Heinz had been dabbling in poker here and there for a few months but wasn’t sure about what to do next. He had considered going back to college from where he had dropped out a few months before, and was not sure if he should take the path of a professional poker player. Let’s just say that in hindsight, Heinz is definitely glad he took THAT decision. He joined the WSOP poker circuit a few months ago and today he is not looking back. I guess he is not going back to college very fast…..!

Out of interest sake I have thrown together a list of some of the world’s most rich and famous college drop outs. Now most of these were not professional poker players, but I am sure that when they took the decision to drop out of college and follow their other dream, it was certainly a gamble.

• Bill Gates
• Mark Zuckerberg
• Steve Jobs
• Michael Dell
• Ralph Lauren
• Andrew Lloyd Weber
• JD Rockerfeller
• Ty Warner
• Ted Turner

OK so I am not encouraging dropping out of college here, but for a lucky few, the dream worked, the gamble paid off, and they are now sitting pretty in their richness and fame while some of us have to go about living the real life of studying or waking up in the morning for a real job.

In a police report they urged the public to help find the robbers – described as thin, in their early twenties. Well, that kind of sums up most of the guys I know! Come on police, surely you could come up with a bit of a better description here? I mean where was all the security, cameras, surveillance and the rest? Also, metal detectors or something stopping these dudes arriving with arms?!

Some of the greatest casino heists have been recorded over time. Here are some of them:

In September 1992, brave cashier who worked at Stardust sportsbook, named Bill Brennan, decided to take a long and expensive lunch break.  It was expensive for the casino, not for him, because in a bag thrown over his shoulder, Brennan had packed some sandwiches, and $500,000 in cash….! This was the biggest recorded theft from a Las Vegas casino in history.

In December 2004, 2 Serbs and 2 Hungarians managed to scam the Ritz Casino in London. With the use of cell phones, lasers, computers and other technology, these ‘lucky’ players figured out how to measure the speed of the wheel and ‘guess’ which number the ball would land on, winning as a result a nice little sum of 1.2 million pounds.

In October 1993, a 21 year old woman, in love with her 48 year old hero, managed to load up a truck full of $2.5 million in cash outside the Circus Circus. The two managed to flee the United States and ended up in the Cayman Islands. The poor young girl ended up losing it all, landing up with only a love child, and $1000, while her lover continued to run, away from her too!

The great thing about Las Vegas is that it caters to all types of women and your group will definitely find something that everyone enjoys.

Here are few suggestions for the Ultimate Vegas Hen Night:

• Rent a Limo. There are plenty of car hire companies in Las Vegas who specialize in luxury cars, and the bride-to-be definitely needs to be pampered on the night before her Big Day.  Rent a limo that is big enough to transport the entire group for a fantastic bonding experience!
• Hit the Clubs. You don’t need to be a party animal to enjoy the clubs and lounges in Las Vegas.  There are plenty of classy locations where you will be able to have a great time with excellent music and lots of refreshers.  Try out the nightclub at the Carnival Court at Harrahs, or  the Bellagio’s Fontana Lounge.
• Interactive Entertainment. There are some great venues for you to take part in the fun, such as the Masquerade in the Sky at the Rio or the Eyecandy Sound Bar for an unbelievable experience for you and the rest of the group.
• Hit the Casinos. What would Las Vegas be with the casinos on the Strip? You’ll be amazed by all the options available to you in terms of gambling entertainment, with casino open 24/7.  From slots to video poker, from blackjack to roulette, casino partying is a great way to bond.  Some hen parties see the girls pool their winnings and go out to dinner and drinks with the proceeds.
• Gourmet Delights. Las Vegas is just as big on fine dining as it is on gambling. Girls out on the town will find a host of options to choose from, ranging from pre-dinner snack bars to five course gourmet gems with high listings.  Treat the bride to after dinner drinks for a hen night you’ll never forget!

Where to stay?

The Cosmopolitan hotel is a particularly hip place to stay when you visit Las Vegas. The hotel is well sought after because it has a particularly cool collection of top bars and restaurants under one room, including the Chandelier Bar with an incredible two million beaded crystals as its piece de resistance.  Try out cleverly put together cocktail drinks spread across three levels of bar space for a trendsetting experience.

Where to party?

If you’ve come to Las Vegas to party the night away, then it’s time to boogie your way down to Tao nightclub at the Venetian, which continues to top the bill when it comes to trendy dance locations. This Asian themed club is situated over several levels, boasts stunning Zen features and is hot spot for the beautiful crowd.

