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ANTHONY CURTIS’ June 2019 Vol. 36 LasVegasAdvisor Issue 6 ELVIS COMES TO HARRAH’S ‘Heartbreak ’ covers Elvis A to Z … pg. 9

‘THE TRAVEL GAME’ Big money in miles, points, and loyalty rewards … pg. 1

RESORT FEES UNDER FIRE Is the end in sight for the little buggers? … pg. 1

PRIME RIBS REVIEWED From $9.99 to $1,200 … pg. 5

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because he’d been doing it for years. He also under- COUPONOMY stood where we’d initially gone wrong and educated me by Anthony Curtis on the need to expand the focus. To do that, he brought in Michael Friedman, who’s worked and operated in the travel space for years and writes the blog Frequentflyer The Travel Game miles101.com. After a few months of preparation and adjustment, we launched the new blog, “The Travel Game,” with this Do you use air miles? Many of us do to some degree, statement: but probably not to the extent that we could or should. That’s a little strange, especially when you consider that We are Michael Trager and Mike Friedman, and we’ll airline frequent-flyer programs were the model for casino be your guides to the world of loyalty programs, award slot clubs, and we sure use the heck out of those. Just travel, travel deals, and global and experiential travel. about everyone who reads LVA can benefit from an enhanced knowledge of travel strategies. Hence, though So the stakes have risen. We’re no longer look- it’s been a long time coming, we’ve finally pulled the trig- ing only at how this or that credit card can be used to ger on creating a serious blog dedicated to points, miles, advantage. We’re now delving into the intricacies of and global travel. Here’s how it came about. how airline miles, hotel points, and other loyalty rewards A year ago, we introduced a new blog at LasVegas and programs all tie in together. There are opportunities Advisor.com called “The Credit Game.” I was excited everywhere to save on and enhance travel. And not just about it and confident that we were creating something to casinos, but to destinations all over the world. that would offer all sorts of value, profit, and saving Look for plenty of content in the blog—almost an opportunities for LVA customers. Despite my enthusi- article a day. There’ll also be plenty of deals that you’ll asm, however, we couldn’t get it rolling. be able to evaluate for your needs and secure immedi- The problem was I significantly underestimated the ately should you so choose. And the Michaels tell me intricate connections between credit cards and travel. I that sometimes they’ll throw in a post just because they knew that travel would be a key component, but I had like a topic and can’t help themselves. That’s cool, fun is no idea it was as important a piece of the puzzle as it good. is. Hence, we didn’t pay much attention to travel and I’m excited all over again. Check out “The Travel loyalty points, a strategy akin to relying solely on card Game” at LasVegasAdvisor.com/travel, or click on counting to win a blackjack tournament—it’s an ineffec- “Travel” on the top navigation menu on the LasVegas tive approach. Credit cards, meanwhile, have a finely Advisor.com home page. n developed infrastructure, i.e., the banks, the issuers, the advertisers, and the rules they all play by. It’s compli- cated and highly nuanced. Resort Fees Under Attack What to do? There were only two choices: abandon or expand. To be honest, I never really considered aban- doning. This space has too many strong opportunities I’ve gone on record saying that resort fees won’t go for profit and digging out such opportunities is what we away, but I might have to rethink my position. In a move do at LVA. But in order to expand the scope, we needed that surprised me, the online travel agency (OTA) Book- the proper expertise. ing.com announced that it will soon start taking a com- Enter the Michaels, Trager and Friedman. Michael mission on resort fees charged by worldwide. As Trager runs TravelZork.com, and when I approached we’ve explained before, resort fees originated in large him about working with us, he immediately understood part when hotels started looking for a way to raise rates the idea of applying advantage-player-type thinking and without paying the high commission percentages the techniques to points, miles, and credit card use, mostly continued on next page

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 1 Couponomy continued … NEWS

OTAs are contractually owed. It worked, and now one —What will the casino of the future look OTA is taking a stand. like? It might look like The LINQ. The center-Strip casino What happens next will be very interesting. What is being transformed into an Instagrammer’s dream, with will Booking.com do if the casinos refuse to pay? Stop holographic displays and games, interactive exhibits, booking them? Big deal—the casinos won’t care and not virtual-reality grottos, even a small e-sports arena. The much will change if the other OTAs don’t follow suit. LINQ has become a proving ground by rolling out an What will happen if the other OTAs do fall in line “experiential space” and introducing technology that with Booking.com? One of two things. Either the casi- Caesars Entertainment claims hasn’t been seen before nos relent and things stay as they are, or the casinos no in a casino. The LINQ was deemed perfect for the test, longer deal with the OTAs. In both scenarios, resort fees as its customer base tends to be on the younger side will go away, as there’ll be no reason for the separate than Caesars’ other casinos. category. Kind Heaven—Add the LINQ Promenade’s ambi- Fantastic, right? Not necessarily. Ironically, at least tious $100 million 100,000-square-foot immersive South- in the first scenario, you won’t save on rooms since the east Asian experience to the list of delayed projects. The base rates will simply be raised. Base rates would be opening date for Kind Heaven has been pushed back raised in the second scenario as well, but probably not eight months from August of this year to April 2020. as much, because commissions will no longer be a fac- Majestic—News has finally arrived with regard tor in the equation. to the Convention Center Drive location at which the Assuming that this battle escalates (and I’d wager it Clarion formerly stood. The casino was imploded in early won’t), the resolution would likely fall somewhere in the 2015 with the promise of a coming “mixed-use resort middle. Both sides need each other. I expect that the catering to conventioneers.” It took a while, but that casinos would still work with the OTAs, but there’d be a project might be in the works. Plans have been submit- renegotiated commission rate. In that case, resort fees ted for an $850 million, 45-story, 720-room non-casino will still go away. Base prices will be higher, but it won’t luxury hotel called the Majestic. Ground is expected to n feel as wrong. be broken next year and the Majestic is slated for com- pletion in the first quarter of 2023. —The Neon Museum is set to lease The Blackjack Insiders the nearby 32,000-square-foot Reed Whipple Cultural Center from the City of Las Vegas for $1 per year, allowing it to add an indoor gallery, neon craft demon- Our new book is The Blackjack Insiders—How Two strations, classrooms, and offices. In addition, part of Pit Bosses Beat the Casinos at Their Own Game. Of the Cultural Center’s parking lot will open up space to all the gambling books that we publish at Huntington expand the boneyard portion of the museum, which is Press, I can honestly say that our collection of blackjack maxed out by its 200 signs. titles is the best of any publishing company in the world. Massachusetts—After a rollercoaster approval pro- Contrary to what that might suggest, though, we’re not cess stemming from the Steve Wynn misconduct alle- on the hunt for more blackjack. You can say only so gations and an out-of-nowhere discussion about a sale much about the game. However, The Blackjack Insid- to MRI, the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor is set to ers brought something new to the table: a chance to get open in Everett on June 23. Warnings are being issued inside the heads of the “enemy”—the bosses against to avoid driving to the casino on opening day, with pro- whom expert players have to constantly match their wits jections of up to 3,000 cars per hour descending on the and talents. new resort. Author Andrew Uyal not only lets you in on how the other side thinks, but also contrasts the conflicting posi- LAS VEGAS 3665 Procyon Street • Las Vegas, NV 89103 tions: He learned to count cards as a casino floorman (702) 252-0655 • (702) 252-0675 Fax from his pit supervisor and switched sides on his days ADVISOR e-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com off. As I said, for us to publish a blackjack book, it has to Publisher: Anthony Curtis Customer Service: Nicole Watchus Senior Editor: Deke Castleman Shipping & Receiving: Scotch Henderson be different and this one certainly is. Plus, it’s packaged Accounting: John Leitner Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob in an exciting story of two men’s pursuit of the profes- Production Manager: Laurie Cabot Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause, Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott sional-gambling dream. Research Assistant: Brenda Stewart Cover Image: Denise Truscello We’ll publish an excerpt next month. The book is LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. POSTMASTER: Send address expected to be back from the printer and shipping by changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings June 10. See the wrap for your pre-pub discount. n are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2019

