Las Vegas Gambling Trip
Survival Guide

If you're looking forward to your very first Las Vegas gambling trip, here is the unbiased view of one who has escaped to Las Vegas many times over the years. It will hopefully help to make your Las Vegas vacation more rewarding and more enjoyable.

It is conceivable to go to Vegas and not gamble. But isn't gambling the main reason you want to go there? If you approach the activity as amusement, and budget how much you are prepared to risk, it will be fun and not too dangerous. Big wins are possible -- but it helps if you know what you’re doing. A good reason to check out the pages of this web site before you go on your first Las Vegas trip. If your main interest is playing slots or if you are an avid video poker player, visit SlotAdvisor.com.

Gambling in Las Vegas is exciting, but beware of the traps. The safest way to stay out of trouble is to set a daily budget and be honest with yourself about how much you can afford to spend. Figure this out in the sane surroundings of your home, not in the crazy Las Vegas gambling atmosphere. Set win and loss limits and when you’ve reached one or the other, quit. Las Vegas gambling isn't the only activity, there are lots of other things you can do in Las Vegas.

If you like blackjack, but not at $10 and more a hand, leave the strip and head for a smaller "locals" casinos, off the strip. There you’ll find plenty of $5 and even $1 tables. You’ll enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and congenial dealers at low-limit tables. Just don’t be lulled into forgetting that the chips you're playing with are really your hard-earned dollars.

You’ll be astounded at the relatively cheap meals offered in Las Vegas. Steak dinner with crab legs for $12.99? Be skeptical. It won’t be a terrific steak, the crab legs might be soggy. And be aware that between you and those famous buffets lies a huge hurdle - the gambling floor. I once had a wonderful breakfast special for $2.99. The low price lured me in, but on the way out I couldn't resist dropping $10 into a slot machine. For $12.99 that breakfast was suddenly not so special anymore!

Going to most shows in Las Vegas is not a classy event. Some theaters are designed to jam the most number of people into the tiniest space. You and eleven other persons might get seated at a table designed for eight. In places where there is no reserved seating, the size of your tip determines where the usher will seat you.

See video clips of Top Las Vegas Shows & a Wedding Chapel:
Blue Man Group * Bette Midler * Elton John * Ka -Cirque du Soleil *
O -Cirque du Soleil * Graceland Wedding Chapel

To find out what show is playing where while you’re in town, pick up one of the free entertainment guides found everywhere. Those entertainment guides often contain valuable coupons for free or half-priced food, gifts and shows. You can even find free gambling vouchers.

A good choice for upscale shopping is the Fashion Mall, right on the strip between Treasure Island and the New Frontier. Most the big casino-hotels also have their own shopping arcade, the most famous of them being the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. You may not have the budget to actually buy anything there, but go and look; you’ll be impressed.

Las Vegas Style Gambling from Your Home

Besides Las Vegas gambling and shopping, there are plenty of other things to do and see in the Entertainment Capital of the World. Many attractions are free or cost relatively little. Practically all of the larger casinos offer things worth seeing or doing. When you've had enough Las Vegas gambling for a while, these are some of the things you can see or do:

The canals at The Venetian, the Roller Coaster at New York New York, the erupting Volcano at the Mirage, the Fountain Show at Bellagio, the Gamblers Hall of Fame at the Tropicana, and so much more.

If you hanker for a break from the endless Las Vegas gambling action, here are a few of the many options:

  * Take a bus tour to Red Rock Canyon. You’ll see magnificent rock formations, plus wild donkeys that plant themselves in the middle of the road so cars stop and give them a treat.

  * Fly in a small plane over the Grand Canyon. Numerous operators vie for your business. I would choose one recommended by the hotel travel desk.

  * Pile into an oversized rubber dingy, float down the Colorado river and learn interesting things from your guide about local geology, fauna and wild animals.

   * Sign up for a bus tour to Hoover Dam and/or Lake Mead and visit the Ethel M chocolate factory on the way.

Have fun, enjoy your Las Vegas gambling holiday, and good luck. Hope you come home with your Las Vegas gambling loot.

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