Yay! Vegas! (Three stupid questions)

[Nate tha' Great]

I just booked airplane reservations for my first-ever trip to Vegas. Super excited about it, and hopefully it will be the first of many trips to come. I'll be in town from the 24th though the 27th of July.

A couple of questions for the group, which a half-assed search of the archives did not produce satisfactory answers to:

1) There are some "3-star" hotels available for as little as $30 per night on Orbitz. Would I be doing myself a disservice by not staying somewhere nicer? I'm not a particularly cost-averse person, but on the other hand I don't expect to be spending a whole lot of time doing things other than playing poker and drinking. FWIW, I'm a twentysomething, and am not planning on having a car.

2) To what extent is not having a lot of B&M experience likely to impact my win rate? Am I best off playing 15/30 and 20/40 and saving the bigger games for my next trip back?

3) Stupidest question of all. What's the best way to have a lot of money available in a short time? I'm a bit nervous about carrying a bunch of cash on the inbound trip, especially as I'll be making another, non-poker stop prior to my arrival, but I can't pull more than $250 per day out of my ATM, which won't cut it. Can I pull directly from my bank account by cutting a check to the casino, etc?

[John Deere]

1) What hotels? My guess is that it's like the Stratosphere and stuff like that. On the strip, it's location location location. You don't want to have to take cabs everywhere, and if you're as young as me, you can't rent a car. If you can get a good rate at Imperial Palace, I'd take it -- right between Bellagio and Mirage, albeit on the opposite side of the road.

2) It's just "culture shock" -- once you get used to it, you should adjust pretty well, especially if you consider yourself good enough to play the high limits. Maybe you should spend an hour or two playing 6/12 or 8/16 first, just to get comfortable with the environment.

3) Well, I don't know how big your roll is, but it must be pretty large for a week or playing the high limits. I know most people like to carry cash, and so do I, although I wouldn't have as much as you. You should just buy a cash belt or something like that, and once you get to the hotel, put it in the safe. I find it very doubtful a casino would take a check from a random guest.

Good luck, and let us know how you do!

[jayadd]

hey nate "vegas virgin"

for the answers to your questions a little background needed.
1. are you traveling alone?

2. you say poker and drinking mostly but dude you need to soak up some of vegas like the clubs and enjoy some of the sightseeing stuff no need to go crazy with it but a littl eman come on.

3. Bank wire once you figure out which hotel your staying at ask to speak to a rep. about bank wiring what you will need their.

4. As i have done for a couple of 2+2er's if you need a good deal for your hotel stay PM me or IM jayadd2003 aol
Me, Dans, Ashe will be out there 21-25 so maybe saturday night come join us.



http://www.geocities.com/racentourfd/socialclub.html

[sucka]

IMHO, since this is your first trip - you WILL be taking some time to walk around - so find someplace somewhat central and enjoy yourself. If you plan on playing a lot (at the level you are talking about) you are going to either be at the Bellagio or the Mirage. There are some nice affordable places in that area. Bally's, Harrah's, Flamingo, etc... Check out www.cheapovegas.com (http://www.cheapovegas.com) for a map of the strip and some good info on all the places in Vegas.

As for cash - I've always got at least 2k on me at all times in Vegas. I started carrying a money clip/wallet thingy that I carry in my front pocket so I don't worry about it getting lifted. If you go to one of 'those' places - don't take a wad of cash - take as much as you are willing to piss away $1 at a time and no more.

Unless you are walking around in dark alleys or something while you are in Vegas you shouldn't really worry too much about how much cash you have on you. Just dont flaunt it around on the street and you'll be fine.

[Cooling Heels]

1) There are some "3-star" hotels available for as little as $30 per night on Orbitz. Would I be doing myself a disservice by not staying somewhere nicer?

As another poster said, location is important. If
you're going to play at the Mirage or Bellagio, then
the Imperial Palace or Barbary Coast are fine. If
your going to play at Excalibur, Luxor, or Mandalay
Bay, then look at the Tropicana or San Remo.

2) To what extent is not having a lot of B&M experience likely to impact my win rate? Am I best off playing 15/30 and 20/40 and saving the bigger games for my next trip back?

Actually, play an hour of 2/4 or 3/6 to get accustomed
to the mechanics and card handling.

