Your Favorites – Chris

Name:

GreenKorean  (age 43)

Favorite hotel:

Aria

The per night prices are a little steep (about $300 per night on the weekend), but if I’m doing a weekend Vegas getaway with my wife, it’s worth every penny. You know what they say, happy wife=happy life. The hotel and casino have a classy modern design that feels luxurious without feeling ostentatious.

The rooms are very comfortable and the beds are amazing. It’s the only place on the strip where I have no trouble falling asleep. I also appreciate the little things like the usb ports on the tv console that allow you to plug in and play your own music over the room speakers.

It has all the things you’d expect from a high end hotel (pools, spa, incredible restaurants) and there’s a good selection of table games.

The location of the hotel is perfect for me because it is about mid-strip so it’s easy access to a lot of different hotels. Also, there’s a free monorail that will take you to the Monte Carlo and the Bellagio.

Last, Aria is directly across the street from my favorite place to gamble, Planet Hollywood.

Favorite casino:

Planet Hollywood

If I’m doing a weekend getaway without my wife, this is where I like to stay. During the day, you can find table games around the $10-$15 range, and at night around $25-$50. The casino isn’t too big, so if you get separated from your group of friends, it’s pretty easy to find them. Blackjack pays 3:2 on the 6 deck shoes (6:5 on the double deck). The dealers and pit bosses are extremely friendly and of course there’s the Pleasure Pit.

The Pleasure Pit is a row of table games where the dealers are attractive, upbeat women dressed in “conservative” lingerie. It tends to attract a younger late 20’s/early 30’s crowd, so the vibe is energetic but not obnoxious. It’s a good place to play if you’re looking to party and have fun while you gamble.

Favorite restaurant:

Gallagher’s Steakhouse located at New York, New York.

The dry aged steaks are amazing. Over the years I’ve taken dozens of people here. No one has ever left disappointed with the food.

Go to game:

Blackjack

If I follow basic strategy, I can usually play for hours without losing much (or winning much) money.  The longer I play, the better my comp rating gets. So, based on my average play ($25-$50 tables for about 4-6 hours per day), I can usually get a free room at Planet Hollywood if I request one. I have a $300 per day loss limit. So, if on the odd occasion I’m getting killed at the blackjack tables, I’ll head over to the Pai Gow tables where I can still get free drinks and my money lasts a really long time.

Vegas cocktail of choice:

Free Samuel Adams while playing blackjack is enough to keep me happy.

What is your favorite Vegas memory to date?

My wife and I went to Vegas with another couple and we all went in together on a slot machine at The Palms. Each of us put $20 into a $1 Ten Times Pay machine. It came down to our second to last spin when we hit a 10x -10x-TrippleBar. We ended up splitting $6000 four ways (minus the tip to the slot attendant). It’s one of my favorite memories not because of the amount we won, but because it was one of those rare trips where we all left Vegas as winners.

Any tips for other Vegas fans?

As long as you are gambling, beer and a few other drinks are free. Put $10 into a video poker machine at the bar, play .25 cents at a hand and get your free drink. And hey, you might even get lucky and win a few bucks.

Besides Vegas Fanboy, what other Vegas related media to you consume?

I really enjoy The Strip: Las Vegas Podcast. The A-list interviews are really interesting. I also like the guys over at You Can Bet On That: Gambling Podcast. It’s like being a fly on the wall listening to 2 old friends share entertaining gambling stories.

Want to share some of your favorites and complete the survey? Shoot me an email through the contact form. I’d love to hear from you!