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Four Queens in downtown Las Vegas is bringing back its popular Silver Strike slots and we’ve got the exclusive details. The 12 cherished slot machines will once again be available for play on Sep. 19, 2024.

The machines with a cult-like following are unique because the bonus symbol gets you a special keepsake token. You can cash the Silver Strike coin in for $10 (sometimes $40), but what’s the fun in that? That’s like eating at a restaurant without taking a photo of your food first. What kind of freak even does that?

The Silver Strike machines were removed from the casino floor at Four Queens a few months back, causing a minor freak-out by ardent loyalists, but the machines are being consolidated and when they return, they’ll have a whole new set of token designs (see photos below). Cue the elation from Silver Strike nerds, a designation we happily embrace because we are one.

While the Silver Strike machines at Four Queens have been MIA, the only other Silver Strike machines downtown were at Plaza.

Silver Strike machines were used in private tournaments at Four Queens, but were not accessible by the public.

How popular are these machines? There’s a group called the Silver Strikers Club that follows any Silver Strike news with rabidity.

Here’s a video of what makes Silver Strike machines so special. Drum roll, please.

Yes, you can still win old-school money on these machines, but the tokens are a fun perk and simply unlike any other modern slot machine. When you win a Silver Strike token, it feels like you’re really winning something.

Previously, the Silver Strike machines at Four Queens occupied two banks and were scattered in a couple of other places on the casino floor. Yes, it’s weird we can tell you exactly where they were. Hey, you have things you obsess over. Like feet stepping on soft fruits and vegetables. Who’s the weirdo now?

Now, the machines will be in one place, near the hotel’s registration desk, not far from the valet entrance.

Public service announcement: Please don’t hog the machines if others are waiting. It’s like those dumbasses who play two coin machines at once at Circus Circus. Don’t get us started.

Hey, lady, leave some Silver Strikes for the rest of us! Told it’s taken four hours to accumulate this many tokens. @4QueensLV (h/t @seventensuited) pic.twitter.com/RsENhG6L45

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) January 28, 2022

As we said, Silver Strike machines have an enthusiastic following, with collectors sometimes camping out when new token designs are released.

For the Silver Strike relaunch, the Four Queens team (spearheaded by the casino’s Director of Slots Shaun Webster) have come up with a whole new set of tokens based upon playing card suits. Here’s a first look.

The whole Silver Strike token subculture is fascinating, and as such we do not fully understand it.

Basically, there are “clears” (referring to the plastic cases the tokens come in, we took the tokens out of their “capsules” for our photos) containing the standard Silver Strike token. There are also “red” and “blue” tokens, with seasonal, limited-edition designs (like for Halloween). Then there are the tokens valued at $40. The new tokens feature a popular Four Queens restaurant, Chicago Brewing Co.

Silver Strike token collectors don’t just play to get a token, they play to get entire sets of tokens. As mentioned, some token winners turn these collectibles in for cash, but that sort of defeats the whole purpose of them being collectible. Naturally, Four Queens loves when collectors collect. It’s akin to a player taking a $10 or $40 TITO voucher home. It’s called “breakage.”

Four Queens goes through a shocking number of Silver Strike tokens. For the relaunch, the casino ordered 48,000 tokens. We always assumed most people won the tokens but turned them in for cash. We were mistaken. That supply of tokens lasts just 2-3 months.

Silver Strike tokens are produced by Sunshine Mint in Las Vegas-adjacent Henderson, Nevada.

Why don’t more casinos have Silver Strike machines? Because they’re sort of a pain in the ass, honestly. (The same reason you don’t see many coin slots left in Las Vegas casinos.) The machines are expensive to maintain and refill, and not many casinos are up for fronting $500,000 for an order of tokens.

Do Silver Strikes make as much for Four Queens as these new-fangled penny slots? Of course not, but they make much more than we thought.

No, Silver Strike tokens don’t have a lot of actual silver in them anymore, but don’t be a buzzkill.

There’s a whole regulatory process involved with Silver Strike tokens, technically, “Silver Premium Tokens.” Silver Strike coins are treated like other gambling “tokens” used in casinos, like table games chips.

There are a slew of regulations around chips and tokens. If you are ever suffering from sleeplessness, you can read the regulations. They are a hoot.

Four Queens submits its designs to Gaming, then when those are approved, Sunshine Mint makes samples to submit to Gaming, and at any point regulators can reject the designs. In one instance, the design was approved, but when the coins were produced, they made it look like the woman depicted on the token as, well, cold, if you get our drift. Back to the drawing board. Apparently, Silver Strike tokens can’t depict nipples. Some “fun facts” are more fun than others. You’re welcome.

