October2019

Vol. 36Issue 10

$5

LasVegasAdvisorA N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’

LVA WEEKLY

Free newsletter hits the mark … pg. 2

MATTRESS MACK

Furniture salesman bets millions … pg. 1

FOOTBALL UPDATES

Weekly contests, reduced juice, and

tout evasion … pg. 7

FOOTBALL PARTIES

Hot dogs for nothin’ and your drinks for

free … pg. 8

WIN A SLOTSlots, video poker,

and keno machines up for grabs … pg. 10

Local (702)Toll Free NumbersCASINOS(800) (^844) (†855) (††866) (*877) (**888) Local Toll FreeAliante Casino+Hotel+Spa ........692-7777 ............477-7627*Aria ............................................590-7111 ............359-7757††

Arizona Charlie’s Boulder ..........951-5800 ............362-4040Arizona Charlie’s Decatur ..........258-5200 ............342-2695Bally’s ........................................739-4111 ............603-4390*Bellagio ......................................693-7111 ............987-7111**Binion’s ......................................382-1600 ............937-6537Boulder Station ..........................432-7777 ............683-7777Caesars Palace..........................731-7110 ............227-5938††

California ...................................385-1222 ............634-6505Cannery .....................................507-5700 ............999-4899††

Casino Royale ...........................737-3500 ............854-7666Circus Circus .............................734-0410 ............634-3450Cosmopolitan ............................698-7100 ............551-7772*Cromwell, The ...........................777-3777 ............426-2766^the D ..........................................388-2400 ............274-5825Downtown Grand ......................719-5100 ............384-7263†

Eastside Cannery ......................507-5700 ............999-4899††

El Cortez ....................................385-5200 ............634-6703Ellis Island ..................................733-8901 ............800-8000Encore .......................................770-7100 ............321-9966*Excalibur ....................................597-7777 ............937-7777Fiesta Henderson ......................558-7000 ............899-7770**Fiesta Rancho............................631-7000 ............731-7333Flamingo ....................................733-3111 ............732-2111Four Queens ..............................385-4011 ............634-6045Fremont .....................................385-3232 ............634-6182Gold Coast ................................367-7111 ............331-5334Golden Gate ..............................385-1906 ............426-1906Golden Nugget ..........................385-7111 ............468-4438^Green Valley Ranch ...................617-7777 ............782-9487††

Hard Rock Hotel ........................693-5000 ............473-7625Harrah’s .....................................369-5000 ............392-9002Klondike Sunset ........................826-3866LINQ, The ..............................................................328-1888††

Longhorn ...................................435-9170 ............800-8000Luxor .........................................262-4000 ............288-1000M Resort ....................................797-1000 ............673-7678*Main Street Station ....................387-1896 ............713-8933Mandalay Bay ............................632-7777 ............632-7800*Mandarin Oriental ......................590-8881 ............881-9578**MGM Grand ...............................891-1111 ............929-1111Mirage .......................................791-7111 ............627-6667New York-New York ..................740-6969 ............693-6763Orleans ......................................365-7111 ............675-3267Oyo ............................................739-9000 ............584-6687††

Palace Station ...........................367-2411 ............634-3101Palazzo ......................................607-7777 ............263-3001††

Palms .........................................942-7777 ............942-7770††

Paris ..........................................946-7000 ............266-5687**Park MGM .................................730-7777 ............311-8999Planet Hollywood ......................785-5555 ............919-7472††

Plaza ..........................................386-2110 ............634-6575Rampart ....................................507-5900 ............869-8777*

Red Rock Resort .......................797-7777 ............767-7773††

Rio .............................................252-7777 ............746-7482*Sam’s Town ...............................456-7777 ............634-6371Santa Fe Station ........................658-4900 ............767-7771††

Silver Sevens .............................733-7000 ............640-9777Silverton.....................................263-7777 ............588-7711Slots A Fun ................................734-0410 ............354-1232SLS Las Vegas ..........................737-2111 ............761-7757†

Stratosphere ..............................380-7777 ............998-6937South Point ................................796-7111 ............791-7626††

Suncoast ...................................636-7111 ............677-7111*Sunset Station ...........................547-7777 ............786-7389**Texas Station .............................631-1000 ............654-8888Treasure Island (TI) ....................894-7111 ............944-7444Tropicana...................................739-2222 ............634-4000Tuscany .....................................893-8933 ............887-2261*Vdara .........................................590-2767 ............745-7767††

Venetian .....................................414-1000 ............883-6423*Westin Lake Las Vegas .............567-6000 ............563-9792††

Westin Las Vegas ......................836-5900 ............937-8461Westgate Las Vegas ..................732-5111 ............732-7117Wild Wild West (Days Inn) .........740-0000 ............777-1514Wildfire.......................................648-3801Wynn Las Vegas ........................770-7000 ............770-7077*

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2-For-1 Room (El Cortez)

BUFFETS2-For-1 Buffet: (Aliante Casino+Hotel, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Cannery, Fremont, Main Street Station; 2-For-1 Buffet or 50% off one (Boulder Station, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, Gold Coast, Green Valley Ranch, Orleans, Palace Station, Palms, Rampart, Red Rock Resort, Sam’s Town, Santa Fe Station, Silverton, Suncoast, Sunset Station, Texas Station; 2-For-1 World Famous Gospel Brunch (House of Blues at Mandalay Bay); 25% Off Buffet (Rio)

DINING2-For-1 Menu Item: (Big Dog’s, Siegel’s 1941 (El Cortez), Fat Choy (Eureka Casino); 2-For-1 Menu Item or 50% off one: Club Café (Club Fortune); 2-For-1 Entrée: Fuego (Fiesta Henderson), Market Street Café (California), Sarah’s Kitchen (Klondike Sunset), House of Blues Rest. & Bar (House of Blues at Mandalay Bay), Sterling Spoon Café (Silver Sevens), Pub 365 (Tuscany); 2-For-1 Entrée or 50% off one: Freedom Beat (Downtown Grand), The Café (Ellis Island), Emerald Grille (Emerald Island), Lucy’s Bar & Grill (Lucky Club), The Wrangler (Silver Nugget), Skyline Restaurant (Skyline); 2-For-1 Lunch or Dinner Entrée: Magnolia’s (Four Queens); 2-For-1 Coney Dog (the D); 2-For-1 BBQ Plate (Ellis Island); 2-For-1 Burger in Le Burger Brasserie (Paris); 25% Off Bill: Top of Binion’s Steakhouse (Binion’s), Wingin’it Wings & More (Fiesta Rancho), Hooters Restaurant and Saloon (Hooters); $30 Off Dining: Charcoal Room (Palace Station); $25 Off Dining: Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse (Sunset Station), Señor Frog’s (Treasure Island); $10 Off Dining: b.B.d’s or Boathouse (Palace Station), Wild Grill or Brewer’s Café (Wildfire); $5 Off Dining: Grand Café (Texas Station), Beaumont’s Southern Kitchen (Texas Station); $4 Off Entrée: Guadalajara (Boulder Station), Pasta Cucina (Sunset Station)

DINING—“LOCAL CORNER”Comped Menu Item at G.O.A.T Bar & Grill; Comped Steak Special at Jackson’s Bar; Comped Lunch or Dinner at Sporting Life Bar; $25 Off Dining at Rosati’s; 2-For-1 Entrée at Treasures Gentlemen’s Club; 2-For-1 Menu Item at Sagos Ft. Apache; 2-For-1 Burger or Philly (Home Plate); Pizza Upgrade at Naked City Pizza Shop

DRINKSFree Drink Brewers, Kixx, or Havana Bar (Boulder Station); 3 Free Rounds (Ellis Island); Free Margarita (Sunset Station)

SHOWS2-For-1 Hypnosis Unleashed (Binion’s); 2-For-1 or 50% off one Righteous Brothers (Harrah’s); 25% Off Carrot Top (Luxor); Drink-minimum Mac King (Harrah’s)

For additional show discounts, check our Printable Rewards and show codes at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

RIDES/ATTRACTIONS2-For-1 Tower Ride Ticke ts (Stratosphere); $4 Off Admission Mob Museum; 40% Off Admission to Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Treasure Island); 30% Off Real Bodies (Bally’s); 25% Off SlotZilla Zip Line (Fremont Street Experience); Massage Special at NV SPA (El Cortez); Couples Massage Special at NV SPA (El Cortez); Hoover Dam Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); Grand Canyon South Rim Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); Grand Canyon West Rim Tour (Grand Canyon Tours); 1 Free Game of Bowling at Strike Zone (Sunset Station)

