Any little tricks about Vegas I should know?

TheGameKat · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 10:26 pm

greenslime1951 wrote:

1. The $20 trick is a waste of time. It's also unethical. You can get a great room in any one of dozens of hotels for less money than in any other city. Slipping the desk clerk a twenty is about as pointless as tipping the park ranger at Yosemite to give you better scenery.
2. Rent a car. Yes, the Douche crawls up and down the Strip for $7 a day. It also takes about 90 minutes to complete a single one-way trip, with the buses packed all the way from Sahara to Tropicana. And where are you when you get off? The Strip! Yecch. And your rental car will keep you from standing in the 900-degree heat waiting for the next Douche to show up (hint: the next three in a row will be so full that they won't be taking on any passengers).
3. Don't eat, stay, or gamble on the Strip. Stay at Palace Station, the Orleans, Gold Coast, etc. and pay 1/3 as much for everything. Drive your rental car five minutes to the Strip and valet park if you want to play poker.
4. Drink water BEFORE you get thirsty. The blast furnace of Vegas affects you even if you're not walking around in the sun--everything's MUCH drier than you're used to, and A/C'ed air is VERY dry. I carry a water bottle at all times.

If you're not used to the desert this is the best and most important advice in the whole thread. The low humidity means you lose moisture REALLY fast and you won't necessarily notice until you get the chills and start shaking.

JonFriedberg · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 11:50 pm

The $20 trick is called a "resort fee", that many people complain about. Lol. I'm sure there are other $20 tricks, but they will probably send you home regretting what you did.

greenslime1951 · **Joined:** Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:14 pm **Posts:** 313

meekamouse wrote:

This is false. If you book a room for $79, slip the front desk $20 and get upgraded to a room that would normally cost $139, then in poker terms this a +EV play and hardly a waste (if getting a better room is important to you.)

Also, how did you arrive at the conclusion its unethical? Its such a widely used practice that it is presumably approved by the casinos (at least the casinos who honor the $20 trick). What front desk person would risk their job for $20? I look at the $20 trick more like the secret menu at In-n-Out. Those who know about it get to reap the rewards of it. :mrgreen:

However, both are hardly secrets these days.

Let's see. You pay the desk clerk $20 to sell you a room for $60 less than its actual price--thereby ripping off his employer? How is this NOT unethical? Consider that if someone comes along later that night who wants the $139 room but can't have it because that category of rooms has sold out, the hotel has just lost $60!
Employee theft, in all its forms, is indeed widespread but that hardly means the casinos approve of it. And casino employees who steal do risk their jobs, but the amounts stolen are often quite small. I once worked with a guy who had been palming silver dollars for years until they finally caught him when he dropped one right in front of the shift boss.
By the way, in terms of EV, since you presumably wouldn't have been willing to pay $139 for the room, your actual gain is (what you would have been willling to pay)-($79)-($20). So if, for instance, you would only have paid $99 for the fancier room, your act of bribery has gained you nothing. In my case, I balance it against the act of encouraging the clerk to cheat his employer. I realize my ethics in this regard are different than those of others, particularly when the entity being cheated is a steenkin' casino. But I only have the right to complain about being treated unfairly if I treat others fairly myself.

meekamouse · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2012 1:10 am

greenslime1951 wrote:

meekamouse wrote:

This is false. If you book a room for $79, slip the front desk $20 and get upgraded to a room that would normally cost $139, then in poker terms this a +EV play and hardly a waste (if getting a better room is important to you.)
Also, how did you arrive at the conclusion its unethical? Its such a widely used practice that it is presumably approved by the casinos (at least the casinos who honor the $20 trick). What front desk person would risk their job for $20? I look at the $20 trick more like the secret menu at In-n-Out. Those who know about it get to reap the rewards of it. :mrgreen:

However, both are hardly secrets these days.

Let's see. You pay the desk clerk $20 to sell you a room for $60 less than its actual price--thereby ripping off his employer? How is this NOT unethical? Consider that if someone comes along later that night who wants the $139 room but can't have it because that category of rooms has sold out, the hotel has just lost $60!

