Underrated Las Vegas Hot Spots

As you descend into McCarran International Airport and peer out the window overlooking the famous Las Vegas Strip, a certain level of excitement will more than likely overcome your body. You can't wait to check out the Lion's Den at the MGM Grand, see Mystere at Treasure Island, or just walk the strip to envelope yourself in the lights and attraction. Well here's a few spots you might want to make time for along the way...places that out-of-towners may not be so familiar with.

First, if there's no way you plan on leaving the Strip during your stay, then make sure you drop on by O'Sheas Casino. Located just north of the Flamingo, O'Sheas provides a great atmosphere primarily aimed at the 20-somethings of the world. You can enjoy all of your favorite tables games while also enjoying a beer pong game or two. Yep, O'Sheas sports a good-sized area near the back bar of the casino exclusively for beer pong. For those not familiar, beer pong is the number one college drinking game. Using ping pong balls, Solo cups, and your favorite brew...the object is to toss the ping pong balls in the opponent's cup filled (partially) with beer. The first team to eliminate all of the opponent's cups wins. Safe to say, come spring break time, O'Sheas is even more of a popular spot. It's not as pricey as most bars along your journey down the Strip. Live bands play there every Friday and Saturday nights, as well as comedian Vinnie Favorito running his act every day except Monday.

Attention poker lovers: not too far West of the Strip stands the Orleans Hotel and Casino. This casino is one of the best for casual gamblers. It seems the clientele is a bit more mature than casinos on the strip, but the main reason for heading over to the Orleans is to check out their poker room. One of the bigger poker rooms in Vegas, the Orleans sports competitive poker via daily tournaments and the always prevalent 1-2 No Limit tables. The room is run well from within, and if you fancy yourself a drink or two while playing, the bar is adjacent to the poker room making cocktail service excellent. The Orleans hosts all of your normal games from No Limit and Limit poker to Omaha Hi/Lo. The Orleans boasts one of the more impressive poker rooms off of the Strip in Las Vegas, so make sure to check it out.

And finally, don't forget to hail a short cab ride to Stoney's Rockin' Country. About 5 minutes South of the meat of the Strip, Stoney's is the number one spot in Las Vegas for country music fans. But don't stop reading there you Alternative Rock and Hip Hop fans, the atmosphere is more than tolerable even if you despise country music. Stoney's doesn't forget about that demographic as they do tend to switch up their tunes from time to time throughout the night to cater to those that might not be so country music-inclined. Head on over and you'll find a huge hardwood dance floor, live bands, and...naturally, a mechanical bull. Also, for those who enjoy the classic bar games like pool and darts, Stoney's has you covered along with miniature bowling alleys to make your night fun and fulfilling.

So be sure to check out these not-so-popular spots while staying in Sin City. From beer pong to poker to even simulated bull-riding, head on out and experience every little bit of Vegas you can.