Las Vegas

[Nash13]

So I got a trip to Vegas planned in June. I was wondering if anybody's been. Any recommendations on anything to do.

[LonghornDub]

I'm going in August for the first time, so I'll piggyback off Nash's thread here and also solicit advice from anyone who's got any good recommendations.

And don't say Spearmint Rhino, because I've already got that on lock down.

[CadBane]

Cool. I'm going to Vegas in April. Where are you staying? I've been a bunch of times. Depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend.

Gambling wise, I enjoy some of the mid-tier casinos like Stratosphere, Paris, O'Sheas, ect. They usually have 5 dollar black-jack which is nice for cheapos like me.

If you play Hold Em', TI (Treasure Island) has a nice poker room. Ceasars does too. Same with the Venietan. Encore is cool, but it has a limited casino. Wynn has a nice upper-crust casino.

Show wise, I've seen Jubilee (boring) and Lance Burton (magician). Burton was pretty solid. I hear Chris Angel does a good show. Of course there's Penn & Teller too. "Bite" at the stratosphere is supposed to be good.

You definitely need to hit up Tao. Tao is probably the coolest night club in Vegas. You should get dinner reservations because it's almost impossible to get in, but with reservations you can get into the club sans wait (you do need to have a woman per guy usually though). And the food is quite good at the restaurant. I've been to Bobby Flay's place at Caesar's, didn't care for it. TI has a good Sushi place. There are a bunch of nice Steakhouses. S&W, ect.

Night club wise, like I said, Tao. The Beetle's club is kinda cool. Jet sorta sucks. Plush is ok. The Bank is ok.

Strip club wise, I'd recommend a place called "Little Darlings". It's full nude so there is no alcohol allowed, but almost all the women are very attractive, and there lap dances are...well, I'll just say a lot nicer than other places. Also, if you call and say a taxi wouldn't take you there they'll pick you up in a limo.

You should hit up In'NOut Burger at some point. It's not on the strip, but definitely worth the visit. Make sure to ask for your burger "Animal Style".

[Nash13]

I already paid for my room at Caesars Palace. I don't know whether or not I want to catch a show. I'm glad you told me the gambling advice. My first night I was just going to gamble at Caesars and place it by ear. I'm not much of a party person, but the people I'm going with are, so I'll look into TAO.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by CadBane

Gambling wise, I enjoy some of the mid-tier casinos like Stratosphere, Paris, O'Sheas, ect. They usually have 5 dollar black-jack which is nice for cheapos like me.

I think they have a burger king inside o'sheas. Also, last time i went the imperial palace had 3 dollar minimums on blackjack. Not bad!\

and yeah catch a cab to the in n out burger. do it

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by CadBane

You definitely need to hit up Tao. Tao is probably the coolest night club in Vegas. You should get dinner reservations because it's almost impossible to get in, but with reservations you can get into the club sans wait (you do need to have a woman per guy usually though). And the food is quite good at the restaurant.

Been there it was awesome. I had the kobe beef steak $15 bucks an ounce!

Also, we went to the club there too. I don't remember too much from that night if you catch my drift...but i remember these like high powered super cold air jets and fog being rushed down to the floor from the ceiling every 20 minutes or so which cooled the place off..and was pretty dang cool

I think cover was at least like 20 bucks a person, and we were on 'the list'...had a buddy who is a club promoter which got us hooked up.

[Male30Dan]

Just don't leave your friend on the roof. Mike Tyson might punch you if you do.

[Male30Dan]

In all seriousness, I have been to Vegas several times now and I found that I enjoyed my stay downtown in the Golden Nugget better than on the strip. We went to SEVERAL shows, (mostly comedy), and had a lot of fun doing that. I don't know if he is still there but Rodney Carrington is a funny dude live. I have been told the BMG is good but I didn't check them out. Mainly my trips have been to gamble and Golden Nugget had some awesome black jack tables right by the pool that offered great views. Why don't you tell us what kind of gambling you are looking to do as recommendations could be easier then. Also, what kind of entertainment are you looking for? Comedy, Drama, "I just turned 21 and want to see boobs", etc...?