3) Stupidest question of all. What's the best way to have a lot of money available in a short time?

Use the hotel safety deposit box before heading out
to the strip club. And sort your wallet first, would
not want to tip Ben Franklins by mistake.

Have fun....

[Drac]

When I worked for a bank a few years ago we could change the daily limits on your ATM card. Just go in, tell them you're going on vacation, they'll check your ID and should be able to jack the limit up to at least 500 if not more. Don't know how much you high rollers need at a time but us low limit players can get by with our initial roll and 500/day.

[John Deere]

If us low rollers (myself included) find ourselves needing to take out an extra $500/day, then we should stick to the 1-3 at the Excalibur. =)

[Kevmath]

Call me silly, but whenever I make the trip out to Vegas, I always bought American Express travelers checks from my bank.

Kevin...

[bwana devil]

i really recommend checking out biddingfortravel.com. it is a bulletin board that offers advice on getting hotels through priceline.com.

i got treasure island several months ago for $40 a night. and the venetian for $100 a night. it takes a while to figure out what the heck is going on the web site but it is useful to use for awhile and post.

after you get the hang of it, just check back and see what everyone else bids. the moderator is a pain.

bwana

all that usual disclaimer about how im not affiliated w/ any of the websites junk.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

Just got back 30 minutes ago from my very first Vegas trip. Stayed at Mirage, enjoyed the poker a lot. I must say the room was nice, but almost pointless. I used it to shower and catch a few winks, but was in it less than 4 hours a day (including sleep time). The 5:00 am pastry and sandwich platter at the Mirage poker room is no urban legend!

Stay someplace cheap and close to whichever casino you plan on playing. For higher limits that probably means Bellagio or Mirage. Know nothing about the Imperial, but its an easy walk to either casino.

Wrote a trip report on the plane, will post it shortly. When you go to Bellagio, be sure to order the Strawberry Smoothie.

[Wolf]

Hey Nate, get a rental car. Cabs will run ya more than double what a rental will run. That way you can check out the whole town on your 4 day stay. Also nice to have a trunk to stash presents/t-shirts etc. when you are a long way from your hotel. If you are worried about drivin/drinkin just park in a central location and walk to 3 or 4 hotels. Sober up a lttle then re-attack the roadway later.

Its about 30 bucks roundtrip by cab from strip to downtown. I just got back (orbitz 3 day intermediate car was 88. total)

Golden Nugget tourney 11am daily was fun and well run. 58 players/rebuy paid 1300 for first 33. entry

Raising your ATM limit is the way to go for cashish.

Try the Gold Margarita at the Border Grill in Mandalay (by shark tank) 2 or 3 and you will wish you came by cab!

[sucka]

[ QUOTE ]
Try the Gold Margarita at the Border Grill in Mandalay (by shark tank) 2 or 3 and you will wish you came by cab!

[/ QUOTE ]

Best Margarita in Vegas is this Vanilla Bean Rita at a mexican joint on the canal inside the Venetian. Bar none...

[slamdunkpro]

[ QUOTE ]
Its about 30 bucks roundtrip by cab from strip to downtown

[/ QUOTE ]

!!!!

Someone saw you coming - I've never paid more than $18 Luxor to Freemont Street. (tip included).

[slamdunkpro]

[ QUOTE ]
1) There are some "3-star" hotels available for as little as $30 per night on Orbitz. Would I be doing myself a disservice by not staying somewhere nicer? I'm not a particularly cost-averse person, but on the other hand I don't expect to be spending a whole lot of time doing things other than playing poker and drinking. FWIW, I'm a twentysomething, and am not planning on having a car.


[/ QUOTE ]

OK - my 2 cents. Three days isn't enough to "see the world, play poker & drink" in Vegas.

Call the Golden Nugget and see if they've started their poker program yet. The've expressed an interest in bending over backwards for poker players. Even if they haven't, you should be able to get a $40 - $50 room there during your stay. If you stay downtown you can play Binions; The Nuggett & The Plaza. The Nugget usually has a good 10-20 game going and the pace isn't quite as fast and furious as the Mirage.

Stay downtown and you can catch a cab to the Mirage for about $12 or to The Bellagio for $14 to hit the bigger games. Try the 20-40 at the Mirage or, if there is more than 1 table going hit the 15-30 at The Bellagio.

