Football Season - Prime Time for Vegas Sports Books

Hi Vegas fans,
Football season is right around the corner. Now that the pro football lockout dust has settled and the college football teams have gone through a few scandals, it's time to place some bets on the actual games.

Sports books come in all shapes and sizes. Generally, the nicer casinos have big books with a bunch of large screen TVs, fancy seating, digital boards with every conceivable game, and lots of food and drink available in a nearby deli. I love the comfy seating and the upscale atmosphere of the bigger books.

But don't rule out smaller books. Sometimes they have better odds, and they also have more colorful characters, who are fun to watch. Also, you'll usually find more promotions - like a huge payout on parlays - to try to draw you in.

Wherever you decide to go, expect big crowds on game day. Get there early to get a seat, and go with a friend who will hold it for you while you take a bathroom break from the beers you're drinking while watching the games (don't forget to tip the cocktail waitresses!).

Here are some of my favorite Vegas books and a few contests to get your football motor running:

• Although the Las Vegas Hilton is going through some tough times financially, they still have the best book in Vegas. Tons of seats, lots of big screens, and even a small non-smoking section.
• If you like upscale, try the Bellagio or Lagasse's Stadium at Palazzo.
• Station Casinos, which include the Fiestas, Green Valley Ranch, and El Cortez, are promoting a $2 million giveaway contest.
• The book at the Stratosphere is pretty small, but it's also colorful. During football season, they also open up one of their banquet rooms and have a big party with food, booze, and even a few blackjack tables that you can visit when your team is losing by 35 points. Good times.
• Boyd properties - which include Main Street Station, Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, Sam's Town, California and Fremont - have a Pick the Pros contest with over $500k in prizes.

Good luck and enjoy!
Viva,
Mike

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Vegas Style

Hi Vegas fans,
It's time for another installment of everyone's favorite topics in Las Vegas.

The Good:
There's plenty of good stuff going on in Vegas, and it looks like some key numbers are starting to get better, too. According to the Las Vegas Advisor, visitation was up 7 percent in June, which makes 16 straight months of increased visitors. In addition, Strip revenues were up 32 percent in June. Good news for the casinos, especially the megas (Caesars Entertainment and Mirage Resorts International). Not so great news for the players losing that money, but overall this is a good sign for the city.

The Bad:
It looks like Elvis will be leaving the building at Aria. The Cirque show will be closing, according to the Las Vegas Advisor, after less-than-stellar reviews. It's unusual for a Cirque show to shut its doors when it has run less than 2 years. Are there just too many of them?

In other bad news from the LVA, the Hilton is defaulting on its debt. This off-Strip property has been trying to rebrand itself for a while, but it just has not had much luck. This is too bad, really. They have a great Sports Book, which includes a rare non-smoking room. Here's hoping they'll turn it around.

The Ugly:
I'm not big on reality shows, and if you need to know why, look no further than this last item from the LVA. A Los Angeles-based production company "is now looking for six housewives for a new reality show set in a Las Vegas trailer park. Would-be stars of the show are asked to submit a 5-minute video about themselves and their significant others by October 1." Sure sign of the Apocalypse. Can we please get back to more shows like the Travel Channel's "Best of Vegas" type series and get rid of these reality shows? Please?

Viva,
Mike

Is Downtown the New Strip?

Hi Vegas fans,
For a few years I've been saying... well, to anyone who will listen to me... downtown Las Vegas has great potential. The Strip continues to build big and bold - see CityCenter and Cosmo for recent examples - and while these properties are beautiful, they are upscale and expensive.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Strip. I spend a lot of time on the Strip. But for the average Joe and Jane, downtown is a very attractive alternative. Years ago, I would not have recommended staying or playing downtown. Not even to people I didn't like. It was a little run down, a little dangerous, a little crummy. But they have really turned it around.

And I'm not just talking about the thriving Fremont East district, with it's boutique bars and restaurants. I'm talking about the actual hotels and casinos, too. There are plenty of examples, and I'd just like to highlight a few:

The Plaza
The Plaza is undergoing a renovation and will officially reopen September 1st. Now here's a place that was, honestly, pretty dank and dull the last time I visited it. Remember the casino that Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie went to in Vegas Vacation? You know, games like "What Number Am I Thinking" and Rock Paper Scissors" and a buffet with choices of "blue" or "yellow."