GAMBLING$25 Matchplay: (the D), (Golden Gate), (Plaza); $10 Matchplay: (Aliante), (Arizona Charlie’s Boulder), (Arizona Charlie’s Decatur), (California), (Downtown Grand), (Ellis Island), (Fremont), (Gold Coast), (Jerry’s Nugget), (Lucky Club), (Main Street Station), (Orleans), (Silver Nugget), (Skyline); $10 Slot Matchplay: (Gold Coast), (Hooters), (Orleans), (Sam’s Town); $10-$1,000 Slot Free-Play (El Cortez); $10-$100 Slot Free-Play (Ellis Island); $5-$100 Slot Free-Play Bonus: (the D), (Golden Gate); $10 Slot Free-Play: (Binion’s), (Four Queens), (Jerry’s Nugget), (Plaza), (Rampart); $20 Bonus for Slot Play (Klondike Sunset); $10 Bonus for Slot Play: (Cannery), (Club Fortune), (Eastside Cannery), (Eureka); $15 Bonus, 4-of-a-kind, 25¢ machines (Big Dog’s); 2-1 Payoff on first Blackjack up to $25 bet: (Golden Gate), (Silver Sevens); Push on 22 at Blackjack up to $25 (the D); 100-Coin Video Poker Bonus: (Sagos Ft. Apache), (Sagos Spring Mtn.); Wheel of Cash Spin (Emerald Island); Bingo Bonus (Plaza)

*The 2019 LVA Member Rewards book is available ONLY with a paid one-year subscription to the

Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. No exceptions.

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 1

October 2019 $5A N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’

continued on next page

LasVegasAdvisor

Wynn Goes All the Way

If anyone was unsure of Wynn Resorts’ resolve when it partially reversed its stance on paid parking in May, they aren’t anymore. Both Wynn Las Vegas and Encore have ceased charging all guests for valet parking, a move that eliminates paid parking at Wynn and Encore entirely.

When the two casinos rolled back the self-parking fees, I speculated that the decision was bottom-line motivated, meaning that the casino’s higher-ups had looked at the results and determined that charging a fee to park simply wasn’t a sound policy. I remain convinced of it and I’m not alone.

A recent article by the Motley Fool puts forth some strong supporting evidence indicating that between 2012 and 2017, when the parking fees went into full effect, 26% of all Vegas visitors drove in from southern California. But in 2018, only 19% did. Says the Fool, “That suggests parking fees were a big deterrent.” In addition, “A 2018 community survey conducted by the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance found 37% of Vegas workers avoid parking at casinos that charge fees and almost 30% avoid using any services at casinos that don’t offer free parking.”

That’s exactly what we’ve been saying: Paid park-ing in Las Vegas is a flat-out deal-breaker for a lot of customers, including the must-have middle market. Avoiding the fees, whether out of principle or just to save money, is something that many casino patrons are obvi-ously going out of their way to do.

Taking notice, the CEO of OYO Hotels and Homes, the company that recently purchased Hooters (see news), says that parking will remain free there after the brand transition.

I have to believe that MRI, CET, and Cosmo are seeing the same results as Wynn did, yet they’ve so far refused to move.

Come on, boys. Repeating what I wrote in May: Who’s next? n

Rise of the CNFs

A debate broke out on social media last month when the excellent blog VitalVegas.com reported that the just-opened Mama Rabbit Bar at Park MGM is the latest to appear on the growing list of Las Vegas restaurants that charge a concession and franchise fee (CNF). At Mama Rabbit, the fee is “only” 2%, less than half the CNF at other Strip restaurants that charge it, such as Hexx and Beer Park at Paris, but it doesn’t stop there. According to casino.org, the Sahara is now charging an even heftier CNF: “A receipt from The Foundry shared to Twitter shows a $14 cocktail ballooning to $16.80 after a man-datory 15% gratuity and 5% service charge.”

That “service charge” is the CNF. At first, it doesn’t seem like much, but the fee piles onto everything you consume in a restaurant or bar with this policy. As we’ve explained in the past, CNFs are charged to offset fees beyond rent that are imposed by venue landlords. That’s a cost of doing business that shouldn’t be passed on to the customer in this way. If a restaurant wants to raise its prices to compensate for the added expense, go right ahead. But hiding it in a bottom-of-the-bill tabulation is wrong. Time to start compiling a CNF list. n

Mattress Mack

Have you heard about the Houston furniture sales-man who’s hedging a promotion he’s been running at his stores by making sports bets? His name is Jim McIngvale and he’s known as “Mattress Mack.” He’s done this before and I was always interested in reading reports about the bets he made, but that was the extent of my connection to him—until, that is, I took a call last month from Mack’s attorney. It turns out the attorney is a Huntington Press customer who’s purchased several of our books and he asked if I’d be interested in talking to Mack about strategy.

Gambling! Strategy! I’m in, right? Not so fast. I’ve spoken often about the value of

working with good partners in gambling and this was no different. In order to take it on, I needed someone who

COUPONOMY by Anthony Curtis

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

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has more expertise in sports betting than I have. Fortu-nately, I know several such people, but my number-one go-to is Frank B. Frank agreed to get involved and we got on the phone with Mack.

In a nutshell, Mack’s company, Gallery Furniture, Inc., has promised to refund millions of dollars worth of furniture sales if the Houston Astros win the MLB World Series. Good promo, but there’s a problem—not only have the Astros made the playoffs, they’re the favorites to win. Mack needs to hedge his promotion position by betting on the Astros, so if he has to refund millions, he’ll win millions at the same time.

It sounded like an easy enough task, until we discov-ered that a lot of bookmakers aren’t too excited about taking really big bets. After a whole lot of haggling, sev-eral bets have been made (with a lot more to come). There’s also been a mini-frenzy of media interest over this. Everyone wants the inside scoop and Frank and I are pre-pared to provide it, but not until the story plays out. We should have a pretty good understanding of how it does in time for next month’s LVA.

In the meantime, at least I can share that we’ve landed a new customer. n

Sign Up for the Weekly

Last month, I outlined our plan to produce a free weekly newsletter that spotlights the many features that appear at LasVegasAdvisor.com. The first two issues have been published and sent and it’s even better than I originally thought it could be. LVA Weekly is a quick-read digest comprising capsule summaries of the highlighted blogs, news items, QoDs, and miscellaneous posts of interest, complete with direct links to them. Want to read Bob Dancer’s blog? The Weekly explains what it’s about and you need only click once to get there. Interested in the latest room-rate discount we’ve uncovered? Read and click.

It’s valuable and it’s free. Get a glimpse of the pre-sentation on the newsletter cover, then go to Las Vegas Advisor.com and sign up. n

Couponomy continued …NEWS

Rio—Caesars Entertainment has sold the Rio for $516.3 million to a New York-based real estate invest-ment group called Imperial Companies. Not much is expected to change in the near term, as the agreement calls for Caesars to continue to operate the property for a minimum of two years. The World Series of Poker was not part of the deal and will remain with CET and be played at the Rio at least through next year’s tourna-ment. The question is whether or not the Rio will con-tinue to operate as a casino resort. Analysts speculate that the property could be transformed to have a non-gaming focus—possibly a residential complex or, an idea that’s been treated as a rumor but now has more credence, another stadium suitable for professional sports.

Circus Circus—While it hasn’t been officially announced, it’s being treated like a done deal that MGM Resorts International is selling Circus Circus to TI owner, Phil Ruffin. The sales details aren’t known, but it’s believed that the adjacent Las Vegas Festival Grounds are included in the sale.

OYO—It didn’t take long for the signs to come down—Hooters is out and OYO is in, at least on the main marquee. The new brand won’t officially be launched as OYO Hotel & Casino Las Vegas until the end of the year, but a $20 million upgrade of the prop-erty is already in progress with improvements being made to the casino, the poolside bar, and the 24-hour gym. Plans call for the Hooters restaurant (one of the highest-grossing locations in the chain) and the coun-try’s largest Steak ’n Shake to be retained.

Virgin—When the Virgin Hotel-Casino reopens after its transformation from the Hard Rock in late 2020, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment will operate the casino. Mohegan will be the first tribal gaming company to manage a casino in Las Vegas. Virgin Hotels will man-age the 1,500 guest rooms.

Las Vegas Village Site—After months of specula-tion about what would be done with the former Las Vegas Village concert grounds, site of the Route 91 Har-vest Festival shooting, firm plans have been announced.

Mattress Mack with the MRB

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3

In the near term, the south-Strip parcel will be used as a parking lot for games and concerts when Allegiant Sta-dium opens next year. However, long-term plans are to build a community and athletic center on the site, and possibly a public memorial.

