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January 25, 2012 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
FORGETABOUTIT ... This Valentine's Day, seven couples will be chosen to get hitched in the "Married at The Mob Museum." Your ceremony will be officiated by the mob's legal eagle Oscar Goodman, who later became the carpo di tutti capi (the boss of bosses) for North Las Vegas. Winners also receive 250 shopping sprees at the Fashion Show, a Cabana Suite at Bugsy Siegel's old place "The El Cortez," brunch at the Mob Bar, flowers, etc. Enter to win at Vegas.com/weddings, and a mob name like "Junior Lollipops," "Tony Bagels" or "Hootie" is optional.
GUNG HEI FAT CHOY ... Did you know China is the No. 1 international market for Las Vegas? Check the Fremont Street Experience's first-ever Chinese New Year celebration, titled Chinese New Year-Dragon In The Desert, Jan. 24 through 28. The festival kicks off every night at 6 with dragon and lion dances, a Vendor Village with Asian foods and arts and crafts, and a virtual dragon dance and fireworks on the Viva Vision canopy. No Vegas celebration is an official celebration without the King ... Bring your best karaoke to the first street stage with host Thai Elvis Prasith and win some prizes.
IF YOU scour the earth in search of the man's best brew, then Public House in the Venetian is a must-do. Among the more than 200 different suds, 24 taps and rotating casks of unpasteurized ale heaven, you'll find the only cicerone in Las Vegas. As a graduate of the Hawaii public high school system I had to look it up, but in this case a cicerone is a "beer snob," unless you are a beer snob, then they are known as "certified beer servers," whose mission is to improve beer quality via knowledge and tasting skills ... as Uncle Don used to say, "Suck 'em up!"
AFTER 500 YEARS, Leonardo da Vinci makes his Vegas debut ... The Palazzo has unveiled the only authenticated sculpture by the Renaissance man who would have been at home in Sin City.
LAS VEGAS-BASED online retailer Zappos got hacked, and 24 million customer records were comprised. Financial data was not involved, but you might check your credit cards and change your password just in case.
A SIGN OF hard times is when people do desperate things ... An armed gunman entered an employees-only area of O'Sheas casino and took an undisclosed amount of cash from workers.
WORLD SERIES of Poker champion Josh Duhamel was beaten and robbed of more than $100,000 in euros and Canadian money in his Montreal home. A Poker Stars watch and a WSOP bracelet also were taken during the home invasion. Auwe ... At the arraignment, evidence proved that his 20-year-old exgirlfriend was the mastermind behind the theft and beating.
IN MICHIGAN, a Bank of America coding error allowed a gambler to withdraw an unlimited sum of money over a 16day period. By the end of his spree, he had withdrawn $1.54 million from casinos in Detroit and Las Vegas ... Big mahalo from the guys who fill the machines for the OT. Did you know there are more than 1.2 million ATMs in operation and on average fewer than 30 are stolen in a year?
January 18, 2012 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. is hoping to hit the trifecta ... First the judge postponed his jail sentence for domestic violence and harassment charges (wonder if he's a fight fan?). Then he got lucky and won $333,333 on the BCS title game. Now the fighter is using social media to call out Manny Pacquiao. If it happens, the bout will be the richest in the sport's history ... Submit your vacation request and call your casino host now to reserve tickets for the historic May 5 battle.
JUST LIKE HOME ... Las Vegas Metro will bust you for talking, texting or doing the Alec Baldwin thing with your cell while operating a vehicle. It'll set you back $50 the first time, a Benjamin the next and $250 if you're stupid (get caught a third time).
JUST IN TIME for your dance with the taxman ... Win/Loss statements and W2-G's (the form you get with hand pays) for Boyd casinos are now available online. Use your players card at bconnectedonline.com.
IT'S THE YEAR of the Dragon, and to make it even more auspicious the Palazzo is installing a 128foot, 8,000-pound dragon! The dragon depicted on the Chinese Zodiac is made from the parts of many different animals: the head of a camel, 117 carp scales, horns of the deer, the eyes of a rabbit, ears from a bull, the neck of a snake, stomach of a clam, the paws of a tiger and the claws of an eagle. Look for the firebreathing, smoke-billowing redand-gold homage at the waterfall between the Palazzo and Venetian.
PHANTOM SEVENS OUT ... after five years in a custombuilt Parisian Opera house at the Venetian. The final curtain falls Sept. 2.
IMAGINE GOING to Vegas on vacation hoping Lady Luck will change your life ... Imagine San Jose resident Michael K's reaction when he got home and a couple of days later discovered that he had a winning Mega Millions ticket worth $222,805 in his pocket the whole time.
ACCORDING TO gaming regulators, casinos on the Strip lost $2.2 billion last year ...
DESPITE THE "BAD" (or depending on who you talk to, "rebounding") economy, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas had a record 3,100 exhibitors last week.
GAMBLING GURU Mark Pilarski says, "superstition concerning the number 13 is a phobia known as Triskaidekaphobia ..." That's easy for you to say!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY… On Jan. 27, the guy who put the Gold in the Golden Nugget, made the MGM grand, built the Strip's first Mega Resort (Mirage), put a pirate ship in front of a resort (Treasure Island), blew up the Dunes and put the fountains in the Bellagio, created a new standard in luxury (Wynn) and then did it again (Encore) and made Macau a Wall Street miracle. Hau'oli la hanau, Steve Wynn will be 70!
January 11, 2012 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
AS WE BID FAREWELL to one year and jump into another one, Hilton passes while the other sevens out ...
PARIS HILTON GOT a pass and is no longer persona non grata from the Wynn Las Vegas. The great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad was banned from the hotel 18 months ago when she was busted for possession of cocaine as she entered the hotel. All seems to be forgiven as the heiress partied into the new year at Surrender in the Encore.
THE BUILDING HAS left Elvis ... To kick off the new year, the Las Vegas Hilton officially changed its name to the LVH and adopted the phrase "Same Fame. New Name." What's in a name, you ask? In the case of Hilton, a hefty chunk of change ...
KIMO'S VEGAS TRIVIA: What was the name of the last Vegas hotel to undergo a name change? If you guessed the Aladdin, you're right. More KVT: What's the only other name LVH has ever had on its marquee? The International Hotel ... Bonus KVT: The stationery at LVH bore the same identity since 1971.
SEVEN OUT by the end of the month is the Lion Den at the MGM. Part of a $160 million renovation, the king of the jungle is no longer the king of the Strip's free attractions.
THE LAS VEGAS TOWNSHIP constables' office made a pilot for a reality show about themselves. The show was posted on YouTube, and county commissioners took umbrage with the way the officers operate and the language they used ... Shut the front door! Reality show or training video on nonacceptable behavior by a constable? You be the judge. Get the link at KimosVegas.com.
THREE NEW CLUBS opened in Vegas over the new year ... Acronymically speaking, there's RPM nightclub at the Tropicana and 1OAK. OK, I only know for sure that 1OAK is an acronym for "one of a kind." The third is Hyde at Bellagio.
GADGET GEEKS descend upon the City of Sin this week (Jan. 10-13) for the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Last year we (Americans) spent $246 each on electronic gifts for the holidays, a 6 percent increase over 2010. What will be unveiled at CES that we can be expected to see for sale by next Christmas? Even thinner TVs, hi-def 3-DTV, smaller lighter computers, stuff to make your home smarter, smarter smartphones, a new Play Station and much more.
LUCIAETTA IVEY FILED SUIT alleging a few things, including that Phil Ivey' ceased paying spousal support in April last year when the Full Tilt Poker site was seized by the Department of Justice. His side says when the payments from the website stopped, he was under no obligations to continue to pay her $180,000 a month. Her side says his passive ownership in the website site (acquired during the marriage) earned him a monthly stipend of $920,000 ... something to think about the next time you "shuffle up and deal" on the Internet.
January 04, 2012 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
THAT'S GOTTA BE WEIRD ... Momma Jackson poses with William Hall, the Michael Jackson impersonator, at the Legends in Concert show at Harrah's Las Vegas. This prompted speculation that Mrs. Katherine Jackson maybe on a talent-scouting mission for an undisclosed project.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? For Mitch Gilbert, there was no question ... While waiting for his plane at McCarran International, he found two unlabeled Caesars Palace envelopes with $10,000 cash inside. Wanting to set a good example for his kids, he notified the airport. They said that no one reported the money lost and wouldn't even take his name. He dutifully called them every day, and a couple of weeks later the operator said, "Well, this is breaking the rules, but you're trying to do the right thing" and put him in touch with Ignacio Marquez. He said he won the money but dropped the envelopes while running for his plane ... That would have been an expensive flight.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE may be opening the door for states to allow some form of online gambling. Its latest position is that the 1961 Wire Act only applies to sports betting, and each state has the authority to license and regulate non-sports-related online gambling.
Nevada regulators have unanimously approved rules that will allow companies to apply for licenses to operate play for pay online poker websites when Congress reverses its ban on Internet gambling. Experts say these sites could go live as early as the end of this year. Why the rush? Initial estimates put the U.S. online poker market at $5 billion that's more than a few reasons for Nevada legislators and gaming companies to salivate at the proverbial Pavlovian bell.
ACCORDING TO PREGAME.COM "At Terrible's in Las Vegas on Christmas Day, a customer hit a $100 NBA 8-teamer that paid $15,000. He hit all the opening day games and three preseason." (Here at Kimo's Vegas, we don't endorse online betting or paying for picks, but thought you'd be interested in that story).
AND THE WINNER IS ... the freshly divorced Kim Kardashian. The reality celebrity reportedly collected a $600,000 paycheck to headline the New Year's party at TAO in the Venetian.
OFFICIALS ESTIMATED that this year was the biggest Vegas New Year's ever with more than 314,000 revelers in town celebrating. As Frank Sinatra sang, "It was a very good year." The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority said 39 million folks "wen go Vegas" last year, matching the city's record all-time high.
ON HER WAY HOME from Las Vegas, a TSA agent confiscated Rebecca Hains' cupcake because he thought the icing could be explosive. She explained that the baked good came with her from Massachusetts only a few days before, but her protest could not be heard over the agent's growling stomach.
THE LONG-AWAITED opening of the Las Vegas Neon Museum is getting closer. Officials are hoping to have it open by the middle of the year.
December 28, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
DREAMS REALLY CAN come true ... KCCN FM100's Prime Time Pipi and family got the VIP treatment from Make A Wish, visited Mickey and Minnie in the Magic Kingdom and met the man with the magic voice(s) Terry Fator. The Rezentes's want to say happy holidays and mahalo to Sianna Austin Hunt and the staff at Make a Wish Hawaii, Lance Higa and folks at Hawaiian Airlines, Terry and Taylor Fator and everyone at the Terry Fator Show in the Mirage Las Vegas Hotel.
DID YOU KNOW Las Vegas has a law that limits number of pawn shops? Probably a good thing ...
ON JAN. 15, the CBS cameras roll into Vegas following Stephen Cloobeck, chairman of the Vegas-based timeshare company Diamond Resorts International. I wonder if they're giving comp show tickets for watching Undercover Boss?
CAESARS IS OPENING its sixth hotel tower ahead of schedule ... The latest hotel-in-a-hotel and newest on the Strip is called Octavius. A room will cost a little more than one in the Roman or Centurion wings, or you can really pimp out and try a penthouse (there are three floors of 'em) or one of its three villas.
VEGAS MATH ... Every time you're in a Vegas hotel room, you're in one of 150,425!
THE SOCIETY OF SEVEN kicks off 2012 with a pair of shows Jan. 21 and 22 at the Suncoast with a pair of stellar guests, Martin Nievera and Jasmine Trias. Get your tickets at any Suncoast Box Office.
HOW TIME FLIES ... Brad Pitt celebrated his 48th birthday in Vegas with Angelina and their six kids! Imagine the surprise on the faces of the patrons of Bonanza Gifts when mama Jolie stopped in to buy some Vegas chotskies.
THE FOUNTAINS at the Bellagio got some new moves over the holidays ... For the first time in six years it's added three tunes to the fountain's collection of 29 performances. Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, Glen Miller's In the Mood and The Beatles' Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds will be mixed randomly into the shows that run every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the day and time of day.
The public relations folks from the Cosmo wrote to say that not everyone who orders the waygu at STK gets to use the $15,000 knife featured here last week. It's reserved for athletes, celebs and such ... probably a good idea ...
