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Really thinking about a solo trip.

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by dfalk, May 18, 2012.

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  1. dfalk

    dfalk VIP Whale

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    I was in Vegas back in March and I'm already ready to go back, Im thinking Aug/Sept time of the year. The only problem is all my friends have no idea how to save money so they can't go. I think a solo trip sounds pretty fun, but I don't want to have a bad experience and make me hate Vegas. Heres a little about me:

    I LOVE to drink.
    I LOVE to gamble, 75% at BJ, 25% slots.
    It would be a 4day/3night trip at either PH/Ballys/Flamingo
    I don't eat at restaurants, only quick food courts.
    I'd have a $500 a day budget
    When I'm sober I hate people, but get me drunk at a BJ table and I can make friends with everyone.

    Normally when I go I start gambling late at night, around 10PM and go till 5AM or so. Then I sleep till about 12. From 12-10PM we usually just walk the strip and drink beers and people watch.

    This is the only part I'm worried about. What would I do for these 10 hours by myself? Walking around gettin drunk doesn't sound like much fun when you're alone. I know there are alot of Solo Trippers on here, what do you guys do when your bankroll isn't large enough to gamble all day?
     
  2. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    I recently did just this for 9 days, with a $300 loss limit per day gambling budget (exceeded only 2 days, and on one of those I won back $400 of the $600 I was in the hole.)

    From the sounds of it you are playing higher denoms than me (me - quarter video poker, $5 BJ and craps, or even $3).

    The trick for me was to spend some time each day with the following:
    - walking around waiting for funny shit to happen to me
    - writing about said funny shit for 2-3 hours per day
    - planning and executing various non-gambling activities - in this case, the Mob Museum, the Neon Boneyard, the Titanic exhibit, and a slot tournament, which actually is a gambling activity, but whatever.

    I say go for it!
     
  3. engicedave

    engicedave VIP Whale

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    Check out other hotels, malls, pools.
    Go to a show or even a movie
    Have a rental? Go to Red Rock or Valley of Fire, or even to a locals joint like Red Rocks, Alliante or even venture out to Primm and ride Desperado, can also go to Hoover Dam
    There's also a bitchin electric go kart track across the freeway from Rio, if I remember right
     
  4. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    I am a solo traveler

    My advise for the day time is to go to the Happy Hour places from 3p.m. to
    7p.m. and have lots of fun drinking discount drinks. You will have a blast!
    At NYNY LOBBY BAR.

    If you stay at Ballys there are lots of small sandwich, salads, soups, pizza, places to go eat at the Paris that is connected to Ballys. Great foods at
    food court prices but better quality.

    You can also meet lots of drunk people at bars who love to talk and buy drinks. I call them the lounge lizards.lol. They are super nice people.
    I meet a lot of people from England and Australia at those bars.

    If you get real lonely you can go to the Carnival Court area where people are having a great time at the Bar and walking around with a drink in their
    hands.
    When you are in your room resting..... put the t.v. on Channel 5 that has the local Vegas news and is a lot of fun to watch. The sin city news.lol.

    You will be surprised how much fun you can have by yourself.

    Put a sign on your hotel room door that you don't need housekeeping that way you can leave your stuff all over the room. You can always call them if
    you just need towels. The cleaning ladies are happy not having to clean your room every day. GO GREEN! Save the energy of a cleaning lady.lol. Lucyr.
     
  5. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Play poker at all? Limit or tourneys are good time eaters. Other than that, lounging by the pool, sightseeing, watching games in the sportsbook ...
     
  6. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    solo trips take a lot of discipline. it's very easy to blow through your bankroll quickly and be sitting around. you have to be disciplined enough to get up and do something else and not just sit at the table from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep. when i do trips without my wife, i make sure to schedule bunches of things. i schedule so much i wonder when i'm going to gamble. but of course i still manage to find plenty of time to gamble, but i'm not sitting there all day every day.
     
  7. Iamrice

    Iamrice High-Roller

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    I've taken three solo trips and the best way (for me) to break up the low points is to see a show. Even if it's Mac King (someone I've seen a few times) it gets me out of the room for a couple of hours and I'm barely spending any money.