Here’s the official version of what we just told you: “If, after receiving and reviewing the items and information described by this regulation, the Chair is satisfied that the proposed chips, tokens and related information conform to the requirements of this regulation, the Chair shall notify the licensee or the manufacturer authorized by the licensee to produce the chips or tokens in writing and shall request, and the licensee or the manufacturer shall provide a sample of the proposed chips or tokens in final, manufactured form. If the Chair is satisfied that the sample conforms with the requirements of this regulation and with the information submitted with the licensee’s application, the Chair shall approve the proposed chips or tokens and notify the licensee in writing. As a condition of approval of chips or tokens issued for use at the licensee’s race book, sports pool, or specific table or counter game, the Chair may prohibit the licensee from using the chips or tokens other than at the book, pool, or specific game. The Board may retain the sample chips and tokens submitted pursuant to this subsection.”

No mention of nipples! We’re seeing a loophole here, Four Queens. Just saying.

In addition, this part: “The Board may retain the sample chips and tokens submitted…” We’re thinking somebody at the Nevada Gaming Control Board is a Silver Strike token collector.

When the new unified Silver Strike area is unveiled at Four Queens (a lone machine will be by the casino cage), casino staff will distribute some sweet branded hats and attire to celebrate the occasion. Four Queens has also created a brochure that will share the finer points of the Silver Strike lifestyle, much like the one available at Main Street Station to help guests locate its many antiques and curiosities.

Exciting news, coming VERY SOON!🤫#FourQueens #SilverStrike pic.twitter.com/JBPMT2QvG8

— Four Queens Hotel & Casino (@4QueensLV) September 18, 2024

Why is the return of the Silver Strike slots at Four Queens such a big deal? Well, for the people who love these machines, it’s like asking why Sigma Derby at The D is a big deal or why single zero roulette is a big deal at Plaza or why the Bellagio fountains are a big deal or why Lion’s Share was a big deal at MGM Grand for many years. It’s one of those “if you know, you know” things.

If you’ve never played Silver Strike, now is a great time to do so. Slot machines can get a little repetitive, but Silver Strike machines change things up, and the $10 tokens tend to be easy to get. (The machine plays like other reel slots as well, of course, so lots of other wins are up for grabs as you look for the Silver Strike symbol.) Our over-under on hitting the bonus is 20 spins. For us, it often happens within 5-10 spins. Then again, we have extraordinary good luck. Have you ever seen how thick and lustrous our hair is? We didn’t even need to travel to Turkey for a hair transplant. Or Türkiye. Whatever the kids are calling it now.

Big thanks to Four Queens for letting us share their news first, and we can’t wait to win some (or possibly all) of these new Silver Strike tokens soon. We’re keeping all the tokens this time, though. We heard some Silver Strike collectors bequeath their collections to their heirs in their last will and testament.

We do not use the term “fanatics” or “cult” lightly!

The post Beloved Silver Strike Slot Machines Return to Four Queens appeared first on Vital Vegas.

A local’s favorite, Suncoast, is undergoing a massive overhaul, and the casino’s new sportsbook opens Sep. 4, 2024.

We are not a fan of “waiting” until things are “open.” We are more of a “sneak preview” person (along “with” being a “gratuitous quotation mark” person, “obviously”). So, we grabbed some pics of the new Suncoast sportsbook while it’s still behind curtains.

We’ve also got the skinny on what else is going on at Suncoast. There’s an ass-ton and there will be a quiz.

Suncoast is about 10 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip, in Summerlin. Summerlin is also home to Red Rock Casino, and we’re pretty sure Boyd Gaming is making a substantial investment in Suncoast because Red Rock has set a new bar for locals casinos and Boyd wants a piece of that action.

Sportsbooks aren’t big moneymakers for casinos, but they’re an amenity appreciated by locals.

Suncoast has done its sportsbook right, gleaning winning aspects of other sportsbooks (both its own places and competing casinos), bringing together all those best practices in its new venue.

One of the trends Suncoast follows is making the most of automated kiosks, rather than human bet-takers. The existing Suncoast sportsbook has more than a dozen live betting windows, the new sportsbook has four.

Suncoast went all-in on its videos screens and capability. I’m sure they’ll add all the technical specs in their upcoming news release, but we’re pretty sure Suncoast’s video display, at 1,700 square feet, is second only to Circa’s in sheer girth.

Seating is ample, with booths and individual seating, providing a lot of flexibility for groups and reserved tables during big sportsball events.

The bar is beautiful, and there are 26 video poker machines in the sportsbook, with 18 at the bar itself.

Suncoast’s sportsbook sits where the showroom used to be, one of several moves and renovations in the works.

A new high limit slot room opened in the former buffet space. A new food court is coming to that part of the casino as well. Boyd knocked it out of the park with its food court at Fremont casino, and it would be great to see a similar mix of offerings at Suncoast. The fast food offerings are a smidge on the underwhelming side at this point, Subwaywise.

The existing sportsbook will close up when the new one opens, and that will become a new bingo room (relocated from the second floor, that space will now be used for meetings and conferences).

Here’s the current sportsbook. We figured you might want to say goodbye.

