Frugally Vegas

The two money forces behind the stalled City Center Project have agreed to complete the project after weeks of lawsuits, struggles, disagreements, and fears regarding a tanked economy. MGM came through with a $70 million payment on Friday to cover current construction costs for the complex. After these cumulative announcements MGM Mirage stock shares jumped over 11%.

I suppose it's reasonable to speculate that the completion of this complex just might coincide with the possible future economic recovery period. Who knows? If so, the opening of the Center might finally emerge from doomsville . Good luck to them.

Cheers..
Chuck60

The Four Queens downtown in connection with hotels.com is running a Fun Book Promotion that involves more than $100 worth of savings through the following coupons :

2-for-1 breakfast
2-for-1 lunch
2-for-1 microbrew
$10 match play
2-for-1 drinks at either the Palace or King's Bars
2-for-1 admission to Canyon Club nightclub
Half-price show tickets
15% discount on gift shop purchases
$1 shrimp cocktail or 14oz draft beer
$10 slot play plus double points for players club signup
2-for1 gourmet coffee at Four Queens deli

Hell of a deal! Room rates start at $38 per night (Sunday -Thursday) and can be booked for travel now through August 31, 2009. Can't miss value-wise here.

The real estate giant that owns three high profile shopping venues on the Vegas strip filed chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York on Thursday, April 16. The company owns The Fashion Show Mall, Grand Canale Shoppes, and Shoppes at Palazzo on the strip. The underlying story behind their failure is familiar in that massive debt loads overran their ability to roll over old debt into new existing loans followed by a crash in the credit market. Overextended debt burdened their survival. The company's listed creditors included Mandalay Bay (owed $1.1 million ) and the Venetian (owed over a half million ) which is home to the Grand Canale Shoppes.

We should all buy stock in bankruptcy law firms , it appears.

Cheers...
Chuck60

US Airways offers an "e-saver" online deal alert for subscribed members. Their most recent package air - hotel deals are substantial with numerous available offers. The following sample prices for assorted air + 2 night hotel stays are based on the current May 5 departure fares from their hub in Phoenix. These prices do not include taxes and fees and the valid dates are from now through varying end dates depending on specific hotels.

Circus, Circus from $89 with 2 for 1 Adventuredome admission

Golden Nugget from $119 ;

Harrah's from $135 ;

Las Vegas Hilton from $212 ;

Monte Carlo from $130 ;

Planet Hollywood from $129 ;

The Mirage from $163 ;

Bellagio from $187 ;

Wynn / Encore from $237

Cheers...
Chuck60

There are only 5 airlines providing domestic air service that don't charge for 1st and 2nd checked bags ( under 50 lbs weight and within allowable volume dimensions), These airlines are Alaska, Air Canada,Jet Blue, Southwest, and Virgin America. Other carriers charge $15 for the first checked bag and $20 - $25 for the second bag provided they weigh less than 50 pounds and are within linear dimension specifications.

Travelers to Vegas can add $35 - $40 dollars off the bat if they plan on checking 2 bags with all other airlines beyond those mentioned above. That cost will buy two buffets at one of the upper - tier locations in Sin City. Somethin to consider..for those who have a choice.

Cheers...
Chuck60

The parent company of the Riviera in Las Vegas missed a $4 million interest payment on it's outstanding debt and announced it may file for bankruptcy protection.
There will be no immediate impact on employees or customers as the doors will remain open and business will continue.The casino company lost $12.7 million in the last quarter of 2008 and partially blamed reduced room rates as a causative factor. As their competitors have reduced room rates to drive up room occupancy rates, revenue streams have diminished with decreased room rate revenues. Bankruptcy filing might put the company's 1500 employees in a reduced pressure scenario as the company restructures it's debt with creditors.

The ongoing casino bankruptcy filing scenario changes almost daily in Vegas. Who'll be next?

Cheers..
Chuck60

M Resort is on a roll despite the economy as measured by patrons joining their new player's club. The new resort's iMagine Players Club signed up it's 100,000th member on March 23 (it opened March 1). There's likely some incentives bound to signup but still this suggests they're doing some things right at M. Management and staff had anticipated signing on 25,000 or so within the first month. Regardless of how this achievement will be analyzed and reanalyzed by media and others, it's a refreshing positive note for M and Vegas. Kudos to M.

Cheers...
Chuck60

Cirque Du Soleil's classic array of flashy production shows ( 5 of the available 6 in town) are on sale for students. Students must present a valid student ID at time of ticket pickup in Vegas. The offer includes Mystere, Zumanity, KA, LOVE, and Criss Angel's Believe shows. Bellagio's Cirque offering , "O", is not included in this offer.
The following lists each of the 5 shows by hotel location. Access the Cirque website at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com to obtain show descriptions, show times, and to buy tickets online.

Mystere - Treasure Island
Zumanity - New York, New York
KA - MGM Grand
LOVE - Mirage
Believe - Luxor

Of these five shows, I've attended only Mystere and it was quite entertaining. Specifically, the shows acrobatics and the crowd-annoying clown were the highlights. The Cirque brand is a proven entity so all should be excellent shows, although the newest of these (Criss Angel's Believe) has received at best mixed reviews.

Cheers...
Chuck60

American Airlines is offering some huge fare specials to Las Vegas including...

- Dallas starting at $99 each way
- New York City for $117 each way
- Los Angeles for $39 each way
- Kansas City starting at $73 each way

Quite lovely rates for these and many other departing cities. Note that these and other published fares do not include associated taxes and fees, but the discounts are still quite impressive. Travel restrictions for these fares include travel TO Las Vegas only on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and FROM Las Vegas only on Tuesday,Wednesday, or Thursday .Also, fares are not valid April 9th through 11th
or on April 13th. Flights must be booked by March 27th for travel through May 19th. Good deal!

