|
Sab0921 posted:Yeah - I need to get a handle on which restaurants I need to hit up on next year's December trip to Vegas. What weekend did you go? We just got back and the rodeo crowded things up
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 02:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 00:42 |
|
|
CaptainScraps posted:What weekend did you go? We just got back and the rodeo crowded things up I was there last weekend - 15th-18th - I knew the Rodeo was in town, but I could barley tell, except Fremont was crowded with Cowboys.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 04:39
|
|
|
What kind of budget is average for Vegas? I’m assuming $3-4k with flight and hotel. Thursday Night - Sunday Morning.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 05:42
|
|
|
Tab8715 posted:What kind of budget is average for Vegas? I'd say you'll have a blast with that budget. It so wildly varies because of what people enjoy doing there. I'm a gambler and that would last me through a long weekend with good meals just fine.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 18:18
|
|
|
Does that include flight and hotel costs? I usually do fine with ~1k for a week but I also get a suite with a kitchen and a fridge so I do grocery shopping and cooking in room
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 19:27
|
|
|
Ultimate Mango posted:Hey Jay, are you still doing events/parties and such, or mostly hotels these days? Mostly retired but happy to help with anything. Jay dot FarberLV at gmail dot com or PM.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2017 20:53
|
|
|
Tab8715 posted:What kind of budget is average for Vegas? Flights are usually cheap from anywhere. You can find decent hotels in good locations for less than $100 a night most of the time. (Don't forget to watch out for Resort Fees!) Food is a huge variable; if you're not eating fast food, then your options for cheap food are pretty limited. There's a lot of great mid and high end stuff, but I'd say the prices are at least 40% bigger than what you'd pay in other cities. For a half-decent sit down meal with a drink, expect to pay at least $30/pp every meal. If you want to go for very good buffets, those start at $60/pp. Real nice restaurants start at $75/pp, and really the sky is the limit on how much you can spend on food. If you aren't a huge food fan and want to be thrifty, you can travel to locals restaurants off the strip, seek out cheap food, or just stock up at the grocery store and eat in as much as possible. The rest of the expenses just depend on what you want to do. What's your gambling budget? If you're just playing penny slots and $5 craps, you can probably last the whole weekend on $200. If you want to play $25/hand blackjack for 10 hours, you'd better bring a lot more cash. How much do you plan to drink? You can get free booze at the tables, but that involves sitting at the tables and typically, losing money at them. Booze at bars and cocktail lounges can be quite pricey, depending on where you want to go. The good shows will usually run $80-120/pp. Clubs are often very expensive to get into and very expensive to drink at; Jay can give you good hookups on that if that's what you're into. And if you want to do more crazy stuff like helicoptor tours and race car racing, that poo poo adds u p. You could easily do Vegas on <$1k for 4 days if you avoid the big ticket items... but the big ticket items are what a lot of folks are here for in the first place so YMMV.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2017 12:57
|
|
|
Stupid question: is there some sort of actual "strategy" to video poker? I was reading an article where they said the Vegas shooter was a "professional video poker player". It was my understanding the payout on those things is relatively high, but still something like 99% - on a long enough timeline you're going to lose. That being said, I plan to give it a shot at some point on my upcoming trip, probably going to check out the "long bar" at the D. Do they still give you free booze while playing? I know at table games they have cocktail waitresses, but last summer I stuck 20 bucks in at Flamingo and they tried to charge me so I just got up and went to a blackjack table instead.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2017 22:59
|
|
|
I played a bunch of video poker at the Flamingo back in March and never had an issue with getting free drinks. You just have to be basically max betting on the machines. The bartender usually just occasionally checks to make sure that you're not min betting and gives you your drinks. They've even went out of their way to tell me stuff like "hey, bet the maximum on the machine so I don't have to charge you for the drink".