Since you're in over a weekend don't miss the Sunday buffet at Mandalay Bay (Ok it's at the other end of the strip, but worth it!) Try the 4/8 half kill at MB while you're there. Not big limits but VERY soft.

If you stay downtown, there's all kinds of cheep eats and drink.

[ QUOTE ]
Stupidest question of all. What's the best way to have a lot of money available in a short time?

[/ QUOTE ]

Get a neck pouch or a money belt (or both) with NO METAL and stuff it. When you go to the airport make sure you've got nothing on to set off the metal detectors. When you get to town, get a Safe deposit box at the Hotel.

[Porcupine]

3) As someone mentioned, raising your ATM limit is one of the easiest ways to have better access to cash. Also, I have written checks for cash at the cage at several casinos (some where I was a guest, others where I've never stayed and didn't even have a comp card).

[drewjustdrew]

I have cashed checks at casinos that I was not even staying at. It takes about a half hour because they check your account balance with the bank, but it is free. They want your money and are willing to accomodate.

But then again, I have walked around with 5K in my pocket and not been worried about it either. Just break up the money and put it in various pockets. In the highly unlikely situation that you get robbed, only give up one pocket worth.

[Wolf]

[ QUOTE ]
Someone saw you coming - I've never paid more than $18 Luxor to Freemont Street. (tip included).

[/ QUOTE ]

You must have missed the part where I said "roundtrip"

[nolanfan34]

Pitching in my 2 cents:

Regarding hotels, call and ask for the poker rate. A lot of the hotels offer a reduced rate if you're playing poker. Staying relatively close to where you're playing I think is worth it. A $30 hotel "right off the strip" sounds like a good deal, but after one time walking from there up and down the strip, you'll realize you're going to spend a few bucks on cab fare. And by a few bucks I mean $10 at a time, which will make you wish you had sprung an extra $40 or $50 for the mere logistics of staying on the strip.

Not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but I think the Flamingo offers a decent poker room rate, and it's close to the Bellagio. Little bit of a hike to the Mirage, but not bad. Regardless, when it's 4 in the morning, and you don't have a car, you're not going to want to be walking back to an off-strip hotel, or flagging down a cab with a bunch of cash on hand after you clean up the $20/$40 game /images/graemlins/grin.gif.

If you've played in a B&M at all, you shouldn't have a problem playing at a level you're comfortable with. I think the games at all levels in Vegas are softer than you'd imagine, especially at night.

If you haven't played at a B&M, I would suggest sitting in a lower game for an hour or two just to get the feel of the pace of play. And this is going to sound stupid, but I think it's worth it just to practice keeping track of the pot size. Playing online can make a person pretty lazy about this, since you can keep track of the pot size so easily. But playing live, I know I've run into spots where it's bet and raised to me on the turn, and I've wished I was paying better attention to how many bets were in the pot.

Most of all, have fun, there's no better feeling than sitting down to play poker in Vegas for the first time!

[Wolf]

[ QUOTE ]
Call the Golden Nugget and see if they've started their poker program yet. The've expressed an interest in bending over backwards for poker players. Even if they haven't, you should be able to get a $40 - $50 room there during your stay. If you stay downtown you can play Binions; The Nuggett & The Plaza. The Nugget usually has a good 10-20 game going and the pace isn't quite as fast and furious as the Mirage

[/ QUOTE ]

1st time in Vegas and you are gonna recommend staying downtown? Yuck.

The Nugget is nice, but downtown is dead. He will spend most of his time where the action is (the strip). Nightlife? The Strip. So he goes out at night and has to come all the way back to the Nugget?

Explore all the way from Mandalay to Venetian, lotsa good poker, bars, people watchin. Check out Downtown for half a day, you will leave unimpressed.

Lotsa babes do hang at the Plaza and Binions though. Plus Larry Monetti (Magnum PI) is the celebrity buffet guest this week!

[oddjob]

i like downtown, but i would ablsolutely agree here. if this is your first trip, then stay on the strip. or at teh least the sahara. with the monorail opening it'll be easier to get to the main part of the strip.

sahara is cheap, in terms of other gambling. they have a poker room that is filled with horrible young players.

weekend nights are filled iwth a youngish crowd, that is more down to earth then the hardrock youngsters (which i prefer)

but you're a $10 cab ride probably to the main strip or downtown if you choose to check that out.

