Big mistakes you made on your first trip

First trip, when I was 12-ish and going with my family: begging my parents to spend too much money on rigged carnival games at Circus Circus and Excalibur. In hindsight, also STAYING at Circus Circus, but I thought it was pretty thrilling as a kid.

First trip that I planned myself: spending too much !@#$% time on that stupid MyVegas game. Not worth it for me, time-wise. Granted, I am getting good rewards, but I wouldn't have otherwise spent my money there. I like SocialRewards better where I can choose to spend my money at any one of the Caesar's properties, for almost anything.

 

I had a 10 year gap between my first and second trip, so a decent amount of "gaffes" on both.

First trip, 2001, 21-yr old w/parents:

Got really drunk on day 1. Did succeed in getting back to the room at Mirage, but apparently I blacked out in the bathroom and according to my mother, I was hitting the door knob like a slot machine button while saying "I'm losin'! I'm losin'!" The next night I scaled it down a bit, and played "Texas Tea" for the first time and longest time ever. Played on a single dollar for at least 2 hours.

We also walked by a lot of casinos that first day, but never stepped in any of the ones that would be torn down by my return visit. We didn't go any further north than Venetian. I should have bothered to walk further north by myself; I should have seen something like Stardust at least.

I also should have shamelessly hit on the girls I was playing roulette with at Flamingo. I sat down at the table solely because of them, but I was sober since the sun was up and I am terrible with women, so I didn't say anything. Just played the minimum while they were there. I hit 2 numbers with a buck each in short order, profit $40 or so, and leave pretty much when they did.

Second trip, 2011, with g/f:

Book a package on Orbitz for flight/hotel 4 nights at Bally's at $750 for the 2 of us. Not terrible, but I feel like I could have done better now.

Leave for Vegas on Sunday and arrive there at 5:20pm and the event that I wanted to do the most, the 3/6 limit mix game at the Imperial Palace was that night at 7pm. So I am pretty much a massive jerk, and leave my g/f on her own that night, so I can play in the game. It was Labor Day weekend, so it behaved more like a Saturday than Sunday. It was sensory overload of drunk people for her. By the end of the night I end up with my worst result ever in that game too (-$90; not too horrible).

The game broke at 2:30am, but being drunk I say "screw it I'm in Vegas", so I gamble on machines for awhile. I see a "Texas Tea" machine at IP, so I obviously have to play it. I hit 5 Oil Derricks for the only time in my life (about a 1 in 8000 event) while betting 45c a spin (I usually only bet 18c). I only got $9 in the bonus (bottom 10% result); I was pretty mad about that. Eventually wander to flamingo for a little penny poker. And closer to 4 or 4:30am, I stumble back up to the room. She definitely was pissed at me, rightly so, and it was a minor miracle I have got her to go back numerous times since.

Rest of the trip went fairly well in comparison, generally our biggest mistake was we never, ever, ever walked the most efficient route. We finally started to "get it" right before we left. Also took airport shuttles and we got our return trip too early. We stopped using these things altogether now.

 

That reminds me, we walked from the Sahara to Fremont and back as we didn't know how to use the buses, but I can't remember it being a bad walk. When I see the area now, crikey!

Well we were young and foolish.

 

My first vegas trip was with family when I was like 17. I made the mistake of not realizing that I was at the New Frontier in it's last 30 days (July 2007) and didn't take pictures. Here I am eating dinner at the new frontier and I just didn't take in the experience at all!! Irritates the heck out of me that I did that. 24 years old and a vegas addict now. How could I have been so oblivious.....

 

well I think I did hear someone say "smile kid, you're in vegas!", as I was being escorted out

 

My first trip was in 1979 with a buddy, I think we had about $100 dollars each and had to get the hotel room for 2 nights at $20 leaving me $80 bucks for 2 days...first night Won $50 on a slot, then as per, the lady tells me I should have bet 3 quarters and I would have won $500, shockingly was broke by the first night.

But the biggest mistake was not by me, my buddy won $30 on a slot, then proceeded to blow it all on a haircut...a frickin' haircut, the WHOLE $30, I was livid

Of course, in hindsight that was pretty smart, lol.

We had to get very creative to buy enough gas to get to my friends apt. in Cali. but somehow made it.

 

I spent way too much money and find have much fun. I learned from and bought a book by Anthony Curtis. I never had a bad trip since lol.

 

I didn't know that when arriving before check in time that you could check your bags with the bell desk.

