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The highlight of this year's Blackjack Ball was an address made to the room of 100 or so of the most successful gamblers in the world by the man who started it all, the author of Beat the Dealer, Dr. Edward O. Thorp. Thorp is a living legend in the gambling and investing worlds, and Random House has just published a new book that describes his journey (and tactics) titled A Man for All Markets. A video of the address is now up at GamblingWithAnEdge.com. You won't find this anyplace else, folks.
Steve Wynn will reportedly accept an invitation from Donald Trump to become finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. The RNC is essentially a promoting, fund-raising, and planning arm of the party, and is tasked with organizing the Republican National Convention. The ultra-detail-oriented Wynn sounds like the perfect man for the job.
Here's a new wrinkle. Sheldon Adelson has pulled out of his affiliation with the new stadium proposed for the Strip and intended to be the home of the current Oakland Raiders NFL team. Adelson issued a statement to that effect yesterday, leaving the project without a huge chunk of its funding, as LV Sands Corp. was expected to invest $650 million. The reason appears to be excessive demands from the Raiders organization. A new funding source will be sought.
Las Vegas is on Orkin’s list of "Top 50 Bed Bug Cities," coming in 49th. It was the first time in the six-year history of the list that Las Vegas was included. The number-one bedbug city was Baltimore.
After a bit of a dearth in big jackpot announcements, $1,156,473.78 was hit this weekend on a Wheel of Fortune machine at New York-New York. Not much additional information was issued; IGT simply tweeted out the total along with "Congrats to the latest winner!"
Earlier this month we mentioned an impending sports network that will broadcast out of South Point. More information has been released, and it will be called VSiN for the Vegas Stats & Information Network. It will apparently be anchored by recently retired sports-broadcasting legend Brent Musburger and boxing announcer Al Bernstein. Also affiliated on the content side are several noted Las Vegas bookmakers, including Vinny Magliulo, Chris Andrews, and Jimmy Vaccaro.
Jean Scott discusses the IRS' decision to back off of implementing some troublesome new regulations, and with tax time approaching, suggests some sources of up-to-date tax information for gamblers. Read about it in her In her latest blog post at Frugal Vegas.
The first winning ticket of the year in the Mega Millions lottery was sold Friday at Primm Valley Lotto, the store located just over the state line from Primm in California. The $188 million jackpot has yet to be claimed.
Don Johnson -- and we're not talking about the Miami Vice actor -- was elected to the Blackjack Hall of Fame at the annual Blackjack Ball last night. Johnson made headlines a few years ago when he beat the Atlantic City casinos for upwards of $5 million and has since been the subject of numerous print and TV stories detailing his methods and high-rolling lifestyle. The skills competition was won by Anthony Curtis, who, after several near misses over the years, finally finished on top of the podium.
Rafael Nadal is a -130 favorite over Roger Federer in tomorrow's Australian Open men's tennis final. Federer is going for a record 18th Grand Slam title; Nadal for a 15th, which would be second most all time. The match starts early, at 3:30 am EST.
Valentina Shevchenko is a -180 favorite over Julianna Pena in tonight's UFC main event. In the other featured match, Donald Cerrone is -175 over Jorge Masvidal.
Another big-time restaurant joins the Cosmopolitan line-up with the opening of Zuma tonight. The high-end sushi house from London joins recently added Beauty & Essex, Eggslut, Momofuku, and the rest of Cosmo's stellar restaurant roster. And there's more to come, with New York’s Blue Ribbon Brasserie due this spring.
Nevada was the second-fastest-growing state by population behind Utah according to 2016 Census data. Nevada grew by 56,300 residents to 2.94 million and is on track to surpass 3 million this year.
Serena Williams is a -420 favorite over Venus Williams in tomorrow's Australian Open women's tennis final. It's the first time the sisters have played in a Grand Slam final in eight years. The match starts early, at 3:30 am EST.
Looking to celebrate the Chinese New Year? Here are some highlights of events and celebrations going on around town.
