What's the Deal With...?

Hi Vegas fans,

As much as I study Vegas, I've been pondering a few things lately; some I have answers for, some I do not.

What's the deal with...

• Smut peddlers on the Strip? They hand out those little cards with girlie pictures on them promoting topless and bottomless dancers. Does this really work? Do people take those cards and say to themselves, "oh yeah! There are strip clubs in town! I forgot!"
• Lucky 20 at the Trop? It used to be pretty darned cool. You'd look at a big case full of merchandise and then decide if it was worth your money or not. For me, it was most of the time, because I like Vegas t-shirts, sweat shirts and ball caps. But now, the case has dwindled to really junky stuff, and it's much smaller. I hope they build it back to its former greatness.
• 6-5 Multi-deck blackjack? There's no reason for it, which is why I play at Excal, the Trop or the Strat, where I partake in 3-2 blackjack goodness. Most of the properties on the Strip have gone over to the evil side, and most are owned by Harrah's. Coincidence? I think not.
• Dueling pianos? They have them in several places around town, and I just don't get it.
• Upscale, upscale and more upscale? Let's face it, the economy is (at best) in recovery. Yet there's still lots of upscale shopping, swanky casinos (Aria, for example), food that costs more than my college tuition, and plush hotel rooms. Is somebody paying for this stuff? I guess so, but it ain't me.

Although I don't understand all of this stuff, I do understand that it's not only part of Vegas, it's part of what makes Vegas tick. So viva smut peddlers, viva out-of-tune piano duelers, viva $9000 shoes. May we meet again soon...

Mike

The Stratosphere

I spent month-long vacations in the stratosphere, and you know it's really hard to hold your breath -- Bruce Springsteen - Growin' Up

I wish I could spend month-long vacations in the Stratosphere. It's one of my favorite casinos. Why? Here are my top 10 reasons why the Strat is a great place:

10. Parking. Unlike many casinos, it's not a maze of confusing twists and turns. It's simple: drive up to the 5th floor, turn right, park near the elevator. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor to get to the casino. Which leads to #9...

9. Easy casino navigation. On more than one occasion, I've gotten lost in the bigger casinos like Caesars and the Venetian. The Strat is simple. Once you park and get to the 3rd floor (see #10 above), you take the escalator down to the casino, and it's all laid out for you. Even without a cell phone, you can find friends at the tables or machines.

8. It's like an old friend. It's familiar, it's funky, and it's fun. And unlike the Sahara, you don't have to smoke when you go inside. Of course, like most casinos, it helps if you do.

7. Cocktail waitresses. They aren't the most glamorous. They don't wear the skimpiest outfits. But they are friendly and they keep the free drinks coming, especially if you tip and are friendly to them.

6. Bathrooms. Generally clean, but more importantly, very accessible. There are two in the casino that are very easy to get to in an emergency (important considering free drinks as noted in #7 above)

5. The pit bosses. Generally good-natured and willing to comp you a little more if you play there a lot. Their type can be difficult, mean, and dismissive if they want to be. At the Strat, I've encountered some pretty decent pit bosses.

4. The craps box men. At the craps tables, there are no harsher box men in any casino. They are constantly on those craps dealers. I would hate to be them, but it makes them better. Dealing craps can't be easy. There's a lot of money on the table, and I honestly don't know how they keep track of it because everyone puts different bets down for different amounts. The box men at the Strat know their stuff and are very strict about how the game is run. That's good news for players.

3. The rules. All multi-deck games are 3-2 blackjack (are you listening, Harrah's? That's why I don't play in your casinos any more!). The other rules are good (resplit aces once) and there are plenty of $5 blackjack tables, even on weekends.

2.There is also always a $5 craps table available, too.

1. The dealers. At the tables, most dealers are fun, friendly and remember you. While this is true at many casinos, it's particularly true at the Strat. When I was there last week, one dealer (Gina) was all smiles and said she remembered me from "last time" which was months ago! She appreciates being a good dealer. She related to me that she understands how lucky she is to have a job during this economic downturn.

