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New to Vegas? Here are some of our top tips, based on experience

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Multifarious5, Jul 12, 2019.

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  1. gr8whitenorth

    gr8whitenorth VIP Whale

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    Hydrate! Hydrate! Ensure you have something for when you wake up also. Nothing better than rolling over and finding something right at arms length. Bonus points if contains at least some alcohol.
     
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  2. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    Some things need not be instagrammed.

    Also, wash your hands often and touch elevator buttons with your elbow.
     
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  3. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    My wife will always pack our Fat Tuesdays cups from a previous trip so we only pay for refills.
     
  4. Jackpot Johnny

    Jackpot Johnny Wynn Fan

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    My advice has always been “Don’t be afraid to be a wide-eyed tourist. Wander about. Check out the hotels and casinos. Visit an attraction. Be astonished by what an amazing and strange place Las Vegas is. Walk the Strip if it’s not too hot.”

    Then I tell them to drink a lot of water, carry a chapstick and hand sanitizer, take more cash than they think they’ll need, sign up for players cards and don’t pay cab drivers for taking the tunnel if they take a cab from the airport. They probably won’t follow any advice you give them, but you tried.
     
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  5. grockford

    grockford Low-Roller

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    - Don’t try to overplan for the first trip. Time flies out there and you will likely enjoy yourself more when you are not tied down to non-stop plans made before you left for Vegas.

    - If you are staying on the strip, take a bit of time to visit downtown if it’s your first trip or you otherwise have not seen downtown before. If you don’t like downtown, cross it off the list as something to do next trip;

    - Stay aware of your surroundings while in Las Vegas even if staying in a top of the line resort. Look around every once in a while if playing slots or video poker to check out what’s going on around you. If someone or something does not feel right, get up and move to a different area. Don’t carry alot of cash out with you when you leave the room ... make use of the hotel safe if you have one;

    - Make a note of your room number somewhere in your phone in case your memory fades as the night wears on;

    - if going out there during the winter, the casinos seem to stay pretty warm so pack accordingly. I bring a pair of shorts even for a winter trip if i know i will be inside most, if not all, of the day. Same logic for summer travel ... some casinos seem pretty cold so take at least one piece of warmer clothing if you tend to get cold easily.

    Alot of very good recommendations in this thread.
     
  6. BellaBlvd

    BellaBlvd Low-Roller

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    Easy on the Estonians ;) :kill:

    PS where is said mouthy Estonian bartender?
     
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  7. BellaBlvd

    BellaBlvd Low-Roller

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    My tips -

    • Ask for an extra room key and keep it in your wallet behind your driver's license. Can confirm from experience - almost every trip I drunkenly lose a room key and it's a total pain to stumble to the front desk and ask for another key then stumble to the elevators. :drunk: (same goes for players cards really - I've abandoned many at machines or drunkenly put them in the wrong slot only to be lost forever and this only happens after the rewards desks are closed)
    • Clear beach bag when going to the pool expedites your way through the security check so they can easily see what you're bringing in.
     
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  8. Jackpot Johnny

    Jackpot Johnny Wynn Fan

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    I have never had a security check going into the pool, but have only been in Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn, Aria and Mansion pools in the last 25 years. Who does a pool security check? Really?

    Good tip, probably, but not needed at Wynn for sure.
     
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  9. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    Crazy people at Flamingo pool gets security check
     
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  10. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    Golden Nugget - A real asshole.
     
  11. vegasqc

    vegasqc VIP Whale

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    PH Paris Flamingo Mandalay Bay MGM…… they dont want you to bring outside booze/food
     
  12. OddsWrkin

    OddsWrkin MIA

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    Don't lose your entire bankroll the first night. It has never happened to me but did happen to a traveling companion, There is other stuff to do other than gamble but getting through the rest of your trip without can make for a looooong trip.
     
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  13. blackjack4me

    blackjack4me Low-Roller

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    If you play table games, and the dealer seems to be winning many more hands than you are - it's time to try another table, another dealer. I'm always amazed at folks who lose hundreds and hundreds of dollars at a table because they are convinced "the cards will turn" in their favor. I understand that the games always have a house edge, and the dealer will win more than they lose in the long run - but there's really no reason to sit there are continue to take a beating! From my experience, dealers can have a hot streak, just like a player can. With so many casino's and so many tables, if I lose several hands in a row I'm moving on.
     
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  14. vegaskid74

    vegaskid74 VIP Whale

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    So weird. You took the words right out of my mouth!
     
  15. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    GET a players card at every casino and use it Too!,,,,, many times I have been there with newbies that don’t plan to gamble much.Inevitably they play more than they thought and start getting offers from the casinos
    Even if you think your play is nothing, put it in the machine before you play,
    Insert the card before your money and remove it when you cash out.