[aexchange]

This will be the 3rd year in a row that I've gone to Vegas and the 5th time I've been overall. It's one of my favorite places to go.

What are you looking to do and I can help clarify?

[Nash13]

Gambling wise, the only things i want to do is slots and blackjacks. I wanted to visit Team Couture, but i don't know if they'll let me in. I may or may not go to a strip club. I'm really open for any suggestion, so if ya'll keep spitting out ideas, that'll be best.

[left texas]

Originally Posted by Male28Dan

In all seriousness, I have been to Vegas several times now and I found that I enjoyed my stay downtown in the Golden Nugget better than on the strip. We went to SEVERAL shows, (mostly comedy), and had a lot of fun doing that. I don't know if he is still there but Rodney Carrington is a funny dude live. I have been told the BMG is good but I didn't check them out. Mainly my trips have been to gamble and Golden Nugget had some awesome black jack tables right by the pool that offered great views. Why don't you tell us what kind of gambling you are looking to do as recommendations could be easier then. Also, what kind of entertainment are you looking for? Comedy, Drama, "I just turned 21 and want to see boobs", etc...?

I also like staying downtown at the Nugget better than staying on the strip. But I must admit, I am much older than most on this board, and some of the wilder times are just not on my agenda. If you are married, it does give the little lady a chance to do something besides just sitting at a slot (and sometimes shopping is even cheaper than her gambling ).

They used to have a neat light show downtown. And it is not hard to get to the strip. Walking the strip is really not as easy as you think as there is great distances between some of the hotels, but I guess with the monorail being complete that doesn't matter anymore.

Just rest assured you will have one the best times of your life no matter where you stay. Have fun!!

[nikeball]

The 'O' (Cirque's water show) in the Bellagio is probably the best show I have ever watched. Don't go to shows where you can watch somewhere else.. like Blue Man Group or other Broadway shows. I would also probably avoid has-been acts as well.

It is better to stay in a hotel that you want to gamble in. Meaning if you want to play lower limits, stay in a lower limit hotel. That way you can just get drunk at the tables and not have to walk far to get to bed.

Food places -- I personally think buffets are overrated. There are tons of fine dining options, my favorite is Thomas Keller's Bouchon. If you want to save money, you could just go to In N Out, which is just a couple of miles off the strip.

[Big Boy Laroux]

Yeah, people think gambling and buffets go together... But i'd avoid it. There is a top restaurant from well-known chefs everywhere you turn. Now, obviously don't eat expensive every time. Every casino has cheap options, too.

I've stayed at caesar's the few times i have gone. I got some great rates, and the hotel is very nice. Lots of dining options, too.

As for gambling at caesar's. Their poker room is awesome. Separated from the rest of the casino, no smoking, and well run. Even if you don't normally play poker, i would still recommend losing a little money there. They have all levels of tables. And if you are in a group, you could possibly get a table just for your guys if you have enough. It's a great way to spend some hours with your buddies, even if you lose.

Caesar's does have lots of blackjack and slot options, but on most nights their blackjack lower tables are like $25 a hand. You'd be extremely lucky to find $10 tables. So i'd recommend heading elsewhere for blackjack if you're looking for $5 tables.

Cirque shows are good. I've also seen Penn and Teller. There's a reason they have been there for so long. They are good. If you like illusion/magic stuff, they are great. they take traditional tricks, reveal how they are often done, and then do it in a whole new way that will leave you scratching your head.

Pure is at Caesar's too. Never went the times i've been, though. I'm out of my partying stage. I'd rather spend my money on good food and gambling.

As for strip clubs, don't have much to recommend on that front. the times i've gone for bachelor parties have been with guys that were pretty low-key and weren't interested. but if you ever go to new Orleans, i'll have recommendations for you then (more along the lines of where NOT to go). Don't know how the strip clubs are in vegas, but a good rule of thumb anywhere is that if a club has a drink minimum, look somewhere else. Drink minimums are a club's way of keeping you inside to drink the drink you had to pay for cause their girls are too fugly to keep you there. But all vegas strip clubs could have a drink minimum so that may not work there.