She said that it used to be different. When dealers got laid off or fired, they would just go to another casino. Not any more. Competition is tough, and it has really made the dealers appreciate their customers more. She gets it, and I appreciate that. Plus, she's a great blackjack dealer - very professional and yet very friendly. Kudos, Gina - I'll see you next time I spend my vacation in the Stratosphere.

That's my list. Obviously, I really like this place. It's undergone some changes, but Bob Stupak had a dream, and it was a good one. Viva la Strat.

Mike

Back from the Strip

Highlights from Vegas:

- Thursday was the best day of the trip. I think. My wife (Martha) went to bed early, so my buddy Steve and I watched/bet on college basketball in the Book at Bill's. Everyone around was sharing these mini-pitchers of beer, nicely pouring each other drinks into these little plastic cups. Steve goes up to the bar, and I’m thinking, “oh he’ll get us a pitcher and two cups and we’ll split it.” No, he comes back with 2 pitchers and we had a contest to see who could finish first. He won, but just barely. Then, we played craps and then blackjack and I drank rum and cokes. I think. At midnight, I returned to the room… or at least tried. I had a difficult time and had to call my wife and ask for help. When she opened the door, she asked the two most important questions: “Do you have your wallet?” and “Is there any money in it?” I was proud to answer yes to both questions!

- Friday I took my foot off the accelerator a bit but still had fun. Martha and I went to the top of the Eiffel tower and took some pictures. Great view – but it was really cold and windy.

- Sat morning we did this goofy bus tour with my fam. It was fun, and a Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator sang Happy Birthday to me Marilyn Monroe style. I owe my sister big time for that one.

- Saw Wayne Newton Sat night. It was good to see a legend in concert. His voice is not what it used to be (he’s been singing for over 60 years, so it’s no doubt) but he put on a good show and laughed a lot. Martha loved it, and I was happy.

- Sunday I was trying to fight off a cold and really wanted to hit it hard Sunday night, so I took a lot of medication. I was able to hang with Steve for a while and we had fun. We went to the Stratosphere (great place to play blackjack and craps) and we made some money. The best part was the two drunk dudes from Australia at the blackjack table with us. At one point, one guy purchased a cigar and proceeded to light it up. The pit boss walked over to him and smiled but didn’t say anything for a minute. Then he finally piped up, “You know you lit the wrong end, don’t you?” Everyone at the table cracked up, including the guy with the cigar. Then his buddy joked, “that’s the way we do it in Australia; it’s gangster style.” Good times.

Viva,

Mike

It's Vegas Time Again

Hi Vegas fans,

A lot of my friends ask me "so when's your next trip?" usually followed by "how many times you been?" The former is always easier to answer than the latter. I can easily tell you the months, weeks, or days until my next adventure because there's always a countdown. The next one is at Bally's in seven days. One week!

How many times have I been? Lost track. I bet if I really thought about it, I could count them. But I don't want to. I'd rather think about how much fun these trips are and how much I want to continue to take them. I don't ever really know what's going to happen when I get there, and I guess that's what's the most fun. I have ideas about what I want to do, but when I get there it's anybody's guess.

And I think that's what I love most about writing the book and updating the site. Although it's a ton of work, and it's not the only thing I do, I really love it when it comes together. I've watched it grow over the years, and I'm pretty danged proud of it. The site needs some fresh paint (yeah, I'll be getting to that soon...), but the content is good and the concept works: help people find the things that they like to do in Las Vegas.

I have fun with it. I hope you do, too.
Viva,
Mike

The Ups and Downs of Wayne Newton's Career

Wayne Newton is 67 years old and currently headlining the Tropicana with his show, "Once Before I Go." I think the title pretty much tells us that this may be it for Mr. Las Vegas. His career has spanned 6 decades, so he deserves a rest from the biz.

But it might be a while before he can actually start collecting those Social Security checks. He's being sued and owes a lot of money, and it's possible that he could lose his ranch (Shenandoah). This isn't the first time he's been in financial trouble. In 1992, he claimed bankruptcy after a long, bitter lawsuit with NBC. Back then, he worked this way out of debt. Depending on the outcome of the suits against him now, he may need to do that again.

