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Bobby Vegas: Pinky Ring Update — and the Beat Goes on

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

I’m back in Vegas, it’s beeyootiful, and I’m killing it on the dance floor. Standing at the bar, a lovely asks, “I saw you dancing. Wow. Are you with the band?” Some guy offered to buy my hat for $100. It seems I’ve become the unofficial house dancer at Bruno Mars’ Pinky Ring. Though Bruno announced in his Saturday late-night set, “It’s not the Pinky Ring, it’s the Panky Rang.”

If you missed my article or Anthony and Andrew’s post-Super Bowl YouTube video, where I strongly encouraged you to high-tail it over to the “Panky Rang” and missed the super value play, believe me, in the world of Vegas club experiences, this is still so far above the rest, ya gotta go.

Everyone I’ve met there have been staggered by hanging with Mr. 24 K Magic, rockin’ it in his super-intimate ultra-posh penthouse lounge. (You never know if he’s there until, well, he’s there, but hint: Hooligans.) Remember, max capacity is an insanely tiny 186, so maybe 170 get in. And on busy nights, there’s a line.

If you come in between 5 and 8 p.m., there’s no table minimum — again, amazing by Vegas club standards. From 8 p.m. on, you’re buying the table for the night. This is a very good thing. Depending on whether the Hooligans (and possibly Bruno) are playing or the Diamonds, the rates change. You can get a table for two for $150, the minimum. But with the Hooligans on stage, it jumps to $300-$700. A larger table for 6 to 8 is $1,000 or more.

If you want to meet the man, be respectful. Don’t bum rush his space, as Carl and Michael, Bruno’s security, will stop you cold with THEIR pinky.

But do tell Baez, the host at the door, that Bobby Vegas sent you. Please.

The DJs spin around the band, who play at least two sets starting at 9 or 10. The Hooligans do mostly jazz and funk for the first set, then more funk, pop, and disco (my fave) the second set. If Bruno joins them, he plays maybe four songs.

I grew up on “Soul Train,” so believe me when I say that when Bruno sings Marvin Gaye, it’s nothing less than amazing. And I bumped into a big guy at the bar who I thought was gonna break down and cry. “I been comin’ to Vegas forevah! An’ I never seen anything like this this. We did shots with Bruno, man! Shots!”

Bringing this back to LVA, is the Pinky Ring still a value play? Let me answer a question with a question.

If two orchestra seats at Bruno’s Dolby Live show at Park MGM set you back $600-$700 smackolas, is it worth spending $700-$1,000 to hang with the man in his very own lounge, living the 24 K magic live? Your other half will love you forever and you’ll talk about it for years. So if you can’t figure that out, please just go back to where you come from.

Oh, and the final secret? SRO is still free, if you can get in. So get in, early.

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Hockey Knights in Vegas Episode 79: Switch Flipped

Hockey Knights in Vegas is BACK!


Don’t look now, but the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights have flipped
the switch and activated full playoff mode, putting the rest of the NHL on notice.

Eddie and Chris analyzethe VGK’s surprising first two wins in Dallas and what, if anything, Dallas
can do to avoid the golf course before May 1.

The playoff bracket contest is underway and along with 7 subscribers, the race for a dinner with
the HKV crew is heating up.

Episode 79 also features updates on the other 7 first-round matchups and bids farewell to
Chapman’s super-upset pick of the New York Islanders over Carolina.

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Rio Canteen Food Hall’s Southland Burrito

Rio Canteen Food Hall 5

Of the three food halls that have opened most recently in casinos in Las Vegas, Eat Your Heart Out at Durango is the most popular, Promenade at Fontainebleau is the fanciest, and Canteen at the Rio is the most approachable.

We’ve already reviewed the cheesesteaks at Tony Luke’s and chicken tenders at Tender Crush and liked both. We went back a third time for the Mexican at Southland Burrito.