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2017 23:22
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:Stupid question: is there some sort of actual "strategy" to video poker? There is a strategy to prolong your play so you can play more hands. The more hands you play the better chance you have at getting a royal. That is the only strategy in video poker. Play long enough to get a royal. You are more likely playing to get free drinks while watching a game at the bar so don’t worry about it. If you really want to play optimally to get that extra .005% edge on the house there are multiple guides on the internet. Depending on where you are they sometimes will have a minimum to get free drinks while playing video poker at a bar. I think it’s at least 3 quarters per hand. If you are there for awhile and tip they will usually not care. Bartenders in Vegas are like bartenders everywhere else. Be cool, tip, and they will be cool with you.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2017 23:33
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:Stupid question: is there some sort of actual "strategy" to video poker? It's also important to note that house edge depends pretty heavily on the payout structure of the machines. Most players have no idea what to look for in the payout tables and completely ignore this. Typically, machines will have an ROI of somewhere around 95-99% if you play perfectly. However, on some machines they'll really gently caress you over on the payouts, and I've seen machines with ROIs as low as 80%. As far as being a "professional video poker player" goes, I'm pretty sure that's bullshit. There are a few machines in Vegas with ROIs of >100%, but it's typically no more than +1%. I found a list here, but I have no idea if it's accurate or up to date. Generally, these positive return machines only work for weird variants of video poker and have really small maximum bets, so even if you managed to play an absolutely perfect strategy (which is very difficult for some games), you'd probably net like $1/hr. I've heard of people also trying to farm comps and other things from the casino using these types of machines, but I have no idea how effective this really is. I don't see how you could make anything close to a comfortable living doing this.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2017 08:15
|
|
|
Imaduck posted:There's absolutely a strategy, and you'll lose a lot more money if you're playing it wrong. The basic strategy is pretty simple to get right, and that will get you pretty close to a perfect edge. Check out Wizard of Odds for information on the proper strategy. If you're playing wrong, you can easily give the house an additional 10-20% edge. Yeah, at the high level the strategy seems to be "hold out for the highest grossing hand possible", which is basically the opposite of how you'd play actual poker. Imaduck posted:As far as being a "professional video poker player" goes, I'm pretty sure that's bullshit. There are a few machines in Vegas with ROIs of >100%, but it's typically no more than +1%. I found a list here, but I have no idea if it's accurate or up to date. Generally, these positive return machines only work for weird variants of video poker and have really small maximum bets, so even if you managed to play an absolutely perfect strategy (which is very difficult for some games), you'd probably net like $1/hr. I've heard of people also trying to farm comps and other things from the casino using these types of machines, but I have no idea how effective this really is. I don't see how you could make anything close to a comfortable living doing this. Yeah, I think that at best he was barely breaking even. They mentioned he got a lot of comps and was very status oriented. If you're good, and the payout is that high I could see where a retiree thought slowly bleeding money in exchange for a comped lifestyle is fun. They also said he was playing at places like Mandalay and the list you sent seems to be all downtown or locals casinos. I could also see him hitting a string of bad luck, dipping into their principle rather than living of interest on investments, and then spiraling into depression fairly easily.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2017 19:24
|
|
|
You can game the loyalty bonuses to squeak out a profit in free play or other perks. It's a lot of work for not much gain. When I'm playing table or slot games, I try to drink enough to cover the house edge. That's a win in my book.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2017 21:18
|
|
|
Sab0921 posted:Dinner @ Joel Robuchon (literally the best meal of my life, go do this) At 425$/person plus 295$/person for the wine, I'm sure it's out of this world. But 1500$ for dinner for two is beyond my means  Need to earn more money.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2017 21:14
|
|
|
Mourne posted:At 425$/person plus 295$/person for the wine, I'm sure it's out of this world. You don't need to do the Degustation menu (but it's worth it) or the wine pairing. L'Atelier is practically a bargain compared to Joel Robuchon at $200/pp and one of the best meals in the city. Fwiw.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2017 00:05
|
|
|
If you're like me and can't tell the difference between a $40 steak and a $200 steak, Fiamma Trattoria at the MGM is a really good upper-midish range restaurant. Had the steak carpaccio and lobster gnocchi when I went there, both were fabulous, and the bill didn't feel like I was being completely insane with my money (had a $75 dining credit with my room so it was actually free  ).
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2017 19:24
|
|
|
I am going to Vegas in February. I wanna go to the best buffet (dont ask why), have good Ramen, and go to some weird restaurant/diner type place and eat amazing breakfast. Can anyone recommend some places for that?
