1) Buffets - Even if you're not a fan of buffets, you'll be a fan of the ones offered in Vegas. Essentially every major casino on the strip offers a buffet with hundreds of delicious food offerings, so you have plenty of options to choose from. If you feel like "buffet hopping" you can take advantage of Harrah's 24-hour buffet pass which allows you unlimited access to 7 different buffets between various casinos (Rio, Paris, Caesar's, etc.). For those with a sweet tooth, the made-to-order crepes at Paris are especially worth trying (I prefer mine with chocolate and whipped cream, but you can also add fruits, etc.).

2) Location - In real estate they say the three most important factors are location, location, location. The same is true with staying in Vegas. All of the action and hot spots are on the strip so if you have a choice between staying on the strip or saving $20 to stay off-strip, you should definitely splurge.

3) Hotel Deals - All of the hotels on the strip are vying for the same tourist dollars, so it's not uncommon to see some great deals being offered (deals can vary depending on time of year and day of week that you wish to stay, of course). Checking websites like Priceline and Orbitz is a good start, but often the best deals are listed on the hotel's website and/or through websites like SmarterVegas.com. If you have a month or two to plan your trip then you should also sign up for e-mail offers through the different hotels you're interested in. You'll typically receive a couple good offers a month that are worth looking into.

4) Slot Credits - Most of the casinos offer free slot credits (typically $5 - $15 worth) when you sign up for their loyalty cards (signing up is free). The benefit for you is that you get to play a slot machine for free with the slot credits and keep whatever winnings you make while using the credits. Plus, with Harrah's loyalty card, you can also save on the cost of the 24 hour buffet pass (and in some cases on purchases in retail stores located at the resort).

While all of the major casinos I've been to offer free slot credits as mentioned above, there are some "shady" casinos that do them differently. In the case of Casino Royale (located on the strip near Harrah's) they offer $50 in free slot credit, but you can only use one small row of slots (most of the other casinos allow you to use a much larger variety) and you only keep your winnings if you hit the jackpot on the machine (but if you hit the jackpot you only win $100 instead of the $4,000+ that you would win otherwise). In my opinion, it's not even worth stopping at locations like Casino Royale for their "slot credit."

5) Street Peddlers - If you happen to walk the strip at night, you will undoubtedly walk by dozens of people trying to hand out business cards and pamphlets. Most of the cards have to do with strip shows while others have to do with night clubs. If you're not interested, just keep walking and avoid eye contact. The peddlers aren't super aggressive, but they will definitely put their material just inches in front of you (without actually touching you) to tempt you into taking it.

6) Comfortable Shoes - Speaking of walking the strip, you'll want to make sure you bring comfortable shoes with you. I can't tell you how many women I've seen walking barefoot on the Las Vegas strip because they had made the bad decision of wearing crazy high heels that wound up killing their feet within half an hour. Wear your fancy shoes at a show, dinner, or a night club, but walk the strip in something much more comfortable.

7) Water - An important thing to remember in Vegas is to drink water. It sounds like a given, but with the temperature typically over 100 degrees in the summer, it's very easy to get dehydrated (it is the desert, after all). Plus with all the alcohol flowing in Las Vegas (whether you buy one of those huge 80+ ounce drinks to carry around, or are getting free drinks in the casino from a cocktail waitress), dehydration is almost a certainty. Luckily there are plenty of street vendors that sell bottles of water out of their coolers for a dollar, so you have no excuse to not stay hydrated.