So you're telling me at the properties where the $20 trick actually works that the front desk people are bilking the property out of money, secretly altering reservations, and changing room charges with the intention of the hotel never knowing? Now that is entertaining.

psand · **Joined:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:16 am **Posts:** 4329

greenslime1951 wrote:

2. Rent a car. Yes, the Douche crawls up and down the Strip for $7 a day. It also takes about 90 minutes to complete a single one-way trip, with the buses packed all the way from Sahara to Tropicana. And where are you when you get off? The Strip! Yecch. And your rental car will keep you from standing in the 900-degree heat waiting for the next Douche to show up (hint: the next three in a row will be so full that they won't be taking on any passengers).

This is horrible advice if for people on vacation who may want o go out and enjoy themselves with alcoholic beverages.

If you want to be able to drink ... whether at a meal or while gambling or at a show just plan on taking a cab then you will feel free to indulge ...

greenslimes advice is all based on saving every penny you can. And if thats your idea of a good time then by all means follow his suggestions. But many people don;t consider penny pinching to be an enjoyable vacation activity. Yes Palace station has cheap rooms..... But there is a difference between staying at palace station and the Bellagio..... hell even between palace station and and the IP.

And yes the buffet at the orleans is a decent value ...... but some people would prefer a fancier meal.

greenslime1951 · **Joined:** Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:14 pm **Posts:** 313

psand wrote:

This is horrible advice if for people on vacation who may want o go out and enjoy themselves with alcoholic beverages.

If you want to be able to drink ... whether at a meal or while gambling or at a show just plan on taking a cab then you will feel free to indulge ...

greenslimes advice is all based on saving every penny you can.

To each his own. If your idea of fun is to get stinking drunk and you just can't enjoy yourself if you're sober, well, then, yes, a rental car may be a waste of time. But why go to Vegas to do that? Lock yourself in the den with a couple of six-packs and a bottle of vodka. It'll be cheaper than stumbling around the Strip with money in your pocket (in your pocket until you find a nice friendly crap table, that is).

I've noticed that many people who don't have the discipline to watch what they spend call doing so "penny pinching." For many, "doing Vegas" is all about overspending, getting drunk, gambling (stupidly and for too much money), and in general abandoning inhibitions and acting like a fool. The Vegas marketing mechanisms encourage this. However, what happens in Vegas actually follows you home, in the form of a massive credit card bill and a depleted checking account.

Perhaps my point of view comes from the fact that I'm immune to all the Vegas hype. The place doesn't impress me; it seems like nothing more than an immense tourist trap. They sell hype and glitz and glamor--all of it fake. I've dealt to thousands of ploppies who bet green chips as if they were subway tokens, and then they played like idiots to boot. They destroyed their minds with "free" drinks and then woke up next morning $1400 poorer and with a massive headache. Did they have "fun"? I sure hope so.

psand · **Joined:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:16 am **Posts:** 4329

greenslime1951 wrote:

To each his own.

I agree. Which is the point of my post. If your idea about a good time is different than greenslimes then following his advice will be a disaster.

Quote:

If your idea of fun is to get stinking drunk and you just can't enjoy yourself if you're sober, well, then, yes, a rental car may be a waste of time. But why go to Vegas to do that? Lock yourself in the den with a couple of six-packs and a bottle of vodka. It'll be cheaper than stumbling around the Strip with money in your pocket (in your pocket until you find a nice friendly crap table, that is).

Here is a problem. you seem to think that any use of alcohol is tantamount to abuse of alcohol. I don;t have to get stinking fall down drunk every time I drink. But even if I'm not fall down drunk I may not be able to legally or safely operate an automobile. You could go to a nice restaurant and have a couple of drinks with dinner and find yourself over the legal limit, or even if not over the legal limits your reaction times may be slowed just enough to make driving unsafe.

I am capable of drinking in a responsible manner ... and part of that responsible manner is knowing when not to drive. When I came to this town as a tourist I would never rent a car simply because I wanted to be able to drink anytime I wanted without worrying about it .... If you aren;t going to drink thats not a concern you may have.

Quote:

I've noticed that many people who don't have the discipline to watch what they spend call doing so "penny pinching." For many, "doing Vegas" is all about overspending, getting drunk, gambling (stupidly and for too much money), and in general abandoning inhibitions and acting like a fool. The Vegas marketing mechanisms encourage this. However, what happens in Vegas actually follows you home, in the form of a massive credit card bill and a depleted checking account.

