Las Vegas is nicknamed "Sin City" for a reason. Whether you're in town for a bachelor party, convention, or a poker tournament, at some point one of your friends will blurt out, "Let's go to a strip club!".
Dr. Pauly lived in Las Vegas on and off for five years and wrote a book, Lost Vegas, about his experiences covering the poker scene. A couple of times per day, someone will ask him to recommend something about Las Vegas, whether it's information about where they should play poker, or where to eat a high-end buffet, or where to go for a bachelor party, or where's the best place to bet on sports.
He wrote down several lists of places to see and things to do based upon the most popular questions people asked him about Las Vegas. These lists are designed specifically for tourists, but he help give you a local resident's perspective.
Dr. Pauly compiled several Top 5 lists of some of his favorite places in Las Vegas including the 5 most important things... the Top 5 Strip Clubs, the Top 5 Poker Rooms, the Top 5 Buffets, the Top 5 Las Vegas Shows, and the Top 5 Sport Books. Dr. Pauly also went a little deeper and gave you some insight on other fun things like the Top 5 Things to Do in Downtown Las Vegas, the Top 5 Pool Parties, and the Top 5 Las Vegas Side Trips.
Oh, and just in case you lose all of your money, he also compiled a list of the Top 5 Things to Do in Las Vegas When You're Broke.
As you can tell, not every single aspect of Las Vegas covered, but these Top 5 lists are a good start.
Top 5 Poker Rooms in Las Vegas
I get asked about poker rooms all the time. It's really hard to give someone a specific answer, because much like playing poker, it all “depends” on the situation. What constitutes a good poker room? I'm looking for terrible players with deep pockets, comfortable seats, good and quick dealers, and a knowledgeable floor staff to adjudicate disputes in a swift, fair manner.
Top 5 Las Vegas Buffets
Buffets and Las Vegas go hand-in-hand. Buffets represent the best and worst aspects of our self-indulgent culture of overconsumption. If you like to people watch, then a trip to the buffet is like a National Geographic special – spending time in the wildlife watching lions in the Serengeti feast on gazelles.
Top 5 Things to do in Downtown Vegas
You're in downtown Las Vegas and either got really drunk and a taxi dropped you off there, or you opted to let your friend book a cheap vacation and ended up at one of the many seedy no-tell motels on East Fremont. Well do not fear, I have a couple of things you can do while you're slumming in Downtown Vegas…
Top 5 Las Vegas Shows
When I was a kid, my parents told me they saw Elvis Presley perform in Las Vegas, so from a very young age I associated Las Vegas with musical spectacles and over-the-top performances. The King has been dead for several decades, but the modern-day headliners in Sin City are still heavyweights like Celine Dion and Elton John.
Top 5 Las Vegas Pool Parties
An entire culture in Las Vegas exists around pool parties. There's been a big push to capitalize on "day clubs" or massive gatherings poolside with lots of booze, lots of skin, and lots of loud music.
Top 5 Sports Books in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is one of the few places in America in which you can legally place a sports bet. You don't have to worry about getting scammed by an offshore book or dealing with shady local bookies. If you're a fan of any major sport or horse racing, you'll be able to wager on the outcome at different sports books in Las Vegas.
Top 5 Las Vegas Side trips
If you're visiting Las Vegas for an extended period of time, you might want to break up your holiday by scheduling a side trip. Las Vegas is a pretty crazy place and excessive indulgence has ruined too many people, which is why you sometimes need a vacation away from your Las Vegas vacation.
Top 5 Things to do in Las Vegas when you go broke
We've all hit the low point at some point in Las Vegas when you ran bad and lost all your money, whether it was the bad end of variance at the poker table or an annoying dealer cold-decked you at blackjack.