Guys Trip Suggestions

My seventh Vegas trip will be mid-July with Mrs. LV. My eighth takes place in September with a friend of mine. This will be his first trip. He's heard me tell the tales of my previous adventures and it has piqued his interest. He's digging the many options that exist in Vegas. I enjoy those choices, but I mainly go to gamble. There are at least two problems that have come to light thus far:
1. Other guys on the guy trip have bailed. This is a problem because I really looked forward to hitting the craps and roulette tables with some of them.
2. The guy I'm left with, while we're close and I think the world of him, he has committed a whopping $50 as his bankroll for the 5 days we're there.
While I won't attempt to persuade him to gamble, I refuse to allow any sideways looks and snarky comments to dissuade me form my appointed rounds at the tables, etc. My plan is early morning/late night. I guess they're both the same when you think about it. We're staying at MGM and will most likely see Carrot Top at some point and a cirque show. Suggestions are welcome. Thank you in advance.

 

Ever went to the Car Collection at the Linq? We have done it a couple of times over the years....they have some unusual / neat vehicles to look at while strolling thru. There is a coupon for free tickets if you google car collection las vegas....

 

Seriously, you will not have fun with such a person unless you straight up tell him you are going to be there to gamble. No way is he not bored out of his mind if he doesn't gamble unless he agrees to leave you to do your thing and finds his own fun except for meals/shows.

 

Good one. Thanks for the tip.

 

It just may come down to that.

 

I've gone with non gamblers and it worked out fine. I was very clear that I'd be gambling. There are tons of things for your friend to do while you gamble.

I saw Carrot Top for the third time this week. Hilarious

 

Kimi is right. I'm a very low roller. My avatar notwithstanding, I've been that guy in the past and it was a royal drag. I encourage you to set a specific time to meet for dinner and both stick to it. He will have to be patient and you will have to walk away from your table, no matter how hot your streak is.

Don't encourage him to play with you at the tables or he will be out of cash and waiting for you like a lonely puppy after 3 minutes. Instead, make sure he has a plan of what else to do on his own time.

On the bright side, you are going in September. Does he have any interest in football? Betting on a football game is probably the best use of time for an ultra low stakes gambler, since an $11 bet can be interesting for 3+ hours.

The place for low rollers is not the Strip. If you like playing craps, consider sporting for a rental car or uber ride down to Jokers wild in Henderson. You can play a $1 craps game and push up to 10x odds, and he can play $3 blackjack and his bankroll can last him all night if you spend a little time teaching him. Just keep your eye on what you have been playing because the croupiers there are mostly trainees.

You could also buy him an American Casino Guide book. Go to americancasinoguide.com and I think they are on sale right now. If he is a tightwad like me, he might enjoy coupon running. He will have to gamble a little bit to exploit the coupon but he might find it more compelling if there is a positive expected value and a finagle involved. There are several good places within walking distance from one another east of the strip around Koval Lane. I think Hard Rock, Ellis Island, Tuscany, and a few others are all in the book and that could keep him busy for the better part of a day. It's a mostly solitary endeavor that I prefer doing alone. These should all be a $7 uber ride or 30 minute walk from the MGM.

The ACG also has basic blackjack strategy tables and video poker strategy tables, which he might find useful to burn time.

It's not for everyone, but one thing I like doing which I spend several hours at is taking a shvitz at the spa. The entry fee is probably around $30 but I could be there for hours. Better yet, have him make a bet on a football game, then go to the spa to sit in the jacuzzi and steam, and then watch the game in the lounge. That is decadence and what vegas is all about. And after all that you are out $40 or less.

 

You have to clearly spell things out to your friend before you go. While you're up for other things, you're there to gamble. And then tell him that you expect to spend a lot of time alone, doing your own thing and you expect him to do the same. The last thing you need is someone who doesn't gamble looking over your shoulder all the time.

 

All good tips. No matter what I go through with my Vegas experiences, I realize I'm not unique. Someone, somewhere on this forum has been there and done it.

 

if you think that the above will be a possibility then you are going with the wrong person... I've dealt with that before, took some of the fun out of the trip to say the least...

 

Just be honest with him about your game plan. Pools are open so that is always an option for him to just relax and enjoy the eye candy in the morning while you are gambling.

Definitely agree with Azlefty re football. Great time killer.

 

Yes, I have been there. Everybody is a little different, I for one can stand behind a friend at a Craps/Blackjack/Roulette Table and just watch him play for hours and really enjoy it.
If this is his first trip, his senses will be on information overload anyway and most likely he will be happy watching/doing whatever you are doing, not as a tagalong, but as a sidekick.
Staying at the MGM, remember to do the Win Cards in the area, ACG coupon running is always fun, gives you a destination, it keeps you busy and you get to see a lot of Vegas.
He is a friend and you think the world of him, It is not his fault that the other guys have bailed, he is the only one that has stuck with you for this trip and you may have to be a little bit of a tour guide, _ _it happens. When I was in this situation, I as the Vegas veteran, accepted the responsibility to show him a good time and I sacrificed a little bit of gambling to do other Vegas things, but we both still had a blast and a lot to talk about when we got home, and he was ready to go back asap. You will be there for 5 days and you will have plenty of time to gamble over the course of the trip. Remember what it was like, your first time. He has heard your stories and it needs to be a pleasurable experience for him too. While you are gambling he can always get a drink nearby and people watch. I would suggest to stay together, you are familiar with Vegas he is not and it can be overwhelming, he is relying on you for your friendship, knowledge and experience to make Vegas fun. No matter how many times you have done a particular thing in Vegas, whatever you do this trip will be his first time.

The big key for me here is that he is a first timer and you cannot get together with a first timer and discuss what the two of you are going to be doing, because he has no idea what he wants !!!! He is relying on you for the guidance. That is what friends do! When he has a great time on this trip, he will be thankful that you took the time and effort to make sure that he enjoyed himself and you can still have a lot of fun yourself, because you are in Vegas with a friend and sharing an adventure and the next trip that all of you make to Vegas will be a different kind of trip.

 

Not to pile on, but I'm a big believer of having "upfront contracts" in situations like this. Schedule a come to Jesus meeting soon and give him an idea about what the trip will be like. You really get to know someone when you travel together. It's your trip, your agenda, he's along for the ride, you're not a cruise director. Good luck!

 

Thanks Wiz. You really hit the nail on the head bout first trip sensory overload. After much deliberation I'm seriously considering dialing back the gaming component of this trip. I can't take my frustrations out on him because of the flakiness of a few. This will test my degenerate resolve, but I know there's much I love in Vegas.

 

The talk will happen. The flexibility we'll both need to thoroughly enjoy this trip is the main discussion topic.

 

I've done one guy trip with two other friends for the last seven years. I'm more of the gambler and I have quite a few comps. Upfront we sat down in advance to make a plan for the trip. We would rent a car usually for one 24 hours and take a field trip to various places like Red Rock, Death Valley, etc. The other thing were shows. We decided that the remaining part of the trip I would gamble my normal 5 or so hours. One gamble just a bit another plays poker and carney games with a little VPO town in. They would do whatever they want during the day. At night we would eat together go to bars, shows etc. Durning the day sometimes we would get together on an unplanned basis.
Since I was the provider of the room and food through my comps. They would pay for all tips and rental car. We get along great and we'll do trip number 8 next year.
Your best thing to do is to hash out what you're going to do ahead of time or else as we've seen in a few posts here. You'll see an horror vacation for the regular Vegas guy meaning you.