Las Vegas Tips, Entertainment and News

You don’t have to gamble or watch the fancy production shows to enjoy Las Vegas. The best news is that you don’t even have to spend a lot of money for great entertainment. Las Vegas is home to some of the greatest comedians the entertainment business has to offer. Check out these shows for a night of non-stop laughter that will leave your side aching for more.

For a fresh, quick-witted comedian who holds nothing back, head to O’Sheas Casino to experience Vinnie Favorito. From start to finish Vinnie will have you laughing so hard from his take on life that you will fall from your seat. The show starts with everyday musings but after 10 minutes or so, you realize that Vinnie is here to take everyone along for the ride. Non-stop audience interaction and a keen comedian eye will make everyone in the house a target for Vinnie’s humor. He has the uncanny ability to take the simplest mundane things in life and turn them into hilarious acts. However, if you are timid, easily offended, or insulted by profanity, this show is might not be for you.

The Comedy Stop, shown at the Tropicana nightly at 8 and 10:30, has been hailed as one of the best comedy shows in Las Vegas. For a mere $20 bucks you get the opportunity to hear side-splitting humor from not one, but three comedians AND you get one drink on the house. The line-up differs nightly and while you may not be familiar with the headliners going in, you will know and love them when you leave. If you look closely and with a little effort, you can find 2 for 1 deals or $5.00 off coupons for an even better bargain. For the price, Comedy Stop entertainment can’t be beat.

In a tribute to hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, and memory loss, Menopause the Musical celebrates the joys of womanhood in a fun and upbeat musical comedy. Four women cross paths while shopping only to discover they have more in common than a bra size. Thus starts a journey to discovery as these women find support in the humorous events known as The Passage. The true message behind all the comedic relief is that menopause is a normal life experience that should be openly discussed. Realizing the potential of her work, creator Jeanie Linders took the show on the road to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. In doing so, the 05-06 tour raised over $500,000 toward research and awareness. The 08-09 tour has already begun this September.

Are you looking for witty, light-hearted humor that you can take your mother to see? Look no further than Harrah’s for Rita Rudner. Her take on life, marriage and mommy-hood come bundled into a 90-minute rip-roaring package full of off-kilter humor at a reasonable Vegas price. Other great comedians to see while on the Strip include Wayne Brady at the Venetian. Brady delivers the full package as he sings, dances, and acts all while delivering hysterical comedy. The Riviera Comedy Club is a mish-mash of great entertainment with some of the world’s funniest people laughing it up nightly.

So pass up the slots for one night of spell-binding hysteria and treat yourself to the comedy stylings of a Vegas Comedian. We are sure you will not be disappointed.

In any given Las Vegas casino, there are hundreds of different types of bets that you can make. Although you may love your slots, step outside your comfort zone and take a chance at a new game! It is all too easy to sit down at a one-armed bandit and pull (push, these days) away until your funds are depleted.

While it may be an incredibly simple “game” to play, it comes at a hefty price. Slot machines have some of the worst odds in the house, and can eat you away faster than you may think. Even if a machine pays out over 90%, you should never expect to only lose 10% of your bets in any given session. Keep in mind that the payout percentage includes jackpots, and you’ll have to sit there for awhile before your volatility settles into that 90% figure.

Are you ready to get away from the slots? Great! Here’s your first game to try: mini-baccarat. Mini-baccarat is just a slot machine played with a deck of cards. There is absolutely no strategy involved. None. Zip. Nada. The dealer deals out the cards, and you win or lose. Sure there is a methodology behind it, but the only decision you’ll need to make is choosing your bet.

Ready for something a little more involved? Try blackjack. One popular reason people shy away from blackjack is intimidation. This is nonsense. There is absolutely no need to ever feel intimidated at a table game. Read a quick rundown of the basic strategy, sit on the dealer’s right side (this gives you the maximum time to think about your hand before it’s your turn to play), and enjoy yourself! You’ll pick up on it faster than you think.

If you think table games are too complicated, you’re fooling yourself. Most games are incredibly easy to play. Take craps for example. If you’re not in the know, the game looks daunting! From the betting lingo, to the confusing table layout, to the dice, it seems like a foreign language. But, this game is way too much fun to pass up. Spend five minutes reading up on craps rules, and you’ll be good to go. Jump onto the rail and start with a simple pass bet. From there, slowly expand your arsenal of bets as you watch and learn from others. All in all, craps is extremely social. Not only will your bankroll rise and fall with those around you, 90% of them will be more than willing to teach you a few things as you play the game.

The final step is to go out and explore all the other games that a casino has to offer. Believe it or not, casinos have much more to offer than slots, blackjack, craps, and roulette. Here is an extensive list of Las Vegas casino games. Try something new. You might just find your new favorite game!

Hopefully by now you’re over your fear of table games. If you still don’t feel comfortable, attend a free gambling lesson offered by the casinos. Ask your hotel’s front desk for daily schedules when you check in (they’re usually offered mid-day). In the end, just make sure you don’t miss out on the fun because you were too afraid to give table games shot. Not only are they often a better bet than slot machines, they’re social, and that will only add to your gambling entertainment!

