/trv/ — Proper /Vegas/ thread

>where to stay
Downtown and off strip. I don't go to the strip unless going to a hockey game or UFC or a rare meal. My preferred spots are Golden Nugget, Downtown Grand, GVR, Durango. I'll do Golden Gate/The D but only if it's a last minute trip and I want a cheap room lol.
>where to avoid
Centre strip is overrated AF. Last time at Aria was disappointing. Bellagio too, it's just not that good for the money. Lots of off strip Vegas has come down in price the back half of 2025. Centre strip is still extortionate pricing...not trying to spend $275 for a mid room and $50 for a beer and a burger.
>times of year to visit and times to stay away
Avoid F1. Avoid the super bowl. Avoid march madness. Avoid the biggest trade shows like CES and SEMA. Def consider going midweek. Sunday-Tuesday is a great time to go. Cheap and still lively enough to have fun.
>gambling suggestions
Find a property you like and get their players card. I'm a mid level gambler. Usually take $2000 to gamble and play 3-4 hours daily. Table games, poker, sports betting, and some slots. I get good comps for my play. Circa/The D/Golden Gate have a terrific rewards program, def check that out if you like Fremont. I'm not a high roller and still get A-tier comps at those properties. Something like $350 free play every month, $150 free food, and free rooms nearly always.

Gambling games to play - avoid penny slots. If you wanna play slots, play dimes or quarter denom. You'll get better odds. Better yet, just avoid slots. Sports betting is great cuz it takes up time and has a low house edge. Don't do parlays. Do single bets. Only play 3:2 blackjack. 6:5 is criminal. Don't play crapless craps, play regular craps. Only play single zero roulette, don't even think about playing triple zero. All the other table games have a large house edge (3 card poker, ultimate hold em, let it ride, pai gow poker, 4 card poker, etc) and should be avoided.

1/2

>>2850155 (OP)
>>2850162
>>non-gambling entertainment like concerts, shows, museums
Fremont street live music is one of my fav parts of visiting. If you get smoked gambling, grab a beer go listen to free music. 3 stages usually playing 8pm-2am. The bands are 90% cover bands and they're actually good. S tier people watching too, always drunk women dancing.
I'm not a museum guy. Mob museum was cool and I liked the container park downtown. I don't go to shows, they're expensive and IMO boring. I've heard Absinthe is amazing, never been tho.
>>food
There are too many options to list here. Vegas has amazing restaurants everywhere. When I stay downtown I like Oscar's steakhouse at Plaza, Hash House a Go Go breakfast at Plaza, Le Thai east Fremont, Pizza Rock just off Fremont, and Andiamo steakhouse at the D. Forget the name but the 24/7 deli at Circa is real good too. Great spot to grab a sandwich after leaving the tables at 2am. Also the food truck BBQ spot between Circa & Golden Gate.
>>comps and strategies to maximize value
Get a players card. Even if you're not a big gambler. Your play adds up faster than you might think. Keep an eye out for point multipliers, especially during slow times. Lots of casinos do 2x, 3x, or even 10x points in summer or around the holidays to encourage gambling. Betting $1 per hand on video poker won't break the bank yet will earn you thousands of player points if it's a 10x promotion.
One other thing you can do is the $20 trick when checking in. Works best at B tier properties during slower times. Wedge a $20 between your license and credit card when you check in, and ask if there are upgrades available. It works about 80%. Didn't work at Bellagio, the girl apologised and handed my $20 back because they were booked full. I tipped her anyway lol...when in Rome.
>>hidden gems
Durango is worth the cost of an Uber to check out. Nice newer property. Awesome sportsbook, good gambling environment, and the best food court in a Vegas casino IMO.

NYE suggestions?
not into loud night clubs

>>2850162
>Downtown and off strip.
Ah yes I too like being in what is essentially Phoenix-lite but with more cost associated and agro'd crackheads and tweakers.

>>2850167
Sounds like you've never been to Henderson, Spring Valley, or Fremont. Fremont has some crackheads for sure but there's a thousand cops and it's very safe.

>>2850168
Yeah I have, before/after covid it's fairly eye opening. They have both gone down in quality while going up in prices and some places just completely never coming back.