Bingo doesn’t make much for casinos, either. There’s a reason there are no bingo rooms on The Strip.

Here’s a rendering of what’s coming to the previous sportsbook space.

Also planned is a glorious, 70-seat center bar. We don’t know what it will be called, but it will be right in the center of the casino (the current casino video poker bar is going away).

Suncoast’s bowling center is also getting a revamp, along with the front desk and hotel check-in area (rendering below).

The excellent and relatively new William B’s Steakhouse at Suncoast should get more love than it does, as it’s a Strip-quality steakhouse, just with better prices. It’s what we call an “aspirational” offering at Suncoast, a venue for a customer it may not exactly have yet. (Ditto the sportsbook and fancy new center bar.)

The best off-Strip casino steakhouse you haven’t visited yet could very well be William B’s Steakhouse @SuncoastCasino. Giving Joe’s a run for its money for top banana cream pie in Vegas. Definitely returning for happy hour. pic.twitter.com/vXUtl59cFw

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 30, 2024

Boyd Gaming tends to be careful with its financial investments (the company is still experiencing institutional trauma from the closure of Stardust and the failed Echelon project, now the site of Resorts World), but the locals market continue to deliver strong results, and Boyd is doing its revamp thoughtfully and with solid execution to-date.

The company expects all the Suncoast upgrades to be completed in mid-2026.

When it comes to changes at locals casinos, even for the better, you can’t do anything too quickly or dramatically. It’s jarring. Regulars will have freak-outs. This isn’t a happy-go-lucky tourist crowd, they’re unforgiving and aren’t shy about expressing their grievances. Some grinders have still not emotionally recovered from casinos changing from coins to paper vouchers. They like what they like. Locals casinos are extensions of their own homes.

Sometimes, when locals casinos move slot machines around, they post signs telling regulars where their favorite machines went. We are not making this up.

Suncoast’s new sportsbook opens to the public at 11:00 a.m. on Sep. 4, 2024.

Big thanks to Suncoast for not booting us out following our “security breach.”

Update (9/4/24): Here’s more from the aforementioned news release following the opening on the Suncoast sportsbook. “”The stadium-style sports viewing experience includes one of the largest high-resolution, wrap-around LED screens in the Las Vegas Valley, measuring over fifteen-and-a-half feet tall, with a surface area of more than 1,700 square feet. The sportsbook features deco-inspired channel-tufted booths, rows of contemporary lounge seating, a 130-foot-long sports ticker and an 18-seat bar offering commanding views of the impressive video wall.”

The post First Look Inside Suncoast’s New Sportsbook, Plus Renovation Details appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Venetian has opened a shiny new poker room, which is technically at Palazzo. Yes, it can be confusing, and don’t look to us to unconfuse anything, we are not in that business. We are in the disappointing opening paragraph business, and business is good.

The new poker room is on the second floor of the Grand Canal Shoppes at Palazzo, Venetian’s mellower, less self-important sibling.

The new poker room is being touted as the biggest in Las Vegas, boasting 50 tables (formerly 35) and 14,000-square-feet of backdoor action.

“Backdoor” is when a player has a low chance of winning but ends up doing so by getting the right cards. Why, what were you thinking?

Naturally, we gave you a heads up that the new poker room was ready to make its debut a few days ago on the Twitters.

Venetian’s poker room looks ready to lose its virginity. pic.twitter.com/ZDtHnMsqMw

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 27, 2024

The Venetian’s previous poker room was taking up valuable space on the casino’s main floor.

Poker doesn’t make much money for casinos, which is one of the reasons poker rooms have been closing over the past few years. Slot machines are the money makers.

Poker is an amenity for guests, like spas, hair salons and those romance kits in hotel room minibars.

Venetian shared some pics from opening day, including some of Shin Lim and his infamous bed head, formerly of the now-closed Mirage.

We're thrilled to announce the grand opening of our brand-new poker room at The Venetian Resort! When will we see you at the tables? ♥️♣️♦️♠️ pic.twitter.com/M3KqoOHGOT

— The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (@VenetianVegas) August 2, 2024

The poker room has a self-serve Coke and coffee station. That will never last, but love the idea.

The new poker room will also have a dedicated streaming room, handy for vloggers, later this year.

We had to snag that blurb from the Venetian Web site so you can test your proofreading skills and feel superior to whatever poor person is responsible for their site.

Here’s more from the Venetian Web site, “In addition to the expanded space, the new poker room features a range of amenities aimed at enhancing player comfort and enjoyment. From self-serve Coca-Cola soda fountain and coffee to online ordering from Black Tap, Miznon and others; to USB and USB-C charging ports at every seat; TVs throughout the venue; and dedicated restrooms, every aspect of the experience was curated with the players in mind. The room also has kiosks for both the resort’s loyalty program, Venetian Rewards, and sports betting operated by William Hill.”

The Venetian Poker Room, which, again, is at Palazzo, is open 24 hours daily.