Cheers...
Chuck60

Massive debt loads coupled with dwindling visitor counts and less gambling wagers by those who do travel to Vegas have rendered several gaming companies on the brink of bankruptcy . MGM Mirage , Las Vegas Sands, Harrahs Entertainment, Station Casinos, and Herbst Gaming likely all have no obvious alternatives other than sale of individual casino assets to remain viable, Both Stations and Herbst have already indicated they will file for debt restructuring plans , with Herbst already in the process. Bankruptcy reorganization may allow these operators that are still producing cash flow and have long term growth prospects (assuming the economy and normal conditions return) to stay open and continue to employ workers. The debt protection potentially provided by bankruptcy filings may be just the ticket to keep these casinos from having to close and lock their doors.

It's quite likely that bankruptcy protection will be enacted by all these properties
(again, Herbst already has and Stations is expected to file by April 15th pending a bondholder suit). The Las Vegas Sands group (Venetian / Palazzo ) may have the best chance to avoid bankruptcy proceedings. It's safe to assume that any who do
file Chapter 11 tenets will continue to remain open and conduct business. I wish them all good luck and trust we've all benefitted from lessons learned during these raw conditions,

It's likely that the ongoing trend of great Las Vegas room rates and travel incentives will continue throughout this recovery process which some analysts now suggest will last through the middle part of 2010. We'll see.

Cheers..
Chuck60

Harrah's and Las Vegas Sands debt picture suggests they owe roughly $9 of debt for every projected dollar of earnings. Those analyses originated from a report in the March 16th issue of the Wall Street Journal. MGM Mirage has debt totaling approximately $13 billion with the additional burden surrounding completion of the massive City Center project. They also have large note / bond payments due toward the end of this year. Here's hoping they all find a survival method.

Cheers...
Chuck60

M Resort in Henderson opened a few days ago amid the customary hoopla and media coverage for new Vegas casino-resorts. I've read all the releases and articles and the most appealing aspect of this new venue is the promised return to value and customer service offered by management. Let's face it..the present is not an economically opportunistic time to begin a new gambling venture in Las Vegas. They deserve some credit for simply opening the doors in the existing fiscal climate.

Mr. Marnell professes an intent to return to individualized treatment of patrons, to interact with customers, to not offer $15 martinis or $90 steaks, and to make even low-rollers feel special. There were even references to player-friendly comp programs. This attitude is truly unique relative to the recent Las Vegas casino-hotel environment we've all experienced over the last few years. I will offer that some of the in-place resorts have recently begun to cater more personally to
patrons based on my personal observations on two recent trips. They're all a little bit more engaging and sweet lately. And honestly, it makes us feel better. This is the apparent intent at M, according to Mr. Marnell. Here's hoping they can pull some of those promises off in this recession. Partial success in this will be a victory
in the ongoing war for survival of Las Vegas as we know it. Good luck to M.

Cheers...
Chuck60

The comped room was fine..comfy beds, decent bath amenities, and the front desk service was accommodating . We did not have a strip view room ; we did get a good look at the AC vents and roof of a lower floor, though..breathtaking. Still, the room was free..whattya gonna do?

The blackjack games here have poor rules and I don't recommend it (nor did I play). The wife and I did play some slots and ended up slightly ahead after several hours play. The visual spectacles within the hotel are intriguing and pleasant with the sky facade in the casino and some interesting architecture within. We did not visit any eateries here so we can't comment on service or quality. My son stayed here one night and ordered room service and they claimed the quality and service was quite good for the cost (2 dined for about $25.00).

On departure day, we were typically harried and hectically scurrying to get the family crew gathered up and out of town. In my haste, I left two shirts inb the armoire and didn't discover this until arriving home (with much interjection from my dear wife). I made one phone call to the Lost and Found Department and they made all arrangements to Fed-Ex the items at no cost. They arrived within 3 days of departure from Vegas. That is truly good, efficient service and frankly surprised me. I'm taking them a box of chocolates personally on the next visit...I might even sing and dance for them...sans any comp penalties.

The front desk staff and the Lost and Found Department experience were perhaps the most memorable aspects of staying at Paris on this trip. Both were excellent. I also have very positive comments about the speed and service of the valet parking crew..topnotch. We'd stay here again if the rooms are comped. The regular room rates are too pricey for us on a routine basis. On the next trip, maybe we can sample and share some info regarding the dining options at Paris.

Cheers...
Chuck60

MGM Grand served as our base hotel during our mid - February Vegas trip because some family members were attending a photography trade show conference that was hosted here. The only negative I experienced personally at MGM Grand were the crowds. I continually mumbled to myself " recession?..reduced visitor counts?..
where?".

We checked in at the MGM airport checkin facility at McCarran and all experiences throughout that process were very positive. The staff was efficient, aware of our requested room specifics, and we had our room keys in hand after about 5 minutes total time (there was no long line to stand in..which felt uniquely weird). We rented a sedan shuttle for about half the family group so the lovely granddaughter didn't have to endure the car rental gig at McCarran. The cost for that sedan to MGM was 39.95 and was a budgeted part of the trip. Myself and two other family members made the trek to pick up the rented minivan and that experience was somewhat typical..about an hour later we were on our way.

The comped room we reserved was in the Grand Tower and there was an excellent strip view . The bed comfort , room furnishings, and bath were all superb.
The housecleaning staff were very considerate of our granddaughter and us as we
(meaning my wife) were often in the room caring for the 5-month old doll. Great room and efficient yet thorough service.

The blackjack rules sets at the 10 dollar tables were good, although they were all
H17 (vs S17). I managed to take away more than I invested at these. The slot play
was positive too as we were able to locate some apparent high-payback percentage machines near the high-stakes tables games.

I managed to obtain comped buffets for 6 family members due to the moderate
gambling play. All comments regarding the buffet offerings, quality, and service were quite good from the family. There were no lines at 12 noon on a Wednesday
which was another plus.

