It’s always too soon to celebrate the demise of smoking in Atlantic City. However, clean-air advocates (and customers) have reason to feel guardedly optimistic today. Ally Mikie Sherrill (D, pictured) smoked status-quo champion Jack Ciattrelli (R), 56% to 43%. Despite character flaws and serious bread-and-butter concerns by voters, Sherrill prevailed. It was predicted to be a nail-biter and ended up a laugher.
Continue reading Election Special
The book Winning was recommended to me by a friend. Since I think of myself as a winner, at least in my most confident moments, I thought I knew most of what the book was about. I was wrong. Whatever winning I do is junior varsity stuff. The winning this book talks about is World Championships!
Tim Grover is an athletic trainer, trained in kinesiology, who, when he was 25 years old, sent letters to all the Chicago Bulls except Michael Jordan applying to be their personal trainer — an uncommon position in 1985. Jordan saw the letter in the locker room, had Grover checked out, and hired him for 30 days as a sort of tryout.
Jordan had played one year in the NBA at that point, done really well, but was bullied by the bigger, stronger players. He knew he needed to bulk up without losing his speed, quickness, and other skills, and was willing to give Grover a chance to help him.
Grover was with Jordan for 15 years, through six world championships, and a not-so-successful two-year stint trying to be a professional baseball player. After Jordan retired, Grover helped a number of other players, including Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Charles Barkley, and others. Most of you know these were top basketball players of their era, and Michael Jordan is largely considered to be the GOAT – Greatest of All Time. Today Grover mostly consults with business CEOs.
This book doesn’t tell you what to do. It tells you how to think and how to approach winning. If you’re not already motivated to succeed, this book won’t help you. The book is about adding that critical extra edge to people who are already successful.
Grover lists 13 steps to winning — all of which he labels number 1 because they are all necessary. I’m not going to go through all 13, but I will mention a few.
I could discuss what Grover says about any of these points, but I’ll just look at the last. If you’re going to win, you have to go all in. This often means lack of balance in such things as family and relationships. We’ve all heard of people who work too many hours, and their marriage suffers. Grover says that if you want to be a winner, this is par for the course.
Grover strongly dislikes motivational cliches such as “You’ve got this!”, “You’re crushing it!”, and “Play hard until the final whistle blows!” These are junior high expressions, in his mind, and every competitor already knows these things without having them yelled at by a coach. True winning is much different.
There are lots of anecdotes in the book, especially about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, on how their will to succeed was far beyond that of most people. But this will to succeed is what it takes to be a winner.
Grover says four things are needed to be a winner: talent, intelligence, competitiveness, and resilience — and the most important of these is resilience. This is what makes you get up and keep going after you’ve fallen on your face.
And falling on your face is definitely going to happen. Nobody has clear sailing to championships over and over again. It’s very hard work and there are always setbacks.
Nobody wins all the time and when you do win, as soon as it’s over you start from scratch and have to work hard to make it happen again. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect to succeed. You have to come back better because your competition will have analyzed what you have done and will make adjustments to counter what you did before.
I found this book inspiring. Perhaps I would have had more success in my life had I come across this book earlier.
When forming a top ten list of all the restaurants in Las Vegas, including the best in the casinos, Lotus of Siam is a favorite to be on it. At one point the original in Commercial Center was named by one top critic as the best Thai restaurant in America. We’ve always felt that the praise was justified. If you’ve read LVA for a while, you know that we rarely run out to try something new. But after reporting on the Lotus happy hour last month, we made it a point to try it for this issue. Note that this is the Lotus on E. Flamingo, across from Silver Sevens, The original remains closed, though they still say it will reopen. We don’t put the casino location at Red Rock in the same category as the non-casino restuarants, since it isn’t overseen by James Beard Award winning chef and founder Saipin Chutima.
The happy hour runs Mon.-Fri. from 3 to 5 p.m. in the bar area, with $4 sake, $5 beer, $6 wine, $8 specialty cocktails, and $7 small plates.
We wondered about the food selection. Lotus has a vast menu, so what would they choose. Was it possible the famous appetizer nam khao tod would be on the list? Amazingly, it is, though it’s called crispy rice lettuce wrap. Another of our favorites, khao soi, a Thai version of steak tartare is also on the menu as steak tartare cups. Also offered: calamari, papaya salad, satay, and garlic tofu. All are priced at $7, and the portions are good. Honestly, it’s not quite the same as getting the larger portions that you prepare yourself, but they’re representative for sure.
You can order the sake hot or cold and it’s a heck of a deal for $4. However, the star of the show was the White Lotus cocktail, a smooth mix of bourbon, lime, peach schnapps, passion fruit, and aquafaba.
Nothing will ever match the original, but the Flamingo location is clean and comfortable. Friendly and helpful bartenders. A good HH setting.
