Just completed my annual 7 day trip to Las Vegas. I travelled solo as the wife was visiting family in South America. No great stories so I will hopefully provide useful information for "low rollers" in a topical format. I am sure most of the information has been repeated but I know that it is always good to be updated with the latest and greatest.
Transportation: Flew out of Baltimore (BWI) via Southwest. I had direct flights coming and going and the total cost was around $300. The flights were full as usual but uneventful and pretty much on time. Unfortunately my renting a car from Fox was somewhat eventful. I never used Fox before but got a great weekly deal on a standard car (about $70 base rate and a total rate of $126). Alamo and Dollar, who I usually use, had total rates close to $300 for the week. Fox does not have a location at the rental car center so you have to take another bus from the rental car center to Fox. By the time I got to Fox it was 12:30AM Vegas time (3:30AM East Coast time), so I wanted to quickly get my car and move on. Unfortunately, there were about a dozen people in line and only 2 counter employees. It was taking forever to process people and their computers appeared to be ridiculously slow. I think some people could settle on a house quicker than rent a car at Fox. It took over an hour to finally be processed and there was all kinds of moaning and groaning in the line. I will say that the cars had fairly low mileage compared to some of the other rental agencies which I use. I got a Kia Optima with about 10K miles which suited my purposes.
Hotel: Orleans/Westgate/El Cortez Cabana Suites.
Since I am only an occasional low level player I no longer receive any room offers. However, I got some really good deals. I booked 3 nights at the Orleans for $35/night and a $10/day food credit. I have stayed at the Orleans in the past and it is a decent hotel with spacious basic rooms and which has good VP, a good sized poker room with 4/8 limit which is the only poker I play and double deck $5 min blackjack during the day.
For the weekend I was lucky to get a great deal on Hotwire for the Westgate (previously the Hilton) at $21/night. After all the taxes, charges and resort fees the final price came to $55/night which is a great deal for a weekend room in Vegas near the strip. I read a lot of bad reviews on trip advisor about the Westgate so my expectations were low. However, afternoon check-in on a Friday was not bad, the room was very nice (somewhat updated with a huge flat screen TV and a very comfortable bed) and the pool area was also nice. The rest of the facility was dated but I didn't really care because I only needed a nice room. Much of this property is dedicated to timeshares, however as a solo male I am of no interest to the timeshare sharks. If you can get a really good deal at this property go for it.
My final stop was at the El Cortez Cabana Suites. I got another really good deal, a super suite for $32/night. I never stayed a the Cabana Suites before and I enjoyed the Super Suite. It was a good size (but not huge) and everything was very modern. The Cabana Suites are across from the El Cortez on 7th street and there is a 24 hour security guard outside and key access is required to enter the small lobby of the building. The Super Suite is definitely a good option for downtown.
To get away from the chaos on Sunday I headed up to Summerlin to the J.W. Marriott and Rampart casino. I was surprised that this property is only about 10-15 minutes from the north strip via 95 and the Summerlin Parkway. The Rampart was a decent casino with good VP, $5 double deck blackjack which paid 3/2. The JW Marriott looks to be a beautiful resort with amazing grounds. I will definitely consider staying at the JW if I can get a good deal below $100/night. It is an amazing peaceful property and you can still get to the strip in 15 minutes and downtown in about 10 minutes.
Restaurants: Since I was by myself it was mostly buffets which I had discount coupons or promotions. For the most part the buffets were mediocre. I ate at the buffets at the Orleans, Gold Coast, Rampart and Planet Hollywood which was by far the best of the bunch. Used some poker comps to get a good meal at the Grand Lux at the Venetian, also tried Lobster Me at the Venetian canal shops which featured $17 lobster rolls which were really good.
Entertainment: I am not usually a big show person, but since I recently started playing the My Vegas games I was able to get tickets for 3 shows, Cirque Du Soleil's Zarkana and Love and also the Australian Bee Gees. For free I will be entertained. The free seats for all 3 shows were surprisingly good. It was also not that much of a hassle to go to an MLIFE box office and redeem the tickets. The 2 Cirque shows were okay but I would never would even consider paying full price for them. I always seem to start spacing out at the Cirque shows and eventually start looking at my watch. The Bee Gees were enjoyable since I grew up with their music in the late 70's. The Excalibur theatre which hosted this show was tiny so don't waste your money on premium tickets. I also saw the Michael Jackson show MJ live at the Stratosphere. If you like Michael Jackson music you will like this show even though it only goes 60 minutes. I was able to get VIP tickets up front for about $50 with Tickets tonite. However, this theatre is pretty small so I definitely would not pay full price just to sit a little closer.
Gambling: I played a lot of 4/8 limit poker at the Orleans, Venetian and Bellagio. All 3 games had half kills. However, these casinos usually only had one or two games going so there was sometimes a long wait to get in.
