Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
And if you'd like a more in-depth introduction to the various casino games, try
one of the following top how-to books:
u
The Frugal Gambler
by Jean Scott is a how-to manual on how to get free
meals, stays, and other privileges from the casinos. It also covers basic strate-
gies for video poker and many other games.
u
Beat the Dealer
by Ed Thorpe is possibly the most influential book on gam-
bling. It introduced the rudiments of card counting.
u
The Theory of Blackjack
by Peter Griffen is considered by many to be the
bible of that game. It's not an easy read, but it will give you strategies for
every type of play possible.
u
The Theory of Poker
by David Sklansky does what the Theory of Blackjack
(see above) does, for this popular game.
For good movies and TV series that focus on the city, rent the PBS television
show
Las Vegas
(available at some video stores), a 3-hour epic featuring extensive
interviews with historians, politicos, casino owners, and average Joes. It offers a
compelling portrait of Las Vegas, throughout its history, with particular emphasis
on the odd period when Howard Hughes was buying up every hotel in sight.
Other movies that will teach you a bit about the town include Martin Scorsese's
masterpiece
Casino,
which takes on mob Las Vegas; and
The Cooler,
which goes
into the behind the scenes running of a casino. Just for the fun of it, you might
also want to view
Viva Las Vegas
(with Elvis, of course),
Diamonds Are Forever
(Bond in Vegas!),
Indecent Proposal, Honeymoon in Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas,
Swingers, Oceans Eleven
(either version), and
Showgirls.
Rent one before you come,
and then look for locations as you wander round the city. TV shows
Las Vegas,
Vega$
(for classic Vegas), and the original
CSI
are also good for a peek at the city
before you arrive. Or turn on the Travel Channel any time of the day or night: It
seems like half their programming nowadays is dedicated to Sin City (and poker,
for that matter).
The ABCs of Las Vegas
Area Codes
The 3-digit area code for Las
Vegas is
702.
When dialing within Vegas
to a Vegas number you do not have to use
the area code—simply use the 7-digit
telephone number. To dial anywhere else
in the United States or Canada, you'll
need to use the prefix “1' and then add
the 3-digit area code. To dial outside of
the United States or Canada, dial 011
before the telephone number.
ATMS & Currency Exchange
See “Money
Matters,” earlier in this chapter.
Business Hours
Offices are generally
open on weekdays between 9am and 5pm,
while banks tend to close at 3pm. A scat-
tering of banks throughout the city are
now open between the hours of 9am and
1pm on Saturday. Typically, stores open
between 9am and 10am and close
between 7 and 8pm Monday through
Saturday, with a number of pharmacies
extending their hours until midnight.
Stores within casino-hotels usually have
longer hours, some staying open until
midnight on weekends. On Sunday, stores
generally open at 11am and rarely stay
open later than 6pm.
Drinking & Gambling Laws
The legal
age for the purchase and consumption of
any sort of alcohol is 21; that's also the
age minimum for casino gambling. Proof
of age is often requested at liquor stores,