Fun fact: “Players in the poker room who play three hours or more in tournament or cash games will receive complimentary self-parking for the day.” Just find a supervisor at the end of your session.

If you haven’t been to Vegas in awhile, yes, Venetian and Palazzo charge for parking now. So does the Wynn across the street. Thanks a lot, The Sphere.

The post Fancy New Poker Room Opens at Palazzo appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Caesars Entertainment has announced it will sell its World Series of Poker brand to NSUS Group Inc., whomever that might be.

The sale is valued at a hefty $500 million, including $250 million in cash and a $250 million promissory note due five years after the transaction’s closing date.

As a part of the deal, Caesars gets to host the WSOPs live tournament series at Horseshoe and Paris for the next 20 years, at least.

The official announcement of the deal says, “NSUS Group Inc. is a leading investment group in the iGaming space known for successfully launching several groundbreaking ventures, including the innovative online poker room, GGPoker.”

While iGaming isn’t legal in most of America, that’s likely to change in the next few years.

NSUS (pronounced “answers,” no, really) Group, we hear, plans to focus on making the most of the WSOP brand internationally.

Basically, it’s a big gamble. Caesars earns in the neighborhood of $20-25 million a year from the WSOP tournament directly, mostly for broadcast rights. That means NSUS paid the equivalent of 22 years of WSOP profit, all at once.

Caesars Entertainment has wrangled a deal that gives them a big influx of cash without giving up anything for decades. Its brick-and-mortar poker rooms will continue to feature WSOP branding.

Caesars destinations will also have preferential rights to host live WSOP Circuit events going forward.

There were additional words we sort of just skimmed over, “Caesars Digital will also receive a license from NSUS to continue operating its recently upgraded WSOP Online real-money poker business in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania for the foreseeable future but will otherwise be restricted from operating online peer-to-peer real-money poker operations for a specified period of time and subject to certain exceptions.”

A Caesars official said they’ll use the WSOP sale windfall to pay down some debt ($12.4 billion as of June 30, 2024) and probably buy back some stock, along with giving Cleopatra a fresh coat of paint before bringing her back at a more accessible height at Caesars Palace. (It’s possible we just made up that last part.)

In case you have no idea what we’re talking about, here’s a handy blurb about the World Series of Poker provided by Caesars Entertainment: “The World Series of Poker is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $4 billion in prize money and awarding prestigious gold bracelets, globally recognized as the sport’s most coveted prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament dating back to 1970. In 2024, the event attracted 229,553 entrants to Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas and awarded more than $438 million in prize money, both all-time records for the series.”

The World Series of Poker got its start at Binion’s, downtown.

Caesars Entertainment (then Harrah’s Entertainment) owned Binion’s Horseshoe for 15 minutes in 2004 and took the Horseshoe and World Series of Poker brands with them when they sold the classic casino. That’s why Binion’s is just called Binion’s today.

The World Series of Poker was played at Rio for many years, then moved to Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s) and Paris on the Las Vegas Strip.

This year’s Main Event ended July 17, 2024, with Jonathan Tomayo (also the name of a delicious fry sauce) winning $10 million in prize money.

What does the sale of the WSOP brand mean to the typical poker player? Absolutely nothing.

We probably should’ve mentioned that up front so you could’ve saved three minutes of reading.

The sale won’t have any impact on one’s experience in Caesars Entertainment poker rooms.

In 20 years, NSUS Group could theoretically move the WSOP tournament, but why would they?

The sale of the WSOP brand is a win for Caesars Entertainment. One top executive described the deal as “finding change under a couch cushion.”

We’ll let you know if it turns out to be the right decision in 20 years, when we all would’ve had flying cars if A.I. hadn’t wiped out Humanity because it was having an off day.

The post Caesars Entertainment Sells World Series of Poker Brand appeared first on Vital Vegas.

It’s the Vegas dream in a nutshell: Palms guest from Texas wins $2.2 million on Wheel of Fortune with a $3 bet with leftover vouchers. When the win happened, there was 46 cents in credits remaining.

All this while waiting for food from McDonald’s in the Palms food court.

We’ve got all the details of this life-altering win.

First word of the win, a whopping $2,170,581.77, was shared by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Kidding! They suck harder than a Dyson trying to drink an In N Out shake. The Review-Journal hasn’t broken a story since Elvis signed for a two-week run at New Frontier in 1956. And that was probably the Sun.

It was us. We shared it first. Do you know this blog at all?

Guest just hit a $2.2 million Wheel of Fortune jackpot @Palms. pic.twitter.com/mt13uUm6uz

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 26, 2024

The next day, Palms confirmed the win in typical fashion, with a Tweet that looks like it was written by a cap key-challenged middle schooler.

Here are the details you won’t get elsewhere.

The winner was, as mentioned earlier, a bartender from Texas. Then again, after her win, it may be “former bartender.”

