How do you carry your $$?

*visiting Vegas for first time 10/16/14*

So I've been playing with whether I'd prefer to carry cash or my cards. Both sound dangerous. So when you Vegas folks go to the city of sin how do you carry your money? I feel like ATMs would be available everywhere I turn, but charges to use them may rack up. Cash seems easy to lose.... So tell me your secrets.

Also my mates and I have thrown the idea to ask for a possible upgrade when we arrive at the Flamingo. Anyone with experience asking for such a thing?

Thanks.

 

I don't carry anywhere near what some of the gamblers here do... I'm only good for a couple thousand at a time. I keep it in a money clip in my front pocket and when I walk, I keep my hand in that pocket as I usually wear some pretty baggy shorts. I have a "travel wallet", (I call it) where I keep my ID, room key and only a few other things I might REALLY need as well. Having lost a wallet many years ago due to being drunk and careless, I now take as little along for the evening as I think I can.

On the upgrade "thing", if you don't ask, you'll never know... also take a look at the $20 Trick Sticky thread here on the board... it'll give you some tips that many Vegas visitor swear by to obtain an upgrade.

Congrats on the visit!!!!! You're gonna have a blast!!!!

 

My bankroll (the lion's share of my cash) goes in my front pocket. If I come across a crowded area where I'm going to be bumping into people, my hand goes into that pocket. Non-gambling money (seldom more than a few hundred) is kept in my wallet as usual.

In 40-odd trips, I doubt I've felt worried about being robbed more than a few times. Stick to the touristy areas and your biggest concern will be pickpockets (and 6:5 blackjack, keno and penny slots of course).

 

Front left pocket, I have my double-sided money clip. That has: my gambling cash for the day ($500-700 max), one credit card, my room key, and players club cards. (If you become a Vegas fanatic, you'll get a nice collection.)

Front right pocket: "walking-around money" for meals, drinks, souvenirs, etc. Maybe $100 or so. Any gambling wins go into the right-hand pocket.

Back pockets: miscellaneous (strategy cards, coupons, etc.)

(I'm not a big fan of carrying around a wallet, either in real life or Vegas.)

 

So I think I'll be keeping my gambling cash in bills and walking around money on the debit card. only using the card on drinks, food etc. I do intend to have a players card or two.

jeez I feel like I may not have enough money!I have enough to allot 300 a day on gaming per day! That's if I gambled everyday though. I'm not a gambler by any means so learning up on craps and blackjack via youtube. THREE WEEKS!

 

I'm a girl, I carry the same wristlette I carry at home. I would not change your money carrying routine too much - a new way to carry plus all the distractions might end poorly. If I carry in a new way, I either keep checking my cash all night, or I leave the zipper open, etc. Best to stick with what works.

Also, use the safe in your room if it comes to that. Highly unlikely you will forget to grab the contents at check out....have fun in Vegas!

 

What is this "money" thing that I keep hearing so much about??

 

Whatever you do... know your budget and do your best to stick to it!!!! Many here split there money up into daily gambling budgets in separate envelopes... I don't have that kinda willpower, but can tell you IT"S NO FUN spending everything you have the first night and wandering around for the next few days lookin' at the volcano and fountains! It's also no fun looking' like an idiot going to the ATM for money over and above what you'd budgeted for the trip. It's just NOT worth it. Trying to spend the next month borrowing and moving money around (if you have it) to cover a trip to Vegas is for fools...

 

I always bring cash to Vegas. After checking in, I drop it off in the safety box. I generally carry 2-5k on me when I'm ready to gamble. If I lose, I reup my cash in the room. If I am eating, drinking, etc., I'll only carry 500-1k, nothing big.

 

You'll be fine! There are people on this board who are micro-rollers and bet a few pennies a spin. Others lose hundreds of thousands of dollars on a trip. There's something for everyone, and you're on the right track by studying blackjack (which I play) and craps (which I don't) as both have a low house edge. I don't know where you are staying, but Ellis Island (behind Bally's), Gold Coast (near Rio) and a number of downtown casinos will have $5 blackjack with good rules. A $300 bankroll would last you a good long time, even if you had very bad luck.