Festive Displays:
It's a good day for deals. Along with the Plantone's promotion detailed yesterday in this space, Santa Fe Station is celebrating the first anniversary of The Oyster Bar today with 25-cent raw oysters. They'll be shuckin’ and servin’ from 4 p.m. to midnight. The February Las Vegas Advisor will include a list of more than a dozen options for raw oysters for $1.25 or less.
Steve Wynn says that he expects to begin construction on his Paradise Park project before the end of this year. Wynn emphasized that Wynn Resorts' future lies in "nongaming attractions"; however, no additional details were disclosed about the $1.5 billion "lake resort" that will be built behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore.
Both Willie Nelson shows this weekend have been canceled due to illness. They will not be rescheduled and tickets purchases are being refunded. Shows scheduled for Feb. 1, 3, and 4 are currently not affected.
It's a pretty quiet one, as everyone gears up for their Big Game parties. Still, "quiet" in Vegas is definitely a relative term and there's still plenty to keep you from being bored. Here are some of the highlights:
The Westgate will put up its Super Bowl proposition bets tonight at 7 p.m. It's an interesting scene if you get a chance to check it out. After that the other books will follow suit with almost all being up by the weekend.
As we near the opening of a completely redesigned website, we're looking for your input on features you want to see? A big one is trip reports. Do you love them? Hate them? Want a defined space to post and read them? Let us know your preferences by voting in the new Reader Poll that's live now.
The Pantone's Italian Market free-pizza offer is Jan. 27, not today as we erroneously posted earlier. Beginning at noon tomorrow, the first 100 customers at the new Italian deli (8680 W. Warm Springs Rd.) will get a free 10" pizza every week for a year.
Las Vegas' first two Chick-fil-A restaurants opened this morning to lines of waiting customers, many of whom had camped out all night. It may have had something to do with first 100 in line getting free sandwiches every week for a year, but the chain has a huge following that has been waiting for the Nevada debut. Both locations are in Henderson, but several more are planned throughout the valley.
The U.S. Supreme Court has opted not to rule on New Jersey's bid to legalize sports betting, instead asking for input from the U.S. Solicitor General before making a decision. The non-action keeps the effort alive and appears as yet another sign that opinions on sports betting are changing.
The Silverton sports book was robbed last night just before 9 p.m. Police say an armed man got out with an undisclosed amount of money and is still at large. The deed was done quietly and there were no injuries.
After a holiday hiatus, Bob Dancer's weekly video poker classes resume today. The classes are held in the Silverado Lounge at South Point and they're free to attend. Today's class begins at noon and covers 9/6 Jacks or Better.
There’s been another price increase for Caesars Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet. This one is kind of tricky, as it eliminates breakfast and lunch, replacing them with a more expensive daily brunch. Breakfast was $30.99 and lunch was $38.9, while the new weekday brunch is $39.99 and weekend brunch is $49.99. Weekday and weekend dinner remains unchanged, at $54.99 and $57.99, respectively. LVA members can use the Member Rewards discount for $10 off on weekdays.
Our current hot-topic Reader Poll is on the subject of the way you prefer to learn gambling strategies. Is it by reading books? Using strategy cards? Tutorial software? As we contemplate the projects we take on at LVA, this input is important to us. The poll closes at midnight, so there's still time to get your vote in.
Two new blog posts are up at GamblingWithAnEdge.com. Bob Dancer's regular weekly article discusses Mata Hari (you'll have to click through to see how that gets around to a gambling lesson). And FrankB has posted the first of what will be several reports on Super Bowl specials -- betting, parties, and related subjects -- between now and kickoff.
The sale of Rumor, is no rumor. The 150-room boutique hotel across from the Hard Rock has been sold to a group based in Hong Kong for $18 million. According to an account in today's LV Review-Journal, the name has already been changed to Serene Vegas, though no other details regarding future plans were divulged.
