Las Vegas

[Jamaal]

Gotta add this which may have already been mentioned someplace above ....

Figure a $20 to $50 entry fee for the pool parties and night clubs. But always ask for a complimentary pass to either of the above or both if while checking into your room. (A tip usually helps if comp passes are available.)

And there are a good number of Comp Passes Hawkers on the  Strip that hand out club and pool passes and a small tip is expected. Some passes require that you arrive early so that when the paid customers walk in ... the club does not appear empty nor deserted.

And if you are a big spender  ,,,, it's wise to reserve a table and have bottle service. But expect to pay $700+ per bottle which just might be cheaper than purchasing individual cocktails.

I don't know how it's done at present but a short while back ... customers had to pay $2,000 to $4,000 up front for VIP service and a good table and a tab was maintained just in case your party consumed more than $2,000 - $4,000 worth of alcohol.

Don't ask for table service if you only intend to have a couple of beers and spend the time dancing your ass off on the dance floor.

Movie production members of my family are also professional dancers and acrobats so the dance floor is usually cleared after they have a couple of drinks and take over while everyone stands around and gets bewildered. Once they returned to the table, the house usually picks up the tab. *They are that good!

$700 bottles of what kind of alcohol? Good or something that profits them heavily?

[FREAKgeek]

Someone above mentioned renting a car while in LV, but I disagree entirely due to the fact that the vast majority of the Strip hotels now charge for parking even if you are a hotel room guest.

Figure about $13+ a day and that was valet parking which used to be free except for the standard tip as per your decision.

I was surprised last month when I stayed at the Encore to spend time with family members .... the parking was free but I expect that to change shortly.

And other expenses you may not be aware of.... In the good old days none of this shit existed but now they add a Resort Fee for each day that you stay in the hotel plus the standard tax of 11% (I think it's 11 now.)

I'm an old time BlackJack expert when the casinos use to deal with one deck and pay 3 - 2 for a dealt blackjack, so it was relatively easy to win some extra money ,  but they have changed the game so that it's much more difficult to win with eight decks, continuous shuffling, and the biggest rip-off of them all is that the Strip Casinos nowadays only pay 6 to 5 or even money for a blackjack which means that every time you get a blackjack, the casino wins. It also means that you are paying the casino every time you get a BJ.

It's apparent to me that the typical, educated college age kids who play the game have no idea that they are being ripped off.

I'm pretty well know in a lot of the casinos for complaining that they are ruining the game by 'cheating' and should call the game something other than BlackJack when the payoffs are not like they originally were.

You actually had a far better chance of increasing your bankroll when the Mafia ran this town.

If you sit in a game that does not pay 3 - 2, you are either a sucker or a fool.

I'm also a student of the game. I live on the east coast and while the CSM has seemed to die out in the past few years, the 6:5 payout is becoming ubiquitous. You can get a better game at higher stakes, but you can't backcount. If you aren't a known player, you can still get a game with even expectation and take advantage of the comps.

[Jamaal]

The advent of casino war is a great example of how casinos are quick to change their rules. Very few casinos use a game as such due to the odds ultimately being unstable for the house (unless an endlessly shuffling shoe with multiple decks is used)

Realistically, if it is a "game", there should be a feasible way to win. For blackjack, counting cards should not be frowned upon to the point where you're asked to leave.

It's a game. Not taxes.

[stuntmovie]

FREAK, Good to hear that there is another BlackJack pro on this board.

I've been playing sing I was 17 - 18 when we used to go to one of Tahoe's more lenient casinos when Sinatra had a part of it.

We'd spend the day skiing and then go into the casino and sit at a table and play 25 or 50 cent Blackjack and smoke their free cigarettes that were laid out in fancy boxes off to the left of the dealer.

And if you sat their long enough, you could ask for a full pack of Marlboros until one of the bosses would tell us to go into the coffee shop for a few minutes while the Sheriff strolled through the joint.

But within 20 minutes we were back smoken and chocken and losing our nickels, dimes, and quarters but enjoying every minute of it.

Not too strange to say but no one ever offered us a beer or a cocktail even though we were walk-ins without a car amongst us.

Obviously they knew we of the non-drinking age and didn't want us to barf on the tables.

Good days back then ..... Until I got involved with Craps.

[FREAKgeek]

FREAK, Good to hear that there is another BlackJack pro on this board.

I've been playing sing I was 17 - 18 when we used to go to one of Tahoe's more lenient casinos when Sinatra had a part of it.

We'd spend the day skiing and then go into the casino and sit at a table and play 25 or 50 cent Blackjack and smoke their free cigarettes that were laid out in fancy boxes off to the left of the dealer.

And if you sat their long enough, you could ask for a full pack of Marlboros until one of the bosses would tell us to go into the coffee shop for a few minutes while the Sheriff strolled through the joint.

But within 20 minutes we were back smoken and chocken and losing our nickels, dimes, and quarters but enjoying every minute of it.

Not too strange to say but no one ever offered us a beer or a cocktail even though we were walk-ins without a car amongst us.

Obviously they knew we of the non-drinking age and didn't want us to barf on the tables.

Good days back then ..... Until I got involved with Craps.

Haha. I would go to AC underaged back in the 90s, most of the time I'd get served. We would walk joint to joint and hang out playing slots all night or until we were broke. The idea that it was open all night was so intriguing lol.

[6 Reps]

I was in Las Vegas last month and saw the show "The Puppetry of the Penis."  It was hilariously funny and it's not homo:

http://www.puppetryofthepenis.com/


Several years ago I stayed at the Mirage and it was nice.  I also stayed at Luxor once.  The room was okay but it was an interesting hotel to stay in.  Btw, I got approached by two attractive hookers on my way back to my room one night.

Also when I was there last month I ate at the Peppermill restaurant on the strip.  I understand it's a favorite of Jay Cutler's.  I will say the food was very good.

One last call cautionary note:  I found drink prices to be very expensive.  I was in a club and I paid $14.25 for a bourbon and ginger ale.

[stuntmovie]

REPS, I thought that "Puppetry" was closed down because I no longer see any ads for it along the Strip or in the local tourist mags. When it first opened the ads were all over the place.

The Peppermill is one of the most popular places to eat in on the entire Strip but the prices are relatively higher than most other restaurants and there is usually a long wait to get a table ... but not too long to sit at the counter.

If you got into the bar part of the place you may have seen the fireplace that may have looked famiiiar. It was the location for a major scene in CASINO. And it's very comfortable room to enjoy a couple of cocktails before hitting the casinos.

Come to think of it that bar was  one of the only Casino joints in which  I have ever purchased a cocktail. I'm not a major drinker but I always get compt drinks while playing the slots or hitting the tables.

How many GetBiggers go to Vegas and take advantage of the legal marijuana situation nowadays? I still have half of a marijuana choclate bar that someone gave me for Christmas which one family member or another will find useful on their next visit.

[tres_taco_combo]

the best going thread about LV is from a sky scrapper forum

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176111&page=21

the new raiders stadium looks legit

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/field/media/web1_webraidersrendering8aug25-copy_7234811.jpg