Vegas bound. Any ideas?

Should have know I'd regret typing that sentence....

 

*shot the best round of my golf life at bali hai -- 82 -- but it is very pricey. depending on whatever golf places you're thinking of -- between greens fees and transportation to and from -- it might pay to stay on the strip at bali hai.
*legends in concert is a fun, campy kind of time out and not real expensive. and you can duke the maitre'd for a better seat for like 10 bucks and feel like sinatra
*if you like thai food, lotus of siam (off the strip) is maybe the best thai food in the western US.
*indulge your gambling jones at a place you can afford, even -- especially -- if that means leaving your hotel and getting off the strip. spend a moment checking out the rules for the games wherever you are, especially if you play blackjack on the strip -- not only different rules for different levels of gambling ($10, $25, $100) in the same place, but different rules at the same denomination depending on the table. go play quarter craps downtown. and don't chase comps.
*if you're going to play an progressive slot, for the love of god play max coins. as much as playing slots is throwing money away -- and don't get me wrong i love me some wheel of fortune, double diamond, and the sevens machines -- to play a progressive of bonus game (like wheel of fortune) and not allow yourself a chance at the bonuses because you havent played max coins is just jaw-droppingly stupid. drop to a lower denomination if you have to to enforce this rule.
*go see the conservatory at bellagio -- the flowers really are beautiful. and if you want to feel like george clooney in ocean's 11, have a drink at the petrossian bar. and dont be afraid to dress the part.
*depending how you feel about this kind of thing, consider trying the $20 trick at check-in for a better room

i love these threads too. always great tips, and great nostalgia.

 

Vegas rocks!

 

Haven't been in oh, 16 years or so now. Do they still stand on street corners and hand you flyers for scrip clubs as you walk by with a toddler in your arms?

 

Yup.

 

Different strokes.

There are things not to like about it, but if you're into it,
ain't nothin' like it.

 

On the street corners? No, they stretch down the entire street.

 

Do people go to Vegas for the food? I thought you just need a few bites here and there to soak up some of the booze. Terrible hot dogs are even better, I'd say. Cleans you out. Boot and rally!!

 

My February trip right after the Super Bowl to Bally's turned out very well. Casino wasn't too big. Room in the South Tower was fine, not fancy but big enough that three of us weren't stumbling over ourselves even with a rollaway in there.
Being a lowroller, $5 blackjack player, the only issue I had was they raised the table minimums to $10 about 9 p.m. each night, even though it was weekdays. And they wouldn't grandfather you in if you're already at the table. The place was fairly busy. I think there were three conventions there. Never paid for a drink the whole trip.
Our traditional plan for getaway day is to go to the Rio for breakfast then a last fling. Had a great breakfast, but the casino was dead-dead-dead. They had only 4 blackjack tables open, 2 with $25 minimum and 2 with $10 minimum. All the Asian game tables were open, but there was nobody playing. The dealers just sat there gabbing at each other.
So we decided to do something we've never done before, leave town and stop at Stateline for the last fling. Went into Whiskey Pete's. It was dead. Not one table was open, only the slots and there probably weren't 5 people there. We went across the street to Buffalo Bills and found that place to be pretty decent. It, too, was dead, but they had two $5 blackjack tables open, one a single-deck table. It didn't seem as seedy as Whiskey Pete's. We played for a while and that was the only place I won the whole trip.
Heading back next weekend to the Flamingo. Never stayed there. I didn't realize it was the first weekend of March Madness when I made the reservations. I'm hoping it won't be so crowded that it cuts into our fun.

 

$10 tables aren't a bad deal. Most places they start at $15. Last time I was there the Monte Carlo was pretty good about offering $5 tables, though. Nice atmosphere in that casino, too.

 

I'm returning in Vegas in may and staying at the Monte Carlo. I've been reading up on everything and I now have lists of cheap meals, best buffets and best night clubs. The only thing I am unsure about is the $20 dollar trick.

Has anyone used it? Has it worked?