And I second the suggestion for dividing your money into envelopes. I have an envelope for each day and a "take home" envelope. Anything that goes in "take home" can't be touched again. I divide my overall bankroll for a four day trip into the four envelopes, making each day's bankroll a little larger (which guarantees fun times the last day or two).

 

I keep my spending money in a Tumi magnetic money clip, my cash bankrool in the other pocket until I get off the plane and into the room
after that I discipline myself to leave everything except my spending and that Session's Bankroll in the room safe

so leaving it's money clip with spending, session BR, ID, cell phone and players cards, wallet and cash stay in safe

so if my pocket gets picked or I get mugged or just hammered drunk?

the stop loss is built in

 

Wow thanks for all the tips!

Another question- When gambling the lady (or fella) wait staff brings you drinks for free. I am in the service biz so I'd be a tipper. Do I tip in cash or a few chips?

 

Both are happily accepted.

 

Cash all the way. I guess it depends how much you bring. I generally bring about $500 for my short trips (then you hopefully win a little, and then that enhances my trip). If you are bringing thousands you might wanna rethink that, put some in the safe, or find an ATM. But the ATM fee I think is at least $5, then I know my bank charges me another $2.50 or so... (if you are patient you can definitely find a Chase or a BofA ATM on the strip)

But, you need cash to tip everybody and to gamble. I find it easier to keep track of my money if I have cash, since you blow threw it rather quickly in Vegas... I don't know about everyone else, but I feel I am certainly spending at a much faster rate than in any other city I visit haha!

I like the envelope idea.. I tend to blow too much, too quickly sometimes.

 

They are comping your drink for your play... $1 or $2 is pretty much customary... some people like to give a bigger tip up front and feel they get quicker return service that way... that's all up to you.

 

I have a line-of-credit I use for gambling so i keep money for incidentals and any winnings in my wallet in my front pocket. If I have quite a bit of winnings, I put a large amount in my front pocket but not in my wallet. I bring lots of one-dollar bills to tip drivers and housekeeping staff, but I keep those in my room in my luggage since I don't usually have more than thirty dollars in ones.

Most people at the tables use chips. All tables have one-dollar chips, but cash is fine too for tipping the CW. Many people tip the dealers by playing a one-dollar chip or more beside their own bet.

 

I usually keep about $500 cash and 1 credit card in my wallet, the rest gets locked up in the safe.

 

Nothing different in Vegas, other than I do carry more. Might have a $1-$5k in cash on me. If a few handpays, it could be over $10k.

for the life of me, I never understood why carrying cash is such a big deal.

Do people really loose track of their money?

 

Oh, forgot to tell you all this.. sat and played BJ in the high limit room with a pharmacist and his buddy who is a DDS. They are in there mid 30s from Pittsburgh. They were walking from Cosmo to*Aria*and a 2 girls came up to the DDS and just said hi. He started to converse and before long one of them was all over him. Yes, right there on that overpass. She was rubbing up against him trying to kiss him and his buddy was trying to get the DDS to leave but apparently he was liking it and he was drunk. Small talk and this light petting went on for about 10 minutes when finally his buddy got him to leave. As they were walking to Aria he noticed his wallet, money, credit cards all were gone!!! Apparently while she was doing what she was doing a pickpocket took everything! They saw nothing. Police came they found the girls (2) and were as surprised as the guys were. Sure they were. They went to trash cans all over the area and FOUND his wallet! Cash, he says 2 1000$ chips, drivers lic, credit cards all gone. Cops said they were a team but they couldn't do anything to the girls because they had nothing on them. They let the cops go through their purses, even a lady cop pat them down and nothing. So be careful while walking. Pickpockets are really good. One little bump and all your stuff is gone.....

so yes watch yourself

 

Travel agents in the UK do their level best to force a pre paid debit card on you, rather than travellers cheques or cash! We don't care if we get called old fashioned, we simply prefer cash and travellers cheques as we know exactly where we are all the time.

With either credit cards, pre paid money cards or your ATM, there are a lot of stupid people out there who simply don't understand that you end up paying charges non- stop or are so drunk or thick that they completely lose track of their finances and you end up in a real mess.

Never felt threatened or worried in Vegas, either zip my wallet away or keep it in my front trouser/ jeans pocket, can barely get the damn thing out myself!