Also, why the FUCK would you stay in SV or Henderson? You are losing any cost savings via uber or dare you use the bus to move around the city outside the strip routes lmao. What a good use of funds. You would objectively be better going to PHX if you're not going to focus on gambling. Yay you can shoot guns, AZ has that, oh what the tank thing? Alright pretty sure Phoenix has one now for Gila resorts. I guess helicopter rides and uhh the emote ball are cool?

> Vegas has amazing restaurants everywhere.
I'm not sure if you've actually been as recent as I have post covid, quality has dropped like a rock while prices don't reflect it. Not to mention staying in Spring Valley or Henderson then recommending everything to eat at Fermont street? Yeah real good logic there my guy.

Your posts sound like a 22 year old who went to vegas during some cheap covid deal and had a blast when it wasn't completely fucked by slobs at the time.

>>2850171
>why stay in SV or Henderson
That's where Durango and GVR are
>restaurant quality has dropped like a rock
Lol classic /trv/. Non-verifiable angry opinion based on nothing

You seem upset. Calm down anon it's just a message board about going on holiday.

>>2850173
>you must be upset
No I'm actively questioning your judgement because some of the places you recommended are quite the travel for someone without a car. So, you'd be better suited to stay on the strip then take a bus or uber for those one-off spots. Really GVR adn Durango aren't that great in terms of visitation outside winter or the short spring season; which even then is questionable.
>Non-verifiable angry opinion based on nothing
You can literally look up hundreds of youtube videos, blogs, new articles, etc as to people coming to the fact vegas has fallen off. Sure, there are some neat unique places to go eat and some high class places with unique servings but those too have almost outpriced themselves on being debatably worth it. I only consider some of the things worth it as work paid for trips for conventions there were footing the main bill and only then I went yeah okay I could see going with a gf/fiancée/wife to here.

Real advice for Vegas is go stay at the Luxor or NYNY
Grab some 'cheap' booze across the street at Liquor Outlet
Fill up your waterbottle/to-go cup/etc with some booze after pregaming vs. buying anywhere
Hit the street with some prebooked places done ahead of time if possible
Gamble if you want
Fly back out a week later

Realize you spend about ~1000 for a mediocre time

>>2850174
You sound like someone I would not get along with IRL lmao. To each their own I guess. That's the beauty of Vegas, a million things to do and lots of ways to enjoy the town.

>>2850165
Also in town for NYE. I'm assuming every bar and rooftop will need hella expensive prepurchased tix. Saw downtown is $60 to enter for the concerts.

>>2850174
You are stupid recommending the strip. You are poor if you can’t rent a car. You are gonna be living in the Rio tunnels by 2030

>>2850162
Name one place in Vegas that has 3:2 blackjack in 2025.

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>>2850155 (OP)
Not Vegas but figured this would be the best place to ask.
Anyone been to Atlantic City for casinos? With Vegas the way it is these days I'm wondering if they might have some better deals and comps over on the east coast.

>>2850363
Almost every casino has 3:2 if you’re playing $50 min. El Cortez and most the Fremont casinos have 3:2 $15 usually. Every off strip casino has 3:2.

>>2850365
Idk never been to AC either but it seems AC is hit harder by bad economic conditions than Vegas. There’s prob good value on comps these days

>>2850363
https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/off-strip-casino-changes-blackjack-payout-to-favor-gamblers-3308082/

At least try anon

i like craps. where has the best craps? three hundred buy in so no fifty minimums

>>2850284
>You are poor if you can’t rent a car.
yeah man an extra 55+tax a day+gas+25 for a parking pass/day if lucky, SO KINO. Especially if you're going to drink. Bro it's vegas don't be stupid.

>>2850155 (OP)
My advice as a seasoned vegasgoing oldfag:
>fremont >>> strip unless you’re a nightclubfag, a big poker player, or you’re taking a girl. Women don’t like downtown much. At least not hot younger women.
>buy some cheap booze at a walgreens or a grocery store and use it to pregame. Easy way to save yourself a couple hundo in alcohol
>if you like to drink and like to gamble, do one or the other. Gambling while shitfaced drunk will fuck up your trip. The caveat being playing slots or video poker at a bar to get free drinks.
>high end Vegas restaurants are over priced and over rated, esp on the strip. there’s a ton of cheap eats that are good eating
>48 hours is the perfect trip length. You do not need to stay for three full days. Time moves slowly in Vegas cuz you’re always doing something and hardly sleep
>do NOT go with a large group. Vegas has too many options to make decisions with ten people. Vegas solo >>> Vegas in a big group
>go to bed by 1. Nothing good happens after 1.
>vegas strip clubs suck. They’ll have gorgeous dancers who expect at least a couple hundo per dance with a strapped security guard watching you like a hawk and kicking you out if you do anything but sit motionless
>don’t gamble more than a few minutes for small amounts. The time to gamble in Vegas passed when mafia casinos ended.