But that was right before they closed, and I'm really looking forward to the reopening. New rooms, new restaurants a new theater - all look wonderful. The Plaza's website shows a new logo with the phrase "a modern classic." Perfect. This joint is at the heart of Las Vegas' humble beginnings, the railroad station that brought people to the city at the turn of the 20th century. So combining that with an updated hotel at a reasonable price is a very exciting idea to me. I wish them much success!

Gold Spike
Gold Spike also recently underwent major renovations. Word on the street was that the Spike might not survive. Surprise. It's a little out of the way, but still a great hotel and a great value.

Golden Gate
Here's something from the Golden Gate's website:

You can’t do this on the Strip: Party inside with Dancing Dealers and take a few easy steps outside onto Las Vegas’ most dynamic street. Look ten stories up at fantastic light shows on the world’s biggest video monster (yes, it’s gigantic). The Fremont Street Experience is four neon blocks of party action with 3 stages, dancing DJ’s, tribute bands, a zip-line overhead and bars everywhere. And it’s free. Really... Forget the Strip mega-hassle. Spend less time walking and more time dancing in the street!

All of these properties are targeting a young, hip audience. While the Strip is building extravagant hotels that mostly older, richer folks can afford, downtown just might be the place to go for the average Jane and average Joe.

Viva,
Mike

Of Hooters and Quickie Weddings

Ok Vegas fans,
These two topics are not linked, so get your minds out of the gutter. I just happened to notice stories about both on the same day. Let's take a look at each one:

Hooters files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I think we all saw this coming. Here's why. Hooters in many cities is an edgy, forbidden fruit type of deal. In Vegas, it's mild -at best. On my last trip to Vegas, my buddy and I visited it to see if they had good blackjack/craps rules. They did not. We thought that the Hooters brand might attempt to draw customers in with fun, sexy dealers, bikini bull riding, or something else of value. They did not. The whole joint kind of reeked of mediocrity and boredom. Not what you want in a Vegas casino.

Las Vegas wedding chapels see a huge decline in business. People just ain't gettin' hitched in Vegas like they used to. The destination wedding is a little extravagant. But I say it's worth it. Where else can you have Elvis perform at your ceremony? Or, if you're in a hurry, just stay in your car and pull up to the next window. Easier than fast food.

Viva,
Mike

Flamingo Website

Hi Vegas fans,

As you know, I tend to rail on Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) for a few main reasons. First, their table games typically have horrible rules, especially for us average Joes. Second, they try to build consistency and brand recognition but in doing so have taken unique properties and turned them into blah. Finally, navigating (and even looking at) CEC websites is a painful experience.

For a major corporation who has a stake in all things Vegas, they sure don't make their sites very appealing. Remember your dad's old paisley ties that were wide enough to be bibs? Remember how you wanted to hurl when he kept wearing those well into this decade? That's how I typically respond to CEC websites.

However, I like to be a positive person. I like to give credit where credit is due. I like to avoid hurling. So here it goes.

The Flamingo website contains a cool video on the home page that makes me think maybe, just maybe CEC is starting to turn it around. Now, granted, it's a modest little video that only lasts about 30 seconds, so it's not like it's going to win a Webbie or anything. But it's good. Be sure to watch it (at 30 seconds, you can't go wrong), but here's a synopsis:

It begins with an old station wagon, complete with a radio (not a stereo with a CD player or Auxiliary jack for your MP3 player, just a radio that you tune to stations) and an old analog clock. It drives into the desert, and then you see the sparkle of a pool. The familiar Flamingo sign is out of focus, but you can see the classic Vegas neon lights, and you know we're getting closer. Then, some beautiful women. Of course. A woman puts on her lipstick, then there's scenes of them by the pool. The Flamingo sign comes into focus. Then, fellas in sunglasses are enjoying a drink. Everyone looks happy. Then the station wagon drives off into the sunset.