The worst players are usually at the Venetian. Most of the tables were for no limit which I gave up on a long time ago. For VP, I played lots of 8/5 Bonus Poker which is my favorite game since the strategy is not that complicated, there are chances for big payoffs for 4OK and it is not that volatile since 2 pairs pays 2/coin in. Had a few 4Ok's along with a $.50 four aces at the El Cortez which was badly needed. Also cashed in on lots of free play coupons.
Played lots of matchplays and free plays from the LVA and ACG books. Had horrendous luck with the $25mps offered downtown. Lost a quick $25 at the Golden Gate as I was dealt a stiff and the dealer did not bust out her 13. Next stop was playing a $25 match play at the "D" where I was dealt a 10 against the dealers 3. I added another $25 of my own money for the double down. I now had $50 riding on the mp. I was dealt a 6 on my double down (for a total of 16). The dealer had another 13 and hit a 4 for 17. Great. My final $25 matchplay was at the Grand. I didn't have much money in my wallet because I just got crushed at blackjack and vp at the Mainstreet Station. Anyway, I get dealt a pair of 7's against the dealers 5. I pull out my last $25 to split the pair. I get dealt a 4 on the first 7 for a total of 11. Couldn't double on their double deck game but just as well as I only get a 4 for a total of 15. On my second seven I get another seven which I can't split because I don't have any more money. The dealer shows 15 and then hits a 6 for 21. Wonderful!
I will note that the El Cortez has great blackjack. They have a bunch of single deck $5minimum tables which pay 3/2 for blackjacks. They also have $5 double deck games which allow doubling after splits. However, I don't remember the ELCO ever having so many single deck games. I used to be a pretty serious card counter back in the 90's however at the El Cortez I only spread my bets from $5 to about $35. I got on a roll and won about $400 over several hours and they started taking counter measures against me. After the pit came over and stared me down they ordered the dealers to shuffle after one or two rounds. That was basically my invitation to leave so I didn't push it any further. I also noticed them looking at some pictures which came out of their printer while they stared at me. They still do not tolerate counters at any bet level. However, right after I left the blackjack pits I hit 4 aces on their 8/5 BP game at the bar so justice was served.
The biggest joke was at Caesars which I visited Saturday night. There was a $100 minimum blackjack game which paid 6/5 for blackjack and idiots were betting $100 chips. Amazing. All the tables appeared to be 6/5 and they were packed.
For the trip itself my gambling wound up about dead even which is good considering no royal flushes at VP, losing $125 on 3 match plays and not being able to hit my flushes at live poker (which is a must in a low limit game). Weather was also great for August topping out at about 100 each day which is more bearable than East Coast summer weather in August. The big strip hotels were pretty quiet all week. As usual an exhausting trip which will take 2 days of recovery time.
Transportation: Flew out of Baltimore (BWI) via Southwest. I had direct flights coming and going and the total cost was around $300. The flights were full as usual but uneventful and pretty much on time. Unfortunately my renting a car from Fox was somewhat eventful. I never used Fox before but got a great weekly deal on a standard car (about $70 base rate and a total rate of $126). Alamo and Dollar, who I usually use, had total rates close to $300 for the week. Fox does not have a location at the rental car center so you have to take another bus from the rental car center to Fox. By the time I got to Fox it was 12:30AM Vegas time (3:30AM East Coast time), so I wanted to quickly get my car and move on. Unfortunately, there were about a dozen people in line and only 2 counter employees. It was taking forever to process people and their computers appeared to be ridiculously slow. I think some people could settle on a house quicker than rent a car at Fox. It took over an hour to finally be processed and there was all kinds of moaning and groaning in the line. I will say that the cars had fairly low mileage compared to some of the other rental agencies which I use. I got a Kia Optima with about 10K miles which suited my purposes.
Hotel: Orleans/Westgate/El Cortez Cabana Suites.
Since I am only an occasional low level player I no longer receive any room offers. However, I got some really good deals. I booked 3 nights at the Orleans for $35/night and a $10/day food credit. I have stayed at the Orleans in the past and it is a decent hotel with spacious basic rooms and which has good VP, a good sized poker room with 4/8 limit which is the only poker I play and double deck $5 min blackjack during the day.
For the weekend I was lucky to get a great deal on Hotwire for the Westgate (previously the Hilton) at $21/night. After all the taxes, charges and resort fees the final price came to $55/night which is a great deal for a weekend room in Vegas near the strip. I read a lot of bad reviews on trip advisor about the Westgate so my expectations were low. However, afternoon check-in on a Friday was not bad, the room was very nice (somewhat updated with a huge flat screen TV and a very comfortable bed) and the pool area was also nice. The rest of the facility was dated but I didn't really care because I only needed a nice room. Much of this property is dedicated to timeshares, however as a solo male I am of no interest to the timeshare sharks. If you can get a really good deal at this property go for it.
My final stop was at the El Cortez Cabana Suites. I got another really good deal, a super suite for $32/night. I never stayed a the Cabana Suites before and I enjoyed the Super Suite. It was a good size (but not huge) and everything was very modern. The Cabana Suites are across from the El Cortez on 7th street and there is a 24 hour security guard outside and key access is required to enter the small lobby of the building. The Super Suite is definitely a good option for downtown.
