Friends of mine are going to Vegas and staying at the Orleans. I wrote up all my thoughts and collected some links and when I was done, it seemed so detailed that I wanted to make it my new Orleans boilerplate.
Here it is:
The problem with high end restaurants is they are often overpriced. They give them free to the high rollers and so the value looks like a lot to them. Sales on food are rarely at the upscale.
And avoiding alcohol does not mean avoiding great free drinks.
Here it is:
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ORLEANS
Here is what you can expect in your room.
Unlike most places, the rooms are very consistent at the Orleans, one being fairly much like another. You can ask for a view. You can get a Premium room and have one that has recently been remodeled. I like to just zip up and down so I try to get floor 1-8 as there is one elevator for that and one for all the other floors. I ask for quiet.
You do need to show a key to the guard before you get on the elevator.
All rooms have wifi in the room now as part of the higher resort fee ($10) a night.
There is also wifi in the Java coffee place right near the check in on the first floor. You can even plug in there. So if someone needs to get out of the room in the morning and leave someone else sleeping, there is an alternative recreation to machines.
Coffee is available in the room.
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TRANSPORTATION
There is the free shuttle running for most of the day. It goes about every 20 minutes to the Gold Coast or the Strip or sometimes both. It stops at the strip on Flamingo in back of Bally’s.
There is the 201 city bus that runs to the strip along Tropicana. You need correct change, $2 each way. The stop is just across the street on Tropicana. Walk back to McMullens’ and cross at the light. It stops at MGM and runs every 20 minutes.
Cabs are cheapest if you go from the Orleans to the Aria as long as the cabby does not long haul you. It would be a simple ride to the back of the Aria. It was just $7 for us last November.
The cab caught at NYNY circle there on Tropicana just near the strip is cheap because it just has to go down Tropicana and it is at the Orleans. Ask the price. Some of the cabbies don’t like this short run and rip people off. I’m guess it should be about $10 or so. It should not be $20 as I have heard some pay.
Cabs in Vegas cannot be hailed on the street. Go to any casino and get it there.
If you feel like exploring, there is a free tram inside the casino at Monte Carlo that does Aria and Bellagio.
There is a free tram just as you enter Excalibur that does Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
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GAMBLING
Sign up for a Player’s Card and use it when you play as you can never tell what it might get you. It makes the buffet cheaper, and may give you free room offers for your next visit just because you are new, even if your total gambling is not much. Orleans is generous in comps, unlike strip properties. The card is also good at the Gold Coast, the sister casino that you can visit by using that free shuttle from the Orleans.
Also, just having the card makes booking again on the B Connected site possible. Some of the best room prices are there.
The shuttle also gets you to the strip, dropping behind Bally’s but it is a bit of a walk to the strip itself.
If you are in the Orleans on a Wednesday, that is Young at Heart day and just a bit of play will get you a free buffet that day. There is also a drawing for cash. Poker buddy Wild Bill won $350 once in one of those drawings. You swipe your card in a kiosk after you play to put your virtual “tickets” in the “drum” and you get more tickets with more play.
Check back as every so often they change the day to Tuesday.
Check back closer to the time to see there are any promotions here
They don’t have the best VP in Vegas at the Orleans, but it is much better than the strip. Their slots are better as well. I’d save my gambling money for this casino and not gamble on the strip.
Before you leave, check again with the Player’s Club to see if you have any cashback. You and Jimmy should play on the same card.
I’d suggest playing those nickel three plays as they are great fun, and they offer a royal progressive on each line, so no telling what you might hit. The game is Double Bonus and pay table will have 9 in the full house and 7 in the flush.
There are just two banks of these in the casino. To find one bank stand with your back to the Buffet entrance and walk to the other side of that area and down to the right. The bank will be positioned perpendicular to the wall (with a corridor on each side) perhaps five machines on each side. It is very popular with the locals so it can fill up. This is also a no smoking section. When you play select the Double Bonus game that shows 9 for the full house and 7 for the flush. You can use just a standard Jacks of Better Strategy or you can get technical and print out a strategy sheet to bring in with you. Here is the best strategy for Double Bonus games. You can print out the pages and take them with you and pause for the harder decisions. Some of the best plays are counterintuitive in this game and that is why it can survive in full pay.
9/7 strategy is the same as 10/7 strategy.
Since 4 Aces pays so much, we split the two pair if one is Aces and hold three Aces even if we have been dealt Aces full.
This site in general is the best site for all things mathematical on all games. The fellow is a real genius and totally unconnected and just into pure mathematics.
