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A new barbecue joint called Tennesseasonings has opened at 7315 W. Warm Springs Road. It’s being promoted as the first Las Vegas restaurant to feature East Tennessee-style BBQ, which differs from the Memphis style that’s already represented in town. What’s the difference? According to the owner, “East Tennessee primarily focuses on pork and is best enjoyed dry – no sauce required.”
According to Mike Weatherford, author of our book Cult Vegas, the longest running show in Las Vegas is Legends in Concert at the Flamingo, having played for 34 years. It’s followed by Divas Las Vegas at The LINQ (31 years), Crazy Girls at Planet Hollywood (29 years), and Tournament of Kings at Excalibur (26 years). All have either changed names or casinos. The longest running show that’s changed neither is TI’s Mystere at 23 years.
If you're in town today, check out the Vegas With an Edge blog for several Mother's Day options. For gamblers, Boyd casinos are paying 15X points on penny slots, 11X on other reels, and 6X on video poker. Silverton has 8X points on reels. Red Rock, GVR, and Santa Fe and Sunset Stations are awarding 3.3X points on slots and 2X on video poker today.
Stipe Mioci is a -160 favorite over Junior Dos Santos in today's UFC main event. In the other featured match, Joanna Jedrzejczyk is -200 over Jessica Andrade.
What's the biggest problem casinos have as a result of advantage players? They overreact to them, according to James Grosjean. But it may not be the casinos' fault as much as the way that games are designed. Get JG's take on how poorly designed games are painting casinos into a corner in his latest blog post at GamblingWithAnEdge.com.
The Floyd Mayweather-owned strip club, Girl Collection, had a soft opening on Cinco de Mayo. Scattered reports have been negative, citing a $50 cover charge (even for locals) and sparse activity in the club. Nearby, it looks like Pussycats is done for good. The famous sign (featured in the opening scenes of The Hangover) has been removed and there’s a notice advertising the building for lease.
The new MB Steak from Michael and David Morton has opened at the Hard Rock. While it was orginally stated that the MB stood for "Morton Brothers," a press release from the Hard Rock says it's "My Brothers."
Professional poker player Todd Brunson (son of Doyle), along with fellow pros Max Pescatori and Fabio Coppola, has purchased Roma Deli on W. Spring Mountain Road. Brunson says there are no plans to change the name or menu, which is a good thing. It figures Roma will become a place to run into poker notables, especially during the World Series, which begins at the end of May.
Several years after the Ferguson Motel was purchased by Tony Hseih’s Downtown Project, work is underway to create a “mixed-use campus,” combining residential and retail. A spokesperson says the original plan for the space is “no longer accurate,” but that several original components remain, including the “Big Rig Jig” sculpture made from two semi-trucks. The space is expected to be ready for its first occupants by June.
Here’s something kind of cool for mom. Earn 3,000 points between today and Sunday (Mother’s Day) at the Hard Rock and get a $100 gift certificate for the spa. That’s a hefty $12,000 coin-in, but the numbers work out close to a breakeven for good video poker players to score the comp.
• The Las Vegas Village welcomes Las Vegas Heldorado Days (5/12-14), this 3 day event includes a rodeo, carnival, parade, and more. If you're an LVA member you can score free tickets through your Theater Extras account.
• Golden Nugget features the Spring Wine Fest 2017 (5/12-13) and a performance by Johnny Rivers (5/12).
• Journey takes over The Joint at Hard Rock (5/12-13).
• Sara Evans is center stage at the Tropicana (5/13).
• Mo5aic entertains at Aliante (5/13).
• Three Dog Night is in the spotlight at the Orleans (5/13-14).
• And The Clark County Amphitheater brings you the Jazz in The Park Series with Lindsey Webster, Halsey Harkins, and the Shapiro Project (5/13).
The debate rages on. Was Las Vegas better in the “good old days” when the Mob ran the town, during the go-go years of the 2000s, or was it another period in time? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the new Reader Poll that's live now.
Las Vegas Advisor Diamond and Platinum members can get free Helldorado rodeo tickets this weekend through Theater Extras. If you’re already a paid LVA member, make sure your Theater Extras account is activated and select your tickets (there's a $4.50 handling charge). If you’re not a paid LVA member, you can read about our arrangement with TE here.
Vdara is the latest MGM Resorts International property to raise its resort fee. The daily fee will increase by $4 to $39 effective June 8.
Documents filed with the SEC reveal that the selling price of Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal, built for $1.2 billion, was just $50 million. The shuttered resort was sold by Carl Icahn to Hard Rock International, which is owned by Florida's Seminole Indian tribe. It will reopen as an Atlantic City Hard Rock after a $375 million renovation.
In this week's blog post titled "Paying to Avoid a Royal Flush," Bob Dancer covers the intriguing subject of when it's proper to make play with a lower game EV due to related considerations. Also, at GamblingWithAnEdge.com, check out the story of a crazy prop bet involving McDonalds food.
