To answer your last question first, nobody can beg, buy, or bully their way into the Las Vegas Advisor Top 10 Values list, which has been a trademark of our newsletter since day one back in February, 1983 (see cover image below). The list is compiled by Anthony Curtis and his editorial team each month, based on what are perceived as being the best values to be found in Las Vegas that month. Although we tend to focus on less expensive deals, an offer doesn't necessarily have to be cheap, it just needs to be a bargain for the price it's being offered for.
There are some self-imposed rules and some traditions: For example, when a new casino opens, we always make it #1 for its first month. That's because it's always a new "free attraction" that's always going to bring something to the table and doesn't cost you a dime just to walk around.
Similarly, if the price of a Top Ten item is raised, it's automatically bumped from the list, even if it's still good value at the new price. A classic example of that would be the shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate, which was on the original Top Ten list at 50¢, then got bumped when it went up to 99¢. However, it was still a monster value at that price, especially as time went by and inflation eroded its relative cost, so it was reinstated down the line. Now that you can't even get it for 99¢ with a player's card, it's off again for the foreseeable future, much as we love the Golden Gate.
Relative value is why M's Studio Buffet is on the list. Yes, there are plenty of cheaper buffets in town, and some of them serve very good food, but when we factor in the range of cuisine types (we've never seen a Thai station at a Las Vegas buffet before), the quality of the fare, and extras like the free wine, beer, and after-dinner liqueurs, we think Studio B represents the best value-for-money buffet in town. Plus, not only do we critique each offer in person, but we also rely heavily on feedback from our members. Thousands of readers test and critique each deal on their own terms, then convey their individual experiences to us. So we soon know all of the strengths and weaknesses of the offers in the Top Ten and adjust the list as applicable. Studio B continues to receive glowing reviews from the majority of those who post comments on our site, while a recent trip to Mandalay Bay's buffet by an LVA staffer left him underwhelmed, especially after dining the previous evening at ARIA's buffet, which also impressed us (see February 2010 LVA).
As to the "Gambler's Special" at Mr Lucky's, it's been in the Top Ten Values on numerous occasions over the years, dropped each time when the price increased, then in and out based on fluctuating quality and, again, reader input. Actually, your question about the $7.77 off-menu steak and shrimp deal at Mr Lucky's is timely, since having stayed at the same price despite the major addition and upgrade at HR, the "Gambler's Special" is once again a contender for the Top Ten Values, as is its all-you-can-eat prime rib special, for $9.99.
We hope this answers your question.
