Going solo??

Suggested strategies for those going solo:

**Bring a small notebook and take down the details you want to remember for you trip report.

** bring Dancer's video poker strategy book or some printed VP or BJ sheets and look up the hands that confused you.

** Bring a poker book. Reviewing strategy right after playing is different than studying at home.

**Eat at the counters. Often this means you skip a long line. You can be entertained by the action behind the counter or end up in conversation with the guy next to you. Golden Gate has a good counter. Mirage Cravings has a counter that cuts your time away from poker table time so you might have time to eat and get back to play. Play a few hours and ask for a comp there.California's cafe has a counter that cuts the line for the prime rib special. But don't stank in line. Go to the greeter and ask if there is space at the counter.


El Cortez has a counter where half the time you can eat with someone you just played cards with. Try Jackie's melt. Their poker games are also games where solo guys have lots of banter and conversation.

Mamacita's Mexican across from El Cortez has great music videos. I went there prepared to write a review of the place and was busy copying names of food and noting the decor.

I find that when I am solo I meet people more easily than when I have friends or wife along. Talk to people on the bus. Sitting in the front seat upstairs on the Deuce will often get you in a group of site seers and with all these board posts, you know things. Start conversations with a question on one of the passing casinos even if you already know the answer. Don't make the question personal like " Have you ever stayed at the Stratosphere?" but conversational like " Do you know if the Stratosphere Tower is expensive or not?"

Oh, the greatest opening question in Vegas is, "Are we winning today?" Just remember that your own wins and losses do not matter unless you are asked. From the reponse to that question you can judge the willingness of the person to talk and move them in to telling you a lot about gambling or how Vegas can be fun for non gamblers.

The last time I rode the Deuce in traffic one guy was a trucker who had parked way out by the Cannery and worked his way by bus into Vegas. Talk about solo. He had great trucking stories. Another knew more about who owned what casino when than anyone I ever met and with just a bit of priming he was off and talking about every casino along the way. Just remember that people don't want to know a lot about you but love to talk about them and avoid those long know it all rants against annoyances that we sometimes see on the board unless you want to hear everything that has annoyed that person for the past decade. Positive celebration is a better tone for conversation with strangers.

****Start conversation in buffet lines. After one such conversation I once ended up eating with the guy who figured the tax angles for Hideki Matsui. and his friend a teacher in LA. They had stories. Offer your 2 for 1 in buffet lines.

***Every discussion board has meets. Check them out. And find out when posters are going who you know. Then you can eat, gamble, share coupons with someone who you talk to here. My best board buddy is meeting me this December and bringing her 80 something Mom along. My June solo trip at the El Cortez we ate one day on her 2 free breakfasts, another on mine, and then I ate a third day on another board poster who hangs with her.

**Finally, I started announcing my solo trips to everyone I knew and offering to help them plan a trip at the same time, or offered the extra bed in my room. I always book two doubles so there is space for anyone. I've had lots of takers. For this December it has been hard to choose between poker buddies. Some people who never visit you at your house, will meet you in Vegas especially if you already have the rooms, the 2 for 1 coupons, all the spots where they can gamble for free on $10 promotions, and can suggest a good airfare.