December 21, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
BLONDE MOMENT ... Jenny McCarthy did the celebrity thing at Chateau Nightclub and Sugar Factory American Brasserie ... But you know you're getting old when the first thought that crosses your mind is, "What the heck is she sucking?" That would be a lollipop goblet.
PAMELA ANDERSON will host the final New Year's Eve party at Studio 54 in the MGM Grand. The club officially closes Jan. 8.
CNBC SAYS Las Vegas is one of the Top 10 Most Diverse Cities in America ... Well, duh ... just walking through the Cal you can meet people from Ewa Beach to Palolo.
WHAT HAPPENS to the leftover soap, shampoo and conditioner you leave in your hotel room? It gets recycled. Before you say "OMG" and rush to Longs for the travel-size versions of your favorite toiletries, the hotels donate the stuff you leave behind to Clean the World. The nonprofit sorts, cleans and sanitizes the leftovers then distributes them to shelters, and has even helped survivors of Haitian earthquake and typhoons and flooding in the Philippines. Last year the Vegas facility recycled 30,976 pounds of soap and 18,564 pounds of bottled amenities.
SHELDON ADELSON, who runs the Venetian and Palazzo, says he's against online poker because the technology is not good enough to detect underage players. Right now his properties have a wireless inroom pay for play platform that has similar weaknesses. On the other side of the table, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International continue to push for legalization of online play-for-pay poker.
WHAT'S YOUR Corporate Equality Index? Caesars Entertainment Corp. got a perfect 100, and MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts Ltd. both got 90s for their support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. The index is created by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and ranks 277 Fortune 500 corporations that participate voluntarily.
ATTORNEYS CONTINUE to bank on the Fontainebleau's bankruptcy ... The judge refused to dismiss the lawsuit against the developer, who is accused of hiding cost overruns from lenders. Creditors who will probably have to settle for pennies on the dollar want money from the hotel's non-bankrupt officers and affiliated companies. You can test-drive the furniture that would have been used in the $2.9 billion hotel by booking a room at the Plaza Downtown.
TICKETS ARE on sale now to see the Jersey Boys in their new home at the Paris Theatre. You can check out the show that was voted "Best Show" by the readers of the Las Vegas Review Journal starting March 6.
DO MAPLE BACON, sour cream and chives, Southwest hot wings, mac and cheese or cinnamon toast make your mouth water? Then you've gotta try Popcorn Girl's more than 60 different varieties of gourmet popcorn. Recently featured on the Food Channel, she now has locations on both sides of town in Henderson and Summerlin. And you also can order your omiyage by phone or online at popcorngirlvegas.com.
December 14, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
GAVIN ROSSDALE, lead singer of Bush, shows off the $15,000 blade they let you use when you order the Waygu beef filet at STK in the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. I'm sure the 5carat, diamond-encrusted steak knife doesn't make the meat taste better, but it will put a hurt on your street cred faster than Tiffany's tanked Newt Gingrich's.
MOTLEY CREW is the first rock band to score a Vegas residency. The Joint in the Hard Rock will host the most notorious band in history Feb. 3-19 ...
IT'S THE MOST wonderful time of the year ... A lotta businesses don't look forward to the first quarter but, for casinos, it's like hitting the trifecta: New Year's, Super Bowl and Chinese New Year.
AS THE CITY prepares to party its okole off with everyone from Sonny Geraci to Stevie Wonder, local boy Bruno Mars has added his name to Sin City's starstudded New Year's Eve events. Be prepared to pay premium dollars to the Bellagio's bank if you don't have an Ohana connection ... Table service to kick off 2012 with a grenade and beautiful girls starts at 5 large.
IF CROWD SURFING were a sport, this guy would be one of its champions. Steve Aoki, the DJ in residency at XS, celebrated his 34th birthday performing his signature stage dismount by jumping into the club's crowded dance floor.
STEVE WYNN IS negotiating with Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots (who hosted him for a recent game), to build a $1 billion casino adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Will the NFL soften its position on casinos and sports betting? ... When pigs fly or hell freezes over.
LAST WEEK the temps in Vegas dropped below freezing ...
A READER ASKS: "What's the best way to blow a $300 jackpot?" Try the most popular massage at the five-star Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas. The 80-minute Lavender Dreams treatment costs $240, or just south of 3 bills with tip and there's a 100minute version that lists for $310.
PUT UP OR SHUT UP ... 22 people have pledged $1 million each to play in the most expensive poker tourney in the history of man. The 2012 World Series of Poker is a fundraiser for One Drop, the cause that's fighting to end poverty by providing clean drinking water for everyone 11.1 percent of the pot gets donated to the cause, and many players are pledging a portion of their win as well. There's still time for you to join in the fun with a $50k deposit and the balance due a couple of weeks before the tourney's July 1 start.
LIKE THE BEST courses in Vegas, The SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course has Par 3s and 4s, a clubhouse, a manmade lake and the ability to play the course day or night, 24/7. What makes this course so unique is it's the first USGA ninehole course in China, and it's part of the Hong Kong International Airport.
THE WINNER OF last season's Celebrity Apprentice, John Rich, was reportedly kicked off his plane home for being too drunk to fly ... Was he supposed to be the pilot?
December 07, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
VEGAS BOOK MAKERS make the Miami Heat a 2-to-1 favorite to win the 66-game NBA series ... Will LeBron get his first ring? Lakers and Bulls fans are looking at 9-to-2.
JUST HOW MUCH does a $5, 16-game parlay pay? For Larry Cooper, predicting the outcome of the fourth power of two made it a Thanksgiving worth $51,770.
YOU MAY NOT own spurs and a Stetson, but you can ride the Flamingo's mechanical bull and get a free beverage for your efforts ... Closet paniolos, raise your hand if you think they should give you the drink before you hop on.
LUCKY YOU LIVE HAWAII ... Holding the Guinness world record with 768 days of continuous sunshine is St. Petersburg, Fla. According to Men's Health magazine, all is not bright in the "Sunshine City" of the second mostsouthern state. Out of 100 cities, it is the saddest in all of the country. At 91 on the list, Las Vegas didn't fare much better. Honolulu was the only city to earn an A+ rating and topped the list as the happiest city of all.
VEGAS TRIVIA ... One Vegas casino can employ more than 60 concierges, 380 bellmen and valets, and more than 1,300 housekeepers.
STATE TRIVIA ... Only 24 percent of Nevada's populace of 2.7 million are native-born, making it the state with the smallest percentage of born-in-state sons and daughters.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT ... The All Vegas Poker app is a virtual poker concierge that comes complete with ratings, photos and the phone numbers of every poker room in Vegas, and you can sort them by start times, buy-ins, etc.
IS ELVIS LEAVING THE BUILDING? With attendance dropping faster than that of a UH home game, executives at MGM Grand have asked Cirque du Soleil to replace the Viva Elvis show. In a memo to the cast, president and CEO says, "All of us at Cirque du Soleil are saddened that we may have to bring Viva Elvis to the end of its journey. However, we respect the decision of our partner as ticket sales have not met expectations."
IT'LL COST YOU $30 more to walk down Fremont Street on New Year's Eve than on the day before. The fourth annual TributePalooza features musical tributes to AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, U2, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, INXS, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Van Halen. Countdown the New Year with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and 30,000 other party-goers while you watch the Grucci fireworks show light the sky in sync with the Fremont's canopy.
A VEGAS HOLIDAY MUST-SEE ... The free 15-minute Mystic Falls Park Light and Water Show that happens every day at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. through Jan. 1 at Sam's Town.
November 30, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
BORN TO BE WILD ... Prince Harry, third in line to the throne of England, rented a Harley in Arizona and rode it all the way to Vegas. The royal knows how to roll and checked into the Wynn, then checked out Tryst (nightclub) and played a little blackjack. The Captain of Wales went unnoticed (make that unbothered) for a while, but succumbed to the inevitable outing and subsequent swarm of Vegas barracudas, who were quickly shooed away by his security team.
A ROSE by any other name ... It's no secret that Las Vegas Hilton was in the market for a new name once its agreement with the Hilton expired. On January 1, the hotel will adopt the acronym LVH, as in Las Vegas Hotel ...
THE HOTEL HAD been considering new names since Hilton Worldwide said that, as of Jan. 1, its franchise agreement with Colony Resorts LVH Acquisitions LLC, owner and operator of the hotel, would be terminated.
THE FLAMINGO is upgrading its offerings with renovated modern décor rooms that feature upgraded pillow-top beds, plush linens and 32-inch plasma TVs ... Just ask for a FAB room after Jan. 1.
SEVEN OUT ... Studio 54 nightclub. After 14 years, MGM Grand announced the closing of Las Vegas' first megaclub Jan. 8.
THE CHEFS at Jean Philippe Pâtisserie used 50 pounds of chocolate and 112 pounds of fondant to bring the 6-foot-tall Grinch from Mount Crumpit. Look for the (mean) one who stole Christmas tip-toeing across the patisserie ... and the chocolates are good, too.
BARMASA, CUT, Estiatorio Milos, Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, L'Atetier de Joel Robuchon, La Cirque, Michael Mina, Picasso, Twist those are the Top 10 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas in alphabetical order, according to the hardcore critics of Eating Las Vegas. John Curtas, Max Jacobson and Al Mancini have published the second Eating Las Vegas: Top 50. The top 10 will put a small kine ding on your AMEX, but the cool thing about the list is there's something for every palate and pocketbook.
MASSACHUSETTS IS the latest state to roll the dice in casino-ramma. The high-stakes game is where governments strapped for funds legalize Las Vegasstyle casino gaming in hope of increased revenues. The price to play is a deposit of $85 million and a promise to invest $500 million in the project in addition to a 25 percent tax.
PALEONTOLOGISTS ANNOUNCED the discovery of 190-million-yearold dinosaur tracks in Red Rock Canyon right outside Las Vegas. The exact location of the trail has not been revealed ... Hopefully we'll be able to visit the site in less time than it took to discover it.
FOLLOW US on Twitter, like us on Facebook and get the latest Vegas news online at KimosVegas.com and every week here in MidWeek.
November 23, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
CONGRATS TO World Series of Poker champion Pius Heinz of Germany. The 22-year-old not only gets bragging rights as best of the best, he also brings home a custom Corum bracelet and $8.72 million to prove it.
WORD OF THE DAY in the Juan Manuel Marquez camp after the Pacquiao fight: rematch.
BY LAW, sports books in Vegas can only take bets on sporting events ... so no matter how sporting the Jerry Sandusky trial may become, they won't accept your action.
KIMO'S VEGAS TIP ... You know you go Vegas too much when friends and relatives say "no need bring me back any beef jerky" or bagel chips, nuts, candy, whatevahs. But what they're really saying is find some new kine omiyage. Chef Terrance Fong says that locals are ordering malassadas from his restaurant, Island Sushi A Hawaiian Grill, in the Plaza Hotel by the dozens. The topsecret recipe took him years to perfect, and deez buggahs are so ono that you can now buy them in all six 7-Elevens in Vegas.
EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD about the new Vacations Hawaii Omni 767 airplane is true. More room for da bruddahs, and I hear they even fit five people in the middle bathroom ...
AFTER 41 YEARS, the Western Casino will seven out Jan. 16. The owners say there is just not enough business at that Downtown location ...
WHAT DO YOU CALL a casino that makes more money from its rooms and restaurants than its gaming? A resort! Since the Cosmopolitan opened, experts have questioned its business strategy. They reported that only $23.9 million or 16.6 percent of its third quarter net revenue of $126.6 million came from gaming. During the same period, the $3.9 billion desert palace also lost $58.5 million.
HIS HONOR Oscar Goodman has been busy since he termed out as the mayor of Las Vegas. He's been named the city's official ambassador by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, he's got a soon-to-open steak joint with his name on the marquee, and his latest gig will be starring in a new reality show called Las Vegas Night Court with Oscar Goodman.
THE CREATORS of the five-star rating system for travelers has released its 54th annual list. According to the Forbes Travel Guide, there are 57 hotels, 30 spas and 25 eating establishments in the world that have been recognized with a perfect 5 outta 5 score. The Mandarin Oriental, Skylofts at MGM, Tower Suites at Wynn and the Tower Suites at Encore are the four Las Vegas five-star hotels. The Encore, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Wynn have the best spas, and Joel Robuchon and Twist by Pierre Gagnaire are the city's only five-star restaurants.
