Are VIP hosts paid based on a player's losses? What are their incomes based on?

My sister is celebrating her 30th birthday in Vegas in a few weeks and I am in charge of making a welcome gift for the guests. I would like to put together a Vegas survival kit as the gift. So far, I have come up with bottled water, aspirin, lip balm, and a snack to add to the kit. Is there anything that you or the other readers suggest I add to the survival kit?

Are sports betting syndicates fact or fiction?

I would love to do a cigar bar crawl -- maybe with cigar factory tours -- during the day, then enjoy various piano bars at night. (Going off-Strip and/or away from downtown would be okay.) You commented on this in March 2006; could you please print an update?

My little blues & soul band is looking to relocate and find a regular playing gig in Vegas. We may also require day jobs - any tips or suggestions for finding work in Vegas, as well as what skills or experience are most sought-after in and around Vegas?

The World Series of Poker bracelets, who makes them? What do they cost and what are their metal and stone makeup?

We're planning a surprise 40th birthday party for a friend in 2008 and want to celebrate it at a lounge/club/restaurant that has an outdoor terrace with a Strip view. We know of Voodoo Lounge, Pure, and Tangerine. What others have a great view of the Strip?

How does one get a job with the Las Vegas Advisor -- doing the research for the questions submitted?

Some of us older folks who visit Las Vegas regularly don't and can't make the late night club scene ... the one starting out after midnight! But we do eat out. So do the celebrities who frequent the city and the clubs. So what are the most popular Las Vegas eating spots for celebrities, which might perhaps provide a chance of seeing one?

Following yesterday's "Worst of 2006" readers' poll results, today we present your positive memories and uplifting experiences of Las Vegas in 2006. We hope these will set the tone for the upcoming year and that 2007 is filled with big wins, gastronomic delights, happy coincidences, and a healthy dose of good luck and laughs all round.