Vegas Trip Information for anyone looking to go this year.

[Marky147]

Nothing from the Orleans at present, but I think they ran a very short festival from the end of May last year.

Looking at the Google file, it has been allocated a spot in the GN column, so I guess they're presuming it will be on the same dates again.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/4700-2014-orleans-open

Cheers Simon

Got everything right, but the fact they had released it

Way too early for me though!

[Simon Galloway]

Alrite Vegas season encroaches, was chatting with Marky the other day and we covered off some Dos and Don'ts.  Obv some things are subjective (Fatburger or Cut, Riviera or Cosmopolitan) where there isn't a wrong or right answer.  Some of these do's/don'ts might be subjective too, so don't feel too precious if you think it is aimed at your previous post, but I've tried to keep these to 'clearly not the way to roll in Vegas'

DO

• Recognise that a £1k trip for a week means you are paying $235/day to be in Vegas.  For a typical poker player, that means you are paying $20/waking hour to be there.  So any time you are spending an hour in a queue (or walking) to save yourself <$20, you are doing Vegas wrong.  By extension, any time you can grease someone $5 and they can save you an hour, you should think about doing it.  Great examples are $5 to the brush to lock up your seat and phone your room (or moby) when it's ready, or $5 to get a cafe comp/line pass
• Leave the building each day!  Even for the heaviest grinder, take a walk, have a nap by the pool, do something other than just alternating between the room and the poker room.  When you are done playing, just walk straight out the door and do something else, anything else, don't take 4 hours to get out of Dodge.
• Treat yourself a little bit.  Budget/save for a month or two pre trip if you need to.  Yes, expenses are the pro grinder's curse.  But it's Vegas, you can have gourmet food and 5* luxury for the price of a Premier Inn and a Burger King over here.
• Drink a lot of water.  Always someone in every group that gets really ill on the back of not following this.  You just can't drink enough water.  If the concrete and poker tables weren't there, you'd be in the middle of the Mojave desert, underestimate that at your peril.  If you aren't a suncream, moisturiser and lip chap sort of guy, Vegas won't forgive you.
• Balance things.  If you can pay $5k for a couple of bottles of Belvedere and cold 7bet bluff in level 1 of a $5k WSOP coz you were getting bored, you don't need to grumble about the Wicked Spoon buffet being $3 more than the Paris.
• Book early, where there's a no-quibble refund, and try $20 on check in for an upgrade.  Everyone loves a freeroll.

DON'T

• Share a room (or even worse, a house) with anyone who is likely to rent a girlfriend.  Stories increasing every year of some ice cream or other getting roofied and roommates getting their passports, laptops and $$ cleaned out.
• Wander off strip at night, unless you know exactly where you are and what you are doing.  Main strip and Fremont canopy are exceptionally safe places to visit.  A block off the trail and you can be in the wrong place very quickly
• Don't ask a cabbie for strip club advice - you will be taken to a clip joint and not enjoy yourself.  In fact, don't even get a cab to a titty bar.  All the main clubs (apparently) will send a complimentary limo for you.  You get in for free, and don't have a cab fare.  Tip the driver, suggest $10 solo or for a couple of you, $20 for 3 or 4 of you, more for more, or if the driver has comp beers on board.
• Forget to load up on fruit etc when you can.  Sounds boring, but an extended stay of cooked breakfasts, over-sized meals all the time will slow you down very quickly.  Fruit platter ftw on cafe brekkie menus, room service menus or in Rio Poker kitchen.  Load up on veg in steakhouses, not fried, cheesed, creamed or otherwise fucked by American demand.  Your ring-piece will thank me later. (but not in person...)
• Expect to do very well on a last minute walk on fare.  On average, you will pay more in economy than someone else did for Premium 4 months ago.
• Be a smart arse in Immigration.  You won't win.  Declare $10k+ and give courteous (and non-facetious) answers always.
• Fall into the trap of "Quad coz it's cheap"  It might be, and it might just be a bed and a shower that you need,  but it doesn't mean that you wouldn't be better off even better places for even less $$.  Deals a-plenty, and several sharp-eyed regs on this thread can help

Think that will do for now   See you out there.

