Mistakes First Timers make

[Sidekicknicholas]

Another (less awesome) vegas site has a similar thread ... advice for Vegas Nightlife newcomes can everyone share related to nightlife.:

My top 5

1. Do your homework - hosts, busy nights, mins, locations... save yourself time and headaches.

2. Bottle service is NOT required to have a great time, but it helps.

3. Drink water and/or don't get too wasted. Nothing ruins a night quicker than a buddy getting tossed and someone having to get him home

4. "off night" in Vegas is still better than the best day where ever you're from.... go out tuesday, save money.

5. Don't hit the tables after a night of hard drinking.... you think BS is expensive, wasted craps is worse.

[iamkhai]

Here are mine:

1. Gamble in spurts, never for a long period of time (exception is poker tournament)

2. Bottle service if priced correctly is the way to party at the clubs (even our most expensive night was still cheaper)

3. Dress to impress - everyone wears a damn button down and jeans. At least get a good pair of kicks or wear a tie or a coat.

4. Tip your host well and they will do whatever they can for you

5. Dance from first drink till last drink and every 4th drink have water. This will help prevent you from having a hang over even if you get 4 hours of sleep

5b. Sleep is for sissies. Get up, party, crash. If you need a power nap that's fine. But trying to sleep like 8-10 hours is pointless. There's too much to do in Vegas.

[WiscoBrad]

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You'll be doing alot of walking. (yes, you can have nice dress shoes be comfortable).

2. Only take the $$ you plan to spend with you, NOT your entire weeks bankroll. There's no telling when Craig will appear out of nowhere and take you to SR or Sapphire... Or when you decide in the middle of BS that random shots for the table are a good idea. $$$

3. Be cool to your cab/privatecar/limo driver. They will reciprocate with the happening place to be that night, a direct route, and entertaining stories.

4. Stay hydrated. Drinking will dehydrate you, and you need to keep your fluids up. Gatorade in the AM.

5. Make sure the girl you are taking home from the club really is a girl. Yes, it happens. Yes, the guy who took 'her' home was surprised. Yes, we still tease him.

[BSM]

1. Don't waste time to go see Hoover Dam - - that's precious hours you'll never get back. If you really need to see it, make sure to sit on the appropriate side of the plane.

2. Don't waste your time with the "shuttles" at the airport. If you have to wait for a Shuttle to make multiple stops, you're just wasting time. Cabs are cheap, so are limos - it's Vegas, spend the money.

3. Always ask for a "Complementary" Room Upgrade when you check into your Hotel. If you feel uncomfortable, use the "Sandwich" Trick and the check-in host will know exactly what you're looking to do.

4. If you are staying with a group in one room (or connected rooms), have a code / text code to let us/them know that the room is "occupied". You don't want to walk in and see that - - really.

5. Backups, Backups, Backups. Bring a Backup ID / Passport, Backup Credit Card / Traveler Checks, Backup Cell Phone, Backup Cell Charger... You never know what may happen.

[MangoPort]

1. Don't ask a cabbie for a recommended strip club. They will take you to the place offering the biggest kickback. Same goes for almost anything a cabbie offers; ask the hotel concierge instead.

2. Statistically most people lose 85% of their trip gambling bankroll on the first night and another 10% on the second. Pace yourself

3. Don't gamble for free drinks unless you were going to gamble anyway.

[laidback]

1) when you walk in the strip club and they ask for the $30/head cover, tell them, "c'mon, we drove ourselves, cut us a break". Do that whether you did or not. They can't usually tell and the fact you know about the kickbacks seems to work. I get free about half the time... $10 others. Never full price for cover. Save it for the girls... & $30 is a round of drinks...

2) do not take your cards to the strip club. Just don't. Take the amount of cash you are willing to spend. ATM fees in the club are $10 or so. Also, tuck a $10 in your shoe for a cab if you have no self control around the hotties.

3) always, always, always plan ahead for the club and *call a host first*. Just do that. It will be better. The biggest mack is even bigger when the host knows you're coming and knows what's coming out of your hand when you get there.

4) if you must gamble when wasted, do roulette. Everything else will suck you dry before you sober up.

[jsully84]

2. Don't waste your time with the "shuttles" at the airport. If you have to wait for a Shuttle to make multiple stops, you're just wasting time. Cabs are cheap, so are limos - it's Vegas, spend the money.

+1 My mom's boss is a Vegas veteran and he told me that before my first trip, great tip.

1. The free passes being handed out are most likely not going to get you inside the club without paying cover. Get in contact with a host about guest list and make sure you have a even or more girls to guys ratio.
2. Plan your trip before you get there. The last thing you want to do is sit around wasting your precious time thinking about where to go.
3. It's Vegas, live a little. Don't worry about that CC bill you'll get in the mail in a few weeks. You only live once.
4. Everyone is there to have a good time. If people see that you're having a good time, the party will come to you.

[McNulty]

1) If you arent doing bottle service, get the most bang for your buck, drink Long Islands and other strong drinks, everything is overpriced may as well make worth it. It's Vegas, don't waste time on beers in clubs

2) If you are doing BS, talk about it with your group beforehand, what you all expect to spend,, how open with the bottle you want to be with girls etc. Keeps the group happy if you are all on same page before the booze starts flowing.

