Betting on an English League Two soccer (just accept that nobody is going to call it "football" in the States) team? That's kind of doubtful. Many major sports books offer bets on Premier League games, but once you get below that you're not likely to find action in Vegas.

So what to do if you decide to wager a few dollars on a Premier League game? The Bellagio sports book is a great place to start. Other good choices would be Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton. Start by taking a look at the giant tote boards to see if odds are listed, but don't be surprised if you don't find any there. That does not necessarily mean the sports book is not taking bets. There will be a lot of basketball games going on during your stay, and those lines may take up most of the available space on the board. If you don't see soccer listed, just ask one of the clerks if lines are available. They'll either point you to where handouts are available or print out lines for you.

Now that you've placed your bet you may want to watch the game… which you probably won't be able to find on any of the screens in the sports book. The Crown & Anchor pub — about a $15 cab ride away from the Bellagio — is the place to go for English soccer. Sorry, though, even they aren't likely to air League Two games.

Ah, Las Vegas for the young. No matter what your group ends up doing you'll have fun, but one thing you must always remember about Las Vegas is that it is not a place that lends itself to saving money. It's about spending, baby, spending. The whole city revolves around getting visitors to willingly and happily part with their money, usually in sums larger than they originally anticipated.

With that disclaimer, there are a few things you can do minimize what you spend. Start by bunking four to a room. You may be tempted to save money by staying Downtown instead of on the Strip, but, while Downtown is a great place, it's not the first choice for a bunch of college girls celebrating their 21st — any hotel savings would quickly be offset by cab fare back and forth to the clubs of the Strip. Instead, look for good rates on a mid-tier hotel with a good location in the middle of the Strip. Ballys, Harrahs, the Flamingo and Planet Hollywood would all be good choices. None of these are the crown jewels of the Strip, but they're less pricey and would put you in easy walking distance of the hot nightspots. Keep an eye on FTLV's page of bargains and discounts for any special rates that may come available.

Other than gambling (a topic to be considered by itself), your big expenses are probably going to come in the clubs. Be warned: They're not cheap. The hot nightclubs change just as quickly as showgirl costumes, so it's harder to gauge so far ahead of time what the happening place will be at the end of the year. Right now some of the most popular are Tao (in the Venetian), Lavo (the Palazzo), Tryst, Blush (both in the Wynn), XS (the Encore) and Pure (Caesars Palace). Drai's After Hours (Bills Gambling Hall) and the nightclubs at the Hard Rock Casino never seem to go out of vogue. Do be aware that cover charges almost always apply and can approach the $50 mark in some cases.

Girls have one big advantage, though: We're cute… and some of us know how to flirt. Use this gift, girl. Flirt. Flirt, flirt, flirt. You never know what may come of it.

I attended a dear friend's Las Vegas bachelorette party not long ago, and on our first night out, one of the more outgoing members of our party chatted up a limo driver waiting on his client (these guys do a lot of waiting — take advantage). Before long we were on the guest list for a private party at one of the Hard Rock's clubs.

Not only that, but we were given a free ride back to our hotel. Since we didn't have to pay a fee or tip, another friend decided the least she could do was to treat the driver to a PG-13 pole dance inside the limo. Yes, there was a stripper pole inside the stretch Hummer limo.

Shopping can also be a big expense. If that's your idea of a good time, take advantage of the outlet stores in town. One of our articles, "Shopping on the cheap," has details.

You mentioned hanging out by the pool. I hate to tell you, but not even Las Vegas is warm enough in winter for poolside lounging. You would need to plan your trip for one of the other three seasons to have a shot at that.

Las Vegas is a lot like any other vacation spot in the world: There are always more guys looking to hook up than chicks, at certain times it can turn into a major sausage-fest (like during he college basketball tournament or when Vegas hosts a major fight) and the things that really seem like a lot of fun to dudes are almost certain to have a crowd almost entirely male. For example, betting on sports then hanging around to watch the games is my idea of a great day. I'm sure you can guess just how few women think that sounds like fun.

But it's not entirely a downer. On the upside, young women flock to Vegas with their girlfriends to cut loose and have fun. These women are entirely get-able. You're not likely to find them playing blackjack in a casino, though. They love to spend their days shopping and, when the weather is warm, hanging out at the pool. Here are some ways of maximizing your chances:

1. Choose your hotel wisely

Book your stay at a mid- to upper-tier hotel, preferably one with a great pool scene, but not at THE upper rung of hotels (I'll explain more in item 5). Mandalay Bay has the best pool in Las Vegas, and the scenery is fantastic all spring, summer and fall. Other good candidates on the Strip are Caesars Palace, the Venetian, the Mirage, MGM Grand and the Bellagio. Off the Strip, the Palms and the Hard Rock are Hookup Central.

2. Go where the women go

Shooting craps for six consecutive hours is a lot of fun, but the tables are going to be packed with pickles. You'll find more females in your hotel's buffet line or — and I just can't stress this one enough — at the pool. One side note: Depending upon where you stay the pool may have a topless area. You're going to be tempted to spend your time there. Don't. The women in those areas are, with few exceptions, out of your league (see item 5).