    Table games, throw your money on the table with your card to get you chips.
    Learn
    the basic strategies of whatever your game of choice is,
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2019
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  16. Michael Smith

    Michael Smith VIP Whale

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    Lear the basic strategies of whatever your game of choice is,[/QUOTE]

    Yes, please, please, please, learn basic strategy for blackjack before sitting down. It's an easy game but it always amazes me how many people sit down and have no idea what they're doing. Invariably, they get wiped out pretty quickly, but beware the asshole splitting tens, standing on 16 with dealer 10 and winning. Get up immediately. He'll make you a loser right away.
     
    Final Four/Santa Anita Derby
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  17. TKO

    TKO High-Roller

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    If you play a good deal of video poker, AVOID the strip casinos for gambling. Best paybacks are generally off strip and Downtown.
    Scope out vpFREE2 website for the best casinos and games. Doing so may well save you hundreds of dollars even playing quarter vp.(And that's per day.)
     
  18. abileneblues

    abileneblues Low-Roller

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    My tips:
    • Whatever your game of choice, research online and find out how to maximize your plan. There are plenty of sites that explain the odds involved and have a strategy for getting the best return.
    • Hydration and chapstick are no joke. If you are drinking, alternate between alcohol and water. This can make a difference between a large blank spot in your memory and not.
    • Budget:
      • Budget tips for the housekeeping, approximate tips for everything else. Using a limo? Budget a $20 tip each way. Going to gamble? Plan on a $1-$5 tip for a CW for every 15-20 ;minutes (our mileage may vary, but if you tip well on the first drink, the second will come faster). As I know our plans pretty well in advance, I try to plan the accompanying tips with the variouse activities, wheither waitstaff, bartenders, drivers or bellstaff. All of these people are part of what makes our vacation a pleasant trip. I've never regretted a tip offered and have received consistently stellar service. That $5 might not be that big a thing for you, or it might. But it might be a huge thing for somebody else.
      • If gambling, divide up your bankroll among the days of your trip. Take them in separate envelopes. Don't dip into Tuesday's bankroll on Monday.
      • After a few trips, this part will be really easy.
    • As far as buying alcohol:
      • If there is a specific brand of single malt that you have to have, bring it with you. Just because your favorite liquor store stocks it for you, doesn't mean that every store does. If your favorite drink isn't a basic like Dewars, Glen Morange, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, etc. (what can I say, I'm a Scotch/whiskey guy), it may not be carried either in the places on the strip or whatever store your limo driver stops at.
      • Stores on the strip will likely carry the basics. If you want a wider selection, have your driver take you to an off-strip liquor store with a larger selection.
      • If your favorites are regional, such as Texas-based whiskey, don't expect that they'll have them in Vegas. They have their own distilleries.
      • While bottles in strip stores will cost more, make sure you consider the cost of travelling to an off-strip store to stock up. We generally take a limo from the airport to the hotel, so a stop at a liquor store doesn't add anything to the cost. But if I was taking a cab somewhere else, the extra cost/wait might make the off-strip bottle more expensive than the one at the Walgreens on the strip.
    • Don't miss opportunities to connect with people. We have people that we've met from all over the world. Some are bartenders or other staff in Vegas that we see and catch up with every year. Others are just people that we spent an evening with talking an enjoying a band and drinks with. I am an introvert, but I still have enjoyable memories of making friends with people that I will likely never see again. I value those experiences so much more than the few dollars we spent on drinks.
    • Take the list of all the things you've looked up that you'd like to see and cut that in half. Even assuming you don't stay out all night and get up every morning, things take longer than you think. It takes longer to walk from one property to the next, longer to navigate the crowd at the free spectacle you're wanting to see and longer to drive from one place to the next than you think it will. Don't be afraid to not check off everything on your list. There is more to see/do than anybody can possibly do in a week. Just keep the checklist up for your next trip.
    • Don't be afraid to say "no thank you" and walk on. Whether it be a porn-slapper, time-share person, somebody giving out their mix-cd or whatever. They're all people just trying to make a buck. You don't have to be rude (assuming they aren't being overly aggressive). Say "no thank you" and be on your way.
    • Take the opportunity to people-watch. There are people there from everywhere. You will see everything. It's amazing and can be the cheapest entertainment you ever imagined. It can show you that people are very different, yet very much the same.
    • Thank people for the job they do. It's easy to thank the desk person that just upgraded you to next room up. Remember to thank the security person that's checking room keys at the elevator bank or that wanders through the lounge/bar to ensure no drunks are bothering people. Vegas is a wonderful place because of so many people who are trying to ensure that it is a safe, enjoyable place for us to visit. It never hurts to let somebody feel that what they do make your trip more enjoyable.
     
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  19. BellaBlvd

    BellaBlvd Low-Roller

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    They check all bags going into Aria - and I’m as girl next door as they come (in case you thought I looked sketchy)
     
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  20. Downtown Fan

    Downtown Fan Low-Roller

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    If you get a bloody nose in Vegas, buy some Ayr Saline Nasal Gel. Works like a charm.
     
    Cal - Downtown
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