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ANTHONY CURTIS’ LasVegasAdvisor December 2020 • Vol. 37 • Issue 12 $5 STRANGE HOLIDAYS Is anyone celebrating? … pgs. 1, 12

ROOM RATES ARE LOW But probably not as low as you thought … pgs. 1, 2, 3

SUPER CIRCA Checking out the cool new downtown joint … pgs. 3, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17

NEW COVID RESTRIC- TIONS Do you have reservations for that bar? … pgs. 7, 12

THE $1 BLACKJACK CHALLENGE Whose is best? … pg. 14 Local (702) Toll Free

Aliante ++Spa...... 692-7777...... 877-477-7627 Aria...... 590-7111...... 866-359-7757 Arizona Charlie’s Boulder...... 951-5800...... 800-362-4040 Arizona Charlie’s Decatur...... 258-5200...... 800-342-2695 Bally’s...... 739-4111...... 877-603-4390 ...... 693-7111...... 888-987-7111 Binion’s...... 382-1600...... 800-937-6537 ...... 432-7777...... 800-683-7777 ...... 731-7110...... 866-227-5938 California...... 385-1222...... 800-634-6505 Cannery...... 507-5700...... 866-999-4899 Casino Royale (Best Western Plus)...... 737-3500...... 800-854-7666 Circa...... 247-2258...... 833-247-2258 Circus Circus...... 734-0410...... 800-634-3450 Cosmopolitan...... 698-7000...... 877-551-7778 ...... 719-5100...... 855-384-7263 ...... 507-5700...... 866-999-4899 ...... 385-5200...... 800-634-6703 Ellis Island (Super 8)...... 733-8901...... 800-800-8000 Encore...... 770-7100...... 877-321-9966 Excalibur...... 597-7777...... 800-937-7777 ...... 558-7000...... 888-899-7770 ...... 631-7000...... 800-731-7333 Flamingo...... 733-3111...... 800-732-2111 ...... 385-4011...... 800-634-6045 Fremont...... 385-3232...... 800-634-6460 Gold Coast...... 367-7111...... 800-331-5334 Golden ...... 385-1906...... 800-426-1906 Golden Nugget...... 385-7111...... 844-468-4438 ...... 617-7777...... 866-782-9487 Harrah’s...... 369-5000...... 800-392-9002 LINQ, The...... 731-3311...... 866-328-1888 Longhorn (Super 8)...... 435-9170...... 800-800-8000 Luxor...... 262-4000...... 800-288-1000 ...... 797-1000...... 877-673-7678 Main Street Station...... 387-1896...... 800-713-8933 ...... 632-7777...... 877-632-7800 MGM Grand...... 891-1111...... 800-929-1111 Mirage...... 791-7111...... 800-627-6667 New York-New York...... 740-6969...... 800-693-6763 NoMad...... 730-7000...... 888-706-6623 Orleans...... 365-7111...... 800-675-3267 OYO...... 739-9000...... 866-584-6687 ...... 367-2411...... 800-634-3101 Palazzo...... 607-7777...... 866-263-3001 Palms...... 942-7777...... 866-942-7770 Paris...... 946-7000...... 888-266-5687 Park MGM...... 730-7777...... 800-311-8999 Planet Hollywood...... 785-5555...... 866-919-7472 Plaza...... 386-2110...... 800-634-6575 Rampart ...... 507-5900...... 877-869-8777 Red Rock Resort...... 797-7777...... 866-767-7773 Rio...... 252-7777...... 888-746-7482 Sahara ...... 761-7000...... 855-761-7757 Sam’s Town...... 456-7777...... 800-634-6371 ...... 658-4900...... 866-767-7771 ...... 733-7000...... 800-640-9777 Silverton...... 263-7777...... 800-588-7711 South Point...... 796-7111...... 866-791-7626 Suncoast...... 636-7111...... 877-677-7111 Sunset Station...... 547-7777...... 888-786-7389 ...... 631-1000...... 800-654-8888 The Cromwell, The...... 777-3777...... 844-426-2766 the D...... 388-2400...... 800-274-5825 ...... 380-7777...... 800-998-6937 Treasure Island (TI)...... 894-7111...... 800-944-7444 Tropicana...... 739-2222...... 800-634-4000 Tuscany...... 893-8933...... 877-887-2261 ...... 590-2767...... 866-745-7767 Venetian...... 414-1000...... 877-883-6423 Waldorf Astoria...... 590-8888...... 800-925-3673 Westin ...... 567-6000 GIFT GIVING MADE EASY ...... 836-5900...... 800-937-8461 ...... 732-5111...... 800-732-7117 WITH OUR Wild Wild West (Days Inn)...... 740-0000...... 800-777-1514 HOLIDAY CATALOG Wildfire...... 648-3801 ...... 770-7000...... 866-770-7077 December 2020 $5 ANTHONY CURTIS’ LasVegasAdvisor

COUPONOMY by Anthony Curtis Low Room Rates a Constant in a Different Kind of December