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 Mississippi—Resorts Casino Tunica will close on June 30. It opened as the Southern Belle Casino in 1994 Las Vegas’ Top Ten Values and was also the Harrah’s Tunica Mardi Gras Casino for a couple of years. It’s the third casino to close in Tunica 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 County since 2014, leaving only six in the area. 2. Buffet • Palace Station • Daily • $9.99-$16.99 Myanmar—Casino gambling has been legalized in 3. Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98 Myanmar (locals excluded), where previously only illegal 4. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 casinos operated. The new law leaves Thailand as the 5. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 only country in Southeast Asia where gambling is still 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • Daily • $2.25 illegal. 7. Breakfast • Club Fortune • Daily • $1.99/$2.99 Cambodia—Also in Southeast Asia, the number of 8. $1 Blackjack • Hooters • 24 hours • $1.20 casinos in Cambodia is increasing rapidly. According to 9. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99 one report, 88 new casinos—mostly small operations— 10. No Resort Fee • Four Queens • Daily • $39 and up were registered in Sihanoukville province last year. Much of the growth is being attributed to Live Dealer Online The Ellis Island steak dinner remains in the top (LDO) betting, which allows players in other countries to spot. Served 24/7 in the Café, get the $7.99 price gamble on live games using mobile devices. by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was club card inserted, then downloading the required down .1% in March compared to the same month last discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want year. Though down only barely, it was still a third con- to play, you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed secutive monthly decline. The Strip win was down 3.8%, price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk while downtown was up 8.7%. Baccarat was blamed for that’s available to everyone with a club card. The the overall decline, with the handle down 42% and the Feast Buffet at Palace Station (#2) is our choice for win ($53.6 million) down 54%. Roulette had a banner Las Vegas’ best buffet when considering the com- month, up 44% for its second biggest monthly win total bination of quality and price; get the listed prices ever ($42 million). by showing a Boarding Pass card. Note that there’s Visitation was down 1.4%, the first declining month been a significant price increase for this buffet, but of the year. A 15% drop in convention attendance con- not on the club-card price. Get the details in Dining. tributed to the result. Get a ticket to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show Airline traffic was up 2.6% in March. Southwest was and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the players club again the busiest carrier with 11.9 million passengers, booth (#3). The hot dogs at South Point (#4) are while Spirit, with 344,000 passengers, had the biggest sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until n percentage increase (21.4%). they close down the cart around 5 pm. Michelob, Michelob Light, or Bud Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east Sports Betting Scorecard of the Strip (#5). The Skyline shrimp cocktail (#6) is available 24/7 at the main bar. The Club Fortune breakfast (#7) served in the Club Café is bacon or Sports betting is now legal in Montana, Iowa, Indi- sausage & eggs for $1.99 weekdays from 6 to 11 am ana, and Tennessee. Betting will be conducted through and ham & eggs for $2.99 on weekends during the kiosks and mobile devices in Montana, at casinos and same hours. Hooters’ $1-minimum blackjack game online in Iowa, at casinos only in Indiana, and online only (#8) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on in Tennessee. bets of $1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost is your expected New Jersey has joined the fight against the U.S. loss for one hour of play at these stakes. Everything Justice Department’s recent reinterpretation of the Wire on the lunch menu is $4.99 at Ocean One (#9) in the Act. In a move to protect its $350 million annual revenue Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood; lunch hours from online gambling, NJ is seeking an injunction for the are 11:30 am to 4 pm daily. The Four Queens takes release of records that may indicate that the DOJ was the #10 spot as the last major casino still not charg- influenced by lobbying efforts by Las Vegas Sands Corp. ing a resort fee. to stymie the expansion of Internet gambling. The NBA is now disallowing use of its official data championship events from being held in states that feed by sports books with which it does not have agree- have legalized sports gambling. Pat Christenson, presi- ments. How it affects betting (or doesn’t) during the NBA dent of Las Vegas Events (and author of our book Rock Championship will say a lot about where the leagues fit Vegas), says Las Vegas is looking at an NCAA basketball into the expanded-sports-betting equation. regional, NCAA wrestling championship, and the Frozen The NCAA has rescinded its policy prohibiting continued on next page

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3 News continued … now costs $13.99-$22.99 at Palace Station and $15.99- $24.99 at the Palms. But hold on, those are the retail prices. Strangely enough, the price for showing a club Four men’s hockey championship as initial target events. card remains the same for all. So with a Boarding Pass Paddy Power Betfair has changed its name to card it’s $9.99-$16.99 at Palace Station and $10.99- Flutter Entertainment. The change is meant to reflect $19.99 at the Palms. the “increased diversity of its brands and operations Why would that be? It’s possible that an elevated …, which now include six consumer-facing brands: premium is currently being put on building club mem- Paddy Power, Betfair, Sportsbet, FanDuel, TVG, and bership. If you don’t join the club to get an immediate Adjarabet,” which together total six million customers. $6 discount for dinner, you’re crazy, right? Yes. But Follow the progress of sports betting legalization we think it’s probably something else—something that across the country and track developments as they you’re not gonna like, because it’s akin to a resort fee. occur via our blog and map at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n The increased prices will certainly wring more out of the squares who pay retail, but it also generates more revenue from coupon users. The recent trend has been to apply coupon twofers to the retail price, not the card price, even if you’re a member. By raising the retail price DINING by $1-$3, it digs out that extra amount for each twofer redeemed, or half that for 50%-off single diners where applicable. Station does a lot of buffet couponing, so it Free Parking Settles adds up on the bottom line. We should add that this is speculation on our part. Buffet Battle But if that’s what’s going on, we don’t hate it. If you don’t have a coupon, you’re still getting every buffet at the Who has the best buffet in Las Vegas when money same great prices they’ve been just by showing a card. If is no object? It’s a question we’re asked often and we’ve you’re applying your Member Rewards offer or any simi- always had to fudge the answer, because it’s a pretty lar discount to the Palace Station Feast, you’re still get- n tough call between Bellagio, Wynn, and Caesars Palace, ting it for $7-$11.50, which is an outstanding value. and you can throw the Cosmopolitan into the mix— they’re all excellent. There are some price differences if you want to use that as a tie-breaker, but they’re not Original GG Shrimp Cocktail significant. This situation changed, however, when the Wynn rescinded paid parking last month. Now we can easily peg the Wynn Buffet as the best gourmet choice, You had to know we’d follow up on last month’s “Reader Leader” about the Golden Gate shrimp cock- as it’s the only one of the big four that doesn’t have the th additional parking tariff tacked on. tail now being served at downtown’s 7 & Carson. It’s This is a point we’ve made before and it’s becoming there all right, several dozen little cold-water Bay shrimp even more acute: The presence of paid parking on the served in the same tulip cocktail glass. but that’s where Strip has to be considered when assessing the value or the similarities to the Golden Gate’s decades-long deal worthiness of a restaurant. MGM Resorts International is end. The cocktail sauce is noticeably hotter (we don’t by far the worst offender, as it continues to open high- remember our mouths burning for a half-hour after eat- end restaurants with ridiculous prices, then hits you ing it), the lemon is skimpier, and it doesn’t come with again with parking for the privilege of paying them (see crackers. Most importantly, at $9.99, the price is 10 “Greek Sneek”). We still review restaurants in resorts times what it was for many years at the Gate’s Bay City that charge for parking, but we mention it every time. n Diner and more than twice the $3.99 that it cost when last served at Du-Par’s in 2017. Those who remember it fondly from its heyday will come away disappointed. We were told that the shrimp cocktail is being Station Raises Buffet Prices “loaned” to 7th & Carson, a kind of upscale sports bar a block off Fremont Street, until Circa opens next year. In as wholesale a move as we’ve seen for a long When you think about it, $9.99 is probably what a res- time, has raised the price on all of its taurant has to charge to make a profit on this product, buffets. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch are up $1 which just goes to show what a great loss leader it used at all Stations and Fiestas, except for the best ones. The to be. It’ll be interesting to see what it costs if it’s resur- price of the buffets at Palace Station and Palms have rected at Circa. It won’t be $10, but we’re laying 10-1 n been raised by as much as $3 on some meals. So it that it won’t be anywhere near 99¢ either.