She was, and is, staying at Palms and was part of a group of 30-40 people here for a wedding.

We’re told the winner didn’t have the money to come to Vegas, so a friend picked up the plane ticket.

The jackpot winner was playing Wheel of Fortune near the food court with friends, and said she wanted to get rid of her leftover vouchers in the amount of $2 and 98 cents. As the bet was $3, that wasn’t the total amount put into the machine, we heard it was about $20 (via security in the casino).

As mentioned, she won on her very last max bet spin, or $3. Just 46 cents remained.

46 cents left on machine pic.twitter.com/hXSRFuYFKV

— Paul Howard (@paulyhoward) July 26, 2024

Initial reports from casino staff claimed the lucky visitor won on her “third spin,” but that was figurative, not literal.

Reports are when she hit the $2.2 million jackpot, it was “pandemonium,” as friends, other players (and a good number of security guards) swarmed the machine to congratulate the winner.

From what we’re told, the big win couldn’t have happened to a nicer person, and she’s faced a personal loss in recent months.

The winner now has a 24/7 escort from Palms security, and she and her boyfriend have been upgraded to a seriously nice penthouse.

We’re told Palms closed down an entire bar for the winner and other wedding attendees last night, pretty much everything comped.

The Las Vegas dream isn’t something just concocted out of nothing, like A’s ballpark attendance projections (“We expect 33,000 people at every Las Vegas game in this 30,000-seat ballpark!”), multimillion-dollar jackpots are real and happen on a fairly regular basis.

Big jackpots (called “wide area progressives,” or WAPs) aren’t paid by casinos, they’re paid by the slot manufacturer, in this case IGT. Slot manufacturer IGT says it has made 1,180 millionaires on its Wheel of Fortune machines.

As with many jackpot winners, the lucky winner at Palms wants to keep her name out of news coverage. Not so much her photo, as Palms shared a group pic of the winner and her friends on Facebook.

We know how you are, and we asked if she tipped after her big win, but the answer wasn’t forthcoming. In the vast majority of big wins, people don’t tip. There are lots of reasons, including that many big winners don’t realize tipping attendants or other staff is customary, or they don’t have cash on them, or the paperwork process can take hours and often the staff who assisted them aren’t around.

In this case, we’d have tipped the McDonald’s staff for their slow service that provided time for this jackpot to hit!

This whole scenario is great for the winner, her friends and Palms. It’s been quiet over there, with Rio getting all the attention for its renovations and new venues across the street.

Palms is owned and operated by the San Manuel tribe, or possibly the Yaamava tribe, nobody can quite keep up. (The wildly successful San Manuel casino in southern California changed its name to Yaamava awhile back, just to give the marketing team a challenge.)

Actually, Palms technically owned and operated by the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority. The tribe didn’t want to have its entire leadership scrutinized by gaming regulators, so this “affiliate” of the tribe helped move things along.

San Manuel was the first tribe to own a Las Vegas casino. The Seminoles operate the now-closed Mirage (Vici Properties owns it), and will turn it into Hard Rock Las Vegas. The Mohegan tribe operates the casino at Virgin, but they’re being shown the door.

The tale of this incredible win at Palms is a reminder that all you need in Las Vegas is a few bucks and eternal optimism to make your dreams come true. Google Maps directions to the Chicken Ranch wouldn’t hurt, but mostly those other things!

The post Texas Bartender Wins $2.2 Million on Wheel of Fortune at Palms appeared first on Vital Vegas.

A lucky bastard at Venetian snagged a $2.2 million prize playing what is arguably the most boring casino game, Face Up Pai Gow.

The side bet that resulted in this windfall: $5.

That, folks, is why Las Vegas is still a thing. It’s not sports or buffets or boobs. All right, boobs remain very important, but $2 million is nothing to sneeze at.

Venetian shared word of the progressive jackpot win via its Twitter account, which lemmings refer to as “X.”

When a $5 side bet turns into $2,211,469! A very lucky guest was dealt a seven card straight flush while playing Face Up Pai Gow. This was the largest Pai Gow Progressive paid out in the resort's history. Who's feeling lucky? 😎 pic.twitter.com/gF2P05lkpZ

— The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (@VenetianVegas) July 24, 2024

The player won with a seven card straight flush. The probability of getting this hand (the Joker is wild) is 0.00000127, or about the same chances as a guy hooking up in a Vegas nightclub wearing Crocs. Read more math.

Progressives do happen on a fairly regular basis, though. In January 2023, a poker pro won a $6.4 million Pai Gow jackpot at Flamingo. In February 2024, a player won $1.2 million playing Pai Gow at Planet Hollywood.

Why do we say Pai Gow is boring? Simple. Have you ever seen someone playing Pai Gow while operating heavy machinery? Of course not. That’s because it’s against the law.

Basically, people play Pai Gow for the comped drinks. And the occasional $2.2 million progressive jackpot.

The exact amount was $2,211,469, for the record. We are not making up the 69 part.