To get away from the chaos on Sunday I headed up to Summerlin to the J.W. Marriott and Rampart casino. I was surprised that this property is only about 10-15 minutes from the north strip via 95 and the Summerlin Parkway. The Rampart was a decent casino with good VP, $5 double deck blackjack which paid 3/2. The JW Marriott looks to be a beautiful resort with amazing grounds. I will definitely consider staying at the JW if I can get a good deal below $100/night. It is an amazing peaceful property and you can still get to the strip in 15 minutes and downtown in about 10 minutes.
Restaurants: Since I was by myself it was mostly buffets which I had discount coupons or promotions. For the most part the buffets were mediocre. I ate at the buffets at the Orleans, Gold Coast, Rampart and Planet Hollywood which was by far the best of the bunch. Used some poker comps to get a good meal at the Grand Lux at the Venetian, also tried Lobster Me at the Venetian canal shops which featured $17 lobster rolls which were really good.
Entertainment: I am not usually a big show person, but since I recently started playing the My Vegas games I was able to get tickets for 3 shows, Cirque Du Soleil's Zarkana and Love and also the Australian Bee Gees. For free I will be entertained. The free seats for all 3 shows were surprisingly good. It was also not that much of a hassle to go to an MLIFE box office and redeem the tickets. The 2 Cirque shows were okay but I would never would even consider paying full price for them. I always seem to start spacing out at the Cirque shows and eventually start looking at my watch. The Bee Gees were enjoyable since I grew up with their music in the late 70's. The Excalibur theatre which hosted this show was tiny so don't waste your money on premium tickets. I also saw the Michael Jackson show MJ live at the Stratosphere. If you like Michael Jackson music you will like this show even though it only goes 60 minutes. I was able to get VIP tickets up front for about $50 with Tickets tonite. However, this theatre is pretty small so I definitely would not pay full price just to sit a little closer.
Gambling: I played a lot of 4/8 limit poker at the Orleans, Venetian and Bellagio. All 3 games had half kills. However, these casinos usually only had one or two games going so there was sometimes a long wait to get in.
The worst players are usually at the Venetian. Most of the tables were for no limit which I gave up on a long time ago. For VP, I played lots of 8/5 Bonus Poker which is my favorite game since the strategy is not that complicated, there are chances for big payoffs for 4OK and it is not that volatile since 2 pairs pays 2/coin in. Had a few 4Ok's along with a $.50 four aces at the El Cortez which was badly needed. Also cashed in on lots of free play coupons.
Played lots of matchplays and free plays from the LVA and ACG books. Had horrendous luck with the $25mps offered downtown. Lost a quick $25 at the Golden Gate as I was dealt a stiff and the dealer did not bust out her 13. Next stop was playing a $25 match play at the "D" where I was dealt a 10 against the dealers 3. I added another $25 of my own money for the double down. I now had $50 riding on the mp. I was dealt a 6 on my double down (for a total of 16). The dealer had another 13 and hit a 4 for 17. Great. My final $25 matchplay was at the Grand. I didn't have much money in my wallet because I just got crushed at blackjack and vp at the Mainstreet Station. Anyway, I get dealt a pair of 7's against the dealers 5. I pull out my last $25 to split the pair. I get dealt a 4 on the first 7 for a total of 11. Couldn't double on their double deck game but just as well as I only get a 4 for a total of 15. On my second seven I get another seven which I can't split because I don't have any more money. The dealer shows 15 and then hits a 6 for 21. Wonderful!
I will note that the El Cortez has great blackjack. They have a bunch of single deck $5minimum tables which pay 3/2 for blackjacks. They also have $5 double deck games which allow doubling after splits. However, I don't remember the ELCO ever having so many single deck games. I used to be a pretty serious card counter back in the 90's however at the El Cortez I only spread my bets from $5 to about $35. I got on a roll and won about $400 over several hours and they started taking counter measures against me. After the pit came over and stared me down they ordered the dealers to shuffle after one or two rounds. That was basically my invitation to leave so I didn't push it any further. I also noticed them looking at some pictures which came out of their printer while they stared at me. They still do not tolerate counters at any bet level. However, right after I left the blackjack pits I hit 4 aces on their 8/5 BP game at the bar so justice was served.
The biggest joke was at Caesars which I visited Saturday night. There was a $100 minimum blackjack game which paid 6/5 for blackjack and idiots were betting $100 chips. Amazing. All the tables appeared to be 6/5 and they were packed.
For the trip itself my gambling wound up about dead even which is good considering no royal flushes at VP, losing $125 on 3 match plays and not being able to hit my flushes at live poker (which is a must in a low limit game). Weather was also great for August topping out at about 100 each day which is more bearable than East Coast summer weather in August. The big strip hotels were pretty quiet all week. As usual an exhausting trip which will take 2 days of recovery time.
