Hey I agree with the OP, mostly because the poker games suck now. I've been going to Vegas since 2000 or so. My trips increased to 3-4 per year a few years ago. Usually they're Thurs-Sun save for March Madness I'll fly out Wed night even though college basketball is meaning less to me. I have a bunch of friends in Vegas so it's always fun and often trips will revolve around good dinners or wine parties. That said, it isn't as much fun anymore, and it's because poker games became boring and obnoxious.

I no longer love poker but still enjoy it. The Vegas stakes aren't high enough most times of year - home games are bigger. And who wants to sit at a table full of nontalking meditating antisocial folks with a couple angry regs thrown in? It's mostly waiting for the fun players. Poker used to be entertaining. Home games are so much more enjoyable that it's better to pay $15-20/hand in rake (gasp! omg! how could anybody win? it's not possible!) than sit with a bunch of Vegas bitterbottoms and autistic fumble****s for $20/hour. Putting up with that is work. Who wants to work on vacation when one can play poker and have fun and have intelligent conversation at home? I've been going to table games just because they're more fun - way more fun. Same for $1-$2 nl and spotting them a couple drinks.

The food has gotten better. Huge draw for me. But without both the good food and friends I wouldn't go anymore. Call me old (and I am old to most of you) but there is no reason to spend time doing something unless it makes money, you enjoy it, or it helps someone else. The "you're old and crusty and not willing to adapt" crowd here hasn't figured out that there are many games far bigger than poker which are much easier to "win" or earn money at.

That said it's fun to bring Vegas virgins in and show them around. I have a killer 48 hour itinerary and yes, it includes Ronald's Donuts. Mmmmm, cruellers at Ronald's Donuts. Pro tip: never buy coffee there oh god it horrible, like Sanka-with-caffeine horrible.

Story checks out

Well, I’ve been taking at least one (if not more) trips to Vegas every year since 2007 … and I agree that it’s not as much fun as when I first went when it was so new and exciting … now I seem to be running out of new things to see and do … looking over my checklist of “Things to do in Las Vegas”, I've seem to done just about everything ...

Check out all the Casinos on the strip – Check
Check out all the Casinos downtown and Fremont Street – Check
Play poker in all the poker rooms in Las Vegas and Henderson – Check
Play poker in all the greater Las Vegas areas (Mesquite, Laughlin, Pahrump, and Beatty) – Check
Play poker at the WSOP – Check
Try out all the different variations of table games (blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow, baccarat etc.) – Check
Visit Hoover Dam and Lake Mead – Check
Visit the great outdoors (Red Rock, Mt. Charleston, Valley of the Fire, and Death Valley NP) – Check
Visit all the museums (Mod, Neon, Clark County etc.) – Check
Check out the shopping venues and vintage stores on S. Las Vegas Blvd. and S. Main Street – Check
Eat at some of finest restaurants and some of the cheapest dives – Check
Drink at some of the finest drinking establishments and some of the cheapest dive bars – Check
Gamble at a couple of really dive local casinos and not get mugged – Check
Check out a couple of the “Gentleman’s Clubs” – Check
Drive all around Las Vegas and witness someone getting arrested – Check
Get “hit on” by both men and women hookers – Check
See a couple of shows – Check

The only thing that's left on my list: Stay at the Oasis Motel and see if you can guess what happened in your room; murder, suicide or drug overdose

And that’s all I got … so does anyone else have any other suggestions of things to do while in Vegas?

Pinball hall of fame

Doesn’t sound like you’ve bought a Vacation Ownership yet so take a tour at Wyndham or Hilton next time

What I loved about Vegas back in the day was its status as a gambling Mecca. Basically you made a pilgrimage to get there and when you did you encountered a unique vibe, a unique situation where you felt catered to. Now with casinos everywhere, not so much. Last time I was in Vegas neither my wife nor I gambled at all, not a penny. We were passing through on our way to visit some folks in the Tahoe area. Basically I felt like I could do all the gambling I wanted to do at home or in the net.

Not that anybody really cares but since this thread was bumped I will go ahead and update that I'm heading back next week. It will have been almost a year.

I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm skipping the Strip and am just staying downtown for 5 nights at The Downtown Grand. In addition to my normal pit games, I plan to play some poker at the Nugget and visit some downtown bars. It has been awhile since I sat at a poker table so the rust will be there.

If you have done all of that, there really isnt a reason to return. Most people have limited vacation time, and there is an entire world out there to see. I love Vegas don't get me wrong, and when I didnt live here I made multiple trips out here. But if you like the SW and the West like I do, there is a lot more to see out here than just Vegas.

Yup - wife and I are doing a three days in Death Valley/ 3 days in Red Rock hiking trip. Years ago it would have been a chance to hit LV - now we MIGHT go out and gamble a bit one night (we're staying at Red Rock Casino for the location, not the gambling) Maybe we've just outgrown the nonsense (we're old) - but it's just not the same.

MM MD

Can't stand poker anymore but love vegas. Amazing food, amazing entertaining, overall amazing experience... IF AND ONLY IF you have money to blow. If you don't have a healthy budget in Vegas you might as well be a cockroach.

Playing $100+ blackjack can find you a good 3:2 game where the house has a tiny edge if you play perfect (and don't count cards). Easy way to get toasty on some top shelf liquor, have a host get you a reservation at a nice restaurant, whatever. I feel like people don't take advantage of thinks like spas/pool enough either.

tl;dr poker is the worst in 2019, vegas is still good in moderation.