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 02:08
|
|
|
Jacco posted:I am going to Vegas in February. I wanna go to the best buffet (dont ask why), have good Ramen, and go to some weird restaurant/diner type place and eat amazing breakfast. Can anyone recommend some places for that? For the last one check out the Peppermill. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-peppermill-restaurant-and-fireside-lounge-las-vegas maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 02:29 on Dec 27, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 02:12
|
|
|
Peppermill is great for gigantor portions at 3:30 am, but if you’re up at proper breakfast/brunch hours I’m a big fan of the Mesa Grill in Caesars. The steak and eggs is basically deconstructed breakfast fajitas. And the candied bacon, 
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 07:43
|
|
|
Mourne posted:At 425$/person plus 295$/person for the wine, I'm sure it's out of this world. Go for one of the smaller menus and choose your own wine with the the assistance of the sommelier rather than the wine pairing. You can get out of there for about $600 for 2 including tax, tip etc.. If it makes you feel better, I earn a lot of money, but my job is a horrifying soul suck that leaves no time to develop meaningful relationships or nurture existing ones and leaves everyone in its path a broken shell of a human who only pleasure is conspicuous consumption on a mass scale in an effort to justify the trade off required for the money. Sure I missed my niece's last 3 birthday parties, I see my parents less than my sister who lives in a different city than them and my wife often cries about the crippling loneliness but hey, I can eat at fancy restaurants when I feel like it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 08:24
|
|
|
Jacco posted:I am going to Vegas in February. I wanna go to the best buffet (dont ask why), have good Ramen, and go to some weird restaurant/diner type place and eat amazing breakfast. Can anyone recommend some places for that? 1. Cosmopolitan Dinner Buffet - The Cosmopolitan has a pretty unique buffet; instead of doing a few massive tubs of food, they instead make tons of small plate dishes. Not only is the presentation better, but it allows them to do more complex combinations of ingredients and pairings of food. Very unique and very tasty. 2. Caesar's Palace Bacchanal Buffet (Dinner) - Caesar's has a very large, excellent buffet. They typically have an ample seafood selection (crab, oysters, various fish), Asian food, and lots of traditional fancy American stuff. Only most buffets that have a few good dishes and a bunch of throwaway filler, every single thing I had at Bacchanal was top notch. It's pricey, but if you want the more traditional buffet experience at a very high quality, the Bacchanal is the way to go. 3. Wynn Brunch Buffet - The Wynn has a gorgeous buffet garden. They typically have ample seafood and traditional selections, with amazing desserts, and I think they're slightly cheaper than the others. ****EDIT: I realized I wrote Aria before, but meant the Wynn. For a weird restaurant / diner place, I can't think of any option better than The Heart Attack Grill. Honestly, I've never been there, but from everything I've heard about it, it's pretty much as weird and Vegas as you can get. They force you to wear hospital gowns, paddle you if you don't finish your food, and if you weigh over 350 pounds, you eat free! It's Goon paradise! Imaduck fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Dec 27, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 10:54
|
|
|
Jacco posted:I am going to Vegas in February. I wanna go to the best buffet (dont ask why), have good Ramen, and go to some weird restaurant/diner type place and eat amazing breakfast. Can anyone recommend some places for that? Cosmo or Caesar's or Wynn Monta Ramen Metro Diner, Stacks & Yolks, or Hash House A Go Go
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2017 17:23
|
|
|
So I'll be going out for a poker trip soon... a few questions. If I want to give a tournament a shot, is any specific property better? I was thinking of doing one at Mandalay simply because I also want to check out the Foundation Room and I'd probably be playing at Bellagio or Aria later. (Does time in a tournament count towards comps?) Also, how far in advance can you call in to get a spot for sit down games? I'm staying downtown and was thinking of calling to put my name on the list at say, Caesers and then riding the SDX down. Also, on the topic of reservations, do you need one to get into Lotus now that it's reopened? Also considering going to a Blue Man Group or P&T show... should I book that in advance or is it too close and I might as well wait til night of if I'm going well at the tables? I'm trying to be somewhat frugal (staying downtown, eating relatively cheap at places like Ellis Island and Peppermill), so if anyone has any suggestions on stuff to check out/do I'm all ears. So far planning to check out the 25¢ roulette at El Cortez and wander into the D a bit to check out the long bar.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2017 03:28
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:If I want to give a tournament a shot, is any specific property better? I was thinking of doing one at Mandalay simply because I also want to check out the Foundation Room and I'd probably be playing at Bellagio or Aria later. (Does time in a tournament count towards comps?) If you're staying downtown play at Binion's for everything. You probably don't need to call ahead anywhere. Yes you need reservations for Lotus.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2017 05:24