Strip Target—If you’re wondering about the three-story steel-beamed shell of a building under construction just south of Walgreen’s and across from Park MGM, it’s a small-format Target scheduled to open early next year on the property formerly occupied by Smith & Wol-lensky. The only Target on the Las Vegas Strip will be 20,000 square feet, roughly 15% the size of a full-format normal Target store.

California—California’s first Hard Rock has announced that it’s on track to hold its soft opening on October 30. The $440 million Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain is located in wheat-land, roughly 30 miles due north of Sacramento, and features a 170-room hotel, a 60,000-square-foot casino with 1,800 slots and 50 table games, a buffet, steak-house, noodle bar, and of course a Hard Rock Cafe.

Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was up 2.9% in July compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was up 1.6% and downtown was up 7.6%. The state win is up .3% year-to-date.

Visitation was up for the third month in a row, though only slightly at +.7%. A 22% increase in conven-tion attendance was credited.

Airline traffic was up 2% in July for an 11th straight monthly increase. Meanwhile, McCarran International fell from first to third in J.D. Power and Associates’ annual customer-satisfaction survey.

The National Indian Gaming Commission has released fiscal year 2018 gross gaming revenue num-bers, which totaled $33.7 billion, a 4.1% increase over fiscal year 2017 and the highest gross revenues in Indian gambling history. Revenues are based on reports from 241 federally recognized tribes across 29 states. n

Sports Betting Scorecard

It was a slow month for legalization progress, as it seemed like everyone’s focus was on the newly legal jurisdictions trying to handle increased football busi-ness. The sports books in Iowa accepted more than $8.5 million through the first 17 days of legal sports betting, holding $2.2 million (a healthy 26%). Pennsylvania had $109 million wagered in August alone on the strength of college football betting. On the other side of the led-ger, West Virginia booked approximately $140 million in sports bets throughout its first year of operation, but that produced only about 20% of revenue projections.

Fox Corp introduced the Fox Bet sports-betting continued on next page

Las Vegas’ Top Ten Values 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 2. Buffet • Palace Station • Daily • $9.99-$16.99 3. Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98 4. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 5. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • Daily • $2.25 7. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99 8. $1 Blackjack • OYO • 24 hours • $1.20 9. Football Contest • Boyd Casinos • Weekly • Free 10. No Resort Fee • Four Queens • Daily • $39 and up

The Ellis Island complete steak dinner is served 24/7 in the Café; get the $7.99 price by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted, then downloading the required discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want to play, you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk that’s avail-able to everyone with a club card. The Feast Buffet at Palace Station (#2) is our choice for Las Vegas’ best buffet when considering the combination of quality and price; get the listed prices by showing a Board-ing Pass card. Get a ticket to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the players club booth (#3). The hot dogs at South Point (#4) are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they close down the cart around 5 pm. Mich-elob and Michelob Light are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#5); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Michelob is $3. The Skyline shrimp cocktail (#6) is available 24/7 at the main bar. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona Char-lie’s (#7) is served in the Sourdough Cafés for $5.99 when you show your club card, available 24 hours at Decatur and 6 am-mid. weekdays and 24 hours weekends at Boulder. OYO’s $1-minimum blackjack game (#8) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on bets of $1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost is your expected loss for one hour of play at these stakes. (Yes, the former Hooters is now OYO, see news.) We like Station’s Pick & Play football contest, but Boyd’s Pick the Pros remains our top choice in this category (#9). Swipe your B Connected players card on a kiosk at Gold Coast, Suncoast, Orleans, Sam’s Town, Aliante, Fremont, California, or Main Street Sta-tion for a shot at $30,000 every week. Must submit picks before the kick-off of the week’s first Sunday game. See gambling for a complete update on this year’s football contests. The Four Queens holds the #10 spot as the last major casino still not charging a resort fee.

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

platform in New Jersey. It’s the first incursion of a major media company into actual sports gambling, rather than just coverage of it. FoxBet.com is reportedly preparing to launch in Pennsylvania.

Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country and track developments as they occur via our blog and map at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

DINING

Sara’s

So what’s up with that secret dining room at the Palms? Sara’s is a private room locked behind a non-descript door inside Mabel’s BBQ at the Palms. All seems good when you first enter. The space is cool—it doesn’t throw off the intended speakeasy vibe (it’s described as a “meateasy”), but it conveys a feeling of exclusivity. The waitstaff is excellent and on top of things from the jump. But then you look at the menu, or more specifically, the prices: cauliflower soup $19, seared foie gras $28, chicken $45, fish $69, steak Oscar $84. Yikes! Not much chance of carving out a bargain here.

We had a party of six and tried several selections, but the halibut bouillabaisse and the prime rib, in partic-ular, stood out in a cautionary sense. The reason “bouil-labaisse” is written in quotes on the menu is obvious as soon as it’s presented. Served on a plate rather than in a bowl, it’s pretty much just a piece of halibut with a little crab and a few clams on top. It’s high-quality for sure, but it’s not like any bouillabaisse we’ve ever seen, espe-cially for $56. The bigger eyebrow-raiser was the prime rib, which is available in three cuts—10-ounce for $49, 14-ounce for $69, and 20-ounce for $99. Heck, the mas-sive double-cut prime at Lawry’s is only $65 and comes with a tableside salad, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. Ellis Island’s even more massive king cut is $28. We tried the 14-ounce option, which comes à la carte, and it looked positively puny all by itself on the plate … for sixty-nine dollars!

The main problem at Sara’s is that there’s absolutely

News continued … no way to get out of there without being significantly nicked on price. Press releases prior to the opening indicated a burger option, but that’s not so. Including $132 in drinks, the bill was $640. Add the automatic 20% gratuity and tax and it all came to $822. Our group’s conclusion was that it’s a good idea and interest-ing enough that no one was really put out, but neither

did anyone indicate that they’d be coming back, which might reflect the fact that the 50-seat room was only half-full on a Saturday night. n

Julio’s Tacos & Grill

Sometimes after an $822 bill, you want to eat a meal for under $10. Ellis Island presents several ways to do that (see top ten) and one is the little taco nook on the casino floor. A number of variations of street tacos—beef, chicken, pork—are $2.45 apiece and premium “super tacos” are $3.85-$4.95. They make ’em right in front of you, adding rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, gua-camole, etc. to your specifications. Check the board for discounts via various daily specials. Add this one to the roster of good and inexpensive eats at EI. n

Cugino’s Italian Deli

Ask us for our choice of Las Vegas’ best Italian deli and we have a quick response: Roma Deli on Spring Mountain about three miles west of the Strip. But another good one on the east side is Cugino’s, located at 4550 S. Maryland Pkwy. near the UNLV campus. The menu includes hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, and Ital-ian entrées, along with a selection of meats, cheeses, and other deli specialties. The sandwiches run $9 to $13 and there’s a huge selection, from sausage, peppers, and eggs to chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe and provo-lone. We’re still partial to Roma, but Cugino’s is an apt substitute if you’re on that side of town. n

Mary’s Hash House

It’s been a while since we’ve written about Mary’s Hash House, but this continues to be one of our favorite

14-oz. prime rib at Sara’s

High prices behind this door

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5

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Place Buffet, with action cooking stations and outdoor-patio dining. There are several specialty nights, including Hawaiian (Wed.), crab (Fri.), and lobster (Sat.); however, the unique deli night is no longer in the rotation.

Chicken Nugget—A Chick-Fil-A is coming to the Golden Nugget downtown. The fast-foodery is expected to open in the Carson Tower sometime this winter. Another casino-based Chick-Fil-A outlet is also planned for Planet Hollywood.

Mordeo Lunch—The off-Strip hot spot at 5420 Spring Mountain Rd. serves a three-course power lunch for $28, Mon.-Fri. from 11 am to 2:30 pm.

Dollar Oysters—The Barrymore on Convention Center Drive has $1 oysters all night on Tuesdays. Other Mama at 3655 S. Durango has $1 oysters on Sundays and Mondays from 5 pm till closing, with a limit of 12 per person.

Bonus Chicken—The five Las Vegas locations of Bok Bok Chicken are offering a free second rotisserie chicken when you buy a rotisserie chicken Family Meal ($21) and use the code “BOKBOK1.” The meal comes with two sides, pita, and pickles and Bok Bok is a Medi-terranean restaurant, so the sides include hummus, tab-bouleh, and fattoush salad. The deal is good through the end of October.

$10 Pizzas—On Mondays in October, 16-inch cheese pizzas are $10 at any Grimaldi’s; good for dine-in or take-out.