As you read through this issue, it will quickly become obvious that the overriding theme is, “What will the holidays be like this year?” Different, for sure, but more different in some areas than others. One area that’s dif- ficult to get a bead on is room rates. As a matter of course, casinos drop rates every year during the slow pre-holiday period, but to what degree will they do so in this mixed-up year? After all, new proclamations about dis- tancing in particular and travel in general emanating from both in and out of have a direct effect on the highly yield-management-sensitive rates. While we monitor rates every month, we embark on major surveys in July and December. Due to the casino shutdown, this year lacked the July survey. But the casinos are open now, and once again we’ve conducted what we refer to as the AEOTYMRRRU—the “Annual End-Of-The-Year Monster Room-Rate Round-Up,” and it yields some interesting data. In a rare result, fewer than 40 casinos came in with rates below $40. This year’s 39 were six fewer than 2019. The total below $30 was 11, a huge drop of 18 from last year, and the four casinos in the “Under $20 Club” (The STRAT was lowest at $14) came in at the same number as last year. At first glance, it might look like things are materially different, but they aren’t really. Although a total December tabulation of fewer than 40 casinos under $40 doesn’t occur often, as recently as 2017, only 37 casinos were on the list, so that’s not a shocker. A bit jolting, however, is the significant drop of 18 with rates below $30—until, that is, you consider the mitigat- ing factors involved in that result. It’s important to remember that several casinos haven’t reopened and several more that have are restricting hotel availability (see News). This lowered the sample to only 79 casinos, com- pared to 94 last year. Another contributing factor was the absence of the LVA Travel Portal. Last year we introduced the Portal and it turned up many of the best rates. However, it’s been out of commission since the onset of the pandemic. We expect it to return in 2021 and we’ll tell you as continued on next page Couponomy continued … soon as it does, but it wasn’t in the mix for this survey. These things considered, we don’t see this year’s result as being that far off normal, although it’s probably contrary to what many expected to see or have been made to believe is happening: Extreme discounting is not taking place. Here’s the list. Under $20 Club: The D, Golden Gate, OYO, STRAT. Under $30 Club: Artisan, Circus Circus, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Ellis Island Super 8, Excalibur, Luxor, Oasis at , Palace Station, Silver Sevens, Wild Wild West. Under $40 Club: Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Bally’s, Binions, Boulder Station, Flamingo, Four Queens, Gold Coast, Harrah’s, , Longhorn, MGM, NY-NY, Orleans, Plaza, Railroad Pass, Serene, Santa Fe Station, Silverton, Sahara, Sunset Station, TI, Trop- icana, Tuscany High End: Aliante $59, Delano $61, GVR $63, $67, Vdara $67, South Point $69, Red Rock $71, Cromwell $83, MGM Signature $84, M Resort $85, Caesars Palace $93, Trump $97, Hilton Lake Las Vegas $99, Aria $101, Bellagio $110, JW Marriott $111, Nobu $112, Cosmopolitan $120, Wynn $126, Venetian $127, Westin Lake Las Vegas $127, Nomad $144, Park MGM $169, Waldorf $172, Four Seasons $200. These are base rates, meaning they don’t include resort fees. Add in the RFs and things can change drastically. For example, OYO has a $15 base rate, but also a $37 resort fee, for a total of $52. The STRAT’s $14 base rate also gets bumped up to $52 after RF and Golden Gate’s becomes $39.70. Good old Four Queens beats ’em both by virtue of its no-resort fee policy and a $39 base rate. And Binion’s across the street, also with no RF, comes in lowest of all at $35 per night before taxes. You’ll find an up-to- date list of all resort fees at LasVegasAdvisor.com. Overall, the deals on the “High End” are better than last year. At $101 base, Aria is $18 below last year’s listing. Bellagio ($110) is $24 below, Vdara ($67) is $32 below, and Wynn ($126) is $43 less than in last year’s survey. Others aren’t discounted as drastically, but most are priced lower than last year. We’re also seeing better bundled deals. For example, the Golden Nug- get had a deal when we checked for a $49 rate with a $25 resort credit. That lowers the base rate to only $24, though a $34 RF brings it back to

Publisher: Anthony Curtis Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob LAS Senior Editor: Deke Castleman Research Assistant: Brenda Stewart Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause, VEGAS Accounting: John Leitner Customer Service: Paula Machado Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott ADVISOR Production Manager: Laurie Cabot Shipping/Receiving: Matt Wondolleck Cover: Anthony Mair 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. Phone: (702) 252-0655 • Fax: (702) 252-0675 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. e-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com All information is current at press time. Listed offerings are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2020

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 $58. Aria had a $138 rate with a $75 credit that makes it $63 base. And better yet, Vdara had a $67 rate with a $45 credit, for a $22 base. You’ll find these types of deals by shopping around on the casinos’ websites. It’s important to keep in mind that all listed rates and deals were avail- able when we checked, but can change at any time, especially this year. So while we can’t guarantee that you’ll get all of the listed prices you see here, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see some of these rates go lower. Whereas we always identify a “Golden Week” that yields best rates between the end of the National Finals Rodeo and Christmas, this year there is no rodeo (see Entertainment), so the best prices should be available on more dates than usual. As always, players club offers for gamblers will yield the best results of all, so watch your mail and email. Scanning newspaper specials, surfing the Internet, and monitoring various social media for last-minute deals are also good strategies. n