Where to gamble?

There are many super casinos in Las Vegas, but there are a number that really hit the nail on the head when knowing exactly what their visitors are looking for in a gaming experience. My favorite has always been the Bellagio, which gives a new meaning to over-indulgence. From the minute you walk on to the casino floor at this resort, you are hit with a feeling of ‘anything-can-happen’.  The opulence, grandeur, magnificence and impeccable service will make you want to stay forever.  The Bellagio is truly a gem and the trendsetters are here by their hundreds.

Caesars Palace is another location where trendsetters head, and its massive Roman columns, sparkling fountains and stunning architecture show you why. Caesars is a favorite among players because it is accessible to all and you’ll find budget oriented players rubbing shoulders with top high rollers.

There are many other locations worth visiting in Las Vegas, including the MGM Grand, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and the Luxor Hotel and Casino.  All these  are top resorts that continue to attract jetsetting, trendsetting visitors… see you there!

Try and Book for Mid Week

If you have the option, book your visit for the middle of the week where you could save as much as 3/4 on your accommodation costs!  Hotels have some of their hottest deals for those who visit mid week.  Another advantage is that you won’t need to stand in line for all the attractions in Las Vegas, nor will you need to wait for a free slot machine, which sometimes happens on weekends.

Ask for a Players Card

You can approach the desk at any casino and ask to sign up for a player’s card.  This not only gives you discounts at the games being played at the casino, but you also get reductions on accommodation during future visits.  The resort will send you coupons and news about good offers during the year, which could save you a bundle during your next visit.

Buy Half Price Show Tickets

A number of booths on the Strip sell tickets to some of the best shows for half price. Check out what they have to offer you.

Don’t Cab Everywhere

Las Vegas has a perfectly good public transport system.  Buy yourself  a 24 hour bus pass and travel on the bus route without paying any extra.  Also, ask the hotel or resort about shuttle options, which are offered free to visitors.

Walk

Another way to get from the top of the Strip to the bottom (and back!) is to simply walk!  The entire Strip is only four miles long which could easily be done in half an hour. Not only to you get to take in the real atmosphere of Vegas, you’ll also be able to work off those calories from the delicious meals served at the hotels.

Ride Shares

There are lots of people traveling to Vegas in an empty car who would only be too happy to have someone along for the company and to share in the price of gas.  But where do you find them, other than word of mouth? The best place to begin would be Craigslist and you are sure to find someone who is hopping over to Vegas for the weekend or for a business trip advertising on the list.  Naturally, there are risks involved in taking rides with strangers, and you need to trust your gut instincts here.  Try and find out a bit about your driver before you take him or her up on the offer, and you may feel safer if you travel with a friend.

Bus

Buses are more expensive than splitting the cost of a tank of gas, but you are assured a degree of safety and security.  The decision to take a bus should depend on how long your journey is (ie. your point of departure) and how long you believe you can spend sitting in a seat that is not always the height of luxury.

Plane

Contrary to what those advertisements want you to believe, last minute deals don’t always work out cheaper.  If you know your dates, it is often cheaper to pay for your ticket a month in advance.  The down side is that you can’t cancel or change these dates because you probably won’t get your money back.  Low season prices are obviously cheaper than high season and you could secure a good deal if you buy hotel accommodation as well.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking obviously comes with its risks, but it’s the cheapest way to get into Las Vegas.  Your safest bet is getting a ride from Los Angeles, because that is the starting point for many Vegas visitors.  Again, trust your gut instinct and don’t take any unnecessary risks.

A couple of years ago, Cambodia started regulating its gambling industry and the government decided to grant operating licenses only to those groups who met its high standards of fair gaming and transparency.  Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen made a decision, on the one hand, to improve modern technology so that the gambling industry could advance and keep up with international competition and, on the other hand, direct all the revenues from the industry to areas in society who needed them most such as health and education.

There are a number of reasons why it is not impossible to consider Cambodia to be the next Macau – or at least a location that moves in its direction.  Cambodia has the potential to meet the needs of Thai and Vietnamese gamblers as it shares a border with these two countries. Thailand, for example, has a significant group of rich ex-pat Chinese gamblers, who are unable to find what they are looking for in terms of gambling entertainment in their adopted country.  As such, players are able to travel less than four hours and play at new, modern casinos build by Cambodia, safe in the knowledge that they are not breaking any local laws and putting themselves in line to win super cash prizes.