It didn't take long. After the closing of Serendipity 3 on the Strip and Flamingo corner at Caesars Palace, Stripside Cafe & Bar is now open there. The food is described as "Casual American" and hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 on weekends).
A walled off area between the sports book and race book at South Point has a sign that reads "Coming Soon, Vegas Sports Information Network." It will be a new radio and TV network devoted to sports and sports-gambling information that will run out of the South Point. It's expected to debut early this year.
The New England Patriots opened as -3 favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. The total opened at 57.5 and has moved up to 58.5. It's the highest total in Super Bowl history.
In today's AFC Championship, the New England Patriots are -6 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The total is 49.5.
In today's NFC Championship, the Atlanta Falcons are -6 favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The total is 60.5.
Plans have been announced for an extreme sports park and hotel on 130 acres just south of the Strip at Sunset Road. The $800 million complex called The Edge would offer dirt bike racing, wakeboarding, surfing, bungee jumping, and indoor sky diving, among other activities, and include a 15 story 640-room hotel. This one sounds pretty speculative, with no firm details on funding disclosed, but the developer says he wants to start construction this spring, so the verdict will be in soon. Another similar project, minus the hotel, was proposed last year and is pending a few miles south near M Resort.
A new sports bar called Hatari opens tonight at the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway. A little different from the standard mall style, the Boulevard has been the location of several bars going back 40 years. There are lots of specials and giveaways tonight, along with an ongoing 99-cent beer special.
In a poker showdown between an artificial intelligence program and four top heads-up no-limit humans, the computer, called Libratus, is dominating the humans. The human players beat a forerunner called Claudico two years ago, but about a third of the way through the rematch, Libratus is beating all four players and has a total lead of nearly $500,000. The match is being played at the Rivers Casino in Pennsylvania.
The Copper Whisk has opened at the Orleans. It replaces the Courtyard Cafe as the casino's 24-hour coffee shop.
The 24 Seven Cafe at the Palms will close at the end of this month for a renovation. According to Eater Las Vegas, N9NE will serve a limited breakfast menu and there will will be a graveyard buffet for $8.99. If true, it will be Las Vegas' first late-night buffet of this sort in several years. We'll check it out.
On a related note, if you hold Palms chips issued prior to October 1, 2016, you have till April 1, 2017 to redeem them.
Among a spattering of prop bets on today's inauguration of Donald Trump as president was an over/under of 18.30 on his acceptance speech. Trump wrapped it up in about 16:20 and under bettors got the money.
We're told that a change in software is what led to the delay in the launch of the Golden Nugget's mobile sports betting app. The change requires another OK by Gaming Control and the estimated debut of the software has been moved back to February 1.
The Cannery is celebrating its 14th "Canniversary" today. Get free cake and champagne from 4 to 6 p.m. and swipe for mystery multipliers up to 14X points.
The Oakland Raiders have filed official paperwork with the NFL to relocate to Las Vegas. Assuming the league owners vote in March to support the move, the way will be clear for the deal to get done. There are still lots of loose ends to be tied up, but most consider this confirmation that the Raiders will be playing in Las Vegas when they have a new stadium to play in. As an aside, there's also speculation that this development will help speed the implementation of new sports betting laws nationwide.
In his new blog post, Blair Rodman discusses the effect the publication of good poker books has had on the rise of the game's popularity and the general ability of its players. Is so much accessible information a good or bad thing? Blair, himself an author of a book, Kill Phil, that cuts into the advantage of top players, tells you how he sees it.
The Golden Nugget has announced that its mobile sports betting app is now available. That's good news, given that GN is an independent book with lines that don't always conform to what's available in the market. But we've tried, and so far the app isn't loading. We were told last night that there are still some glitches. We'll let you know when it really is ready.
The LV Sun ran an article listing ways to save money in several areas of a Las Vegas vacation. It's mostly advice that you get here on a daily basis, which figures, since two of three featured experts were Anthony Curtis and Bob Dancer. It's a good synopsis of strategies and worth a read.