Rooms for NYE This year’s call-around turned up 75 casinos that will be both open and have rooms available for New Year’s Eve, compared to 88 last year. The num- ber of nights is the minimum required stay; the dollar amount is the total cost. 1 night: Lucky Club $101, Longhorn $108, Gold Spike $111, Gold Coast $115, Railroad Pass $132, Suncoast $155, Skyline $159, Circus Circus $160, San- ta Fe Station $167, Aliante $170, Orleans $170, Rio $179, Silver Sevens $179, Boulder Station $180, Artisan $189, Sunset Station $192, Plaza $196, Westin $199, Westin Lake Las Vegas $199, Arizona Charlies Boulder $202, Silverton $209, Arizona Charlies Decatur $212, Downtown Grand $221, JW Marriott $224, Binion’s $229, Wild Wild West $229, Cannery $234, OYO $246, El Cor- tez $258, Platinum $259, Palace Station $267, Four Queens $269, South Point $269, Tropicana $279, GVR $281, Cromwell $338, STRAT $338, Red Rock $339, Tuscany $372, California $425, Cosmo $450, Fremont $610, Four Season $795. 2 nights: Flamingo $248, Sahara $253, Serene $261, Linq $264, Bally’s $270, Excalibur $271, Aria $279, Luxor $284, Planet Hollywood $308, NY-NY $320, Paris $330, Park MGM $331, MGM Grand $334, Mandalay Bay $342, Harrah’s $346, Mirage $351, Hilton Lake Las Vegas $376, Delano $402, Vdara $419, MGM Signature $436, Golden Nugget $458, Caesars Palace $488, Vene- tian $524, Nomad $529, Casino Royale $530, Nobu $578, Encore $592, Wynn $592, Bellagio $618, Waldorf $1,344. 3 nights: Golden Gate $366, Circa $1,147.

Circa

So how much were the rooms at Circa? The reason you don’t see Circa in the survey is that rooms don’t open there until December 26; however, we checked the rates for January, February, and March. Weekdays in a continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3 Couponomy continued … random sampling (we didn’t look at every day of each month) ranged from $118 to $135 and weekends from $207 to $242, all with a daily resort fee of $29.95. No place else even comes close to these rates downtown, which are consistently higher than Caesars Palace and about even with Bellagio for the same period. Last month, I wondered if they could get away with putting a place as fancy as Circa downtown. Now I’m wondering if they can get away with pricing it this way. I guess they will if they can. If not, we’ll see the rates drop soon enough. Parking is another surprise. At Circa, it’s $4 per hour ($24-per-day max) and there’s no way to validate. Even if you’re eating dinner, hanging out at the fancy pool complex, or gambling at the bar or a table game, you can’t get the parking fee waived (at least not at lower levels of play). I was sur- prised when I learned this and I assume many others will be, too. It’s not that big a deal downtown where there are so many other parking options, including sister casino Golden Gate directly across Fremont, where you can get three hours free for showing a One Club players card. I think there might be pushback in room rates and parking. Otherwise, the pricing at Circa isn’t as over the top as I feared it might be, as you’ll see in the reviews in this issue. n

MRB 2021

We’ve discovered that printers are backed up everywhere due to world conditions. As such, it appears unlikely that the 2021 Member Rewards Book will be delivered by January 4, which is the first business day of the new year. We’re working on getting it as close to that date as possible, but we won’t have an ETA until the end of December. Please plan accordingly and we’ll update you as soon as we have information. n

New Books

Printing delays have also pushed back the release schedules of two new books that we’re making available for the holidays: Joe’s Dash and Radical Blackjack. There’s a chance that Joe’s Dash will be back in time to ship for Christmas, but Radical Blackjack will be a January delivery. We’re offering pre-publication discounts on these books (see the wrap) and certificates that you can download to stick under the tree. Here’s a look at both. Radical Blackjack is the first book in years from Arnold Snyder, an orig- inal Blackjack Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most knowledgeable and experienced blackjack players on the planet. In Radical Blackjack, Arnold goes into areas that have barely been touched on in other blackjack