There was a mass of people at this hotel while we were there (at least partially due to the hosted trade show). I managed to duck and weave my way to survival, however. The observed visitor levels here and all other hotels we either stayed at or meandered through aimlessly collectively somewhat dispelled all I'd read pre-trip regarding lower visitor counts . I suppose the hotel promotion efforts regarding super room deals during this depressed economic time must have been an underlying reason for the crowds.

Summarily, we highly recommend MGM Grand. All staff members were particularly accommodating on this visit ; it's as if they'd like us to return someday. We certainly will.

Cheers...
Chuck60

Some of the family roomed here February 15th - 18th in a relatively new tower room that overlooked the pool. It was a dandy room and was quite comfortable with a very functional bath and decent furnishings. The wife and I always enjoy staying and playing at Mr Herbst property because it truly is a place for the common man. There's something endearing about that, though I can't define it.

We always do pretty well at slots play here..usually on a select , specific list of machines. We came out ahead on this shortened trip as well. VP play here has just been OK here over the years. The blackjack games and rule sets are mediocre relative to say..the MGM properties. The staff is responsive after you've yelled at them a couple times ; as indicated, it's a common man's joint.

The buffet here is small and nothing special. It's a lower-tier, "filler" buffet. There was one female staff member within the buffet's cashier area that I'm quite certain
could give me a run for my money at arm wrestling ; I swear there were two donuts
in her back pocket. The cafe (Bougainville) has some decent dishes and we particularly like their breakfasts (my wife loves the sourdough toast).

We'll stay at Terrible's again because we have so many accumulated slot points.
Their player's club is quite player friendly in terms of point multiplier days options
and they have ongoing slot tournaments all the time, every day. It's difficult to avoid long lines at their player's club desk ..hit it early in the AM to get speedier service. The female host there is a nice lady named Tanya..look her up if you need a decent player's host.

Another Terrible's plus is the fact that it's a short, easy walk from their parking lot
to the casino, simply because it's a small place. At times, this fact takes on enhanced value.

Most everything at Terrible's is less expensive. This fact is one of those common
man perks that will bring us back again and again.

Cheers...
Chuck60

We had comped rooms at the Venetian for February 15 - 18. We obtained a room in the Venezia Tower and had a fabulous strip view overlooking the Mirage and the volcano. The room comfort, overall amenities, the room and bath furnishings, and the housekeeping service were all simply outstanding. I've mentioned before on this lens that the Venetian is one of my personal favorites in terms of room quality and overall staff service. This has been our third stay here and all those things still apply.

On this trip, I had essentially no time to play blackjack here ; as stated before the rules offered at the Venetian on 6-deck shoe games ($25 minimums or less) are just comparatively mediocre. The wife and I did manage to hit the slots / VP for a few minutes and we both made a few bucks playing the identical machines we had positive experiences at in the past here. They didn't appear to be tighter regarding
payback as compared to previous visits.

In the past the only thing I offered as a negative for the Venetian was their valet services. Previous experiences were not good and involved long waits partially due to inherent logistics and long distances from the pick-up area to the actual parking
location. On this trip valet conditions appeared to have improved some because the longest wait we endured for our car was about 15 minutes. Kudos to them for
those improvements.

The Venetian has no buffet but offers about 25+ eateries if you include the food court in the Grande Canal Shoppe area. The wife and I ate at the casino-side
cafe on the south side and had a pleasant breakfast for a reasonable price. We'd
visit this quickie cafe again.

In summary, the experience at Venetian was again quite positive particularly
considering the valet service improvements and the posh room we were comped.
We'll look forward to staying here again on subsequent trips.

Cheers..
Chuck60

We were in Vegas February 15th - 18th and the entire trip was so ramjam and hectic that it now seems like a dream (sound familiar?) I took my family on this one, some of whom were there for a business trade show . The star of the trip was my 5-month old granddaughter..what a pistol ! We roomed at Venetian, Terrible's, MGM Grand, and Paris. I spent much of my time packing some or all of the crew to here, there, and all over. All in all, an enjoyable trip. I just didn't have enough time with my significant other as she was the primary babysitter ; we'll catch up on the subsequent trip I'm sure.

I'll be detailing some of our trip experiences over the next few days. Let us hear from you.

Cheers...
Chuck60

Harrah's Entertainment is offering flyback certificates if you book 2-night ($200.00
voucher ) or 3-night ( $300.00) stays from now through 5/31/09. The vouchers are received when you check in on the original stay. It's valid at Caesar's Palace, The Rio, Imperial Palace, Flamingo, Harrah's, Bally's, and Paris resorts. It's as if they want us to show up and spend some money..or some such.

Cheers..
Chuck60

I'm taking my family to Las Vegas Feb. 15th - 18th and just thought I'd share some of the "good deals" that we obtained by applying some of the methods we spew about on this lens. There will be seven in our party (6 adults and 1 beautiful infant, my 5-month old granddaughter).

We took advantage of the Southwest Airlines half -price airfare special to Vegas that was offered in late December. The total cost for airfare for 6 adults was $705.00 (5 actual purchased RT's and I had a free ticket due to Rapid Rewards redemption)..that's roughly $140.00 per person ; essentially half the normal fare costs and an obvious huge savings.

We are rooming at 4 different Las Vegas hotels and due to player's club and casino e-mail memberships along with a low - midlevel gambling history, all the
rooms are comped. MGM Grand, Venetian, Paris , and Terrible's will be happy
when this crew checks out, I'm sure. They'll want to keep the granddaughter, though..she's truly a superbly natured pistol.