    The last solo trip I took I did the yoga with dolphins at the Mirage. It started at 8:30 AM which is an ungodly early hour in my home life but in Vegas (on my first night with two more to go) I actually enjoyed going to bed at 1 AM and being at the Mirage spa at 8 AM. I know that sounds odd (it does, even for me) but there was something really cool about doing something atypical on a Vegas trip.
     
  8. user3657

    user3657 VIP Whale

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    take your time getting up. watch some tv. take a long shower. lay out by the pool.

    I go solo all the time and pretty much follow your schedule and never seem to have enough time during the day.
     
  9. trex323

    trex323 Low-Roller

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    I did my first solo trip last September and pretty much loved it. I arrived later afternoon on a Sunday and left on Thursday morning. I had a couple friends that were there on Sunday when I arrived but were leaving early on Monday. But, I was able to go where I wanted and when I wanted. I'm kinda like yourself, where I like to gamble late at night into the morning and just go wherever during the day. I would usually get up a 11 and head to the pool for awhile and enjoy a few too many cocktails then head up to the room for a couple hours to recharge. I was staying at Harrah's that time and one decided to walk to the Strip Slum for lunch aka the Fucking Riviera. While there I had a late lunch, took a nasty shit following lunch, played on some of the pinball machines from the Pinball HOF and then even had a nice $900 hit on their $1 DDB progressive VP machines. Afterward, walked back, decontaminated myself by showering and then headed out for the night.
     
  10. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    I do about 6 trips a year, with at least three being solo. I tend to keep these to 3 nights since thats about the managable bankroll.

    For Gambling I pretty much count on my first night being a major spend night and set a stop loss. Otherwise I try to play better odds and lower limits.

    Pai Gow, Mini Baccaratt, Three Card (Playing pairs plus only) or low level VP.

    There is tons to do in Vegas and Downtown. Going to the spa or pool is an easy way to kill a couple of hours, and depending on how you gamble way cheaper. CET Diamond players were getting spa passes at Qua for $20.

    One trip I did a day just exploring south strip. There are also two movie theaters in easy walking distance of the strip.
     
  11. mdee

    mdee VIP Whale

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    A word of advise from Uncle mdee

    I've been on solo trips but I do not drink or party at all... I was fully aware of my surroundings at all times.

    By your own admission you like to get drunk. What concerns me is that in this vulnerable state you could open
    yourself up to becoming an easy "Mark" for someone. Las Vegas can bring out the worst in some people.

    I don't want to discourage you from having a good time but being on a solo trip with no one to watch your back
    you are going to need to be a little more vigilant than usual. So please keep that in mind.
    Have fun but for your own safety-sake don't go crazy.
     
  12. tapakip

    tapakip Low-Roller

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    I've done solo trips several times now. I love being able to do whatever I want to do, when I want to do it. Yes, I have a wife and kid at home, how can you tell? :)

    Anyway, for me, it's about warm (ok, HOT) weather, driving around in a rented convertible just soaking up the city. Last time around, I got out to Red Rock Canyon for a bit, which was a nice change of pace. I'm a poker player, so it's a lot easier for me to kill time in 8 hour tourneys than for most, but no one says you're guaranteed to be in that tourney all the way through, so I would always just end up grabbing some food/drink somewhere that I loved, then going by the pool or whatnot. I usually stay in a nice room, too, so I don't mind spending a few hours in it if need be.

    In the end, my only advice is to try it out, don't stay any more than 3 nights, and do whatever the hell it is you want to do at that moment.
     
