10 Awesome Vegas Hacks You’ve Probably Never Heard About

(Last updated April 8, 2016) – Unless you’re balling out of control, it can be tough to enjoy all the luxuries that Vegas has to offer without emptying your bank account. But never fear, we’ve compiled ten cool hacks that you can take advantage of the next time you’re in Sin City. Most of these came from Vegas local Mike O’Horo who made a great post listing some amazing tips on Quora.

Most people should know the $20 trick by now so we’ll put this at the top of the list. For those who don’t, you simply slip $20 when you hand your credit card to the front desk clerk while asking “Are there any upgrades available?” The general rule of thumb is that the front desk will check for upgrades, but will hand back the $20 tip if he/she can’t find anything. Check out this site for info on which hotels this trick works best at.

Always tip upfront- no one can hook you up once you’re paying the tab and leaving. For example, if you’re in a crowded bar at a club and ordering the first round, give the bartender a hefty tip first; odds are, he/she will remember you and will be more than welcoming on your next round. My friend tried this at Hakkasan recently and got two free drinks and water.

A valet with a sign that says “Full” isn’t always exactly true. The next time you encounter a “Full” lot, try pulling up and slipping the valet $20; odds are, they’ll find a spot for you. Even better, they might even park your car in front of the door which decreases the waiting time when you get your car at the end of the night.

The next time you’re departing and find yourself in a long check-in line, try this; go to the First Class check-in, put your bags on the scale, and ask for an upgrade. They’ll either say they don’t have any, but will most likely check you in anyways since you’re already there. Worst case scenario, they’ll probably tell you the price to upgrade, to which you can reply that it’s too expensive, but if they’re smart, they’ll know that it’s much easier to check you in regardless instead of trying to start an argument by making you stand in the other line.

Whenever you land and you notice a long taxi line, try engaging a Skycap in the baggage area. For those of you who don’t know what a Skycap is, they’re basically people who handle your luggage in exchange your tips. However, they have an interesting perk in which they can go in front of the taxi line. For anyone short on time, it’ll be the best $20 you’ll spend.

Depending on how you look at it, the worst or best thing about Vegas is that you get free booze when you gamble. On one hand, it’s a way for casinos to entice you to stay and lose more money, but on the other hand, you’re getting FREE booze. So because of that, stick with games that are slower, specifically the table games. Machine games go much faster and you’re a lot more likely to place more bets. Remember that the odds are not on your side so the more you play, the more money you’ll lose, statistically speaking. The key is to make sure you’re not losing more money than the cost for your drinks.

According to the Guardian, it’s no secret that casinos hook high rollers up with free stuff. However, it’s hard for them to track exactly how much a player gambles, so they have to estimate.

According to USA Today, any casino off the strip is mainly targeted at locals who are used to getting better casino deals. Because of this, the limits tend to be lower and will offer table games that give you better odds to win. However, remember that no matter what, the house ALWAYS has the edge.

Google map your directions before you take a taxi. Once you get in, tell the driver the route you want him/her to take. This will let him/her know that you know your sh*t and will decrease the odds of you getting messed with.

The next time you’re traveling with single guys and want a good way to meet girls at the club, slip the bouncer or promoter you’re working with a good tip ($50 – $100) when you arrive and let them know the kinds of girls you fancy. They’ll do the grunt work for you and bring girls to your table to share drinks with and meet. I’ve tried this at Prive when it was still open at Planet Hollywood and it worked great.