What's so great about this? Here's what I like about it:

• It's perfect for the web. They pack a ton of good stuff in half a minute. Lots of good images, cool music, and few spoken words. Even with the sound down, this is a fun video to watch.



• It blends the modern and the classic. It's in black-and-white, but yet you get a sense of modernism through the pool and the young folks enjoying drinks.



• It has character. This is what I'm craving from CEC. Nowhere in the video does the narrator say "Flamingo" or "Caesars" but you know when he's talking about "a place" he means that the Flamingo has always been a Vegas staple. That's their niche - Ben Siegel and pink flamingos. 1946 and a cool pool. Showgirls and art deco. Now blend that with modern Las Vegas and you have something.

And that's the feeling I get from the video, in a nutshell. The guys driving the station wagon aren't just going to meet some gals. They are going to meet some gals in Vegas, and they're going to have fun at a classic stop on the Strip. Bingo.

Now, if they would only change their blackjack tables to pay 3:2 instead of 6:5 in the 6 deck shoes, I might just play there....
Viva,
Mike

Simplifying Las Vegas Website... it's gettin' there!

Hi Vegas fans,
I've been chipping away at the website. You'll notice new stuff on the Home page, and the tables are slowly but surely coming along. Updating the tables takes a lot of time. I always learn so much by visiting the properties' websites and doing research on other Vegas sites. Sometimes I spend more time on a single property than I expect.

Take Encore, for example. That's a tough one. Encore is of course linked to Wynn, so when I go to the website to see what new restaurants, shows, etc. I can find, I wind up spending time trying to figure out what belongs to Wynn and what belongs to Encore. Essentially, these two properties are linked. But I like my website visitors to get a good sense of what the difference is between these properties, even if the differences are subtle. If you're searching Simplifying Las Vegas on you smart phone or tablet, you don't care if Encore and Wynn are sister properties... you want to know where XS is so you can dance your booty off until dawn. So when you search and see it's in Encore and not Wynn, you're saving yourself some time searching for it.

That's what I'm aiming to do with both my book and website. Make your life easier to find the stuff you want. That and give away fun stuff. Heck, I've given away a bunch of luggage tags since 2008, and I plan to keep giving them away. I want you to have a luggage tag on your bag, so please fill out my three-question trivia contest for your chance to win. I give one away every month. Same with the t-shirts. Don't miss out on your chance to win! No strings attached, no purchase necessary, no shoes no shirt no problem! This is Vegas, after all.

Please keep visiting the site and commenting on the blog, the forums (VegasTalk) and more. Always feel free to shoot me an e-mail with questions or comments. I love hearing from you, Vegas nuts!

Keep on the lookout for Simplifying Las Vegas 2012, coming soon...
Viva,
Mike

Casino Games and Las Vegas Odds

Hi Vegas fans,

Do you like math? Me neither. I'm not fast enough to count cards at blackjack. But, I know enough to play the good games and stay away from the bad ones.

There are plenty of sites and books that will give you the odds for the various games you can play in Vegas. The odds will vary slightly depending on the casino's rules. However, the breakdown is pretty similar - video poker and blackjack are the best player advantage games, assuming you find the tables/machines with the best rules and play perfectly every hand. Baccarat and craps are also good games. Slots, big wheels, keno and double-zero roulette tend to have the worst odds in the casino.

A lot of people think that the games with the better odds are harder to win or harder to play. Not true - it just takes a little practice. Take craps - the table is big and the felt has a bunch of stuff on it. But if you want to make your life easier (and make the plays with the best odds), just stick to the basic bets: pass line (backed up with odds - the only true fair shake you'll get in the casino) and come bets (backed up with odds). After you try it a few times, or watch other players do it, you'll see how easy it is.

Also, give yourself a break and don't feel guilty if you use a little of your money for the games with not-so-great odds every once in a while. The last time I was in Vegas, I was losing pretty steadily at blackjack. One night I decided to just throw $20 into a Wheel of Fortune, and for some reason I won $40.

You never know... but, you'll win more (and keep your losses to a minimum) if you stick to the games with the best odds.

Viva,

Mike