If you’re interested in Pai Gow, and you shouldn’t be, Venetian’s Web site has instructions for how to play.

Basically, you get seven cards. You split the cards into two hands, the “high hand” (five cards) and “low hand” (two cards), based upon traditional poker.

To win, both hands have to beat the dealer. If both hands lose, the player loses. If it’s 50/50, it’s a “push,” and nobody wins or loses.

It’s this pattern, times a gazillion. There’s a lot of pushing.

Big congrats to the jackpot winner at Venetian.

The post Venetian Player Wins $2.2 Million at World’s Most Boring Game appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The World Series of Poker Main Event had a record number of entrants this year, 10,112.

Now, it’s down to the Final Table of nine players.

The winner will take home $10 million and the WSOP Main Event gold bracelet. For a pursuit dominated by men (no Main Event has ever had even 5% participation by women, as far as we know), poker players are really, really into jewelry.

Each of the nine players you’ve never heard of is guaranteed at least $1 million for getting this far.

It costs $10,000 to enter the Main Event, one of many tournaments within the World Series of Poker, played at Horseshoe and Paris.

The Main Event prize pool was more than $94 million. The top 1,517 players win money.

The final nine are Jordan Griff, Brian Kim, Niklas Astedt, Joe Serock, Jason Sagle, Boris Angelov, Jonathan Tamayo, Malo Latinois and Andres Gonzalez.

The players are from the U.S., Sweden, Canada, Bulgaria and Spain.

You can find out about all the players here.

The Final Table will be livestreamed on PokerGO, whatever that might be. Watching live poker is akin to watching paint dry, so just skip it and we’ll update this story when there’s a winner.

It’s telling the final nine of the WSOP Main Event doesn’t include names like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey or Phil Hellmuth. That’s because while there’s some skill involved with poker, there’s also a metric hell-ton of luck required.

We haven’t played much live poker, but one time when we did, we had a very lucky streak and were nearly pummeled to death by longtime players who were not amused by our beating them handily despite our obvious inexperience.

One of the great things about the WSOP Main Event is pretty much anyone can win. It’s not dominated by poker superstars, which keeps dreams of million-dollar prizes alive.

Oh, and bracelets! This year’s winner’s bling is made of “445 grams of 10-karat yellow gold with 2,253 various precious gemstones, including 1,948 round genuine diamonds, 230 black onyx stones and 75 genuine red rubies to accentuate the suits.” Learn more at the WSOP Web site.

The closure of Mirage on July 17 is going to swallow up the news about who wins the WSOP Main Event, but check back for who prevails.

Update (7/17/24): Jonathan Tamayo was crowned the 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion on July 17, 2024, snagging $10 million in prize money.

The post World Series of Poker Main Event Down to Final Nine, (Update: Winner Named) appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Caesars Palace is set to close its poker room for several months.

If you’re a poker player, don’t freak out. It’s coming back, despite the fact poker rooms don’t really make much money for casinos.

The high limit slot parlor at Caesars is undergoing a major revamp, so they needed a space for a temporary high limit room that wouldn’t disrupt revenue, the poker room is that spot.

News of the poker room closure was first reported by PokerNews.com. Personally, we found it rude we were scooped, but we’re trying to get past it.

According to an internal memo (we’ve since confirmed its contents), Caesars Palace will close its poker room on July 17, 2024.

As was shared by Poker News, the work is expected to take 60-90 days, giving Caesars some wiggle room.

According to our source at Caesars, there’s been some internal discussion about the possibility of a temporary poker room, but no decision has been made yet.

While we’re on the subject of Caesars Palace, we feel compelled to embed this Tweet we knew full well we were going to include in this story because we seem to have the sense of humor of a 14-year-old boy. Who is also a “Seinfeld” fan.

We're just trying to help you find the David statue at Caesars Palace by enlarging the sign nearby. Please grow up. pic.twitter.com/v9xtFqF9HE

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) June 25, 2024

We have been assured the poker room will be back, in the same location, near the casino’s sportsbook and its sexy, S-shaped video poker bar.

We were happy to hear Caesars Palace will upgrade its high limit room, as it is starting to look a little, well, seasoned.

The chairs, especially, have got to go. This isn’t cool anywhere in any Strip casino, but high limit at Caesars Palace?

Caesars Palace is the flagship, namesake resort of the Caesars Entertainment empire, and the high limit room just isn’t up to snuff.  It’s not a great look when the high limit slot room is put to shame by shiny new high limit areas a locals casinos like Durango, Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch and others. And Santa Fe. Seriously.

The refresh of high limit is just one of many improvements happening at Caesars, the most noticeable and impressive of which was an overhaul of the grand entrance, which nobody really though of as the grand entrance because it was so sad.

Now, it claps. Or slaps. Whatever.

For several years, the Caesars poker room was much larger, and tucked away in its own room. A real room, with walls and such. That space was absorbed by Pure Nightclub, now Omnia, in 2014.

