First trip to vegas

[bbrauch2000]

I'm in the midst of planning my first trip to Vegas for a convention in January. Its looking to be 3 nights and we are staying at Harrah's. Any advice on what i should hit up while im down there? Which casino has the best sportsbook?

[Gormans Gofer]

Hit Ellis Island Brewery & Casino, which is directly behind Bally's (1 block off The Strip).
$1 pint beers 24/7, karaoke every night. Mostly locals, it's a hoot.

Also, Bally's sportsbook is pretty decent. We go there every year for March Madness.

[davego]

I like the sports book out the Rio, but it is sort of out-of-the-way. I like that place in general.

 

Cesars is sort of overwhelming, but the sports book is a classic place to visit.

[brewcrewreview]

Ceasars, Bellagio, and the Wynn have the best sportsbooks as far as tv's and overall appearance in my opinion. Everyone needs to take a walk through the Bellagio and the Wynn when they are in Vegas.

If you play poker, do it at the Bellagio. I made a lot of money there doing so. A lot of people with little to no experience try it out because it's the neat thing to do. One time a woman sat at my table only a ($4/$8 limit table at the time) and blew $500 in less than two hours and never even won one hand. It was her first time playing. A lot of people at the Bellagio are willing to thrown down $500 or so because it's not that much money to them. I've seen this happen many times at my table.

Other awesome things about the Bellagio poker room is many of the stars play there often at night. When I was there last summer for 11 days, just about every night there was Sam Farha, Phil Ivey, Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harmon, Barry Greenstien and others play $4,000/$8,000 round by round. It is pretty cool. Also, the waitresses are the best looking and there is no limit what you can drink. For example, many poker rooms don't give you shots, but when my friend would order straight Jager, it would be like a triple shot everytime. I rarely play anywhere else but the Bellagio.

Quick Math equation: beginning wealthy players + hot waitresses + umlimited liquor = great times!

[brewcrewreview]

Forgot to add Harrah's is nice because you are dead middle in the strip and the Bellagio is basically right across the street. Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill is in there which is cool as well as a decent piano bar. The casino itself is average at best, but its location is perfect.

[GAME05]

"If you play poker, do it at the Bellagio. I made a lot of money there doing so."

 

thanks for the tip. i haven't tried the Bellagio yet, but i think i will next time. Isn't the Bellagio the place where the top pros have their "Big Game?" good places to play poker seem so easy to find because it never takes any time at all to figure out how many and who the sharks are at the table.

 

Orleans looked pretty promising poker-wise, though I didn't play there. But overall the Orleans is not only out of the way, but it's a total dump of a place, plus their blackjack rules are idiotic. and their main performance stage is no better than a $2 theater.

 

Binions and the Nugget are certainly good places to play, and I've made a lot of money at those places, particularly in the tournaments. Binions runs the most daytime poker tournaments if you're looking to do something else at night. MGM has a pretty comfortable sportsbook, but i wouldn't recommend playing cards there. I made money there, but you'll be facing more pros at the table then other places, plus the tourists lose lose way too fast and don't ever stick around and keep feeding the table.

[brewcrewreview]

Bellagio does have the big game where anyone can play if you have the funds. This mainly seemed to go on around midnight or later. On occasion, I saw non-pros (at least I thought they were) play the $4,000/$8,000 round by round. It was really funny because I played $4/$8, which meant they were literally playing for a thousand times the stakes I was. By the way, all of the dealers I got to know a little told me how they hate dealing for the pros.

My best advice for the Bellagio from what I heard and seen is stick to the low tables. That's again where all of the newbies give it a whirl and dump cash. I played a decent amount at the Place Station and Binions (same levels) but the tables were mainly consisted of older players and younger people who knew what they were doing. It was too much of a grind and not as fun. The Bellagio was far superior and, again, much better waitresses and drinks.

Have fun!

[dadofandrew]

Supposedly, many rich folks, such as Goldman Sachs guys getting $1M bonuses, will sit down with the pros at those obscene limits, and often do well, or lose it all within an hour.

[wallus]

When I went to Vegas last year I got on the high no limit tables at the Bellagio and it was pretty cool. I was pretty close to David Williams and could see all the pros in their little glassed in room.

[gypcasino]

The Mirage has a nice sports book too.

[PaulRigdon]

best sports book hands down is the Hilton. Only problem it is off the strip. the monorail runs out there though...is worth the trip. the casino is actually pretty good too. lower limits and a younger crowd. A lot of b list celebs hang out there too. last time I was there I saw Shannon elizabeth and some of those people from that 70s show. Our black jack dealer said its the new cool place to chill out at.

 

If you like star trek, the ST experience is there. its worth a trip.

[cweber39]

Drinks are free at the casinos as long as your playing correct?

[gypcasino]

Drinks are free at the casinos as long as your playing correct?

Yeah, but I wouldn't count on getting all hammered on free drinks. Think of it as an infrequent little bonus.