3) If you are sleeping more than 4-5 hours straight you are doing it wrong

4) Do at least a few touristy things, but don't feel like you need to do them all in one trip. And have a "walking around" drink with you when you do touristy things.

5) Before you gamble, get a players card. The line may be long, but just being on mailing lists is worth it even if you arent a big gambler

6) Cab lines after a club suck, dont be afraid to walk around it and negotiate with the random limos hanging out.

7) Stock up early, water, booze, gatorade etc, once you get started you will be glad not to have to go find this stuff later Also, find the quick, fast cheap food option near your place

8) If you are flying Southwest, $10 early bird check in for flight home is key, you don't want to have to remember to do it, and your flight leaving Vegas is sad enough, don't want to be stuck in the middle seat between 2 strangers.

[zed65]

New to this board but here are the tips I would give a newbie.

1. Stay at a hotel in the center of the Strip.

2. Wear comfortable shoes.

3. Dress it up a little... no, dress it up a lot!

4. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want, and tip accordingly.

5. Know your limit, stay within it.

[MangoPort]

2. Don't waste your time with the "shuttles" at the airport. If you have to wait for a Shuttle to make multiple stops, you're just wasting time. Cabs are cheap, so are limos - it's Vegas, spend the money.

+1 My mom's boss is a Vegas veteran and he told me that before my first trip, great tip.

1. The free passes being handed out are most likely not going to get you inside the club without paying cover. Get in contact with a host about guest list and make sure you have a even or more girls to guys ratio.
2. Plan your trip before you get there. The last thing you want to do is sit around wasting your precious time thinking about where to go.
3. It's Vegas, live a little. Don't worry about that CC bill you'll get in the mail in a few weeks. You only live once.
4. Everyone is there to have a good time. If people see that you're having a good time, the party will come to you.

I sorta disagree with number 3. Most people "live a little" too much in Vegas their first time and go way over budget, which causes a money hangover once they leave. Lots of discounted show tickets, meal specials, drink specials and ways to do vegas well and cheaply if you look around.

[cm4short]

2. Don't waste your time with the "shuttles" at the airport. If you have to wait for a Shuttle to make multiple stops, you're just wasting time. Cabs are cheap, so are limos - it's Vegas, spend the money.

+1 My mom's boss is a Vegas veteran and he told me that before my first trip, great tip.

1. The free passes being handed out are most likely not going to get you inside the club without paying cover. Get in contact with a host about guest list and make sure you have a even or more girls to guys ratio.
2. Plan your trip before you get there. The last thing you want to do is sit around wasting your precious time thinking about where to go.
3. It's Vegas, live a little. Don't worry about that CC bill you'll get in the mail in a few weeks. You only live once.
4. Everyone is there to have a good time. If people see that you're having a good time, the party will come to you.

I sorta disagree with number 3. Most people "live a little" too much in Vegas their first time and go way over budget, which causes a money hangover once they leave. Lots of discounted show tickets, meal specials, drink specials and ways to do vegas well and cheaply if you look around.

I partially disagree with number 1. Those passes have gotten me in free to Pure(when it was still prime) and XS on a weekend on top of a few others I can't remember. It was either free or half priced. Just make sure its somewhere you'd plan on going anyways and are there by a decency time.

[WT661]

3. It's Vegas, live a little. Don't worry about that CC bill you'll get in the mail in a few weeks. You only live once.

Alot of great advice in this thread that I agree with.

This above I dont agree with though. LOL. I wouldnt be able to go back to back weekends or 3 weekends in a month if I did that. haha. Some of those multiple weekend or many days in a month all are int he same CC bill so that shit catches up on you. haha.

[A2K80]

Going to Vegas in a few months for the first time. Thanks for the tips.

[boags]

My 2c for first timers;

1. Invest time in doing your research and plan your trip. Spend lots of time here reading threads on the JC forums. Which clubs, contacting hosts, how to engage a host for bottles and/or line skipping, tipping etc.. This alone will make your trip 10x better than not..

2. Be a boy scout. Bring/buy a supply of ibuprofen, doxymaline, multi-vitamins and whatever else you use for recovery optimisation in those few hours of downtime between partying. Stock up on bottled water, gatorade, munchines, pre-game / wind down drinks etc.. as soon as you arrive. Don't leave a shopping run til later/tomorrow morning. It won't happen. Trust me.

3. It's your first time. In Vegas. Life is short. Go large, at least one level up from what you feel comfortable with. Can't really afford to go to the clubs? Go to the clubs. Can afford to go to the clubs, but not a table? Get a table. Can budget for a table? Get a dance floor table. Can afford a dance floor table, go all out, ballin, CRAZY stupid...Whatever your level, go one up. Tomorrow you could be hit by a bus, and wouldn't you die happier knowing you've done Vegas right?

4. Be piss fit. Don't wreck your first trip to vegas by being passed out, thrown out, thrown up (and out) by 1AM every night. Don't be that guy/girl. Can't really hold your drink all that well? Train. Hard. Months in advance, to build your tolerance. Sure, it will have a big negative impact on your work, home life, finances and health...but this is Vegas. Surely they are small prices to pay to ensure you can keep up the pace and get the most from your first trip?

Trust me, I'm a doctor..

[redbullvodka]

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

And

GTL hard before you go.