Best time of the year to go to Vegas if it's your first time?
I'm a Vegas Virgin and want to pop my cherry within the next 12 months.
So here are the things I want to see/do/have happen on my first trip down, what time of year should I be thinking of going?
1) Play poker and have some fishy games. (I suspect some times of the year are thinner than others?)
2) Enjoy nice weather and do some sight-seeing (Assuming this is all year round?)
3) See/Rail a few poker pros.
4) Not be lost in a sea of humanity (Reason for not wanting to go to the WSOP for my first trip in, too many people crowding poker rooms)
I might be over-thinking this, but am looking for some advice as to what others here think....
So here are the things I want to see/do/have happen on my first trip down, what time of year should I be thinking of going?
1) Play poker and have some fishy games. (I suspect some times of the year are thinner than others?)
2) Enjoy nice weather and do some sight-seeing (Assuming this is all year round?)
3) See/Rail a few poker pros.
4) Not be lost in a sea of humanity (Reason for not wanting to go to the WSOP for my first trip in, too many people crowding poker rooms)
I might be over-thinking this, but am looking for some advice as to what others here think....
Comments
You could also go end of May, beginning of June... still WSOP and the heat won't be as bad.
It is a sea of humanity regardless of the time you go. I wish I could remember the numbers exactly but there are 151,000 hotel rooms in Vegas and our bus driver said Harrahs had something like 50,000 rooms in their properties running at 95%+ occupancy.
Edit: I must be close because I found this info on the net (which is always correct, right?):
It was a great experience, I sat and played at MGM after I busted out of the WSOP and had a great time playing 1/2NL.
I have since gone in Mar/May/Aug/Nov and I have found my best times were in Nov as it is not as busy, great deals.
I also don't really stay on the strip anymore so I could be bias when I say it's busy or not busy. We drive into the strip, take the back roads and park and we are at the poker room in about 5 minutes....@ the Venetian.
This time at the end of June when I go with 4 other people I am staying at the Platinum Condos just off the strip. 2200sq place for 1400 for 6 days.
Your first time in vegas will be magical whether it's six hundred degrees outside or there's no one else there asides from you and the mexican strip club clackers.
Escaping during a Canadian winter blizzard is ideal, but Las Vegas has nicer weather than Ontario all year long anyway.
WSOP, baby! Forget about railing, you can CHAT with Negreanu, Brunson, Harrington, etc. at the various WSOP-related parties or events.
Outside of the Rio, Caesars Palace and the Venetian, most of the poker rooms will have lots of space for you. When you feel brave, you can check out the WSOP area and be awestruck at the sea of poker humanity.
Only 29 days and counting before the WSOP, baby!
1. if you play fairly low stakes 1/2NL-5/10NL 3/6-15/30Limit it wont really matter what time of year you go. theres always action.
2. its so hot during the summer...so if you plan on driving out to the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam it would probably be better to go in the cooler months like Novemberish
3. depending on what pros you want to see it can be pretty hit or miss outside of the WSOP/WPT event times. so dont plan your trip around this.
4. vegas is just a sea of humanity wherever you go. everywhere is crowded no matter the time of year really. if your lookin for a slow easy relaxing town...wrong place.
COUPLE VEGAS TIPS
1. Alot of poker rooms offer line passes for players to go to restaurants on the property. Just ask a houseman for one and youll zing to the front of the line. Especially useful for the Bellagio and Wynn Buffets.
2. Buying tickets the day of the performance at one of the halfprice ticket kiosks all around the strip will save you a bunch of money.
3. Tipping the houseman $5-10 when you ask him for a menu (for the few rooms that have food service) can get your $30-50 meal comped.
4. If your walking with your bankroll on you (like anything above 2-3k) just change up for Bellagio chips. Way easier then carrying a wad. They are basically like a second currency down there and are accepted at all properties.
5. Drinks are free at the poker tables...load up.
6. Dont be tempted to take a shuttle from the airport...just get a cab. Way faster, same price.
Similarly I believe for MGM. The MGM Mirage properties in Las Vegas: The Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York New York, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, Luxor, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay.
So figure out where you want play and where you want to eat.
So planning where I want to play/eat is a good idea then?
Also Sahara gives out $4 food comps pretty easily, which buys you steak and eggs or a sandwich in their coffee shop. You can also just order the food from the poker room and they deliver it to your table so you never have to stop gambling.
ie. Play where you like the action the best, and find something there.
Oh....and don't get drunk and blow your bankroll in one night.....not that I've ever done that.
+1. I don't let comps dictate where I play either - just because Bill gives you $2 per hour, I rather play at Venetian where they give me $1 per hour but with other much better benefits...(ex. hotter waitresses, better game/game selection, etc)
Btw...currently posting from McCarran, the weather this week in Vegas has been spectacular. Perfect weather morning til night, even during the hottest hours of the day, it wasn't unbearably hot.
Not much to report on...didn't play enough to cover expenses leading to my first Vegas trip that I actually had to pay for. Mostly did tourist stuff for the 4 days.
Moose mentioned the Sahara. We stayed there both times. Not very ritzy, but I really didn't care because all we did was crash there at night. Their little poker room is cozy though. Couple of tourneys a day I believe.
If you eat the buffet breakfast, you'll likely only do so once....
You'll have fun wherever you stay. First time you'll walk the strip lots, second time it's sort of hohum and you'll likely gamble more. I did and ended up paying for my entire trip!
Too hot to walk around although I do. I let who ever is comping me dictate where I stay and where I play. Outside of the golden nugget last aug, where I found their action sucked on poker I"ve never had an issue in a poker room (I just walked across the road to Binions to play poker). Played 1 tourney at the nugget and got loaded. Played craps etc so I should get an invite back this year again.
I try and do vegas cheap so for me it's all about the comps.