Several casinos are offering deals in May for Military Appreciation Month. One of the best is a 50% discount for all active and retired military with confirming ID at SLS Las Vegas, good at all restaurants except Bazaar Meats. The discount is also valid at the Center and Monkey Bars, along with a 20% discount on rooms.
Looking Forward -- Poll Ends Tonight:
Our current hot-topic Reader Poll is on the subject of how well you play blackjack. Are you a seat-of-the-pants player? Do you know basic strategy? Count cards? Use even more advanced techniques? Or don't you play the game at all? Let us know where you stand. Fhe poll closes at midnight, so there's still time to get your vote in.
The Las Vegas Stadium Authority has released a timeline for the building of the domed stadium that will be home to the Las Vegas Raiders. According to the schedule, site work will be initiated in December, with construction beginning in January 2018. Construction will conclude in June 2020, in time for the opening of the 2020-21 NFL season.
A new restaurant called China Tang Las Vegas is coming to MGM Grand. The restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine will open later this year in the spot that used to be Pearl.
More than a decade after it closed on Harmon across from the Hard Rock, Hamburger Mary’s may be making a Las Vegas comeback. The LGBT-themed restaurant (that makes good burgers) is reportedly due to reopen as part of the Flair nightclub on E. Flamingo, possibly this summer.
The opening line for one of the most highly anticipated boxing matches in years makes Gennaday Golovkin a -160 favorite over Canelo Alvarez in their recently announced middleweight championship unification fight. The fight is scheduled for September 16 although a location has not yet been determined.
A new show called Wow Splash has been announced for the Rio. The name and description -- the set includes an open pool -- is reminiscent of Splash at the Riviera, a show that was part of the transformation from the stuffy showgirl extravaganzas to the fast-paced modern-dance-dominated variety shows. Wow Splash is scheduled to open in July.
The south end of the Strip will be closed to traffic tonight and Monday night for street paving in connection with the renovation of the four pedestrian bridges at Tropicana. All or most lanes will be closed from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. both nights.
Recycled Percussion has ended its run in the Saxe Theater. John Katsilometes of the LV Review-Journal reports that the group has gone on the road and is concentrating on an online TV show, with a return to a Las Vegas stage also an option. However, the box office indicates only that the show would be dark till October, so a return may already be planned.
MGM Resorts International is entering the online-gambling space with the playMGM casino. Planned to launch in New Jersey later this year, the iGaming platform will offer poker and casino games. It will operate under the license owned by the Borgatta and has been built to move into other states as online gambling is legalized around the country.
In one of the bigger boxing events in some time, Canelo Alvarez is -460 over Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in tonight's bout. The total is 9.5 rounds, with over the favorite at -210.
Station Casinos is in the midst of its "100 Cars in May Giveaway," a promotion that helped make the brand famous when it began years ago as "Car A Day in May." In addtion to the daily car giveaways, everyone playing with a club card inserted when a car is won gets $25 in free-play.
Las Vegas aerospace company AviSight has been granted permission to operate drones over the Strip. It’s not clear how they’ll be used, though possibilities include movie shoots, construction surveys and observation, and casino-marketing functions.
Many race books are running Derby specials today. South Point will host a free party in the ballroom. Get a free logoed T-shirt for a $25 bet at Station and Fiesta casinos and a mint julep in a souvenir glass for a $20 bet at the William Hills at Hooters, Plaza, Silver Sevens, SLS, and Railroad Pass.
The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Always Dreaming the favorite at 4-1, followed by Irish War Cry at 5-1 and McCraken at 7-1. The sentimental favorite, the one-eyed Patch, has dropped from 30-1 on the morning line to 14-1. The long shot is Untrapped at 59-1.
The desert produces a lot of drastic temperature swings and this weekend will see a doozy. After daily highs climbed steadily all week to a projected 99 degrees today, Saturday’s high is projected to be 89 and Sunday’s 67. That’s a 32-degree drop in two days. Better keep that sweater in the suitcase.
Anthony Curtis will be a guest today on the gambling show "Follow the Money." It airs on the new Vegas Stats and Information Network beginning at noon PST and A.C. will be on during the 12:30 segment. You can watch live at VSiN.com.
Station Casinos will run Kentucky Derby handicapping/betting seminars today at Boulder Station (6 p.m.), Texas Station (6:30 p.m.), and Palace Station (8:30 p.m.). South Point will host a seminar at 6 p.m. All will be held in the race and sports books and are free to attend. Boulder Station is advertising free beer, soda, and water for attendees.
