Next year

I'm already planning for next year's trip (actually I'm hoping I may get away on a weekend in October, but that's very unlikely). I tend to favor Harrah's properties for the rates I'm offered on their online site, but I don't like gambling there. Now, my action isn't that big to begin with, but it woulnd't hurt to gamble where I stay.

So I'm using a kid of reverse analysis: where do I like to gamble? Mostly at low-roller haunts like Excalibur and Downtown. The big problems with Excalibur is 1)there are a lot of children there and 2) the buffet would make grown men cry. So I'm thinking about staying Downtown, or perhaps at the Stratosphere (I like it and the Deuce drops you off right at the hotel).

Downtown my top choices are the Fremont and Main Street Station, because it seems the points earned with the Boyd property cards don't expire, and I did like gambling there. Of these two I'm more inclined for the Fremont, as Main Street is a little isolated and requires a longer walk to get to (I'll still move around a lot).

I've only one important question: is it possible to sleep while the Fremont Street Experience is going on? Dos that depend on the room's location?

I'm 99% sure I won't stay off strip next time unless I decide to rent a car.

I was just reading an article in Money magazine that talks about how when a human has too many options to choose from, they have a harder time making an informed choice. This is over simplification, but close to one point made.

I find this very applicable to my Vegas trips. For 3 years I have been very content travelling to Harrah's properties. I was winning good money, and they were giving me free rooms and food. In addition, the Diamond Card was nice for line jumping, the Diamond Lounge, free club access, etc.
However, then I found MGM/Beau Rivage in Biloxi, with their VERY favorable craps game rules, and the feeling that I was getting a bit more comp value for my play.
Finally, on this last Vegas trip, I played craps at MGM, Mirage, ARIA, RIO, and Stratosphere. This violated one of my cardinal rules which is play only where you stay, to max out on the comps.

So now I appear to have the following choices to make for future Vegas trips:

1. Stay at Stratosphere
Pro: Craps game is 10x odds, field is 3x on 12, $5 tables, comps seem easy to get.
Con: Vig on 4/10 is upfront. far end of strip but ACE/DEUCE is roughly $5 for all day.

2. Stay at Harrah's (Paris)
Pro: Diamond card (though likely back to Platinum next year). Nice properties. Comps seem a bit stingier. Center of the strip is convenient.
Con: Craps odds are 3-4-5x, Field is 2x on 12. No grandfather when min is raised on a table.

3. Stay at MGM property
Pro: Not sure about Vegas comps, but Biloxi MGM comps have been very nice. Mirage grandfathers you when min is raised. Assume same at other MGM properties. Field is 3x on 12.
Con: 3-4-5x odds. Guessing Mirage or MGM would be the only two properties that my BR may fit in

4. Stay Downtown
Pro: Better craps odds and rules.
Con: Much different vibe. Not sure how much we would miss the look/feel of strip. Various reports have indicated rooms may be functional, but not as glitzy as strip rooms.

According to http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off_the_strip/fremontstreet.html:

Quote: Vegas.com

Fremont Street Experience Details
Hours of operation: Viva Vision show times are every hour on the hour from 8:30 p.m. - midnight.

How early is bedtime? Even if it's before midnight, aren't the hotels more towards the back of the property? Get a room facing away from Freemont, and you should be OK for those early bedtimes.


On a side note, how does "every hour on the hour" work if it starts at 8:30?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

How early is bedtime?

It varies. The first day it's very early because I'm tired and jet lagged two hours. It inches towards 1 am throughout the week, but it can regress to 11 pm if I have a bad night or miss a nap.

Quote:

On a side note, how does "every hour on the hour" work if it starts at 8:30?

Very good question. I presume it's at 8:30, 9:00, 10:00 and so on, but posted by people who don't undertsand what "every hour on the hour" means.

I've seen store signs that say "Open 24/7 (closed on Sundays)"

Funny I was just thinking about the same thing. usually do my gambling at a Harrah property becuase I stay at Bally's but apart from room offers don't get any comps other than those acquired through my rewards cards. So this time i am gambling at MGM properties to see if its better.

I am in the exact same position. My wife and I have traditionally stayed at Harrah's properties based on her slot play, but we've grown weary of Total Rewards. We also just simply like Downtown, so this trip we chose to stay at the Golden Nugget. We got our rooms through priceline for $59/night Thurs-Sat. I thought that was a pretty good deal. We don't plan to play at Golden Nugget so much, but to probably focus the majority of our play at the Boyd's Downtown properties.

