blonde poker forum

Hi folks, I'm off to Vegas soon for a short (and free) trip and it will be my first time so I need some help with a few things.

Firstly, I remember mondatoo talking about some ESTA thing before? I know it's some sort of visa but is it essential? I'm only going for about 8 days.

I'm working off a small-ish spending budget so information on good but reasonably priced places to eat and get ridic drunk would be good please.

Any other must do things? Activities or whatever?

My mate doesn't play poker so I'm probably looking to play a couple of early-ish morning tournaments, although I'm not adverse to info on other tourns. Probabaly only looking at a $50-$100 tournaments though.

Any help and info is appreciated. Thanks.

Grand Canyon is incredible, well worth a visit

(not that it's in Vegas)

Pretty sure you will need to sort the ESTA thing out,make sure you do it through the proper site and don't get ripped off  ;whistle;

Can't really recommend any trips as I just played the pokers but enjoy

what do you need for a short trip

1. money


get plenty sleep before you get there  - you wont want to sleep whilst  there

and 8 days isnt a short vegas trip  ;)

Antibiotics.

I think technically you need the ESTA for them to even allow you on the plane, but it's free so there's no reason to be bothered about it.

I just did a thread for some guys elsewhere so heres what I put in for them with regard to eating for reasonable cost

Ellis Island: One block off the strip (Behind Ballys I believe). Basically it does steaks/bbq pizzas and all similar types of stuff. They have a steak special for under $10 which is meant to be really good. It also has a microbrewery?


Food courts: There are food courts all over Vegas with a
variety of foods available. Chinese, Burgers, Mexican, Pizza and just about anything else. Situated both in casinos and along the strip.


Outback Steakhouse: Located above Casino Royale, this place does the usual stuff you'd expect. Not mindblowing but decent value for money.


Peppermill Lounge: Another diner on the strip located near to the Wynn. Big portions and open 24hrs I'm pretty sure.


TI Buffet: Widely acknowledged as one of the best value buffets in Vegas, with all the usual varieties.


Grand Lux Cafe: They have one of these in both the Palazzo and Venetian. Lots of variety and big portions.

Here's all the tournament info

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/

Also if you can afford a Helicopter trip out to Grand Canyon do it.

Steel Motherfucking Panther (Green Valley Ranch @ 11ish on Friday nights, free)

Just got back a couple of days ago. Don't bother filling the ESTA form in on line as the USA are not set up for it yet and you will still have to fill the paper form in on the plane. Spend a little more and play either Caesers, Venetian or the new Aria $120-160. Mirage do a daily £80 too. Have fun and don't forget to visit down town. Have fun.

I think OP should check the ESTA requirements properly as I know its due to be compulsory any time soon, and when it is you won't get into the country without it. Also you will STILL have to fill in the green immigration card regardless.

Go there.

Steel Panther ;tightend;

Obv nice to take money - it buys you lots of choices.  However, given the remit:

Eat cheap:  When you play the tourny, ask for a buffet / coffee shop comp whilst you still have your wallet out.  Food courts are cheap, but freebies are even cheaper.  Some places have strict procedures and won't comp you on a small tourny buy in.  Others will, particularly if it looks like you are going to slip them a $ or 5..  For the super cheesey, don't tip and fill your rucksack with fruit etc on the way out.

The other benefit of getting a comp is you can go in via the Invited Guest line, this could save you an hour waiting in line with the unwashed massses...

Drink cheap: Sit around the slots, play micro, order beers regularly, tip the waitress a $ or so each drink.  5 beers in an hour for $5 total is pretty cheap, then when you go out from there, you don't need to spend so much out at full bar prices.  For the super cheesey, you can stiff the waitress and not pay anything.  Just do it on the last drink if you have to, once you stiff her she won't be stopping by again any time soon.  But hopefully no-one needs to stoop that low!!

Stuff to do for free:  Just going in and out of each resort will take you a long while.  Some free shows, (Mirage Volcano, Bellagio fountains, TI Sirens, Bills Big Elvis etc)

That should keep the X's down - but don't overdo it - spend sensibly and enjoy.

