July 1, 2009
One of the first big entertainment announcements in this column 13 years ago was the signing of Las Vegas magician extraordinaire, Lance Burton, to an unprecedented 13-year contract at the then just-opened Monte Carlo. Lately, speculation has been rife that, despite continuing to be one of Las Vegas’ top acts, Burton wouldn’t renew his contract. The speculation was wrong, as Burton’s reign in the Lance Burton Theater has been extended by six years, meaning he’ll be performing at the Monte Carlo through 2015, pushing his gig to a full 19 years at the same Strip venue.
Shark Diving: Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef attraction is introducing a new program for guests of the casino or sister property THEhotel. Certified divers aged 18+ will soon be able to dive side-by-side with more than 30 sharks housed at the Reef. The price for the four-hour experience has not yet been set.
HORSE: The world’s second-most-prestigious poker tournament, the $50,000-buy-in HORSE event at the World Series of Poker, was won by David Bach, who collected almost $1.3 million for his effort. The tournament set a record for the longest-running final table: a 20-hour marathon. “HORSE” is an acronym for the five games played in the tournament: hold ’em, Omaha 8 or better, razz, 7-card stud, and 7-card stud eight-or-better. The most prestigious tournament, the $10,000-buy-in WSOP main event, begins this week.
Robo-Poker Gone: An automated-poker-table system that had been in use at the Excalibur has been removed. All the games are again being dealt by live dealers.
Question: Is CityCenter opening this year, or has it also been stalled?
Answer: CityCenter will open in stages, with a big section scheduled to debut this year. As of now, reservations are being taken at two of the hotels: Vdara beginning October 1, and Aria beginning December 16.
Anthony Curtis’ weekly column is syndicated to all the above publications.
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