  13. Travel Fanatic

    Travel Fanatic The Arbiter of Taste Caviar Kid

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    I do the solo tripmto Vegas often. It can be fun, but it helps to have some ideas of other things to do besides gamble. For me, that list includes:
    *go to the pool (good time of year for it)
    *watch a lot of sports (I wager on the games, so I can easily kill three hours a day watching the games I bet on)
    *walk thru the malls. Even if you're not shopping, there is lots to see there
    *walk the Strip. Great way to people watch and stretch your legs
    *see a show. There are some daytime options and discount tickets are usually easy to find
    *find someone inexpensive fun (Insert Coins downtown is a good option)
    *see all the free attractions (fountain, volcano, etc)
    *make friends at the tables (which it sounds like you do) and hang out with them
    *find a quieter spot (difficult but not impossible) and read a good book; or anything else like that to help you relax

    Also, I always bring my ipod. It can give you a nice soundtrack to listen to while you hang out at the pool or walk the Strip
     
    The plans have changed
    Post-Shopping Recovery Period
  14. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    I always have a good time on solo trips.

    I am never lonely since I find it easy to start up a conversation with strangers. People are a lot more open to talk with strangers than others realize
    as long as you are funny or interesting.

    When eating out, I eat at the bar. It is a lot easier to start up conversations with other patrons or even the bartender.
     
  15. VegasVicky

    VegasVicky Newbie

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    Love Going Solo

    I prefer going solo to Vegas and do it all the time. Total freedom..all the time. It's so great to do what you want when you want and how you want in a city that accomodates you. In addition to all the great tips already mentioned, the karioke bars are a great place to kill some time. They've closed at IP, but there's a good one at Piano Bar in Harrahs from about 6 pm - 9 pm. Then Dueling Pianos comes on after that. They're fun, sit at bar if you want to talk to people. Have fun.
     
  16. searchin

    searchin Low-Roller

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    If I were solo I would love to buy a 24 hr duece bus pass and ride it all day.
     
  17. RPMCanes

    RPMCanes VIP Whale

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    When you go to eat, sit at the bar, not a table by yourself. It's very easy to make friends and bulls**t with folks. I try to do a solo trip once a year. It's very liberating, especially when the people you hang out with have toolboxitis like mine do!
     
  18. BillDonovan

    BillDonovan Low-Roller

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    Re: Vegas Solo Trip

    Solo Trips are great, have done this many times.
    Typical trip:
    Arrive in Vegas in afternoon, checkin, throw the bags in the room and then immediately head to the sports book to get the betting sheets and take them with to a place for food and drink. This time of year there are: NBA & NHL playoffs, MLB regular season, the UFC fights, and the Indy 500 race coming up. And the horses run every day. Study the sheets over food and drink.
    Back to the sports book to place some bets for the next day's games and events.
    Back to the room and put the sports betting slips into the safe so that you don't lose them... Then back to the casino for a better bar to get more drinks.
    Check out all the babes, if none to look at or talk to, go to another casino.
    Eventually, hit the tables for some gambling.
    Get back to the room and cleanup, then try to get into a club.
    If no luck talking to women at the bars, then eventually take a cab to a stripper bar. Women there will always be nice to you...
    Back to the room, pass out.
    Get up next morning, and either hang at the pool, or go to the sportsbook and watch the games that you bet on the day before. Either will kill hours.
    Get the new sportsbook betting sheets for the next day's games, and make some more bets. Maybe play the horses, which will kill even more hours if you do that. It's fun people watching the horse bettors. Everybody has a system.
    That get's you to the afternoon again of a new day, so repeat all of the above.
    This is always a good formula for a 3 day Vegas solo trip wknd for a guy.
    Also work in some shopping at one of the malls, either Miracle Mile, the Caesar's mall, or the mall across from the Wynn. Great people watching to walk around those. Stopping at random places for lunch, or drinks.
     
  19. johnvic

    johnvic VIP Whale

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    I love the solo trip advice threads. They're inspiring to me!

    I can't add much but my best solo trips have a few common themes. I plan ahead. I rent a car for at least a day and go to Valley of Fire or Red Rock and get away from the strip. I like to drink but I make sure I drink plenty of water. I try to keep a positive attitude, which also helps my poker playing.

    To be fair, I have a friend in Vegas that I'll meet for dinner a couple of times. So my solo trips are mostly solo. Nonetheless, I spend great amounts of time alone.
     
  20. TuneinTokyo

    TuneinTokyo High-Roller

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    My first thought for a time killer during the day is hit the pool.

    As for the rest I think I would just hang out in the Sports book watching baseball or whatever.
     
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