My local, is 25 miles to a Horse Shoe, Harrahs, and Ameristar in Council Bluffs,

1. is the local casinos enough to get the gambling fix? Yes, but No. Yes , I can get my gambling time in, but usually not lazer focused like preparing for mecca. Just loading the pockets and running to the local has been a bad plan. Usually still thinking about work, kid, and local shit going on. I am not relaxed or have a good gambling game plan, and or strategy. Just show up and start looking for a table, and sure enough 3 hours later leaving pissed and wondering WTF did I come here for.


2. are other locations just as nice or is Vegas the place?NO
3. Food and hotel? Fine, but Meh!
4. Service and entertainment? ocassionally
5 gambling Limits? good
6 Drinking and acting crazy. Free booze for the most part, but service is iffy.
7. Things to do and see- Nadda

For me the Vibe is old people playing sluts, and everyone in general is just getting bilked by the house advantage. At least in Vegas it has some energy, so I feel happy with the casino vacuum sucking my money from my wallet.

I also feel that my prep time between trips allows me some confidence in winning when I arrive at the fake Elvisopolis.

 

it's like when Shifter used to try to get me to meet him in Miss. at the Beau Rivage. Why would I fly all day to go to a dump when I can get to Vegas in 45 minutes? Vegas has everything better than the best thing at the Beau Rivage, lol

 

Vegas vs other locations


1. Is the local casinos enough to get the gambling fix?

• To me, Borgata in AC is the next best domestic gambling experience compared to Vegas (until (if) Wynn Everett opens)
  
• PA/CT casinos are all within driving distance, but are isolated and I HATE tribal casinos (Mount Airy is nice but still meh)
  
• ResortsWorld (Aqueduct) is total shit run by the NYS lottery (VLTs-NOT real Video Poker) and the parking lot can be dangerous at times

2. Are other locations just as nice or is Vegas the place?

• Borgata and The Water Club are both nice and feel "upscale"
• Buyer beware at all other properties (if you ever stay at Mohegan Sun CT, look at the bottom of the mattresses and you'll know what I mean)

3. Food and hotel?

• Borgata again comes up Aces with top-notch dining options and the rooms don't disappoint
  
• Some of the others have nice options (i.e. Emeril's at Sand's Bethlehem), but that is also buyer beware due to lack of quality control

4. Service and entertainment?

• Most casinos pull in top talent to get players in so that's a push

5 Gambling Limits?

• I'm no high-roller, but I've seen some very high-limit action on weekends at all properties

6 Drinking and acting crazy.

• Borgata and Harrah's AC can get crazy on weekends
• Mount Airy Casino now has an indoor pool with cabanas and pool club which can get nuts

 

Pphold, you need a break from gambling; AND Vegas...

 

Winstar definitely sucks. Food sucks, having to pay an Ante per hand sucks, and the quality of humans there sucks. I like to refer to it as the Walmart of Casinos. My brother goes to OU and occasionally goes to Riverwind which I'm told is nicer but I haven't been there myself. Since you are also from Dallas, I'd recommend making the drive to Shreveport especially if you have a players card with CET, it's way nicer and a much better experience than anything around here. If you want to drive another 4 hours further than that I'd also recommend New Orleans, I stay at Harrah's and it's much more 'vegas like'. But with all of that said, nothing beats actual Vegas!

 

I'm in the Chicago area and all locals blow here except the poker room at the Horseshoe. I'm less than an hour from 8 casinos and I'm in Vegas more than all of them combined. Shitty clientele, paid drinks, mostly bad rules.... No thanks.

As an alternative gambling destination, I prefer Atlantis or Tahoe. Not for the gambling, but for the local activities. I still manage to get my fix, but not the focus on those trips. Vegas for me revolves around the tables

 

Meh the casinos in Chicago area are ok. Paid drinks suck but the rules really nothing you can complain about honestly.

 

Eh, Couple have decent bj I guess. But I am in nw burbs and the 2 closest (rivers & grand vic) are the worst. I guess if I were passing by Joliet more, I'd probably pop in

 

Spot on about LC

The only thing I can get there is the gambling. A day to a day and a half is my limit for being there.

pp,

I'd much rather go to Vegas. But if you're gonna take a break then maybe make it a clean no casino break because all local casinos are nothing compared to Vegas. The best thing about Vegas is when you're getting thumped at the tables it has so much else to offer to still enjoy the trip.

And once your hiatus is up the return to Vegas will be that much sweeter. When I took my Vegas break back in 2012 and stayed away until early 2014 I had to because all my travel was used to going home when my mom was sick. I went to the local PA casinos when I was home but I'd hate losing even more than normal because the atmosphere was so much less than Vegas.