On your points about spas/pools and restaurants:

There is so much great food outside of the top-priced strip resort/celebrity chef spots here in Vegas. Stuff if you have a car or the time that is really worth going out and exploring.

I never appreciated spas until Vegas. Burke Williams is OK for what it is but the spas here are some true experiences. You don’t have to get a facial or a massage to experience some awesome facilities and have a relaxing afternoon away from the noise of the Strip.

I’ve also burned out on live poker. Still love the game but loathe the other players and the facilities at this point. Still some fun to be had in online low buy in MTTs tho

If your playing $100 hand there’s plenty of options it seems even on the strip.

https://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey/

I’d rather play lower but $100+ is where the best games are at, and I stay at the fancy joints so my wife can enjoy as well. Otherwise I’d be the drunk guy on Fremont.

Three days hiking at Red Rock? While there are a lot of different trails in RR, your view really isnt going to change all that much no matter where you are hiking. I've only done like 5 of the trails, but that is what I've found. Don't get me wrong, I love Red Rock and how close such a great hiking spot is to where I live, but if I was coming out of town I probably wouldnt spend 3 days there.

Have you ever been to Mt Charleston? There are some good hikes out there and quite different from the desert hiking ie plenty of pine trees. You might want to consider spending a day out there to hike.

I've been to Death Valley twice. Last time I did this loop hike that I can't recommend enough. It's called the Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch/Badlands Loop. It's about 8 miles total and includes Zabriske Point. Awesome views and I saw only a handful of people until I got to Zabriske Point. Great views, different types of terrain and rock coloration. I'd recommend starting at the Badwater Road starting point and go in a counter-clockwise direction (I did the hike in a clockwise direction). At least for me, the last part of the hike ie Gower Gulch was probably the least interesting of all the sections, so I'd get that out of the way first. Of course you'll be going up the Gulch instead of downhill, but then you won't have to hike up the big incline in the Golden Canyon.

Listen to The Dude about the hiking

I contributed to this feeling last year when this thread was started. I will be there in just under three weeks for opening weekend for our guys trip. I’m still kind of feeling the same, but what I am excited about is seeing some friends and watching the games, along with some pokerz. I think I’m still over what Vegas is these days, but it’s worth going to see the guys. This will also be my first time for opening weekend, so I’m kind of excited to experience the chaos of that.

So ? Do them again or go somewhere else where you can do something else ?

Yeah I agree, another near by state park that I really liked was Valley of Fire. Done Death Valley and agree it’s fantastic and only 3 or so hours away. Similar distance going east is Zion which is also a whole other level of awesomeness.

Three days hiking at Red Rock?

First day is driving from DV to Red Rock Casino - the only hiking I'll be doing is to the Yard House for happy hour.

We're going to do the Grand Circle loop trail on day two - just short of 12 miles with a little up-and-down. Day three will be an easy 5-6 miles in either oak creek or pine creek canyon - kind of a wind down before flying home.

Thanks for the Golden canyon loop suggestion in DV - looks great. I'd assumed that it's too early for Mt. Charleston.

MM MD

Check and Double Check ... great place to relive your youth!

Yeah, I like really like Red Rocks but I agree that Mt. Charleston is also really great – a whole different terrain and atmosphere … great place to check out.

Someone mentioned Zion National Park (3 hours north of Vegas) and as they mentioned, that’s a whole another level … but then you’re not spending any time in Vegas, just using it as a jumping off point (which I’ve done on a couple times) to see the great National Parks of the Southwest (Zion, North Rim of the Grand Canyon (nice than the South Rim i.e. much less people), Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef and Cedar Breaks National Monument … now that’s a great trip!

Hoehouses in Pahrump?

Machine guns in the desert?

Driving a Lamborghini Huracan down the Strip? 9 or 10 times?

Zipline between the Rio towers? (Given the state of maintenance at the Rio, save this one for last or you might not get to do the others.)

I'm done with vegas. I've been going there countless times for decades and
watched it evolve incredibly. But, as the casinos got bigger, it got worse. Now there are ever increasing parking fees and resort fees, and the comps and odds have gotten much worse. This started making me realize what I knew all along...sleeping in hotels really sucks. I used to ignore how much sleeping in hotel beds sucked when I was young, but you make the city so much worse and I start noticing it more now. Plus, the people have gotten worse. The strip is out of control with thugs all over downtown trying to sell their rapper CDs and you don't know how close you are to being mugged. The dealers are horrific...at least the dealers during the day mostly speak understandable english, but I'd need an interpreter to play BJ at night. The poker dealers are more incompetent than ever and the players are the worst group of bums I've ever seen. Either they are some unemployable foul mooded headphone wearing punk or they are some nasty vegas regular. I'd much rather play poker in LA...and THAT is saying a LOT. Now, you tack in a long drive each way and there's no chance in hell I'm coming back. The next generation full of idiots spewing their money for nothing at clubs are welcome to it.

Uh yeah … that’s not happening …

Forgot about that … went to Battlefield Vegas and shot a whole bunch of cool guns (M-16, AK-47, Uzi etc.) … that was great! Probably should do that again!

Forgot about that too … went out to the Las Vegas Speedway a couple of years ago and drove a NASCAR Race Car around the track and then drove a Lamborghini around a road course – that was a blast! Might do that again … thanks for the reminder!

LOL! I always liked the Rio ... Anyway, I’ve done the Zip Line down Fremont strip a couple of times, so I'm not really interested in doing that again …

Thanks for the ideas … it's helping me remember that I've done more in Vegas than I thought ... maybe there is more to do out there ...

I'll second the suggestion re Valley of Fire.