In comparison, Hawaii has only two places that make the list: the Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai on the Big Island and the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea, Maui. I'll bet they have a line around the block every time an inspector position opens at the travel guide.
November 16, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
We've all heard the phrase "the rich get richer," and at the Bellagio that's exactly what happened. If you've ever walked by the high limit salon of a strip casino you've spocked those $100, $500 or $1,000 slot machines that can take as many as five credits a shot. The first thought that crosses most people's minds is, "Who the heck would play those one-armed bandits?" Why, a multi-millionaire socialite, of course. Candy Spelling, net worth about $600 million, reportedly won $90,000 from the hotel's high-limit slots.
What was he thinking, or should it be what was he smoking? A 19-yearold man assaulted a 65year-old maid at Bally's ... he turned himself in after the police released surveillance footage of the dum-dum in the elevator, exiting the hotel, crossing the bridge to the Bellagio, walking on Flamingo Road then entering the Rio. Well, you get the idea… smile you're on casino camera.
The owners of the Sahara have submitted plans to renovate the hotel casino, but roller coaster fans were saddened to learn the fate of their ride is a trip to coaster heaven.
The only guys sweating the NBA lockout more than the players, owners, bettors and licensed merchandise purveyors are the Las Vegas sports books. Estimate is they'll be taking a 15 percent hit on business if the season gets cancelled.
If, or rather when, online poker gets the nod from Congress, Boyd Gaming Corp. already has a deal in place with the world's largest publicly traded online gaming company. The PartyPoker guys will use their technology to power a yet-to-be-announced Boyd Gaming online brand.
So you're back from Vegas, huge jackpot in hand and with Christmas only 40 days and change away, you must be wondering what to get the special lady in your life. If your oddah half loves music and the odds of you penning a song for her is the same as hitting the Megabucks progressive, we here at Kimo's Vegas have the gift you've been looking for. Armed with a little personal info about the recipient, the singer-songwriters at "YourPersonalSong.com" will create an original tune in the musical style of your choosing. For just $99 you can do a Bernie Taupin and say to yourself, "My gift is my song and this one's for you."
On the desert horizon is a new reality TV show ... Sin City Coroner is based on the real life cases of Las Vegas coroner Michael Murphy and his team of five medical examiners and 12 forensic technicians. His bosses on the Clark County Commission unanimously approved the deal in exchange for $5,000 an episode.
A 1988 Porsche 930 Turbo was stolen in Las Vegas. A few weeks ago the collectable classic turned up at the Port of Los Angeles on its way to the Netherlands sans engine. Authorities believe the two were shipped separately and value the total package at $80,000. If you're looking for a project car, the insurance company that holds the title is looking for you.
November 09, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
It took them longer to build the Kardashian boutique at The Mirage than the 72 days that Kim was married to Kris Humphries. With no gig (he's an NBA player) and now no wife, the ex-Kardashian is cancelling all appearances he was supposed to attend with the Mrs. But I digress ... what's in the store that you can't get at Sears? Exclusive Las Vegas souvenirs like Kardashian playing cards and poker chips.
In History of the World Part I, Mel Brooks (Louis XVI) said "It's good to be the King," but Steve Wynn might argue it's better to be rich. He bought four Qing Dynasty vases for $12.8 million and returned them to The People's Republic of China ... with all the U.S. paper they hold I'm surprised they didn't outbid him ... The 1796 Buccleuch Vases are now on display in the lobby of the hotel that bears his name, Wynn Macau.
Here's more proof of the above at Andre Agassi's annual auction, where the champagne and Benjamin's flowed like water in the Kaukonahua Stream ... a VIP package to the U.S. Open for four people raised $190,000… a pair of Annie Leibovitz portraits of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family sold for $170,000 ... four tickets to the Super Bowl, the World Series, NCAA and Masters set one lucky bidder back a $100,000 ... a weekend at the Kentucky Derby with your close personal friends, Andre and Steffi was $90K on the AMEX Black ... dinner with Chef Emeril Lagasse at three of his restaurants and, BAM, there goes 50 grand.
Chef Michael Wolf has not one or two but three of Serendipity's (now not so) secret recipes online at youtube.com/CaesarsPalace. If you're a card-holding member of the Las Vegas "after dessert I'm too full for dinner" club you can roll your own Orchard, High Heel Pump and Heirloom Tomato salads in the comfort of your own home.
Something you don't see every day in Vegas ... an ice skating rink. It's the first and only of its kind, and the Venice winter holiday (bruddahs, we're talking accumulation of serious "guy points") opens Nov. 21 by the Venetian's gondolas. This thing is not only romantic but environmentally friendly… it's made from a recyclable polymer that requires no refrigeration or electricity!
And the winner is ... Heidi Klum. Us Weekly asked their Facebook fans what celebrity had the best Halloween costume and the skinless supermodel who looked like she escaped from the Luxor's Bodies Exhibition won by an almost unanimous decision.
The high rollers' New Year's eve ticket ... Stevie Wonder at the Cosmopolitan.
Seven out ... Lady Luck. The casino and hotel has been shuttered since 2006 but the owners have decided to banish the name and neon of downtown's first Lady in exchange for a more upscale nom de plume, Downtown Grand.
November 02, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
LLOYD NISHINA WRITES that his dad is one of or quite possibly Hawaii's oldest craps player. At 99, Clifford Nishina "goes Vegas" about six times a year, and has been known to grind it out on the same craps table for seven to eight hours nonstop. His name has not made the Golden Arm Wall "yet," but his longest roll of 48 minutes and craps table stamina makes guys half his age "table felt green" with envy. The secret to the retired accountant's longevity is betting 52 across and having an agile mind capable of instantly calculating all of the game's odds and payoffs. He also does pretty well on the slots!
HAWAIIAN105 KINE IS giving away Vacations Hawaii packages all week long ... This is the perfect chance for you to try out the comfy seats and other features of its new Boeing 767 service for free! You'll get all the usual stuff: a comp'ed room, meals, transfers plus a free entry into the Green Tea Hawaii $500 Slot Tournament and everyone gets to go shopping with Billy V (he's an experienced shopping bag carrier).
I KNOW HOW IT IS ... Sometimes when you "go Vegas" you forget to alert your Sin City relatives of your plans ... However, you might wanna reconsider your stealthy travel plans because now through Jan. 31, Nevada residents get a buy-one-get-one-free ticket for The Blue Man Group. Just tell them to show their ID and use the code "LOC241" at any box office location.
TERENCE FONG HAS cooked for everyone from Cher to Tiger Woods, and his award-winning handiwork has been a part of the famed Las Vegas kitchens of the Bacchanal Room, Primavera, Osaka, Gatsby's Gourmet Room, Malibu Chan's, Chinois and many more. Now we can stroll down Fremont Street and graze on the Kaiser grad's gourmet knowledge and local flavors at Island Sushi and Hawaiian Grill in the newly renovated Plaza Hotel (right next door to the Main
Street). They can also tame the carb-craving monster that hits deep in your na'au that only one (or a dozen) hot, deep-fried sugarlaced malassada can cure.
BALLERS MISSING THE game get a quick fix at Allen Iverson's Las Vegas Superstar Challenge. The four-team tourney will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center starting Nov. 12 and timed so you can still see the Pacman.
SAM NAZARIAN IS known as "King of the Night" because he's considered the most powerful nightclub operator on the West Coast. His first Vegas hotel investment is the nowshuttered Sahara. However, if you like that new club smell, make sure you check out the New Year's Eve grand opening of his company's latest Vegas venture, Hyde Lounge in the Bellagio.
October 26, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ... Jackie Gaughan celebrated his 91st birthday Oct 24, sharing cake and bubbly with guests at the El Cortez. The gaming pioneer is credited with bringing boxing to Vegas and giving Steve Wynn his start. At one time he owned or ran the Flamingo, Showboat Casino, Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Club Hotel & Casino, Gold Spike Hotel & Casino, the El Cortez and a few others. The retired casino owner/exec can often be found in the ElCo's poker room.
VACATIONS HAWAII's latest ride is sweeeeet! The 767-224 has three classes of service, Zippy's chili rice or kalua pig sliders for auntie, two aisles, five restrooms and plenny legroom.
BEFORE THE SEASON STARTED, the Cards and Rangers were 20 to 1 long shots to win the World Series. According to sports guru RJ Bell of pregame.com, on Sept. 29 one bettor took the 15 to 1 offered by a Vegas casino for $100 large ... If St. Louis gets the big ring, he'll get a $1.5 million payday ... wow!
THE NEVADA GAMING CONTROL BOARD has approved an iPhone app that allows residents to make sports wagers from their phones. The first sports betting application on iTunes is owned by American Wagering, which operates 77 Leroy's Horse and Sports Place outlets and self-service kiosks statewide.
LOCAL TIES ... The co-founder of the Las Vegas Cine Fest is one local girl whose family owns Bautista Filipino Kitchen in Pearlridge. Maria Bautista and husband Philip Marcus have a slew of Hollywood credentials including music videos, movies and TV shows. If you went to the Hawaii International Film Festival last week, get tickets for the Vegas version next June at VegasCineFest.com.
A LAS VEGAS PRIEST has pleaded guilty to stealing $650,000 from the parish's coffers ... Put your hand on the radio and say glory hallelujah. Kevin McAuliffe admitted he's a gambling addict and faces up to 60 years in prison.
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT LIVE comes to Caesars Las Vegas Colosseum Oct. 28-30. See season winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. and your favorite top five acts: The Silhouettes, Team iLuminate, PopLyfe, Landon Swank, Anna Graceman and last season's winner Michael Grimm.
BY NOW most folks are familiar with the 24-hour all-you can eat pass to seven Las Vegas Strip buffets, but what if eating a lot of food isn't your idea of fun? Try the Caesars All Night Pass. For $49.99 (there's a $5 discount for Total Rewards players club members) you can get a line-skipping access pass to get your freak on at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace, Chateau Nightclub at Paris, Gallery Nightclub at Planet Hollywood, Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Saloon at Planet Hollywood, Crown Nightclub and VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub at Rio Las Vegas, and Carnaval Court at Harrah's Las Vegas. Get the details at KimosVegas.com.
October 19, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE celebrates five years at Bally's Las Vegas with guest host Jerry "Jer-Ry" Springer. From showdowns to showcases, play "Plinko," "Cliff Hangers," "The Big Wheel" and the "Showcase" with the former mayor of Cincinnati Nov. 9-20 and Nov. 30-Dec. 11 ...
RICKLESMANIA returns to Las Vegas ... Don "Mr. Warmth" Rickles returns to The Orleans Showroom Nov. 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. ... Get a couple of tickets or you're a hockey puck.
WILLIAM PERRIN routinely bought lottery tickets with co-worker Diana Walker. They agreed that if they got lucky and hit the big one, they'd split the winnings. Prior to her trip to Las Vegas, Perrin told her all about the multimillion-dollar slot machine called Megabucks. He printed an article about the machine with implicit instructions to play max coins so she would be eligible for the maximum jackpot. He gave her $6 and put a sticky note on the article reminding her of their agreement to "split any winnings" (How many times have you given a coworker lucky money?). Well, on Jan. 21, his $6 turned into $15, and then the heavens aligned and Walker hit the $12.7 million life-changing jackpot ... The case is expected to go to court in January where a jury will decide if the note on the Post-It is a valid contract.
WHAT'S THE BEST BJ strategy? As you know, each casino can employ a slightly different set of rules for the game of "21," and your play should reflect these subtle differences to minimize the house edge. Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack News is published on the third day of each month and it details the rules and playing conditions in every Vegas casino. Get the link to buy a single issue, subscribe quarterly or annually at KimosVegas.com.
DIJA KNOW that every day more than 22,000 people cruise through the Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens? On display this fall is a 20-foot-tall cornucopia, a 15-foot scarecrow, a talking apple tree, a 35foot-tall cider mill complete with stream and pumpkins that weigh 300 to 1,000 pounds. Also check out the meadow with three horse sculptures created from more than 31,000 plants now through Nov 27.
