Las Vegas 2007 bargain hunt + tips

Kerry39

sounds fab. do you need to go with plenty of money, I have no will power and dont want to end up remortgaging my house!!!
I m taking hub out for his 30th and whilst I like poker and BJ my hub is into everything. I was only planning on about £100 a day (for everything, food, drinks and a bit of a flutter), am I being a bit of a twerp expecting that to last? (I know its all about limitation, but this is a once in a lifetime trip)

Kezza25_2

just take an amount of money and make that your limit - typically my gambling budget is 100 quid a day.

ferf1223

Kezza - that is a GREAT story! Loved it.

Kerry39 - we figure out what amount we would be comfortable losing...and that is our gambling budget...if we lost it all, we wouldn't be mad at ourselves and we wouldn't struggle with any bills - we look at it as entertainment money, like I said. we don't like clubs, don't spend much cash in bars and don't do too many expensive meals...so we can justify allocating a fair bit to gambling.

What works for you is really something only you can decide. What some people suggest doing is to split your money into separate envelopes for each day, or each 'session' and when that day's money or session's money is gone - that's it for them...we don't do that ourselves, we just take the day's money out with us and know that that is all that there is that day.

Food is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, really...drinks are free if you are gambling...gambling is generally cheaper (lower table limits) some places than others (downtown is generally cheaper than the strip, they have low-limit blackjack some places on the strip though the odds may be worse than the higher limit tables as blackjack may not pay 3:2, etc.)

Personally, based on our first visit to Vegas (the one time we went over our initial budget), I would consider allocating a bit of extra money just in case - something tucked away for 'emergencies'...but obviously, only if you would be happy coming back without it...we ended up annoyed with ourselves for losing more than we planned to and that's not a good way to end a holiday!

And there are so many things to see and do that are free, if you do have a bad day, it's unlikely you will end up bored.

trets77

yeah second that, set aside a amount for the entire trip you are comfy with as your stake and accept you will in all likelyhood lose it. once you write it off you can have fun with it. do not under any circumstances chase it with more money. i set my Poker buy in budget to get in a tourney everyday but when/if it's gone it;s gone . chasing makes for bad plays ( espically in poker)

i could spout on for days on how, Vegas is not built on winners , the house always wins and the only true way to make money in a casino is to own it.
in the short term you could well come out up , if that happens my advice is cut and run, the temptation is dabble again and then you end up chasing what you were orginally up , this only ensures you are risking more money.

in the long run the house will win , it.s a mathmatical certainty . the longer you play the more the house gains a advantage over you. true Blackjack is beatable but is fiendishly difficult for what will probably be 1% returns. a bog standard bank account will be be a much better effort.

i remember reading a story about the film " indecent proposal" . in it demi Moore and Woodly Harlestone are trying to win about double their money by playing balck jack at about $20 a hand. some one worked out the odds of achieving such a feat were in the the tens of millions !!!. yet i bet people have delusions that such things can happen.

have fun and play but know when to walk away. i have spent a lot of time in casino's in this country watching people who cannot , and seen them get deeper and deeper into a hole. it's not a pretty sight seeing grown men crying in public when they have lost a few grand at roulette i assure you. i bet these guys could tell you some tales




http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/4964644.stm

Have fun but know when to call it quits

trets77

TangoBunny wrote: »

Assuming I do eventually get a hotel he he
Where are the best bars with a show/singer or any form of entertainment.
Free would be better and if the beer is free as well ....thats a bonus

will get back to you on this

photome

Kerry39 wrote: »

sounds fab. do you need to go with plenty of money, I have no will power and dont want to end up remortgaging my house!!!
I m taking hub out for his 30th and whilst I like poker and BJ my hub is into everything. I was only planning on about £100 a day (for everything, food, drinks and a bit of a flutter), am I being a bit of a twerp expecting that to last? (I know its all about limitation, but this is a once in a lifetime trip)

£100 a day is fine for everything if that is your limit..remember everybody has a different amount of disposable income.

The bit that made me smile..is the once in a lifetime trip!..Thats what i said the first time I went and the next time will be my sixth. Everyone thinks I am loaded because i keep going back, but I do it cheaply, as you may already know. Your once in a lifetime may turn out to be once a year, if you love it like the rest of us!!!!

Eupho

ferf1223 wrote: »

Kezza - that is a GREAT story! Loved it.

Kerry39 - we figure out what amount we would be comfortable losing...and that is our gambling budget...if we lost it all, we wouldn't be mad at ourselves and we wouldn't struggle with any bills - we look at it as entertainment money, like I said. we don't like clubs, don't spend much cash in bars and don't do too many expensive meals...so we can justify allocating a fair bit to gambling.

What works for you is really something only you can decide. What some people suggest doing is to split your money into separate envelopes for each day, or each 'session' and when that day's money or session's money is gone - that's it for them...we don't do that ourselves, we just take the day's money out with us and know that that is all that there is that day.

Food is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, really...drinks are free if you are gambling...gambling is generally cheaper (lower table limits) some places than others (downtown is generally cheaper than the strip, they have low-limit blackjack some places on the strip though the odds may be worse than the higher limit tables as blackjack may not pay 3:2, etc.)

Personally, based on our first visit to Vegas (the one time we went over our initial budget), I would consider allocating a bit of extra money just in case - something tucked away for 'emergencies'...but obviously, only if you would be happy coming back without it...we ended up annoyed with ourselves for losing more than we planned to and that's not a good way to end a holiday!

And there are so many things to see and do that are free, if you do have a bad day, it's unlikely you will end up bored.

I dont go to Vegas to gamble at all- Im too tight haha.. While my friends gamble I shop and sight see and all the other stuff there is to do there.
last October one of them was playing on the Wheel of Fortune (Wheeeeeeel OF FORT-choooon) and said to me (for the tenth time) *C'mon on just try it, stick a coin in*

So I said *Aww for gawds sake!* stuck a coin in, slapped a button, and WON a $100 hahaha

A few days later (we were leaving that day) I bought a ticket in the Keno lounge so I could get free drinks (by pretending to play).. Eventually I left the lounge and went out.. I came back that evening to pick up my baggage as we were leaving (las vegas-boohoo) my friends asked if I had checked the Keno ticket, so I did.. and it had won $300 hahaha

So I still won in Vegas without even trying.. (not risking it again tho.. I'd rather buy shoes :rotfl: )

ferf1223

TangoBunny wrote: »

Assuming I do eventually get a hotel he he
Where are the best bars with a show/singer or any form of entertainment.
Free would be better and if the beer is free as well ....thats a bonus

Some places to consider...

Carnaval Court at Harrah's is fun and has flair bartenders and live music.

If you like Elvis, check out Big Elvis at Bill's Gamblin Hall and Saloon - he normally plays at 3 and 5 M-Th though not sure if his schedule has or will change with the change in ownership.

If you like Prince, Purple Reign is a Prince tribute band and plays at Monte Carlo's Brew Pub (I think Wednesdays)

Also check out http://www.cheapovegas.com/vegas_entertainment_chart.php?limitlocation=strip&limitshowtype=all&limitprice=0&sort=price

Cheapovegas is a great website...that link is just for free entertainment on the strip...but they have tons of info on food, hotels, gambling, etc.

TangoBunny

Thanks Ferf that's very helpfull.

mookybargirl

Wheeeel of forchooon - god I love that slot machine!

I'm still not booked yet. OH might want to double up trip with a week in Toronto too. Hopefully, we'll get it sorted soon.

PS - We went to Vegas for OH 30th too for a once in a lifetime and here we are planning again (except my budget won't stretch to Caesars this time)