Southland serves nachos ($8), loaded fries (brisket barbacoa, cheese, crema, guacamole, and two salsas, $12), and a half-dozen burritos, from the breakfast (eggs, bacon, potatoes, beans, cheese, guacamole, and salsa $11) to the chile colorado ($13). You can also build your own ($13) with your choice of all the different ingredients if, as the menu dares, “you think you can do better.” We did and got a brisket barbacoa burrito with avocado verde, along with the chips and salsa ($6). It was a major lunch, very good for fast food, and it provided two full meals for $20.59 with tax.

You can also get all the ingredients in a bowl. Next time, that’s what we’ll do; the burrito is really messy and the tortilla was a bit heavy for our taste, so it’ll be easier to build and eat a bowl than a burrito.

Still, so far, we’re three for three at the Canteen’s outlets.

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Durango carries Vegas; Boyd disappoints

Gambling revenues hit a bit of a speed bump on the Las Vegas Strip, inching downwards after a March that saw flat visitation, with tourists making up for a worrisome, 37% plunge in convention attendance. Strip casinos won $716 million, a 1% declivity from last year. The Strip’s saving grace was baccarat, with the house playing lucky: Win was up 74% despite 4% less wagering. (A bad month at baccarat can break a quarter.) Slot winnings of $401.5 million were 4% higher despite flat coin-in, while table games winnings plummeted 15% to $203 million, on 7.5% less money wagered. It definitely hurt to not have the CON/AGG expo this year, nor the NCAA college basketball tournament. Strip hotel rates felt the pinch, down 17% on 85% occupancy (92% on weekends), even though rates were still 31% higher than in pre-Covid times. Some cold consolation could also be had in auto traffic from California that was 1% higher than last year and air traffic that was not only 2% higher but 14% above 2019.

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Fontainebleau’s Promenade Food Hall

Fontainebleau's Promenade Food Hall 8


On our first visit, we took a brief look around the Fbleau food hall and were underwhelmed by the offerings and overcome by the prices: $18 for a slice of pepperoni pizza and a Bud Light; $35 for chips and salsa, a burrito, and a churro; $20 for an orange juice and cinnamon roll; $16 for a chicken sandwich. Then there’s the expensive stuff: $18 for a bagel and lox; $22 for a Wagyu and quail-egg bowl; $25 for a cheeseburger and truffle fries. Yikes.

We were, however, impressed with the venue on the second floor of the building. It’s expansive, comfortable, and welcoming.

On the second visit, we dug deeper and we’re glad we did. This food hall is more than meets the eye.
Yes, the burgers are dear, but Capon’s is a venue of Josh Capon, a celebrity chef in New York, after making his bones at restaurants all over Europe, appearing on numerous cooking shows, and winning the New York City Wine and Food Festival’s Burger Bash six times. The Smoke Show burger is slathered with mustard, then grilled and topped with cheese, strong pickles, and a signature onion-and-bacon jam.

Bar Ito’s proprietors are Michelin-starred chefs Kevin Kim and Masa Ito, who also own and operate ITO, a New York City omakase restaurant, and the ITO in the Poodle Room, Fbleau’s uber-exclusive members-only club on the 67th floor.
Miami Slice, we understand, is one of the most popular pizza places in south Florida; the story is it took the proprietors two years to perfect the dough.

Likewise, El Bagel started as a popup at food truck events around Miami and gained a cult following; last year, Bon Appetit named El Bagel one of the “best bagels in the U.S.”

Still, as on our quest to try the least expensive item at Durango, we wanted to see how little we could get away with spending at the Promenade Food Hall. Next time, we’ll try the burger, a slice of pizza, or a taco, but this time, we opted for an everything bagel and butter, total price $3.99 (cream cheese raises it to $6.50).