This is a top notch happy hour that pretty much met our high expectations. There were only a few other people at the bar, which was surprising, but maybe the word’s not out. At these prices you can get your drink on in the process. Be sure to try the crispy rice lettuce wrap and the tartare. Our bill for two was $49.
“Solid” was Wall Street‘s consensus on 3Q25 at Station Casinos. The company came in slightly under Deutsche Bank‘s targets but analyst Steven Pizzella still seemed pleased. Revenue was $486.5 million and Station was noted to have weathered construction upheavals at several properties, as it upgrades its product. Restaurant business was good, with F&B revenues hopping 2.5%. Thanks to room disruption at Green Valley Ranch, hotel revenues sagged 8%. And, for the first time, we heard that debility on the Las Vegas Strip might start dampening locals-casino results.
Continue reading Best of the Rest
Another mea culpa. In a recent post I said, “Happiness is positive cash flow. Ours not theirs!”
I’m updating that to, “Happiness is positive cash flow. Ours and theirs,” with apologies to all the — well, many — casino operators presently bleeding money like a river.
We need you to be here. We need you to make a profit.
Without you, there are no games, no fabulous meals, no outlandish and unforgettable shows, no wild nights, no parties till dawn. I don’t hate to say it; in fact, I admit it readily: We need you.
So please, for God’s sake, get it together! Bring back the value and not for a week, but ALWAYS.
And then there’s the other underappreciated group, slot players, the backbone where all, or at least the vast majority, of the profits lie.
Every day, you come to Vegas to play, to drink, to forget for as long as the cash holds out (and hopefully you don’t go to the casino ATM and drain that, too, chasing losses) and for that I want to thank you. Also, thanks for being okay that you most often lose. Are you? I like to think that you’re happy with your gaming experience and the comps that go along with it.
So please, keep feeding the Benjamins into the slot maw, because without you, we couldn’t squeeze out the advantages. There’d be no advantages to squeeze. You allow us to do what we do. And thank you. Really. Keep playing Golden Dragons, Buffalos, and Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Big Money Mega Tower Super Spin. Whatever.
I love Vegas. It’s unique. Yes, I have a local casino, but I don’t go there. I feel captive.
I like the depth and breadth of Vegas. The back alleys, the places where the club girls hang out afterwards, Ellis Island at 3 a.m. for steak and eggs under $10. I like searching, experimenting, treasure hunting all kinds of experiences only Vegas can provide, from rubbing shoulders with Bruno Mars to Rainbow’s Triple B Diner in Henderson.
So thank you, slot players; without you, I couldn’t do what I do. And thank you, casinos, for letting us, the weird 2%ers, the advantage players and even the wannabe APs, the scufflers or even just the well-read, give it our best shot at near full pay. Sure, we often lose, too, but at least we have a fighting chance of winning and can still have as good a time as the slot players.
Casino operators, I know you read this. Many of you have told me so. So do the slot players, the APs, the scufflers, and yourselves a big favor and get your friggin’ act together, okay? Bring back the value. Make NRF (no resort fees) and free parking as common next year as free drinks, free spectacles, and free play are this year. And please, dump triple zero.
You’ll still get our dollars if we feel like you’re giving us a shot. If you do, we’ll be back. In droves. Trust me. I’m Bobby Vegas and I approve this message.
Barry Jonas called it. His report on MGM Resorts International‘s 3Q25 earnings was headlined “The Summer the Strip Turned Pretty … Bad.” Ouch. But true. He kept a “Buy” rating on the stock but shaved a dollar off his price target, now $47/share. Jonas reported that MGM is leaning on high-end business, hoping for stabilization in 4Q and growth next year. Is CEO Bill Hornbuckle seeing the same indicators we are? Because the latest “Beige Book” for the Upper Midwest was pretty dire. If the rest of the U.S. is suffering comparably, MGM is going to feel the pain.
Continue reading Out Like a Lamb
You can find them year-round, but oyster “season” is currently in full swing – and will be through April. And while they can be pricey, Las Vegas still has some great deals on the little mollusks, many of which are limited to Happy Hour menus. They shuck, and you suck – but at least the bill won’t.
Basilico (6111 S. Buffalo Drive) – This Italian restaurant located within the Southwest Valley’s Evora apartment complex has a great Happy Hour, seven days a week from 4 to 6 p.m. But Wednesdays are special, because that’s the day they add $1 oysters. There’s a 6-oyster minimum on the deal, which will still leave enough room in your belly for the salads, pastas, flatbreads, beer, wine and cocktails of the everyday Happy Hour menu, all of which are priced between $5 and $10.
Palate (The Arts District) – A sister restaurant to Basilico (above), Palate also offers $1 oysters every Wednesday, as an addition to their usual Happy Hour menu, which is available Wednesdays through Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 and Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:00. Other deals include $5 beer, $8 wine, $9 cocktails, and small bites from Chef Sterling Buckley from $7 to $10.
