Definitely plan out in advance where you wanna have dinner and a list of stuff you want to see/do. Once you get there and it's your first time, it will be a little overwhelming and you'll waste your time wandering not knowing where to begin. Again I suggest staying at Mirage (was recently refurnished and pool is huge), and gambling in Bellagio and Caesars. Also if you're good at blackjack, I believe Treasure Island had 1 deck games with $10 minimum. Make sure to only gamble at the blackjack tables with favorable odds. Not so familiar with clubs but I hear XS and Tao are the best.

 

In the event you don't want to go clubbing / restaurants / gambling I wouldn't suggest Vegas. My suggestion would go somewhere warm like San Diego / Scottsdale and sit by the pool all day and play golf if your looking for something more low key.

 

If it's you and your buddies (I went with my girlfriend), you probably don't need to stay at the Wynn/Encore or Palazzo/Venetian. You can get good deals out of NYC and decent hotels like Treasure Island or MGM Grand, and even Mandalay or Bellagio.

Girls there are ridiculous. It was hard to look straight ahead while strolling around with the GF. Some good clubs (although pricey) are XS at the Encore, Lavo (also great food), and Pure. Daytime partying is good at Hard Rock (Sundays), Tao Beach, and Encore Beach Club.

 
analystforhire:
If it's you and your buddies (I went with my girlfriend), you probably don't need to stay at the Wynn/Encore or Palazzo/Venetian. You can get good deals out of NYC and decent hotels like Treasure Island or MGM Grand, and even Mandalay or Bellagio.

I would recommend against hotels like TI and MGM. If you're going to Vegas once and don't plan on doing it often, then do it right. Book a suite at the Venetian.

--- man made the money, money never made the man
 

If you're interested in girls and fun, I would absolutely recommend Vegas

Where to stay: Venetian, Bellagio, or the Wynn. If you have a big group, try to get book a nice suite.

Go out: Doesn't matter, you will have fun anywhere. I recommend XS, Tao, Rain, Pure, Playboy Club and Lavo. Definitely go to a pool party if its sunny.

To do: Definitely check out a show. The Vegas experience is incomplete with out. Also, eat at a good buffet and do some shopping.

I would also recommend checking out any party deals online, do a google search. There are groups that will shuttle you around from club to club with out cover or waiting in line for like $70/head.

I pity anyone that doesn't go to Vegas at least once in their lifetime.

--- man made the money, money never made the man
 

I stayed in Vegas for about 2 months last year. Some suggestions:

Avoid the old school hotels (Riviera,Circus Circus,Luxor,etc) The rooms are shit,they are depressing,and they are usually filled with 60 year old hookers, and crackhead locals gambling away their unemployment checks.

Stay at the nice ones like Wynn, Encore, Venetian (great pussy), Bellagio etc.

AVOID walking too far from the strip (past Sahara Avenue) . It is mostly crack houses, and the crime rate is sky high.

Most of the nice places to eat are located along the strip, however if you grab a cab there are some decent places in town as well. All you can eat sushi , Vietnamese food etc.

Planet Hollywood has a nice pool party every week (I think its called Rehab)

Some nice shooting ranges in the desert, go out and blast some cacti with high powered weapons.

 
DontMakeMeShortYou:
Thinking of getting away from New York for Thanksgiving and my buddies and I are considering a Vegas trip. Wanted to get some advice from the board on where we should stay, go out, etc, and any other useful tips you may have. Not looking to spend a ton (do want to go clubbing, but really no big interest in tables, bottles, strip clubs, etc).

While I do like to gamble, my buddies aren't too huge on it, so it's not a central focus. We're more interested in girls / partying.

You wanna get laid?

Stay at the Palms. Go to Tao Nightclub, Tao Beach Party, and Rehab on Sunday at the Hard Rock. Bring a bathing suit to the last two.

Thank me later.

 

The best party hotel is Planet Hollywood. For a good time that is sure to make some memories, go to The OG gentlemen's club. Ask for a guy named Alec, tell him eyelikecheese sent you.

 

Mandalay Bay -TheHotel is sick! Aria, Venetian and Encore are solid as well. Although every time I go, my group never winds up sleeping much anyway.

XS, Haze, Drais starting at 2am, and Tao are all a blast. Anywhere you go in Vegas while fked up with your buddies is bound to be a good time. It's a different mindset there; everyone lets loose and is looking to have fun and get laid.

During the day, you spend most of your time recouping at a pool and soaking in the sun -- not sure how cold it is in Nov.

Make sure you go off the strip to this place called Hot N Juicy Crawfish. It's not the typical thing to do, but it's damn amazing -- was featured on Man v Food.

 

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