Now, the poker room is out in the open on the main casino floor.

The poker room at Caesars isn’t the biggest, but it has some die-hard fans who will be happy to hear it’s coming back.

Poker rooms have been declining in numbers for several years now, so don’t bother to seek out the one across the street at Flamingo. That poker room closed to make way for Pinky’s at Flamingo, a lounge from Lisa Vanderpump.

The Grand Poobah of poker events, World Series of Poker, happens at two Caesars casinos, Horseshoe and Paris. Horseshoe was Bally’s. One of Bally’s towers is becoming part of Paris. There will be a quiz. The World Series of poker is happening now through July 17, 2024 (the timing of the closure of the room at Caesars Palace isn’t a coincidence).

For our fellow youths, “Grand Poobah” is a satirical name for someone self-important and has an inflated self-regard. In the past, we’d have made a snarky joke about Criss Angel, but we’re trying to cut back on that since The Summit, so we’ll just make a snarky comment about our fellow youths having no idea what “satire” is, much less being able to distinguish the three forms of satire—Horatian, Juvenalian and Menippean. We’ve learned to just accept it. Like nose rings and emojis.

The post Caesars Palace to Temporarily Close Poker Room appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The Tuscany is going hard to attract gamblers to its off-Strip casino.

The casino’s DaVinci Rewards program is offering the most generous sign-up promotion we can recall seeing, ever. New members get a guaranteed $150 in free play. The promotion started on June 1, 2024.

This promotion is giving off “all-you-can-eat shrimp at Red Lobster” vibes, so take advantage before the plug is pulled.

Tuscany Suites and Casino is about three minutes east of the Las Vegas Strip on Flamingo Blvd.

A news release about the promotion says: “New members instantly receive $40 in free slot play upon signing up at the players club. If they provide a valid email address, they’ll get an extra $10, bringing their total to $50 in free slot play on their first day as members.”

Yes, the e-mail thing is a minor hitch, but keep in mind many casinos offer $10 for new sign-ups, sometimes nothing. Approximately 94% of people give fake e-mail addresses to casinos when they sign up for the loyalty club.

They’re asking for e-mail addresses because such promotions are essentially forking over perks to build the casino’s marketing database.

Here’s how to get the additional $100 in free play: “New members who sign up will be eligible to receive free slot play on their next two trips, which should differ from their initial sign-up date. On their second trip, they should visit the players club (or the cage/table games pit when the club is closed) to receive an additional $50 in free slot play. On their third trip, they should again visit the players club (or the cage/table games pit when the club is closed) to receive a final $50 in free slot play, totaling $150 in free slot play over the three visits. This free slot play will be valid for 30 days from the day it is issued.”

Honestly, there are surprisingly few hoops to jump through to get this generous free play. You have to get the additional $100 ($50 per visit) within 30 days of the initial sign-up.

The news release also says this: “Tuscany Suites and Casino has the right to cancel or adjust this new member sign-up initiative at any time and manage new member sign-up incentive eligibility.”

Like we said, act now.

Casinos have to justify such free play programs, and while Tuscany is likely to get a lot of takers, they’re unlikely to get many quality customers in the process. Many grinders will come to the Tuscany exactly three times and not risk a penny more than their free slot play. The casino is hoping the return will exceed the cost. Free play isn’t real money, per se, but players can definitely win using it as the machine doesn’t know the difference between real money and free play.

A customer acquisition program this aggressive is a bold move, but there’s a reason it’s unique. When you offer free play, you get customers looking for free play. It’s like when a casino offers $1 blackjack or $5 craps. You get players seeking $1 blackjack and $5 craps. They’re often high maintenance, tip poorly (or not at all), don’t patronize restaurants, book rooms or buy show tickets, and they rarely contribute positively to the casino vibe. Yes, it’s awkward, but if you’ve read this far, you’re looking for the realness, not fluff.

On the bright side, Tuscany got its table games back!

If you haven’t visited this casino before, now’s the time. There’s a Circa sportsbook, Pub 365 is reliably reliable, a solid snack bar and the rooms are cheap as hell, often $40-50 midweek.

Tuscany is nothing fancy, which is just the way we like our casinos. Make sure to let us know how much you win using The Man’s free play!

Update (6/17/24): Our Red Lobster analogy was fitting, as Tuscany quickly realize this promotion was too good to be true. A ton of new conditions have been added to this promotion, so heads up. Now, new members (non-locals) get their $50 in free play (if they provide an e-mail address), but have to earn 250 players points before getting an additional $50 free play, but a week has to pass before getting the second $50, and two weeks have to pass before getting the third installment ($50). All of this has to happen in 30 days. What visitor is going to do that? There are slightly fewer hoops for locals, but still.

These conditions bring the promotion more in line with typical new sign-up offers. It was fun for the two weeks it lasted.