Proper Bar at Proper Eats (Aria) – Proper Bar, adjacent to Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall, is the only part of the food hall that offers a Happy Hour promotion, and it’s a good one if you like Oysters: Blue Point oysters for $2 each and specialty oyster enhanced cocktails from $9 to $16 each. Try the Mezcal Kicker (Fresh Blue Point Oyster, Mezcal, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, Jalapeño, Sea Salt) or keep it simple with a half-dozen oysters for $2 bucks-a-shuck. You can take advantage of the Oyster Happy Hour promotion every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Momofuku (Cosmopolitan) –Celebrity Chef David Chang’s Cosmopolitan flagship is known for combining Korean, Japanese and American influences with signature dishes like bao buns, ramen and a large-format roasted duck. From 3 to 5 p.m., seven days a week, their Social Hour Menu has ten items priced at $10 or less, including a half dozen
oysters for $10. You’ll also find draft beer for $8, Highballs for $10 and wine or sake for $12.
Sugarcane (Venetian/Palazzo) — Located on The Venetian/Palazzo Restaurant Row, just across from the Voltaire Theater, Sugarcane offers modern American food with global influences, with a heavy emphasis on their raw bar and sushi offerings. Their two weekday Happy Hours, which run from 3 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight every Sunday through Thursday, include a few Spanish dishes, but lean heavily into the seafood side of the menu. That includes Chef’s selection oysters for $2.50 each. Wash them down with one of four $7 craft beers, or a nice selection of cocktails and wine for $8 apiece.
Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This weekend’s Breakfast Buffet is Sat & Sun, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. for $32.95 and dinner’s Fri & Sat, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. for $40.95.
Nobody does luxury like Las Vegas, where a small but significant portion of visitors are always looking for a way to make their experience a little extra. In the restaurant world, that might mean touches like freshly shaved truffles, edible gold leaf or, of course, caviar.
Up and down The Strip, chefs have found that adding a touch of briny sturgeon roe can take any dish, from appetizers to entrees, to a new level. (And let’s be clear, when a foodie talks about caviar, they are only talking about sturgeon eggs.) Many restaurants offer cute little caviar snacks to entice the curious. Some have gone so far as to create seasonal caviar tasting menus. And others pull out all the stops with elegant spins on traditional service. The result: caviar is more popular than ever in Las Vegas.
You can probably find caviar in most of Las Vegas’ more luxurious resorts – if you look hard enough. These four properties, however, have some of the best offerings on The Strip.
Caviar is prepared tableside at celebrity chef Michael Mina’s Las Vegas flagship, on a cart dedicated exclusively to the delicacy. Options include three distinct types of sturgeon roe: Imperial Golden, Tsar Imperial Daurenki, and Royal Baika. You can get one, or a flight of all three, in a classic presentation. But I prefer the Caviar Parfait the chef created for his wife on their honeymoon, which layers caviar, chopped egg, diced salmon and horseradish crème fraîche atop a tiny potato pancake.
Located just off the Bellagio lobby, Petrossian is ideal for daytime tea, late-night cocktails, or caviar at any hour. Owned by the most famous family in the caviar world, it’s no surprise that several of their best products are offered with the classic accompaniments. What might surprise you are the caviar-infused small bites, which include tacos, deviled eggs and tuna cones. Snack on them while people-watching and enjoy the live pianist in the lounge.
Wynn’s elegant new lakeside seafood restaurant offers classic caviar service as well as small bites. The former is meant to be shared by the table and includes anywhere from 27 grams to 100 grams of Golden Ossetra roe alongside the classic accompaniments of blinis, crème fraîche, chives, egg whites, egg yolks and shallots, for between $250 and $725. For curious newbies, Chef Martin Heierling also offers bumps of Kaluga caviar with salmon and whipped kefir on airbread for $50 apiece, and “classic caviar” on Iberico Ham Croquetas, adorned with gold leaf, for $48.
Wynn’s sultry supper club offers refined cuisine with old-Hollywood glamour to create the perfect atmosphere for a caviar indulgence. Ossetra is served with delicate waffles, egg mimosa, and crème fraîche. Indulge as you listen to a jazz singer, or perhaps a famous pop performer, belt out classics on the small stage positioned in front of a stunning art deco bandshell. But don’t snap a selfie; Delilah has a strict no-photos policy.
French master Guy Savoy and his team of Las Vegas chefs have no trouble making use of caviar in all sorts of dishes. None, however, are as beloved as the signature Colors Of Caviar appetizer, created specifically for the Las Vegas restaurant. It’s a savory parfait with layers of caviar, caviar crème, green bean purée and warm sabayon sauce, offered on both the tasting and à la carte menus.