NY Dogs—After losing its lease in front of the Mob Museum last year, the New York Street Dogs cart (LVA 12/17) has finally found a new home at 8090 S. Durango.

Avocado Toast—In USA Today’s list of “10 great places to get avocado toast,” the lead recommenda-tion was Las Vegas’ Toast Society Café (6005 S. Fort Apache). We hadn’t heard of it, but “smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, microgreens, sea salt sesame seasoning, olive oil, and an optional hard boiled egg” gets our attention.

BOH Brawl—This month’s “Back of the House Brawl” takes place Oct. 19 at the Sand Dollar Lounge and features chefs from Jean Georges Steakhouse, bBd’s, and Esther’s Kitchen competing in a culinary competition. It kicks off at 10 pm with a food-truck rally and the cook-off starts around 1 am.

Free Tacos Down—The free-tacos-on-Tuesdays deal at the Leatherneck Club Marine bar (LVA 8/18) has been discontinued. n

Openings/Closings

Tim Ho Wan, the long-awaited dim-sum restaurant from Hong Kong, has opened at the Palms in the new west-side expansion. Tim Ho Wan is also a late-night

breakfast plays. There’s a big selection of break-fast and lunch items, but who goes to a place called Mary’s Hash House and doesn’t eat hash? Mary’s hash is made with corned beef, roast beef, chicken, ham, turkey, lamb, salmon, veggie, and even lobster and costs between $10.50 and $18.95. Our favorite is the chicken hash, loaded with peppers and onions, with toast and grits on the side. They make their own jelly and the homemade cinnamon thing is fabulous with coffee. Namesake Mary is almost always in the kitchen. Tell her LVA sent ya. n

The Right Ham

The best of the remaining ham & eggs breakfasts that come with a giant slice of bone-in ham is served at Norm’s Diner, with locations at 3945 S. Durango on the west side and 35 S. Gibson on the east. The big ham is a banger, but make sure you get the right one. The menu

has eggs-and-meat selections that include ham for $8.50, but that’s for a standard ham portion. You have to ask for the “giant ham.” It’s $10.95, but worth the extra $2.45, if only for the spectacle. n

Dining Notes

Supper Club—Bellagio is replacing the ultra-lounge Hyde with an old-school restaurant called the Mayfair Supper Club, which will open over New Year’s Eve weekend. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the May-fair will be based on the dinner-and-a-show concept that “started in Europe, was perfected in New York in the 1930s to 1950s, and then, of course, was taken over by Las Vegas in the 1960s. Then it faded away.” Bellagio will attempt to bring it back. Retro is good.

Rampart Buffet—After a four-month renovation, the old Rampart Buffet has been replaced by the new Market

Mary’s chicken hash & eggs

6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTSOCTOBER 10/1–10/8 • Aerosmith Park MGM • $68–$82110/1–10/29 • Terry Bradshaw Show Luxor • $70–$21710/2–10/5 • Christina Aguilera Planet Hollywood • $60–$22610/2–10/5 • Rod Stewart Caesars Palace • $49–$23410/2–10/5 • Steve Miller Band Wynn LV • $59.50–$25010/3–10/6 • LV Bikefest • Downtown LV

Events Center • $39–$12910/4 • Daughtry w/Augustana Hard Rock • $27–$11410/4–10/5 • We Will Rock You Orleans • $49–$15210/4–10/6 • Norm Macdonald South Point • $35–$4510/4–10/12 • Billy Idol • Palms • $32–$13710/4–12/21 • Ray Romano & David Spade Mirage • $90–$12010/5 • Alexis & Fido • M Resort • $27 10/5 • Billy Currington Sunset Station • $29–$7110/5 • Demetri Martin Hard Rock • $35–$8010/5 • Meek Mill & Future MBay • $49.50–$149.5010/5 • Stabbing Westward Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$3010/6 • Steve Martin & Martin Short Caesars Palace • $49–$22910/6 • Stone Temple Pilots and Rival

Sons • Hard Rock • $50–$19510/6 • The Cult • Cosmo • $44–$6410/6–10/13 • A Choreographers Showcase TI • $29–$4910/6–10/27 • Matt Goss • Mirage • $18–$8810/9–10/26 • Journey Caesars Palace • $79–$32910/10–10/12 • Tom Green • Plaza • $30/$6010/10–10/19 • Barry Manilow Westgate LV • $32–$14010/10–10/24 • Frankie Moreno South Point • $20–$3010/10–10/31 • Dionne Warwick Caesars Palace • $125/$15010/11 • +Live+ & Bush w/Our Lady Peace Hard Rock • $41–$16910/11 • Melvin Seals and JGB w/John Kadlecik • Brooklyn Bowl • $25 10/11 • Steelheart Golden Nugget • $29–$9910/11 • The Neighbourhood Cosmo • $30–$6010/11 • WWE Smackdown Live T-Mobile • $37–$13010/11–10/12 • Bill Maher • Mirage • $65–$10410/11–10/12 • Michael McDonald Venetian • $53–$236

10/11–10/12 • Nitro Comedy Bally’s • $35–$9910/11–10/13 • Age of Chivalry Renaissance Sunset Park • $18–$20 10/11–10/13 • Rocky and The Rollers South Point • $20–$3510/11–10/30 • Gwen Stefani Planet Hollywood • $54–$23010/11–10/31 • MMA Playoffs MBay • $35–$25010/12 • Dean & Jerry: Martin & Lewis

Tribute • Suncoast • $15/$2010/12 • Dropkick Murphys Brooklyn Bowl • $40–$5510/12 • En Vogue • Cannery • $29–$5910/12 • Judy Collins Santa Fe Station • $31–$5310/12 • Tribal Seeds w/New Kingston

& Tropidelic • Hard Rock • $26 10/12–10/13 • Sebastian Maniscalco Wynn LV • $59–$15510/13 • Bridge • Orleans • $35–$6010/13 • Common Kings Brooklyn Bowl • $30–/$4510/17 • Adir Miller • Palazzo • $65/$7510/17 • Surf Curse • Hard Rock • $13/$2410/17–10/19 • Warren B Hall • Plaza • $20/$4010/17–10/31 • Brian Newman NoMad LV • $63–$12710/17–10/31 • Lady Gaga Park MGM • $82.57–$344.9510/18 • Frank Caliendo Aliante Casino • $35–$6010/18 • Gus Dapperton Brooklyn Bowl • $15/$2010/18 • Haus Party World Tour GVR • $25–$4510/18 • Jonas Brothers MGM Grand • $49.95–$204.9510/18 • Lynyrd Skynyrd T-Mobile • $25–$57510/18 • Todrick Haus • GVR • $29–$4910/18 • Tommy James & the Shondells Golden Nugget • $59–$10910/18–10/19 • Daniel Tosh • Mirage • $65–$10410/18–10/19 • Las Rageous • Downtown LV

Events Center • $136–$68810/18–10/20 • Christopher Titus South Point • $20–$3010/19 • Exposé • Cannery • $29–$6910/19 • Frank Caliendo Orleans • $39.95–$59.9510/19 • J Balvin • Palms • $55–$16510/19 • Jimmy Buffett MGM Grand • $40–$21210/19 • Motor City Nights: Music of

Motown • M Resort • $23–$4310/19 • Phil Collins T-Mobile • $55–$30510/19 • Schitt’s Creek: Up Close & Personal • Cosmo • $119–$132

10/19 • Vogues • Suncoast • $19–$3310/20 • Cody Ko & Noel Miller Palms • $68–$16010/20–10/26 • Lady Gaga Park MGM • $200–$50510/21–10/22 • Supercross Futures Sam Boyd Stadium • $45 10/22–10/26 • Paula Abdul Flamingo LV • $69–$19910/23 • Highly Suspect w/Slothrust Hard Rock • $31/$8710/24 • Devil Wears Prada Hard Rock • $19/$3510/24–10/26 • Fat Chance: w/Lisa Lampanelli Plaza • $30/$6010/25 • Lizzo • Cosmo • $49–$25010/25 • Sweet Golden Nugget • $29–$10910/25–10/26 • Aaron Lewis • Orleans • $55–$7510/25–10/26 • Ron White • Mirage • $68–$8810/25–10/27 • Donny Edwards Suncoast • $30–$4010/26 • Fetish & Fantasy Halloween

Ball • Hard Rock • $82 10/26 • Great White & Slaughter Cannery • $24–$6910/26 • Nightmare on Q Street Orleans • $35–$14510/26 • Steve McCoy: Tom Jones