Got a Grand Canyon helicopter trip thrown in for free! As well as some ridic VIP limo thing and a show aswell.

Ah wait, it seems I've given the impression that I'm taking a 5er with me or something. I've got a decent bit - so everything advised doesn't need to be the cheapest possible thing to do in Vegas!!!

Thanks for input so far, keep it coming.

Obviously going to UFC 109!!!! Ship!

Is this the right thing....

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_cBCB619E6-2625-0572-CB2F-998848D4AB6D_k55C2FB69-1823-9320-E514-D6DF3CA1CD67

Yep that looks right, will wait for Mond to confirm!

  lol

Take 2.....

Redic Drunk:

A) Downtown.

Start off in Main Street Station.  They have a microbrewery-come-sports bar called Triple 7.  It isn't a bad place to start with a few beers and watch a match, with some beer food.  It is also the end of the line (NW) of downtown.  Then tumble out of there, into California (1 drink and out) into Plaza (1 drink and out) and you are now on the end of Fremont St and under the safety of the pedestrianised area and canopy.  It's all pretty gruesome, but have a beer or two in each one and by time you are at the other end of the canopy you will be rat-arsed, drinking beer out of a plastic guitar and doing a silly dance with Bubba from Idaho.  The good news is, that is downtown "done" and you don't have to go back.  Unless you want to.

B) Strip crawl

Start off in Wynn/Encore.  Anything further North is too much of a walk as it is too spread out.  Just have a beer in every casino and head south and see if you can make it to Mandalay Bay.

C) Higher end / off strip

Don't really know the places for "beautiful people" but Voodoo Lounge in Rio and Ghost bar in Palm always come out on top of a lot of lists.

Food.
A) Still take the comps on offer.  Many people just end up eating wherever they happen to be when they get hungry, but that usually amounts to McDs, shit pizza and mediocre coffee shops.  with a little bit of planning, there is a decent food offering in just about every strip casino at medium prices, at a couple of $$ more than "Panda Express" so if you find you are always eating in food courts, you are missing out.  Grand Lux was mentioned and is very good, incred choice.

B) Whilst out on the bar crawl, you will probably uncover some great places for yourself that you really want to try, do your best to remember them and go back the next night when not hammered.

Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay does amazing kobe beef burgers, about $20 but worth it.

Peppermill has been mentioned, breakfast there is immense, also another +1 from me for Grand Lux.

RE The drinks situation, the nicer casino you go in, the better drinks you can have for free, ie Casino Royale, half a pint of piss, Wynn, bottles of Heineken etc.. but the table minimums will be higher, (don't know if this is a problem). Tip the waitress as she takes your drink order, they love that and you'll never have an empty glass.

The best buffet on the strip bar none is at Planet Hollywood, about $30 but top quality. Nice steaks, good seafood etc..

Check out the birds dealing in the Pussycat Dolls gaming area in Ceasars.

I don't know where you're staying but slip $50 inside your passport when you hand it over at check in, asking at the same time if they have any complimentary upgrades. This has worked 2 out of 3 times for me, the worst they can say is no, its standard practice in Vegas.

Haha,yeah looked something like that

Luxury Blowout - XS nightclub at Encore

Cheap Fun - Beer Pong tables at the back of O'Sheas

What this guy said

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Especially Simon for his double effort.

Where's O'Shea's?

Staying at the Bellagio, should be fairly decent.

Great news if you are at the bellagio. The buffet there is amazing! Try at least one breakfast and one lunch. And dont be fooled by the word buffet. Also if you start late on saturday, party on thru, you can pay an extra 5 bucks at breakfast and have as much champagne as you like. Then get up and party on thru sunday! Weeeeee :-)

Mmm...the bellagio buffet has gone downhill imo. Nowhere near as good as it was 4/5 years ago. Can't comment on any other as haven't been to any recently. As mentiones earlier in thread, grand lux cafe at venetian is very good and sensible prices too.

don't know about lunch/dinner, but I tried a fair few breakfast buffets when I was there last March, and the Bellagio was easily the best.