The post Tuscany Casino Ponies Up $150 Free Play for New Loyalty Club Members appeared first on Vital Vegas.

One of the few remaining old-school Vegas casinos isn’t only not ready to cash in its chips, it’s doubling down and getting rejuvenation surgery. Or something.

Our beloved El Cortez has shared details of an upcoming $20 million upgrade. While $20 million may not sound like a lot in Strip dollars, it’s a metric ass-ton in downtown dollars.

How much money does the El Cortez casino make? El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas reportedly generates less than $25 million a year in gaming revenue, and makes about $3 million in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). By comparison, Palms Las Vegas makes about $20 million in EBITDA. Sometimes, El Cortez operates in the red, so $20 million is a significant investment in improving the classic hotel-casino.

Let’s see what’s in store for “ElCo.”

El Cortez got its start in 1941, a rough-and-tumble era where harbors were attacked, Yugoslavia had a coup and doctors were still allowed to slap newborns. Which might explain some of El Cortez’s rough edges, but ownership and management of the casino seem committed to updating the old girl.

These latest additions follow a recent $30 million renovation of the hotel’s original 47 rooms, Tower Premium Rooms and casino floor restrooms.

Are the room renovations at El Cortez a hit or a miss? Only time will teal. https://t.co/S62lVWv1Bu pic.twitter.com/ITKhLhA3m5

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) September 29, 2022

The new $20 embellishment will include a high limit lounge, two bars, a restaurant (an Asian food concept, Hot Noods by Chinglish) and a Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks. It’s the law.

“Hot Noods” is pretty racy for El Cortez, frankly. Kudos!

Chinglish is a Cantonese Wine Bar in Las Vegas, which you’ve probably never been to, but here’s more. We asked A.I. to do a rendering of the restaurant, but it said, “Our A.I. moderator thinks this prompt is probably against our community standards.” Well played, El Cortez.

We have to have some sort of A.I. image in our story, so here’s one of a manatee double-fisting Cantonese noodles.

El Cortez plans to start renovations this summer, the final phase of the expansion will be unveiled in early 2025.

According to a news release, the project will expand the casino’s footprint by 10,000 square feet, and 4,000 square feet of the existing casino floor will be deeply massaged.

El Cortez opened a high limit lounge not too long ago, but it sounds like a proper, permanent one is in the works. Like many high limit rooms downtown, this one is probably more aspirational than currently in-demand, but it only takes one good player to make a high limit room worth the investment.

As for the two new bars, one will be a roulette bar, whatever that might be.

The other is described as a “show bar,” with a 20-foot by 10-foot screen that will play black and white films and live sports action.

Yes, sports, it’s the law.

Collectively, El Cortez seems up for keeping some newness coming while maintaining its legacy and vibe as a value-driven, grinder-friendly place to hang and drink and play downtown.

On the bright side, El Cortez sets a pretty low bar. pic.twitter.com/z11Zbn73KZ

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 14, 2021

There’s just so much to love, from the beer on ice in the tables games pit to the ice cream bar giveaways to the fact El Cortez is now 21-plus restricted. El Cortez is also one of the few casinos left with coin-operated slots.

A quick pause to pour one out for some former El Cortez homies: Flame Steakhouse closed at El Cortez in 2014. Naked City Pizza closed at El Cortez in 2020. El Cortez lost its live keno lounge in 2021. A Subway shop closed at El Cortez in January 2024 with little fanfare.

El Cortez didn’t just close Naked City Pizza, they disappeared it. pic.twitter.com/JrGNYOw12N

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) August 6, 2020

Props to Kenny Epstein, CEO and Chairman of El Cortez, and his great team for all the new offerings in the works, especially the bars. Because bars.

We chatted with El Cortez’s owner Kenny Epstein and General Manager Adam Wiesberg on our podcast. Just because we haven’t done an episode in a week or two doesn’t mean we don’t have a podcast, smartass.

El Cortez is perfectly positioned as a bargain destination when so many visitors are feeling the pinch as Strip prices continue to climb. El Cortez is a little grittier than some of those sprawling, fancy Strip casinos, but El Cortez is a genuine throwback to the Vegas so many pine for, a portal to a Vegas where dealers were a little surly but that just added some delicious flavor to the gambling experience.

And make no mistake, El Cortez is very much about gambling, the way nature intended. There’s no Cirque show (or any entertainment to speak of), there’s no video arcade or movie theater or gourmet restaurants. El Cortez is at the east end of the Fremont East district, so you have to make an effort to visit.

But El Cortez is worth seeking out, especially if you have a limited bankroll and a sense of adventure. (The seedy neighborhood means there are lots of characters dropping into the place, and the people-watching is more entertaining than any Strip production show.)

El Cortez knows where it sits in the Las Vegas landscape, and it’s an absolute diamond in a town where many casinos feel like they’re lab-grown.

El Cortez has character and charm, and we can’t wait to check out all the new facets of this downtown gem.

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