|
|
|
JaySB posted:If you're staying downtown play at Binion's for everything. You probably don't need to call ahead anywhere. Oh cool. Did you mean poker too or just table games? Didn't see them listen on Bravo.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2017 17:38
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:If I want to give a tournament a shot, is any specific property better? I was thinking of doing one at Mandalay simply because I also want to check out the Foundation Room and I'd probably be playing at Bellagio or Aria later. (Does time in a tournament count towards comps?) Typically you'll get a few bucks in comps for entering a tournament. quote:Also, how far in advance can you call in to get a spot for sit down games? I'm staying downtown and was thinking of calling to put my name on the list at say, Caesers and then riding the SDX down. With the exception of the Aria or during WSOP, most of the waits aren't going to be bad at most rooms, and you'll often just walk in and have a seat. quote:Also considering going to a Blue Man Group or P&T show... should I book that in advance or is it too close and I might as well wait til night of if I'm going well at the tables? maskenfreiheit posted:Oh cool. Did you mean poker too or just table games? Didn't see them listen on Bravo.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 00:38
|
|
|
Imaduck posted:If you check on Bravo, it'll usually tell you which daily tournament each room runs. Note that anything < $100 is probably going to have absurd rake (50+%), and even some of the $200 daily tournaments are raked like 20-40%. They also typically have really fast levels, which is fine if you want to just hop in a quick tournament and not blow your day, but if you want some serious play, pay attention to how quick the blind levels are. I was just out there, and found that the Wynn has a really awesome $200+$20 tournament with $100 add-on with 40 minute blind levels. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the tips. Out of curiousity, how much do you usually make in a tournament like the Wynn one you described? Like let's assume I made it to the final table? Also why is Aria a bad wait?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 00:42
|
|
|
I'm a semi-professional poker player that mostly plays locally, but I hit LV about 3 times a year and have played in many of the rooms there. I've written out various tips about what rooms to visit in the past, so I figured I'll summarize the rooms here. Imaduck's Guide to Las Vegas Poker Rooms Download the Bravo Poker app. It'll tell you what's running where at most poker rooms, and also has some information on tournaments and promotions and all that. Caesar's Palace has a very nice room. There are great dealers, solid drink service, good tables and chairs with lots of space, etc. They also have the best rake and best comps for any LV casino - they rake $4 max a pot, no bonus drop, and they pay $2/hr. in comps, whereas most other rooms only pay $1. They usually have a few 1/2 tables going, and 1-3 2/5 tables going on nights and weekends. There's also a really fun 6/12 dealer's choice mix game there that runs from time to time. There is one huge downside, however: the poker room is totally open air, and is super loud, especially when the club is going. I think this drives away some of the casual players, especially when it's peak loud, so the tables can be pretty hit or miss in skill level, and in general I see better tables at the Bellagio. I hear PLO happens once in a blue moon, and there usually are some low stakes limit games going there. Bellagio is my favorite room to play NLHE at, and has become one of the premier spots to play in Vegas. There are typically tons of NLHE tables running at every stake; 1/3 all the way up to 10/20 run regularly, and when big players are in town, you'll often see 100/200 games and 1.5k/3k mix games going. They run mostly hold 'em at the lower stakes. At 1/3, most players have a basic idea of how to play, but many of them spew money against even straightforward, tight players. The chairs are comfy and the drinks are good. The $5 max rake / no promo drop isn't too bad. It's a great spot. Aria is a similar room, but you'll see more PLO / PLO8 / and mix games running here as well, even at the lower stakes. There's tons of action and a lot of bad players, so it's a great place to be. On the weekends and at night they tend to fill up all of their tables, and they can have a pretty nasty waiting list. Still, if you're looking for PLO action, or just want a comfy place to play Hold 'em, it's a good spot to be. They also have $5 max rake, no promos. One note on the Bellagio and Aria: they do have comps, but they're a pain in the rear end to claim. At most casinos, comps automatically get added to your card for every hour of play. At Aria and Bellagio, you have to request your comps after the fact, and tell them exactly how much you want and what you're using it for. The Bellagio gives you $2/hr, which is nice, but it's an annoying hoop to have to jump through. If you're downtown, The Golden Nugget is a lot of fun. The 1/2 is uncapped buy-in, and you can play with cash on the table. If you come in at the right time, folks will walk into 1/2 with $2k in hundreds and spew it all off. The last time I