I'm a long time lurker, mostly I enjoy reading how other people spend their time out, and thought I would share a couple of tips I haven't seen before that I put into practice whenever I'm out at bars. Perhaps they are obvious, in which case I apologise, but they never fail to get me noticed, and I'm sure they have been instrumental in various k/#/f-closes over the years.

I actually don't drink much, mostly vodka+red bull if I do; alcohol makes me sleepy, annoyingly.

Open a tab.

First, this isn't intended so that you can buy girls drinks, or so that you look like a big spender. I go out to bars with my friends, and I almost always open a tab and buy them drinks all night. They will reimburse me later, through cash or meals or whatever, but it makes things easier to have a tab going.

  • Your friends will be thanking you and giving you additional social proof.
  • You won't spend extra time at the bar fumbling with cash or whatever.
  • If it does come time to buy a girl a drink then it'll be elementary, because the bartender knows you. (I'll do this only after we have kissed, or there have been significant IOIs)

Tip big, and tip early.

I make a point to single out a late 20s male bartender and tip him about $30 at the start of the night. This may seem like a lot of money, depending on how much you intend to spend, but it pays dividends especially if you open a tab at the same time. Give him a nod, hand him the cash, and he'll be yours all night.

  • Instant social proof from the bartender.
  • When the bar is crowded, my bartender will get my drinks even if I am 3-4 people back from the front. Less time at the bar, more time with the girls.
  • Use it as a pick up; girls ask how I do that, I tell them they just have to get to know me.
  • It's alpha as fuck get served before the throng of people in front of you.
  • I guarantee the bartender will comp you at least some of your drinks.

From a recent night out I estimated my friends and I drank around $200 of drinks. I tipped the bartender $30 at the start of the night, and the receipt from my bar tab came in at $120, which I threw another $20 tip on. $170 (including a significant tip) for $200 worth of drinks, and a pile of social proof and alpha points.