[Tal]

Great stuff. Fruit and water both great points.

[Marky147]

I always arm my room with a fridge to load up with water, and other beverages of choice!

Definitely have a lot of time for a room service fruit platter when you need to steady the ship first thing in the morning

[arbboy]

Alrite Vegas season encroaches, was chatting with Marky the other day and we covered off some Dos and Don'ts.  Obv some things are subjective (Fatburger or Cut, Riviera or Cosmopolitan) where there isn't a wrong or right answer.  Some of these do's/don'ts might be subjective too, so don't feel too precious if you think it is aimed at your previous post, but I've tried to keep these to 'clearly not the way to roll in Vegas'

DO

• Recognise that a £1k trip for a week means you are paying $235/day to be in Vegas.  For a typical poker player, that means you are paying $20/waking hour to be there.  So any time you are spending an hour in a queue (or walking) to save yourself <$20, you are doing Vegas wrong.  By extension, any time you can grease someone $5 and they can save you an hour, you should think about doing it.  Great examples are $5 to the brush to lock up your seat and phone your room (or moby) when it's ready, or $5 to get a cafe comp/line pass
• Leave the building each day!  Even for the heaviest grinder, take a walk, have a nap by the pool, do something other than just alternating between the room and the poker room.  When you are done playing, just walk straight out the door and do something else, anything else, don't take 4 hours to get out of Dodge.
• Treat yourself a little bit.  Budget/save for a month or two pre trip if you need to.  Yes, expenses are the pro grinder's curse.  But it's Vegas, you can have gourmet food and 5* luxury for the price of a Premier Inn and a Burger King over here.
• Drink a lot of water.  Always someone in every group that gets really ill on the back of not following this.  You just can't drink enough water.  If the concrete and poker tables weren't there, you'd be in the middle of the Mojave desert, underestimate that at your peril.  If you aren't a suncream, moisturiser and lip chap sort of guy, Vegas won't forgive you.
• Balance things.  If you can pay $5k for a couple of bottles of Belvedere and cold 7bet bluff in level 1 of a $5k WSOP coz you were getting bored, you don't need to grumble about the Wicked Spoon buffet being $3 more than the Paris.
• Book early, where there's a no-quibble refund, and try $20 on check in for an upgrade.  Everyone loves a freeroll.

DON'T

• Share a room (or even worse, a house) with anyone who is likely to rent a girlfriend.  Stories increasing every year of some ice cream or other getting roofied and roommates getting their passports, laptops and $$ cleaned out.
• Wander off strip at night, unless you know exactly where you are and what you are doing.  Main strip and Fremont canopy are exceptionally safe places to visit.  A block off the trail and you can be in the wrong place very quickly
• Don't ask a cabbie for strip club advice - you will be taken to a clip joint and not enjoy yourself.  In fact, don't even get a cab to a titty bar.  All the main clubs (apparently) will send a complimentary limo for you.  You get in for free, and don't have a cab fare.  Tip the driver, suggest $10 solo or for a couple of you, $20 for 3 or 4 of you, more for more, or if the driver has comp beers on board.
• Forget to load up on fruit etc when you can.  Sounds boring, but an extended stay of cooked breakfasts, over-sized meals all the time will slow you down very quickly.  Fruit platter ftw on cafe brekkie menus, room service menus or in Rio Poker kitchen.  Load up on veg in steakhouses, not fried, cheesed, creamed or otherwise fucked by American demand.  Your ring-piece will thank me later. (but not in person...)
• Expect to do very well on a last minute walk on fare.  On average, you will pay more in economy than someone else did for Premium 4 months ago.
• Be a smart arse in Immigration.  You won't win.  Declare $10k+ and give courteous (and non-facetious) answers always.
• Fall into the trap of "Quad coz it's cheap"  It might be, and it might just be a bed and a shower that you need,  but it doesn't mean that you wouldn't be better off even better places for even less $$.  Deals a-plenty, and several sharp-eyed regs on this thread can help

Think that will do for now   See you out there.

Bolded bit really is true esp if you shop around.  Don't think i would ever stay in a premier inn again in the uk for this reason.  Burger King is tougher to give up!

