Vegas Trip Information for anyone looking to go this year.

[Simon Galloway]

For currency exchange... there is a balance between convenience and how much you get knobbed.

For instance, £5k swapped with a poker player coming back at todays xe rate = $8070  -- whereas £5k changed up in a Vegas casino where they are giving you $1.56 to the £, you get $7800.  A lot of people wouldn't lash out $270 on dinner, but are more than happy to give it away on sloppy foreign exchange.

There is also the likelihood of you coming back with those $$ (not a rub ) and if so, the likelihood of you swapping these out with another poker player, rather than changing them back to £ and getting dicked $270 more.

So super convenient method is change the lot up now with ice or best rate company that courier deliver.

Best rate is to swap with another poker player for xe.com rate.

Best route for emergency funds is take the ££ and change up with anyone English out there that just binked or with the casino if cba or can't find anyone to do it.

I don't think the amount involved is worthy of a wire, it isn't going to get you anything comped and is largely going to be a PITA to get from the cage, if you aren't intending to play tables with it, expect some grief.  Just stick it in your pocket.

Finally, if you do take £5k in folding, make sure you have something with you (bank withdrawal receipt etc) that shows it is rightly yours.  And if coupled with the $$ on you, that > $10k total, declare it on the form on arrival or risk confiscation.

[gouty]

And address of 1st night's stay on U.S. soil..

Brilliant, thats submitted. Have plumped for 2 weeks at the IP 16 - 30th. Direct flights with BA, no resort fees for the hotel - so all told £910...which doesn't seem bad, but is a couple hundo more than if I had pulled my finger out a few weeks ago!!!

Softest cash game? Level?

On weekends head to the hard rock hotels card room. Full of young US rich kids and some seriously nice women. There were a couple of fights in there but you can just stand back and watch. Button straddles in there too.

[Simon Galloway]

Try and dig out an old statement or something with a sizeable withdrawal on it.

I've been there a ton of times, and almost always everything goes without a hitch.  But when it goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong.  Simon Trumper got money confiscated (and possibly a few kettles iirc) and Viffer also got money confiscated more recently.  Sometimes taking 2 minutes to fill a form in is time very well spent. So while it is low likelihood of happening, and you will likely get it back 6 months later, it does majorly balls up your trip if it happens, so it is worth a little bit of effort.

My own bad experience was on the outbound leg, invited to step behind the screen for an explanation of the large bulge in my trousers.  She looked almost disappointed to find that it was a brick of $100s but then things got awkward when she asked me to prove ownership.  When I explained that ownership was from winnings the year before (been a while since I had a chance to get a thin one in..) that I had simply held on to, she found it incredulous that I wouldn't have changed the money into £ so I could change it back again into $ the next year for a double-dicking, because apparently "that's what any normal person would do"

I was given the money back, with a "we are going to consider the situation and may meet you again at the gate to confiscate the funds."  Around about that time, I decided opening a USD bank account was probably a good idea...

[doubleup]

Should have told her to gfh - from hmrc site

If you are arriving in the UK from a country outside the European Union (EU), or you're leaving the UK to travel directly to a country outside the EU, you must declare any cash of 10,000 euros or more (or its equivalent in other currencies) to customs officers.

[Simon Galloway]

I think those people had to sit through a whole series of OFAH and if they so much as smiled, they failed the interview.

It was more than €10k equivalent, so technically I was in the wrong and they were entitled to confiscate... so all things considered I decided that co-operation was the best route.

[Woodsey]

LOL just heard a funny story about how to make some money in Vegas if your under it and skint out there.

Many pissheads decide to get married on a whim when pissed. Whilst the ceremony at the Elvis Chapels makes it official, each one needs a witness. You can charge money to be a witness and maybe get up to $100 for doing it depending on how much they are willing to give you. The general strategy is to hang around some of these places between say 12-6am and you have a chance of getting a payday or two 

[brookie]

So when u book the trip with your hotel do u pay for your stay when u are there or do they take it from your credit card

[Woodsey]

So when u book the trip with your hotel do u pay for your stay when u are there or do they take it from your credit card

If you book direct with a hotel they usually take first night on CC as deposit (refundable up to 72 hours before if u cancel), then u settle the rest on departure by CC or cash.

[brookie]

Yep already paid deposit and thank for that

[peejaytwo]

LOL just heard a funny story about how to make some money in Vegas if your under it and skint out there.

Many pissheads decide to get married on a whim when pissed. Whilst the ceremony at the Elvis Chapels makes it official, each one needs a witness. You can charge money to be a witness and maybe get up to $100 for doing it depending on how much they are willing to give you. The general strategy is to hang around some of these places between say 12-6am and you have a chance of getting a payday or two 

And do you shag the bridesmaid as well?

[Matt.NFFC.]

Anyone been recently?

Any trip reports/good advice?

[redsimon]

Anyone been recently?

Any trip reports/good advice?

Went in December for 12 nights. Stayed downtown, me and a mate hired a car. Mostly played at Venetian, had a couple of sessions at Orleans Aria Wynn and Binions. Binions was sad and empty even on their normally busy Saturday with one NL and one LHE table

Orleans was it usual mix of grumpy old women of both sexes but the O8 games are soft. Aria was quiter than before and games not so loose/soft. Wynn was quiet too but cash game had a few people prepared to stack off very lightly.

Best place was Venetian. Absolutely rammed most nights many NLHE 1/2 tables so if you found a tough table you could get a table change by asking floorI've always run well there though so I'm biased.

Avoided tournies this tip as the juice is so high.

Food wise seemed to have a lot of meals in Grand Lux Cafe @ Venetian paid for by poker comps and Pasta Pirate in California Hotel downtown.

Would recommend staying mid strip or hiring car if you stay away from Strip. Defintely recommend Venetian poker room.

[brookie]

am in two mind at the moment the $ IS AROUND 1.60 and i go away the end off may should i get some know or wait untill i go away?

[vegaslover]

am in two mind at the moment the $ IS AROUND 1.60 and i go away the end off may should i get some know or wait untill i go away?

Rates as good as it has been for a year, though Jan/Feb rates are usually lower then later in year so it MIGHT go up. Just be prepared that it might go down too.

[Simon Galloway]

Quiet on here...

BA have announced their "sale" fwiw ~ nothing that looks too generous that I could see.

Virgin no doubt to follow suit soon....

Pretty quiet on the bonus codes too, although expecting a surge to stimulate the post-Christmas bite.

A reminder to those planning to go mid/late June that the EDC is on ~ 20th-23rd June so lock your rates up quickly, or move dates, or .. pay $400/night for the Pigeon.