Rave: First Trip to Vegas

[thrill]

Yeah I liked the flamingo. I stayed at the riviera my 1st trip because I wanted to stay at an old casino. Too far off the strip. Flamingo is vintage but clean and still in the heart of the strip.

[docellis]

They have ABC stores in the South.

[sighyoung]

They have ABC stores in the South.

Preserved.

[cardsfansince82]

Of course we weren't able to keep that pace, but we typically would just walk from casino to casino w/ a 24oz bud light lime that we've picked up at one of the prob 100 ABC stores on the strip. They are actually pretty refreshing in the 105 degree heat (we were there in august).

They have those on the mainland? I had never heard of them until I went to Honolulu and there were 3 of them per block.

Yep...Vegas is much like Honolulu in that regard. We were actually in Hawaii in February & were happy to see ABC stores there!

Nice thing about Vegas is you can walk into the ABC store in the mall, grab yourself a tallboy and crack it open right in the middle of the mall.

There's like 3 ABC stores total that I can think of in Vegas. I lived there for three years and never set foot in one.

[cardsfansince82]

As for advice for Cronos, I have no idea what to tell you since you are only going to be there one night. By the time you drive from LA and eat, you won't have a whole lot of time to go a bunch of places. You can lose track of time pretty easily in a casino.

[Cronos]

As for advice for Cronos, I have no idea what to tell you since you are only going to be there one night. By the time you drive from LA and eat, you won't have a whole lot of time to go a bunch of places. You can lose track of time pretty easily in a casino.

I'm pretty sure we're leaving early in the morning and should get there early afternoon. I'm hoping to just hit the pool, walk around the strip a bit, check out a buffet (probably the Bellagio's, I hear it's incredible) and then enjoy a little nightlife (gamble a bit, get VERY toasted, maybe check out a strip joint if my friends are up for it). So is it really legal to walk around with open alcoholic beverages, or is it just sort of accepted?

Visiting more for the novelty of it than doing a lot of Vegas type stuff, but it'll be a nice taste of the experience while still on a grad school budget. Which I figure is pretty cool anyway. This thread has given me some ideas to work with and I figure it'd be a good discussion anyway.

[cardsfansince82]

Completely legal to drink walking around. MGM has a good pool, but most casinos do. I'm never really ate many of the buffets but I always heard the Rio, Bellagio and Caesars were the best. The Bellagio is also one of a couple casinos worth walking around in just to marvel at how nice it is. City Center wasn't yet finished when I left, but that might be cool to check out and it's close to MGM. Gambling won't be cheap at a lot of places on the strip. Imperial Palace and Bill's Gambling Hall are two more lower end casinos besides the ones mentioned where gambling and drinking are cheaper. Just about anywhere on the strip you are going to get hosed if you just step up to a casino bar and order drinks. Play some blackjack or something. Slots are boring, but they are the cheapest way to get some drinks. You don't even really have to play, just have money in the machine when the cocktail waitresses come around. The Rhino and Sapphire are the two biggest strip clubs. The rest of them change names so often I couldn't tell you for sure anywhere else.

[Cronos]

Believe me, as far as any actual gambling goes I'm sticking to slots, video poker, or Blackjack. I don't know any other games well enough and I don't gamble in casinos enough to feel comfortable to approach a table of strangers and buy my way in when I hardly know the decorum anyway. I'm hoping my buds and I will find a table we can play by ourselves.

[cardsfansince82]

Generic Vegas advice for everyone:

I don't get the hate for Fremont. It's good for one night of a trip to get a break from the Affliction crowd. Some of the best non-casino bars in Vegas are just east of the giant TV. $2 or $3 blackjack, 25 cent roulette, cheap food, cheap drinks...the Golden Nugget is nicer than half the strip casinos. There's also a good outlet mall close by if you're up there during the day.

Best casino overall: Red Rock is the correct answer but I don't think anyone here has been there. On the strip I would say the Venetian.
Worst casino: There's a lot of them, but Excalibur and the Stratosphere are especially awful.
Best sports book: Venetian
Best clubs/pools/women: Hard Rock or Palms
Best casino bars: Hard Rock, although I've had a good time at a lot of places. NY NY, Paris, Venetian, etc.
Best food: lots of places, Caesars probably has the best variety
Casinos to go to just to look around: Bellagio, Wynn, Caesars, probably City Center
Best games: craps and poker, blackjack if you don't know much about gambling.
Cheapest games if you just want to drink and don't like losing money: Slots, pai gow, outside bets on roulette
Worst odds: roulette and any of the carnival games like 3 card
Best odds: craps and baccarat
Best places to stay on a tight budget: Flamingo or NY NY
Shopping: Fashion Show Mall or the outlet mall by Fremont
Shows: most them are overpriced, some of the Cirque du soleil shows are cool. I liked the Beatles one.

Drinks aren't free in sports books any more. If you place a bet on a game they'll usually give you one drink ticket, maybe more if it's a large bet. If you tip the guy that writes the ticket a buck or two he might throw you another ticket or two.

Comps: you can find food comps included when you book your trip or get a great deal on a room, but you aren't just going to waltz in and get a bunch of free [expletive] after you get there just because the economy is bad. Get a players card and everything after that depends on how much you play, how much you bet and what game you are playing. Pit bosses don't have any authority to give stuff away on their own just because they like you. It's all figured by computers.

Don't ever buy cigarettes or use an ATM in a casino if you can avoid it.

[cardsfansince82]

Believe me, as far as any actual gambling goes I'm sticking to slots, video poker, or Blackjack. I don't know any other games well enough and I don't gamble in casinos enough to feel comfortable to approach a table of strangers and buy my way in when I hardly know the decorum anyway. I'm hoping my buds and I will find a table we can play by ourselves.

Video poker is a lot better than regular slots. Just play the minimum quarter bet and you won't lose much at all if you're looking to kill some time or get a drink. Most video poker machines have blackjack on them too for a lot cheaper than playing at the tables.

Barstow, CA is a good halfway point to stop on your drive in from LA. There's an In N Out Burger there where you can grab lunch if you are wanting to try it.