There is another bank that allows smoking, but I can’t describe exactly where it is. If you ask someone near that first bank, they can probably tell you. I only seek it out if there are no seats left at this one.
Here is the poker tutor I used and like on the site of the fellow who designed it. I like too that they give great service if there are any issues. It is fun to have at home to practice a little before you go because it will show you what the best plays are. You can even punch in a complete hand and see what the best play it.
There is a free download to try that does not have all the features, but will give you a sense of the product.
Playing a good pay table and good strategy does not make you more lucky, but it does let you win more in a winning session and lose less in a losing one.
Do not play any DB Double Bonus in the Orleans casino that only pays 9 for the Full House and 6 for the Flush. If you play single line quarters, you are better playing the DDB Double Double Bonus that has 9 for the full house and 6 for the flush because it pays twice as much as the Double Bonus on the high hands and the rest of the pay table is identical.
In nickels 9/7 is good and the royal progressions make it better.
It is nice to have more fun on 75 cents a spin than we usually have on $1.25.
Always play full coin in VP because that is when the royal really pays off. Playing one coin brings the payback math down quite a bit.
Another popular game is a Bonus Poker that will have 8 in the full house and 5 in the flush and still give you 2 for two pair. This is the closest to Jack or Better at the Orleans. Their Jacks of Better games are not good pay tables.
They have this all over, even in at the bars.
Craps and blackjack get good reports at the Orleans. Just make sure in blackjack anywhere that they still pay 3/2 for the blackjack and not 6/5. There are other rules to watch, but that is the big one. 6/5 games are a rip off. The famous bumper sticker is:
“Friends don’t let friends play 6/5 Blackjack”
Some are intimidated by craps. It looks complicated, but actually the best bet is the simplest bet and it is one of the best bets in the casino as well. The game is fun to watch. Just stand and watch until you see other people putting money on the Pass Line. The dealer at this point will move a disc off the numbers. Put the minimum there on the pass line. That gets you in that session of rolls until either you win or lose.
If you want an even better bet, you can add money to some of your bets once the point is established. Just ask the dealer to tell you how much you can put down as a “Free Odds” bet and put that much behind your first bet. Actually, on that money, the house has no advantage at all. It is a coin flip bet and so reduces the house advantage of your entire bet. You can only do this bet if you have a bet on pass line first.
Wizard of Odds can tell you more details on the game and there is a practice game on his site
Never play Keno. It is the worst bet in the house.
I don’t suggest playing live poker at the Orleans, but they do have an easy 2-4 limit game that won’t cost much. However, locals come every day and are hard to beat and once I thought there was collusion. Poker is determined by who sits at the table. If either of you is interested in live poker, let me know and ask me some more questions.
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FOOD
I like the Orleans buffet. It is not as fancy as some on the strip, but cheap and good. Your Player’s card gets you a reduced price. Sometimes with your room you have $10 food credit. This makes one lunch buffet on the cheap days.
If you are out and about, both Elizabeth and I liked the Aria buffet for fancier food. Bellagio and Paris are very good. The Cosmopolitan is reported to be good but very expensive. Stay away from Luxor and Excalibur, and lately I’ve heard bad reports on MGM. Ask me about others.
For variety you can always take the free shuttle to the Gold Coast for another cheap buffet. Once there you can walk across the street to the Palms for a small but well reported buffet.
Al’s Oyster house gets good mention. It is not on the menu, but I ask them to make me an oyster stew when I go. Usually $11. There are lots of other good oyster things on the menu.
The Mexican gets good ratings.
The little Courtyard Cafe is fine for breakfast. We like the oatmeal that can be ordered with a few toppings. If you have been playing, have them take your points as part of the payment. You might end up with a free meal. Points used as food are more valuable than any used for cashback.
If you know you are going to be in the Orleans for the whole day and evening, especially on weekends, you might want to pay the price in the morning at the buffet for the day bracelet. $27. What this lets you do is go into the French Market buffet without standing in the main line which can be quite long.
Also, you can go as often as you like. I’ve used it when I wanted to take a few breaks and have coffee and fruit and then maybe come back in an hour. I might graze five times in a day, and not stuff myself at any one buffet sitting.
The Mexican gets good reports. I thought it was just average.
From the Orleans, walk across to the Irish Pub, McMullen’s for some homemade potato chips or a meal of Shepard's pie. It is a pub with lots of little wooden nooks and crannies and can be a way to escape the casino scene. We had Christmas dinner in our own room there one year when the kids came.