And that may be difficult. His voice is weak (after all, he has been singing for over 60 years!) and his show has not been as successful as other comeback tours. In addition to his financial woes, he's had family issues (his daughter is very sick and his sister recently died unexpectedly). Still, he is out there singing and giving it his best shot.

His success has been clearly documented - at his peak he was one of the most prolific and highest paid entertainers. His shows in the past received rave reviews, mostly above criticism and cynicism. Let's face it, it's probably not always been easy to be "Mr. Las Vegas" - especially before the Big Vegas Boom that started the early 90s.

There are some things about Wayne Newton that kind of make me cringe. Like his legendary battle with Johnny Carson, which even he admits hurt him more than Carson. And he's barely spoken to his brother after a rift when they were kids and performed together.

And then there are things that impress me. His tours with the USO and commitment to entertaining troops, for example. And how many entertainers do you know play 13 instruments? Or have performed 25,000 shows in Las Vegas... and that number was recorded over 16 years ago! Not unlike the history of Vegas, the history of Wayne Newton seems complex with peaks and valleys.

And there are still chapters to unfold before he hangs up the tux. Right now, it seems like Mr. Las Vegas still loves performing, and that's the main reason why he's on stage. I would hate to think that he will need to continue to perform for financial reasons long after he's ready to retire. I wish him luck and hope he can ride into the sunset on one of his beautiful Arabian horses... once before he goes.

Viva,
Mike

Marie Osmond

I've gotta be honest. I've never been a big fan of the Osmonds. The whole variety show, the whole Mormon thing, the cheesy 70's factor - it just never worked for me. I grew up in the 70s, and when I look back at that error, there's a lot that makes me cringe (disco, bell bottoms... I could go on here). And when I heard that Donnie & Marie were headlining a show at the Flamingo, I was not enthused.

But recent events have made me respect Marie Osmond. Her adopted son, Michael Blosil, took his own life on February 26th after a long bout with depression. She was obviously devastated. But yesterday she returned to the stage with her brother and fought tears to complete the performance.

Guts. That's the only thing that comes to mind. Me? I would've crawled up into a ball and not come out for a long time. But many entertainers work through their pain, their tragedies just as they celebrate their triumphs and successes. It's part of their job.

Las Vegas plays a unique role in all of this. Most entertainers travel from place to place, night after night and try to make each show special for a specific city. They miss their kids' birthdays, their anniversaries, and the comforts of being home. But Las Vegas flips that dynamic. Audiences come from all over, and the entertainers stay in one place. It's where you go once you've "made it" and you're tired of trains, planes and tour buses.

Still, I can't imagine working through such a tragic event. Michael was only 18. 18. But Marie got up there and sang her heart out Tuesday night anyway. It's what she does. Now I'm not going to run out and buy every Donnie & Marie cd or download their songs to my iPod, but I have a lot of respect for Marie. And my heart goes out to her and her family.

Viva,
Mike

Something for Everyone

Hi Vegas fans,

My BIG TRIP to the Strip is coming up in a little over two weeks. I'm approaching a milestone birthday, and for this adventure, my family is going to be joining me. The star-studded cast is growing.

It started with my sister and brother-in-law, who are Vegas fans and have been there a few times. They convinced my parents to join us. Then my aunt, uncle and a cousin threw their hats in the ring. Now there's rumors that another cousin, with his wife and young kids, are coming, too. And he's trying to convince my oldest brother to come along. Add to that my wife and my best buddy, Steve, and I've got an entourage!

The good news is that we're all in agreement that we can do whatever we want while we're there and that we don't have to be joined at the hip. We have some fun activities planned for the group, but for the most part we have no agenda. I've got a pretty good idea of how I want to spend my time, but when I get to Vegas I never really know what will happen. Maybe that's the best part!

Some of these folks are Vegas veterans, and some haven't been in a long time. I'm sure they'll ask me questions about this or that because I've written the book, and I hope I can help. But for the most part, Vegas is about exploration. This trip will prove that no matter what you like to do, no matter who is in your entourage, and no matter when you go to Vegas, it's about fun and escape. Well, that and $5 blackjack and craps at the Strat, with a rum and Coke in my hand.

Viva,
Mike