[Flacolaco]

Cirque shows are all great...expensive, but great. If you're going with a lady friend, you should take her.

My advice...Don't touch a slot machine....just...just don't.

My own personal favorite thing to do is play a poker tourney or two in the morning time (a lot of places have 11am tournaments) while sober. Take a nap. Go to the pool, if with wife. Take another nap. Eat dinner. Then eventually settle in at a blackjack table for many hours until really late, seeing how many free drinks I can get in the mean time.

And remember...always tip your waitress a buck. Every time. At the beginning of your blackjack session, toss her a $5 or a $10 to ensure speed of service.

It is better to stay in a hotel that you want to gamble in. Meaning if you want to play lower limits, stay in a lower limit hotel. That way you can just get drunk at the tables and not have to walk far to get to bed.

That's pretty good advice, but it sounds like it's too late for that. I usually stay at MGM and just play $10 bc I love MGM. Sometimes you can get lucky and grab a $5 table early, then get grandfathered in when the min goes up.

You know what's fun? The $3 game at Golden Gate downtown with the silver dollar coins. You can usually get that during the day...maybe not on Saturdays.

[nikeball]

Other small things ---

Dress nice. You are trying to impress two people. The pitboss for comps and girls that are around. If you dress like a scrub, you will be treated like one. Wear polos in the day time, button ups at night so you can go straight out to clubs/bars without going back to the room to change.

Tip your cocktail waitresses. Usually $1-$2 a drink. They work off tips.

[CadBane]

I had this one waitress at the Wynn that would throw a extra shot in my drinks. A dollar tip goes a long way.

[MavsX]

i'm going to vegas in a few months. A few of my buddies turn 30 this year, so we are all going to fly there and get crazy. Hopefully, i don't die.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by nikeball

Other small things ---

Dress nice. You are trying to impress two people. The pitboss for comps and girls that are around. If you dress like a scrub, you will be treated like one. Wear polos in the day time, button ups at night so you can go straight out to clubs/bars without going back to the room to change.

Tip your cocktail waitresses. Usually $1-$2 a drink. They work off tips.

Yeah i would agree with this. Usually when i was playing blackjack when i was up i'd throw the cocktail waitress like a 5 dollar chip every few drinks. Needless to say she would come back and get me another drink like every 5 minutes. It was awesome, of course my goal was to get blackout drunk, so i didn't really care about gambling. Of course you lose all your chips and money so at least you can get really drunk off of it. Also, it might help to have a set spending limit on gambling per day. So that you dont get really hammered and blow all of your money the first day. Believe me, its easy to think that you can win it all back on the next hand...the next thing you know your on the street dancing for nickels!

[Nash13]

One of my old coworkers said he used to work in a hotel in vegas. he told me if you don't tip, they'd eventually stop serving you, some places you'll be asked to leave.

[GermanDunk]

I´m shocked Mavs board members are lodging in Nuggets-Hotels.

Dirk Nowitzki told you to live like Spartans. You gotta listen to the Dirk !!!

[Nash13]

Ok, so my Vegas trip was last weekend. There were good and bad moments, more good than bad though.

Cadbane, you was right on about those mid-tier casinos. I went to O'Shea's a couple of times. Even though i got raped at the tables, i still enjoyed it there gambling-wise more than anywhere else. And i definitely hit up that Burger King for breakfast. Also, i didn't go to Tao, but apparently that was the favorite of the locals.

Nikeball, you are 100% right about the buffets. I bought an allday buffet pass at Caesar's for $44, but due to the long lines i was only able to eat there once. I went to the one at Imperial Palace, there's was just downright nasty.