Its not just vegas. Its generally what people do on a vacation. Part of a vacation is treating yourself to things you don't get to do all the time. Going to nice restaurants, sitting at the pool/beach drinking rum punch out of a coconut. Gambling ... going to shows. Being papmpered at the Spa ... shopping at high end stores, living in a luxurious room with staff cleaning up for you every day. Not everyone likes all of these things .... but many do.

Quote:

Perhaps my point of view comes from the fact that I'm immune to all the Vegas hype. The place doesn't impress me; it seems like nothing more than an immense tourist trap. They sell hype and glitz and glamor--all of it fake. I've dealt to thousands of ploppies who bet green chips as if they were subway tokens, and then they played like idiots to boot. They destroyed their minds with "free" drinks and then woke up next morning $1400 poorer and with a massive headache. Did they have "fun"? I sure hope so.

I get it. I live here now too. Its not my vacation anymore. But its still other people's vacation .... and we live of of that. Its not hype its not fake. Its their vacation not ours. For us its daily living so it seems fake ... for them its their time to get out of the office and have fun. let them have fun. encourage them to have fun even if its not your idea of fun.... its not about you.

Understand that if they all adopt your attitude then you and I are out of work.

twriter · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2012 10:14 am

psand wrote:

greenslimes advice is all based on saving every penny you can. And if thats your idea of a good time then by all means follow his suggestions. But many people don;t consider penny pinching to be an enjoyable vacation activity. Yes Palace station has cheap rooms..... But there is a difference between staying at palace station and the Bellagio..... hell even between palace station and and the IP.

I would disagree to a point. Yes, I agree that the rooms at Palace Station or IP are a far sight less swanky (some might say "pretentious") than those as Bellagio or Wynn. And some food is better than others (although I'd say also that there's not much difference between the Orleans buffet and the buffets at Rio, Mirage, Paris, and Harrahs, other than cost).

But here's why I look for bargain rooms when I travel to Vegas: the less I spend on lodging (and other basic travel amenities), the more I have to spend on the fun that is Vegas, whether it be shows, meals, drinks, or what-have-you.

That said, the "decent" rooms at IP are about as "low" as I prefer to go. (Although I've ended up at a couple of places that were worse--and have indicated so in TripAdvisor reviews.)

I've even stayed out as far as Henderson, where it turned out to be just a 15-20 minute drive to mid-Strip. for me, a room is a place to sleep, shower, and store my stuff. When I'm in Vegas, I typically spend barely more time in my hotel room than I need to to sleep and shower. Paying for luxurious amenities is wasted on me. (But I also understand that everyone is different, and some people like to be pampered.)

And as far as renting a car goes, there's nothing to say that if you rent a car so you are able to get further away from where you're staying during your trip, that you can't leave it if you've been drinking, take a cab back to where you're staying, then cab it to pick your car up when you're sober. I don't think I've ever seen a casino hotel worry about how long cars are in their lots and garages.

guynotes · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2012 10:20 am

Grange95 wrote:

If you are in decent shape, you can walk anywhere from Encore to Mandalay Bay and avoid cab fare / hassle. If you're smart about it, you can wind your way through casinos and most of your walk will be in air conditioned comfort.

Well there's the rub..."decent shape", of which I'm not, but I can still do that walk!

guynotes · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2012 10:24 am

greenslime1951 wrote:

1. The $20 trick is a waste of time. It's also unethical. You can get a great room in any one of dozens of hotels for less money than in any other city. Slipping the desk clerk a twenty is about as pointless as tipping the park ranger at Yosemite to give you better scenery.

I agree in some places it doesn't mean much, but each time I have done this, I've been given a better room/better view or adjoining rooms if going with others. The best ever was Planet Hollywood. As soon as the lady saw my $20 and my friend's $20 (as we were checking in together with our wives), this woman couldn't have done any more unless she came with the room! We were there for 30 minutes while she got us a bigger room, adjoining rooms, and buffet coupons..

I've also done it and if there was nothing the clerk could do they graciously handed it back..At least worth the try if you feel you can grab a better room..

These people work for peanuts, and all they are really doing is looking for better rooms that are available and won't be booked during your stay. So for them to make a quick $20 on the side for giving you a room that wasn't being used anyway, is a win-win..

Any little tricks about Vegas I should know?

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