I think some potential visitors to Vegas don't appreciate just how inexpensive rooms can be here, particularly if you visit during the "off-season," like, about now. The Las Vegas Advisor's Anthony Curtis reports on his annual July canvas of room rates, and among other finds: eight with rates under $20. Considering some properties throw in bonuses like food credits and free play, the effective room rate gets even lower. And as my long-term readers may recall, the more often you stay, the more often they'll contact you with discounted or free rooms (well...free except for those pesky resort fees, in most cases).
Boy, traffic for the morning commute was sure snarled up the Monday after Electric Daisy Carnival. Oh, how would I know? Because if you follow the local TV news stations on Twitter, you'll get up-to-the-minute info on all the latest traffic mishaps and jams. Try following @VegasMyNews3, @8NewsNow and @KTNV. I can't tell you how many times checking this first thing in the morning has potentially saved me a tardy slip at the office.
Want to go heads-up against some of the legendary greats in the poker game, and not feel a twinge of guilt about it? Sunday, July 6 at 5 p.m., Planet Hollywood hosts the first Charity Series of Poker. Buy-in is $260+40 with $100 re-buys and add-ons...and 50% of the prize pool will be donated to the Three Square Food Bank. You, on the other hand, may be squaring off against the likes of will include Chris Moneymaker, Carlos Mortensen, Ryan Riess, Greg Merson, Mike Matusow, Mike Mizrachi, Gavin Smith, Annette Obrestad, Will Failla, and Tony Dunst...hey, as a bonus, maybe you can get a live critique of your last hand! Or not.
Happy Fourth, everybody! Who wants to celebrate with a chance to win prizes? WHAT'S ON Magazine is hosting its 2014 Visitors Choice Awards, and casting your vote every week between now and August 1 gets you a chance to win weekly prizes, as well as the Grand Prize giveaway of a Las Vegas New Year's Eve package! This week's category, "The Plate," asks for your favorite dining options, and this week's prize is a restaurant gift certificate. Get ready to play some favorites!
His name is almost synonymous with the poker boom, and now Chris Moneymaker, famed as the then-amateur who took down the World Series of Poker main event in 2003, is the subject of Eric Raksin's book The Moneymaker Effect. On Monday, July 7, Moneymaker and other players in that story will be signing copies on the WSOP main stage at the Rio, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Yesterday, Westgate Resorts Ltd. officially announced its acquisition of the LVH - formerly the Las Vegas Hilton, and before that the International Hotel, back when Elvis played there in the Sixties. Westgate, the baby of timeshare king David Siegel, will convert the property into the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the largest timeshare resort in town. Workers immediately began removing the "LVH" letters from the iconic sign, at one time reputedly the largest free-standing sign in the world. (At least, so a dealer there told me back in its Hilton days.)
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies bring their ska-swing sound to the Silverton's Veil Pavilion on Saturday, July 5. The "Zoot Suit Riot" guys are touring in support of their ninth album, Please Return the Evening: The Cherry Poppin' Daddies Salute the Music of the Rat Pack, so expect your swing with a little ring-a-ding-ding, as the band mix up their usual repertoire with a selection of Frankie, Dean and Sammy covers. This one's a 21-and-over show, kids.