Quote: StingMe

I am in the exact same position. My wife and I have traditionally stayed at Harrah's properties based on her slot play, but we've grown weary of Total Rewards. We also just simply like Downtown, so this trip we chose to stay at the Golden Nugget. We got our rooms through priceline for $59/night Thurs-Sat. I thought that was a pretty good deal. We don't plan to play at Golden Nugget so much, but to probably focus the majority of our play at the Boyd's Downtown properties.

Please consider doing a trip report. I would be very interested in seeing how you feel about this decision after the trip. I would also guess that if you play much at all at the GN, you will end up getting your room comp'd, although since you went through Priceline they may not be able to do much for you.
I think that is one place where some low/mid level gamblers may be making a mistake. Booking through the casino may end up with a higher rate up front, but if you play much at all, you have a great chance at getting it all comp'd. If you go through some deal, you get a better price up front, but lose the ability to get anything comp'd. Knowing how much you need to gamble to get the room comp'd would help know which was the better path to take.

You took the words out of my mouth :). Booking through the casino is smart if you play.

Oh and charging your expenses to the room is a smart play. It's easier to comp room charges than to comp individual expenditures (like show tickets or dinner). Don't overspend cause there is not guarantee that your room charges will be comped but also keep in mind at some casino's your non-gaming spending can give you benefits and comps so try to present your players card when paying for things out of pocket or as a room charge.

I should have qualified my statement about "pricelining" the room by stating that I didn't actually book it that way, a friend did. I would agree, that we probably should have booked directly through the GN, but $59/night, I believe, was still a good deal. My plan is to get there and check things out first, then decide where to play. If my wife loves the room at the GN (my opinion doesn't really matter, of course), then I might be more inclined to play there a bit more. I will try to do a trip report for sure.

I started another thread inquiring of the forum where we should play based upon how we like to play. El Cortez and the Boyd's properties were suggested by the forum. Luckily, I had already made those decisions on my own, so it was nice to have this group confirm that. For me, whether or not to play extensively at the GN will be based upon the table limits and rules at the time we're there. If GN has much higher limits than every other downtown property, then I'll probably play elsewhere. Since I'll be there on a weekend, I believe this will probably be the case. My trip is 9 days away. The rest of this week, and all of next week will be rough for me at work!

Do you want to pay for glitz?
Main Street Station has 20x and if you find the room is too functional for your taste, you can drown your sorrows with comped microbrews or take a break by cruising the mezzanine's antique furniture (or am I mixing up my casinos?). Downtown may not have all the glitter of The Strip but it offers you a good gamble and you value that. You also seem to value lower limits and Downtown is the place for that. All those hoity-toity swells on the strip don't even know what 10x or 20x means and don't know about Triple The Field.

Stratosphere is a good bargain, but if you know you will want to rove ... why bother being anchored there and traveling all the time?

Quote: FleaStiff

Do you want to pay for glitz?
Main Street Station has 20x and if you find the room is too functional for your taste, you can drown your sorrows with comped microbrews or take a break by cruising the mezzanine's antique furniture (or am I mixing up my casinos?). Downtown may not have all the glitter of The Strip but it offers you a good gamble and you value that. You also seem to value lower limits and Downtown is the place for that. All those hoity-toity swells on the strip don't even know what 10x or 20x means and don't know about Triple The Field.

Stratosphere is a good bargain, but if you know you will want to rove ... why bother being anchored there and traveling all the time?

As I pointed out in my other thread, Main Street Station is my first stop. Good craps and microbrews...sounds perfect for me. Like I said also in the other thread, during our last trip, my wife and I stayed at Bally's, but played downtown for two of the three nights we were there. We loved it. We were down a little bit in the end, but it was much more entertaining that playing on the strip. I don't need the glitz. My friend that is meeting us out there has made very clear that if we intend to go to the strip, we should do so before he gets there, because he has no interest in going there. Fine by me.

Quote: Nareed

I'm already planning for next year's trip (actually I'm hoping I may get away on a weekend in October, but that's very unlikely). I tend to favor Harrah's properties for the rates I'm offered on their online site, but I don't like gambling there. Now, my action isn't that big to begin with, but it woulnd't hurt to gamble where I stay.

Downtown my top choices are the Fremont and Main Street Station, because it seems the points earned with the Boyd property cards don't expire, and I did like gambling there. Of these two I'm more inclined for the Fremont, as Main Street is a little isolated and requires a longer walk to get to (I'll still move around a lot).

I'm 99% sure I won't stay off strip next time unless I decide to rent a car.

I have to echo what the others have said with MSS - I stayed there for the first time this year, and it's not as isolated as one would think. I would walk over the walkway, thru the Cal, and cross catty-corner into Binion's. At most it would take 5 minutes from the hotel room to get to Fremont Street. Decent VP, quite a few DD tables (No DAS), and the aforementioned 20x craps.

-B