A WALK DOWN Fremont will bring you to the front door of a new Vegas eatery ... The Heart Attack Grill is now open for business and you can't miss its façade on Neonopolis. The waitresses wear mock nurses uniforms and they are serious (as a heart attack) and warn guests that "Side effects may include sudden weight gain, repeated increase in wardrobe size, back pain, loss of sexual partners, lung cancer, liver sclerosis, stroke and an inability to see your junk." If that doesn't scare the carnivore outta you, try their signature 8,000calorie "Quadruple Bypass" burger ... It's large enough to feed a third-world village.
"WE'RE BACK ..." That's what casino operators have been saying on their earnings calls. In August, a loss in baccarat play was the primary reason betting on the Strip was down $496.9 million. If you eliminate the only game where you can bet on the player or the house's hand from the numbers, the Stripcinos actually (surprise) beat the players.
October 12, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
JUST BEAT IT, No One Wants To Be Defeated ... The King of Pop's slot machine made its debut in Las Vegas. Billie Jean, Dirty Diana, Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Smooth Criminal, Beat It and Bad are featured in the game as is some iconic Michael Jackson video. A spin on the wide area (a jackpot that is offered at many different casinos), penny progressive will go for 40 cents to $4. Look for the baddest machine on the planet early next year in your favorite casino.
IF YOU CAN'T WAIT that long, check out Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: Immortal starting Dec. 3 at Mandalay Bay. And if you need immediate Micheal Jackson gratification, then visit Madame Tussauds at the Venetian for "The Michael Jackson Experience" showing now through Dec. 27.
IF YOU'RE HOPING to get in on this year's most auspicious date, you are not alone! Vacations Hawaii had people calling for reservations before
they uploaded the packages for 11/11/11 into their system. As of last week there were only a few seats left to join the action at the Cal's craps three the table that hosted Stanley Fujitake's historic threehour roll.
WHAT'S GOT the execs at the Wynn angrier than the birds on your phone? A group of craps shooters took them for $700,000! The casino says the shooter set the dice to a winning combination then slid them across the table without rolling them. Anyone who's visited a craps table for more than a second knows you've gotta bounce the dice off the back wall. The casino says the same player slid the dice not once or twice but seven times ... How come the dealers never lose their collective peripheral awareness for me?
IT SEEMS LIKE every day is Halloween on Fremont Street, but the official second annual Las Vegas Halloween Parade happens Monday, Oct. 31. Look for the all-ages parade a block North of Fremont Street between 4th Street and Ogden. Anyone in costume can be in the parade. Go to 4th Street and Hoover by 6 p.m.
ELTON JOHN kicked off his second Sin City residency last week and surprised everyone with his show titled "The Million Dollar Piano." It took Yamaha four years to build it, and most recently it called the Rocket Man's living room home. If you saw "The Red Piano," the six digit version's imagery is considerably less sexual and more moderate. Also note that his shows run longer than the traditional 90-minute Vegas standard, so it's a good idea to visit the lua before the curtain rises. Impress your friends with a little Reggie trivia the piano is named Blossom after jazz singer Blossom Dearie.
HOLLY MADISON, star of Planet Hollywood's Peepshow, insured her breasts with Lloyds of London for $1 million ... Who knew silicone was that expensive?
IT'S TRUE the economy only sucks for some of us ... At the fourth annual Barrett-Jackson Auction held in Las Vegas they sold $24 million in cars. The first 2012 Camaro ZL1 offered to the public went for $250,000, but the king of the automoball was a 1964 Ford Fairlane that sold for $700,000!
October 05, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE LATIN GRAMMYS will honor seven-time winner Shakira as Person of the Year for her artistic and philanthropic contributions. The 12th annual gala happens Nov. 9 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Past recipients include Placido Domingo, Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias and Ricky Martin.
LADY ANTEBELLUM launches its OWN THE NIGHT 2011 TOUR Nov. 18 at The Joint in the Hard Rock.
GOING PINK for National Breast Cancer Month ... The Tropicana will light its entire exterior the color of the Dianthus flower and offer pink room packages, menus and events. Planet Hollywood will show its support by coloring the water in its Miracle Miles fountains pink and donating all the money from them to the Susan G. Komen foundation. The Hard Rock hosts Pinktober, a Rock 'n' Roll Fashion Show. The Forum Shops at Caesars is offering a special VIP shopping booklet to shoppers wearing pink this month and is donating an additional dollar for each Simon giftcard purchased.
AT CAESARS, the Qua Holiday Toddy is almost good enough to eat ... Agave nectar oil is applied along the spine followed by a bourbon bubbler (brown sugar and bourbon) body scrub. Then a moisturizing dollop of peppery caramel milk body lotion is applied followed by a body wrap of warm towels. The treatment concludes with a mini scalp treatment and restorative facial designed to stimulate essential skin functions and repair cell damage. The $300 package of self-indulgence is available now through Jan. 31.
HONEST TEA wanted to test the honesty of visitors on the Las Vegas Strip, so they set up an unmanned tent stocked with plenty of cold drinks and a sign that said: "Help yourself, $1 each." Most people were honest and dropped a buck in the box ... One industrious individual took it upon himself to man the booth and pocket the cash.
EVERYTHING FROM ashtrays to zythum went to the high and not-sohigh bidders in the Sahara Casino's closing sale. If you regret not grabbing one of the 600,000-plus mementos from the former desert jewel, there are plenty of eBay listings to keep you busy.
LOOKING FOR THE toy that you never got as a kid? Take your casino winnings to Toy Shack in Neonopolis on Fremont Street, where they specialize in collectable toys. Eh, you da guy from da TV? Store owner Johnny Jimenez has been on the History Channel's Pawn Stars four times in the last 40 days.
CONGRATS TO Saint Louis grad Shane Kawamura, who's the new GM of the Las Vegas Aruba Hotel & Spa.
TO CELEBRATE the grand opening of the new Margaritaville Casino at The Flamingo, they will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest margarita ever made. They'll start mixing the two story (30 foot), 8,500-gallon beverage Tuesday (Oct. 11) and plan to have it topped off by Friday. Made from 2,125 gallons of gold tequila, 708 gallons of triple sec, 5,667 gallons of margarita mix and Lemon-X Sour Mix, and 22,667 lime wedges and dubbed Lucky Rita, it will serve 181,333 margaritas.
September 28, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… the Player's Edge!
ON HER 21ST BIRTHDAY, Victoria Hope Jose won the KNDI Radio 1270 AM "Summer Karaoke Blast 2011." Her relatives and Facebook friends are all saying "pick me" in addition to the standard Hau'oli la Hanau ... As the third semifinalist, she won $500 in cash and a Vacations Hawaii package for two including air, hotel, transfers and our favorite: food. Enter to win $500 and another Boyd Vacations, Las Vegas package Oct. 1 at Don Quijote Waipahu.
IF YOU'RE jonesing for that new casino smell, Caesars Palace may be just what the doc ordered. You can make a reservation right now for the Octavius Tower that'll be open for business Jan. 2.
JANET JACKSON'S Number Ones tour gets Up Close and Personal Nov. 26 and 27 at Caesars Colosseum, just in time for some Las Vegas holiday shopping. Tickets are on sale now.
WHO MAKES the best burger in Vegas? There are quite a few good burger joints in Sin City, and even a few great ones. On the short list for the latter is Fukuburger ... Before you say "Same to you, buddy," the mobile burger joint is the creation of Colin Fukunaga and Robert Magsalin. That's right, it's a plate lunch truck that serves burgers, and they are so hot restaurateur Harry Morton (his name is likely on the salt on your table) immediately partnered with them for a brick-and-mortar burger joint in L.A. The secret to their tasty beef is a proprietary blend of shoyu, wasabi, yuzu, pickled ginger, rice wine, other traditional Japanese ingredients and a special glaze. On the menu are even more locations, but you can catch the original just look for their daily Facebook post.
SPOCK'ED ON the menu at 35 Steaks and Martinis at the Hard Rock: some hard-rocking vino ... Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin wines.
GOOGLE SPENT $676 million to buy ITA Software. What does that have to do with Vegas? Well, they've cleared all federal regulations and you can check fares quicker than you can say "Momma Needs a New Pair of Shoes." Just type "flights" followed by the city of origin "HNL to" the destination city "LAS" (airport codes optional) and voila!, flights are listed and sorted however you choose. There's a handy graph that lists fares by day and it shows the price as you roll the mouse over it. Get the link to check this out for yourself at KimosVegas.com.
BOUGHT MORE than your share of Vegas neon? Wanna know when is the most auspicious day and time to hit the casino? What colors should you wear for the best luck? For centuries people have been using the ancient Chinese art of feng shui to balance energy and receive good fortune. Call Franklin Tam of 5 Lucky Elements (737-4154) to set up your reading with Master Clarence Lau.
AFTER RECEIVING more than a few complaints, TSA is modifying its screening procedures to be less invasive for keiki under 12 ... "Hey, buddy, are you sure you're only 11? Got any ID?"
September 21, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE LIFETIME network is working on a drama titled The Princess of Whales. It's not about the woman who's married to the Prince of Wales, nor is it another documentary on the late Princess Di. It's based on the real life story of Marcia Hartman. If you don't know the name, it's because she is a casino host to the highest of high rollers known as whales. Heading the Vegas set show (and I apologize in advance for the alliteration) is Cold Case cutie Kathryn Morris and 24 writer producer Stephen Kornish, who said, "She is the most fascinating, complex female character we have seen."
CONFUSED? ... Who isn't? The Pac12 Conference decided to change the final score of the USC/Utah game after it was over and everyone went home. The next day the league announced that there was a miscommunication between the refs on the field and the scorekeeper, and the game-ending touchdown was not counted. USC didn't beat the 8.5 spread in the final score as they did in the revised one. This caused some confusion in many sports books and with even more bettors. To be fair, the Hilton paid off both sides, but the general rule of sports book thumb is that the final score is the one that counts and not the overturned one ... But as the Hilton's customers will attest, it never hurts to ask.
ALTHOUGH NOT AS confusing as the aforementioned score ... UFC big guy Dana White flips card 137 around. Originally Georges St. Pierre was going to defend his title against Nick Diaz and BJ Penn was supposed to fight Carlos Condit. After Diaz missed two press conferences (he's press shy), Dana White pulled him from the title match and moved Condit up. That left the local boy without a fight until Diaz agreed to face the former two-division champ BJ Penn Oct. 29 at the MGM.
IN AN EFFORT to make it easier to separate you from your cash, the Riviera has created the first outdoor walk-up betting window. That's right, sports fans, you don't even have to venture into the air-conditioned comfort of the casino to check lines or place a bet. And the operator of the Riv's book, Lucky's, makes The Patriots a 5-1 fave to win Super Bowl XLVI.
CHRIS CHRISTIE, the governor of New Jersey, the nation's No. 2 gambling spot, shot the first volley saying, "There is no reason people should go to Las Vegas in the summer. Why would you go to the middle of the desert in the summer? You'd have to be stupid to do that." Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman fired back "Who would you rather be with? My showgirls or Snooki?" He's got you there, Gov'ner.
WHEN IS the best time to visit Lake Las Vegas? ... Right now as the temperature drops, so do the rates at the Aston MonteLago Village Resort. You can book a room in the Mediterranean-style resort starting at $79 a night. Check out the place Celine Dion calls home (Lake Las Vegas) and its calendar of events at TheVillageLLV.com.
September 14, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
HAWAII NATIVE Nicole Scherzinger and friends sampled the Sugar Factory American Brasserie's chocolate crepes before checking out her signature Couture Pops and posing for pix and signing autographs ...
THE JERSEY BOYS will be calling Paris home ... The hugely popular Broadway transplant will be ending its run at the Palazzo by the end of the year and reopening after a small-kine hiatus in Caesars Empire.
PRINCE HARRY heads to California for Apache helicopter training next month. PR folks are working overtime to score a royal appearance at their club or hotel. He's expected to spend a couple of days in Vegas about halfway through his training.
NO CONTRACTS, no coaches and no bull ... Um, make that no NBA. Monday, Sept. 12, is the first game day for the locked out and league-less. The NBA player-only Impact Basketball Competitive Training Series tournament will last for a couple of weeks. Records will be kept, standings posted, proceeds from ticket sales will go to charity and the games will be streamed live on YouTube. Organizers promise to repeat the tourney as long as the lockout continues. It may be the closest thing pro basketball fans get to a season this year ...