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 TOP 10 VALUES 1. Room Rates • Binion’s et al • $35 and up 2. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 Room rates are #1 this 3. Buffet • South Point • $9.95-$18.95 month due to the traditional 4. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 deep discounting in December. 5. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99 This year’s tally checks in with 6. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 39 casinos offering rooms for 7. Shrimp Cocktail • Fremont • Daily • 99¢ less than $40 (base rate), which 8. Prime Rib • Ellis Island • Daily • $16.99/$26.99 is pretty good considering this 9. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99 year’s obstacles, which are 10. $1 Blackjack • Downtown Grand • Daily • 32¢ delineated in Couponomy. The Ellis Island steak dinner (#2) is served 24/7 in the Café, get the $7.99 price by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted, then downloading the required discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want to play, you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk that’s available to everyone with a club card. The South Point buffet (#3) is the least expensive by far of Las Vegas’ only two buffet options. Breakfast is the best deal for $9.95 with a players card and includes unlimited bloody Marys. Budweiser and Mich- elob Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#4); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Bud is $3. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona Charlie’s (#5) is served in the Sourdough Cafés for $5.99 when you show your club card, available 24 hours at Decatur and 6 am-mid. weekdays and 24 hours weekends at Boulder. The hot dogs at South Point (#6) are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they close down the cart around 5 pm. The Fremont’s shrimp cocktail is the last of the easy-to-get 99-centers (#7); it’s served in the Lanai Express snack bar all hours except 7 to 11 am daily. Ellis Island’s potent prime rib tandem (#8) is available 24/7. You won’t get a better prime deal for the price anywhere in town and the humungous double cut stands up to anything you’ll find at twice the price. Returning to the list is the $4.99 lunch special at Ocean One (#9) in the at Planet Hollywood. Everything on the menu is $4.99 and the deal now runs one hour longer than it did pre-pandemic, 11:30 am to 5 pm daily. New to the list is the $1-minimum blackjack game at Downtown Grand (#10). Read about why it’s replaced the dollar game at OYO and how we came up with the 32¢ cost to play in Gambling. books, including shuffle tracking, hole carding, online bonuses and affiliate deals, camouflage, team and partner play, playing with investor money, and the most detailed treatment ever of loss rebates. This is a book every serious blackjack player has to have. We’ll publish an excerpt next month. Joe’s Dash—From Million Dollar Drug Busts to Multi-Million Dollar Col- continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5 Couponomy continued … lections for Las Vegas Casinos is the story of Joe Dorsey, a man who’s done just about everything someone could do in the field of law enforce- ment, from jumping out of helicopters into violent ocean storms on search- and-rescue missions to major undercover drug busts. But where this book hits its sweet spot is with Joe’s adventures in Las Vegas—first as a director of security in major casinos and eventually as an international marker-col- lections specialist, where he literally reinvented the process. Here’s an excerpt from Joe’s Dash.

“Think of a casino-resort as a small city, with a population that fluctuates between ten thousand and twenty-five thousand—and it was my security de- partment’s job to please them all,” Joe says about his philosophy of running the police force at the immense Las Vegas Hilton in the 1980s; at the time, it was the third largest law-enforcement “agency” in the state. At the Hilton, security was summoned frequently to assist surveillance. Officers went to the eye in the sky, which in those days still consisted of cat- walks above the one-way mirrors overlooking the tables and slots, to observe a suspicious player or players on a game. The officers reported back to surveil- lance, whose agents made the final determination. If cheating was suspected, security removed the player from the floor and took him to a holding room in the security office, where he was interviewed by surveillance or corporate security employees. Hilton security spent a good part of their time protecting the customers and players from themselves and one another. Officers watched for rail thieves who operated on and around the crap tables. They also kept a close eye on the high-limit slot areas for theft from players or slot machine cheating. In those days when a big convention was in town, the working girls arrived en masse from California and Arizona and flooded the place. One officer who worked for Joe knew every hooker in Las Vegas and had a photo file that was better than the one maintained by the police. When he spotted one, he read her the Trespass Act, 86’ing her from the property for good. The Hilton especially looked out for trick-rollers, prostitutes who robbed their johns, often drugging them in the process. The victim usually thought he was picking up a visitor or local in a casino bar and taking her to his room, where she spiked his drink with knockout drops, usually from a Visine bottle. The victim woke up 12 hours later to find his money and valuables gone. These robberies weren’t limited to unsuspecting rubes; even street-wise johns were susceptible to being victimized. The welterweight boxing champ “Sugar” Ray Leonard allegedly once lost $40,000 to a trick-roller. But when some victims started dying of overdoses of drugs like Rohypnol, the notorious “date-rape” drug, the police and casino security cracked down hard on prostitution in the hotel. n

6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 Holiday Catalog

Our holiday catalog is posted at LasVegasAdvisor.com, with lots of choices for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers to help alleviate some of your gift-giving challenges. As always, many of our products are available for less than you’ll find from other sources. Order early to get your items by Christmas. Here’s wishing everyone a fantastic holiday. n