MGM Resorts International has announced that it will delay the opening of its $3.1 billion MGM COTAI resort for a third time. The new timeframe moves from Q2 to the second half of this year. "Complexity of the project design" was cited as the reason for the delay.
Today's Question of the Day, concerning what to do about a futures sports-bet ticket (for the Super Bowl) that's completely illegible, has received some excellent feedback. Find out how you can use lost-ticket claim forms, copiers, scanners, and the casino players club to retrieve the faded info by clicking here.
Redneck Riviera, the country-music bar created by John Rich of the band Big & Rich, opens today in the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally's. It's the second location of the bar, following the original in Nashville, and features some interesting decor, including bathrooms with sinks made from tires and urinals from beer kegs.
Who's the best video poker player in the world? There's no way to tell for sure, but Bob Dancer is certainly in the running, and in his latest post he lays out 18 skills/attributes that he believes the best players possess (or at least they possess most of them to some degree). Check them out and see where you stand. Also, Bill Ordine discusses FanDuel's announcement that it will is adding golf to its DFS offerings. Both posts can be read at our advantage-gambling blog, GamblingWithAnEdge.com.
The first In-N-Out Burger on the Strip has opened in the LINQ Promenade. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sun.-Thurs. and till 1:30 on the weekends.
The total on this weekend's NFC Championship game between the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers has touched 61.5, making it the highest playoff total in NFL history. And even that may not be high enough. The playoff games continue to go over the number and the favorites are also winning, a combination that favors the betting public. The sports books are reporting big losses, with William Hill declaring that last Sunday was "the biggest day ever" for its customers.
Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is celebrating the Year of the Rooster, with a 16-foot moon gate, silk-lantern chandeliers, and 20,000 flowers. There's also a model of the Bellagio by MGM Shanghai resort, due to open in 2017. The display is free to view 24/7 and runs through March 4.
Taxi ridership in Southern Nevada declined 16% and revenue was down 13% in 2016, due in most part to loss of business to Uber and Lyft. The Taxicab Authority says that it won't raise fares or other charges while it considers other moves to regain its market share.
The price of the awesome hot dogs served from a cart in the Gold Coast sports book has gone up 50¢. The dogs are now $2 and chili dogs are $3. It's the first price increase in almost five years for what has been one of Las Vegas' best deals. You can still add kraut, onions, and relish at no extra charge.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade takes place today downtown on Fourth St., beginning at 10 a.m. South Point is awarding 5X points on slots and 2X on video poker. El Cortez is giving away slices of Marie Callender's apple pie to players from noon to 6 p.m.
Yair Rodriquez is a -415 favorite over B.J. Penn in tonight's UFC main event. In the other featured match, Joe Lauzon is -120 over Marcin Held.
In today's AFC playoff, the Kansas City Chiefs are -2.5 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The total is 45.
In today's NFC playoff, the Dallas Cowboys s are -5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The total is 52.5.
After we posted the line for the Patriots/Texans game yesterday, the number moved up and closed Patriots -17. It was the third largest spread ever in a postseason game, behind only the Colts -18 over the Jets in Super Bowl III and the 49ers -19.5 over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. The Patriots scored late and won by 18 to cover.
Registration is now open for our "Sunday Funday 36" poker tournament. Play begins at noon PST/3 p.m. EST today. Along with $100 for first, prizes include LVA membership with the 2017 Member Rewards Book, an autographed copy of The Essentials of Casino Game Design, the new Eating Las Vegas 2017, and several new prizes. Prizes will again be awarded to the first 14 finishers. See the entire prize pool and register to play at the LVA Casino (once signed in, click on "Poker Tournaments" and register for Tourney ID 12168). This tournament is completely free to play. There will also be other tourneys running all day for gift cards and play chips. Come have some fun! See you at noon.
