The girlfriend and I won a contest, free airline tix, free room, free food, free viewing party at PH for March Madness. For some reason, the free stuff is for Friday and Saturday. MM starts on Thursday (duh organizers).

What's a good place for viewing on Thursday? Willing to spend some $, since most of the trip is already comped.

Must haves: good tvs, obviously, comfortable seating for all day experience, decent bar since the GF likes the liquor and not the brewskies.

Here's a great list, updated with current party offerings:

MMILV facebook page viewing party info

So many options - with just 2 of you will be a bit easier to move around. Saturday viewing parties not really necessary as many are Vegased out already or just with the lighter game schedule (2 games aren't running at the same time until early/mid afternoon) everyone doesn't make the effort.

A lot of the pay parties might be sold out - read the reviews/previews. Many of the pay parties are very overpriced for what you get, especially since she's into liquor and not beer. For the 2 of you maybe one of the non-sportsbook venues for Thursday, where you can reserve a table in a restaurant (with maybe a table minimum) and get better food and drinks.

Warning: all day (esp Thur & Fri) is ALL day...if you think you'll roll in 30 minute prior to the 9:15AM tip and get seats, get your bets in at the window.....think again. Games will run until 10PM. Can get long for those who don't love the hoops THAT much. I have no such problems....is it 3/15/18 yet?

How does a NCAA viewing party work with multiple games at the same time? Only one can have the sound on. I think I'd be pissed if I actually paid to watch and couldn't hear what was going on. Might as well be in a poker room.

You’re right, only 1 game is played over speakers. Really not an issue, you don’t need to hear the announcers say the same things over and over, especially for 10-12 hours straight in a day. Even the game on the speakers often gets drowned out as it comes close at the end with spread on the line. In all my years I haven’t thought (nor has anyone said) “what did we miss that announcer say?” like never.

But I can see value in someone watching at a poker table, esp if you can see all games from your seat.

If you’re only going to a madness party for one particular game, it’s likely not for you. Most who enjoy are there for the experience and vibe beyond 1 game.

The value I get out of March Madness in Vegas is seeing games I can't see at home. Yes, I'd rather hear the announcer if I can. Who committed the foul? How many does he have now? Why is that guy getting subbed out? How many team fouls now?

I'm not necessarily interested in only one game. But if I'm watching a game, I wanna know wtf is going on. Guess I'm not the typical drooler that just wants to see a big dunk.

Bring your earphones and smartphone. Some sports books have audio for every TV available over WiFi that you can switch between games with an app on your phone.

Or there’s always the Tunity app that accomplishes the same thing.

I don't app.

CBS did fix this a couple years ago with their partnership with TBS/TNT/truTV, all games are televised and available for you to watch. Also CBS app airs all games (I know you don't app), for those who don't have the cable options.

Watching 2-3 games (but usually locked into 1 for wagering purposes) even without sound the graphics (team fouls per half, also individual fouls after 1 is called) usually can help. This is also (sadly) one of the few things I can multi-task pretty well, refined by a couple decades of opening weekend of March Madness in Vegas. So. Much. Fun.

Yeah, that CBS thing worked - IF your cable company carried those weird third-tier channels. Mine did not. So it screwed me out of seeing games that CBS had on TruLuv or whatever POS channel they owned instead of the game being carried on TNT, etc.

That advice was for anyone with similar issues.

Others would prefer to curse the darkness, rather than light a candle. Carry on.

Back in my day we had to wait for a message from a guy that owned the only radio in town who passed scores along to a little kid who ran back and forth across town with a megaphone.

And we liked it that way!!!