**For a quick rundown on gambling etiquette, lingo, and game rules, check out VegasClick.com’s Crash Course in Gambling.

Once you’ve successfully landed in Las Vegas and retrieved your luggage, the last thing you want to do is wait in line to reach your hotel destination and start winning big. While the most common and obvious way to get from the airport to your hotel is via cab, your excitement may come to a halt once you see the outrageously long line you’ll need to wait in just to get one. This Disney World-sized line seems to endlessly wrap up and down the sidewalks outside of the airport and may not seem like the best way to start an exciting vacation. Not to worry, there are other (and cheaper) options!

The money-savvy experienced travelers will always explore the Las Vegas shuttle option before any other mode of transportation to and from the airport as it is undoubtedly cheap and convenient. Showtime, Gray Line, and Bell Transportation, just to name a few, offer shuttle buses between the airport and various Strip and downtown hotels seven days a week. You can purchase tickets and catch one of these shuttles just outside the north and west sides of baggage claim (specifically outside door exits 8-14 in case you’re lost). You might have to wait for the bus to fill up before leaving the airport and may make a couple stops at other hotels to drop off other passengers before reaching your destination, but for the cost, it’s worth it! Prices range anywhere between $8-$15 round-trip or $5-$7 one-way. This beats paying $15-$20 for a cab and waiting 25 minutes in line any day–not to mention avoiding the risk of having the cabby take the “scenic route” to your hotel!

If you buy a round-trip shuttle bus ticket at the airport, be sure to hang on to it for your return trip to the airport. Ask your driver how far ahead of time you should call for pick-up at your hotel.  At the end of your Las Vegas stay, just pick up the hotel house phone and ask to be connected to your shuttle-bus company and arrange for pick-up!  No matter how much you gambled away during your stay, this pre-paid option is a guarantee to getting you back home!

It is not uncommon that you hear of someone running to the casino to make a big first bet as soon as they land in Las Vegas.  Whether it’s red 18 on the roulette wheel, or a Yo at the craps table, that precious first bet might just be a nice predictor of your luck for the rest of the trip.  Unfortunately, as any statistician will pound into your head, more often than not, you will lose that first bet, which by no coincidence will likely be the tone for the rest of the trip.

 While most gamblers understand that the odds are stacked against them, there may still be one bet in Las Vegas that may give you an edge: The Twenty Dollar Tip. 

Tipping the front desk attendant can pay dividends!  When checking in at a Las Vegas hotel, you will always be asked for your credit card and state ID.  Try sandwiching a twice folded $20 bill between the two cards and politely ask, “Are there any complimentary room upgrades available?”  You would be surprised at what this easy trick can accomplish.  From complimentary champagne, to rooms with better views, and even suites, Mr. Jefferson can bring you a lot!  And, as if this wasn’t a nice enough bet already, often when the attendant isn’t willing/able to divy out an upgrade, you will be given your $20 back.  You won’t find that at a craps table! 

Still not sure? Try checking out FrontDeskTip.com for some great stories about this trick.

You may feel a little bit nervous, but as we pointed out in our last post, Las Vegas runs on tips (something front desk attendants are usually left out of).  Unless your attendant is a rookie, he/she will know exactly what you’re after.  Give it a shot.  What if it fails and you lose your $20?  Well, you just lost your first bet, welcome to Las Vegas!

Everyone who has ever gambled in a Las Vegas hotel knows about the cocktail waitresses that come around, enticing you to keep gambling by offering free drinks.  What’s the price of a gin and tonic to them when you sit at the blackjack table for another half hour enjoying a drink (or worse, gamble irresponsibly from inebriation)?  What’s it matter to you though?  You came to Vegas to have a great time.  Free drinks?  A win-win situation.

To be more succinct, while the drinks are free, the service is not.  Cocktail waitresses/waiters (don’t worry Rio, I didn’t forget about your male servers), work hard and expect a tip.  Now, I’ll be the first to say that tips should not be something seen as a guarantee.  To Insure Prompt Service, right?  Given that, though, I would be hard pressed to find an instance when a cocktail waitress didn’t deserve a tip.  These people work long, hard hours on their feet (often in high heels)!  The question that comes then, is how much are we supposed to tip these waitresses?  Well, if you want the facts straight from the horse’s mouth, just listen to Dollie, a cocktail waitress gone webmaster over at Cocktaildoll.com.

While her site doesn’t look too fancy, Dollie has pages and pages on everything you could possibly want to know about the job of a cocktail waitress.  Many pages of the site are pretty useful, giving you tips on how to tip the waitresses, what they expect from you, and what you should expect from them.  Other pages such as “who orders what?” and her frequently asked questions have a lighter, sometimes comical tone.  Check out her site, and enjoy the free drinks!

With that, have you ever been at a casino just waiting and waiting for that cocktail waitress to come?  Well, if you plan on staying for awhile, and you’re sitting at a machine (I’m not sure how well this would work at a table, as their rounds seem to be better defined), give the cocktail waitress a large tip when she brings you your first drink.  More often than not, they’ll be back around before you can finish your first drink.  For additional drinks, just go back down to something more normal (say, $1).  It’s really amazing what a nice gesture on the first drink can do!