Tribute • Suncoast • $19/$2210/26 • Thom Yorke • Cosmo • $49/$5910/26 • Uptown Funk: Bruno Mars

Tribute • Sunset Station • $19 10/27 • Joe Bonamassa • Caesars

Palace • $84–$20410/25–10/28 • Clint Holmes • GVR • $29 10/28–10/31 • Shin Lim • Mirage • $70–$24010/30 • Carlos Santana • MBay •

$99–$37410/30 • Twenty One Pilots • MGM

Grand • $66–$29210/31 • Marilyn Manson • Palms •

$44–$174NOVEMBER 11/1 • 38 Special • GVR • $19–$4911/1 • Cherry Glazerr w/Cowgirl Clue Hard Rock • $21 11/1 • Guess Who Golden Nugget • $59–$14911/1 • Sara Bareilles • MBay • $35–$9511/1 • Tower of Power Brooklyn Bowl • $31–$5611/1–11/2 • Daniel Tosh • Mirage • $65–$10411/1–11/2 • Five Finger Death Punch Hard Rock • $31–$17811/1–11/2 • Guns N’ Roses Caesars Palace • $174–$1,03011/1–11/2 • Gwen Stefani Planet Hollywood • $54–$23011/1–11/2 • John Cleese Wynn LV • $49.50–$115

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7

11/1–11/3 • Day N Vegas • MGM Festival Grounds • $299–$899

11/1–11/3 • Carlos Mencia South Point • $30–$4011/1–11/9 • Brian Newman NoMad LV • $63–$12711/1–11/10 • Carlos Santana MBay • $99–$37411/1–11/10 • Shin Lim • Mirage • $70–$24011/1–11/24 • Dionne Warwick Caesars Palace • $125/$15011/2 • Canelo vs Kovalev MGM Grand • $404–$1,75411/2 • Jazz Funk Soul Aliante Casino • $35–$6011/2 • Long Run: Eagles Tribute GVR • $19 11/2 • Sammy Johnson Brooklyn Bowl • $23/$2511/2–11/8 • Lady Gaga Enigma Park MGM • $599–$3,50011/3 • Jeff Dunham Caesars Palace • $46–$8311/3 • Tom Morello Brooklyn Bowl • $34–$4511/3–11/9 • Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano Park MGM • $290–$50511/3–11/24 • Matt Goss • Mirage • $18–$8811/5 • Fobia • MBay • $24.50 11/6–11/12 • Florida Georgia Line Planet Hollywood • $35–$32411/6–11/16 • John Fogerty Wynn LV • $54–$22911/7 • Nahko & Medicine for the People • Brooklyn Bowl • $30/$3511/7–11/10 • Madonna Caesars Palace • $200–$69411/8 • ASIA w/John Payne Golden Nugget • $39–$9911/8 • Helmet • Hard Rock • $20 11/8 • Octane Accelerator w/Ice Nine

Kills • Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$3011/8–11/9 • Temptations • Orleans • $49–$7911/8–11/9 • Tim Allen • Mirage • $65–$8711/8–11/10 • My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s

Jewish • South Point • $30–$4011/9 • Femmes of Rock Cannery • $29–$3911/9 • PJ Morton Brooklyn Bowl • $30–$4511/9 • Plain White T’s Silverton • $25/$3511/12 • TAUK + Jazz Is Phsh Brooklyn Bowl • $18/$2211/12 • YELAWOLF Brooklyn Bowl • $25 11/14 • Latin Grammy Awards MGM Grand • $136–$54511/14–11/16 • Jamie Kennedy • Plaza • $25/$5011/14–11/16 • Stirrin’ Dirt Racing’s Sin City

Showdown • Plaza • $45–$180

11/14–11/29 • Aerosmith Park MGM • $68–$82111/15 • Alessia Cara Cosmo • $39.50–$14911/15 • Aquabats • Hard Rock • $27/$4811/15 • BJ Thomas Golden Nugget • $39–$10911/15 • Built to Spill Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$3011/15 • Frankie Moreno • GVR • $19 11/15 • Marlon Wayans Mirage • $60–$8011/15 • Melanie Martinez Palms • $32–$6911/15 • Richard Cheese Red Rock • $44–$6911/15–11/16 • Jerry Seinfeld Caesars Palace • $82.50–$16511/15–11/17 • Beginnings South Point • $25–$3511/16 • Bad Bunny • MBay • $65–$17511/16 • Bert Kreischer Mirage • $54–$9811/16 • Fortunate Youth Brooklyn Bowl • $20/$2511/16 • Mick Adams and the Stones Suncoast • $19/$2211/16 • Mike Epps Hard Rock • $31–$11411/16 • Naturally 7 • M Resort • $23–$4311/21 • Flatland Cavalry Hard Rock • $15/$2411/22 • 4th Ave • Hard Rock • $15/$2811/22 • Gary Lewis & The Playboys Golden Nugget • $29–$10911/22 • Little Brother Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$3011/22 • Private Eyes: Hall & Oates

Tribute • GVR • $19 11/22–11/23 • Snails • Downtown LV Events

Center • $30 11/22–11/30 • Mariah Carey Caesars Palace • $55–$27911/23 • Cookie Watkins: Tina Turner

Tribute • Cannery • $19/$2211/23 • Everly Set: Everly Brother’s

Tribute • Suncoast • $19–$2411/23 • Nate Bargatze Wynn LV • $39–$9911/26–11/30 • Paula Abdul Flamingo LV • $69–$19911/27 • Slayer • MGM Grand • $49–$6911/29 • Association Golden Nugget • $29–$10911/29 • Kathleen Madigan Mirage • $33–$5511/29–11/30 • Jim Jeffries • Mirage • $54/$7611/29–12/1 • Engelbert Humperdinck Orleans • $59–$8411/29–12/1 • Stayin’ Alive South Point • $30–$40

See inside wrap for “Weather,” “Room Rates,” and “Key Dates.”

ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS

SHOW NOTES• Presto! Magic and Mystery has opened at

Downtown Grand; tickets are $34.99.• Amazing Magic Starring Tommy Wind

will open at Oyo on Oct. 24; tickets are $55.99/$66.44.

• Ticket prices for Zumanity at NY-NY have been increased from $93.16/$104.06/$110.95/$132.40/$140.40 to $93.16/$110.95/$140.40/$163.05.

• Ticket prices for Atomic Saloon Show at the Venetian have been decreased from $105.88-$178.86 to $96.34-$161.74.

• Ticket prices for Thunder From Down Under at Excalibur have been decreased from $63.04-$101.19 to $52.50-$86.29.

• Ticket prices for X Burlesque at the Flamingo have been increased from $79.11-$115.95 to $114.36-$150.70.

• Ticket prices for X Country at Harrah’s have been increased from $64.50-$94.77 to $77.40-$105.67.

• Ticket prices for X Rocks at Bally’s have been increased from $76.38/$87.28 to $87.28/$99.18.

• Gordie Brown has closed at Oyo.• Vegas Gone Country has closed in the V

Theater at Planet Hollywood.

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

play, closing as late as 4 am depending on demand.Bella Bistro has opened at the Sahara in the spot

that was formerly Cleo.Sixth+mill pizzeria and bar has opened in the Grand

Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. Hatsumi and La Monja, both from the owner/chef of

Other Mama, have opened downtown.The Blind Pig has reopened at Panorama Towers

under new ownership by the group behind Off the Strip at The LINQ.

The Factory Kitchen at the Venetian has changed its name to Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano.

Andrea’s has closed at Encore and will be replaced by an unnamed Mexican restaurant headed by a team of acclaimed chefs from New York City, Los Angeles, and Mexico City.

Center Cut Steakhouse and Café To Go have closed at the Flamingo. They will be replaced by a new restau-rant called Steaks & Alibis, due to open in 2020. n

ENTERTAINMENT

Football Parties

After conducting our annual tour of the casino and bar football parties over the first three weeks of the sea-son, it’s obvious again that the big parties have been replaced by smaller gatherings. It still feels strange to walk past the Railhead at Boulder Station or Ravello at M Resort and see the game up on a big screen with no one in the venue (because the parties that used to be held there have been long discontinued). However, foot-ball remains a marketing opportunity for many places so there are plenty of associated deals. Here’s a rundown of what we found.

Once again, the exception to the rule is the big MNF party at South Point. Admission is free, with $1 dogs and popcorn, $5 wings, and $2 beers or unlimited draft beer for $15. Several screens broadcast the action and every-one is into the game. There are cash drawings each quarter ($1,000 total), so you have a free shot at leaving with more money than you came in with. The party is held in the showroom. There’s no party on Thursdays this year. On Sundays, Bud products are $1 at all casino bars.