BBL, if you're ever curious about Pure, don't go. It's a hassle just to get in, and it's too crouded to even move in there, let alone drink and dance. Very dissappointed in the experience. But like you, i'm not much of a club person.

Flac, i should've listened to you. I told everybody i've talked to about Vegas that the next time i go, i will never never ever touch a slot machine again. Most of the payouts aren't even that big, and overall it's just a waist of time. And my buddy told me to go to MGM just to visit if anything. It was the biggest casino i went to. It is an extremely long walk from Caesar's.

LonghornDub, for your 1st time going, i'll give you some advise:

1st-Stay on the strip, particularly at either Caesar's, Flamingo, or Paris. They have the best locations as far as walking. Everyone kept telling me about long walks between hotels, but a guy like me who works standing up 6-9hr shifts, it's not that bad.

2nd-Try your best to plan when and where you're going to eat. For me, i carried $600 with me, and less than $100 went towards food. There a lot of cheap places to eat, and when i did drop money for food, it wasn't worth it. There's like 10 subway's alone on the strip.

3rd-if you plan on doing alot of traveling while you're there, it'll probably be best to try to do as much as you can in 1 day, and rent a car. Taking a taxi is kind of a gyp. If you travel even 3 miles off the strip, either the traffic will be really bad or the driver will take the long route. Especially if you're going with 2+ people, so you can split the cost.

4th-gambling-wise, don't touch slots, and go to O'Shea's to hit the tables. They have $5 buy-ins, and it's built for 1st time visitors. While i'm on the subject, if you stay at an affiliate of Harrah's (which includes Caesar's, Harrah's, O'Shea's, Flamingos, and a couple other places) They offer player's cards for everytime you gamble, and it records everytime you gamble and offers you comps. I was talking to a guy at the pool, and he said bc of that card, his whole vacation was comp'd by the hotel.

5th-if there's a UFC event going on, go. I couldn't compare to any other shows bc i didn't go to any, but that was the most fun i had. It was the Ultimate Fighter finale. I also got to meet Randy Couture (really awesome guy) and Rashad Evans (another awesome guy).

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Nash13

Ok, so my Vegas trip was last weekend. There were good and bad moments, more good than bad though.

Cadbane, you was right on about those mid-tier casinos. I went to O'Shea's a couple of times. Even though i got raped at the tables, i still enjoyed it there gambling-wise more than anywhere else. And i definitely hit up that Burger King for breakfast. Also, i didn't go to Tao, but apparently that was the favorite of the locals.

Nikeball, you are 100% right about the buffets. I bought an allday buffet pass at Caesar's for $44, but due to the long lines i was only able to eat there once. I went to the one at Imperial Palace, there's was just downright nasty.

BBL, if you're ever curious about Pure, don't go. It's a hassle just to get in, and it's too crouded to even move in there, let alone drink and dance. Very dissappointed in the experience. But like you, i'm not much of a club person.

Flac, i should've listened to you. I told everybody i've talked to about Vegas that the next time i go, i will never never ever touch a slot machine again. Most of the payouts aren't even that big, and overall it's just a waist of time. And my buddy told me to go to MGM just to visit if anything. It was the biggest casino i went to. It is an extremely long walk from Caesar's.

LonghornDub, for your 1st time going, i'll give you some advise:

1st-Stay on the strip, particularly at either Caesar's, Flamingo, or Paris. They have the best locations as far as walking. Everyone kept telling me about long walks between hotels, but a guy like me who works standing up 6-9hr shifts, it's not that bad.

2nd-Try your best to plan when and where you're going to eat. For me, i carried $600 with me, and less than $100 went towards food. There a lot of cheap places to eat, and when i did drop money for food, it wasn't worth it. There's like 10 subway's alone on the strip.

3rd-if you plan on doing alot of traveling while you're there, it'll probably be best to try to do as much as you can in 1 day, and rent a car. Taking a taxi is kind of a gyp. If you travel even 3 miles off the strip, either the traffic will be really bad or the driver will take the long route. Especially if you're going with 2+ people, so you can split the cost.