[Tal]

When it still existed, I would go to the Burger King in O'Shea's and get the biggest diet coke in the universe for about $3 (you could put your head in it) and it'd take me about a good hour of fairly regular slurping to get near the end, by which time all the ice had melted in the 110 degree heat and I had about a pint of water left. It was one of the best ideas I've ever had.

[tonytats]

Don't waste money tipping the cab driver - the chances of getting in his cab again is slim
Tip the maid who looks after your room from day 1 - I leave 5/10$ a day
Tip the barman where you're drinking - you shouldn't have to wait too long for another , same with cocktail waitresses if you're planning a few drinks while playing a table game . I tip 5/10$ to start and say keep them coming and they do
FFS DONT KEEP TELLING BAD BEAT STORIES THEY ARE SO IRRITATING , EXCEPT MINE OFC
DONT FALL ASLEEP WITH A HOOKER IN YOUR ROOM !!! THEY WILL ROB YOU / YOUR MATES STUFF
don't dress like next / top shop man

[AndrewT]

I always arm my room with a fridge to load up with water, and other beverages of choice!

Definitely have a lot of time for a room service fruit platter when you need to steady the ship first thing in the morning

Get a big bottle of water on your way up when you go to bed. Fill up the ice bucket from the ice machine down the corridor and stick the bottle in it. When you wake up in the morning, that ice cold water will be the best drink you ever did have.

[BigAdz]

Great write up Simon. Off to Vegas on 15th for my 25th time(prob a below ave number for here), but some great reminders, especially about the value of money.

As you say, spend it, don't scrimp. Must do more water......

[Tal]

Great write up Simon. Off to Vegas on 15th for my 25th time(prob a below ave number for here), but some great reminders, especially about the value of money.

As you say, spend it, don't scrimp. Must do more water......

Had to check the date. Again?!

[Marky147]

I always arm my room with a fridge to load up with water, and other beverages of choice!

Definitely have a lot of time for a room service fruit platter when you need to steady the ship first thing in the morning

Get a big bottle of water on your way up when you go to bed. Fill up the ice bucket from the ice machine down the corridor and stick the bottle in it. When you wake up in the morning, that ice cold water will be the best drink you ever did have.

Keep the fridge stocked with the stuff, then I only have to remember the ice when I get upstairs, and I still have chilled water in the morning if I don't

[BigAdz]

Great write up Simon. Off to Vegas on 15th for my 25th time(prob a below ave number for here), but some great reminders, especially about the value of money.

As you say, spend it, don't scrimp. Must do more water......

Had to check the date. Again?!

Just checked the date, Astronomical return of Christ....I wonder if their will be fanfares as I land?

[Tal]

Great write up Simon. Off to Vegas on 15th for my 25th time(prob a below ave number for here), but some great reminders, especially about the value of money.

As you say, spend it, don't scrimp. Must do more water......

Had to check the date. Again?!

Just checked the date, Astronomical return of Christ....I wonder if their will be fanfares as I land?

Probably a Wenger joke in there somewhere, but I can't be bothered

[exstream]

Don't waste money tipping the cab driver - the chances of getting in his cab again is slim
Tip the maid who looks after your room from day 1 - I leave 5/10$ a day
Tip the barman where you're drinking - you shouldn't have to wait too long for another , same with cocktail waitresses if you're planning a few drinks while playing a table game . I tip 5/10$ to start and say keep them coming and they do
FFS DONT KEEP TELLING BAD BEAT STORIES THEY ARE SO IRRITATING , EXCEPT MINE OFC
DONT FALL ASLEEP WITH A HOOKER IN YOUR ROOM !!! THEY WILL ROB YOU / YOUR MATES STUFF
don't dress like next / top shop man

why

[scotty77]

Maids are on terrible wages and prob have the toughest jobs.  Def flick in a few bucks every couple of days plus leave all the coins at the end for them. 

If you leave a decent tip with a request of 'few bottles of water, fruit etc' they will usually go out of their way to do it.  Prob cost me the same as Starbucks prices but I'd far rather a minimum wage worker see the $$$$ than Starbucks.