For me it’s huff and puff grand. Ultra palace bonus is guaranteed like 200x your bet

>>2850445
Nah man. Free parking at red rock casino. Also all the good food in Chinatown. The strip is for suckers, a car is absolutely necessary if you’re not just going to gamble. The nature outside Vegas is incredible. Everything costs normal prices as soon as you’re away from the strip. All the strip properties suck compared to red rock and south point it’s actually silly. The only thing worth going to near the strip is the horse game at the D. Better odds better food better Vegas it’s simple really.

>>2850793
I agree avoiding the strip is the way to go, but better food off strip is debatable. There's some incredible restaurants on the strip.

>>2850165
>>2850182
Any official NYE event will cost $100+ and might have a dress code. Lots of them have open bar tho so it's decent value.

I'll be on Fremont watching fireworks over by Plaza

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what's your favorite pizza in vegas?

Holy shit, the strip was too expensive to go out clubbing tonight.

>>2850794
I agree there are great restaurants on the strip but every time I’m in town I hit up herb and rye, kabuto and yanni’s which are all off strip

>>2850841
Clubs are for 21 year old retards with $800 to blow. Buying sluts drinks ending in a 90% chance of getting herpes

>>2851047
Buying drinks for a girl is a noob move

Never been to Vegas before. How do I compmaxx? I want to gamble because I like the casino aesthetics; I know the house wins but I'd like to bleed as slowly as I can while maxxing comps. I'm talking nice rooms, freeplays, room service. Don't care about fancy restaurants or shows. Looking for something sleazecore, like fear and loathing style, plenty of neon lights and seedy saloons. Just not gimmicky. I'm a single, alcoholic, gay nerd so I know how to drunkmaxx and grindrmaxx. That's no problem. Just want to mitigate the bamboozlement while maxxing rewards.

>>2851144
If you want to maximize comps, play slots. Casinos love slot players. You’ll earn more comps playing $2/spin than you would playing $25 min blackjack or craps.

Players clubs will have point values posted in the fine print. Usually slots are 1 point per $3-$5 wagered. Video poker and table games will earn at a significantly slower rate because the house edge is better on slots.

tldr - if you want comps, park your ass at a slot machine for 3 hours.

>>2851151
maybe i will try slots next trip.
i play low limit poker and table games. my comps are always shit. cant get a free weekend room even with five or six trips a year and a hundred hours of poker and blackjack

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not big into asian food…le thai is the shit tho

Downtown is SHIT. Filthy, crowded, reeks of weed, poor people and hobos all over. Don’t listen to any retard telling you freemont street is better than the strip. It is not fucking close. If anyone prefers freemont they are poor.

>>2851261
Poker and bj comps are way less than slot comps dollar for dollar. If you like poker grind out video poker it’s a lot better return for comps and sometimes even have positive ev with perfect play

>>2851573
VP comps are usually 1/2 slot comps but with good strategy you can make a hundred bucks last a long time playing $1-$2 hands

>>2850805
Is Secret Pizza inside the Cosmopolitan still around? I don't even remember if it was any good. I just remember popping out of a service hallway between two high end restaurants and drunkenly eating my pizza in front of people waiting for tables.

>>2851647
Pretty sure it is, but I haven’t been to cosmo in years. Secret pizza was good last time I had it.

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Politics and memes aside, thoughts on Trump hotel? Decent for a basic to slightly above basic room?