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 Prime Rib MB Steak 7-Boned Tomahawk tion for the media, so we thought we’d tell you about it in case Still deciding on which prime rib will go into the Top you’re looking for a Ten, we ran the gamut this month, trying versions from big-time splurge with $9.99 to $1,200. a bunch of friends. The $9.99er is the long-running deal in the Market It’s actually a dry- Street Café at the California that’s served as it always aged, seven-boned, has been with vegetable, choice of potato, unlimited 16-pound tomahawk salad bar, and cherries Jubilee for dessert. It’s avail- ribeye that feeds up able daily from 3 to to 12 diners. It’s slow-roasted overnight, carved at the 6 pm for $9.99, then table, and must be ordered at least 72 hours in advance. $11.99 till 10 pm. It also comes with six side dishes, including lobster mac This is a heck of a and cheese, creamed corn with king crab and roasted deal (the salad bar poblano, maitake mushrooms with aged goat cheese, by itself is $6.99) and and creamed spinach with a poached egg and truffle would be a sure-thing gouda. Topping it off, they’ll foil-wrap those glorious Top Tenner, except n Market Street Café prime rib bones to take home to your dogs. that the prime rib is exceedingly skimpy. That’s actually OK, given how much food you Greek Sneek get, but if you’re going specifically for a hearty There aren’t a lot of Greek restaurants in Las Vegas, cut of prime, this one so that (along with the consideration explained below) will probably disappoint. made MGM Grand’s new Greek Sneek a Strip restau- That said, ours was rant we wanted to try. Dishes include avgolemono soup cooked rare as ordered ($13), chips and tzatziki ($14), moussaka ($17), pizzas Cherries Jubilee for dessert and hot horseradish is ($20), chicken, lamb, and steak gryos ($20-$27), and available on request. baklava and Greek yogurt ($10), along with higher-priced There’s almost always a seat at the counter if you’re din- entrées. Our single reviewer opted for the (thin unle- ing alone. mony) avgolemono and baked half-chicken with feta By contrast, the Cornerstone prime rib stuffing and broccolini. The chicken was decent, but so prime rib in Cornerstone small that the breast looked like a thigh and the drum- at the Gold Coast is stick looked like a wing. The bill came to $48 before a monster. This is an tip—a pretty high price for a modest meal. And given excellent choice for that Sneek is housed in the belly of the MGM beast, scratching a prime rib there’s also the parking tariff. itch without having to The real reason we went was because we’d heard break the bank. Not that that this was another “secret” restaurant in the mode of it’s anywhere near $9.99 Secret Pizza and Ghost Donkey at Cosmopolitan and cheap—the 14-ounce Sara’s at the Palms. True, it’s at the end of a couple of cut is $28 and the hallways, but there’s a big Greek Sneek sign and host- 22-ounce cut is $32. Both come with soup or salad. ess station right on restaurant row next to Crush, so it’s If you go, an interesting appetizer at Cornerstone not exactly hidden and doesn’t qualify as secret. n is the seafood platter for two for $35. That’s a tempting price, but it’s one of the stranger seafood-platter combi- nations we’ve seen, comprising a lobster tail, two jumbo AYCE Sushi shrimp, two big oysters, a crab salad, and a big serving of poke. The lobster makes it, but it’s definitely different. Chicken, salmon, and a few other entrées are priced in “The only AYCE sushi in town that I can truly toler- the $20s and If you’re staying at Gold Coast, you get a ate” is how John Curtis describes Oyshi Sushi in Eating coupon book with a $20-off-$40 offer. Las Vegas. John’s kinda particular about sushi, so that The $1,200 prime? That’s served in MB Steak at the qualifies as high praise. We tried the W. Sahara location Hard Rock. And no, we weren’t considering it for the Top (there’s another on Rainbow) and found it good, but not en T . Anthony Curtis was invited to a special presenta- continued on page 8

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5 ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS

JUNE 6/15 • Bryan Callen & Brendan Schaub 6/29 • DSB: An American Journey 6/1–6/8 • Celine Dion Orleans • $49–$64 Suncoast • $19.95/$22.94 Caesars Palace • $109–$799 6/15 • Jennifer Lopez It’s My Party 6/29 • Judas Priest 6/1–6/14 • Lady Gaga Enigma T-Mobile • $59–$320 Hard Rock • $40–$63 Park MGM • $82.57–$344.95 6/15 • Joan Osborne 6/29 • MAGIC! • MGM Grand • $20/$25 6/1–9/27 • Shin Lim Aliante • $50.65–$73.45 6/29 • Serpentine Fire • Aliante • $20 Mirage • $50.99–$70.99 6/15 • Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano 6/29–6/30 • Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp 6/1–11/16 • Bert Kreischer Park MGM • $205–$399 Hard Rock • $20/$45 Mirage • $54–$98 6/15 • Mirage: Visions of Fleetwood Mac JULY 6/2 • Brown Sabbath Suncoast • $19/$22 7/2–7/9 • Aerosmith Brooklyn Bowl • $18/$20 6/15 • Pat Green • M Resort • $22–$42 Park MGM • $215–$688 6/2–6/9 • Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano 6/15 • Tyson Fury vs. Tom Schwarz 7/3–7/6 • Reba, Brooks & Dunn Park MGM • $170–$505 MGM Grand • $50–$500 Caesars Palace • $55–$189 6/2–6/16 • Matt Goss • Mirage • $27–$91 6/15 • Ziggy Marley and Michael Franti 7/3–7/6 • Robbie Williams 6/3 • Snarky Puppy & Spearhead • MBay • $48/$87 Wynn LV • $59.50–$250 Brooklyn Bowl • $30–$50 6/16 • Anderson Paak & The Free 7/4 • Mystic Roots Band • MBay • $20 6/5 • Hillsong United Nationals • Palms • $92–$386 7/5 • FireHouse Hard Rock • $28-$250 6/16–7/28 • Frankie Scinta Golden Nugget • $29–$109 6/5–6/15 • Diana Ross South Point • $20 7/5 • Godsmack Wynn LV • $60.50–$301 6/18 • Chromeo Hard Rock • $49.50–$174 6/6–6/15 • Barry Manilow Brooklyn Bowl • $30–$65 7/5 • Joe Rogan • Mirage • $90/$100 Westgate LV • $39.75–$329.75 6/19–6/29 • Aerosmith 7/5 • Sinbad • GVR • $25–$45 6/7 • Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals Park MGM • $215–$688 7/5 • Steven Wright • TI • $43/$71 Golden Nugget • $39–$129 6/19–6/29 • Robbie Williams 7/5–7/7 • It Takes Two: Rod Stewart and 6/7–6/8 • Jeff Ross & Dave Attell Wynn LV • $59.50–$250 Tina Turner Tribute Mirage • $43–$65 6/20 • Drive-By Truckers South Point • $20–$30 6/7–6/9 • Yesterday and Today • South Brooklyn Bowl • $30 7/6 • Jon Bellion Point • $20–$30 6/21 • Greg Kihn Band MBay • $49.50–$69.50 6/8 • 4NR: Foreigner Tribute Golden Nugget • $29–$109 7/6 • Iliza • Mirage • $33–$55 Cannery • $19.95/$22.94 6/21 • Kathleen Madigan 7/6 • Ocean Alley • Rio • $18 6/8 • Dizzy Wright Mirage • $33–$55 7/6 • Pentatonix Brooklyn Bowl • $22–$150 6/21 • Rhett & Link • GVR • $37.50–$70 MBay • $29.50–$129.50 6/8 • P.O.D. w/Nonpoint, Islander, 6/21–6/22 • Clean Up Crew 7/6 • UFC 239 Nine Shrines • Hard Rock • $26 South Point • $20–$30 T-Mobile • $210–$850 6/8 • Petty & The Heartshakers 6/21–6/22 • Jerry Seinfeld 7/6 • Ultimate Elvis Tribute Suncoast • $19/$22 Caesars Palace • $82.50–$165 M Resort • $22–$42 6/13 • w/Grieves, Lock- 6/22 • Hootie & the Blowfish 7/6 • Vince Neil • Cannery • $29–$99 smith, Ekoh • Hard Rock • $23 T-Mobile • $29.50–$129.50 7/9 • Los Campesinos! 6/13 • Summer Cookout 6/22 • Jay Leno • Mirage • $65–$87 Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 Tropicana • $50/$100 6/22 • Khalid: Free Spirit Tour 7/12 • Celeste Barber 6/13–6/27 • Frankie Moreno MGM Grand • $39.95–$79.95 Cannery • $19–$32 South Point • $20–$30 6/22 • Queen Nation: Tribute 7/12 • Hammer’s House Party 6/14 • Blue October Suncoast • $19/$24 Palms • $45–$220 Brooklyn Bowl • $29.50–$49.50 6/22 • Queensrÿche and Skid Row 7/12 • Melissa Etheridge 6/14 • Buttertones Cannery • $29–$69 Wynn LV • $49.50–$150 Hard Rock • $18/$29 6/23 • Long Beach Dub Allstars 7/12 • Steven Adler 6/14 • Sublime w/Rome Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 Golden Nugget • $29–$99 MBay • $56 6/26–6/29 • Reba, Brooks & Dunn 7/13 • Celeste Barber 6/14 • POCO Caesars Palace • $55–$189 Orleans • $19–$32 Golden Nugget • $29–$109 6/28 • Coheed, Cambria & Mastodon 7/13 • Gary Owen 6/14–6/15 • George Lopez Hard Rock • $40–$114 Palms • $39.95–$89.95 Mirage • $65–$87 6/28 • Gary Lewis & The Playboys 7/13 • Howard Jones, Men Without 6/14–6/16 • Ricky Nelson Remembered Golden Nugget • $29–$109 Hats, All Hail The Silence South Point • $20–$30 6/28–6/29 • Pablo Francisco Cannery • $24–$184 6/14–9/6 • Richard Cheese & Lounge South Point • $20–$30 7/13 • Hugh Jackman Against the Machine 6/28–6/29 • Paul McCartney MGM Grand • $29.50–$225 Red Rock • $35–$60 T-Mobile • $49.50-$520 7/13 • Mick Adams and the Stones 6/15 • Adam Sandler & Friends 6/28–6/29 • Platters • Orleans • $19/$25 Suncoast • $19/$22 Cosmo • $49-$179 6/28–6/29 • Ron White • Mirage • $68–$88 7/13 • Reckless In Vegas • Aliante • $20 6/15 • Bobby Brown + Bell Biv Devoe 6/29 • Dio Returns 7/17 • Toots & The Maytals Hard Rock • $34–$170 Brooklyn Bowl • $29.99–$39.99 Brooklyn Bowl • $31/$36