Other good casino options for Monday night include Gold Coast, Ellis Island, Rampart, Sam’s Town, the Tri-ple Seven Brewpub at Main Street Station, and any Sta-

tion Casino sports book, mostly for their superior deals on drinks and dogs. Last year, Station pulled back in this area, but this year it’s back with $1 hot dogs, $1 beers, including Corona bottles, and $4-$5 shot specials for call brands such as Patron, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal,

Jameson, and Captain Morgan.

The Westgate sports book and showroom are still big viewing spots on Sun-days, though aside from $3 hot dogs in the showroom and 5-for-$15 beer buckets, there’s not much in the

way of bargains. Club Madrid at Sunset Station hosts a viewing party on Sundays (but not Mondays) and there’s a wicked-cool scene in Beer House at Paris, though the beers will cost you about $8 a go (including the CNF, see couponomy).

Other good deals include $1 beer on Sundays at Skyline; 1.25 dogs and $2.50 beers at Rampart; $2 dogs and $2 beers at Arizona Charlie’s Boulder; $3 domestic beers and 6-for-$15 buckets ($2.50 per) that include choices of Shock Top and Goose Island at Boyd Casi-nos; $5 sliders, wings, and brats at Ellis Island; $2.50 beers, $3 patron, and $2 and $5 sliders and pizza at Klondike Sunset.

Or you can hit the topless clubs, where the deals are definitely better than the casinos. Remember that almost all of these deals come with free entry as long as you drive yourself; most clubs will charge you to enter if you arrive in taxies or rideshare (call ahead to confirm). Crazy Horse III has free pizza, plus free beer and well drinks until halftime. Treasures has a free buffet with hot dogs, pizza, and soft pretzels, and beers for $2/$3. Pay $1 for entry at Déjà Vu and get free pizza and wings and $3 drinks. Two sleepers this year are Spearmint Rhino and Play it Again Sam. Rhino has big screens in the front with free make-your-own chicken sandwiches and $5 drinks. Sam’s has big screens in a sound-proof viewing area in the back and free chili dogs. Sam’s is the only gentlemen’s club with video poker, so you can play 7/5 Bonus Poker and get comped drinks. Once again this year, the clear leader is Sapphire, where the $22 admis-sion comes with two drinks (with premium choices) and a buffet that includes chicken, corned beef sandwiches, hot dogs, a salad bar, and an assortment of desserts. Non-stop merch giveaways, $1 lap dances at halftime, and a robust karaoke session after the game round out the scene. The place is always packed.

Of course, lots of local bars run specials. The best

Dining continued …

Stacked Coronas at Boulder Station

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9

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way to play those is to check ’em out when a team they follow is playing. You can determine that with the listing of “Team Bars” in gambling. n

Bars and Happy Hours

The new Jade Asian Kitchen & Noodles at Rampart has a late-night happy hour Fri. and Sat. from 9 pm to close, with $3.50 beer, $4 wine, $6 sake, $7 cocktails, and $2.50-$6.50 appetizers, including sushi rolls and ramen soup.

Purchase an appetizer at Greene St. Kitchen at the Palms on Tuesdays and add on all-you-can-drink Caza-dores tequila for $20.

Other Mama has a happy hour daily from 5 to 6 pm, with $3 beer, $5 wine, and $6-$9 appetizers (see dining for $1 oyster details).

Mordeo has a happy hour Sun.-Thurs. from 5 to 7 pm, with 50%-off your second drink and pintxos (food on a stick) for $2-$6,

The Sahara has opened Beer & Bets in the space that was previously Umami Burger. It’s being treated as a placeholder for Chickie’s & Pete’s, a Philadelphia sports bar institution since 1977 that was named the U.S.’ number-one sports bar in 2011 by ESPN and is scheduled to open in 2020.

A sports bar called Vagabond opens this month at Excalibur.

Able Baker Brewing company has opened down-town at 1510 S Main Street.

Henderson’s CraftHaus Brewery has opened CraftHaus Arts District at 197 E. California Street.

O’Aces Bar & Grill on Rainbow has closed. The O’Aces on Decatur is now owned by Michael Gaughan from South Point, which augurs for good things to come there.

The Philadelphia-themed bar Madison Avenue has closed.

In Sara’s at the Palms, a glass of Acumen Cabernet Sauvignon is $25.98, a martini is $18.40, and a Stella Artois is $8.66. In Mabel’s at the Palms, a draft 805 Blonde is $8.66. At Scenic Brewing Company, a Gump-tion Cidar is $8.66 and a draft Scenic Mexican Lager is $6.50. In Beer House at Paris, a draft Busch is $7.63. At Mordeo, a draft New Belgium Voodo IPA is $7.58 and a draft Copper Ale is $6.50. At PKWY Tavern The District, a Heineken is $6.50. At Brandos, an Angry Orchard is $5 and a draft Coors Light is $4. At Chaser’s Pub, a Bud is $4. At Legends bar, a draft Bud is $3. In the Skyline Bar at Skyline, a draft PBR is $3. In West Bar at Club For-tune, a Bud is $3.

Notes: The Beerhouse draft was during the Sunday football party and the Legends draft was during the Monday Night Football party. n

Entertainment Notes

Colosseum Reopens—The Colosseum at Caesars Palace reopened last month after being closed for a remodel. The Colosseum’s floor was reconfigured via an automated lift system to allow more flexibility (namely, general-admission standing room in front of the stage when desirable, but seats when not) and added rows of VIP seating, upgraded video screens, and more bars. The number of seats overall dropped from 4,500 to 4,450, but room was created for 380 GA concert-goers on the floor. Keith Urban christened the re-launch of the arena, which opened in 2003 for Celine Dion’s first resi-dency.

Magic at Bally’s—The new name of the old Win-dows Showroom at Bally’s is The Magic Attic. Touted as “an intimate entertainment experience and an ideal space for magical productions and illusionists,” the venue will go to an all-magic lineup, currently hosting Xavier Mortimer’s Magical Dream, Paranormal Mind Reading Magic, and Potted Potter.

See the advance planner for dates, prices, and addi-tional show updates. n

GAMBLING

Football Updates

Following is a summary of this year’s early football-betting-related developments.

Live contests—Now that the season is under way, the only contests worth playing are the free ones with weekly prizes. Those include Boyd’s Pick the Pros (see top ten), Station’s Pick & Play, and Rampart’s Beat the Bookie, along with smaller contests at Ellis Island, M Resort, Longhorn, Klondike Sunset, and the O’Aces Decatur bar.

SuperContest REBOOT—The Westgate is running the SuperContest REBOOT, a separate NFL handicap-ping contest for weeks 9-17. The entry fee is $500 (two max) and the deadline to enter is November 2.

Silverton Pigskin Pass—Last year, we laid out sev-eral reasons to be cautious when playing pass-the-football or similar promotions. In these promos, the last person to hit a 4-of-a-kind at the end of a quarter or game wins a bonus, often cash or free-play. Silverton runs a $25 free-play bonus at the end of each quarter during the Monday and Thursday NFL games that so far is a lot safer than the bar versions. There’s a sepa-

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

rate contest at each of the casino’s four bars (Mermaid, Shady Grove, Mi Casa Cantina, and Flare). In our limited observance of the promotion, most of the customers aren’t even aware that it’s taking place and you can scout the four bars to determine which has the least competition. These are fun to play when they’re on the level, and assuming that hitting the quad will win the bonus—never a sure thing with time left—you’re playing at a little over 99% on the best 25¢ game (see “VPL&F”). Check out the potential problems with this promo in LVA 10/18.

Contest participation—The SuperContest drew 3,328 entries, a new record and the ninth consecutive year that participation has gone up, but the increase was a relatively low 6.6%. The $5K-entry SuperContest Gold drew 117 players, down 11 players (-9%) from last year. The $500 William Hill College Pick ’Em drew 258 entries, down a mere four players from last year. The Golden Nugget contest also had a decline in participation, drop-ping from 308 last year to 282 (-8.4%). The culprit in the slow growth in the SuperContest and declines in the oth-ers is the new Circa contest, which no doubt siphoned players in the process of drawing an impressive 1,875 entries, enough to cover its $1.5 million guarantee and juice the prizes for the in-contest quarterlies. Equally impressive was Station’s Last Man Standing contests, where the College contest had 3,555 entries, up 28.1%, and the Pro drew 6,492, up a whopping 42.2%.

Station edge—If you’re playing Station Casinos’ Pro Football Pick & Pay contest, either with the intention of going for the season prizes or just for single-weekend results, it’s important to get your picks in before the Thursday-night game. Thursday games are included in the Station results, so your chances of winning a prize will be substantially reduced if you don’t include it.