The Orleans shuttle drops you off just short of this little local casino called Ellis Island. which is famous for the steak special served 24 hours a day. You have to like green beans and garlic and a bargain. They make their own rootbeer. When the free shuttle drops you off, you walk in the opposite direction to the strip, to the first light and turn right. They also have inexpensive food, but sometimes you have to take a number at popular times. I have not tried the barbecue. It is in a separate location. Folks love that as well.
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I don’t know much about the high end restaurants, but if you skim this discussion board, you can see others post about them.
If you join, you can ask your own questions. It is perfectly safe and run by someone just interested in Vegas the way I am, not someone trying to sell anything. She barely keeps the board running, but it is just a wonderful resource.
Also, this board friend of mine operates this blog and eats very well. She includes photographs of the good tastes.
A second great discussion board is:
Most of the activity is in the Let's Talk About Vegas section.
The problem with high end restaurants is they are often overpriced. They give them free to the high rollers and so the value looks like a lot to them. Sales on food are rarely at the upscale.
On the other hand, some of the best chefs in the world are in Vegas. If you want to try a real upscale restaurant, we went here and loved it.
We have a good friend who knows food and chefs. He has yet to go to Vegas, but he would have recommendations based on his reading and knowledge of food. Let me know if you want me to ask him. Tell me for what you might search.
If you want to explore other kinds of tastes, there is a little Ethiopian restaurant in walking distance and a rather cool veggie place a short cab ride away.
the Filipino restaurant at China Town gets good marks.
I have not been there. Chinatown is a bit off my usual as the buses are complicated. It is not the sort of Chinatown we experience in NYC, Chicago, or Montreal. Much smaller. Not much really diverse shopping.
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DRINK
It is very important to drink even when you are not thirsty in Vegas, especially in August, even indoors, and there are no water fountains.
Gambling you can get free bottled water, but I ask for Perrier. I can’t remember what the Orleans has in that line, but it makes hydration fun.
And avoiding alcohol does not mean avoiding great free drinks.
My breakfast at the Orleans is often virgin bloody marys with “lots of Olives” while I play video poker.
I can’t do the sugary virgin drinks anymore, but they are all available and very tasty and just a dollar tip.
If you visit the Gold Coast and want to see the little pool, I think with your Orleans key they will let you into that area. In the exercise room next to the pool, there is the best cold water in cups. Now there is a frugal gambler’s tip! If you don’t want to see the pool, just pretend you do. Do it for the water.
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ENTERTAINMENT
I’ve seen a few things in the Orleans showroom: Smothers Brothers, Richard Wright, Vicki Lawrence , once a mentalist act. I like the place. Sometimes you get some reduced priced coupons on check in. Keep an eye here to keep up with who is playing.
Elizabeth and I both like the main lounge where we can hear some good music and perhaps dance. It depends on who is playing, but often it is music from our era.
I almost made it to the Painting class but it cancelled on me. I am not an artist and this is just fine for untalented people like me. Something unusual to do
There is a nice bowling alley.
The spa was nice when I used it years ago. It costs a bit, but is not too expensive. Both the spa and the pool are just next to the elevators that run floors 1-8.
Elizabeth liked the massage here better than what she had at the Palms.
The pool can be cool until the sun heats it, but I suppose not in August.
I love the jacuzzi as it is large with fake rocks and the music is fine.
The whole pool area is a great place to read and relax.
Here are some recent threads on the Orleans:
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If you want to see my actual Trip Reports on this blog, each of those post are marked with a TR. I don’t glump a trip report into one big narration. I divide by topic so folks can skim for what they want to read.
In the right column of this blog are other sites I like to visit.
“Vegas Chatter” is one that I like.
If you want to get good prices on midpriced show tickets before you go,
Joining is free. Sometimes the tickets are almost free, just a fee to Goldstar.
Then there is this place to check and see what they have for that day. Here is the one near you.
Going to see a Cirque show is lots of fun. We loved O. I’ve seen it twice. Mystere is fine. Ka was too much about war but nice. Love was fun if you like the Beatles and much less money. Zumanity is pretty raw but we liked it. For that one sit close to the stage. For the others, any center seats that are not too far away give you a good show.
Now is the time to buy your tickets to Cirque shows. They sell out quickly.
There is plenty of comedy around time. Stay away from SinCity comedy unless it is the only option.
I want to go to this one. It probably is the closest to you.
He had a good run at Tropicana and so moved upscale in the new place.
Always in standup comedy, what you get depends on who plays that day.
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I skipped downtown. I thought you probably would not go there this trip with all you have to do. It is not much of a tourist place except for gamblers. Less Pizzazz. But if you want some sense of it, ask me.
I stay there, but I use the buses to go other places, except for the video poker at the 4 Queens and the live poker at the Golden Nugget.
