Make the most out of your March Madness party in the Entertainment Capital

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

We arrived at the Las Vegas Strip ballroom moments before doors opened for the NCAA Tournament basketball viewing event.

CBS is just beginning its telecast with the “Da-na-na-na-Dun-daa-na-na” song track blasting through the loudspeakers. The studio host welcomes the millions watching around the world to the greatest day of sports viewing, but those of us on the Strip feel as if he’s only speaking to us.

After all, it appears we have the best spectator spot.

The parties in Vegas during this week are epic. And they are everywhere, both in and out of the Resort Corridor.

Our city will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors today and Friday to watch the first-round games.

This is a bucket-list trip for many, and we agree, there’s no better place to wake up Thursday during the tournament’s initial week.

We’ve got it all: food and drink specials, over-the-top buffets, projection screens simultaneously showing all the games, gambling, clubs and elite customer service.

More importantly, we also have you. It’s much better watching amongst friends.

We’ve done this a few times. Here are some pointers:

Pace yourself

We were treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet at a viewing party. For someone who likes to eat, it was the highlight of the day.

But there was one mistake, a rookie blunder: overeating.

You can’t consume 2,000 calories for breakfast, we learned. Within a few hours, despite close results in the initial games, someone was dozing off. Let’s blame those comfortable reclining chairs.

It was a lesson learned. Being in Las Vegas is all about pacing yourself.

Don’t have six beers before lunch. The same warning is paramount with your gambling bankroll — don’t bet every dollar in your wallet on the early games.

Trust me, nobody will be perfect on their wagers at the sportsbook. And, sooner than later, everyone’s bracket will be busted.

Don’t use the ATM before lunch, especially with high fees charged at resort cash machines.

Remember, the goal is to have a good time, responsibly.

Fan etiquette

Eighth-seeded Louisville takes on ninth-seeded Creighton in today’s first matchup, and like many games in the first round, it is expected to be close.

Your viewing party will be split on their loyalties. Half will be rooting for Louisville; the other half Creighton. It will be a similar split all day.

Nobody likes an annoying winner. Ditto for a sore loser.

Friendly banter between fans is part of the fun. It helps create the memory.

Just don’t take it too far, especially if the result isn’t favorable. We’ve seen many heated confrontations over the years with patrons arguing back and forth. We’ve seen fans throw their drinks into the ground in rage.

Some of them were ejected from the viewing party.

Don’t let the disappointment of losing a bet, or seeing your alma mater get eliminated, turn into a bigger problem. There’s always next year — a common theme for us UNLV graduates.

Be patient

There are going to be lines — to place a wager, get a drink, use the restroom, get a rideshare and more. Some of those lines might not move quickly.

Our service-industry workers are seasoned veterans in handling the masses from working New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl Sunday and more. But they aren’t superheroes.

You’ll save grief through planning and by exercising patience.

Instead of racing to the betting window minutes before tipoff, place the wager ahead of time. The betting numbers, after all, have been up for days.

When there’s a break in the action, many will also see it as a time to get food or drink and use the facilities. Instead, go during the game when the crowds are lighter.

And when you win a wager or buy a drink, don’t forget to leave a tip — even if the waitress isn’t as prompt as you’d like from managing the many customers. The revenue from this week is significantly important to workers here.

Come again

The “Da-na-na-na-Dun-daa-na-na” theme song from CBS is synonymous with March Madness. It was the cue in the background during our childhood to race into the living room to watch — all with hopes of a buzzer beater or UNLV win.

It will be blasted over speakers up and down the Strip over the next two days, bringing joy to those of us who wait all year to be here. I’m fortunate enough to call Las Vegas home.

It appears you also like it here.

About 14% of the 41.7 million total tourists in 2024 were first-time visitors, according to a survey from the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority released this month. That means many of you taking a seat at a viewing party today are return visitors. Welcome back.

You come back because the options are diverse — and not just this week.

Our food scene is plentiful with top-end restaurants from celebrity chefs and the bar food you’ll soon be devouring. There’s no better place to gamble, and our shows and shopping are still elite.

This will be a trip you soon won’t forget.

Get ready for a viewing event — and for a close game or two that ruins your tournament bracket.