I guess it's convenient if you're playing blackjack and can't get up. But you're not gonna get offered a drink every few minutes.

[foamboy1]

Just don't run into Pac Man Jones.

[PaulRigdon]

Free drinks are a plenty at the Hooters Casino. Its not a bad place to play and they have many "perks"

[brewcrewreview]

Every casino that I've ever been to in Vegas (which is a minimum of 95% of them) keep the free drinks coming and coming as much as you want as long as you're playing. It really helps when you tip the waitresses though. Tip them a buck a drink and they will be there whenever you need them.

Another tip, when you place a bet at a sportsbook, ALWAYS ask the guy at the counter for a drink ticket or two. You don't even have to wager much to get them. You can take that ticket to just about any bar and/or waitress when you're not playing a get a drink as well.

If those tips don't work for you, take your business to a different casino, however I've never had a problem with free drinks (except drinking too many of them) at any casino I've been to.

[rwa12]

I enjoyed the sportsbook at the Venetian, we watched the opening Badgers FB game there a few years ago, and had a blast. Plenty of free drinks, and I wasn't told until 4 hours in that I needed to be betting to get the free drinks. We were staying there, so it was convenient. I enjoyed the poker room at the Wynn, good enough comp to keep it interesting.

[homer]

Hilton does have a great sportsbook but on the strip the best one is Mandalay Bay.

 

Although I've noticed that you'll get better odds at Luxor so my advice is to walk over to Luxor to make your bets, but watch the games at The Bay. And while you're walking between the two stop at The Burger Bar and try the Kobe Beef burger.....mmmmmmdroolmmmmmdrool.

[DHonks]

last time there I enjoyed the Mirage's sportsbook. However, I hated the gambling there (stayed in the hotel). I had a ton of success in the Hard Rock last time, though. My suggestion is to not do the gambling cheaply. If you show up to a table with $20-50 in your hand, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose it within 20 minutes. You need to have enough cash on hand in order to sustain a losing streak. Once that happens, you can ride out the winning streaks. I never sit down with less than $100, and usually $200 is enough

 

I am going in January, and am staying at the Luxor, since it is decent, on the strip, and has a nice special room rate offer where the rooms are about $130/night. Not many places on the strip where you can get a decent room on a holiday weekend for less than $200

[gypcasino]

I just booked a trip to Vegas leaving Dec. 17th and coming back Dec. 21st. My friend is a flight attendant on Midwest and I got a round trip ticket for $83. And for lodging, Sam's Town has buy one night get one free so I got four nights there for $70 plus tax. Wynn wasn't quite done last time I was out there so I'll be checking that out. I'm gonna try to limit my gambling to a little blackjack and some sports bets. I'll check out the Hilton sportsbook since it was recommended here.

[homer]

There's a sandwich shop in the Hilton Sportsbook that makes terrific subs.

[Weirdos19]

Gyp,

 

If you gamble at some of the Casinos on the strip, get a players card. We get offers from Harrah's and The Imperial Palace to stay for free just about any time we want to go. My girlfriend loves the slots, they count up comp points pretty fast.

 

Sam's Town is cheap, but approximately a $20 cab ride to the strip and $20 downtown. Older people flock there to get their comps. They give em out like crazy.

 

So, my advice is, gamble elsewhere if you plan on going back. You'll enjoy the rooms on the strip for convenience if nothing else. The most expensive cab ride on the strip is about $8. Plus there are free trams and shuttles too.

[gypcasino]

Thanks. I've got a few things planned that don't involve gambling since I don't want to spend a whole lot of money. Sam's does have a complimentary shuttle that goes to the Strip so I'll probably do that. I may rent a car too since that's super cheap during the week. Even if I cabbed it a few times a car would probably be the cheaper way to get around.

[TURBO]

dont' eat the buffet at the Golden Nugget...

 

I made that mistake in '89 and got severe food poisoning...nice way to ruin a trip.

 

hopefully they have cleaned up their act by now.

[Weirdos19]

Thanks. I've got a few things planned that don't involve gambling since I don't want to spend a whole lot of money. Sam's does have a complimentary shuttle that goes to the Strip so I'll probably do that. I may rent a car too since that's super cheap during the week. Even if I cabbed it a few times a car would probably be the cheaper way to get around.

 

The car is cheaper, probably $20 per day. But, the parking garages are on the other side of the shoppes.

 

Example: You go to the Venetian or Caeser's and self-park. You end up walking a good 10 minutes before you see anything other than mall shops. I rented a car the first time I've went there and won't do it again. You end up wasting so much time walking through malls when you could just be walking on the strip, seeing things you went there to see.

 

Been out there 8 times, i think. With the shuttles and trams they have now, no car is no biggie. Alot of the chain casinos have free trams to other casinos under the same ownership. Treasure Island to MGM to Mirage, etc.