Lots of Cinco de Mayo-themed parties and specials are running today. Check out our list at VegasWithAnEdge.com for options. Station Casinos is advertising half-price fajitas, $5 Sauza margaritas, $3 Sauza shots, and $2 Dos Equis in its Mexican restuarants, Amigo's, Cabo Cantina, and Garduno's, and related festivities from 5 to 10 p.m. at Texas Station.
Looking for something different to do tonight? We’ve heard that the monster Bloody Mary featuring a filet and a lobster tail that was introduced, then discontinued, at the Porchlight Grille will be resurrected tonight at Brooksy’s Bar on W. Flamingo. It was $25 at Porchlight, but you could also get it comped if you played. We’ll be there tonight to get the details.
• Downtown brings you First Friday, this week's theme is El Grito de Dolores (5/5).
• It's a pretty big weekend comedy-wise, with Dave Chappelle performing at Mandalay Bay (5/5); Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey are in the spotlight at The Foundry at SLS (5/5-6); Wayne Brady takes center-stage at the Mirage (5/5) while Tim Allen performs the following evening (5/6); and Jim Gaffigan does "Fully Dressed" at Caesars Palace (5/6-7).
• Billy Idol continues his mini-residency at Mandalay Bay's House of Blues (5/5-6).
• You can catch Cher at The Park at Monte Carlo (5/5-6).
• And Journey takes over The Joint at Hard Rock (5/5-6).
Don't forget to check out the Cinco de Mayo round-up over at VegasWithAnEdge.com.
The lead story in the "Sports" section of today's USA Today titled "Gambling Issues Await Raiders" discusses how the Oakland Raiders' move may force the NFL to change its policies on gambling. The issues are complicated, but the gist of the article is that efforts to expand legal sports betting will be aided by the location of the franchise in Las Vegas.
Caesars Entertainment says it will continue to invest in room renovations for its Las Vegas hotels, bolstered by an increase in room rates. CET spent almost $60 million in the first quarter of this year on renovations, much of which went toward improvements at Harrah’s, Flamingo, and Planet Hollywood. By the end of this year, CET says it will have renovated more than 50% of its Las Vegas room inventory.
Our Cinco de Mayo listing is up, but in a place that's likely unfamiliar to many. We're preparing to launch a new blog called VegasWithAnEdge.com that will be our outlet for detailed reports like this. But it will also be an area for reader input in a collective blog-style mode -- specifically, a place we hope to soon be reading some awesome trip reports! We're still working out the details and the blog isn't completely integrated into the website, but VWAE is live, so check it out.
The casinos may be recovering from tough economic times, but Las Vegas homeowners aren’t keeping pace. A new report from the listing service Trulia indicates that Las Vegas has the country’s lowest percentage of homes that have fully recovered from the housing decline, with only .6% having reached their pre-recession value. The next lowest, Tucson, is four times higher at 2.4% and the national average is more than 50 times higher at 34.2%.
Despite a flurry of discussion this year, Florida will again stand pat in its casino offerings. Legislators were unable to reach agreement on a bill to allow more casinos and gambling options, including an attempt to legalize slots at several horse and dog tracks. Expansion advocates have faced strong resistance from Florida’s tourism industry, which doesn’t want the competition from additional gambling options.
The Lee Canyon ski resort is seeking permission to expand with new ski runs and lifts, zip lines, bike trails, and a "mountain coaster" thrill ride. The $35 million project requires an environmental review and permission, which is expected to take 18 months, before work can begin
The unfinished Fontainebleau on the Strip will be covered by a wrap to hide its weathered exterior. Only the three bottom stories will get the treatment, with work begininng within 180 days. The projected cost is $500,000.
Some players will get a a nostalgia rush from Bob Dancer's latest blog post, in which he discusses the glory days playing a version of Deuces Bonus in bars that had a base return of 100.35%, plus extras. Bob discusses this juicy opportunity and predicts that other good plays will pop up at GamblingWithAnEdge.com (and there are some cool photos, too).
The Oakland Raiders have purchased a land parcel for their new stadium, essentially finalizing the site selection. The parcel is located behind Mandalay Bay and across (west of) I-15. The purchase price for the 62-acre site was $77.5 million. There's no current schedule for the start of construction, as there's still a lot of paperwork necessary before plans can be firmed up. The biggest question mark now appears to be where space will be made for parking.
There's been another resort-fee increase on the Strip. The Monte Carlo has raised its RF by $5 to $35 per night, effective today. You can check the RFs at all Las Vegas hotels on our resort-fee page.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay made it official today that he will open the world's first Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace. Branded for the TV show of the same name, Ramsay's fifth Las Vegas restaurant will open this winter. The location within Caesars wasn't designated, but its been speculated that it may be in the corner space bordering the Strip.
A new blog post from Blair Rodman discusses gambling on golf -- who does it, how the terms are negotiated, what it takes to be successful. It's the first of a multiple-part series on the subject that you can read at GamblingWithAnEdge.com.