NEWS

Shutdown—Just when things seemed to be getting on the right track, Las Vegas was hit with another round of restrictions. Per the governor’s order, the maximum allowed capacity at casinos, restaurants, and bars in Nevada has been reduced from 50% to 25%. The order, which is in effect until at least December 15, is being called a “pause,” and it stops short of a complete shutdown; however, more severe measures are threatened if the rules aren’t taken seriously. Restaurants can seat patrons only if they have reservations and no more than four diners are allowed per table. No one really knows what restaurants this includes, so some bars that have kitch- ens have put their phone number on the front door and require customers to call and “reserve” before they walk in. Masks must be worn at all times, indoors and out, so you’re supposed to have them on even when walking outside on the Strip or downtown. From what we’ve seen, this is being enforced lightly if at all. The maximum size of public gatherings, which had just been raised to 250, has been cut back to 50, so stick a fork in the newly initiated comeback of live entertainment, at least for anything but the smallest-scale productions. So far, we haven’t seen any big changes in the casinos as a result of these restrictions, and the 25%-capacity-rule doesn’t apply to , so plenty of rooms are available. Still, the restric- tions continue to discourage visitation and more casinos are shortening their hours. Park MGM closes completely from noon on Mondays to noon on Thursdays, adhering to the same schedule that’s currently in place at Encore. The hotel rooms at Mandalay Bay and are closed Mon- day through Thursday nights, though their casinos, restaurants, and other venues remain open. U.S. Gambling—The major gambling issues passed by substantial majorities in all six states where they were on the ballots in the election. Sports betting was approved in three states (see below). Four cities in Virginia have approved casinos. Racetracks in Nebraska will expand with casino games. And Colorado’s casinos will no longer be bound by the $100 betting limit on a single wager and will be allowed to deal baccarat, keno, big six, and carnie games, in addition to the existing slot machines, continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7 News continued … blackjack, poker, roulette, and . Rio—Picked by many as the casino least likely to return, the Rio will reopen on Dec. 22. Initially, the hotel will accommodate guests Thursdays through Mondays only, though the casino will be open 24/7. The restau- rants, bars, and fitness center will open with the casino. Virgin—Reservations at Virgin Las Vegas are now being accepted on its website. Rooms will be available beginning January 15, 2021. The resort’s more than 1,500 rooms feature two spaces, a “dressing room” and “lounge,” separated by a privacy door, along with ergonomic beds, high-definition TVs, and reading nooks; select rooms will be dog friendly. Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was down 22.4% in September compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was down 39.1% and downtown was off 21.5%. The numbers were good in other parts of Nevada, including Washoe County (Reno) +3.4%, Mesquite +11.5%, and South Lake Tahoe +36.3%. Las Vegas continues to be hit hard by the drop in air travel. Visitation was down 51%, with convention attendance 0 for the sixth consecutive month. However, the overall tally was nearly 11% more than it was in August. The hotel occupancy rate is also edging up, but is still low at 46.8%, with 66.1% weekends and 38.5% weekdays. Airline traffic was down 61% for the second month in a row. Allegiant Air will begin service in February and March to Orange County, CA; Spo- kane, WA; Asheville, NC; and Flint, Michigan. With the expansion, Allegiant will offer 62 routes from Las Vegas. n

Sports Betting Scorecard

The elections resulted in sports betting being approved in Maryland, Louisiana, and South Dakota. As expected, Tennessee launched live sports betting in November. Tennessee is the only state where bets can be made online only. Virginia is expected to be the next to launch in early 2021. Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country and track developments as they occur via our map at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

DINING Circa Dining

All of the restaurants at Circa are open. They include Barry’s Downtown Prime, 8 East, Saginaw’s Delicatessen, Victory Burger & Wings Co., and

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 the Project BBQ food truck. Barry’s is run by Barry Dakake, the former head chef in N9NE at the Palms, and is the only restaurant that’s not adults only. The 8 East Asian restaurant is run by the owner of downtown’s Le Thai. Saginaw’s and Project BBQ are 24-hour options. Victory Burger is run by the owners of American Coney Island at the D. Interestingly, the Coney’s are not on the menu at Victory. There’s no buffet. We’re checking these places out one by one, starting with Saginaw’s below. n

Saginaw’s Delicatessen at Circa

Big sandwiches and big prices. That about sums it up. Last month, we mentioned the dearth of delis in the casinos, so the 24-hour Saginaw’s definitely fills a void. This is another product imported from Michigan, a spinoff of the famous Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor. Everything is served all day, including a big breakfast menu with omelets, Benedicts, and salmon plates from $14 to $22. The 20 sandwiches start at $14 for egg salad or fried bologna and rise as high as $22 for the corned beef and pastrami (a kitchen-sink concoction called “Derek’s Bankroll” goes for $42). As a friend from New York put it, “This is what you pay for a great deli sandwich in NYC.” Soups are $7-$9, sides (including latkes) are $5-$10, and desserts (cheesecake, pecan pie, brownie sundae) are $10. We tried a pastrami/corned beef double-decker and a turkey and cole- slaw. Just the two sandwiches were $42, but the quality was there, includ- ing a heaping stack of some of the leanest corned beef and pastrami you’ll find. We weren’t crazy about the matzo ball soup, preferring the mushroom beef barley. The potato salad is the chunky skin-on style, also good. Our big sampling came in at a hefty $74.78 after tax, but we also took home plenty of leftovers. In reality, one of the big sandwiches will feed two (they come with homemade chips and a pickle). Add potato salad or soup and two can eat for $30. This is also the place to get the Golden Gate shrimp cocktail. It’s a no- play for $11, but it’s a mon- ster bargain at 99¢ from 3 to 5 am every day. n “Ben Sherman’s Win Place & Show” at Saginaw’s continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9 Dining continued … Whiskey Licker Up at Binion’s

If the prices at Circa are a tick too high, you can saunter over to Binion’s next door for a bite at the Whiskey Licker Up Saloon. This is the cool bar on the second floor that has a long dining counter overlooking the Experience. Almost everything on this menu is $15 or less, including several burgers and sandwiches. We went with the basic burger for $12 and it’s a dandy—a legitimate half-pounder served with spicy pickles and choice of fries, chips, or coleslaw. We rate it as one of the best burgers in town for the price, and it gets better for LVA mem- bers. Use your Mem- ber Rewards coupon for a 2-for-1 entrée and this big boy is just six bucks. n