was there, there was a player blind raising $100 every hand for an entire orbit!!! Tables vary wildly in skill, but I rarely see any pros there, so it's a nice spot to play if you're just starting out. Harrah's / Flamingo / Mirage / Bally's / Mandalay Bay are all pretty similar, although Bally's is the nut worst. They all usually have a few 1/2 tables going, and most players buy in for $100 or less. The tables are very hit or miss; sometimes you'll get drunks stumbling onto the tables ready to spew, while other nights you'll be playing against 8 nitty old dudes with $40 stacks. The atmosphere is typically casual and these tables can be a lot of fun, but the high rake + bonus drops + nitty players buying in short stacked means that it's hard to make a profit at these tables; you have to be very careful with table selection. They're worth checking out for a bit though. Flamingo has great drink service and free IPAs on tap, if that's your thing. The Westgate is a lot like the above; they typically only have one or two tables running, with 1/2 blinds and a $200 cap. The players are bad, but with so little money at stake, it's hard to beat the house. However, Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen have been running meet up games on Wednesday nights that are loving amazing. Lots of straddles, 2/7 games, bomb pots, tons of drinking, chatting, and showing hands. It really feels like you're playing a home game in a casino. Check out the MUGs Facebook page for more info. The Wynn has a very nice room. You'll usually see 1/3 and 2/5 NLHE running there, and you'll often see some PLO as well. They also have an excellent Saturday tournament at noon. I've never played at The Orleans, but their focus seems to be fixed limit and pot limit Omaha games, along with some stud and a few NLHE tables. Don't play at The Venetian. Their owner, Sheldon Adelson is the reason that online poker doesn't exist in America. He's also an all-around piece of poo poo. Imaduck fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Dec 29, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 01:09
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:Out of curiousity, how much do you usually make in a tournament like the Wynn one you described? Like let's assume I made it to the final table? quote:Also why is Aria a bad wait?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 01:11
|
|
|
Imaduck posted:I'm a semi-professional poker player that mostly plays locally, but I hit LV about 3 times a year and have played in many of the rooms there. I've written out various tips about what rooms to visit in the past, so I figured I'll summarize the rooms here. Thank you for this, super useful. When you say you have to request your comps at Aria/Bellagio, do you mean I have to explictly say "Hey I played 8 hours so add 16 to my card"?  Edit: Also if you're into  Sheldon also opposed that. As a staunch Bernie Bro I cannot abide!
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 01:16
|
|
|
also are there any good coffee places downtown? someplace i can get a nice, european espresso or even just a good non starbucks/dd?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 02:50
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:Thank you for this, super useful. When you say you have to request your comps at Aria/Bellagio, do you mean I have to explictly say "Hey I played 8 hours so add 16 to my card"?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 06:57
|
|
|
Imaduck posted:
Sheldon makes no sense - how can you run a casino and endorse Rick Santorum? What’s general opinion of Sheldon among locals? Gucci Loafers fucked around with this message at 12:42 on Dec 29, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 07:01
|
|
|
Tab8715 posted:Sheldon make no sense - how can you run a casino and endorse Rick Santorum? I imagine the Venn diagram of "locals" and "human beings on the planet Earth" is basically overlapping in this case.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2017 08:39
|
|
|
maskenfreiheit posted:So I'll be going out for a poker trip soon... a few questions. If you want specific advice on poker tournaments, email me spikemcawesomeofficial at g mail. I've played every daily in town multiple times and started a podcast about them. Short answer - gently caress Mandalay Bay's tournament. Second worst in town and I won't go back into that room until they get rid of the single dumbest rule in all of Vegas. And if one more prick that works there claims it's in the TDA, I'm going to print a copy of the TDA and cram it up their decrepit rear end.
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2017 06:07
|
|
|
Ha, what's the rule?
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2017 10:08
|
|
|
Imaduck posted:Ha, what's the rule? No phones at the table. Full stop. Not "No phones when you're in a hand". Not "No calls but texts are okay". It's no phones, ever, in tournaments.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2018 00:54
|
|
|
LOL. Good luck at getting anyone under the age of 65 to play in your tournaments.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2018 02:19
|
|
|
I love me some handmade udon and soba noodles. Saw Udon Monzo by chance when I was driving down Spring Mountain Rd. If you like fresh udon, check this place out.
|
|
#
?
Jan 13, 2018 16:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 00:42 |
|
|
Opinions on best escape room in Vegas?
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2018 23:47
|
|