March Madness 2015

2015 will be my first year doing March Madness in Vegas. I have a few questions. Since viewing parties don't generally get announced until after the SB when do you get hotel rooms? Do you usually stay where the viewing party you want to go is held? What places do you recommend for viewing or sportsbooks? Have you been to LVH, ARIA or Cosmopolitan? What is the difference between doing betting through sportsbooks or doing it through a viewing party?

 

Personally, I prefer the sportsbooks for MM to the viewing parties. But I am sure someone else can help you with that comparison. As for the other questions ....

I will probably decide in January where I am going to stay and call my host then. Back in the days when I played a lot smaller and did not have hosts, I usually reserved a room as early as November or December to try and get a decent rate and ensure I could get a room wherever I wanted to stay. As for the best sportsbooks to watch MM, I would avoid Cosmo. In fact, I wouldn't go to the Cosmo book to view anything, lol. For MM I would also avoid Aria, only because for MM I like the books that are big and open (which Aria is not). That means Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Caesars (although I have no idea how the current construction will change things), Mirage or Wynn.

 

I went to MM in Vegas for the first time this year. It was a blast. My liver wasn't too happy with me

I just booked for 2015 and I'm already chomping at the bit.

Only thing I'll do different is not waste $130 for the "private" viewing. I did the one at PH and it was a waste of money.

I'm thinking of the Cosmo Hoops and Hops but open to other good suggestions. Going Wed-Mon this year. We have a group of about 6.

 

We are going for our third year in a row. I would advise you to start researching hotels, keep an eye-out for deals, and book your room sooner rather than later. The prices will only go up from here on out.

You don't need to stay at the same hotel as the viewing party you plan to attend. We go with a group of 12 guys and that doesn't even factor into our decision.

I recommend the LVH for a free viewing party. The atmosphere and set-up is second to none, and you can't beat free. For a paid party, I recommend the Cosmo. We went last year and all the guys in our group really enjoyed it. $150 for all you can drink (liquor and beer), with limited snacks included. Also had pool tables, dart boards, a half court basketball court, blackjack tables, etc., so lots of stuff to do if there is a lull in the action.

As far as sportsbooks vs. viewing parties--the real deciding factor is a place to sit. It's virtually impossible to get a seat in the sportsbook unless you get there at 5 a.m. or you are a huge gambler (i.e. whale) that can command a reserved seat. I don't like to stand all day long to watch the games, which is why we choose viewing parties. The atmosphere in the sportsbooks is amazing though, so if you can somehow get a seat its a great option.

 

March Madness 2015 will be year number 14 in a row for my friends and I. Its always the best trip of the year and what we talk about all year round. I am personally not a big fan of the huge ballroom viewing parties. Feel like I am stuck in a ballroom full of dudes and there is no casino or bar atmosphere to it. Our tradition was to catch thursday mornings games at the ESPN Zone/Sporting House. We did this every year except for one. Since this place does not exist anymore I am pretty sad and looking to start a new tradition. I have always like the option of just bouncing around to watch games. There are bars and TV's everywhere and when you have a large group of people like we do its too difficult trying to reserve a spot for everybody. Then you have to worry about reaching the minimum food and drink requirements and guys rolling in and out and not paying. We have about 10-12 guys part of our core crew, then there are about 5-10 other guys that like to tag along...thats just too many heads to keep track of. Whatever you end up doing, you will have an amazing time. Can't wait for the Madness to begin. Bball starts in 1 month. Bear Down!

 

Cosmopolitan has begun releasing some post January dates, so hoping to see something about Hoops and Hops show up soon. Especially considering how early most groups book for MM.

I jumped over to the Wynn last year on the second day of the tournament and the Sportsbook was bumping. Really awesome vibe and not as cavernous as the Chelsea. That said, space seemed super limited, and the bettors I met all had substantial bets down.

 

Have the details of any 2015 viewing parties been released yet? I just did a quick search and didn't find much. I will post any details I find in the coming weeks. I encourage others to do the same. 9 weeks until the madness begins!

 

The Cosmopolitan just today released a new placeholder page for Hoops & Hops this year. No details yet other then dates (which may be wrong, shows the event starting on Friday and running through Monday lol).

I booked my flights and have an email out to my host for rooms. I'll update if he has anything additional to mention.

I'm hoping to get a little more variety this year in where we watch the games. At the very least a Cabana one of the days lol.

 

Hoops & Hops details are up. Strangely the only tickets available (maybe just for now) are the VIP tickets w/Unlimited drinks for $375. I'm not sure that the "VIP" seating makes much of a difference anyway. We came early last year and had no problem getting great spots with general admission.

My host got me a few tickets and rooms setup. I wish they had single day tickets open, this will be a decent sized hit against comps.

 

Thanks for posting this update. I just called the Cosmo. They will have 1-day passes available soon, as they are tying to promote the 3 day passes now in conjunction with the hotel room offer. The lady I spoke said the prices for the 1 day tickets have not been set yet, but she said they will likely be announced next week sometime.

 

We do the exact same thing. Get there tuesday, scope out the different books, and get revved up for thursday tip off. The extra day to prepare really makes it for us. Wed night our bets are made, and all day thurs and friday we move about the strip and down town, checking in on the games. It's great!

 

I am with ya. We bounce around and can always catch the games we want. Every bar has tvs, and they are always tuned to the games. Sitting in one spot is not at all what you should be doing in Vegas!

 

I'm so ready for MM. Get in LAS about 1pm on Wednesday. Looking forward to the party. We're at MGM this year and still haven't figured out where we're going to watch yet.

 

Envious of the 1pm Flight. Flying in at 8pm right now and know it's going to be crazy. I'm not looking forward to standing in line at 8am for the books lol.

 

I hear you. I wanted to get in early and chill and get the bets in. Plus, i need to force myself to go to bed Wednesday night so i can get up early!

 

Might I suggest that you head to the Orleans once you settled in. Last year I arrived late on Weds night. I discovered that the Orleans sportsbook was open all night and, I believe, the South point sportsbook too.

 

Just got my offer from CET for MM. Offer is for 2 tickets for 4 days of viewing parties at either PH, Linq, or Flamingo. Will likely choose PH as it is my home away from home. Comped 3 nights rooms at the above listed hotels as well as Harrahs and Rio.

 

Nice thanks for the tip! I've never been to Orleans, but if the Sportsbook is open 24/7 that may be my only option.

I'm interested to see what Cabana prices are like. Got an Aria Mega Cabana for $900 this past Labor Day with F&B separate. Had a great time, but hoping to try something new this year. Hopefully somewhere with a minimum F&B spend, so the overall price is somewhere closer to $1,500~ total

 

How many people did the mega cabana fit? We have a core group of 6 that have been going for the past 5 years but one of the guys is getting married and we have about 8 more coming and I thought a cabana would be good for one day.

 

The Aria Mega Cabana was great. We had a group of 12 and fit no problem (since some of us were inside watching football for much of the day). It was much more spacious then the Wynn cabanas.