Dining Notes

Circus Buffet—Not the best, but certainly one of the busiest buffets in Las Vegas may have seen its last serving tray. It’s been announced that a food court is being built in the buffet area at Circus Circus. That led to speculation that the buffet would not return, but that may not be the case. We were contacted by a Circus Circus spokesperson who said that only a portion of the area will become a food court. She stated, “The Circus Buffet reopening is being evaluated, and will open if business demands increase and if it’s safe to resume operations.” Food Court Paused—The Forum Food Court at Caesars Palace is now surrounded and blocked by plywood. Eight of the nine fast-food outlets are shut down. The pizza counter is open, while Starbucks has relocated to the Forum Casino on the other side of the sports book. Caesars says the shut- down is for “maintenance,” but hasn’t publicized a reopening date. Restaurant Row—Boards are also up at the Sahara where a new “restaurant row” is being built with open access to the Strip. The line-up will include the previously announced Chickie’s and Pete’s sports bar from Philadelphia, Noodle Den, and two unnamed eateries—one Italian and the

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 other described only as a “new culinary concept.” n

Openings/Closings

Brioche by Guy Savoy has opened at Paris. It’s a quick-serve outlet from one of the world’s most decorated chefs, serving quiche, croissants, pastries, and gourmet coffees. The contemporary Asian-fusion restaurant Robata En has opened on Spring Mountain Rd. just west of the Strip. What makes this one interesting is that the chef is formerly from Yonaka, which had one of the best sashimi plates in town. Pamplemousse Le Restaurant, Las Vegas’ original fine French restau- rant, will not reopen. The restaurant launched in 1976 in a renovated home on Sahara just east of the Strip and was one of the city’s premier go-tos for a fancy dinner outside of the casinos. Business had declined in recent years and last August a stolen car being chased by police crashed through the front wall of the restaurant, which has been boarded up ever since. Ultimately, the pandemic shutdown and the absence of conventioneers led to the end of Pamplemousse’s 44-year run. Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons has not reopened and is rumored to be closed permanently. Flock & Fowl has closed at downtown; a new restaurant from the proprietors is planned. n

ENTERTAINMENT Circa Entertainment

Circa doesn’t have a showroom. The entertainment concept is the party atmosphere—loud music, dancing dealers, the sports theme, the Stadium Swim pool complex, and the bars, of which there are several. MegaBar on the main floor is Nevada’s longest bar and an excellent spot to watch sports on its 46 TVs (by comparison, the LONGBAR at the D has 15). There’s a good photo op with the original (refurbished) Vegas Vickie neon sign in her namesake bar. The rooftop Legacy Club that overlooks the city opens this month. Drinks cost less than we expected. In the inside bars, a Heineken is $7 and a Bud $6, and a vendor walking around the sports book sells “ice cold beer” from a tray for $6. In the outside Circa Bar, a 32-ounce Heineken draft is $14. Stadium Swim will host concerts and events and likely become one of Las Vegas’ primo pool-party spots. It’s a cool venue, but unless you have a room at Circa, the D, or Golden Gate, you have to pay a GA charge of $10, even just to take a look. n continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11 Entertainment continued … Holidays

Not much will be normal this holiday season, starting with the absence of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Typically dominating the scene during most of the first two weeks in December, this year the rodeo isn’t coming to town. That’s not a surprise—it was announced in September that the NFR would be held in Texas this year—but now the reality hits. It’s another COVID blow to the Vegas economy. As for other traditional holiday festivities, it’s not clear yet exactly what will and won’t be running. We can’t determine if the lack of announcements means things aren’t happening or that with so many other concerns, the casinos simply haven’t gotten around to promoting them. For example, a recent press release confirms holiday events at the LINQ Promenade, but no details have been released about plans at The Park at NY-NY, Sam’s Town’s holiday atrium, or even Underwater Santa at Silverton. Dis- plays and festivities that have confirmed include Aria’s lobby display, Red Rock’s “Winter Wonderland” featuring a gingerbread model of the resort (see this issue’s cover), the Bellagio conservatory’s winter display, and Area 15’s “Wanderland.” For the second year in a row, the Fremont Street Experience boasts the tallest announced Christmas tree at 50 feet. The Cosmopolitan and Summerlin’s Rock Rink have ice-skating rinks open to the public. That’s about it, at least at press time. We’ll report on new announcements at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

New Year’s Eve

With no official word about the status of the Strip for New Year’s Eve, we’re gonna go out on a limb and say there won’t be a mass gathering this year. After the cancellation of the fireworks shows (except for the Plaza), city officials declared that new plans were being hatched for the celebration. So far, though, the only new development is a NYE concert by top lounge band Zowie Bowie, which will be held at Circa’s Stadium Swim and tele- vised in major cities throughout the west on Nexstar-owned stations (Chan- nel 8 in Las Vegas). Zowie Bowie will be joined by several top Las Vegas performers. The show won’t be open to the public; only a small group of invited guests will be allowed to attend the performance in person. n

Dark Shows

Every year we list the production shows that go dark during the holi- days. Here’s this year’s list: ALL OF THEM.

