Casino drinks

How easy is it to get free drinks in the casinos? Which casinos are the best or have the best and quickest waitresses?

 

very easy. just sit at slot machine and pretend you are playing. tip the cw and you should be good.

 

Its not really that simple: you could be at one casino one night and be getting the best drink service, go off to another casino or go for dinner, see a show, etc, come back a few hours later and sitting in the exact same seat as before not see another waitress all night. You just pretty much get what you get. If you want a lot drinks try to see where the waitress is mainly serving (they usually have a spot they frequent) and try not to sit in a back corner.

As far as how easy: as long as you are playing on the casino floor the drinks from the cocktail waitresses are free. When one is taking drink orders in your area she will be calling out "Cocktails!" and you can wave her over.

A few random thoughts that might help:

- Drinks are only free if ordered from the cocktail waitress while you are gambling or if you are PLAYING at the bar. If you are playing a slot or blackjack you can't go over to the bar and order a free drink (you'll have to pay for it) even if you point out to the bar tender where you are and how long you've been playing.

- Free drinks are for people playing. If you are just standing there watching somebody else play (IE: your significant other is playing a slot and you are standing there talking to them and watching them play) the waitress doesn't have to serve you a free drink. Most of the time they will, but just know that they don't have to.

- When the waitress is dropping off drinks they usually aren't taking orders at that time.

- When the waitress is taking drink orders be quick to flag her down and wave her over. The faster they work the more tips they can earn so they might just go zipping through an area and just be calling out "Cocktails!" and if nobody calls her over just keep going.

- Know what you want to order. If you are a slow poke time waster they might try to avoid you in the future.

- Have your tip out and ready before she comes back. They will appreciate that. I have a little money clip that has a bunch of $1 bills I leave in front of me when playing and they can see that as a sign I want drinks, that I am tipping and that my tip money is ready.

- Don't be a cheapskate: tip her $1 for each drink she brings you. If you don't have any $1 bills you can let her know that you will need change when she brings your drink around or go use one of the bill breakers in the casino (put in a $5 bill and it will give you five $1 bills)

- The waitresses work in a specific area. You can't just approach any waitress going by or from a different area and order a drink. IE: if you are sitting at a video poker machine next to the blackjack tables the waitress that services the tables might not be the same one that does the VP machine area so you can't just go up to her and put in an order

- Also, you need to be sitting somewhere so they know where you are and where to find you. Don't get up and go chase one down and then be trying to explain where you are or where she might find you. If I am going to be changing machines I usually mention that and try to stay in the immediate area.

- If drink service is bad whining and complaining about it won't speed it up at all. If anything it would have an opposite effect.

- If you REALLY REALLY need a drink RIGHT NOW you should go to the casino gift shop or to one of the bars in the casino. At the gift shop you can usually get a big can of beer for $3-5 (thats 2 bottles of beer) - its only $2-3 more than what 2 bottles would be on the floor if you are tipping a buck a drink and you would have them right then and now. If you go to the casino bar you will probably end up paying $5-9 per drink, depending on what you drink and the quality of the bar - thats more than the "free" drink on the casino floor, but just how bad do you want the drink right now?

- If you have a specific drink or beer in mind and want to know if they have it - just ask. If there is a specific beer you want its quicker and easier just to say "Do you serve ______?" rather than asking her "What beers do you have?" and then listening and hoping the one you want gets listed.

- For almost everybody in the casino they will only bring you one drink at a time. Even if service is really slow you can't ask or demand more than one at a time. But if you are with somebody and they aren't drinking you could always have them order one of what you are having. Also with water they will serve you extra water so you can order a beer and a bottle of water, or a screwdriver and a bottle of water, but you can't order two beers at once.

- If you order a drink and its taking forever to get there (or the waitress forgot you) and you want to move on... then you should move on. It doesn't make sense to keep pumping $20s in a slot machine you want to move on from just so you can get that "free" beer

- If you are looking to get drunk note that they usually don't serve drinks at a pace fast enough to get you there, or if you do get drunk it could take a few hours to get there.

- And be realistic: if you are sitting there playing penny slots or $5 blackjack you can ask for top shelf liquors, but you aren't going to get them.

 

If you're in it for the free drinks, you're going to get hit and miss service on the casino floor. In most cases, you'll find Video Poker machines right at the bar, and that's where you want to be for the best service. Start playing and the service usually comes pretty quickly. Lead off with a $5 tip to let them know you're serious, tip $1 per drink. You take care of them, they'll take care of you.

 

Very solid info Auggie!! You shared a lot of things I would forget to mention haha

Our experiences at NYNY and the Tropicana have always been very good. We've always had great drink service there. What always works for us is that we tip some extra on the first round, and then about every 4th round or so (we drink pretty much and fast while at the machines). So we tip $5 to $10 dollars on the first round and the waitress keeps coming back about every 15 minutes. We've bad bad drink service at Flamingo and Luxor. It took forever to get a drink.

 

This. If it's me and my wife, a lot of the time I'll tip $10 up front and set the expectation that I don't want to run dry Above all, BE NICE! A smile and good conversation with the bartender/cocktail waitress will get you better service than anything. Lots of people on this board have favorite bartenders around town...you can be sure that they never have a problem getting timely drink service from them. Take the time to get to know your bartender and free drinks, as well as GREAT Vegas stories will be yours

 

We have had the worst service at Bellagio. Have played and walked out before seeing a single cocktail waitress.

 

Drink service at the Cromwell was fantastic the times I have been there.

 

Slot service can be very hit and miss, especially if you like to move around a lot. Generally once you get a drink though and staying around the same area, they will come back often.

Table games are better to me in that they are more consistent.

 

I second this.
at one point, I spent about 4 hours, on a Saturday night into Sunday morning, at one of the craps tables and didn't see one waitress.
not cool.

 

Couple times I have been in the poker room I have gotten great service at Bellagio. Drinks were strong, tasty and refilled quickly. Like anything service related in a massive establishment your mileage may vary.

 

My experience is:

Best: Cromwell (separarte CW takes order on iPad first) Monte Carlo, MB, Caesars (she even let us each order a shot and beer at the same time as long as we took the shot in front of her)

Worst: Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Wynn

Swings bad/good depending on time of day: Aria, PH, Luxor, Excalibur, NYNY

 

Play at Palazzo. The slots there (in some sections) have Drinks4U enabled, which means you can order a custom drink on the machine and the CW will deliver it.

Anywhere else, tip a $5 on the first drink delivery. I guarantee the CW will stop by every single pass for the rest of her shift.

 

I've had good luck at many of the downtown casinos playing slots. Caesars Palace seemed to be very quick the afternoon I was there. Hard Rock was pretty good too.

The worst was probably NYNY and Mirage for me. Couldn't get a drink at a machine for over an hour at the Mirage. Sometimes location is key though. Tables seem to be served pretty well there.

 

The CW are timed when you use the slot drink service at palazzo so they bring drinks in a timely manner. A few CW told me when I was talking with them

The program on the screen is pretty cool as you have a wide selection. Tried it a few months ago.

Other than VP at the bar, this is probably the fastest way to get drinks on slots excluding the HL rooms.

 

These places and Bellagio/Paris/Cosmo/TI I have had some rough experiences with. If you really want fast service, learn how to play VP at the bar (see my sticky in "Casino Gaming" *coughs*).

Auggie's advice is excellent!!! Basically set yourself up where the waitress is WANTING to serve you.