>>2851878
Never stayed there but I’ve heard the rooms are very nice. There’s no casino

>>2851878
Very nice large rooms and bathrooms. Pool deck. Good views. Valet staff always helpful to arrange a ride, even free limo (tips). The biggest bonus is zero cigarette smoke and no casino. Drinks good, minimal food on menus, if you dine there. Good location only behind the mall.

played blackjack at a few downtown casinos last night. the d had a dealer who was a fuckin 10/10 holy shit i wasn’t even mad i lost two grand

Second for Pizza Rock. Hot honey California style is fire

>>2853223
god I hate hot honey and they're putting it on everything. At least it's better than them pouring plain Siracha sauces over everything I suppose.

>>2853272
>is that…FLAVOR?? NOOOOOOOO
Albino detected

>>2853287
Yes, having the same trendy flavour on everything is clearly the mark of a worldly palette. Enjoy your Dubai chocolate milkshake

>>2853307
Never even heard of Dubai chocolate. All I know is spicy honey is fucking delicious on pizza

>>2850365
Atlantic City is Vegas for old people

>>2853357
Vegas is Vegas for old people

>>2851878
On the 3rd party booking sites like Hotwire and Priceline you can often find great deals on Trump hotel. It’s always under the hidden deals where they don’t reveal the hotel name. Just look for a 5 star hotel with no casino and there’s a 95% chance it’s the Trump

heard a few anons say you can sit at any casino bar and play the machine at the bar and get free drinks.
how true is this? do you have to bet max?
i don't want to bet $5 per hand of video poker to get a "free" beer

>>2853791
Never been, so can't help, but the "$5 spin" isn't quite accurate framing.

afaik the worst case RTP (return to player) on video poker is 95%, meaning a 5% house edge, meaning each spin would effectively cost you 25¢.

Better machines with a 99% RTP will see you spend 5¢ a spin. At 100 spins an hour, you'll be paying $5/hr, which I guess is cheaper than a drink in vegas (assuming service).

You'd have to find decent machines for it to be +ev.

Lol, just stumbled on a reddit thread where apparently there (used to?) is a community of '''''professional'''' video poker players who grind 1000s of hands an hour at +EV play to try and grind casino bonuses.

https://redlib.catsarch.com/r/gambling/comments/a5nvtz/how_many_hands_of_video_poker_can_you_reasonably/

>>2853791
Most places have $0.25 denomination at the bar. You can bet max at $1.25 and with solid strategy (aka don't make any stupid holds) you'll be able to get a couple drinks with minimal loss most the time. Lots of places don't care how much you're betting, other places have a monitoring system with a red/yellow/green light on the back of the machine that tells the bartender if you're risking enough to drink free.

I play a lot of VP on Fremont. I've never had a bartender question my play or ask me to bet more. They're very generous with drinks downtown. I've had a few times I got my ass kicked for $40 in the time I got 2-3 drinks. Also had had a few times I made quads multiple times in ~100 hands and drank free plus won $60 or more.

IMO it's worth it to play a bit to get free drinks unless you don't enjoy VP or the bar is demanding bigger bets

>>2850805
Pizza Rock and the place that’s in the Linq promenade that sells by the slice

>>2850163
>I've heard Absinthe is amazing, never been tho.
I went years ago, was a good mix of humor and acrobatics, fun show.
>>2851878
I've only stayed at the Trump in Vegas once but it was nice, tasty breakfast too and being behind the mall was pretty convenient

>>2850155 (OP)
>despite all the /trv/ negativity about Sin City
No shit its literally everything /trv/ hates
>overcommercialized
>overpriced
>overcrowded (although it was far worse pre-2020, but thats simply due to price gouging keeping people away)
>armed police with rifles EVERYWHERE
>sunbaked crackheads EVERYWHERE
>scammers and prozzie card pushers EVERYWHERE
and worst of all
>shit food
There's literally nothing redeemable about Vegas unless you're a young fit whore trying to scam richfag or a simp like >>2852300

>>2854116
>shit food
Holy fucking filtered. Embarrassing post

Have 3 nights at bellagio and Mandalay Bay next month with partner, what shows can we get to nearby? I'm looking at the MGM listings and so many are boomer-oriented... It need not be EDC, but something younger would be nice

>>2854731
You mean concerts or casino shows? Casino shows, see Absinthe. It’s the best in Vegas.

>>2850155 (OP)
I'm going at the end of January for a few days. Staying on Fremont and planning to see the botanical garden and pinball hall of fame. What else is there to see? Also are there any weed shops on Frenont? And where can I get a back massage that doesn't break the bank