3. Do as much groundwork as possible during the day

Competition at the nightclubs is fierce. But spend time during the day to partake in some friendly chatting and light flirting with a few lovely young ladies, and find out what their plans are for the night. That way you can make sure to bump into them again that evening and you won't be starting from Square One. You're not a stranger, you're the guy she met that afternoon who bought her a margarita and told her the funny story about your uncle and the duck. She already feels friendly towards you, and friendliness goes a long way in Las Vegas…

4. If you're a with a bunch of guys, start early

The really hip Vegas nightclubs get really packed, and there's often a line of people wanting to get in. The door staff is WAY more likely to let in a group of women than they are to admit a pack of nothing but swinging Johnsons. So if you're going to be with a lot of lads, it's a good idea to try and make it into a club well before it gets crowded. Ask a bartender what time your club of choice heats up, then make plans to arrive three hours earlier.

5. Stay in your league

See that tall blonde with the stunning fake boobs and the tiny thong bikini that makes you wonder how much time she spends each month in electrolysis sessions? You're not going to have any luck with her. I don't care how cute you are, I don't care how charming you may be, I don't care how smooth you are with a line. She's not interested in any of that. Her fat, hairy 60-year-old Sugar Daddy has a bank account you can't match and he's in the VIP poker lounge right now betting more on a single hand than your whole group collectively spent on the entire trip.

This is also why I say you're more likely to have better luck at hotels that are a notch below the very top level. If you splurge and stay the very plushest Strip resorts you may have accidentally priced yourself right out of competition.

You're in a good situation, Holly. Mandalay Bay might not be quite 100 percent of what you're looking for, but it's not terribly far away from that mark. Figure it might rate at about 80 percent on your scale. Here's where it matches up with what you're looking for: It has an excellent sports book — probably one of my three or four favorites on the Strip (the Las Vegas Hilton and Caesars Palace hold the top two spots) — and the crowd is usually heavy with young party types who don't mind dropping a chunk of change to have a good time. Visiting in early March you'll miss out on this, but the party quotient is even higher in the summer. Mandalay Bay's pool may well be the best in Las Vegas and the scenery on the beach — that's right, a real sand beach — is spectacular.

Here's where Mandalay Bay falls a little short of what you ideally want: There are several very good bars and clubs in Mandalay Bay (MIX, especially), but none of them are THE nightlife hotspot of the moment. Today's hippest of hip places are found at the other end of the Strip, in the Venetian (Tao), Palazzo (Lavo), Wynn (Tryst, Blush), Encore (XS) and Caesars Palace (Pure). Those clubs are where the partiest of the partiers drink and sweat until the morning.

Those clubs are the most likely Strip candidates for celebrity spotting (add in the Palms and the Hard Rock, if you venture off the Strip), but even if any reality show bullies or sex-tape-leaking actresses are in the club at the same time as you, you're not likely to see them. Vegas clubs keep VIP areas for these folks, and they're off limits to commoners like us. So if you're really hoping to see Britney Spears stumbling drunkenly across the dance floor, let me prepare you for likely disappointment now.

First off, the hotel: Ballys will probably be just fine for you. The hotel isn't in the top tier of luxury places, but it's nice enough and has a very good central-Strip location. Rooms in the North Tower are a bit larger and nicer, but rooms in the South Tower generally have a better view of the Strip. So if you prefer cushier accommodations, the North side is for you. But if you want a nice perspective to watch the Bellagio fountain show, ask for a South Tower room that looks that direction.

Now about the gambling: Las Vegas isn't much of a bingo town — traditional games bring in a lot more money, so casinos usually focus on those — but there are a handful of bingo halls in town. None on the Strip, though, and only one Downtown. The rest are all in Off-Strip locations, meaning expect more locals and fewer tourists.

If you want to play, you might consider visiting the one Downtown location, the Plaza, where you can at least mix in a little sightseeing of this old section of Vegas with your bingo-playing. While you're there, make sure to pop into the Golden Gate for a shrimp cocktail from their deli in the back. That's a personal favorite of mine.

All the other bingo halls will require a cab ride from Ballys. These are all well-known casinos, so all cabbies should know how to get there.

Las Vegas bingo halls (list as of Jan. 10, 2010)

• Plaza (Downtown) – 11am-9pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Arizona Charlies Decatur (Off-Strip) – Round-the-clock, sessions start on odd hours
• Arizona Charlies Boulder (Off-Strip) – Round-the-clock, sessions start on odd hours
• Boulder Station (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Cannery (Off-Strip) – 8am-10pm, sessions start on even hours
• Fiesta (Off-Strip) – 11am-7pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Fiesta Henderson (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Gold Coast (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Palace Station (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Red Rock (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Sams Town (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Santa Fe Station (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• South Point (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Suncoast (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Sunset Station (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Terribles (Off-Strip) – 11am-9pm, sessions start on odd hours
• Texas Station (Off-Strip) – 9am-11pm, sessions start on odd hours

Note that session times are subject to change and some casinos may decide to no longer host bingo, so it's a good idea to check with your hotel concierge before heading out.