WHAT HAPPENS when you crossbreed Pai Gow and Blackjack? You'd get something like 7-14-21. The object of the single deck game is to put your six cards into three hands closer to 7, 14 and 21 than the dealer's. According to the Wizard of Odds, the strategy is easy, the pace is slow, the volatility is low and the house edge is only 0.54 percent. Players get 4-1 for a perfect hand (exactly 7, 14 and 21) regardless of the dealer's cards. For now the game is playable exclusively at the Palms. Get the link for the complete rules and game strategy at KimosVegas.com.
WHAT HAPPENS in Vegas ... Congrats to Jamie Hung on her Oct. 29 nuptials to Chad Kagawa. According to her partners in crime -
Taryn Bundalian, Lisa Kimoto, Debbie Padello, Seline Williams, Jenel Okamoto and Beth Kimoto a Vegas bachelorette party is a great idea. For some reason, none of them can remember what happened after they arrived at the hotel ... Let us know how the "group transient global amnesia" excuse works on the groom.
HERE'S ONE for Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs ... A German tourist was busted at McCarran Airport with two pounds of cocaine in his stomach! He was arrested, X-rayed and given laxatives so authorities could extract the 81 drug-filled plastic pellets of evidence.
TWO WEEKS AFTER its opening, Name That Tune Live! had its first $10,000 grand prize winner. Jenna Hollenbeck of Rochester correctly identified 15 songs in less than 60 seconds including The Doors' Riders on the Storm, Take Me or Leave Me from Rent, and Pantera's Cemetery Gates. Fifty contestants are selected per show to compete for the big money at the Imperial Palace's Human Nature showroom.
FOLLOW US on Twitter, like us on Facebook and get the latest Vegas news online at KimosVegas.com and every week here in MidWeek.
September 07, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE MICHAEL JACKSON EXPERIENCE goes live beginning Sept. 8 at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. The display features the King of Pop from the Jackson 5, the Invincible era and This Is It. If you share the same birthday (Aug. 29), show your ID for a free ticket.
THE HISTORY CHANNEL's "American Restoration" is now open in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District. Look for Rick, Tyler and the gang in their working shop on Commerce Avenue. It's open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
HURRICANE IRENE had airports in New York, Boston and Philadelphia closed for the weekend. More than 13,000 flights and 650,000 people were affected, and experts estimate that the storm will cost the airlines $200 million in lost revenue.
THE SECOND ANNUAL FOOD & WINE All Star Weekend is happening Oct. 21 to 23. Hosted by Gail Simmons, the weekend will include the talents of Bravo's Top Chef, cheftestants Stephanie Izard (Best New Chef and Top Chef), Angelo Sosa, Hosea Rosenberg, Yigit Pura and Sam Talbot in addition to ARIA and Bellagio super chefs Shawn McClain, JeanGeorges Vongerichten, Julian Serrano, Michael Mina, Masa Takayama and Sirio Maccioni. Events include Blackjack at The Deuce Lounge (ARIA), where each chef will host a table where you can sample cocktails, desserts and play 21.
DIDJA KNOW on average it costs about 60 percent more for nonresidents to play golf in Las Vegas?
IN JANUARY, the French restaurant Alex, named after its award-winning chef Alex Stratta, closed. Now the second shoe drops and the chef announces that he and the Wynn are parting ways. Can a new name for the Italian eatery that bears his surname, Stratta, be far off?
YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT one or two of 'em an unclaimed slot ticket for a nickel or 37 cents. What happens to the money from all those unclaimed TITO (Ticket In Ticket Out) tickets? Right now the casinos keep the estimated $43 million in uncashed loose change. The state is proposing new regulation that would require casinos to send 75 percent of the proceeds to its coffers.
SPEAKIN' OF PROPOSALS ... Everyone who cruises Las Vegas has been on Frank Sinatra Drive, Dean Martin Drive and Industrial Road. Sin City resident Josh Elliot thinks it'd be cool to rename the northbound part of Industrial to Sammy Davis Jr. Parkway, creating a reunion of the rat pack. The idea has the approval of Mr. Bojangles' family, and they are throwing a party on his birthday. The Dec. 8 Caesars Palace fundraiser will help defer costs of the street name change and benefit the nonprofit Community Hospital of San Bernardino.
PEOPLE THOUGHT they were out in the sun too long when they walked into the Silverton in Las Vegas during Mer-Con 2011. It's exactly what it sounds like: a Mermaid Convention. The casino's 117,000-gallon aquarium was host for the first-ever gathering of merfolk that's male and female mers. Twenty-eight mermaids and two mermen competed for the title or mer-queen and mer-king in the beauty competition.
FOLLOW US on Twitter, like us on Facebook and get the latest Vegas news online at KimosVegas.com and every week here in MidWeek.
August 31, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
WHAT'S BETTER THAN checking out Amy Hanaiali'i? Checking out Amy Hanaiali'i in Vegas, of course ... The California Hotel and Casino is hosting an all-you-can-eat buffet and concert with the 15time Na Hoku Hanohano award-winner, the day after the annual UH/UNLV grudge match Sunday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $28 in advance and $33 at the door. Call your host or the Cal at 702388-2705.
IF THE WORDS custom, classics, exotics, hot rods and resto-mods get your palms sweaty, stay a couple of days after the game and check out the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction. The fourth annual Las Vegas version of the cross-country auction rolls into Mandalay Bay Sept. 22-24.
LIKE A LITTLE glitz and glamour while you play the slots? Up your game from the original "Sex And The City" to the new "Sex And The City Big Diamonds!" machine. Look for Mr. Big's diamond shower, Carrie's The Right to Shoes, Charlotte's Glamorous Gifts, Miranda's Retail Therapy and Samantha's Glimmer Ring bonus rounds. You can spock this slot a mile away just look for the machines with diamonds all over them.
HOW HOT IS IT? Last week the weather wise guys issued another excessive heat warning for Las Vegas ...
ACCORDING TO a Hotels.com survey of about 5,000 world travelers, London's Black Cabs are the best in the universe with NYC cabs a distant second. However, ya gotta question the credibility of a survey when Las Vegas gets voted as the best city to hail a cab in ... Legally, they can't stop to pick you up on the Strip, and surely Hawaii cabs gotta be the friendliest and cleanest.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME ... Tropicana Las Vegas has settled with Carl Ichan's company and can use "Tropicana Las Vegas" and the "Tropicana LV" names while the billionaire continues to use the name he owns: "Tropicana" and "Trop" outside of the Las Vegas area. Use the correct name or the cabbie might haul you to Laughlin or even worse, Atlantic City.
I. NELSON ROSE, the foremost expert on gambling law, got confirmation of his skills by Chief U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt. In a recent ruling he quoted from the barrister's book Blackjack and the Law, saying hotels have the right to exclude anyone for any reason from playing in their joints. Of course, they can't discriminate on the basis of race, religion, etc., but card counters can count on getting 86'd.
SPEAKIN' OF GETTING THE BOOT ... O'Sheas Casino will be demolished only to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix and become part of the Imperial Palace. It's all part of the new plan to add "The Linq" the world's largest observation wheel (that's what you call a Ferris Wheel on roids) to the Vegas Skyline.
MANY A STEAKLOVIN' radio guy has paid homage to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse during a National Association of Broadcasters Convention. Now through Sept. 5, try the Power Couple, a $99 meal for two: a crab cake paired with a filet mignon including salad and dessert.
August 24, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
RICK FAUGNO has sung My Eyes Adored You and every other Frankie Vali hit as the lead Las Vegas Jersey Boy for the last three-and-a-half years or make that five years if you factor the other productions he's done. But now you can see him perform as Frankie at the Palazzo until Oct. 9 and as himself in Body & Soul at the Hilton's Shimmer Cabaret. It's stylized like an old school Vegas variety show ... Check it out Mondays at 8:30 p.m.
IF YOU'VE BROUGHT home your share of beef jerky, cinnamon bagel chips, trail mix and Krispy Kremes, consider Gigi's Cupcakes. The nation's largest cupcake franchise is opening its second Vegas location next month at the Plaza. Its signature swirl cupcakes come in more than 30 flavors and are baked on the premises every morning.
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT's only American show is happening Oct. 28-30 at Caesars.
WANNA ROCK 'N' ROLL All Nite and Party Every Day? There's caffeine for that. Gene Simmons blazes his ultimate rock 'n' roll marketing machine and KISS Nation into Las Vegas.
The KISS mini golf course opens at the Shoppes at Harmon Square in November and a KISS coffee shop is planned to open next year.
THE COSMOPOLITAN lost $54.3 million in the second quarter of this year. The good news is that it's a little better than the $56.8 million it lost in the first quarter. The bad news: These guys are doing a better job than the guys running our country.
HEADS UP ... So far this year Bellagio (11 times in a row), Wynn (six) and Encore (three), Venetian (five) & Palazzo (three), Aria (twice), Sky Lofts at MGM Grand (four) have all made the AAA, Five Diamond list. If you're looking for a five-diamond dining treat for your tummy, try Le Cirque & Picasso at Bellagio and Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand. The official and complete list of winners will be released in November.
IF MANAGEMENT gets its way, the troubled Harmon Tower will seven out via implosion joining its brethren the Aladdin, Dunes, Hacienda, Landmark, El Rancho, Sands, Stardust, Boardwalk, Castaways and New Frontier on the big Strip in the sky. This is the fastest and safest solution to protect visitors from the structure falling down from an earthquake.
THE REAL undisputed King of the Vegas Strip is Cirque du Soleil, producing more hit shows and selling more tickets than anything in the city's history. Early next year, the Aria's Viva Elvis will shut down temporarily for a makeover. It's no secret that the show has not been as successful as its other MGM cousins, but 34 years after the King has left the planet is a long time.
KIMO'S VEGAS TIP: If you have a problem remembering what a 100 percent video poker pay table looks like, just look for a 10 to 1 payoff on the full house or carry the pay tables of your favorite machine in your wallet.
IT'S BAAAAAAACK ... Sign up for the Trop Plus Players Club and it'll even the odds by giving you the first $200 you lose back! Like most deals in life there's some fine print, and this one's no exception, but it's still a good deal even with its caveat emptor. Get the link to get even at KimosVegas.com.
August 17, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
NOW YOU CAN look like a Kardashian without getting implants (Spanx optional). Reality TV's royal family is opening Kardashian Khaos at the Mirage. The "lifestyle boutique" will be filled with clothes, jewelry and toiletries that they endorse or own.
GIVING REALITY TV a good name? Premiering Oct. 1 on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), a Celine Dion TV special called Three Boys & a New Show. The title, of course, refers to her sons Rene Charles and twins Nelson and Eddie, and her new show at Caesars Palace.
SHOWTIME HAS renewed Las Vegas reality show Gigolos for a second season ...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ... Aug. 15 is the 60th anniversary of Binion's. It was home to many casino innovations like limo service for high rollers, free drinks for players, 10x's craps and the World Series of Poker.
PHANTOM FANS, if you've always wondered what it feels like to don the mask, Phantom-The Las Vegas Spectacular has a Facebook app that puts the power of the mask in your hands or mouse. Use your profile pic or upload any image and send your best beast to all your Facebook friends instantly. To celebrate its fifth year in the desert, now through Sept. 4 get two tickets for $99 (use the code 99PAIR).
IF YOU'RE GOING to the UH game in Vegas, is it too early to start hydrating? Experts say people traveling from a humid climate (like Hawaii) to a dry climate (like Vegas) should hydrate before, during and after their trip to minimize or avoid the Sin City Rash ... Don't know how to hydrate? Try Vaseline or Neosporin for nose bleeds and saline drops to keep your peepers moist.
VACATIONS HAWAII sales and marketing manager Kevin Kaneshiro emailed to say that they added an extra (Friday-Saturday) flight for the UH game. Package prices start at $799 (for air, hotel, meals and transfers), and that is almost $200 less than the going rate in 2007 and '09. His best advice? Book early because the price goes up as the number of available seats goes down.
THE MOST POPULAR Vegas mayor of all time Oscar Goodman is opening his own joint in the Plaza later this year. Oscars will occupy a glass dome above the entrance overlooking the Fremont Street Experience. The walls will feature mayoral memorabilia and old Vegas images, and at the bar the big guy's signature gin martinis will be served. His honor also got a gig with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority as the official ambassador of Las Vegas.
