Question of the Day - 18 October 2017

Where can I find ratings for all the buffets in Vegas? From the best for my first few days, then the mid-range, and finally the cheapos at the end. I've been to Vegas before and know my money will be tight as the week goes on.

As far as we know, this site right here, LasVegasAdvisor.com, is the only one that lists all the buffets in one chart, including times and prices for all three meals, plus specialty nights and brunch, with and without a players card (when applicable). You can sort by venue and price and click on each buffet to read a description and an LVA review or two.

As for ratings, the page also displays our star system, one through five; these ratings have been brought over from the old website. Out of nearly 60 buffets, only a half-dozen haven't been rated, including the Studio B (M Resort) and Wicked Spoon (Cosmopolitan). We encourage everyone to rate their favorites and least favorites. 

To get there from the top navigation menu, hover over Eat, then click on Buffets.

Not having been to the Park between the Monte Carlo and NY-NY, I was watching a YouTube video of it and was surprised to see a very busy road between the Park and the T-Mobile Arena (I thought it'd be one pedestrian area). How does one cross that ttreet? There didn't seem to be any traffic lights there. Just pray and run?

We believe you’re referring to Park Avenue, which runs between the Strip and Frank Sinatra Drive. It doesn’t really run between the Park and the arena; it’s more to the north of both, between the arena and the Monte Carlo and Aria garages. Most of the time, it’s not too busy, though before and after events at the T-Mobile, of course, it does get backed up, particularly at the intersection with the Strip, where pedestrians have the right of way in front of southbound Strip traffic turning in. And yes, there are no lights, so you cross when you can.

We just came back from Vegas. We were playing near the door at Casino Royale. My partner hit the cashout button on her machine for nearly $600. She turned away for a few seconds and it was gone! We called security and they checked the tape. Within two minutes, the guy ran out one door, into another door, cashed the ticket and was gone. Lesson learned, but is this a common occurrence at the casinos?

It’s hard to say how exactly common it is, but our impression is that it’s not uncommon. The guy who victimized your partner obviously knew exactly what he was doing and has no doubt done it many times before. Plenty of thieves, hustlers, and scammers have lurked around casinos as long as they’ve existed and Las Vegas is, of course, the largest magnet of them all for them.

Also, we’ve heard plenty of this type of story over the years. We wouldn’t mind hearing more in the comment boxes below; we’re sure plenty of QoDers have similar cautionary tales to tell.

At my local Vegas casino, they have two banks of video poker machines, located in different locations on the casino floor. One bank is Double Double Poker; the other is Triple Double Poker. Above both banks is a sign that says "99% Payback" (with perfect play). Since Triple Double Poker is a more volatile game, how is it possible that both games can offer the same payback?

Volatility and payback percentages are two different animals. No matter how volatile various video poker games might be, the payback percentages are based strictly on the paytables. With perfect play, full-pay Double Double Bonus pays back 98.98%. With perfect play, full-pay Triple Double Bonus pays back 99.6%. However, full-pay Jacks or Better has low volatility and pays back 99.54%. The Double Bonuses are high volatility and Jacks or Better is, comparatively speaking, low.