Cheapskate Vegas: A Vegas Podcast for Low Rollers – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I chat with Jake from the Stalking the Strip YouTube channel. Jake is doing all the Vegas side missions, and he's here to take us through some budget-friendly attractions you may not know about. We also discuss some good value Caesars hotels in case I ever break away from my MGM addiction. 

Check out some of his great videos:

STRAT Las Vegas Review
My Stay at Casino Royale

As the title implies, this is a trip report covering my November trip to Zorkfest. Boring Jack joined me here because he joined me there. 

You can hear bonus content from this episode which features Jack's best Vegas values, by subscribing to the newsletter here: 

https://bauerpauerhauer.substack.com/p/boring-jacks-best-vegas-values

In this episode we dispel the notion that casual gamblers are "attacking" the casino.  Really, our strategies are more playing styles that act as loss mitigation techniques. I use an interesting /gambling Reddit post as inspiration.

Thanks to Arcade High for the music: https://arcadehigh.bandcamp.com/track/kingdom

Have a great new year, everyone. 

Bethany and I discuss

• earning status
• easy ways to rack up tier credits
• credit card shortcuts
• questions from the chat

You can see the live stream on the Bougie Miles YouTube channel. 

Thanks for listening. Be sure to follow on the socials so you can be informed on when our next live casino chat will be. Be good to each other!

In this episode, I chat with friends Han and Joe about the future of points and miles, what we think is overrated in the travel world, and force Han to choose a side. 

Timestamps: 

5:18 - Han's unpopular travel opinion (transpacific economy)

10:09 - Joe's unpopular travel opinion (kids should fly wherever they want)

16:22 - Adam's unpopular travel opinion (loyalty points are overrated)

24:59 - Affiliate blogs going forward

36:30 - Token gambling segment

38:12 - How we're saving money for future travel in these times

49:28 - One good thing

A big thanks to @AstheJoeFlies for editing this show. 

Also, thanks to you all for listening, the constant support, and the fun interactions. I hope you're well. Be good to each other. 

In this episode, I'm joined by writer, points and miles expert, and blue check mark having JT Genter. We talk being a digital nomad, underappreciated programs and debate when thoughts and prayers are necessary for travel writer complaints. 

Be sure to follow JT on Twitter

Big thanks to this episode's editor, @lordluceus. Reach out to Franjo on Twitter if you ever need any audio production help. 

Thanks to everyone for listening. Be safe. Be good to each other. 

In this episode, I'm joined by Sergio of Viva Las Value. He gets me caught up on all things happening in low rollerdom in Las Vegas.

Quick notes:

• The April Biloxi trip has been postponed
• Las Vegas Happy Hour list is moving to Viva Las Value
• Sergio and I discuss:
  • Good promos
  • Our favorite table games
  • Sergio's favorite cheap eats in Vegas

Be sure to follow Viva Las Value on Twitter!

Thanks for listening everyone. Be good to each other!

In this episode, I cover a myriad of topics which include:

• the scene's appetite for credit
• getting things right
• why annual fees matter
• planning a $1000 Vegas trip
• value based destinations
• TFB's Craps and Laughs

Big thanks to the Bunker members, social followers, and other content consumers.

For more TFB:

travelfanboy.com

@travelfanboy

Patreon.com/travelfanboy

Safe travels. Be good to each other. 

For this episode I want to look back on 2019, some of the highlights of things I’ve seen and learned and then look ahead to 2020 to help galvanize you and me to try something different and employ some strategies to make travelling more enjoyable and hopefully a little less expensive.

Let’s go back and look at some of my favorites of this past year:

Best hotel stay: 

Aria

• Gorgeous 
• Well appointed rooms, as one would expect
• I like the way the casino feels---it’s very open, fresh looking
• Maybe the most comfortable bed in Vegas
• Booked through Chase LHRC 
  • Rate was just above $100
  • Priority check-in
  • $100 f&b credit---used at Carbone
  • $30 breakfast credit

If you are interested in adding bank provided booking portals to your travel repertoire in 2020, start off right by checking out a recent post by BW on BougieMiles.com about the Mastercard Luxury Hotel and Resorts Portfolio. It’s underreported, but can be just as good if not better than FHR and LHRC.