KIMO'S VEGAS TIP: Are there any casinos where the slot machines still take and pay off in coins? Step into the Retro Room in the Eastside Cannery and it's like a trip back in time before TITO (Ticket In Ticket Out) machines, and before your IRA took a dump because an English lit major from S&P's downgraded the country's credit rating.
August 10, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
KIM KARDASHIAN sued Old Navy for infringing on her brand by using someone who looks like her in one of their TV commercials. Not one to pass on her 15 minutes, Melissa Molinaro showed off her pipes (she's an aspiring singer) and moves at Piranha Nightclub in Vegas. Gotta wonder wassup in NFL running back Reggie Bush's head ... He dated the real thing (Kim) and is currently dating her lookalike (Melissa).
HOOTERS BUSTED ... The company is seeking to protect its assets while it restructures its finances and has filed Chapter 11. Raise your hand if you remember that this was originally a Hojo (Howard Johnson).
PENTHOUSE MAGAZINE will expose itself on casino floors around the world. Look for "Penthouse" and "The Penthouse Club" slot machines beginning early next year ... Wonder what happens in the bonus round?
THE SWINGERS CLUB will be one of the Plaza's (and Downtown's) signature nightlife experiences. It's everything you'd expect in a bar plus dueling pianos and the feature that puts the swing in the club's name: a nine hole mini golf course. You didn't think it was a swing club like the Green Door, didja? Check it out beginning Aug. 24.
GET A TAT and a free lap dance? Spend $200 on an ink job at Sherri's Cabaret between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., and they'll celebrate the piercing of your dermis and augmenting your pigment with indelible ink by bestowing you with a free lap dance ...
VEGAS MATH ... There are about 40,000 registered exotic dancers in Sin City.
THE MGM Players Club MLife is giving away 5,000 tier credits points just for liking it on Facebook ... You'll need your players card number to cash in. No players club, no problem. When you "like" it, you can create an account and still get the points.
YOU'LL BE RELIEVED to know you're relieving yourself in one of the best restrooms in America. Boyd Gaming's Main Street Station Casino, Brewery and Hotel is one of the 10 finalists in the 2011 America's Best Restroom Contest. If you're a fan of this lua and what local guy hasn't touched that infamous piece of wall for luck (and support) cast a vote for this royal flush now through Sept. 19… Get the link at KimosVegas.com.
STILL TIME for you to join the thousands of other locals who'll be sporting Warrior Green at the UH vs. UNLV game in Las Vegas Sept. 17 (you know you wanna go) ... Call Vacations Hawaii (5484777) or check it out online at BoydVacationsHawaii.com.
VISITORS TO THE world-famous Las Vegas Strip have been on the rise for 15 months in a row. That's good news for just about everyone in Sin City, but the great news doesn't end there. Month over month, the house is up 28.9 percent its single largest win in over four years and that's, of course, bad news for the players.
August 03, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the Players Edge!
What happens when you pull the handle on a slot machine and the reels line up saying "Will", "You", "Marry", "Me"? If you're Jim Canfield you get down on one knee and hope you hit the jackpot with your girlfriend Paige saying yes ... she did and the couple posed for pictures and then had a romantic dinner at the Eiffel Tower at Paris. Slot junkies and romantics get the link to see the winning proposal at KimosVegas.com.
Trouble, we got trouble with a capital T, and that rhymes with Pee and apparently there's a lot of it in the pools of Sin City. According to the "The Daily," there's bacteria, urine and other waste in every (pool) water sample they took from Strip hotels… Who would've guessed that a bunch of people over consuming beverages on a hot summer day in a pool would be too lazy to visit the latrine? Frank Zappa warned us against eating the yellow snow and he could have done a follow up on what makes the water in Vegas pools so special.
Congrats to everyone at Donn Arden's Jubilee! which celebrated its 30th anniversary this past weekend at Bally's. Not only is it the longest-running production show on the Strip, but it's been host to more than 18 million guests that's 18,720 performances and single handedly going through 500,000 pairs of tights.
Now that the NFL lockout is over, the only people happier than bettors are the bookies.
Several sports books have taken advantage of the Nevada Gaming Control Board's new rules allowing them more opportunities at your wallet. The first such non-sports event is the World Series of Poker. No need rush the game's on vacation until November…
Aurite ... starting Oct. 1 Vacations Hawaii will be upgrading their plane from the standard 757 to a deluxe 767. For us aeronautically challenged, the new plane is a luxury wide body with a two aisle seat configuration, with TV monitors in every seat and the comp inflight hot meal. Go to BoydVacationsHawaii.com to check out the new seat maps, make your reservations and get those all-important frequent flyer points.
For many it's like a bad dream, but don't bother pinching yourself because it's true. In its August issue, Parenting Magazine has come to the conclusion that taking your children to Las Vegas is cool. Hawaii keiki could have told them what hotel has the fountains, what mall has the carousel and how to count cards in 21.
The Riviera is employing the latest technology to bring Bingo back to the Strip in six sessions a day. Fans of the game will want to check out the $200,000 Superstar Bingo tourney in October buy-ins $150 and rooms are $49.95 per night, double occupancy.
There are only 3,485 days and counting of water left in Las Vegas, literally.
July 27, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
PAMELA ANDERSON celebrates her 44th year on the planet at the Chateau Nightclub in Paris. Local (Las Vegas) ladies get in free otherwise, tickets cost $20 for women and $30 for men ... Don'tcha just hate double and triple standards?
MAHALO TO the lady who emailed and asked about the deals on discounted rooms for people traveling with pets. Yes, it's for real. Caesars will give you a better deal on a room at Paris, Bally's, the Rio, etc. when you travel with your loved one ... Sorry, your other half does not qualify as a pet.
I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE ... Remember when you used to play with those big, yellow Tonkas? If you were lucky, your yard included a bulldozer and maybe even an excavator. Well, the newest attraction in Las Vegas is putting the "dirty" back in Sin City. Dig This is America's first heavy equipment playground for kids 14 and over. Just imagine yourself on a 5-acre construction site/obstacle course/theme park moving Mother Earth in 15 tons of heavy metal. Prices start at $210 for the "Mini Dig" one-and-a-half hours in a dozer or excavator and go all the way up to $750. Get the link for complete details at KimosVegas.com. While it may seem like the perfect gift for the guy who has everything, the company says about 50 percent of its customers are ladies ...
GOOD READ ... Pawn Star's Rick Harrison has a new book titled License to Pawn: Deals, Steals and Life at the Gold & Silver.
THE LATEST issue of GQ ranks Las Vegas as the 13th worst-dressed city in America ... Residents say the blame is on visitors' taste or lack thereof. Besting the desert oasis was Maui at seventh ... Do we really dress like them when we're vacation?
CIRQUE WEEK is 10 days of Cirque homage that takes you into the Strip's hottest shows via workshops and panels. See if you have what it takes to be a Cirque star, get the latest on custom theater technology, bungee demonstrations, go behind the scenes and lots more. Get the details at KimosVegas.com.
IT COULD HAPPEN ... A $6 billion high-speed rail project linking Las Vegas and California was granted approval by the Department of Transportation to move forward ... Is it because a plane is too fast and the bus is too slow?
AN ENGINEERING FIRM'S analysis of the Harmon Hotel, part of CityCenter, says the building probably wouldn't withstand an earthquake (good thing it's closed). The fingerpointing among the city, MGM and the contractor Perini has only begun to heat up.
ALSO MAKING THE NEWS is another CityCenter property. MGM executives say guests at the Aira from June 21 to July 4 may have come in contact with high levels of the legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires' disease. They have sent letters to guests who may have been affected. If you believe you were affected, check out AriaLasvegas.com/facts/.
AND COMPLETING this week's CityCenter trifecta is the announcement of Eva Longoria's Eve nightclub sevening out.
July 20, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE BIG PAPA of all poker tourneys, the 42nd annual World Series of Poker, is going on now at the Rio. This year's main event is the third-largest field ever, with 6,865 participants with a prize pool of $64,531,000 and an $8,711,956 payday for the winner. This year's oldest player is 91-year-old Ellen Deeb, who unfortunately didn't make it past day one. Holly Madison did the time-honored "Shuffle Up and Deal" with tournament director Jack Effel and the game's most winningest player Phil Hellmuth.
VEGAS INC HAS a compilation of the Top 10 Suites in Vegas that includes the Chairman's Suite at Bellagio and Hugh Hefner's playpen in the Palms, but the "spank me who's your daddy award" goes to the Octavius Villas at Caesars Palace that run $40,000 a night ... Get the link to check 'em out at KimosVegas.com.
DENNIS RODMAN celebrated his 50th birthday and kicked off his latest venture, WB Brand Cigars, July 19 at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens.
SERENDIPITY, the ice cream parlor in Caesars, has a sundae that's made with scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean and Ecuadoran chocolate, exotic fruits, truffles, an orchid made from sugar, a flower made from the finest white chocolate and gold leaf. For the insatiably inquisitive with wallets to match, the Golden Opulence Sundae will set you back a cool $1,000. But what's it look like on the flip side?
HOMEBOY DEVIN HASHIMOTO is the new executive chef of Okada in the Wynn. He has put his mark on the fine dining establishment's menu, drawing on his Japanese heritage and classical French training to create flavorful, modern Japanese dishes. The Iolani grad got his start at Sam Choy's and most recently held the same position at Alex. Fellow columnist Jo McGarry did a great interview with the master flavor maker in the Jan. 14, 2009, issue ... Search midweek.com to check it out.
THE HILTON is holding a three-day $30,000 Hawaii Ohana Slot Tournament in August, and everyone who enters "no can lose" ... Yep, everyone wins at least $50 in free play and the top finishers win $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 in cash. Just be thankful that Sweetie Pacarro (who's also known as Lucky for her slot machine prowess) is hosting and not playing in the tourney. Get the link to enter at KimosVegas.com.
THE SILVER STATE is probably the No. 1 state for buffets ... No wonder its populace is the 35th most obese in the country.
July 13, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's
Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
AT TRYST NIGHTCLUB in the Wynn, UFC mixed martial artist Chris Leben flashes the double shaka after knocking out Wanderlei Silva in less time than it takes to watch the dad smash his son-in law's cell phone with his Florsheim. The champ went down 27 seconds into the first round.
VEGAS TRIVIA: The Royal Air Force 39 Squadron has a base just north of Sin City and the pilots there have flown 23,400 hours in Afghanistan without ever leaving the Silver State. They fly the British command's stateof-the-art weaponry called Reapers via remote control. The UAVs carry missiles and laser guided bombs, making these the real Angry Birds.
ONE OF CANADA'S prettier exports, actress, singer and songwriter Emmanuelle Vaugier, celebrates her birthday July 15 at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens inside Paris Las Vegas, and you're invited. Known for her roles in SAW II, SAW IV, Secondhand Lions, CSI: N.Y., Smallville and as Mia on Two and Half Men. After hearing her sing You'll Never Find in season 7, who knew she could really sing?
MIXING WORK and pleasure, magicians Alan Arita, Paul Billiard and Aaron Nagata were spocked at the IMX (International Magic Experience)
Convention at the Orleans. They made a lot of sushi disappear and highly recommend the all-you-caneat authentic sushi bar on Flamingo and Buffalo called Hikari.
"THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES" Jan Rouven's death-defying ILLUSIONS is playing now at the FAME Theater in the Clarion Hotel & Casino. See what's in the mind of an award winning master illusionist that Siegfried and Roy say "Magic is his life. His life is magic. Jan Rouven brings to magic a new life."
THE LAS VEGAS HILTON may be touting a new name by Jan 1. Hilton Worldwide announced it is terminating franchise agreement with Colony Capital.
But, as they say in the opera, it ain't over till the fat lady sings ... or they hang a new neon sign.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA wants to start taking bets online beginning in September. The concept is to develop hot spots where people age 19 and over can bring their laptops and play casino games for money ... Like a bunch of states, the district of D.C. is looking for solutions to its budget deficits. It is the first U.S. jurisdiction with the right to offer online poker and other "games of chance and of skill" to adults who are physically within its boundaries. The games will be under the auspices of the District of Columbia Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board. Lotteries are legal in 43 states, and the first U.S. lottery was legalized in New Hampshire in 1964.