6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS

7/19 • The Babys 8/2–8/10 • Janet Jackson SHOW NOTES Golden Nugget • $29–$99 Park MGM • $72–$559 7/19 • Beck and Cage the Elephant 8/3 • Bacon Brothers • “Delirious Comedy Show” has opened at Park MGM • $80–$152 Red Rock • $43–$63 the Downtown Grand; tickets are $34.99. 7/19 • Brian McKnight 8/3 • Martina McBride Wynn LV • $49–$115 M Resort • $22–$42 • Hypnomania Comedy Show has opened 7/19 • Seal • Palms • $45–$229 8/9/–8/10 • Lionel Richie at the Downtown Grand; tickets are 7/19–7/21 • Abbacadabra Wynn LV • $69.50–356.50 $34.99. South Point • $30–$40 8/10 • Donavon Frankenreiter • A new Tuesday-only show called Myth: 7/20 • Berlin w/Terri Nunn Brooklyn Bowl • $15/$18 Legend of the Artisan has opened at the Sunset Station • $30 8/10 • JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. Artisan; tickets are $53.62 and $106.66 7/20 • Metalica Tribute MBay • $39.50–$69.50 (includes a 3-course dinner and one Cannery • $19.95/$22.94 8/10 • Long Run: The Eagles Tribute cocktail). 7/20 • Ozzy Osbourne Suncoast • $19.95/$22.94 MGM Grand • $84–$381 8/10 • Moby Dicks: Led Zeppelin Trib- • Showgirl Bootcamp Experience has 7/20 • Pacquiao vs. Thurman ute • Cannery • $19.95/$22.94 opened in the V Theater at Planet Holly- MGM Grand • $300–$1,500 8/10 • Theo Von • Mirage • $50–$70 wood; tickets are $129.99/$179.99. 7/20 • Why Don’t We 8/11 • PRETTYMUCH • Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Park MGM • $49–$73 Palms • $31-$250 Experience opens June 4 at Bally’s; tick- 7/21 • Gladius the Show 8/14–8/24 • Diana Ross ets are $54.84-$126.74. South Point • $25/$45 Wynn LV • $60.50–$301 7/21 • Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night 8/16 • Lynyrd Skynyrd • The name of “The Comedy Lineup” at Sweats T-Mobile • $39.50–$250 Harrah’s has been changed to “Madcap Brooklyn Bowl • $35.50–$60.50 8/16 • Young the Giant/Fitz and the Comedy.” 7/23 • Cracker & Camper Van Tantrums • Ticket prices for Scott Bradlee’s Post- Beethoven LV Events Center • $22–$63 Brooklyn Bowl • $30/$35 8/16–8/17 • Mary J. Blige modern Jukebox Hideaway at 7/24–7/31 • Janet Jackson Hard Rock • $41–$225 have been decreased from $55.58-$99.18 Park MGM • $72–$559 8/16–8/17 • Ron White • Mirage • $68–$88 to $54.50-$87.20. 7/26 • Grass Roots 8/16–8/18 • PSYCHO LV • MBay • $99–$499 • Ticket prices for The Naked Magicians at Golden Nugget • $39–$129 8/17 • Chris Young MGM Grand have been decreased from 7/26 • Jay Leno • Mirage • $65–$87 MGM Grand • $45–$159 $70.75-$114.35 to $48.95-$98. 7/26 • YES • Hard Rock • $32–$128 8/18 • George Clinton & Parliament 7/26–7/27 • Fab Four • Orleans • $34.95 Funkadelic • Ticket prices for Magic Mike Live at Hard 7/26–7/28 • Herman’s Hermit Brooklyn Bowl • $49.50–$69 Rock have been increased significantly South Point • $40–$50 8/20 • Kacey Musgraves on the low end, changing from $69.55- 7/27 • Candlebox • Aliante • $35–$60 Cosmo • $115–$250 $188.80 to $96.20-$182.65. 7/27 • Cedric the Entertainer 8/21–8/24 • Jackson Browne • Ticket prices for Marc Savard—Comedy Hard Rock • $55 Venetian • $63–$326 Hypnosis in the V Theater at Planet Holly- 7/27 • Gipsy Kings • Red Rock • $89 8/21–9/1 • Classic Cher wood have been increased from $40.32- 7/27 • Huey Lewis and The News Park MGM • $90–$362 $62.12 to $45.77-$67.57. Tribute • Suncoast • $19/$22 8/23 • Laughing All The Way 7/27 • Rick Springfield w/Eddie Money Orleans • $71/$89 • Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding has closed at and Tommy Tutone 8/23–8/31 • Lady Antebellum Bally’s. Palms • $45–$459 Palms • $32–$275 • Sinatra Up Close and Personal has closed 7/28 • Streetlight Manifesto 8/23–12/7 • George Strait at Royal Resort. Brooklyn Bowl • $27.50–$40 T-Mobile • $50–$550 7/31 • The Drums 8/24 • Boz Scaggs • GVR • $39–$137 Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 8/24 • Chris D’Ella AUGUST Mirage • $43.59/$54.49 8/1 • Elvis Costello & The Imposters 8/24 • Deon Cole • Orleans • $34–$44 and Blondie • Palms • $73–$120 8/24 • Iration w/Pepper and Katastro 8/1 • Miss May I with The Word Alive MBay • $37/$82 Hard Rock • $20 8/30 • Brian Setzer • GVR • $35–$65 8/2 • Born of Osiris • Hard Rock • $20 8/30–8/31 • George Lopez 8/2 • The Green • Hard Rock • $25 Mirage • $65–$87 8/2 • Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat 8/30–8/31 • Rebelution • MBay • $36–$122 World • Palms • $50–$165 8/31 • Brian Wilson & The Zombies 8/2–8/3 • Jim Jeffries • Mirage • $54/$76 Hard Rock • $39.50–$195 8/2–8/3 • Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo 8/31–9/1 • Ali Wong See inside wrap for “Weather,” Wynn LV • $45.50–$129.50 Wynn LV • $59.50–$149.50 “Room Rates,” and “Key Dates.”

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7 Dining continued … thing. When we asked a young hostess what you get for $250, she answered, somewhat incredulously, “You get the party!” better than other all-you-can eat joints that we favor, Poke Pricing—The good poke served in an avo- such as Yama Sushi, Sushi Mon, and Goyemon. Lunch cado at the Sporting Life Bar has gone up $3 to $12.99. is $23 and dinner is $28 ($16/$19 under 12 years old). You can get it, or anything else on the menu, comped for For an additional $7, you can add a sashimi plate, but a $20 video poker play (lose or double) with the offer in it’s not a great assortment and somewhat interferes with the Member Rewards Book. the sushi gorge. Outdoor Dining—Caesars Palace’s 24/7 coffee Going back to Goyemon (5255 S. Decatur), the news shop, Café Americano, is opening a separate restaurant, is mixed. While the quality remains as good as any AYCE Terraza by Café Americano, this summer on the outdoor deal in town, some items (e.g., yellowtail collar) are no patio. The menu will feature Asian, Latin American, and longer among the selections. However, from midnight Tex-Mex. until closing at 3 am, the price drops $5 to $21.95. n Lots of Dogs—During the D’s one-hour promotion offering Coney Island hot dogs for a nickel, a total of 1,108 were sold. Lines were long and the restaurant staff Burgh Sandwiches hustled to sell 18.5 per minute, which is one every 3.25 seconds. n

Did you know that Pittsburgh has its own brand of sandwich? We didn’t. That is until Steel City Sandwich Openings/Closings opened at the Hard Hat bar (1675 Industrial, behind the Stratosphere). A ’burgh-style sandwich comes topped with tomatoes, Italian slaw, and hand-cut fries and is The relocated Smith & Wollensky has opened in the served on Italian white bread. That’s right, the fries are Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian. on the sandwich. This works out well for, say, a kielbasa Flights, a tapas restaurant with aviation decor and or chicken sandwich. It gets a little dicey, though, when servers outfitted in flight-attendant uniforms, opens this you make a “Pittsburgh cheesesteak” that way. Several month in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. sandwich choices include pulled pork, turkey, cod, and Chick-Fil-A is opening its first location in a casino. It even a veggie, all $10-$12, along with homemade chili will be in the Miracle Mile Shops when it opens late this and beef jerky ($5 each), fries served every way you can year. imagine ($3-$8), Utz potato chips from Pennsylvania Catchers Fish House, describing itself as a “fish- ($2), and a Polish plate with kielbasa and four potato/ and-chip foodie spot,” is scheduled to open this month cheese pierogi made from the proprietor’s grandma’s in the Commercial Center at Maryland Parkway and recipe ($12). Food is served daily from 11 am to mid- Sahara. night. Bottles of Sol beer are just $1 around the clock. n A sixth Las Vegas Shake Shack will open at McCarran International on an undisclosed date. Andrea’s at Encore will close later this year to make Dining Notes way for an unnamed posh Mexican concept slated to open in early 2020. Six stand-alone Checkers drive-thru restaurants Lobster Buffet—Silverton has debuted an all-you- have closed. A Checkers located inside a Walmart at can-eat lobster buffet. It’s served on Friday nights only 6464 N. Decatur remains open. from 4 to 9 pm for $37.99 ($2 off with a players card) and includes bottomless beer and house wine. Ahi poke, peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half-shell, lobster Read the Fine Print cocktail claws, and assorted sushi are also on the menu. We’ve heard lines are long, which is to be expected Eataly, the oversized Italian food court and market at given that this is the only lobster buffet in town. Park MGM, is offering a 10% discount for anyone with a Ne- More Buffet Notes—The Medley Buffet at the vada ID for the rest of the year. Thing is, the discount applies Orleans now has an all-day price of $33 every day only to retail non-menu items purchased in the market. And except Friday when it’s $37. Call ahead if you intend to given that Park MGM is surrounded on all sides by MGM go to the Rampart buffet; it’s being renovated and will Resorts properties that charge $10 for parking, unless you run be closed on some days in June. The price of the Palms’ in and out of Eataly in less than an hour or spend more than Greene St. Kitchen Brunch is $250, and there’s a four- $100 there, the parking fee will eataly up the discount. person minimum. Obviously, it’s really more of a dayclub

