LVA in the Media

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.

 

June 24, 2009

 

You may have heard that room rates are low in Las Vegas, but you might be surprised just how low they can go. A survey of rates conducted last week turned up extraordinary values, including 60 hotel-casinos with room rates below $50, compared to only 42 in the same survey last year. The least expensive rooms were found at Binion’s, Boulder Station, El Cortez, Fiesta Rancho, Four Queens, Gold Spike, Golden Gate, Hooters, Palace Station, Plaza, Sahara, Sam’s Town, Terrible’s, Texas Station, Vegas Club, and Wild Wild West, all of which came in at less than $20. Yes, less than $20! Rates change quickly and these are base prices that may be subject to any combination of taxes, booking charges, and resort fees, but they’re an excellent place to start if you’re trying to track down great room deals this summer. The entire list, along with tips for finding these rates, can be viewed at the website listed at the end of this column.

 

High-Enders: The summer brings good deals at the elite resorts too. The following represent the best prices found at the upscale casinos: New York-New York $53, Palms $55, JW Marriott $59, Paris $64, MGM Grand $66, Planet Hollywood $71, Green Valley Ranch $75, Mirage $79, Westin Casuarina $79, Caesars $96, Mandalay Bay $96, THEhotel $110, Venetian $110, and Bellagio $112.

 

Daydream: M Resort’s Daydream Pool Club will become the permanent summer home to Wet Grooves, America’s #1 touring pool party. Famous for its annual marathon parties at the Winter Music Conference in South Beach Miami, Wet Grooves’ DJs, live acts, guest hosts, drink specials, contests, and "decorative themed props" will take over Daydream every Friday. No word yet on ticket prices.

 

Question: What’s the status on Lance Burton at Monte Carlo? Is he gone or on vacation?

Answer: It hasn’t been decided. The master magician was injured last month and had to cancel several shows. However, his 13-year contract with the resort expired during his absence and has not yet been renewed. For now, Burton is not performing at Monte Carlo, but that’s not officially permanent.

Construction has officially stopped at Fontainebleau, the north-Strip megaresort that’s embroiled in a dispute with its lenders and recently had its CEO resign. Slightly more than two-thirds finished and towering above the Strip, it was scheduled for an October opening. F’Bleau follows in the footsteps of the Cosmopolitan and Echelon Place, both of which were stopped in mid-construction, along with several Strip casino and condo projects that never got off the drawing board, due to the economic hard times.

 

Cheap Drinks: From 4 to 10 p.m. on Fridays in June, all drinks at all bars at South Point are $1. It’s a good way to get a fast start on the weekend.

 

Cheap Trick: The rock band Cheap Trick has been signed for a September residency at the Las Vegas Hilton. Backed by a live orchestra, they’ll perform Sgt. Pepper Live. Show dates are September 13-15, 17-19, and 21-23, and tickets are priced at $65, $80, and $90.

 

Cheap Stunt: To promote the debut of Holly Madison as the new lead of its production Peepshow, Planet Hollywood blocked out the “wood” in its sign so it read “Planet Holly.” OK, not so cheap a stunt! Madison takes the stage for the first time on June 22.

 

Brewpub Closing: The long-running Brewpub at Monte Carlo will close July 12. It’s not a surprise, since the Brewpub actually stopped brewing back in ’06, when the CityCenter project took over the land that housed the former brewery. Still, it’s been a popular venue since the day it opened along with the rest of the resort.

 

Question: How has the economy affected attendance at this year’s World Series of Poker?

 

Answer: Once again, poker has proven impervious to these difficult times. The WSOP’s "Stimulus Special" tournament (with a lower-than-normal $1,000 buy-in) sold-out, drawing 6,012 players. It was the fourth largest field of all time, trailing only the main events in 2006 (8,773 players), 2008 (6,844) and 2007 (6,358). The winner was 24-year-old Steven Sung, who pocketed $771,106.

(Anthony Curtis weekly column is syndicated to all the above publications.)

A return of the Tropicana to Strip prominence has been promised by its new owners, who take the reins of the former “Tiffany of the Strip” on July 1^st. Near-term plans include adding two restaurants and building a bar in the middle of the casino, renovating the sports book and opening a poker room, and redoing the pedestrian bridges from the Strip and Tropicana Avenue so they flow directly into the casino. Longer-term plans call for remodeling the hotel rooms, convention area, pools, and Tiffany Theater. The Trop had been scheduled for a possible demolition and makeover two years ago, before the economy halted those plans.

 

 

Vic’s Vacates: Just north of the Tropicana, the Trader Vic’s restaurant at Planet Hollywood will close later this month. No plans have been announced for the space, which includes a patio with one of the town’s Strip-side views.

 

 

Halfsteak: Craftsteak, the celebrated steakhouse at MGM Grand, has introduced a new menu featuring smaller portions for half the price. Steak items start at $19, but what’s amazing about this restaurant is its vegetable list—perhaps the most extensive you’ll ever encounter at a meat-and-potatoes restaurant.

 

Downtown Breakfast: The Omelet House, a local non-casino institution, will open location in downtown’s Plaza Casino next week. Famous for its zucchini sticks and big breakfasts, hours will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

 

 

Gans Death: Five weeks after the sudden death of Strip star Danny Gans, the cause of his demise has been ruled accidental. Gans died from toxicity produced from painkillers that was heightened by pre-existing health issues.

 

 

Question: Was there recently another casino fire? Where? And what was the extent of it?

