Cheap Las Vegas Trip

Las Vegas, Nevada

                We are going to switch gears here for a minute and come back from Asia, back to the good ol’ USA. Where else should we start but Las Vegas, Nevada? The player’s playground, Sin City, whatever you want to call it, is a great destination and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a lot of money to spend to have a good time here. We will talk about where to stay, where to play, what to play and what else you can do besides gamble while you’re in the city.

                WHERE SHOULD YOU STAY

You can stay on the strip (where most of the casinos are) in a room at the actual casino if you want. I think this is a great idea for your first time in Vegas. You could actually get by without renting a car for the whole vacation because everything is right there; food, drinks, bed, and entertainment. Check out hotels.com or any other hotel website to see the pricing but there are rooms on a budget all the way to glamorous rooms which will cost you a few pennies. If you are on a budget check out the Monte Carlo or the Luxor. Both are in great locations and won’t cost you an arm and leg. If you decide the strip isn’t your thing you can always get a hotel off the strip. There are many hotels that are close to the strip but not actually on it, and will provide you free transport to the strip if you should decide to go (You are in Vegas, why would you not want to go to the casino right?). If this sounds good to you try the Homewood Suites by Hilton – Las Vegas Airport. They will pick you up at the airport, take you to the hotel and provide you transportation to the strip when you want to go. My advice is to call the hotel before you book it and find out if they provide the accommodations that you want before you book.

WHERE YOU SHOULD PLAY

My friends and I decided to walk the strip. It took us 2 hours to walk part of the strip and we never ran out of things to see. When choosing a place to “Play” (gamble) you need to know what you want to play. Why is that? Well, some games have a minimum bet to ante up.  The casinos will decide what the minimum bet is for that game. This is important information for someone on a budget. If a game has a 5 dollar minimum, you might play more than a game with a 25 dollar minimum. Also keep in mind that some, if not all, casinos raise their minimum bet after a certain time in the evening. This is to draw more customers in during the day. I recommend playing during the day if you are on a budget and sightseeing when they raise the minimum bets, unless you hit it big then do what you want! I recommend hitting up some of the smaller casinos on the strip. Don’t miss Casino Royale across from the Mirage casino.

WHAT YOU SHOULD PLAY

What you should play depends on different factors. Do you want to have fun? Are you feeling lucky? Do you want to play it safe? Do you know how to play card games? If you don’t know how to play card games you can hit up the slot machines. Keep in mind that usually you lose your money on slots. Slots are there for one reason, to take your money. I know people have won it big playing slots but it is like winning the lottery. It doesn’t happen often. However, slots are fun, you can play them by yourself and you don’t have to have a bunch of knowledge on how to play. Stick in your quarter, push button. It’s pretty simple. You can also play poker or any other game which has a dealer. These games are a little easier to win but keep in mind you won’t be winning 94,000,000 dollars by playing with a dealer. You might walk away with a few grand though, depends on your knowledge of the game. In my opinion, the best game to play is Craps. Craps is one of the only games you can play when the dealer has NO INTERACTION in the game. Only thing the dealer does is give you the dice and give you the money (and takes the money if you lose). That is it. There are several different ways to play craps and it can get confusing for newbies but there are easy ways to play craps also. Ever hear those guys standing around that table yelling at the top of their lungs because they just won? They are playing craps. Do a little research and you will be playing in no time.

WHAT TO DO BESIDES GAMBLE

Vegas is full of things to do and a lot of them are free. Flamingo casino has a wildlife habitat and MGM Grand has a lion habitat. Both are very cool and free. The Silverton hotel has a free aquarium to check out. Fountains of the Bellagio is a water and music show that plays all throughout the night. Ever see Pawn Stars on History channel? Well don’t miss the opportunity to check out the pawn shop first hand. It’s only a 20 minute drive from the strip. Caesar’s Palace has a great show that they put on for Free. There are many more free things to do in this city. That’s why I said before, you don’t have to have a lot of money to have a good time here!

BEWARE!!!!

Walking down the strip is generally safe because there are thousands of other people walking with you. Don’t get off the beaten path and try to explore a dark road. Hold on to children’s hands or strap them to you better yet. Also, be prepared for hundreds of locals standing on the strip trying to hand you a card. These cards will have a photo of a woman on it and a number to call. This is to try to get you to “dial a prostitute”. These locals don’t care who they hand the card to, men, women, & children. Just ignore them and keep walking.

SUMMARY

Don’t need a car

Get a great hotel at a cheap price

Take advantage of all the free things to do

Research what games you want to play before you get to Vegas

Have fun saving money on your trip!