do you remember your first trip to Vegas?

[ginxxxx]

Recently, while following along with Eduardooo's venture to LV got me to thinking about my first trip there and would love to hear from others about their first Vegas experience.If I may, my first trip was when the Excalibur opened.  They didn't have the setup for credit cards yet, so reservations had to be confirmed by mail with a check enclosed.  Even with the reservations, they were totally unprepared for the check-in that first day.  The lines were long, very long.  And we didn't know any better, so all four of our party stood in the line for like EVER.The hotel was the biggest thing I had ever seen and I managed to get lost at least once.I had never seen Video poker before.  My brother told me it was just like playing Yatzy.  Well, sort of...small straight, large straight, etc.  I was soon hooked.  The only game available was JOB, but I soon caught on and was hooked.Over the ensuing years we have returned to LV lots of times, in fact we'll be there on 14 Dec for four days. Since that first time playing VP I've learned alot, particularly from this site and this forum.  I may never be an expert, but I do love to play and win.BTW ...never went back to the Excalibur.

[clwn2]

Ah yes, the Excalibur. That was 1990 right?  It was there that I played video poker in the early days as well.  Not for the first time though.  My first was at the 7-11 down town somewhere.  This was during my wild party days, I cannot remember more...  When I played at the Excalibur it was right after the 7-11 experience.   I think this would qualify as my third trip to Vegas.  My first two trips I came for the free drinks and everything else that this town has to offer.  Knew nothing about the games except, of course, how to lose... Oh, by the way, got lost many more times than once in that big barn or should I say castle!
 
Much has changed.   I am sure glad that more information is obtainable on VP than it was then.  I might still be playing with whatever strategy I was born with naturally.  What a nightmare that would be!!  I am not  mathamatically inclined and would have no idea on how to formulate correct strategy.  Without the ingenuity of those with the math knowledge I would be stuck. 

[shadowman]

No, can't say as I do. But maybe that's because my first gambling trip was to Tahoe. Drove up from San Francisco where we were visiting a friends mother. No VP at that time, just slots and table games.
 
Upon further review ... it came to me. Flew in for 4 days and 3 nights. Stayed at the world famous Westward Ho! Such a wonderful place. Without even asking they provided us with a wake up call at 6:00 AM each morning by backing a garbage truck up right behind our luxurious villa. The long walk to the casino also helped invigorate us before hitting the strip. The strip (and LV) were much smaller then. Nothing south of Flamingo, no freeway (or anything) to the west of the strip. Our second trip was a little nicer ... we stayed at the Desert Inn.
 
OK, it was a few years ago.

[ansoda]

My  first trip was in 1982. Flew in to vegas on a twin engine 20 seat prop job and stayed at the stardust. Our luggage was lost somewhere in L.A., got it 2 days later. Played golf, saw Hoover dam, and won $580 playing craps. No vp that I remember. Rented a car and remember driving on this beautiful 4 lane road with a planted median that ended at the base of a mountain. Actually it went nowhere. My date and I painted our names and date on the rocks for posterity.
Second trip was in 1985 with the inlaws. (ugh) mommy inlaw won 3000 on $5 slot.
After not having been there since 85, I was blown away by my most recent trip last month. Stayed for a full week, and have decided that 3-4 days max is enough for me. Played lots of vp and came home even.

[bear4]

Our first trip was in 1975.  Newly married, got on a charter for the Rose Bowl, with 2 nights in LV.  Cold as hell, and as soon as we stepped off the bus in front of the "unforgettable" (as it was described in the brochure) Thunderbird Hotel and Casino, a black cat ran right in front of us.  Should have had somebody shoot it.  Lost a couple hundred playing $1 craps, but still have a dollar token from there.  No memory of any VP. 
My late father and I were back many times, his favorite being Caesar's Palace and the craps pit where I can say we got our initial LV losses back with interest.

[vpguy3]

My first trip was for a conference about ten years ago. I stayed at the Tropicana and got a big kick out of the mirrors on the ceiling in my room, too bad I was alone I had never gambled and on my first night hit a $620 slot jackpot on a Double Diamond machine. That pretty much got me hooked. It took me a few years to figure out that does not happen often on slots and finally began playing VP; very glad I did. Good luck all.

[pah0106]

Remember the old  Aladdin......1975.  I was 21 for my first trip.  We had a room in the far tower as part of a pakage deal, it tok 20 minutes to get to the casino.  It was like being Alice in Wonderland, so in awe.  I remember playing Keno 2 or 3 times.won $450. and never played ever agin.  I remember I had never seen ladies of the night before...I was impressed.  I remember roulette, a few slots,   a good thing they didn't have Vp then.

[stueungar]

h

[stueungar]

Oh yes, I sure do remember.  It was 1977 and I was 14 years old.  The Stardust.  Back then the casinos never ever carded you unless you had a little run and started winning some good money at the tables>  Went with my parents and staryed for 3 1/2 days.  Played slots for hrs a day and never carded.  Went over to the Desert Inn and started playing black jack and got up a few hundred bucks.  I was so excited I could hardly stand it.  Then this very good lookin' woman in her early twenties started givin' me the look.  I thought I was Don Juan! Left with her, started walking across the street and literally in the middle of the street she started talking about $ and it hit me--she's a hooker!  It was at that moment in front of the Stardust I started looking around and there were hookers everywhere!  Well I must confess that when I learned she wanted $ my frail ego was shot but I went through with it.  Been going ever since then.  Probably went about 2 times a year from age 14-21 (much more on average since, and I'm 44 now) and never the only time I was ever carded when I was a minor was one trip when I was 17.  We stopped at Whiskey Pete's at Stateline.  Got on a run playing BJ.  Got up $1,500!  My buddy, who was 16 was also up over $1,000!  We litterally stood in the parking lot debating what to do.  Our plan was, of course, to go to Vegas.  We had just made a pit stop at Whiskey's. Should we go home with this fortune ($1,500 was a ton of $ back then for a kid)?  Well, we went into Vegas went straight to the $100 min. bj.  They could care less they had two young kids in there gambling.  Within 30 we were broke.  We had to actually search the car at 2 a.m. to try to scape together enough change for gas to go home. 
  Thats a true story.

[stueungar]

Oh yeah I almost forgot.  My buddy and I where playing BJ next to eachother at Whiskeys.  We went on a great run and after 2 hrs.  at the peak of our run is when the bastards asked us for ID.  We protested, told them we've been playing for hrs., etc., but they told us to leave.  They almost made us leave without our $.