Strip Gal Spending Two Nights at El Co -- Your Must Dos?!

I'm a Las Vegas strip gal (with locals casinos that are close to the strip mixed in). I know LV CET VP sucks but I've been fortunate with getting more than my fair share of W2Gs from CET properties lately -- I'm hoping that streak continues! -- so I'll be mostly on the strip, again, this next trip. During my most recent trip, however, I played heavily at El Cortez for a couple of hours and now have a decent offer for 3 comped nights, 75 in FSP, 75 FSP in food and 5x points for one day. I double booked that offer with a CET stay but now I will indeed be sleeping in an El Co Cabana Suite for two nights as a FABULOUS FSP CET offer recently came through my EMAIL (and never showed up in my offers -- so check your email!). To take advantage of that offer I've got to check into Bally's for one night and be out two nights before checking back in for another CET offer, so now El Cortez will be my home for those two nights.

I stayed there once many many moons ago. The room (pre Cabana Suites) wasn't my cup of tea but it was fine and I was glad to have had the experience of staying at the famous El Co. I've dined at the Flame -- the owner walked by as I was eating, which was pretty cool -- and at the coffee shop and have enjoyed both.

I like the VP and the looser slots and will play a bit of both though I intend to play Blackjack as well as I tried it during my last trip, played for while (a first for me) and did quite well at Palace and at Orleans, leaving $1000+ ahead each place. (I know it was probably also beginner's luck.) I have never played single deck BJ and El Co has it and so I want to try it and will enter into the Saturday noon and pm drawings. Will also likely play enough to do the daily slot tournament. Someone posted that they new bar/lounge there is nice so I may try that as well. I'll definitely do an intense downtown coupon run one of the days, seeking to use all of the downtown MRB, ACG and other gaming coupons that might be available.

Though it wasn't initially my plan and I'll be moving around quite a bit this trip, the promos I'm getting make the moving worth it and I'm looking forward to the El Cortez/downtown experience as it's been years since I've stayed DT. Looking forward to also checking out the mob museum and seeing the new D casino/hotel.

Any other things I should give a try while at the El Cortez or downtown in general? I'll be there in less than a couple of weeks and for two solid days. I plan to come back the following Saturday at the end of my stay (I'll be in Vegas 8 full days) to do some more playing and enter the Saturday tourneys again.

Hi FFlowers,

I like El Cortez's Single-Deck game a lot and I want to make sure that you know that you should NEVER make the side bet that is offered which is called "Royal Match"! At least according to the Wizard Of Odds, that side bet gives the casino an additional about 3.77% advantage above and beyond the casino advantage on that game which is about 0.18%. I avoid that bet like the plague although I have seen many a player there make that bet.

That house advantage for the Single-Deck game is pretty low (what 0.18% means is that on average, for every $100 that you play through on the table [hand after hand], the casino will get on average 18 Cents)!

Now as for the Daily Slot Tournament, I also want to make sure that you are aware that you can only play it the next day after earning 500 points (this can not include playing on a point multiplier unless maybe you were to earn more than 500 points on that day anyway) the day before!

And speaking of that point multiplier, you do have to go to the Slot Club booth before it is activated. As far as I know, it runs from 12 Midnight to 11:59 PM and so if you want, you could go to the Slot Club right before it closes and tell them that you want it activated effective as of 12 Midnight!

And yes, the new bar and lounge there does appear to be nice (although I didn't go there since I don't drink anyway).

With the Freeplay offer(s) -- including coupons from the LVA MRB and/or the ACG, if you can't use them on any of the decent enough Video Poker there, what you could do is play it on Video Blackjack at as low a level as possible. Now although Player Blackjacks on it only pay Even-Money (1 To 1 -- although the machine may very sneakily say that Player Blackjacks pay "2 For 1" -- which is actually 1 To 1), it is a low Variance (Volatility) game and so you should be able to retain as much of your Freeplay as possible while facing about a bit over a 2% disadvantage.

And speaking of the LVA MRB and ACG coupons, I guess that you'll have to see if they have any restrictions on using more than one in one day!

Now also keep in mind with this Freeplay that the very second that all of the Freeplay is played through, you do not have to spend a Cent more on it and you can cash out!

Well have a safe, fun and profitable trip!

RecVPPlayer

Thanks RecVPPlayer for all of the tips! I forgot about the rule with the slot tourney that when you earn the 500 points you play the NEXT day though I am now Sapphire and an old brochure laying out the various benefits says the Sapphire players get a free tourney entry a week so I'm hoping I can use that the first day and then I'm covered after that for a couple of days as I'll definitely do $500 coin in each of the days I'm there.

You're very welcome, FFlowers, and that Sapphire player perk that you have should then work for you for your first day there!

Have a great time! I visited LV at the end of February and I don't plan on visiting again until at the very least early June!

RecVPPlayer

You can also use your free Sapphire entry to play twice on one day, if you'd rather double up on one day. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, I suppose.

I really like the new Parlour lounge. It's more upscale than the casino bar that was there and is a much more genteel (I'm trying to be diplomatic) place to play video poker (they still had the 8/5 bonus poker at the bartop in the fall).

In the fall, they had a "vintage" menu at the Flame on Tuesday - Thursday, with some items not on the normal menu, such as Oysters Rockefeller and Chicken Kiev. I had the Chicken Kiev, which was really good. I don't see any mention of it on their Web site now, though.

Enjoy - I really like the ElCo and will be staying there at the end of next month.

Mckenztf,

The Parlour Lounge sounds great. I believe that's the place that has the half-priced martinis during a happy hour? In any event, sounds wonderful and I didn't realize it had VP there as well. Sounds like a match made in heaven. I may not be at El Co during the week but I appreciate the note about the "vintage" menu. Sounds like I should head back downtown just for that. Also good to know that being Sapphire enables me at least one of those days to place twice. I might just do that if my first score is bad.

I feel like it's kind of like a Vegas divine intervention that I have to check out of a CET property because I'm getting more excited as each day passes about staying at the El Co. (It also underscore how the "can't combine offers" policy sometimes makes no sense as I'll be spending $$ at El Co that otherwise would have been at a CET property.) Green is my favorite color and so while the El Cabana Suites may be a bit over the top, I love the green, black and white decor. Those are the three colors I wear when I go to Vegas!

Woo hoo!

Mob Museum is worth checking out.
The LVA coupon has 2 prime rib dinners at Four Queens for $9.95. And large glasses of wine are onlt $4.00 - Very good value - abd don't forget to pick up the coupon sheet - it's a good one.
MSS is worth checking out for the great antiques.
Gordie Brown show at Golden Nugget is definitely recommended - don't use LVA coupon - it is only for overpriced and totally uneccessary VIP seats - for the same price you can get a show and dinner deal.
Restaurants.com has deals for Flame Steakhouse
Go to Fremont Street Experience.com and download the coupon sheet - it will save you more than $50.00 - and it is free.

Hope this helps

Thanks Tonyrob! I forgot about the freemontstreetexperience coupon sheet in particular. I am PUMPED for a great coupon run!!!!!

I looked on the website and did not see the coupon sheet. Do you have a link? I think I might just be blind.

Search -
Fremont Experience Coupon Sheet

Here it is -
https://www.vegasexperience.com/coupons/

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Password is Real Vegas