Ok everyone, let’s go over these booking portals one more time:

Amex = Fine Hotels and Resorts

Chase = Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection

Mastercard = Luxury Hotel and Resorts Portfolio

Are we having fun yet?

We’ll get to this again a little later

Best meal of 2019

Alinea

• Pricey---$600 a couple and up
• A true food “experience”
• Over a half dozen courses
• A trip to the kitchen to see the show
• It’s a world renowned restaurant and while I like to promote budget conscious choices, it’s sometimes fun to splurge

Honorable mention: Carbone

• Wonderful, delicious Italian
• Calm, pretty atmosphere
• I had great company on my visit
• Great Italian food is hard to beat
• Penne with vodka is a must

Best gambling experience:

Craps at the Cal

• A Vegas Vacation meet up
• Many of the gambling podcast community’s greatest were there
  • Me, of course
  • YCBOT
  • BunBoy
  • 360 Vegas crew
• Most importantly, great community members as well
• Dynamite session---I think I tripled up
• All this despite only 2x odds

Best points and miles learning:

Status Match Galore

• MilesTalk has a great rundown
• Being able to finagle the system in a way that one elite hotel status grants top tier status in a plethora of other networks
• Caesars Diamond and MLife Gold are great examples
• Make sure to use your $100 celebration dinner before Jan 31
• Also match back to Wyndham in January as well

For 2020:

• Do a credit card audit early in the year
  • Are you using all the benefits of your cards?
    • Annual fees are a “travel membership” you’re paying
    • If you have $1200 in cc annual fees, you’re paying $100 a month for that membership
    • Is it worth it?
  • Do you have benefits that overlap?
  • Is it time to close a card?
    • Be aware of credit score considerations
    • Are cheaper alternatives available?
• I’ll likely dump the Amex Platinum this year
  • It’s pricey at $550 and I’ve gotten full value out of it in the past, is was always a stretch to do so
  • I’m not confident my travels will justify it this year
  • The two sexy perks for me are Centurion Lounge access and FHR
  • I may be able to supplement that with a cheap Mastercard that allows for access to their luxury hotel program
  • Also I need to recognize that while Centurion Lounges can be nice, I’m rarely impressed by them 
    • I can also just try to show them my Twitter feed to get in---the standard “do you know who I am?” usually works

Cards I’m looking at for 2020:

• Anything in the Capital One family
• Expanding transfer partners
• Good sign-on bonuses
  • Spark has 200k after considerable spend
• Another Amex card to replace Platinum
  • Green seems fun but the perks aren’t a true “value” to me
    • Clear credit doesn’t cover full cost
    • Neither will Away credit
  • Gold is a front runner with the grocery bonus category

Travels for 2020:

• Louisville last weekend in Feb (had to reschedule)
• April 17 weekend - Biloxi
  • Fanboy Fanfare? 
  • A collection of gamblers and podcasters convening on the Mississippi coast

Links:

Bougie Miles MasterCard Portal

MilesTalk Status Match 

In this episode, we throw it back to the Vegas Fanboy glory days. This is a rerun of episode #50 of Vegas Fanboy called "Low Roller for a Day". 

I'm joined by my podcasting rivals, Mark and Dr. Mike of You Can Bet on That. In this show I discuss my casino-going strategy for low rollers and Mark and Mike talk about what they would do if they had to be low rollers for a day. We also talk about basic craps strategies for those on a budget. 

If you must listen to more YCBOT: http://youcanbetonthat.com/

To support the show: https://www.patreon.com/TravelFanboy

Thanks for listening!