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 Masso Osteria has closed at Red Rock Resort. “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Shake Rattle and Roll,” The Portuguese restaurant Vila Algarve has closed “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Party,” “Are You Lone- (it’s now a Jackpot Joanie’s). some Tonight,” “A Mess of Blues,” “Take My Hand, Both locations of Bachi Burgers have closed. n Precious Lord,” and of course “Viva Las Vegas” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” And it’s not just Elvis’ music; num- bers also include the BB King version of “Let the Good Times Roll,” Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” (during which the keyboard player steals the stage), the Chor- ENTERTAINMENT dette’s “Lollipop,” even Perry Como’s “Silver and Gold,” all enhancing the ’50s aura. Almost everyone in the audi- ence is old enough to have a deep connection to Elvis, Review so his story and music continue to resonate. Heartbreak Hotel is performed in the big Harrah’s showroom, but the show and its subject are so larger- Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel in Concert than-life that even the distant corner seats (where our Harrah’s reviewer sat) are fine. The best discount we know of is Mon., Wed.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun. 3/8 pm from our link at LasVegasAdvisor.com, which comes in $65.66/$90.46/$125.66/$157 at $46.55 complete. n

Heartbreak Hotel is a jukebox musical that reviews a period in the life of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Elvis Bars and Happy Hours Presley. Elvis impersonators appear in Legends in Con- cert at the Tropicana, All Shook Up at the Miracle Mile Shops, and Spirit of the King at the Four Queens, but Once at Palazzo has a happy hour Mon.-Thurs. from Heartbreak Hotel frames the music with a biographical 5 to 6 pm and Fri.-Sun. from 3 to 6 pm, with $5 beer, $7 narration and hundreds of promo photos and videos on wine, $8 well drinks, and a limited, but interesting, appe- large backing screens, thereby packaging all the hits as tizer selection (beef heart, braised fennel, stuffed yucca) authentically as possible. Eddie Clendening, who played from $6 to $8. Elvis in 2,200 performances of Million Dollar Quartet, is Mr. Chow at Caesars Palace has a happy hour daily the lead, and though he has the looks, voice, and cos- from 5 to 7 pm, with half-price drinks and its own inter- tumes, he doesn’t pretend to be Elvis, referring to him esting selection of appetizers (petite chicken sate, prawn in the third person throughout the show. His portrayal is toast, minced beef pancake) from $5 to $9. understated, without a cliché in sight, while still convey- Honey Salt has a happy hour daily from 3 to 6 pm in ing Elvis’ raw energy and charm. He’s backed by a five- the bar, with $4 beer, $5 house wine, $6 well drinks, and piece band and three singer-dancers, all of whom take $6 appetizers. turns in the spotlight. These are monster performers who Rosina at Palazzo has a secret cocktail menu that do total justice to the memory of an artist who sold a includes five versions of a Manhattan (credit to Las billion albums and still holds the record for the most Top Vegas Weekly for digging up this one). 40 hits in history at 114. A new bar called Re:Match has opened at the LINQ. The story is Elvis A to Z, starting when he moved Featuring 27 touch screens with interactive games, it’s from Tupelo, Miss. to Memphis at age 13, then following part of the casino’s move toward an immersive high- his life from there: his well-known relationship with his tech environment (see News). mother and his little-known high-school girlfriend Dixie SLS Las Vegas has opened the CASBAR Lounge. In Locke, complete with junior-prom photos; his early taste press releases announcing the opening, no reference is in music and how he combined gospel, R&B, and coun- made to the iconic original Casbar at the Sahara. try into a new brand of pop that attracted the attention Hardway 8 has opened in Henderson. It’s a sports of Sam Phillips at Sun Records in 1954; his disastrous bar whose name derives from the nickname of UNLV’s debut in Vegas in 1956 (“Elvis is a bore … with itchy first Final Four basketball team in 1977. The bartop is underwear and hot shoes”); his mid-’50s appearances made from reclaimed wood from the Convention Center on “The Ed Sullivan Show” seen by 60 million viewers; bleachers, where that team played its home games. and being drafted into the Army in 1958. From there it Money Plays, the west-side dive bar that we’ve writ- jumps to Elvis’ 1969 debut at Vegas’ International Hotel ten about many times over the years, has closed. It’s not (now the Westgate), but kind of peters out as it gets known what will take its place or if the adjacent El Taco close to his death in 1977 at age 42. The bio is comple- Feliz will remain open. th mented by the hits of the period covered by the show: At 7 & Carson, a draft Modelo is $7.58. In Ping “All Shook Up,” “That’s All Right,” “Love Me Tender, continued on next page