We put in a lot of effort at securing a decent car rental rate for this trip even though
we started preparing for this trip over 4 months ago. Car rental rates for these
particular dates never dipped into the "excellent" category despite multiple revisits
to multiple sites . We rented an Advantage (secured through an Orbitz special) minivan to accommodate the entire family and ended up with a $32 daily rate and a total cost of just under $135.00 after adding in all the exorbitant airport fees and taxes. After much effort, we were moderately pleased at the comparative final cost
of our car rental deal (recently , Advantage minivans were renting for $99.00 per day for these dates on their site).

We acquired multiple Vegas coupons from both the Las Vegas Advisor ( 2 Members Rewards booklets / online memberships costing a total of $74.00) and the American Casino Guide (3 copies for a total cost of $42.00 with shipping).
Additionally, we have a plethora of free coupons from What's On Magazine,
Vegas Values, and Vegas 4 Locals sources. I'll be finalizing the organization
of these coupons for easy use this week ; these will save / earn us significant bucks over the course of the trip , partially depending on the success of all the
blackjack matchplays we'll use plus multiple dining 2 for 1's and freebies.

We've made tentative plans to attend the Mac King comedy magic show at Harrahs..it'll cost a total of approximately $54 for the 6 adults ( we have the
free promotion that involves only a $7.95 drink purchase per person...this is a great bargain show and the guy is entertaining). Additionally, we plan on obtaining
tickets for Fab Four Live (Beatles impersonators at Planet Hollywood) for $24
each from Half Price Shows website (you can obtain many half-price show tickets
up to a week in advance here). This will save about $120.00 total.

The Excalibur is running an all-day buffet special for $25 per person ; it includes all you can eat all day/ night for breakfast , lunch, and/or dinner. We'll likely do this
on one day for the whole crew. Decent deal. We have some additional dining offers that were attached to our comped room deals ; we won't lack for cheap
food while there. The wife and I have a penchant for those "graveyard specials"
for breakfast as well..cheap eats. If negative variance (some call that bad luck)
doesn't bite me at the blackjack tables , there'll be some more as yet unknown
meal comps as well.

Despite all the already accrued and expected additional savings associated with
this trip, I think the highlight of it for me will be some good time with the family
and my granddaughter's first trip to Vegas. I look forward to spending some time
just strolling her through all the kitschy , overdone , opulent views of exorbitant insanity in this great town. With some luck, maybe we can keep the rest of the family out of jail.

Cheers...
Chuck60

Most Vegas casino-hotels charge $10 - $20 per day for renting small volume (2 -6 cubic feet) refrigerators. You can get around this charge if you request one for
medicinal storage purposes ; eg.."My spouse is taking medicine that requires
storage in a refrigerator ". Of course, "medicine" can be defined multiple ways..
from buttermilk to Dom Perignon. These little refrigerators are handy ( particularly
if your stay is 2 or more days at one hotel) to store other useful items such as sodas, baby formula, Ethel M's chocolates, Coors Light , and anything else you might require for convenient access in your hotel room. One could theoretically load up on any items that require cold storage at say ..Wal-Mart ..and save a few bucks as compared to purchases at some hotel-casino convenience / gift shops. On the other hand, maybe your wife really is taking real meds that require cold storage. If your conscience allows, check this tip out for yourself.

Cheers..
Chuck60

Just a heads up for Total Rewards (TR) members. If you have a membership /
player's card , check the online prompt for "Hot Deals" on the upper right side
of the header section on the TR website. You might not believe what they're offering throughout the rest of the year, depending on your point totals and tier level. Room rate reductions and free rooms are more than abundant for this low-midlevel blackjack player. These offers are huge comp incentives for room deals. Check it out if you're a current member (you'll need to be assigned a pin number to access these if you don't have one) ; if you're not a member , what are you waiting for ? These recent offers have amended my position on and judgement of the Harrah's comp system vs MGM Mirage as the latter has always been more player friendly in our case. I have to give Harrah's some kudos now. I think, again, these kinds of offers are just another reflection of just how far in the toilet the economic status is in Vegas. Don't pass this up..take a look. :)

Cheers..
Chuck60

I suppose regular Vegas visitors all have their own list of cost or time saving factors that they personally enjoy and favor..as it should be. Here's ours.. (and we would expect these to change as our experiences and Vegas itself continues to evolve ).

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AS AIR CARRIER :
In our experience, you can't beat them for lowest fares to Vegas. Sign up for their
e-mail and "Ding" services for online special offers.

2. ALWAYS RENT A CAR :
Even though presently car rental prices are trending upward (now that gas prices have fallen) , we still feel that car rental provides for greater flexibility and freedom
while in Sin City. With a little research and effort at finding competitive rental rates,
you can find a reasonable rate despite exorbitant fees and taxes at the standard
McCarran car rental companies (this aspect pisses me off sometimes). There are
some off-airport sites that CAN save you a few extra bucks sometimes but you have to figure in the added "headache" cost of this option, plus sometimes the rates are jumped up at some of these locales (like at the strip motel sites). When you compare costs of car rental vs taxis or shuttles, I think you'll almost always come out ahead with the car (especially if you include the value of flexibility and freedom to make spontaneous dashes somewhere when you want). Plus, you can hop in the car and sachet to some of those cheaper dining spots (eg graveyard
specials off-strip,etc.) and save versus strip hotel dining spots or if you're simply
sick and tired of eating those delicious high-carb delights at the assorted strip
food courts.

3. ELLIS ISLAND STEAK SPECIAL :
It's still a bargain at $6.95 (recently increased from $4.95). It's not on the menu..just ask for it. It's on Koval Lane which parallels the strip to the east.

4. SHRIMP COCKTAIL AT GOLDEN GATE:
Still just 99 cents if you're a player's club member. My wife would cut me off if we didn't get this on every visit (and I can't afford that ).

5. COUPON USE :
There's a ton of free coupons and a few excellent purchasable bulk coupon
sources in Las Vegas. These collectively can make a very significant difference
in your Vegas trip budget and cost-savings. We always purchase at least two
bulk coupon sets from both the Las Vegas Advisor (now the Members Rewards
Book, formerly Pocketbook of Values) and the American Casino Guide ; two copies of each of these sources saves about 4-6 times their cost on average for us.