The Cambodian government has found another ingenious way in attracting these players.  It has devised a system whereby they don’t require a passport to cross the border to play at the casinos.  They simply apply for a one day pass and they’ll be able to visit the casinos without any border problems.   Many casinos have been built near these border checkpoints, with ten at the checkpoint in Sa Kaeo alone.

It will be interesting to see how this Asian country will continue to develop its industry.

The St Tropez

If you’re looking for a good location, then the St Tropez is a great place to start. This all-suite hotel has 150 suites and is situated across from the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino, and only one mile from the famous Las Vegas Strip. The airport is only 3 miles away, and so this is really the perfectly situated resort.  Pets are allowed, of course!

La Quinta Inn Las Vegas Tropicana

If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to the luxury accommodation that usually represents typical hotels in Las Vegas, the 250 room non-gaming La Quinta Inn is a great choice. The inn has AAA 3 Diamond rating  and is located near all of  Vegas’ main venues such as the MGM Mirage Resorts, NASCAR, etc.  Enjoy the sundeck, pool and well equipped fitness center, as well as super sized rooms for your and your pet to enjoy.

Green Valley Ranch

If you want to be pampered rotten (and take your pet with for the ride), this resort, casino and spa will blow you away. The Green Valley Ranch is a great combination between the ultimate in pampering and relaxation with hot night life, gambling excitement and top restaurants.  The ranch, situated on Paseo Verde Parkway, was awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award and was voted Best Local Hotel by the Las Vegas Review Journal.  The resort boasts over 200 guest rooms, 45 luxurious suites, a full casino, a spa and no less than eight acres of pool area.

But after a long chat with him, I realized that making such a drastic decision required a lot of thought.  He quickly dispelled all my fantasies that his days were spent sleeping in luxurious suites in the top Vegas hotels, and his nights were spent around classy casinos, scotch in hand, playing high stakes poker games with a blonde draped on his arm like a good luck charm.  In fact, he said, he was living on the outskirts of town, sharing a room with another wannabe-pro, and a bathroom down the hall. True, he was making enough at the poker tables to keep a roof over his head, and he was getting the experience he needed to slowly build up a bankroll, but it wasn’t quite what he had envisioned.  In fact, he admitted to me, he might have gotten the same experience by sticking to online poker sites and keeping his daytime job, without having to move to Vegas.

I asked him what tips he had to offer my readers about becoming a professional poker player, as a man of experience, and this is what he had to say:

• Keep your job and play online poker at night.  Or play in the day and get a night job.  The 24/7 hours of online poker sites allow you to be flexible.   Also, in this way, if you hit a bad streak, you still have your salary to fall back on.
• Be realistic.  If you have a family to pay for, the chances are that you’ll never make enough to support them on your poker earnings alone.  Don’t quit your job to follow your dream just yet.
• Ask yourself if this is just a passing phase or if poker is truly in your blood and something you’ll be wanting to do for the rest of your life.  If it’s just a hobby, such as golf is, think carefully.  How many do you know who quit their jobs to become professional golfers?

Problem # 1:  My money always runs out in the first hour.

Solution:  This is a common problem, especially among first time gamblers who want to try out all the games in a short space of time.  The solution to this problem is to manage your bankroll better.  Decide how you are going to pace your gambling session and how much you are going to spend overall. If your money runs out too fast, it means that you’re playing for higher stakes than you can manage.  Stick to lower stakes, take it slow and aim to build your bankroll by a little bit each time.  Remember, slowly but surely.

Problem # 2: I live too far from Vegas, and by the time I pay for air travel and accommodation, I have no money left over for casino games.

Solution: Try out online gambling.  Yes, I know that you love the action of Vegas and the feeling of getting away from it all.  But believe me, once you try out online gambling, you’ll be a true convert.  Firstly, you’ll be saving on travel fare and accommodation.  You’ll be able to play any time of the year, and you won’t be reliant on work leave.  Plus, if you examine the excellent online casinos available out there, with their real life graphics and software, you might not even notice the difference!

Problem #3: I’ve tried online gambling, but still prefer the personal touch of live dealers.  There are no live casinos near my home.

Solution: Many online casinos have just the solution for you.  Check out their Live Dealer platforms where you can play from the comfort of your own home and all you need is a webcam.  You’ll be able to play against live dealers who will shuffle the cards and spin the roulette wheel, and you can even chat with the dealers – just like in a live Vegas casino.  The only difference is that you could be thousands of miles away from each other.  Definitely worth a try.