Its dinner I've had a few times, don't get me wrong its fine but there are better places for dinner. For the price you pay for the buffet there you can get a top notch meal main course in a great restaurant and the portions are massive so quantity is never an issue.

breakfasts ftw ($5 cheaper in the week - ask for  a 1 day queue jumper pass for saturdays)

breakfasts on a sunday ftmfw

ALso - for a quick lunch - I highly recommend the Earl of Sandwich in Planet Hollywood - and for you choice of sandwich go for "the Earl" ZOMG - a must on every vegas trip for me - and just across from the bellagio

Things to do:

Go up the eiffel tower at dusk and watch the sunset over vegas (get timing right for miniaml time up there as its pretty small viewing platform). Also make sure you watch the bellagio fountains from up there  - they are great (try not to do a shredie swim after a night out thou!!!!)

Elton Johns Red piano tour at Ceasers if he is still on - great show

Most of the Cirque de Soliel shows are worth a watch

If you only play 1 card room I would prob make it the Venetian (followed by Ceasers then Bellagio)

Most sub $100 MTT's are turbo formats - but worth playing just to witness some of the worst poker you will ever see

(im sure that there is more). The great thing about vegas is that you could do none of the things suggested so far in this thread and still have a good time.  Its just the shnizzle

It is the right thing fella but as I mentioned in my previous post the USA are not geared up on line yet. You will still have to fill in the forms again on the plane or you won't get past passport control.

Blue Man group is a good show BTW.

Whether they are geared up for it online or not, they still claim it's mandatory to complete, so I would rather spend 5 mins filling it online before I go than risk being turned away for my flight.

Probs too far away for you Scotty but the Sahara $40 tournies with 1 $20 rebuy/add-on play slower than most tournies of cheaper buy ins, and are uber soft, all local rocks folding all day long!!

Just read as of 20th Jan it is now compulsory before you go. But you will still need to fill out the green form on plane. The ESTA thing is pror permission to enter, the form on the plane is the visa waiver form.

Thanks Woodsey.

Is this definately the right thing to fill in.....

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c342EADF6-AC52-A46F-935E-7C284BCA230A_kD13319A4-64EA-B4F3-4143-ABF00C2A1383

There is so many when you type in ESTA into google - and tbh some look fairly dodge.

yeah. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ is linked to from the us embassy's site

Try a trip to Lake Mead it isnt that expensive to hire a boat. Excellent day out too

you know it makes sense ^^^

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdHZWT7hpkg

hahaha, a must^. Gota do a song for us though.

BEER BEER, WE WANT MORE BEER, EVERYBODY'S CHEERIN', GET THE FUCKIN' BEER IN

Anyone do any shopping in Vegas? Any recommended malls?

The Forum shops at Caesars Palace, Fashion Mall on the strip and Premier Outlets nr downtown

Depends on how 'high end' you want to find.

Caesars Forum has a lot of poncy gear at full price.

Town Square has a few decent shops, nice place to walk around, not too many bargains.

Premium Outlets have good deals on your Ralph Lauren / Timberland /CK / Gap / Nike sort of labels

Primm have a mall which has Gap/Guess/Banana Republic/Ralph Lauren and some tat besides, it's about a 45 min drive to the California border, or you can jump on a coach which you can book from MGM for about $12 return (Emerald Tower end)  You can regularly get things 70% off here, but is hit and miss as to whats in stock

Mid-strip.  Cross the road and wander towards the Venetian/Wynn.  You can't miss it as will be pretty rowdy with cash poker tables literally on the street.

Another tip for the Bellagio.  Similar to Venetian it has a nice place called Cafe Bellagio to grab some quick decent grub in.  There are often biggish queues but if you don't mind sitting at the counter instead of at a table you can just bowl in front of everyone and help yourself to a seat there.  Handy if only 1 or 2 of you.

Struggling to get my body to adapt to the time change - hit up my bed at about 10pm last night!!!

Can anyone recommend a good club to hit up? Nothing too poncey that is going to cost the earth.

Mate is gagging for some action so anything with pretty ladies for him to look at too would be good.

spearmints

Olympic Garden FTW