6. PLAYING THE COMP GAME :
If you literally "play your cards right" (or play high-payback slots/ VP properly) ,
comp accrual can add very real dollars to your Vegas trip bankroll. I play $5 -$25
dollar minimum blackjack (only the ones with good rule sets!) and both the wife and I play slots / VP at 40 -cent to 2.00 per spin denominations. We haven't paid for a room in 2 years (about 7 trips for 4 - 9 days each). There are ways to work
the system.

7. VEGAS BUFFETS :
These vary in price, service, and quality. We try to hit the upper end buffets (eg
Bellagio's) at a shift / meal type changeover ; ie we buy in for the lunch buffet
pricing at 30-45 minutes before they switch to the dinner buffet and sample both
and save about $16.00 total. Bellagio's buffet is friggin superb (see lens post about
buffets below). We also load up at some of the cheaper buffets at places like
Terrible's (kinda mediocre quality) and Orleans (very good) to save bucks and also
utilize all those coupon 2 for 1 buffet deals.

8. MGM MIRAGE PLAYER'S CLUB ** :
Hands down, has provided us with the best overall comp rewards . Harrah's TR
hasn't come close , and we've given them ample play and opportunities. Boyd
Gaming (Orleans , Gold Coast, etc.) has been.. OK.

**Updated Info 2/2/09 ; I have to give Harrah's some kudos and due because of their recent onslaught of free room offers at their online site , specifically within
the "Hot Deals " section (refer to lens post above entitled "Harrah's Total Rewards
'Hot Deals' Tip "). Times are tough, folks..but there's some bright spots.

9. PLAYER'S CLUB AND E-MAIL LIST MEMBERSHIPS :
Particularly now, the value of this effort can't be overemphasized. A classic no-brainer.

10. FAB FOUR MANIA SHOW :
We've always located discount tickets for this show (eg @ Goldstar, Tix4Tonight,
etc.) and found it to be comparatively worth the full ticket price. These guys have their Beatle's impersonation thing down..spot on vocals and great music. I drag my wife to this, and she drags me to the shrimp cocktail at Golden gate. Fair deal.

11. STRATOSPHERE FUNBOOK :
Some great low -end gambling and dining incentives.

12. THE STRIP SPECTACLE ITSELF AT NIGHT :
Bellagio's water fountain display, Mirage's Volcano , the Luxor's pyramid beam at
night, the visual spectacles of several converged casinos at the corner of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard (New York New York, MGM Grand, Excalibur , etc.), the Eiffel Tower at Paris, and the melded , skewed, and occasionally drunken behavior of humans along this iconic American locale.

13. VEGAS OPTIONS :
The choices truly are endless. There's value in that as long as your cash and
ability to remain standing holds out.

14. POINT MULTIPLIER / OTHER CASINO GAMBLING PROMOTIONS:
Take advantage of accumulating player's club points during 2 - 10X point multiplier days at many of the off-strip locales. Refer to American Casino Guide website for weekly updated casino promotion offers .

15. TRIP PLANNING WITH UPDATED RESEARCH :
This factor pays off multiplicatively at times . Car rental rates, airfare, room offer
deals..like Vegas they change often. You can do this without turning it into a PhD
level academic research event. If you enjoy Vegas, this can provide an escape route from your daily routine until you can get there in person. *quivers*

Cheers..
Chuck60

I've personally made some of the following Vegas visitor common errors. Have you?

-UNDERESTIMATING THE SCALE / SIZE OF STRIP HOTEL - CASINOS ; I once rounded the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard in front of MGM Grand on foot with my significant other. This was our initial trip to Las Vegas and we were in awe of the kitschy visual spectacle Vegas is partially famous for. As we walked north in front of MGM, I spotted Caesar's Palace which appeared to be on the not-so-distant architectural horizon. Heh. By the time we neared Caesar's, I was ready to offer cash to anyone who would toss me into the Las Vegas Boulevard traffic. The sheer size and mass of some of these monstrous concrete monoliths we refer to as casino - hotels can often make us error-prone in judging
distance. On each subsequent trip, we've rented a car.

- STAYING TOO LONG AT A GIVEN GAMBLING VENUE / GAME ; Remaining at
a blackjack table or slot / VP machine in an attempt to recoup losses is a common
Sin City mistake. Change venues, take a break, hit a show or buffet ( these and most other options are almost always cheaper).

- FAILING TO SIGN UP FOR OR NOT USING PLAYER'S CLUB CARDS ; Big no-
brainer if you gamble at all.

- DRIVING VEGAS ROADWAYS AS IF YOUR HAIR WAS ON FIRE ; Adrenaline
can be a bad thing when behind the wheel. You'll get there ; drive defensively.
I admit I've driven through countless yellow lights and a few red ones. Always make certain you scan the cross traffic when a light turns green..wait a second or two if you can tolerate the honking horns from the vehicles behind you.

- FAILURE TO USE ALTERNATE ACCESS ROUTES TO HOTELS ; Sometimes there's a more efficient route to your destination ; and sometimes ..there's not,
depending on traffic levels.

- GAMBLING AT GAMES THAT OFFER AN INSURMOUNTABLE HOUSE EDGE ;
Can you say keno? Now I've made all those grandmothers angry. Sorry..

- POOR / INADEQUATE PLANNING OF VEGAS TRIPS ; This mistake can cost you significant bucks (you should've read the Frugally Vegas lens ,right?) . That said,
it's also enjoyable to leave some open time slots for unplanned, spontaneous
activities as well (see next entry on the list).

- OVERPLANNING A VEGAS TRIP ; You'll wear yourself and your whole crew out if you plan out every last detail and minute.