Reduced juice—This year there are two weekly promos for reduced juice, both offering -105 pricing (bet $105 to win $100, as opposed to the standard $110/$100). As it has for the past several years, West-gate Las Vegas has -105 for football sides on Thursdays from 3 pm till close (be sure to use the betting numbers off the -105 sheets). And new this year, Caesars Enter-tainment sports books are dealing -105 for NFL sides on Tuesdays from 8 am to 9 pm and you can bet it at the window or on the app.

Sunday totals—In addition to offering some inno-vative NO betting lines (e.g., the Astros won’t win the World Series), Circa is posting college totals on Sun-days, the earliest we’ve ever seen them put up.

Tout time—Football season brings on the tout bar-rage, meaning every goofball on the planet who thinks he knows something about football, or scarier yet, knows he doesn’t know anything at all, puts together a

picks service to prey on those seeking the “magic pill” for winning. OK, some reputable services do exist, but steer clear of those bombastic claims of “Monday-night locks” and “seventy-percent winners.” The latest move is to emphasize that betting sports is like playing the stock market. Actually, it is to some degree, but these groups make a big deal about having “inside informa-tion” and that’s usually BS. Last year, we heard an ad for a website that was trumpeting a 48-2 record. Really? Anyone doing 96% doesn’t need to sell picks, they need a mansion-on-an-island salesman.

NFL Updates—The polar opposite of a tout service is our new blog at LasVegasAdvisor.com that provides frequent NFL sports betting updates by Frank B. It’s a quick no-nonsense look at key developments and line movement in the sports betting market—information that has a lot of value for bettors. n

Win a Machine

Every Tuesday in October, the Plaza is holding a slot tournament to win a vintage slot, video poker, or keno machine. These are older machines that are no longer compatible with new casino technology, but still function perfectly. First place wins a machine and second gets $250 in free-play. Entry is free to top tiers of the players club and the two lowest tiers can qualify by earning 20 points, which should be $60 coin-in on all but the best video poker schedules. We say “should,” because we learned of this promotion close to deadline and couldn’t verify the coin-in requirement, so you should check first at the club desk. Regardless, it’s an easy qualify given the Plaza’s excellent video poker inventory. Also, eight players will win machines via a month-long “points chal-lenge,” but you should participate in this one only if you’re a volume player. n

Pluribus Raises

Chalk up another one for the machines. An artificial intelligence-based poker-playing computer dubbed Pluribus beat a table of five “elite professional” poker players in a game of no-limit hold ‘em. After tweaking the program through a series of multi-player games, the developers “trained” Pluribus for eight days by playing trillions of hands against itself, then analyzing the results in a process called “counterfactual regret minimiza-tion,” which human poker players essentially use all the time when they ask one another how they might’ve played particular hands differently. The entire game was conducted online, so Pluribus wasn’t looking for tells, but the computer did know “when to bluff, when to call

Gambling continued …

OCTOBER 2019 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11

someone else’s bluff, and when to vary its behavior so other players couldn’t pinpoint its strategy.” Computers (known as DeepStack and Libratus) had beaten single players at poker previously, but had never come out on top in a multi-player format. One of the human players, four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias, said, “The success of Pluribus shows that poker can be boiled down to nothing but math. Pure numbers and percent-ages. It’s solving the game itself.” n

Ivey Winnings Garnished

Poker superstar Phil Ivey’s total cashes of $133,398 in this year’s World Series of Poker were confiscated by U.S. Marshals on behalf of the Borgata in Atlantic City, to which Ivey owes more than $10 million as a result of the judgment regarding his baccarat win there (LVA 6/14). An article at cardplayer.com says, “While Ivey was running deep in the Poker Players Championship, a Borgata lawyer served notice to WSOP management that they›d obtained a writ of execution against Ivey for his cash. It wasn’t confirmed that the WSOP forked over the money until last week. The article adds, «The latest development in the saga effectively ends the chances that the poker world will see Ivey play a poker continued on next page

tournament in the United States any time soon. n

Gambling Notes

Flamingo Jackpot—A Wisconsin man hit a royal flush at the Flamingo, taking down a $1.3 million pro-gressive jackpot. He’s the eighth player in nine months to win $1 million or more while playing the $5 progres-sive table-game side bet at Caesars casinos.

Hoops Contest—The Westgate is debuting a new basketball contest. The entry fee is $250 (three max) for the Pro Basketball Season Wins Challenge. The deadline to enter is October 22.

M Loss Rebate—The rebate-on-loss sign-up pro-motion at M Resort is back, and it’s a juicy $500 offer. It’s hard to get too excited about this one, since they switch it on and off so frequently and the rules are typi-cally overly restrictive, but it’s worth taking a look if you’re not already a Marquee Rewards Club member (get some background on this offer in LVA 8/17).

Sahara—The Infinity high-limit lounge has opened with table games and video poker at the bar.

The STRAT—The Link Slot Lounge has opened, featuring slots from the Aristocrat Link series.

2019 Football Team MeetingsHere’s this year’s list of local

bars that support a specific NFL team. Every Sunday and on Monday and Thursday nights during football season, the following places fill up with former residents of, or current visitors from, the teams’ home-towns. Many offer food and drink specials that sometimes include cuisine from back home. The com-bination of lots of people rooting for the same team and everyone being from the same place makes for a super-charged atmosphere in most cases. In fact, these are often the best venues for viewing the games (when that bar’s team is playing), even if you aren’t from that city.

The list that follows has 50 options that cover 19 of the 32 NFL teams. This year there was a notice-able drop in both categories, down from 63 bars following 22 teams last year. The Bears lead the way with seven bars following them. The

Packers are next with six and the Raiders have five.

49ers—High Score Bar & Arcade, Joey’s, Time-Out Sports Bar; Bears—Brando’s, Rosati’s (N. Rainbow), Shuck’s (N. Durango), Windy City Beefs N Pizza, Bar Code Burger Bar, Joe’s Bar, Aurelio’s Pizza; Bills—Johnny Mac’s, Moon Doggies, Stake Out, Town Center Lounge; Broncos—Black Moun-tain Grill, Four-Mile-Bar, Jakes Bar; Browns—Boulevard Bar & Grill, Giuseppe’s, Kopper Keg West, Tap House; Chiefs—Blue Diamond Saloon; Cowboys—Mr. D’s; Dol-phins—Tommy Rocker’s; Eagles—Torrey Pines Pub; Lions—Crowbar; Packers—Big Dog’s Draft House, Jackson’s, Rum Runner (three: Boulder Highway, Tropicana, & E. Desert Inn), The Plate Bar & Grill; Patriots—Old Vegas Tavern, Three Angry Wives Pub; Raiders—Leg-ends Sports Bar & Grill, Lucy’s Bar

& Grill, Good Timez Billards (W. Charleston), Chanclas Cantina, Jackpot Bar & Grill; Rams—Pan-cho’s Mexican Restaurant, The Tavern; Ravens—Crab Corner (S. Rainbow); Saints—Lola’s Louisiana Kitchen (two: N. Town Center Dr. & W. Charelston), Rhythm Kitchen; Seahawks—Scooter’s; Steelers—Noreen’s; Vikings—Blue Ox Cen-tral, Blue Ox Tavern, Blue Ox East.

Teams dropping off from last year are the Giants, Redskins, and Cardinals, which join the Bengals, Buccaneers, Chargers, Colts, Fal-cons, Jaguars, Jets, Panthers, Tex-ans, and Titans as teams without bars.

This is an evolving list that we keep current at LasVegasAdvisor.com, where you’ll find an interac-tive map that allows you to better determine where they are through-out the city and in relation to one another.

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019

Gambling continued …

Arizona Charlie’s Boulder—The live table games that we reported removed last month have been replaced by Interblock electronic table games, just as they were at Wild Wild West earlier this year.

Big Dogs—The New England Patriots being favored by 19 over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 was trumped in Week 3 with two games closing with spreads of more than 20. The Patriots were -21 favorites over the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys were -22 over the Dolphins. Only the Jets covered.

Laughlin Poker—The poker rooms at the Colorado Belle and Avi have closed. That leaves only two poker rooms in Laughlin, one at Riverside and the other at Harrah’s. n

Video Poker Lost and Found

If you play Pass the Pigskin at Silverton, the best 25¢ bar schedule is 7/5 Bonus Poker (98.01%). Assum-ing you’ll win the bonus if you hit a quad, you’re playing at a theoretical 99.2%.