4th-gambling-wise, don't touch slots, and go to O'Shea's to hit the tables. They have $5 buy-ins, and it's built for 1st time visitors. While i'm on the subject, if you stay at an affiliate of Harrah's (which includes Caesar's, Harrah's, O'Shea's, Flamingos, and a couple other places) They offer player's cards for everytime you gamble, and it records everytime you gamble and offers you comps. I was talking to a guy at the pool, and he said bc of that card, his whole vacation was comp'd by the hotel.

5th-if there's a UFC event going on, go. I couldn't compare to any other shows bc i didn't go to any, but that was the most fun i had. It was the Ultimate Fighter finale. I also got to meet Randy Couture (really awesome guy) and Rashad Evans (another awesome guy).

glad you had fun bro. I am so jealous that you got to meet the natural and rashad.

I actually just booked my vegas trip a few days ago. I mentioned it in an earlier thread. Just a bunch of buddies and some wives going out to the desert to celebrate turning 30. I booked 2 tickets from DCA to LAS and a hotel 4 nights..for about $1260.00 Not bad i guess.

[Male30Dan]

Originally Posted by MavsX

glad you had fun bro. I am so jealous that you got to meet the natural and rashad.

I actually just booked my vegas trip a few days ago. I mentioned it in an earlier thread. Just a bunch of buddies and some wives going out to the desert to celebrate turning 30. I booked 2 tickets from DCA to LAS and a hotel 4 nights..for about $1260.00 Not bad i guess.

That must be a nice hotel...

[MavsX]

hey I've got a question for you guys. So my buddy has been to vegas something like 30 times. He used to go there for the weekend while stationed in Hawaii. Anyway, He said there is a strip club there, that is like a huge warehouse. He said there are literally 1000 strippers working there at any given time. Have you guys heard about this? It's possible that he was exaggerating a bit, but i haven't asked him about it again. I'm going to find out for myself in a few months..but i just thought i'd bring it up to the experts.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by MavsX

hey I've got a question for you guys. So my buddy has been to vegas something like 30 times. He used to go there for the weekend while stationed in Hawaii. Anyway, He said there is a strip club there, that is like a huge warehouse. He said there are literally 1000 strippers working there at any given time. Have you guys heard about this? It's possible that he was exaggerating a bit, but i haven't asked him about it again. I'm going to find out for myself in a few months..but i just thought i'd bring it up to the experts.

World's largest strip club (70,000 square feet)

[Big Boy Laroux]

skyboxes! I prefer to be close to the action, though. Right on the 50-yard-line, or the 36DD line.

[Nash13]

There's a road right next to the strip that's 3 miles long that's predominantly strip clubs. It's probably there.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Underdog

World's largest strip club (70,000 square feet)

i think this might be it. He said it was huge..and i remember he got a free limo ride to and from the club...he said it was a Bentley too. He said it was ridiculous.

either way, i'll be sure to check back here in Sept. Thanks fellas!

[CadBane]

Originally Posted by MavsX

i think this might be it. He said it was huge..and i remember he got a free limo ride to and from the club...he said it was a Bentley too. He said it was ridiculous.

either way, i'll be sure to check back here in Sept. Thanks fellas!

Bro, EVERY strip club in Vegas will give you a free limo ride to & from. Spearmint Rhino & Shaphire are a bit overrated imo. I good, smaller one is Little Darlings. Really hot women, and their lap dances are infinitely more personal than other clubs. No alcohol though, because it's full nude.

[Nash13]

MavsX and Longhorndub, i'm interested in knowing how your trips went???

[Big Boy Laroux]

any dead hookers?

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by Underdog

World's largest strip club (70,000 square feet)

The last time i was in a strip bar, a dancer invited a friend to follow her to the dancing pole. The problem was: He had already imbibed some beers and when the dancer pulled down his pants, his tent was already pitched. The auditorium and the dancer started laughing and we felt like ... i don´t know. Maybe a mixture of *)
I never go to a strip bar again.

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