We ordered at the counter. When we sat down at a table, we saw the QR code for the menu app and were surprised by how many more choices are available in the online ordering system than on the signs at the outlets. For example, we could have ordered the bagel toasted, untoasted, or even burnt. We could’ve added onion, tomato, jalapeno, or dill for an extra $1 (each, of course), plus lettuce ($2), Swiss or American cheese ($3), bacon or sausage ($4), pastrami ($5), or roe ($6). We’d have never known that just from reading the signs. The tacos have six substitutions, a dozen add-ons, and gluten-free and allergy-free choices. Bar Ito has a complete sushi menu—three handrolls ($33) or five ($50), with lobster, spicy scallop, hamachi, and roast shiitake.

We spent an enjoyable 15 minutes perusing all the different selections, while scarfing the bagel, with was excellent, by the way, oversized and the most loaded-with-everything everything bagel we’ve ever eaten. We’d go back for one — or a dozen — of those in a New York minute.

Roadside Taco and Break, the coffee and pastry bar, round out the Promenade’s offerings.

You’ve no doubt heard or read by now that Fontainebleau is a sparkling brand-new hotel-casino with numerous jaw-dropping and wow-inducing features and the seating area at Promenade is without a doubt the nicest of the two other recent openings (Durango and Rio) and in the top two of them all.

But nowhere is Fontainebleau more sparkling than in the bathrooms. It’s worth the trip just to see these—each at least five times more expensive than this reviewer’s entire house.

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BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

Blackjack is the subject, but the advice in this article applies to all gambling games. When there’s one correct play and you’ve been told what it is, you’re costing yourself money every time you do something else. This comes up in video poker all the time, when players reason their way out of making the correct play. I can’t count all the times I’ve been asked for the correct play and given the answer, only for the player to wave it off and do something else. Amazing! You may desire an explanation that you can get your head around, but you don’t need one. One of my favorite stories is blackjack expert Ken Uston being asked for a reason that a certain play should be made. Uston answered simply, “Because the computer says so.” You’ll recognize some of the blackjack plays in the article that you’ve probably wondered about. You don’t need the explanations, but author John Grochowski obliges anyway.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

Learning basic strategy at blackjack is one thing. Internalizing it so it becomes second nature can be quite another.

The problem is that some blackjack strategy plays seem to defy common sense regardless of whether you’re playing online blackjack or in a live casino. As one player asked at a seminar I gave, “How can a play be so right when it feels so wrong?”

How can hitting hard 16 be the right play when there’s such a large chance of busting? How can splitting 8s against a dealer’s 10 be the right play when you could wind up with two 18s losing to a 20? How can doubling down on 11 when the dealer has a 10 face up be the right play when you can’t hit if you draw a low card and the dealer could be sitting with 20?

It’s enough to give you a queasy feeling even while you make the best play.

But they are the right plays. All casino games are grounded in math. Basic strategy takes into account all possible outcomes and calculates the play that, on average, yields the best chance to win.

Continue reading …

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Bobby Vegas: Waste Bothers Me

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

I don’t get my kicks on Route 66. I get them chasing value. Wherever I go.

Friends had a kitchen in a summer-camp conference center in Virginia, which burned down recently when a neighbor’s bonfire got out of control. No insurance. I saw an eight-foot stainless-steel triple-compartment sink ($1,500 retail) in a construction dumpster. I called my friends; they said “Perfect!” I hired a buddy with a pickup for $50 to move it into my back yard until they can pick it up.

Value proposition solved. Even good for the environment.

I bought silver below $18. It’s now $28.50

At McDonalds, I get a snack and like the App offer for free fries when I buy a $2 burger. The fries would cost more than the burger and I get an additional 10% in points.

In Vegas, whether it’s LVA newsletter tips, Member Rewards Book coupons that have given me a 10-to-1 return for 20 years, American Casino Guide’s free downloadable coupons, VPfree2 for the best video poker, Jean Scott’s Video Poker Scouting Guide that’s returned 1500% to me, I’m always chasing value.

Downtown Grand is great value. Rainbow is great value.

Then there’s spending $10,000 taking 15 people to Stadium Swim for the Super Bowl when one ticket at Allegiant cost that much.