- FAILURE TO PACK COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR ; Even if you rent a car, just
navigating within a single casino on foot can resemble a Trail of Tears. Ever roam the several miles around / within MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay ?

- FAILING TO UTILIZE VALET PARKING SERVICES ANYTIME YOU'RE TOTING LUGGAGE ; This particularly applies for those locales which have parking garages
which are a county away from the hotel check-in desk. It's a hike at some of these
(eg MGM Grand) even without bags. Consider valet services on any day you're
packing luggage (arrival / departure days or hotel changes during the trip) . The minimal cost is worth it in order to avoid potential dehydration, leg exhaustion, family fist fights, or a divorce.

Cheers..
Chuck60

There's tons of free , cute, visually stimulating things to visit and see in Vegas , including SOME of the ladies that roam around town. Time spent perusing these is a good way to spend some time NOT reaching for your wallet. As always, beauty is in the varied eyes of the beholders.

- Fremont Street Experience ; Downtown pedestrian walkway with a 12-million light
visual overhead display show with a 540,000 watt sound system augmented by assorted street performers, vendors, and an aura of old vegas perfuses the air .

- Bellagio Fountains ; This world - famous water - fountain - geared-to-music show truly lives up to it's billing . Don't miss this one.

- Sirens Of TI ; nightly pirate / scantily clad girl (Sirens?) battles on an old pirate ship in front of TI .

- Fountain Shows At Caesar's Palace ; moderately entertaining , with an animatronic version inside the hotel walkways.

- Lion Habitat At MGM Grand ; the kids will like this ; the cats are neat and well
taken care of.

- Mirage Volcano ; The newest version is now erupting regularly on the strip.

- Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo ; varied birds with both long and short legs ; some
neat fish ; peaceful, relaxing setting ; my wife loves this so I have to tag along
on every visit (it's worth it).

- Circus Acts At Circus Circus ; jugglers, trapeze artists, other free midway -type acts.

- Silverton Aquarium ; Impressive 117,000 gallon saltwater aquarium with a bunch
of funky fish in it.

- Bellagio Conservatory ; some talented horticulturists and artists combined to
craft this elaborate plant and flower arrangement ; themes change periodically.

- Ethel M Chocolate Factory ; Seven miles from the strip, you can take a self-guided tour and see how they make and process assorted chocobits. You can walk through an impressive botanical cactus garden while munching on delicious tidbits that are bad for your waistline.

- Show In The Sky at Rio / Masquerade Village ; Dancers and performers in exotic sexy costumes parade overhead for free.

- M & M's World ; More chocobits.

- Streetmosphere At Venetian Grande Canal Shoppes ; One of the most pleasant
and relaxing overhead visuals while shopping in Vegas; interesting fake sky facade.

- Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Sign ; they have constructed an expensive parking lot near the sign now so it's easier to take photos . Don't climb on it.
Truly an iconic Vegas site.

- Interior Atrium At Sam's Town ; Interesting intra-hotel atrium with some entertaining though somewhat cheesy animatronic displays. Relaxing.

- Area 51 ; I'd describe this well-known secret air base site but the government
says it doesn't exist , so...; you can only access the extreme perimeters of it without creating a movie scene involving black speeding SUV's and hovering helicopters .

- Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at Silverton ; Sachet through this spectacle depicting assorted wildlife / aquatic sports stuff. I heard crickets and elk bugling.

- Hard Rock Guitar / Rock Star Display ; If you're into rock and roll and appreciate
a decent guitar selection supposedly used by assorted celebrity musicians, this is the venue.

- Planet Hollywood Movie Memorabilia ; speaks for itself

- The Strip ; Walk or drive down one of the planet's most famous boulevards ; the entire spectrum of humanity can be seen here..plus a few monkeys.

Las Vegas began to morph back into a bargain destination city in the last quarter
of 2008 (and this trend is ongoing indefinitely in 2009). The severity and depth of
the econocrash has prompted many of the gaming properties to send out great
and occasionally unprecedented enticement offers to encourage our patronage.
The economic downturn ranks as the most noticeable and 'felt' change for Vegas
and it's visitor's in 2008. Other notable Vegas changes last year include;

- Massive delays in assorted corporate gaming expansion / construction projects
due to..well..

- Criss Angel's "Believe" Cirque show opened at Luxor ; I haven't seen it but most reviews have been less than sterling.

-Other new show venues included Bette Midler and Cher at Caesar's, Donny and
Marie at Flamingo, Jersey Boys at Palazzo, and Terry Fator (a ventriloquist) at the Mirage ; long-time Vegas performer Danny Gans announced he was moving to
the Encore in 2009 (from long-standing Mirage venue).

- New hotel/casinos that opened in 2008 include Encore, Palazzo, Palms Place,
Trump International, Alliante Station, and the Eastside Cannery.

- Newly opened restaurants include AGO, Sinatra's , Restaurant Charlie, Carnevino by Mario Batali, Table 10 by Emeril, Botero Steak, and Simon.

- The old Frontier casino was imploded in November

- The Monte Carlo Hotel caught fire due to welding contractor errors (and maybe
a few other entities)

- Shows and attractions that closed were the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton (apparently will be revived at the old Neonopolis site downtown in 2009), Spamalot, and the departure of Tent Carlini as a headlining Elvis impersonator at the Sahara.

- Pool clubs became hot commodities in 2008 ; there was a significant increase in the adults - only pool venues where people lounged and swam naked; I'll try and get some on-site analysis of these during one of my seasonally appropriate trips
in 2009 if I can get my wife distracted long enough

- New and improved pools opened at Flamingo, Palms , and MGM Grand.