A newly released movie, Sleepless, starring Jamie Foxx, is set in Las Vegas, but according to film reviewer Christopher Lawrence, takes place in a fictional casino called the Luxus and includes only a few exterior scenes shot here. Lawrence says that what's depicted is "a nearly unrecognizable city, recreated in Atlanta, where there are never any cars on the streets, people on the sidewalks, or anyone anywhere who isn't directly involved in the action of a scene." This is a funny review worth reading if you get a kick out of how Las Vegas is so often misrepresented.
In today's AFC playoff, the New England Patriots s are -16 favorites over the Houston Texans. The total is 44. The pointspread on this game touched 17, which would have been the third highest spread for a playoff game on record if had closed there.
In today's NFC playoff, the Atlanta Falcons s are -6.5 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks. The total is 51.
Reserve some time tomorrow to play in our 36th Sunday Funday online poker tournament. First place gets $100, and prizes will be awarded to the top 14 places. Prizes include LVA membership with the 2017 Member Rewards Book, an autographed copy of The Essentials of Casino Game Design, the new Eating Las Vegas 2017, and several new prizes. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. EST/noon PST. It's completely free to play, with registration beginning two hours before the tournament at the LVA Casino.
Rumor, the boutique hotel on Harmon Ave. across from the Hard Rock, has reportedly been sold. It's currently owned by the Siegel Group. No details have been released about the buyer or its plans for the property.
First it was railroad cars, now it's giant fish. Another piece of Las Vegas history is gone with the demolition of the red and green neon fish that stood for decades at Davy's Locker bar on E. Desert Inn. New owners are changing the theme and plan to reopen as Bert's Bar in February. Doesn't quite have the same flair.
Blood, Sweat & Tears plays tonight as part of the "52 Fridays" concert series at the Golden Nugget. Ticket prices are reasonable, but an add in the "Neon" section of the LV Review-Journal says you can get 2-for-1 tickets by mentioning code LVRJ (as long as there's availability). The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $39 for standing room.
New Jersey's bid to legalize sports betting is among 100 cases being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court today for placement on its 2017 docket. It's considered a long shot that the court will accept the case, and while that would put an end to the effort initiated in 2014 by Governor Chris Christie, there are other avenues of legalization available to the state.
It looks like preparations for construction on Resorts World Las Vegas are underway. A platform has been erected to inspect scaffolding and work already done on the Echelon project. It's expected that serious work will begin in March.
Here are this weekend's entertainment highlights:
How do you like to get your gambling information? Books? Strategy cards? Software? Let us know the mode that you like best by voting in the new Reader Poll that's live now.
The two vintage train cars located downtown between Main Street Station and the Plaza have been removed. The cars were acquired by Derek and Greg Stevens from Boyd Gaming as part of a recent land deal, and they've reportedly been sold to a recycling company in the northern Nevada city of Ely. You can read a detailed account of the history and sale of the train cars at VitalVegas.com.
It's the latest big-name restaurant to open on the Strip. David Chang's Momofuku out of New York City has opened on the second floor of the Cosmopolitan, next to Milk Bar. We're not sure about the cuisine -- it sounds like some sort of wild Asian fusion -- but everyone raves.
Taking a little diversion from straight gambling talk, Bob Dancer discusses greed in his weekly blog post. Of course, there's a casino context, and paid parking even gets into the conversation. Check it out at GamblingWithAnEdge.com.
A preliminary count of 42.9 million Las Vegas visitors in 2016 is a new annual record, up 1.4% from last year's 42.3 million. Projections for 2017 predict another increase, with visitation in the area of 43.2 million.
Our current hot-topic Reader Poll is on the subject of what you're most looking forward to in 2017. Is it the Raiders in Vegas? Legal weed? The rescinding of paid parking? The poll closes at midnight, so there's still time to get your vote in.
If you're tired of the casinos wanting it all their way, you'll want to read Jean Scott's take on it in her latest post at FrugalVegas.com. Jean's always acknowledged the industry's right to protect their games, but offering promotions that they don't let you play if you play them to well is where she draws the line. Jean's new book, The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide, is just days from going to the printer and will be available in February.