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9 Entertainment continued … Coaster Down—The Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill’s in Primm is out of service for “mainte- nance.” When we called for details, no one there had Pang Pong at Gold Coast, a Heineken or a Tsing Tao is any information about when it would be running again $6.48. In Toscana Bar at Tuscany, a draft Stella Artois NHL Awards—The NHL Awards Night will be held is $5. At The Bar Las Vegas Blvd., a Bud is $4.33. At June 19 at Mandalay Bay. This will be the 10th year the Viola’s Tavern & Gaming, a Bud is $3.25. In the Casino event has been held in Las Vegas, albeit at six different Bar at Ellis Island, a draft EI Amber Ale is $2.50. n locations. Walking Dead No More—Downtown’s Fear of the Walking Dead attraction has closed. Entertainment Notes Residencies/Added Dates—Paula Abdul will play 20 shows at the Flamingo beginning Aug. 13; tickets start at $69 base. Bruno Mars will play seven shows at Bare is Bare—After starting the season as non- Park MGM beginning Sept. 3; tickets start at $178 base. topless-optional, Bare Pool Lounge has reverted to Mariah Carey is returning to the Colosseum at Caesars toptional. The decision to disallow topless sunbathing Palace for five shows beginning Nov. 22, then eight was apparently met with enough opposition to cause the shows beginning Feb. 14; tickets start at $55 base. reversal. New dates have been added for Rod Stewart: The Are You In?—A new Cirque du Soleil show called Hits at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace: Sept. 18, R.U.N. (“are you in”) opens at Luxor in October. Designed 20-21, 24, 30, Oct. 2, 4-5; tickets start at $49 base. New to appeal to the younger action-adventure-movie audi- dates have been added for Reba, Brooks & Dunn at ence and Esports fans, R.U.N. will be a distinct departure the Colosseum at Caesars Palace: Dec. 4, 6-8, 10-11, for Cirque in its seventh Strip show, featuring a cinematic 13-14; tickets start at $59.95 base. story, chase scenes, fights, and stunts. See the Advance Planner for dates, prices, and addi- Hakkasan Reduction—MGM Resorts International tional show updates. n is taking over six smaller venues that were previously managed by Hakkasan Group—Stack at the Mirage; Fix, Yellowtail, and Lily Lounge at Bellagio; and Alibi Ultra Lounge and Herringbone at Aria. Hakkasan will continue to manage the big party venues, including the Hakkasan GAMBLING Nightclub and Restaurant at MGM Grand. Clean Hypnosis—FAMtastic at Paris is a new fam- ily friendly hypnosis show. Produced by hypnosis king WSOP 2019 Anthony Cools, this afternoon show (3 pm) may be the first G-rated hypnosis show ever on the Strip. Tickets are $39.54/$50.44. The 50th World Series of Poker is now in progress, Hunger Games Exhibit—“The Hunger Games: The running through mid-July at the Rio. Despite a general Exhibition” has opened at MGM Grand; tickets start at decline in poker interest, the WSOP has continued to $35 base. draw well. However, it will be interesting to see what Downtown Concerts—Three more events have happens this year with so much attention having shifted been added to the Downtown Rocks concert series at to sports betting, which has strong crossover appeal for the Fremont Street Experience: Eli Young Band (7/4); poker players. Collective Soul (8/10); and I Love the ’90s Featuring This year’s milestone meet features a record 89 Vanilla Ice, Montell Jordan, All-4-One, Tone Loc, and events (11 more than last year’s, which was the previous Coolio (9/1). All are free to attend; they all get crowded. record) being played over the 50 days of the tournament. Dive-In Movies—Every Monday evening through The most anticipated of the 19 new events this year is Labor Day, the digital marquee sign above the Boule- the four-day “Big 50,” which begins as this issue is going vard Pool at the Cosmopolitan transforms into a colos- to press. With a buy-in of only $500 (rake-free for each sal movie screen high above the . This player’s first entry), a guaranteed prize pool of at least $5 year’s “Dive-In Movies” schedule is listed at cosmopoli- million, and a guaranteed first-place prize of at least $1 tanlasvegas.com. The movies start at 8 pm and tickets million, the event is expected to draw more than 10,000 are $7 (children under five and hotel guests free). Show a players. Other marquee events include the $50,000-buy- parking ticket and get a free popcorn and soda. in “High Roller” on May 31; the $1,500-buy-in “Million- Strip Arcade—Arcade City Food & Fun Restaurant, aire Maker” June 7; the $50,000-buy-in “Poker Players featuring 54 arcade games, has opened in the Fashion Championship” June 24; the $400-buy-in “Colossus” Show Mall. June 26; and the $1,111-buy-in “Little One for One

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 Drop” July 6. The Main Event starts on July 3 and will run A Bid for $5K Reporting straight through with the champion crowned on July 16. All the tournaments are free to watch and this is an event worth experiencing if you’re in town. Follow impor- Two members of the U.S. House of Representa- tant day-by-day results by monitoring “Vegas News” at tives—one from Nevada and one from Illinois—have LasVegasAdvisor.com. n requested that the Treasury Department raise the tax- reporting threshold on machine jackpots from $1,200 to $5,000. The petitioners assert that inflation since the $1,200 threshold was established 42 years ago has Alternative Poker Tourneys greatly “devalued” the $1,200 standard and causes “excessive burden to the gaming industry.” Every year, several tournaments with significantly For video poker players, this change would elimi- lower buy-ins run concurrently with the World Series. nate reporting on quarter and dollar royal flushes, which This year’s alternatives are the same as last year’s, is likely a little too much for the Treasury to pass on. minus one at Planet Hollywood. Here’s a quick overview, Something in between $1,200 and $5,000 would prob- ordered by our assessment of smallest to biggest action, ably have a better chance. listing the average range of buy-ins with the biggest buy- The Treasury Department didn’t respond to a similar in of the tournament in parentheses. letter written by a Nevada senator last year and the rep- Orleans “Summer Poker Series” through July 7; resentatives have indicated that if Treasury fails to use its $125-$300 ($400). statutory authority to raise the W-2G threshold, they will n Binion’s “Summer Poker Series” through July 1; consider introducing legislation to force the change. $75-$550 ($1,100). Golden Nugget “Grand Poker Series” through July 8; $100-$360 ($1,000). Crazy Derby Venetian “Deep Stack” through July 28, $200-$600 ($5,000). Aria “Aria Poker Classic” through July 14; $240-$470 The disqualification of Maximum Security in the ($10,300). Kentucky Derby was the first of its kind in Derby history Wynn “Summer Classic” through July 16; $550- (Dancer’s Image was disqualified in 1968 after testing $1,100 ($1,600). positive for a banned substance) and reportedly cost Almost all the poker rooms around town will also gamblers $9 million in overturned winning bets. How- offer plenty of tournament action through the end of the ever, with the eventual winner, Country House, coming WSOP. n in at 65-1, there were also some big cashes off small wagers. The biggest reported was at the Mirage, where a player who bet $8 on superfectas (pick the first four finishers in order) hit two matching winners that paid No Juice and a New $51,400 each. The player cashed $78,000 after taxes NFL Contest at Circa were taken out. In a related cautionary tale, a Derby bettor in Reno who wagered $40 on various exotics in a William Hill When the new Circa sports book at the Golden Gate book at the Tamarack Junction casino thought he’d won opens at 8 am on June 1, bets on all games played that $600,000, but later learned that he’d made the bets at day (full-game, sides only) will be offered with no juice, a book that isn’t part of the pari-mutuel pool, resulting meaning a baseball game might go off at something like in “capped” payouts that totaled only $35,000. Making -130/+130, with no spread for the bookie’s edge. Circa matters worse, of the 17 Will Hill race books in Nevada will deal full limits and it’s one bet per person per game. that are tied into the pari-mutuels (where the full amount Get there early. would have been paid), five are in Reno. Betting horses Entry will also open for the “Circa Sports Million Pro at the track is complicated, but things get even mud- Football Contest,” guaranteeing a $1.5 million prize with dier in casino race books. If you want to bet at a casino, $1 million for first place. The entry fee is $1,000 with a make sure you’ve done your homework. Will Hill loca- maximum of three per person and there’s no take-out. tions in Las Vegas that are tied into the pari-mutuels are Hence, fewer than 1,500 entries will create a player over- Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Jerry’s Nugget, M Resort, lay, and if there are more than 1,500, the excess will go Plaza, Silver Sevens, and . into the pool. Picks can be submitted through the Circa All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby pro- Sports app. The deadline for entering is September 7. gram set a record at $250.9 million, 11% above last A second Circa “satellite” book opens at the D on June 19. n continued on next page