And renting a 6,000-square-foot Villa in the 5-star tower at Encore instead of a trade show booth, saving my corporate client $100,000 over what they paid every year before —completely blowing the clients’ minds and generating $1 million in new product sales in 90 days.

Or discovering, attending, and partying at the opening of Bruno Mars Pinky Ring lounge for $75 a night. An ultimate experience and an insane value.

My 17 days in Vegas for the Super Bowl and a week at the Pinky Ring cost $3,400. I made $8,000 on new-client orders in 45 days. That’s value.

Researching, devising, and implementing a value Strategy are fun for me. Doing match play or coupon runs while cashing in free food is fun. And don’t think I survive on burgers and fries. My freezer has lobster claws bought on sale and Washington State oysters at $14 a pound.

A favorite book by Malcolm Gladwell, called The Tipping Point, shows how fads, phenomena, and new-product launches happen. He identifies two key players in this process: information mavens (that’s me) and connectors (that’s Anthony Curtis).

I get my kicks researching, analyzing, and discovering new information and sharing it with others. That’s you people. Hope it helps.

Then I hand it to a connector. Anthony gets it out wide.

Coupons are a form of money. If you can’t “lower” yourself to utilize it, go ahead and pay retail.

If you can’t see value in 50%-off Seniors Day at Siegel’s 1941 on Wednesday or getting a free $8 ice cream cone sometime in your birthday month at Ben and Jerry’s, its fine by me. But I like free. Free is fun.

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Culinary setback; Blowing smoke

Although it’s been on a roll lately, the Culinary Union got some very bad news this week. The Station Casinos house organ, otherwise known as the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reported that a large number of Sunset Station employees were petitioning the decertify the Culinary as their bargaining agent. First, given the amount of progress (i.e., none) made in long-running Sunset labor talks, frustration would be understandable. Second, you have to wonder how much better employees would fare negotiating with Station all by their lonesome.

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Anima by Edo

Anima by Edo


Chef Oscar Amador Edo grew up on the outskirts of Barcelona in a cooking family and owned and operated three successful restaurants in the city before taking the plunge and moving to Las Vegas in 2016.

After a brief stint in the kitchen of Le Cirque at Bellagio and launching a food truck making sandwiches, with a partner he opened Edo Gastro Tapas & Wine on the western edge of Chinatown (Jones and Spring Mountain). It immediately earned several local “restaurant of the year” awards. When Edo opened his second eatery, Anima by Edo (Russell and Durango), it was quickly named Best Restaurant of 2023 — in the whole country — by Yelp. Edo himself was also a finalist for a 2023 James Beard Outstanding Chef Southwest award and a semi-finalist for the same in 2024. With all the attention on this chef and his food, we spent an interesting evening sampling the offerings at Anima.

John Curtas, top Las Vegas restaurant critic for the past 30 years and author of our series Eating Las Vegas, recommended “all the appetizers and any pasta.” So we loaded up on the charcuterie of cold cuts and cheeses ($28) and the accompanying Catalan olive-oil bread ($8), artichoke salad ($23), beef tartare ($23), Peruvian scallops crudo ($21), octopus ($27), truffle cavatelli ($29), Bravas potatoes ($12), sprouted cauliflower ($18), and rhubarb-jam lemon-cream pistachio-powder mille-feuille dessert ($14).

If nothing else, it was a lot of food for one person. (Kidding; there were three of us.)

The charcuterie was fantastic, especially the very French and Italian cheeses, though the bread was a bit pedestrian.

We also adored the octopus and cauliflower.

And we liked the cavatelli pasta (that came with a huge beef bone filled with yummy marrow); if we ever go back, octopus and cauliflower will fill the whole bill.

The three of us were less impressed by the tartare, artichoke salad, and raw scallops, while two liked the potatoes and one didn’t. The dessert was good, but it sounded better than it tasted.

With two drinks, the bill came to $227 before tax and tip — very expensive. But in the end, it was worth it to see what all the fuss is about. We mostly saw it, though not entirely.