Answer: Not in an operating casino, but you’re likely referring to the vacant Moulin Rouge, which was the scene of a four-alarm fire in May. It was the third fire there in six years and may have finally marked the end of efforts to reopen the casino, famous for being the first integrated (for guests) gambling hall in Las Vegas.

(Anthony Curtis’ weekly column is syndicated to all the above media.)

 

 June 4, 2009

 

Want to go to a pool party? You can every day of the week in Las Vegas, whether you’re staying at the sponsoring casino or not. As part of the morphing from just plain pools to all-day party destinations, several casinos have opened their complexes to the public (usually for a fee). Here’s the list. Open parties run every day of the week at Green Valley Ranch, Las Vegas Hilton, and Red Rock Resort. On Monday parties are also held at the Flamingo and Hard Rock; Thursdays at the Mirage; Fridays at the Palms and Palazzo; Saturdays at Palazzo; and Sundays at the Hard Rock, MGM Grand, Mirage, Venetian, and Palazzo. Many of these are held at specific pools—e.g., the Mirage parties are at BARE Pool—so call ahead to get the details.

 

Free for All: In an interesting experiment, the Tropicana pool is open to everyone with no fee for admission all summer long. It’s a great offer from a place that’s been known for years for its lush pool area, but although this has been verified, you should still call ahead to make sure the offer hasn’t been rescinded.

 

Charo to Riv: Sitcom actress, singer, and primo guitarist Charo will perform at the Riviera beginning July 10. While it appears that the intention is for this to be a permanent show, that hasn’t been confirmed. However, current plans call for a Wed.-Mon. schedule; ticket prices are $62.45, $75, and $85.

 

Question: I’ve read here that several Broadway shows have failed in Las Vegas, yet you wrote last week that The Lion King has just opened at Mandalay Bay. Is Broadway in Vegas in or out?

Answer: In more than out. The Lion King has opened to terrific reviews, joining Strip mainstays Phantom at Venetian and Jersey Boys at Palazzo. Plus, work is about to begin on a $245 million events complex located between the Strip and downtown, planned for a 2012 debut, that’s expected to bring in additional Broadway shows, along with symphony, opera, and other similar productions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada’s recently hit Megabucks jackpot was the second-largest in the system’s history, but it left a lot of questions in the minds of players who monitor Megabucks closely. Specifically, how did the total climb from $19 million to more than $30 million in a week? In reality, the jump took place in a day, when International Game Technology (IGT) decided to retire its Penny Megabucks system and combine the two jackpots. Adding the money from the penny game to the dollar progressive resulted in an instant jump to $31 million, which grew to $33,000,563 before it was hit at Terrible’s Rail City in Sparks, Nev. (the record remains the $39.7 million bonanza hit at Excalibur six years ago).

 

 

ECan Buffet: Las Vegas’ newest buffet is Cannery Row at Eastside Cannery. After opening with an all-you-can-eat buffet hybrid, ECan has switched to a traditional smorgy with low pricing: $8.99 for lunch and $11.99 for dinner (except for the $17.99 Wed. seafood night).

 

 

Bellagio Summer: The new summer display at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features cold-air balloons, a spectacular 42-foot-high Ferris wheel, an aviary with lorikeets and parakeets, and patriotic displays of the Stars and Stripes. The display is open to the public all day every day.

 

 

 

 

Question: Is there any rule that dictates whether the player’s cards in blackjack are dealt face down or up?

Answer: No, the individual casinos decide. However, the rule of thumb is that single decks are dealt down, four decks or more are dealt up, and double decks are dealt both ways.

 

(Anthony Curtis’ weekly column is syndicated to all the above publications.)

 

May 13, 2009

 

While Las Vegas continues to be hit hard by the financial contraction, the most recent reporting numbers provide reason for at least a smidgeon of optimism. Although an 11.6% decline in gambling win in March was Nevada’s 15^th consecutive monthly downtick, the magnitude of the drop was the lowest since September of last year. It’s a weak signal taken alone, but March also produced the smallest drop in Las Vegas visitor volume in seven months. Analysts are crediting the ongoing discounting of rooms for the improved visitation, a trend that should remain intact with the traditional summer discounting season about to begin.

 

All-Day Buffets: Three more casinos have joined Excalibur in offering day passes to their buffets. At MGM Grand, you can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner for $29.99 weekdays and $39.99 on weekends. At Stratosphere, it’s unlimited access for $19.99 every day except Friday, when it’s $24.99. And at Luxor, it’s $35 and includes wine and beer.

 

Wynn’s Beard: Paul Bartolotta, executive chef at Wynn Las Vegas’ Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, has won the prestigious James Beard award for “Best Chef: Southwest.” The restaurant sells its fish by the gram.

 

Healthy Hour: Loews Lake Las Vegas has a “Spa Happy Hour,” when treatments costing $90-$130 are sold for $75. The deal is offered all day Sunday through Thursday.

 

Question: Have you ever heard of a gambling movie called Yonkers Joe? I’ve been told it’s a superb gambling flick, but I haven’t seen it in theaters.

Answer: Yonkers Joe is one of the best technical gambling movies to come out in years, as it was made by Las Vegas filmmakers with strong ties to the professional-gambling world. Because of its independent status, it didn’t have wide distribution, but it comes out on DVD this month and is listed as available on Netflix when it does, so you can track it down.

(Anthony Curtis weekly column is syndicated to all the above publications.)