Las Vegas money-saving tips
There's nowhere on Earth like Las Vegas. It's a wild and wonderful city to visit and the poker games and card rooms are among the best in the world. Every poker player should visit Las Vegas, Nevada, at least once in their lives – and many more times if they can afford it.
And with affordability in mind, here is how to save money in Las Vegas.
Visit Downtown – The Fremont Street Experience
Downtown is “old Vegas”. It's where the cowboy sign is. It's where a lot of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was set. And it's where the best casino deals are.
Fremont Street is the main street of Downtown and has been pedestrianised and has a huge 1,375 feet long and 90 feet wide Viva Vision screen suspended 90 feet above the ground. It makes for a wild and fun experience.
Fremont Street can't compete with the glitz and glamour of the strip, but where they do compete is on price, service, and fun.
Some tourists don't even make it to Fremont Street, which is a real shame. Make sure you're not one of them.
Avoid the weekends
You might think that visiting Las Vegas at the weekend would be a good move. Wrong!
Vegas is always fun, always busy, and always expensive. But the weekends are a lot busier and more expensive, without being any more fun.
The table games’ (blackjack, roulette, and craps) minimum bets go up, making it more expensive to play. It's harder to get a reservation in the restaurants, and most importantly, the hotel room prices go through the roof.
If you're going for a long trip, there's nothing you can do, but if you're only visiting for a few days, make it a midweek stay.
The 20 dollar trick
The $20 trick is a great way to get a free upgrade. Well, an upgrade for $20.
When you check-in, the clerk will ask for a credit card and ID. Have a $20 wrapped in your credit card and casually hand it over with your ID. Very often, the clerk will pocket the $20 and give you a room upgrade or some other bonus worth far more than the $20 invested.
The downside to this one is that it doesn't work every time, in every hotel, but it's definitely worth a try. If a clerk isn't interested, they usually just hand it back. Which is slightly embarrassing, but a fun story to tell your friends.
Technically this won't save you money, but it can really enhance your experience.
Player card discounts
When you gamble in a casino in Las Vegas, you need a player card. You register for these at the loyalty card desks and it takes about five minutes, depending on the queue. Just remember your ID.
Once you have a player card, use it whenever you gamble and you'll accumulate points.
The trick here is to remember to use them. So many people leave Las Vegas without even checking how many points they have on their cards.
Set aside time on your last day to work out what points you have on your player cards. OK, unless you're a high roller, you might not have a huge amount on the card, but you might get a free meal, or at least a free bet.
Know the poker rake
We always advise poker players to know the rake (for cash games and tournaments), and in Vegas it's even more important. There are many poker tournaments in Vegas where the rake is very high. Most of the biggest casinos keep their rake to between 15 per cent and 25 per cent, which is expensive but acceptable. While some of the smaller casinos and pubs hosting games can really take advantage by taking as much as 50 per cent or higher. Watch out for the lower buy-in games at the smaller casinos.
One of our writers once played a game at a downtown pub and discovered the rake was 70 per cent. And the servers disappeared after the first level. They learned a valuable lesson – and they never went back. They also didn't cash.
The easiest way to know the rake is Poker Atlas. This free app will give you all the information you need about poker tournaments and cash games. If you're visiting Las Vegas, it really is a must.
If the game isn't on Poker Atlas, that should be a warning to you. The best thing to do if that's the case is the ask the tournament director (or bar manager) what the entry fee is. If they can't tell you, don't play.
Don’t pay CNF tax
Always check your bill before paying in a diner, restaurant, bar or casino.
Some places add a ‘CNF’ tax which stands for ‘Concession and Franchise Fee’.
This is a discretionary tax that you don’t need to pay. It doesn’t affect the tip and you should always ask to have it removed. They’ll take it off without any questions being asked.
Not every restaurant adds this to your bill, but it’s common enough to be something worth watching out for.
Play deep tournament poker structures
One of the best things about Vegas is how good the poker tournaments are. People are there to have a good time. The chat is often good, the play is often soft, and the structures are often deep.
You can't review the chat, or the field before you sit down, but you can check on the structure. A deep structure is worth paying a bit extra for. You'll get a better game and you'll likely get to play poker for longer.
Download the app Poker Atlas to get all the details on poker tournaments before you register.
Gambling off the strip and Downtown
At Poker Bankroll Expert, we don't recommend table games like craps, roulette or blackjack because the house has a huge advantage and you're highly unlikely to win in the long run. But we understand that if you're on your holidays and want to see what all the whooping at the craps table is about, then it's understandable.
If you are going to sit at one of these tables, some good advice is to play them off-strip or Downtown (at Fremont Street). The strip has the most beautiful casinos, but they're also the most expensive. This is fine when you're playing poker as you're up against other players where there's no house advantage (aside from the rake), but when it comes to table games, play somewhere affordable.
Some of the casinos off the strip offer amazing deals for new players and regulars alike. Some offer free bets and discounted meals, and they're a lot of fun.
Free drinks at the slot machines
Many people think “free drinks while you gamble” is a myth or an old tradition in Las Vegas. Thankfully, free alcohol is alive and well. Sit down at your favourite (cheapest) slot machine, hit the buttons a couple of times, and bide your time for a server to turn up. Once they do, order whatever you like. Cocktails go a long way, but they're happy to serve you beer, whisky, bottled water, coffee. All on the house. Just make sure you tip them at least a dollar for their troubles. Tip them a few dollars extra and there's a good chance you'll see them again soon. Only rule is – make sure your drink is finished before they arrive with a second. Having two drinks in front of you is frowned upon.
Provided you don't have too many and then gamble recklessly, this is going to save you a lot of money. It can cost as much as $20 a drink in Las Vegas in the bars and restaurants, so being aware that you can have a drink of just about anything for $1 will make a lot of difference.
You can also just buy a case of beer and have drinks in your room before you go out, but this is a more sociable way to enjoy Sin City.
Just remember to drink and gamble responsibly. It's great to get a few free drinks, but remember that the casinos aren't doing it out of the kindness of their hearts. Know your limit and stay within your limits.
Tix 4 Tonight - on the night
We think poker is the best thing about Vegas, but there's lots more to do than just playing the beautiful card game.
The world's best shows come to Vegas and play every night. If you've always wanted to see Adele, Britney, Calvin Harris or Deadmau5, this is the place where you will definitely get your chance, at a price.
Tickets are expensive but if you're prepared to turn up at Tix 4 Tonight to see what they've got going spare, you can save a fortune.
If you're looking for great shows to see, we recommend The Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil.
Bring a book for the flight
This might not save you money, but it could help you play better!
We’ve compiled a list of the greatest poker books of all time so that you can choose the book that suits you best for your flight.
Whether you want to work on your ICM, metal game, or read about the most interesting period of poker in the UK, there’s something on this list that you will love.