Located in the space that was once home to Cleopatra’s Barge, Caspian’s is part lounge, part music venue. Drop by the front lounge to sample caviar-based snacks like tacos, deviled eggs, and lobster rolls topped with roe. The bar program offers playful cocktails. And when you’re done here, the Montecristo cigar lounge (just a few steps away) ia a great place to continue the luxury experience. But before you leave Caspian’s for a smoke, make sure to check who’s performing in the live music speakeasy, assuming you can find the secret entrance.
Aqua was originally known as Caviar Bar, before broadening its focus to celebrate a wider range of seafood. But sturgeon roe still features prominently on the menu. Chef Shaun Hergatt offers six varieties of his own brand, Caspy Caviar, including a luxurious Golden Ossetra. They offer it with traditional service, and atop appetizers like Steak Tartare, Sushi Rice Cakes, Shrimp Toast and Wagyu Toast.
Caviar is featured on a dedicated menu at this spinoff of a beloved Beverly Hills wine shop, alongside charcuterie and fine cheeses. Service is traditional, with four options on the caviar — Reserve Ossetra, Polish Ossetra, Polish Siberian and Kaluga Imperial — priced from $150 for 28 grams of the Kaluga to up to $1,800 for 250 grams of the Reserve. The menu even suggests the perfect beverage to accompany each.
First things first: Crossroads Kitchen is a plant-based (vegan) restaurant that does not use any animal products, so no, they don’t serve real caviar. But vegan chef-to-the-stars Tal Ronnen is a master at offering plant-based alternatives to non-vegan dishes. And when he came to Las Vegas, he created vegan “caviar” to channel this city’s luxury vibe. It’s made from kelp, which gives it the ocean notes you want in caviar.
For more seafood recommendations, check out the Neon Feast list of Las Vegas’ Top Seafood Restaurants.
For more luxury dining, Neon Feast also has a list of Places To Eat When Money Is No Object.
For something on a budget, you should read this month’s Las Vegas Advisor story on Oyster Happy Hours, by our friends at HappyHourVegas.com.
This post could also be titled, “The One That Got Away.”
Treasure hunts require patience and lots of false starts. Discover an opportunity that gets shut down by the house? Join the club. But finding that elusive 102% game or major house miscalculation? JUMP! (My nod to Van Halen.)
I didn’t jump. I found it. Then missed it. That’s the VIP lesson today. Find. Confirm. Jump.
I’d been studying non-linear recurrence theory and discovered the Birthday Paradox. This is a counterintuitive expression where, within a surprisingly small group of people, two can have the same birthday.
Most people assume, okay, two people, 365 days, half of 365 would be 183 people. Right? Wrong. The correct answer is 23. From 365.
The birthday paradox is Any X = ANY X.
With each pair, the match percentage increases exponentially, because ANY 2 can match. It’s not two people matching one number; it’s any two numbers matching.
With 23 people, its breakeven is a 50% chance of a match. With 30 people, it’s 100%. Believe it or not.
So what does this have to do with advantage play?
Double-zero roulette has 38 numbers. A new game, Double Action Roulette, was introduced at the M years ago. It had two wheels, one inside the other. You could bet on either wheel or both. You could also bet on when one number lands on both wheels. Max bet $5. Payout 1,200-to-one. Massive house edge (17%). And major house mistake.
They’re thinking: two wheels, one number, 1,444-to-one — and not any two numbers matching with just 38 numbers. Jackpot. I’m very excited, but am leaving that day. So I called a roulette AP associate, with whom I was working on another roulette project. “Go to the M right now and hammer this! It’s going to pay off 5 to 10 times a day!” (In other words, $24K to $60K. A day.)
Due to other time commitments, he declined. My plane took off. I looked down at the M, sighing.
Back a few weeks later, I headed straight to the M. Double Wheel Roulette was nowhere to be found. Innocently, ahem, I asked the floor manager, “Where’s Double Wheel?”
“Oh, we had to take that out. It was hitting at least five times a day.”
Go ahead. Hit me. Again. Harder.
My mistake? I never should’ve left town. I should’ve confirmed and jumped. I’d identified a major opportunity. Great! But I also missed a potential $24K a day. Not so great. Painful lesson learned.
Still, that’s the nature of the beast. Keep seeking. And when you find, confirm, then go ahead and … JUMP !
Note: Maybe I was spared. To overcome the massive edge, you’d have to eliminate seven numbers through charting wheel bias. Aspects of live roulette that no longer exist allowed for wheel bias to overcome the house edge. Roulette manufacturers eliminated that possibility with shallower wheels, which are now much more random.
An updated lower-payout Double Wheel version exists at El Cortez. Don’t play it. Also, don’t play Quad Roulette at Palazzo.
And remember, “Friends don’t let friends play triple-zero roulette.” Ever.