- Celebrity hair stylist salons increased in 2008 ; I'm not sure why

Blackjack routinely offers the lowest house advantage over players as compared to
all other games off the top. Players can enhance that inherent gambling advantage
further by applying accurate basic strategy play and insisting on locating specific
games that offer player-favorable rules. There's a ton of variation between game
rule sets and these directly affect the mathematical player expected value (enhanced winnings / minimize losses over time). Proper game selection can easily reduce house advantage to .5% or less for the conscientious player who employs accurate basic strategy decision plays for a specific game . Blackjack also offers one of the best venues to accrue comps for gamblers interested in playing the comp game. There are many methods to enhance comp accrual while playing blackjack and these will be addressed in future posts .

What are the blackjack rule sets that positively affect player expected value? I rou-
tinely play 6-deck shoe games that don't utilize continuous shuffle machines
(CSM's) with $5 -$25 minimum bet conditions. Keep in mind that games with
higher minimums (25$ and up) MIGHT have comparatively better rule sets (player favorable) than lower minimum tables ; note that you have to scope the better
games out at all denomination minimums. The minimum rule sets / conditions
(ultimately rendering a house edge between .25 and .42% off the top) that I seek
out in Vegas include the following (with accurate basic strategy play);

Base games = 6-deck (6D) shoe game, $5 - $25 dollar minimums, 1-12 bet spread
variation (x minimums) , 75% penetration minimum, no CSM's ; occasionally play
2-deck pitch games , $5 - $25 minimums, 1 - 6 bet spread, 60-65 % penetration.

Rules To Lower House Advantage/ Increase Player Expectation (EV)

- Insist on 3:2 payoffs on naturals (blackjacks) ; adds + 2.5% EV ; players cripple
their blackjack value off the bat if they play any of those tables with either 6:5
(there are tons of these in Vegas now) or even money payouts on naturals.
Just walk by these tables. One of the single biggest errors average players
make are sitting down at these games if they're concerned at all about value.

- DAS (double downs allowed after splitting pairs) ; adds + 0.14 % to player
expectation. There are plenty of games offering this rule in Vegas.

- S17 (dealer stands on soft seventeen hands, ie A,6 etc.) ; adds + .20% to EV
vs H17 (dealer hits soft seventeen); There are a few of these that can be found
with some research / scouting prior to and during the trip.

- LS (late surrender offered; allows player to surrender hand with certain 2-card
totals (yes there's a basic strategy for this option) vs specific dealer upcard
AFTER the dealer has checked their hole card for a blackjack. This rule adds
+0.075% to expectation. There are a very limited number of blackjack games
in Vegas that offer this option; but they're locatable. Often this rule is not posted
at individual tables ; ask if it's offered when you approach a table.

I don't play blackjack in Vegas unless the specific game offers the above rules,
unless there is a special set of other rules or promotions that drives the house edge down. Call me anal if you will..I just adhere to this axiom (you don't have to).
Yes, blackjack should be an enjoyable, fun experience ; it's not fun for me if the
house advantage off-the top is insurmountable over time. I have found the above games (with outlined conditions and rule sets) with some consistency at the following casinos (keep in mind that you may be required to play $15 to $25 minimums to collectively locate the above rule sets at a given place ; additionally, some of the properties may require these minimum bet levels to get rated for table game comps, which can potentially add significant value to player expectation / EV) ;

- MANDALAY BAY (Strip)
- MGM GRAND (Strip)
- MONTE CARLO (Strip)
- NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Strip)
- TROPICANA (Strip)
- RED ROCK (Off - Strip)

Notice there aren't any Harrah's properties on the list ? Be advised that there are
changes to blackjack game rules with some regularity which requires players to
seek out current info prior to a Vegas trip and then to scout and confirm derived
information upon arrival. An excellent source ( modest subscription fee required) for blackjack game conditions in Vegas (and elsewhere) is Current Blackjack News (CBJN) at the BJ21 / Green Chip website (refer to link list below). Be aware that the above 6D games are traditionally easier to find during the day on weekdays than on more crowded weekends. When conditions are more crowded for any reason, the better games are more difficult to find and obviously more difficult to find a seat at. Further, the casinos traditionally increase table minimum bet levels as demand increases and on evening shifts.

There are other additive rules that some casinos offer that lowers their advantage
and increases player expectation;

- RSA (resplitting of aces after initial split; adds +0.06% EV ; variations are RSA3
(resplit only once to make three hands) or RSA4 (split twice to make 4 hands).

- D3 (player allowed to double down on first 3 cards; adds +0.23% EV

Two casinos that often offer the above are ;

LONGHORN* (Boulder Strip)
BIGHORN* (North Las Vegas)

*note that current rules at these two casinos usually involve H17 (dealer hits soft
seventeen) ; the cumulative advantage of allowing the above two rules at these locales offsets the H17 disadvantage ; off-the-top house edge at these particular games is approximately 0.25% (with perfect basic strategy play). It should be noted that these two off-strip casinos offer exceedingly minimal glitz and glamour
(like..zero) but they do have decent rules with very low minimums. I like them both
even though I realize Bruce Willis or Britney Spears won't be there.

Other rules that can further reduce house edges but are seldom (if ever) found in Vegas casinos are:

- DSA (doubling after ace splits ; adds + 0.10% EV)

- 21S (suited blackjack pays 2:1 ; adds + 0.56% EV)

- BJ2:1 (naturals pay 2 : 1 ; adds + 2.28% to EV ; run to this game!)