LAST YEAR Megabucks players lost $31 million, and the penny machines won $742 million from us.
IT'S LIKE HOLLYWOOD Boulevard on Halloween ... Every day is dress-up day on the Las Vegas Strip: Zorro, Kiss, Batman. In Seattle, street performers were banned, but later the ban was ruled unconstitutional ... Impersonators in Vegas no can ask for kala but perform strictly for tips.
July 06, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
SURPRISE ... That's what Mike Tyson and wife Lakiha Spicer did to the hundreds of guests they invited to their joint birthday party at the M Resort. After the guests arrived the couple disappeared behind a curtain, and when it dropped they we dressed in wedding attire and renewed their vows after 17 years of marriage.
SPEAKING OF RENEWALS ... In preparation for The Plaza's reopening, it is hiring 800 more employees including the 300 it laid off in November when the hotel closed. It got more than 8,000 applications a response that was so huge it crashed the online application site and they even had to turn people away from the first day of the job fair. The $35 million makeover will be open for business in two phases: the casino in August and the hotel in September.
WMS HAS A couple of new slots on the casino floor ... Star Trek Battlestations and a new version of Yahtzee. Both machines have great graphics and lotsa bonus rounds. Get the link to check 'em out online at KimosVegas.com.
THE 12 WSOP gold bracelet series of events before the 42nd annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event World Championship start Thursday, July 7. Top men are reporting that the tourney is on track to surpass last year's payday. So far, more than 53,000 players are entered.
DID YOU KNOW ... You can earn points on your Total Rewards player's card by shopping at your favorite stores? It's an unprecedented program in the casino industry. The Apple Store, Target, Starbucks, Best Buy and hundreds of others retailers are participating in the online shopping experience that'll get you one point for every buck you spend. Then you can use your points for comped rooms, meals and shows including Jerry Seinfeld Aug 19. Get the scoops at Total Rewards.com. Show your card or take your receipt from any night club or bar in the Caesars conglomerate to get those dollars credited as points as well.
HOROLOGISTS, GET YOUR geek on at the new Tag Heuer promised land. Crystals at CityCenter is the home of the company's new flagship store where you'll find a full line of timepieces and limited editions not available anywhere else in the U.S.
WHO'S DA FIRST? Dave and Buster's sued the Monte Carlo, which counter-sued a few days later over which has the right to use the phrase "eat, drink, play" in their advertising ...
BAYWATCH BOMBSHELL Pamela Anderson is being counter-sued by ex-BF Laurence Hallier. He says she failed to uphold her end of a deal and promote his Las Vegas development "The Panorama Towers." She filed suit in February, saying he didn't give her a condo or pay her $1 million as promised for services rendered. Many of the multimillion-dollar condos went into bank receivership when the economy tanked, and one recently sold for $121,000.
EX NBA-ER Antoine Walker has pleaded guilty to the criminal complaint that he didn't pay his markers at Caesars and Red Rock. At the end of the day, his tab is $750,000.
THE NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY pays people $40,000 an acre to replace their lawn with native desert landscaping.
June 29, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
LAST MONTH at the Little Chapel of Flowers in Las Vegas, 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison (Lost, 24 and The Green Mile) married 16-year-old Courtney Alexis Stodden (aspiring singer, former Miss Teen USA competitor). Even Sin City requires minors to get their parents' permission before allowing them to say "I Do" after the words "Till Death Do Us Part." The groom is older than the bride's dad, or as ABC news noted, she can't vote and he's eligible for AARP. The couple released a statement addressing the 35-year age difference, saying "true love can be ageless" - and a little south of wrong.
BACK IN FEBRUARY, the Venetian/Palazzo announced with much pomp and fanfare that it was getting rid of comps for all but its highest rolling customers, called "whales." The problem with these kinds of pronouncements is that sooner or later you have to eat some blubber if you wanna fill your hotel rooms, restaurants and casino. minnows (small-kine players) across the land are reporting the return of free room offers, free play and more. check your Grazie account to see if your status has improved.
VEGAS INC. reports that Venetian/sands president and COO Michael Levin was the highest paid casino exec, bringing home $31.8 million last year.
VEGASTRIPPING.COM is speculating that the Dynamic Duo may go El Solo Lobo. The rumor is that the Palazzo brand baggage would be dropped in favor of a singular Venetian nom de plume for all four towers.
WAY TO GO ... Before leaving for his tour in afghanistan, Royal marine David hart bought a $400,000 life insurance policy. A year after his death from a taliban bomb, 32 of his friends are honoring his last wish and throwing a party in his memory in Las Vegas. In addition to leaving money to his family and a wounded marines charity, he left explicit instructions for his friends to "go and have a good time and spend all this money" - $160,000.
Get more Vegas reunion info at KimosVegas.com.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA ... Caesars Palace goes off first July 3. then Station Casinos celebrates their 35th year in biz at Aliante, Green Valley, Red Rock, texas/Fiesta and sunset casino. these are Grucci "National Class" fireworks shows with budgets in excess of $40K. The Hilton shoots its slightly smaller "State Class," and all displays are scheduled to start after 9 p.m.
June 22, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
IF YOU'RE WONDERING what happened to your invitation ... Crystal Harris called off the wedding to the guy who parlayed a $1,000 loan from his mom into the Playboy lifestyle and brand (including a club in the Palms) that's worth a half a billion or so. Saying, "After much deep reflection and thought I have decided to end my engagement with Hef," ironically the light bulb went on after she made the laugh or die video for "The Crystal Harris Playboy App" (get the link at KimosVegas.com). In it she says her fiancé is 60 years older and she doesn't get his references - however, she did get Playmate of the Year and a record deal. At 85, Hef may have gotten the short end of the stick.
PENN NATIONAL GAMING, the company that bought the financially troubled m resort, is rumored to be in negotiations to buy the newest Strip ho-tel ... The Cosmopolitan.
CONGRATULATIONS go out to comedy magician mac King, who is Las Vegas Weekly's 2011 "Best Strip headliner."
STARTING DEC. 1, 2012, Shania Twain joins the A-list of Vegas performers headlining the Colosseum at Caesars. Buckaroos be forewarned: Tickets for opening weekend will be a little tough to come by because of all the paniolo, vaquero and buckaroos in town for the national finals rodeo.
OXYMORON ... Brian Sandoval, governor of Nevada, signed a bill legalizing online poker when the government stops blocking IP addresses and raiding the bank accounts of online poker rooms ... huh?
THERE ARE 277 pools, 60 golf courses and 45 spas in Las Vegas, and less than 7 percent of the city's tourists bring their children ... to the hotel I'm in.
SWEET HOME ALABAMA ... Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer will replace the Sherwood Café in the Excalibur later this year.
THE LAS VEGAS mercury finally cracked the triple-digit mark last week, but as they say in the desert: It's a dry heat.
OMNI AIR, which runs the charter for Vacations Hawaii, has gotten government approval to fly Boeing 777s ... the company hasn't announced if it will shuttle between the Aloha and Silver states. How lucky would it be to "Go Vegas" on a 777?
SANDS CORP (Venetian and Palazzo) chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson is being sued by his staff. The group is comprised of a former Secret Service officer, a defense department security specialist, ex-combat veterans and law enforcement officers, who claim they routinely pulled a longer than 40-hour work week but never got any OT pay ... If you're a billionaire who needs his okole protected 24/7, it seems like a bad idea to kukai on the guys who were and are currently tasked with the duty of protecting you.
THE SPORTS BOOKS in Vegas are picking the Heat 5-2 to bring home the Larry O'Brian Championship Trophy next year. The lakers are next at 11-2, followed by the Thunder 8-1 and Bulls at 6-1. The odds for dallas, this year's champs, are 10 to 1. Those numbers are sure to change as fans lay Benjamins on their favorite teams.
June 15, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
IF YOU'VE GOT a million bucks, then consider grabbing a seat in the World Series of Poker's most expensive tourney, the Big one by one Drop. It's officially part of the 43rd Annual WSOP, and the action starts July 1, 2012, at the Rio. So far 15 players have committed to play, including cirque du Soleil founder guy laliberté; four-time bracelet winner and president/ceo of city center group Bobby Baldwin; billionaire owner of the tI Phil Ruffin; poker professionals Patrik Antonius, gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny chan, tom Dwan and tony guoga; and Dallas businessman Andy Beal - his poker exploits are chronicled in michael craig's book, Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time. the game is a benefit for oNe DRoP, which is fighting poverty worldwide by supporting access to water, and 11.1 percent of the buy-in is being donated to the charity, with $889,889 going toward the prize pool.
PRO POKER PLAYER Phil Ivey is the first to take a stand against his ex-sponsor and slow pay/no pay online poker site full tilt Poker: "my name and reputation have been dragged through the mud, through the inactivity and indecision of others, and on behalf of all poker players I refuse to remain silent any longer." He's even promised to boycott the World Series of Poker if it doesn't pay back American players.
YOU CAN WIN $1 million in a single hand of poker! that's the draw of the new three card Poker 6 card Bonus at caesars' properties. It's the standard three-card poker game dealt with an additional three cards for an additional bet (of course). When you hit the Super Royal 9 through Ace in Diamonds, the seven-figure payday is yours (they estimate it'll happen about three times a year). catch it in Hearts, clubs or Spades and you win $100,000. there are 83 tables in all: Harrah's has a 12, flamingo 11, caesars 10, Rio All-Suite Hotel and casino 9, Paris & Planet Hollywood 8, Bally's 7, and Imperial Palace, o'Sheas and Bill's gamblin' Hall have 6 ... See the game in action at KimosVegas.com.
AND THE NEW mayor of las Vegas is ... the bride of the old mayor of las Vegas. congrats to mayor-elect carolyn goodman.
MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL wants to replace the citycenter Sales Pavilion with a 20,000-square-foot the Star Wars: Where Science meets Imagination museum featuring props, costumes and models from the epic movies ... "Much to learn, you still have." Yes, master Yoda.
EVERYTHING IN THE JOINT is for sale ... if you've got the cash. the Sahara is liquidating all 1,720 guest rooms, bars, restaurants, kitchens, pool and casino. there's a price tag on everything, including lobby furnishings, casino tables and chairs, slot stools, neon signs, fountains, china, glassware, flatware and everything that's not bolted down. get the link to check out the auction that begins June 16 at KimosVegas.com.
BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS ... Right now you get 500 miles for every Neighbor Island leg you fly. Starting Sept. 1, Hawaiian Airlines is changing its inter-island mileage policy to award fliers' actual mileage - an HNl to ogg (Kahului) jaunt will get you 101 Hawaiian miles. the good news ... Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Platinum, Pualani gold, Premier club or Visa card holders are exempt from the change.
June 08, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
OUTGOING MAYOR Oscar Goodman presented Penn & Teller with the key to the city in recognition of their dedication to Las Vegas and their commitment to helping aid for AIDS of Nevada fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The dynamic duo will be front and center of the Penn & Teller challenge at the annual AIDS Walk. AFan was founded in 1984 and is the oldest and largest AIDS service organization in Nevada.
THIS MONTH, all the coins tossed into the miracle mile Shops fountain will be donated to AFAN.
CAESARS ALL STAGE PASS will set you back $99 but grant you admission to 21 shows and attractions including The Price is Right Live, absinthe, Matt Goss, George Wallace, Nathan Burton, Vinnie Favorito, X Burlesque, mac King, The Improv, Legends in concert, Defending the caveman, Divas Las Vegas, Human nature, Matsuri, Dirk Arthur, Viper Vixens, Anthony cools, chippendales, Platters, coasters and marvelettes and the crown comedy Jam ... The pass also is good for preferred pricing of just $40 (plus tax) per ticket for Donny & Marie, Barry Manilow and Penn & Teller. The catch? The pass is only good for 48 hours.
SPOCKED AT Caesars Palace the very rare, $10 strip crap table…
THE CRACKDOWN on online gambling continues ... The Department of Justice seized Doylesroom.com, Bookmaker.com, Funtimebingo.com, Goldenarchcasino.com, Truepoker.com, Betmaker.com, Beted.com and others. It also seized bank accounts in Charlotte, Guam, Panama, Malta and Portugal, separating some World Series of Poker players from their bankrolls.
VEGAS MATH ... only 80 percent of the people who visit the gambling mecca actually gamble.
