March Madness in Las Vegas Tips

The first weekend of March Madness is a really exciting time to be in Las Vegas. But, it can be a bit frenetic. In this episode of the podcast, I talk with Tom of The Vegas Parlay. His truncated notes are in italics. He helps us navigate the city and gives some low roller tips, showing that you can have quite a bit of fun without it costing an arm and a leg. Maybe just a leg. Below is a breakdown of our full conversation. Be sure to listen to the audio to get all the great details. Also, thanks to the March Madness in Las Vegas Facebook group for all the great questions. If you like Vegas and college basketball, it’s a great community. Here we go:

Any advice for a group of March madness first timers. I’m getting the sense that you don’t just walk up to a betting window, place a bet and sit down and watch the games. What’s the best way to bet, view, and get drunk for the games without spending a fortune? – Joe

• be sure to bet early as long lines are a big time waster
• viewing parties can make betting easier since they have kiosks inside
• go off the beaten path to get cheap drinks; they’re tough to come by in the sportsbooks
• try downtown like El Cortez; they typically have good drink specials

Do you know where there are single-day tickets where we can get a group of seats for not a fortune? – Harris Or, are there any free viewing parties on the Strip? – Mauchese

• Treasure Island has a big party in their showroom (free viewing)
• Besides TI, there are limited free viewing parties on the Strip
• Rhumbar at Mirage is good for single-day tickets
• Though, there are quite a few single-day tickets to be found

I was not aware that some of the sports books are not open 24/7. I get in late on the 16th and wanted to place my bets the night before? – Jeff

• Many of the books will remain open quite late
• The Superbook at Westgate will be open until 1am
• Southpoint is open 24hrs (good if you’re renting a car)
• Venetian sportsbook was open until 2am last year
• Kiosks will be a great option since they’re open 24hrs

I want to smoke and watch the games, what sports books can I expect to get a comfortable seat solo and enjoy my day, I am staying at Caesars but have been told good chairs are completely reserved so what are my options? – Cary

• Rhumbar, again, is a good place for cigar smoking since it’s an outdoor setup
• Single seated patrons can probably find an individual seat at the downtown books
• Some Strip books don’t allow smoking, so seats are tough to find

How’s the book at SLS?  – Collin

• It’s good since they have the William Hill odds
• It’s a fairly easy trip on the Monorail
• The book runs through Umami Burger, so it’s pure sportsbook setup isn’t great
• If you’re looking for a lounge/restaurant experience it can be good

Best place to watch on the Strip, downtown, off- strip?

• Hoops and Hops at the Cosmo is a bit pricey, but it’s a really cool setup
• TI is really good, though, since it’s free
• Really, any place downtown is good
• You can bounce around from place to place easily find a spot you feel comfortable
• off-Strip, Westgate is great because of the Superbook
• Gold Coast is a bit dated, but it’s a great place to watch
• SouthPoint has a really large showroom with great drink specials

What are our options if it’s the last second and we didn’t have a plan?

• Forget about the sportsbooks because they’ll be packed
• Get away from the Strip if you can
• If you don’t mind playing VP and slow playing, you can probably find a seat or two at a bar
• Downtown is probably your best bet given all the options and their close proximity

Any betting advice for beginners, say people heading out there with friends but who don’t track NCAA basketball much? What are some of the easy and fun bets to make to feel like we are a part of the action? Any bets to avoid?

• Don’t get sucked into the large underdogs
• Try to identify some moderate underdogs and make a parlay on the moneyline
• Bet $6 on every game; it gives you a little action throughout the entire day

Big thanks to Tom for taking the time to be on the show. We both hope everyone has a good time when they’re in town. If you have any low roller March Madness tips, we’d love to hear them in the comments. Best of luck out there!

Thanks to this episode’s sponsor, HornetApps. Check out their BlackJack Trainer app for both ios and Google Play if you’d like to improve your game.

feature photo: kpgolfpro