- 6 (player's unbusted 6-card hand (automatic winner even against dealer blackjack ; adds + 0.10% )

- ES (early surrender ; rule allows player to surrender hand AND half the original
bet BEFORE dealer checks hole card for potential blackjack ; adds 0.63% EV ;
if you find this game, e-mail me ; beyond rare these days

You should note that the more decks used in a given blackjack game, there is
an increase in house edge over players. Single deck games in Vegas with good rules and 3:2 payoffs are extremely rare these days and essentially nonexistent
on the strip. With a decent rule set and accurate use of basic strategy, a player can play essentially even or maintain a slight advantage over the house in a single deck game..if they can find one. In Las Vegas, most single-deck games offer
6:5 payouts on naturals ; you might as well ride up the Eiffel Tower at the Paris
Hotel and toss your cash off from the observation deck . My most current info regarding blackjack game conditions in Vegas indicates that there are 4 downtown
casinos that offer single deck games with 3:2 payoffs ;

EL CORTEZ
BINION'S
FOUR QUEENS
WESTERN

All the above games are H17 but due to use of single deck (though they usually
only deal out about half a deck before reshuffling) the house edge for all these
games is 0.18% and thus playable for a basic strategy player. If any of you
employ any type of advantage play techniques (card counting systems, etc.),
the pit and eye - in-the-sky surveillance crews may run you off at these single deck games above (or any game, anywhere if you're not adept at camouflage play ). Just be aware. The El Cortez has been referred to as The Sweaty
Spaniard for years ; there's a reason for it.

There are some playable 2-deck (2D) games in Vegas ; simply playing a two-deck game versus 6D adds 0.25% to EV off the top. Theoretically a player could sacrifice some of the other rules as a tradeoff to arrive at a reasonable house advantage range. In a 2D game, the house edge with S17,DAS, = 0.19%.
Two-deck games with those specific rules / house edges can be found at..

MIRAGE* (Strip)
LUXOR *(Strip)

*Note that you'll have to tolerate $25 table minimums at the above casinos for these games.

The following off-strip casinos offer 2D,H17,DAS,and RSA games for $2 - $10
minimums and a house edge of .35% ;

ARIZONA CHARLIE'S EAST
STATION CASINOS (BOULDER, TEXAS , SANTA FE , PALACE, AND SUNSET )
GREEN VALLEY RANCH
RED ROCK
SILVER NUGGET
WILD,WILD WEST

Any discussion of blackjack should include bankroll management elements. Play
with money that won't affect your daily life, ie only those funds that you can afford to lose. Staying too long at any table to recoup losses is foolhardy ; only stay as
long as you can practically afford. I seldom stay at a given table for over 1 to 1.5 hours for several reasons that could be discussed in later posts. An old blackjack
rule of thumb is to never leave after a winning hand. There is a plethora of info
regarding what's known as Risk of Ruin charts which outline betting ramps and
bet levels with a known starting bankroll. Some of these aspects are quite detailed
and are usually restricted to use by professional players. If you're interested in
becoming a serious blackjack enthusiast, there's an unbelievable amount of
pertinent info on the web and within the pages of countless books. Avail yourself
of this info and over time you can determine the credible sources . If interested, email me and I can provide a decent info starter list.

The present economic downturn Vegas is experiencing has resulted in a more
general trend of lower table minimums to a noticeable degree in many casinos.
We could speculate that, in order to attract more patronage , the gaming entities
might offer more short-term promotional games with player-favorable rule sets.
We'll see.

Cheers..
Chuck60

THE VENETIAN! There..I said it. What's not to like there? The Valet service..maybe.
The blackjack games rules sets, perhaps. I never detected one other bad aroma
there (last visit was late October, 2008). Here's hoping Sheldy Adelson keeps it going
during these down times.

We're all aware Las Vegas' economic condition and outlook is..well..crappy. The following numbers* describe the depth of several critical measurements which are both interrelated and interdependent.

- October gaming revenue on the strip declined over 25% compared to the same
time last year ( actual casino win was 475 million vs 640 million in Oct. 2007)

- Gaming wins were also down for North Las Vegas ( -34.3%) , downtown
(-19.6%), and Boulder Strip ( - 28.2%).

- October visitor counts are down 10% vs last year

- October was the tenth consecutive monthly decline in gaming wins

- Casino stock shares have devalued 80 - 90% compared to 2007 indexes

- Gaming properties debt is now 7 - 10 times greater than their earnings

- By the end of September, over 3200 employees had been laid off at strip
casinos (these will increase as last quarter numbers are reported; many more
employees have seen reduced hours at their jobs)

- Several 401K employee match savings plans have been suspended by gaming
companies.

- Las Vegas visitors through McCarran airport was down 13.2% in September;
airlines have reduced the number of flights in response to lowered demand.

- Restaurant and bar sales in Clark County, which are traditionally thought of
as good indicators of tourism levels, are down nearly 20%.

- Many resort expansion / development projects have been stalled, put on
indefinite hold,or cancelled outright due to the credit crisis.

- Hotel occupancy and room rates have declined from 10-25% and expected
to decline further

- MGM Mirage, one of the largest gaming entities, has seen net income decline
from 183.9 million to 61.3 million

- Many resorts have significantly reduced entertainment schedules and either
closed or reduced operating hours at restaurants in an effort to cut expenses

- The local unemployment rate increased to 7.6% in October (significantly higher
than the national average) ; unemployment claim filings have increased by 44%
as compared to October, 2007.

- Business confidence indexes all point to worse conditions in the first half of 2009

What does all the above mean for potential Vegas visitors? There will be increasingly attractive room rate / travel deal offers to lure us to town; yet, consumer willingness to spend discretionary money for Vegas trips will likely continue to decrease. Patrons who have visited lately have obviously spent less
money while there; it's a cyclic, interdependent factor in the entire scenario. For those in a monetary position to go, many unprecedented offers might be in the offing (it's already quite significant). Casino-resort survival will be an interesting
scenario to monitor during the next 6 to 12 months; it's that real. The severity of
the economic downturn obviously screams belt- tightening for most of us. I'm
convinced that survival is the only option..hang in there.

Cheers..
Chuck60

*Info sources; compiled from Nevada Gaming Control Board, Las Vegas Sun News
articles, UNLV Center for Business & Economic Research, In Business Las Vegas,
Las Vegas Business Press, New York Times Business Section articles