TIPS & TRICKS

• GET THE PLAYERS CARD! - No matter how much you plan to gamble, always sign up for the casino's players card. We have friends who only stick a $20 bill in a slot machine once in a blue moon, but they STILL get free offers all the time including free hotel rooms, casino free play, food comps, etc. And, of course, the more you play, the more offers you'll receive. Do you think Dale and I have EVER paid for a hotel room in Las Vegas? Not so much. We hardly ever pay for fancy dinners, beverages, football and hockey games, or concerts and shows.
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• Get one each at individual properties like Wynn, Resorts World, Venetian, Circa, and the others.
• Sign up for an MGM Rewards card to cover Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Park MGM, New York New York, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, as well as MGM owned properties nationwide.
• Secure a Caesars Rewards card to cover Caesars Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Horseshoe, Harrahs, Flamingo, The Cromwell, The Linq, and other Caesars owned properties across the country.

• AVOID HOLIDAYS - If your vacation schedule allows, try to avoid holiday weeks/weekends at all costs. Everything becomes wicked crowded everywhere you go and many popular restaurant reservations and shows tickets need to be booked/purchased months in advance. (Unless, of course, you like swarms of people.)
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• WEEKDAYS ROCK! - Along the same line, we recommend arriving in Vegas on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday...then leave by Friday, for the best deals and prices, and less rowdy crowds. We hardly ever go out on a Friday or Saturday night unless we really have to. (You'll save money on airfare, too.)
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• KNOW YOUR LIMIT - Know how much you can afford to lose and try to make your spending money last. On slot machines, for example, they say you need about 100 spins to win most of it back. So, if you have $100 to spend, that's $1 a spin. Also, don't chase jackpots. Just because a slot machine's top prize has reached its max-out amount, doesn't mean it's going to hit any time soon. For example, we've seen $50,000 'grand' prizes stick around for weeks.
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• YOU CAN WIN WITH SMALL BETS - You do NOT need to play big to win big. We've witnessed someone win $18,888 on a Dragon Link slot machine with a 50¢ bet...and one guy score over $1 MILLION with a $50 bet! (But, most likely, you will lose. Remember...the house ALWAYS wins. Once it goes in the machine, or is plopped down on a table, you'll probably never see it again. Play for fun, not riches. Then, when you do win, you'll be pleasantly surprised.)
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• HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! - The desert is very dry. You need more water than you do at home. Drink plenty of water and never, ever go to bed without a bottle or two of water on the nightstand. You'll thank me in the morning.
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• ALCOHOL - If you drink, know that cocktails are pretty darned expensive at most casino-adjacent bars. We can easily drop $18 or more (plus tip) for a single vodka soda. So, to drink free(-ish), sit at a slot machine and stick in a few bucks. Some casinos have better quality complimentary drinks than others, but they all have 'em (they even offer coffee, iced tea, and other non-alcoholic beverages). Just remember to TIP the cocktail servers at least a couple bucks; they work for tips. Free isn't really  free anywhere in Sin City.
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• SAFETY - It might be a no-brainer, but you've got to keep your eyes and ears open in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, there are scam artists looking to take advantage of unsuspecting vacationers and gamblers. If you win big, don't hoot and holler. If you've got a large amount of cash in your pocket, be VERY aware of your surroundings. Make sure you're not followed into an elevator or out to the street or into the parking garage. When we win, for example, and someone gets on an elevator with us afterwards, we always get off. If we feel like we're being followed, we make a B-line to a casino employee or security guard. And, we try not to talk to strangers sitting near us in a casino. We don't tell people where we're staying, how much we've won, or any personal information at all. It might sound paranoid, but on more than one occasion we've had folks try to make friends with us to later learn that they were bad actors. It's the world we live in and we're all got to be smart in order to stay safe.
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• GET OFF THE STRIP - Sure, this section of my website is called STRIP LOVE, but I encourage visitors to get off the Strip when they come to town. The Las Vegas valley has a wealth of experiences, casino venues, natural wonders, restaurants, and more, away from the hustle and bustle and bright lights of Las Vegas Boulevard. From the iconic Golden Steer steak house, to Red Rock Canyon, the new Durango Resort, Lion Habitat Ranch, and so much more.

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