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 Of course, this is due to the COVID restrictions, with live entertainment taking a big hit with the most recent declarations. Several shows that had intended to open won’t now—the big lineup of shows in the V and Saxe Theaters at Planet Hollywood, for example, have pushed their return back to February. Others that did open—e.g., David Copperfield at MGM Grand and MJ LIVE at The STRAT—have closed again. The most notable perma- nent casualty is Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity, which has closed for good. The show was performed more than 7,700 times since it premiered at NY-NY in 2003. n

Bars and Happy Hours

Bazaar Meat at Sahara has a small-window happy hour at the bar Fri.- Sat. from 5 to 6 pm, with beer and wine for $8 and several small-plate selections from $3 to $12. The new Tailgate Social at Palace Station has happy hours from 5 to 7 pm and 10 pm to midnight, with $5 drinks and appetizers. Griff’s, the big pool hall at Decatur and Twain, has a happy hour Mon.- Fri. from 4 to 7 pm (and until 8 during Mon. and Thurs. NFL games), with half-price appetizers and $2.50 domestic draft beer. For the 18th straight year, Ellis Island is serving its homemade egg nog (contains alcohol). Order the Holiday Nog at the bar for $7 per glass or $35 per bottle that you can take out. Whether you buy a drink or get it comped for playing, Porchlight bar gives you homemade potato chips as a COVID compliance move. n

GAMBLING Circa Gambling

Circa has a two-level casino with table games and slots on both floors. The blackjack games have various rules depending on the limits; the best game, according to Current Blackjack News, is a 6-decker with a .34% casino advantage against basic strategy. It’s a good game if you’re com- fortable with a minimum bet of $200. For the rest of us, Circa deals several games with 8 decks, dealer hits soft 17, double down allowed after splits, and naturals pay 3-2 for a .66% casino edge. We saw one 6-5 single deck. Other pit games include Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em, and Face-Up Pai Gow. Craps offers 3X, 4X, and 5X odds. Roulette is double zero. There’s no live keno, bingo, or big six. See “VPL&F” for video poker information. continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 13 Gambling continued …

The lowest minimum on a Sunday afternoon was $15 on all games. Same as the D and Golden Gate, Circa uses the One Card and points can be earned and redeemed interchangeably at any of the three casinos. Then there’s the sports book. The goal was to create the most elabo- rate sports book in the world and we’d say that goal was met. We haven’t seen any definitive statistics about which is bigger, Circa or the Westgate SuperBook, but they’re close, and the focal positioning of Circa’s book as the centerpiece of the entire casino gives it the edge. The book spans three levels, with discrete sections including the Dug- out (VIP chairs directly in front of the screen), Legends Club (recliners behind the Dugout), Champions Club (booth seating for groups), Circa Club (large semi-circle banquets for larger groups), and grandstands. In addition, the book hosts the VSIN studio, which broadcasts 50 hours of live programming every week. The better seats can be reserved (on the Circa website); prices range from $8 for a “stadium” seat up to $700 for a Circa Club booth, not including food and beverage minimums with service from Victory Burger & Wings. All seats are equipped with power outlets. If you don’t want to pay to sit, there are several free viewing options. Easiest is to just watch from outside of the bowl or from one of the nearby bars. There’s also open seating on the wings, though demand and distancing rules make them difficult to nab in multiples. If you play, rows of video poker machines overlook the stadium on the two upper levels. These are primo spots and lots of non-players take them, but if you tell an usher that you want to play, you’ll be put on a machine. n

$1 Blackjack—OYO or Downtown Grand?

Last month, the Downtown Grand became the second casino in Las Vegas to deal a $1 blackjack game, along with OYO. Of course, a $1 game is a rarity anywhere, so we deem it Top Ten-worthy, but only one can go

14 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 on the list. Which one? OYO is located just off the Strip and DG is downtown. Parking is free for everyone at OYO and free with validation at DG. OYO’s table is open 24 hours, while DG’s is open from 11 am to 3 am. However, only three players are allowed at one time on OYO’s tables, where the spots aren’t separated by plexiglass, while six spots are in action at DG. Both tables have cocktail service. It’s a close call at this point. Now let’s look at the rules. They’re almost identical—both use auto- matic shufflers, dealer hits soft 17, and naturals for $5 bets and above pay 6-5. However, there’s one big difference: the way naturals are paid on bets of $1-$4. At OYO, they’re paid even money; it’s the easiest way to handle it, but it also increases the house edge. At DG, they round the payoffs up. So while a 6-5 payoff on a $1 bet should be $1.20, DG pays $1.50 (the 3-2 rate). A $2 natural that should pay $2.40 pays $2.50, a $3 natural that should pay $3.60 pays $4, and a $4 natural that should pay $4.80 pays $5. All payouts from $1-$4 are better than 6-5. This one difference is enough for us to rank DG above OYO. Whereas you’re playing at about a 3% disadvantage betting $1 at OYO, the edge is only about .8% at DG. Assuming an hour of basic strategy play at a full table betting a flat $1 per hand, the expected loss is only 32¢ at Downtown Grand. Even if you raise your bet above $1, the game at DG is still better. Get a cocktail and you win! One point in favor of OYO is the other games. If you can’t get on the dollar game, but still want to play, several blackjack tables there post $5 and $10 limits, which is becoming more and more rare these days. n