We also NEVER charged anything to the room. All meals were cash or credit card. I don't remember throwing in a players card either. I'd use it at the table but never when dining. Though they were Total Rewards casinos and you get jack shit for purchases.

The 5% rebate at Cosmo sure is nice now days.

 

There used to be this shuttle that ran between all the strip properties. It looked like a trolley. I got tired of walking so I got on one of these things. It took about 4 times longer to ride this thing than to walk. And every time it hit a speed bump on the way to a hotel the whole thing would go BAM and you'd be tossed around. I'd have been better off walking.

If that's the big mistake I made I guess I did okay.

 

Wasn't on my first trip, and my dumbass has done this more than once: Didn't change shoes after the plane ride (went for "cute" instead of "comfortable") and proceeded to walk the strip in pain. I have so many cheap pairs of those cheesy Las Vegas flip flops, it's not even funny!

Oh and we did the Tahiti Village timeshare thing on an early visit. Free dinner and free show? Hell yeah! 1/2 a day later, we got dinner at the Sahara (gross) and nosebleed seats for Zumanity.

 

Not knowing that you got a free drink from the cocktail waitress for a dollar tip when playing the slots!
Standing like a diddy at the bar paying 5/6 dollars+tip for the same beer then returning to the machine.

Do'h

 

Played 3-card Monty on the sidewalk. (I still can't believe I did that; this was not on the first trip.) Don't ask what I lost.

 

Ouch. Well my first tip on the floor is usually 5$ to keep them coming. Dollars after.

 

Got pregnant with my eldest 2 months before our trip.

Found out 2 weeks before we arrived and spent the whole trip with jet lag, morning sickness and paranoia about passive smoking. Plus I couldn't drink

Have made up for it since then by leaving kids with grandparents for 10 days every summer while we fly back.

 

Well, that'll teach ya! Tell hubby he needs Vaseline and a supply of Hustler's at least 3 months before vacay!

 

All done with kids now

Our eldest was literally a honeymoon baby and we were very surprised that he took so little effort to make

 

"21ish" years old on Super Bowl weekend. Was downtown with the family and cousin bought me a 64oz football beer. Well it was foaming out of the straw hole so I chugged it through the straw until it stopped...didn't feel that great after

 

Luckily, I had a great mentor and Vegas veteran with me on my first trip, which was awesome when it came to gambling, not getting scammed, checking out off-Strip attractions that most first-timers don't see, etc.

That said, I'd say my "mistake" (if I can even call it that) was agreeing to stay at the Sahara, which was his home casino for many years. Don't get me wrong, I probably wouldn't change my decision if given the chance to go back since it was a cool experience and there were plenty of benefits (cheap room, cheap gambling, old school vibe, Drive experience, and more). But we ended up only going to the main part of the Strip for one night that entire trip and all that did was make me wonder why we weren't staying closer to the action. From that night on the rest of the trip, I just wanted to go back but didn't say anything since we had a lot of other stuff planned and I knew he didn't like to spend as much time there.

That's all not a big deal since it was an overall positive experience - and a great trip overall - but for me, I can't get enough of the high energy, lights, excitement, non-stop party, and big crowds (which I prefer). There's just a ton to see and do. Really the only downside is the bad paying/expensive gambling selection, but gambling is only a part of why I go to Vegas.

Since then, I've only stayed on-Strip every time and simply rent a car to go to new or favorite off-Strip destinations, such as Red Rock Canyon/Casino, Downtown, restaurants, other hotels with cheaper gambling and better pay tables, nature-oriented places, or wherever else.

 

He He I love this thread :evillaugh

First mistake on first trip: Paid for hotel and flight in advance as a package
Come checking out time was asked why I had already paid for room, NYNY, as my "play" would have paid for the room and then some
As it happened our flight home was delayed for 5 hrs so we went back to hotel and battered my EC's with free food and drink untill it was time to go again :evillaugh
Second trip: was jetlagged bad so took a nap woke up hungry and late, was staying at the then IP Went to the IP buffet 10 mins before closing BIG mistake yuckkkkk
There are probably others but these stick out for me

 

I almost fell for this one. And it wasn't on my first trip, it happened just last year...

Sat down at the VP bar at Flamingo and was playing VP, ordered a beer and the bar tender put the receipt in a glass in front of me. I asked if they didn't comp drinks for play, she told me they do, but had to do it for the cameras..... She almost got me...