The online database vpFREE2 reports that Wynn and Encore have removed several of their highest-returning schedules and the current best game is 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%) starting at $5. The best game for quarters is 7/5 Bonus Poker, available at Wynn only.

Also reported by vpFREE2, Palace Station has added 25¢ Full Pay Deuces Wild (100.76%). It’s also available for 5¢, along with 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17%) from 5¢ to $1, Loose Deuces paying 15 for 5-of-a-kind and 8 for SF (100.15%) from 5¢ to 25¢, 10/6 Double Double Bonus (100.07%) from 5¢ to $1, and sev-eral other schedules returning over 99%.

If you’re not overly concerned about players club points, check out the quarter 10/6 DDB progressive in the Furnace Bar at Downtown Grand. The royal flush was at $1,594 on our last visit, yielding a 101.39% return with perfect play. DG stopped awarding points for video poker for a short time, but has amended that and now gives a low, but better than zero, .04%.

Both Crown & Anchor bars continue to offer their three-times-daily play-$200-get-$20 bonus. You can play once per day midnight-1 am, noon-1 pm, or 5-6 pm. You might even run into Anthony Curtis, who likes to play it for a lunch break or in the 5 pm window after work.

Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes run on Tues-days in the Silverado Lounge at South Point—beginner classes at noon and intermediate at 2 pm, except where otherwise noted. Must be 21. Topics are 9/5 Super Double Bonus (on 10/1); 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (10/8); Advanced 9/6 Jacks or Better at noon and Advanced 9/6

Bonus Poker Deluxe at 2 pm (10/15); NSU Deuces Wild (10/22); 9-4-4 Deuces Bonus Poker, one class only at noon (10/29). Be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tues-day blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at Las VegasAdvisor.com. n

Fast Track

Sahara Birthday Swipe—You can swipe your club card for a prize at a Sahara kiosk one time during your birthday month. We did it and got 5,000 club points ($2). All potential prizes that we saw were of a similar low level.

Blood Aces—According to Deadline.com, the 2015 biography of Benny Binion, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion by Dallas Morning News reporter Doug J. Swanson, will be adapted for television.

Dead Guys Don’t Count—According to a blurb in the LV Review-Journal under the headline “Passenger Must Have Pulse,” a hearse driver was cited for driving in the HOV lane on I-15 near Sahara Avenue. He told the Nevada Highway Patrol officer who pulled him over that he thought the corpse he was transporting met the carpool requirement. The hearse driver had a sense of humor, but NHP apparently doesn’t. During the first month of HOV enforcement, 518 citations were handed out. The Nevada Department of Transportation is under pressure to reduce enforcement to peak hours.

It’s a Girl!—Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage has a new resident. The baby girl, named Lady Ace to honor the hometown WNBA team, is the first in a fourth generation of dolphins at the Habitat; her great-grandmother, Duchess, is 44 and has lived 15 years past her life expectancy. Visitors can see the new dolphin during Secret Garden hours, 10 am to 6 pm daily. Admission is $22 for adults, $17 for children ages 4-12, and 3 and under free.

Autumn at Bellagio—The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden has unveiled its 2019 fall display, which celebrates the culture of India. “Indian Sum-mer” features 20,000 preserved roses decorating floral arches, royal elephants, an Indian wedding scene and a 28-foot enchanted talking tree. The exhibit runs through November 30.

Big Pay—Sands Corp’s Sheldon Adelson led the list of highest-paid casino executives in 2018, with $24 million in total compensation. He was followed by Wynn Las Vegas’ Matt Maddox ($17 million), CET’s Mark Fris-sora ($13.2 million), MRI’s Jim Murren ($12.8 million), and Boyd’s Keith Smith ($7.8 million). It’s the same five at the top of the list as last year, with the exception of Maddox taking the place of Steve Wynn. All had less in compensation than they had in 2017. n

Best rates at press time from sample of 54 Las Vegas casinos. Rates NOT guaranteed, subject to change without notice, and do not include tax. Lower prices may be available online.

RO

OM

RATES

WEEKENDEl Cortez • $78Wild Wild West • $80Plaza • $81

Downtown Grand • $77Circus Circus • $85Luxor • $93

Palms • $138 Caesars Palace • $148Hard Rock • $151

WEEKENDWild Wild West • $55Fremont • $67Main Street Station • $67

Downtown Grand • $60Tuscany • $61Circus Circus • $71

Palms • $116Hard Rock • $126Mirage • $136

WEEKDAYFour Queens • $39El Cortez • $45Fremont • $50

Circus Circus • $51Downtown Grand • $53Tuscany • $55

Hard Rock • $81Palms • $98Paris • $102

WEEKENDMain Street Station • $55California • $67Fremont • $67

Downtown Grand • $60Westgate Las Vegas • $68Circus Circus • $75

Hard Rock • $96Paris • $128Mirage • $136

WEEKDAYFour Queens • $49El Cortez • $52Silver Sevens • $54

Downtown Grand • $53Circus Circus • $54Tuscany • $55

Hard Rock • $86Palms • $98 Paris • $106

WEEKDAYEl Cortez • $41Wild Wild West • $41Four Queens • $42

Downtown Grand • $53Tuscany • $55Circus Circus • $58

Hard Rock • $81Palms • $98 Mirage • $106

WEA

THER Mean 67° Avg. Max. 81° Avg. Min. 53° Pools: Open

Balmy days, cool evenings toward the end of the month.

Attire: Short sleeves during the day, light jacket for evenings.

Mean 53° Avg. Max. 65° Avg. Min. 40° Pools: ClosedTemperatures drop dramatically this month. Crisp days, cold nights.

Attire: Bring something warm, especially for evenings.

SEPTEMBER

DATES

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DECEMBER

FEBRUARY

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

JANUARY

DECEMBER NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

11-13 Nat’l Marijuana Business Conf.—26,000

7–10 Consumer Tech. Assoc.—180,000 12–16 Promotional Products Assoc. Int’l—22,500 21–23 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show—33,000 21–23 Int’l Builders Show—68,000 21–24 Shooting, Hunting, & Outdoor Expo—61,000 22–25 Adult Entertainment Expo—25,000 26–30 Las Vegas Market 2020—50,000 27–30 Int’l Surface Event—25,000

2–5 Off-Price Specialist 2020—11,500 4–7 World of Concrete 2020—60,000 5–7 MAGIC Marketplace Spring—78,000 15–17 Nat’l Automobile Dealers–Winter—30,000 16–19 Western Veterinary Annual 2020—15,000

Mean 46° Avg. Max. 58° Avg. Min. 33° Pools: ClosedEvening temperatures dip into the 30s and even into the 20s. The sun makes an occasional appearance.

Attire: Desert or not, it’s wintertime and it’s cold. Dress warmly.

Then One Day … by Chris Andrews$14.96 (+S&H)

Chris Andrews started booking parlay cards in the fifth grade under the watchful eye of his Uncle Jack Franzi. He followed Uncle Jack to Las Vegas shortly after graduating from college and landed his first job in the sports book at the Stardust during the wildcat early years of legal sports betting in Nevada.

After a stint behind the counter at the Barbary Coast, Chris became the youngest sports book director in the business at the Club Cal Neva in Reno. That’s when he started to make his mark on the industry: inventing the pleaser card; 10-point teaser cards; and introducing Super Bowl-style prop bets for Monday Night Football games.

Packed with classic stories from both sides of the counter, Then One Day offers a unique look at how a sports book director talks, thinks, and makes book—both in the “good-old-days” and today.

Gambling Wizards by Richard Munchkin$11.21 (+S&H)

One of the most sophisticated non-mathematical gambling books on the market. Gambling Wizards focuses on eight of the most successful gamblers of all time, providing details about their methods, while educating the reader along the way on the language and concepts used by the pros.

The Frugal Gambler Casino GuideJean Scott • $12.71 +S&H ($16.95 Retail)

Though Jean Scott was well-known to a select few Las Vegas aficionados throughout the ’90s, it wasn’t until the publication of The Frugal Gambler in 1998 that she be-came a household name to casino players across the coun-try. Since then, it’s likely that no gambling personality has been featured more often in the media than this “Gambling Grandma.” Her frequent national publicity, her long-term success in casinos around the world, and the solid low-rolling advantage-play techniques she’s divulged along the way have all helped catapult Scott’s frugal-gambler series into the ranks of best-selling gambling books.

The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide both updates and backdates The Frugal Gambler and More Frugal Gambling by covering, in comprehensive detail, the state-of-the-art of casino gambling for low-rollers and the concepts on which frugal gambling is built: how to lose less and play longer.

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