Golden Entertainment, operators of the PTs, Sean Patrick's, Sierra Gold, and SG Bar brands, says it will add seven new taverns in the Las Vegas area this year. Most will be on the west side and will bring the total number of Golden bars to 60.
In the college-football National Championship, Alabama is a -6.5 favorite over Clemson. The total is 51.
Aureole at Mandalay Bay has reopened after a major renovation. In addition to the new room, the focus has been moved toward small plates, described as a "tasting table experience." What hasn't changed is the restaurant's excellent wine selection, with bottles retrieved by the famous (and flying) "wine angels."
Add Pin Up at Stratosphere to the list of major shows closing on the Strip. John Katsilometes reports in the LV Review-Journal that the show that's played since 2013 will close on March 4.
With $3.26 billion from player buy-ins, revenue for the daily fantasy sports industry grew at about 4% in 2016. Sounds good, except that growth was 222% in 2015. FanDuel sustained an estimated loss of $44 million and DraftKings lost an estimated $61 million. The two DFS market leaders are awaiting approval of a merger that will lead to drastically reduced competitive spending.
In the second NFC Wild Card Playoff game, the Green Bay Packers are -4.5 favorites over the New York Giants. The total is 46.5.
Today's LV Review-Journal contains a coupon for a 27% discount at any of the three Lindo Michoacan Mexican restaurants in town. Why 27%? The original on E. Desert Inn is celebrating its 27th anniversary.
In the second AFC Wild Card Playoff game, the Pittsburgh Steelers are -11 favorites over the Miami Dolphins. The total is 47.5.
In the first NFC Wild Card Playoff game, the Seattle Seahawks are -9 favorites over the Detroit Lions. The total is 45.5.
The El Cortez has completed a remodeling of the main casino bar, complete with a new name: IKE’S. I-K-E are the initials of Irving Kenneth Epstein, the owner of the El Cortez.
In the first AFC Wild Card Playoff game, the Houston Texans are -4 favorites over the Oakland Raiders. The total is 37.5.
One week after the Plaza discontinued its "$500 on Us" loss-rebate program, Cannery and Eastside Cannery have initiated programs with $200 loss rebates for new club members. We don't have details on the redemption procedure, but the last time these casinos ran rebates in 2012, there were restrictive rules and exclusions, but if you qualified, you could do it at both properties. The ad running now mentions only that you need a valid email.
If you've qualified for postseason play in Station Casinos' Gridiron Glory contest, don't forget to get your picks in before the start of today's NFL Playoff games. Most of the value in this contest is in this session, as the field will have been greatly narrowed and there's more prize money at stake. If you've submitted picks all 17 weeks or scored four touchdowns, you've qualified.
Note that picks in this part of the contest include prop bets on things like number of fumbles or field goals, and while you can see it on the screen, the designations aren't specified on your ticket. If you want to follow your results, you'll need to write down the designations or take a photo of the screen with your phone.
Between the Lines has closed at Palazzo. The show that starred Clint Holmes opened in July and, according to John Katsilometes of the LV Review-Journal is one of between 25 and 30 shows to have closed since the beginning of 2016.
According to reports, both lanes of I-15 are open again. The outcome of the manhunt near Baker that caused the closure has not been divulged.
If you're preparing to travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, you might want to hold off. Police have closed I-15 in both directions around Baker as part of a search for suspects who fired at a patrol car. Check traffic-advisory sources before you travel and we'll update the situation as we get information.
The eclectic Milk Bar has opened at the Cosmopolitan. The famous bakery from New York City is known for creative desserts, some alcohol-infused. It's described as a sister restaurant to David Change's Momofuku, which is preparing to open next door.
Silverton is running a good instacomp deal on Thursdays in January. Earn 250 club points ($250 coin-in) and get a $10 dining credit, or earn 1,000 points for a $50 credit. The latter is the better deal, requiring only 20 points-per-dollar played vs. 25 points-per to get the $10 comp. This is a positive-expectation play for competent video poker players and a good add-on comp for everyone else..