[slamdunkpro]

I did /images/graemlins/blush.gif I guess you saw me coming!

[slamdunkpro]

[ QUOTE ]
1st time in Vegas and you are gonna recommend staying downtown? Yuck.

The Nugget is nice, but downtown is dead. He will spend most of his time where the action is (the strip). Nightlife? The Strip. So he goes out at night and has to come all the way back to the Nugget?

Explore all the way from Mandalay to Venetian, lotsa good poker, bars, people watchin. Check out Downtown for half a day, you will leave unimpressed.

[/ QUOTE ]

First when is the last time you were at the Nugget? For an inexpensive room you just can't beat it.

Second, as far as nightlife - most of the fancy strip nightclubs are closed on Monday & Tuesday, so the only night he's really going to have out is Sunday. Also, the really trendy places are off the strip - Rain, The Rio, Hard Rock, The Ghost Bar. Hell if he really wants the whole package without a lot of walking - Stay at the Palms, poker, babes & bars, plus you can walk to the Rio and the Mirage (during the day)

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

[ QUOTE ]

If you haven't played at a B&M, I would suggest sitting in a lower game for an hour or two just to get the feel of the pace of play. And this is going to sound stupid, but I think it's worth it just to practice keeping track of the pot size. Playing online can make a person pretty lazy about this, since you can keep track of the pot size so easily. But playing live, I know I've run into spots where it's bet and raised to me on the turn, and I've wished I was paying better attention to how many bets were in the pot.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree wholeheartedly. At all the home games and lodge tourneys (and of course online), I've had no problem keeping up, but at the casino early on I often bet out of turn and had trouble keeping up with pot size. The $3/6 and $4/8 games I played in were largely played with $1 chips, so a few moments' distraction can lead to looking at a pile of $1 chips in the pot in confusion.

[sprmario]

I've been to Vegas a bunch of times and I can't ever imagine staying there on the cheap again. I've stayed in some of the crap weekly rate motels near downtown (ugh what a miserable experience) all the way up to the nicer hotels. Stay in a nice hotel. I can't imagine playing 10/20 and staying in some dumpy joint to save a couple of big bets a night. If you really wanna save some money go to the Imperial Palace or the Flamingo, they are right in the middle of the strip and give you access to all the nice places within easy walking distance.

[Wolf]

slam,

I like the Nugget. Nice place single deck BJ, etc. Stayed in south tower last year. Really long walk to casino I think the other tower would be a better idea. Rooms are cheap (its Downtown!) Poker rates around $50 most nites.

Just didn't think your plan was a good one for a Vegas Newbie without a car. Nuttin personal. I stayed at the Orleans last week, good poker room, huge suite $49.

If I didn't rent a car I would stay closer to the strip.

Had an interesting exchange with the Poker Manager at the Excalibur. There is about 10 tables going and I can tell that it may be the worst room of donkeys ever assembled.

So I say "do you have anything open in 4/8 or 5/10?
No we don't, he replied, We have 1/3 only.

You only have an opening for 1/3?
No sir we only have 1/3! 10 tables all 1/3 he confirms to me. haha

On to the next stop.

[peccotrice]

I just got back from my first trip to Vegas and was able to catch a casino rate at the venetian for 99 bucks a night sun-wed and 179 thurs-sat. not bad. But the venetian is on one end of the strip... across the street from mirage (where I played what was supposed to be a 60 dollar tourney that turned out to be 130 when I got there). See if any other places might give you that rate,

If you play at the Mirage, there's a guy names Joe that plays and works at the poker room... from Brooklyn. A great guy who'll help you out with anything you need (at least he did with me).

be careful though, he's a good player.

[MCS]

Man, lots of people going to Vegas in late July. I'll be out there from the 21st through the 27th. It's like some sort of 2+2'er convention. But I probably won't see you all since I'll be playing mostly $2/4 and $4/8 with maybe one shot at $8/16 if the game looks good. I am poor.

Well, that, plus I don't know what you guys look like or anything.

Hotelwise, I think Barbary Coast is a great deal in an ideal location. I think staying on the Strip on your first visit is a good idea.

Vegas is awesome. I went for the first time last summer, and the minute I got back I started counting down the days to my next trip. Have fun!