JUNE 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11 Gambling continued … Shopping Center off Rancho Drive. There’s a picture of a cocktail glass on the outside window, but there’s no bar inside. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but the best year’s total, which was the previous record. Betting on game we saw for quarters was 6/5 BP and the best for the Kentucky Derby race was $165.5 million, up 10% any denom was 9/5 DDB (97.87%) for $2. over last year’s record. Television viewership was the Currently, no Bob Dancer video poker classes are highest since 1992 and 20% above last year. n scheduled. They’re expected to resume in August. In the interim, be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, Tiger Tamed with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegas Advisor.com. n

Tiger Woods missing the cut at the PGA Champion- ship left the sports books breathing easily after a torrent of Tiger money, not only to win the tournament, but also to complete a Grand Slam of majors victories, created FAST TRACK a liability of tens of millions of dollars. The player who cashed for $1.9 million when Woods won the Masters had bet $100,000 at 100-1 for a $10 million payout if South Point Gas—Redeem $25 in points ($8,325 Woods won the final three slams. On the other side of coin-in) at South Point in June for a $50 Chevron gas the coin, one player reportedly cashed for $20 when he card or Walmart gift card. bet $20,000 against Woods winning out. n Pot Lounges—In a 4-1 vote last month, the Las Vegas City Council approved lounges for the consump- tion of cannabis. For the first year, dispensaries licensed Video Poker Lost and Found by the city, of which there are 12, will be the only busi- nesses permitted to open lounges. Patrons must be 21 or older and bring their own product, though the lounges There are lots of reasons to visit Ellis Island, includ- can sell paraphernalia. Las Vegas is the first city in ing some good video poker, but the best schedules are Nevada to approve pot lounges and one of only a few in definitely not at the bar. Formerly dealing 7/5 Bonus the country that allows them, including San Francisco. Poker for quarters, it’s now lowly 6/5 BP (96.87%), mak- While on the surface this looks like a huge step forward ing the best 25¢ bar game 12-10-4-4-3 Deuces Wild for Las Vegas’ cannabis industry (the big disconnect has (97.58%). Play on the floor where you’ll find NSU Deuces been you can buy it, but there’s nowhere to legally con- Wild (99.73%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%), and sume it), there’s been pushback on the state level where 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%), all from 5¢ to $5. (Note a move is in progress to override the local initiative. that the strange deescalating bar schedules referenced Posting Up—Upwards of 3,000 more bollards are in LVA 4/16 are no longer in place.) being installed to protect pedestrians on the sidewalks The online database vpFREE2 reports that 25¢ along the Strip from Sahara to the “Welcome to Fabu- schedules at Aliante have taken a hit with the removal lous Las Vegas” sign. The four-foot-tall steel posts are of all Full-Pay Deuces Wild and 10/7 Double Bonus. The stabilized by being linked underground and are capable inventory is still excellent, however, topping out with of stopping a truck traveling 55 miles per hour. The new the slightly lower-paying 10/6 Double Double Bonus installations bring the number of Strip bollards to 4,600. (100.07%) at quarters. There’s also Triple Bonus Poker HOV Lanes—Twenty-two miles of High-Occupancy Plus paying 9 for a full house (99.80%) and NSUD Vehicle lanes, added during Las Vegas’ massive Project (99.73%) from 25¢ to $1, along with several other sched- Neon highway upgrade over the past few years, have ules that return over 99% with perfect play. opened. The rules are mostly typical for HOV lanes Also from vpFree2, Silver Sevens has added a nationwide: no entering or exiting except at one of the few quarter machines with 9/6 JoB with a $1,199 RF broken-line points; vehicles must have at least two (99.95%). occupants (babies count, animals don’t), including elec- The best game at the new Distill Durango is 6/5 BP, tric cars; single-rider motorcycles are allowed; trucks but there’s a play-$10-get-$10 sign-up deal. We’re told with three or more axles are prohibited. The one unusual that each of the five Distills that just opened has its own rule will come as a surprise to many out-of-towners: club with the same deal, so you can do a Distill sign-up All rules will be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a run and get $50 in free play. week. Generally, HOV-lane regulations are enforced only Yet another Dotty’s-like gambler’s lounge has shown during rush hours on weekdays. Violators will face $250 up. Just Play is located in the Rancho Town & Country fines. n

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2019 SEPTEMBERAUGUST JULY 3–8 Black Hat TechWeb USA—10,000 WEEKDAY WEEKEND 8–11 DEF CON 27—22,000 Four Queens • $38 Four Queens • $89 8–17 American Poolplayers Assoc. —15,000 El Cortez • $42 El Cortez • $94 11–14 Off-Price Specialist Show Fall—11,500 the D • $52 AZ C Decatur • $118 19–22 SuperZoo West—20,000 Golden Nugget • $49 Sam’s Town • $109 Circus Circus • $54 Downtown Grand • $112 SEPTEMBER Tuscany • $55 Tuscany • $127 8–11 Int’l Baking Industry—22,000 10–12 IMEX America—13,000 Hard Rock • $86 Mirage • $156 13–14 Mr. Olympia—45,000 Paris • $93 Hard Rock • $176 Mirage • $116 Caesars Palace • $181 19–21 Int’l Vision Expo—12,500 23–25 Packaging Machinery (PMMI)—45,000 AUGUST KEY OCTOBER WEEKDAY WEEKEND 10–12 Mecum Collector Car Auctions—15,000 Four Queens • $35 Four Queens • $85 15–17 G2E—26,000 El Cortez • $42 El Cortez • $89 15–19 Supply West Trade Show—16,000 Plaza • $52 AZ C Decatur • $98 22–24 Nat’l Business Aviation Association—25,000 DATES Golden Nugget • $49 Circus Circus • $91 Downtown Grand • $52 Golden Nugget • $99 JUNE Circus Circus • $54 Tuscany • $105 Mean 84° Avg. Max. 99° Avg. Min. 68° Pools: Open Hard Rock • $86 Hard Rock • $136 The first of the hot dry months. Welcome to the desert. Paris • $87 Paris • $138 Palms • $109 Mirage • $176 Attire: Minimal. JULY SEPTEMBER

ROOM WEEKDAY WEEKEND Mean 90° Avg. Max. 105° Avg. Min. 73° Pools: Open Four Queens • $35 AZ C. Decatur • $98 Dry, sauna-like heat. Sun worshipers enjoy 85% sunny days. California • $44 Four Queens • $109 Wild Wild West • $51 California • $117 Attire: The skimpier the better. It it’s not mandatory, don’t wear it. Downtown Grand • $52 Circus Circus • $121 Circus Circus • $54 Silverton • $128 AUGUST Silverton • $58 Tuscany • $131 Mean 88° Avg. Max. 102° Avg. Min. 73° Pools: Open Hard Rock • $81 Palms • $192 A very hot and wet month. Desert electrical storms are Palms • $98 Hard Rock • $201 Paris • $104 spectacular but can cause dangerous floods on and around RATES Paris • $206 the Strip.

WEATHER Best rates at press time from sample of 54 Las Vegas casinos. Rates NOT guaranteed, subject to Attire: Summer cool, bathing suits. change without notice, and do not include tax. Lower prices may be available online.

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