Serendipity 3 has closed at Caesars Palace. No replacement has been named, but Eater Las Vegas reports that Caesars has trademarked the name Stripside Cafe & Bar and that yet another Gordon Ramsay restaurant may be in the works.
Metro Diner out of Florida is coming to Las Vegas. The chain with several locations, all east of the Mississippi, plans to open its first Las Vegas restaurant on W. Tropicana in March.
It's a quiet one, with everyone recovering from New Year's still, evidently, but here are this weekend's highlights:
The giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens today and runs through Sunday. With more than 170,000 expected to attend, the show creates traffic snarls around the Convention Center and the Sands Expo, so avoid those areas when possible.
Shifty's Crows Nest, the long-time dive bar at Sahara and Valley View has closed. We're told it's moving to the location of the former Fast Break Lounge on S. Decatur, though an opening date wasn't given.
Whereas past years have seen sports-betting professionals and quants winning the the Westgate SuperContest, this one was one for the amateurs. Damon Graham, a Starbucks barista from Las Vegas, went 5-0 on the final weekend to claim the win and a record $895,481 first prize. Second place went to a farmer from Illinois, who said he formulated his picks while listening to sports radio while harvesting his crops.
In his weekly article at GamblingWithAnEdge.com, Bob Dancer discusses what it's like to achieve celebrity status in any endeavor. The article is titled Another Matter of Perspective, and as the leading video poker expert in the game, he certainly has the perspective to expound on this subject.
Open auditions for America's Got Talent will be held Jan. 19 at Bally's. Get details and sign up for an audition here, and good luck!
The Commissary at Downtown Grand is closing. Located across the street from the main casino, word is the space is being converted to an eSports lounge, which was previously in the casino's high-limit area.
Jean Scott provides information on some of the better January deals in her latest post at FrugalVegas.com. Her primary focus, though, is the Palms post sale to Station Casinos.
In today's Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma is a -2 favorite over Auburn. The total is 66.5.
The Plaza's "$500 on Us" rebate-on-loss offer for new members has been discontinued. You may read about it in the Top Ten of the January LVA, but it's been pulled. On to the next.
In today's Rose Bowl, USC is a -7.5 favorite over Penn St. The total is 60.5.
The first shipment of the 2017 Member Rewards Books has arrived. If you have yours on hold for pick-up, they're available at our office during regular hours, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In today's Cotton Bowl, Wisconsin is a -7.5 favorite over Western Michigan. The total is 53.5.
In today's Outback Bowl, Florida is a -2.5 favorite over Iowa. The total is 41.
There was a problem in printing the Member Rewards Books, so we're unsure of the delivery status. Due to some good rescue work by our printer, we expect that we'll have MRBs to distribute today, but we don't know exactly when. If you are planning to come to our office today to pick up your MRB, we recommend that you call first to inquire about the status.
The Green Bay Packers are -3.5 favorites over the Detroit Lions in the final Sunday Night Football game of the season. The total is 50.
The IRS has backed off threats to enact more stringent gambling-reporting rules. Most significantly, the W2-G reporting threshold will remain at $1,200; there was discussion about dropping it to $600.
The line for the College Football National Championship opened with Alabama a -7 favorite over Clemson. It was there for about 5 minutes, then Clemson money pushed it down to -6. It's since drifted back and is again -7 in most spots. The total opened at 54 and also fell quickly. It's currently 51.5.
Las Vegas remains busy with an estimated 330,000 visitors in town this weekend. Thousands packed the Strip and downtown last night for the fireworks display and no major altercations were reported. If you're in town today, the buffets and restaurants will be serving New Year's specials and the sports books will be humming with a full NFL schedule. Gold Coast, Suncoast, Sam's Town, and Orleans are awarding 20X points on penny slots, 17X on other reel slots, and 7X on video poker.