Another Election Misfire

It wasn’t quite the same as 2016, when Hillary Clinton was a -450 favor- ite on election day and Donald Trump won, but the betting markets were pretty much off the mark again this year. On election day, Joe Biden was the -200 favorite, with Trump at +165. And then things got strange. According to reports, a hedge fund manager from England placed a $5 million bet on Trump to win. It’s believed to be the largest political wager ever. The bet was made with an offshore book (or possibly multiple books) at +185, meaning it would pay $9.25 million. After Trump was projected the winner in Florida, the line whipsawed to make him the favorite, climbing as high as -200—a complete reversal. As the night wore on, the line began resembling in-game wagering on a sporting event, with the numbers moving in chunks on every bit of pro- jection news. According to the markets, the result could go either way. But by the morning, Biden was back to a -425 favorite and the price continued on next page

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 15 Gambling continued … to bet him went up steadily from there. The highest we saw it was Biden -1200 before it went off the board. Even with lawsuits still pending, most books (though not all) have paid out on Biden. Reports indicate that though betting on the election was prohibited in the U.S., more than $1 billion was wagered worldwide. n

WSOP Main Event

Despite the moves made in July and August to replace the World Series of Poker with online events, it certainly wasn’t the same, and it looked like there wouldn’t be a legitimate 51st World Champion this year. As it turns out, that won’t be the case. What’s being referred to as a hybrid online/live Main Event is currently being played. The international component of the began Nov. 29 and the domestic component begins December 13. The buy-in is the traditional $10,000, with most of the tournament being played online (U.S. players are required to physically be in either Nevada or New Jersey). The two tournaments will be separate, with each playing down to final tables of nine, when a transition will be made to live play. The international final table will be played on Dec. 7 at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. The U.S. final table will be played Dec. 28 at the Rio. The winners of each tournament will then meet in a heads-up match on Dec. 30 at the Rio to determine the champion. All prize money will be awarded as usual, with a $1 million bonus added to the pool and paid to the winner. ESPN will air coverage, though we don’t know what the schedule will be. n

Gambling Notes

Jackpots—A Las Vegan playing at Planet Hollywood during a friend’s bachelor party hit a seven-card straight flush (including a joker) to take down $927,929 on the Pai Gow Poker Mega Progressive. Another local Las Vegas player selected 10 numbers and hit them all on a Game King keno machine at Boulder Station for a payout of $250,000. The numbers were in a nice tight pattern: 5, 6, 7; 15, 16, 17; 25, 26, 27; with a lone 18 bookend- ing the middle line. SP Bonus Update—South Point has extended its deal to redeem $25 in club points for $50 in Amazon or Walmart gift cards through December 13. We erroneously wrote last month that it required $25 coin-in and didn’t catch the mistake in time to correct it in the printed newsletter. It takes $8,325 coin-in to earn $25 in club points, but the expected loss for perfect play on the NSU Wild games is less than $25.

16 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • DECEMBER 2020 Video Poker Lost and Found

There’s not a lot to get excited about with Circa’s video poker sched- ules. The best schedule is 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%), but they’re scarce and start at 50¢. The best schedule on most machines is 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (98.49%) from 25¢ to $10. The quarter machines that have “pro- gressives” that are capped at $1,199 return 98.90% at the cap. According to the online database vpFREE2, the Cromwell has deci- mated its inventory. After downgrading several 99%+ schedules, the best game now is 8/6 BPD, but only at $5 and up. Previously one of the best options on the Strip for quarter video poker, nothing is recommendable now. The new Tailgate Sports Bar at Palace Station deals quarter 8/5 BP pro- gressives at the bar. This game is breakeven when the royal flush reaches $1,400. The dollar BP is a 7/5 progressive, but the royal flush starts at $5,000, which is breakeven at $7,525. The Hard Hat bar deals 7/5 Bonus Poker (98.01%). The Porchlight bar on W. has devalued its BP schedules from 7/5 to 6/5. Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes are expected to resume at South Point, but a date hasn’t been set. In the interim, be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n WEATHER KEY dates DECEMBER MARCH Mean 46° Avg. Max. 58° Avg. Min. 33° 14-18 Int’l Wireless Communications—12,000 Evening temperatures dip into the 30s and even into the 20s. The sun makes an occasional showing. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Desert of not, it’s wintertime and it’s cold. Dress warmly. JANUARY JUNE Mean 45° Avg. Max. 57° Avg. Min. 32° 20-21 Int’l Esthetic Cosmetics—25,000 Cool and dry. Days are crsip, but pleasant. Cold evenings. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Sweater and jacket—desert winters are cold. FEBRUARY JULY Mean 50° Avg. Max. 62° Avg. Min. 37° 20-23 Assoc. of Woodworking—18,500 Days begin to wram, evenings still cool. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Light jacket for day, something warm for evenings.

DECEMBER 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 17 20/20 Sports Betting $20.20 (plus shipping)

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