THE LAS VEGAS SUN reports that sports books are saying betting on mma has surpassed wagers on boxing ...
COMBINING TWO of man's favorite things - lingerie and football ... It's referred to as true fantasy football. The Las Vegas Sin plays the Los angeles Temptation Nov. 11 at the hometown opener of the Lingerie Football League at the Orleans arena. That's right, sports fans, there's a whole league and not just a bowl game.
THE NEXT TIME you recognize your favorite player waiting in line at a restaurant, do what Adrian Peterson fans did at the Palms: Say hello. You never know, he just might invite you to dinner and pick up the tab!
THE TROPICANA has just completed its $180 million South Beach makeover that includes new entrances, a newly carpeted casino floor, new slot machines, redesigned and renovated rooms, three new restaurants and a new dayand-night club called Nikki Beach.
JIMMY BUFFETT Fans will be happy to learn that the Flamingo will drop $10 million on a 15,000-square-foot Margaritaville casino area and restaurant.
EVERYONE HAS had a travel nightmare or two, but if you're voted the "World's unluckiest Traveler," you can win $10,000. Travel insurance company Travel guard is sponsoring the contest. get the link to enter and the complete rules at KimosVegas.com.
FOLLOW US on Twitter, like us on Facebook and get the latest Vegas news online at KimosVegas.com.
June 01, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S Beatles Love celebrates its fifth anniversary and it's the closest thing to a Beatles reunion since the show opened. in house for the June 8 Beatleversary were Paul mccartney, John lennon's widow Yoko ono, George Harrison's widow olivia, producer George martin and his son Giles martin (the duo created the Grammy-winning soundtrack). ringo Starr touring, but will be present in a videotaped message. the hot ticket: Paul mccartney's private after-party.
ACT 3, SCENE 1: "to be or not to be" - that's the question that's got investors and retailers spinning ... Skyvue, the 500-foot london eye-style wheel, needs $175 million to construct the gigantic attraction and its associated 200,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space (it already has government approvals). But caesars entertainment corp. has a similar idea titled Project linq. the company has already secured $450 million (but not the needed government green light) to build its 500-foot wheel.
You're not alone if you think two wheels is one Ferris too many on the las Vegas Strip.
MORE VEGAS MATH ... the Venetian/Palazzo saw a 36 percent decline in slot play, table play fell 13 percent overall, the casino had a 47 percent decline in revenue, and the hotel an 84 percent decline in occupancy after instituting a change in the casino's comp policy toward low-rollers.
HOW DID CEE LO GREEN levitate then rotate his bad self and his sparkling grand piano at the Billboard music Awards? it's magic, and the moment was the vision of illusionist david copperfield, who can be seen in the theater bearing his name at the mGm Grand ... tip: ladies, don't grab the pickle if you're shy.
CO-OWNER RICK NAKASHIMA is extra busy with ruby tuesday Hawaii and Gyu-kaku restaurants and putting together his ViP Sept. 17 tour for the uH vs. unlV game. rick is chartering a fully loaded bus from l.A. and travelling with former uH players Gary Allen, david toloumu, nicky clark, basketball standout Garland Hughes, Howard dashefsky and advertising exec ed nishioka. With a gang like that, you guys will be in Vegas before you can say "two Way Yo!"
SPEAKING OF ED ... His daughter, "Las Vegas"
Sarah, a junior at UNLV, can now join him at the tables (uh-oh). She celebrated her 21st birthday with Grandma and Grandpa nishioka and a five-night celebration that included nobu at the Hard rock, Joe's Stone crab, carnegie deli in the mirage, terra rossa in red rock, martorano's and World Buffet at the rio, olive Garden and Grand luxe in the Palazzo ... Whoa, can you adopt me?
THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS Burlesque Saloon opens June 4 in Planet Hollywood with a guest performance by carmen electra. Founder robin Antin says, "She is an amazing dancer and performer, and i am so honored to have her as our special guest for the grand opening."
SINCERE CONDOLENCES to the family of don Barden, the first African-American to own a national casino company that included the Fitz downtown, who recently passed.
May 25, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
LEBRON JAMES IS rumored to have one of the single highest bar tabs in Vegas history. It included 33 bottles of Cristal champagne ($59K), a six-liter bottle of the famous bubbly ($50K), a bottle of Dom ($25K), Fiji water ($176), Grey Goose ($925) and more. How much does it cost a player to be like Lebron? Try $171,937.53 - plus tip.
AT TRYST NIGHTCLUB, a customer's Cinco De Mayo celebration included a $100,000 bottle of Nebuchadnezzars of Veuve Clicquot (don't worry if you can't pronounce it, just ask for the club's best bottle), 16 bottles of Dom (at $850 apiece), eight bottles of Dom Luminous ($950 each), water, Red Bull and a 20-percent tip ($29,581.20), putting a $189,375.98 ding on the AMEX Black.
THE SAHARA HAS officially sevened out, and Dane Pollack from Green Tea Hawaii remembers beating the 25-percent house odds and hitting the fire bet at the ghost-cino before he saw Big Red.
SECOND ONLY TO Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen is the question "Who will take care of Jerry's Kids?" Last week Jerry Lewis said he's hanging up his tux and retiring from the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Labor Day telethon this year (Sept 4.) after hosting it for 45 years.
CHA-CHING: IT wasn't the sound of another Megabucks Jackpot, but the sound of $10 million dropping into Mitt Romney's campaign hopper. That's how much the former guv of Massachusetts raised in one day at the Las Vegas Convention Center - and he hasn't even officially announced his run for the job of Commander-In-Chief.
IN HIS LATEST book, Physics of the Future, Dr. Michio Kaku says, "Commuting to work won't be such an agonizing chore because cars will drive themselves." If Google gets its way, Nevada will be the first city in the world to have driverless cars. The search engine giant is lobbying lawmakers to legalize the operating of autonomous automobiles on public roads. Can you imagine cruising down the Strip traffic free? And, yes, they also want to legalize talking and texting if your car can drive itself.
PUPULE LAW: DID you know that it's illegal for a new home in Las Vegas to have a front lawn?
THE LATEST MOVIE-INSPIRED slot to hit Caesars floors is the movie that was filmed on location twice ... check out the Hangover slot at KimosVegas.com.
MICHAEL JACKSON'S 1984 Victory Tour, Swarovski crystal-studded shirt sold at a Vegas auction for $52,500 and the singer's painting of Mickey Mouse sold for $20,000. The items belonged to David Guest, the promoter who was introduced to Liza Minnelli by the best man at their wedding ... Michael Jackson.
NOW THAT's A big number… five Strip hotels recycled 15,200,000 pounds of uneaten food last year.
RUMORS ON THE Internet speculate that the Las Vegas Hilton is in for a name change.
May 18, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Players Edge!
VEGAS TRIPPING has a photo tour of the 4,075 square-foot Bellagio Presidential suite that local boy Barack Obama slept in. Get the link to check out how the Commander in Chief rolls at KimosVegas.com ...
YOU CAN SMELL like Kim too ... her latest fragrance is called "Gold". While signing autographs at Macy's in the Fashion Show Mall, Ms. Kardashian explained why she chose the name for her second perfume "Gold is a luxury that stands the test of time, a universal symbol of sophistication and glamour" ...
OR YOU CAN smell like a winner… last week Manny Pacquiao launched his signature smell called MP8 Scent of The Champion, named after his unequalled eight world boxing titles (it's 10 now but who's counting) in eight different weight divisions. According to the pugilist, a ladies version is on the horizon ...
During the 12 rounds of the Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight, the sports world forgot about how poorly the Lakers performed ... then tried to figure out who stunk more, Shane or the defending NBA champions ...
How does the sitting member of the 15th Filipino Congress relax after a sold-out unanimous decision in front of 16,412 and tens of thousands more on pay per-view? He rocks the mic at the Mandalay Bay Theater singing La Bamba and his latest single Sometimes When We Touch ...
ON THE COVER of the July issue of Playboy magazine is Hugh Hefner's bride to be Crystal Harris. Featured in the middle of the mag is Las Vegan Jessa Lynn Hinton. Perhaps you spotted the blond beauty interviewing the champ for Top Rank before the fight ...
"HIDDEN CITY TICKETING" is a trick to save money on air fare by booking a stopover instead of a direct flight. Get the scoops from a New York Times article at KimosVegas.com ...
THE LAS VEGAS Convention and Visitors Authority has revealed its new marketing slogan "Life is Short, Summer is Shorter" in a $24-million campaign. Try as they may "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" is one of those iconic catch phrases that may never go away ...
IT COSTS MORE to see the King ... a $66 ticket will set you back $77 now that the Lion King is in its final performances ...
IT'S NOT EVERY week that one has the opportunity to use the word mononymously in their column so please forgive the indulgence ... filming her documentary inside the Sugar Factory American Brasserie at Paris Las Vegas, the singer known mononymously as Ke$ha popped in for some sliders, spinach and artichoke dip,†barbeque chicken pizza, chicken skewers, chocolate fondue, cupcakes and one of their signature suckers. Other people addressed by a mononym are Beyonce, Bono, Cher, Ciara, Elvis, Madonna, Prince and Sting…
THE COLOSSEUM AT Caesars Palace announced its trifecta Celine Dion, Elton John and Rod Stewart. Tickets for "Rod Stewart: The Hits" are on sale now but hurry, over the next two years there are only 18 shows (so far). Stewart says "We'll try to give the people what they want, which are the songs that made me famous, plus a few surprises. There won't be any magicians or midgets, just a good rock show."
May 11, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the player's edge! Last weekend John Mayer and Keith Urban headlined tiger jam 2011 in Las Vegas. the annual fundraiser raised about $750,000 for the Tiger Woods foundation that helps kids in need. as usual, people overpaid for unique items in tiger's auction book - like a backstage meet and greet with woods, mayer and urban that sold for $80,000.
Also last week, speed: the ride, the sahara's roller coaster, took its last spin. the hotel will close its doors monday (may 16).
The Las Vegas monorail's last trip may not be far behind ...
Right before the pacquiao/mosely fight, the odds were 7 to 1 in favor of manny ... that means you had to put up $700 to win $100.
Ex-isle resident and iconic rock photographer Robert Knight has closed his gallery in the Las Vegas Hilton after a successful year. his images will remain on display throughout the hotel and in the tremolo bar inside the hilton theater. also out: Carlos Santana wrapped up his two-year residency at the hard rock ... it's a lock that the man named rolling stone's 15th best guitar player will land another Vegas gig.
Cirque du soleil and Mandalay bay confirmed the longtime rumor that the next cirque show will call the Mandalay home. the Michael Jackson immortal world tour opens DEC. 3 in a theater modeled after his neverland ranch. in addition, there will be a Michael Jackson lounge, museum and souvenir shop. auwe ... the cosmopolitan said, "we apologize to the individual guest and welcome her back to the resort anytime," after it issued a trespass warning and banned a transgendered guest from the premises for using the women's restroom ... so much for its approval rating from the travel alternatives group. go vegas a lot? now you can leave your lucky underwear where you need 'em the most. check out vegas box, where for less than a benji a year you can leave up to 70 pounds of stuff ... no more extra bag or overweight fees if your significant other is an overpacker. best of all, they'll deliver your box to your hotel so your stuff is where you need it when you need it. if you like this idea, get the link for the hookup at kimosvegas.com.
Tony bennett pulls a one-niter july 24 at the palms. no one has been on the Columbia records roster longer than Bennett, and he's also won 15 Grammys and a lifetime achievement award for a career that's spanned six decades.
Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan and the hardest-working man in show business nick cannon checked into the planet Hollywood for the sixth season of America's got talent. Clark and Bonneville avenues downtown are now one way ...
It's good to be king ... the Las Vegas sands reported that they paid big kahuna Sheldon Adelson, venetian and palazzo ceo, $11.4 million last year including salary, options, performance bonuses and perks.
For 500 of Steve Wynn's closest friends, the royal wedding was his nuptials to Andrea Hissom. i hope he was feelin' lucky ... his best man was Clint Eastwood.
May 04, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
THE 2011 BILLBOARD AWARDS happens May 22 at the MGM Grand and will be broadcasted on ABC (KITV). Scheduled to take the Grand Garden Arena's stage are the Black eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez, lady Antebellum and more. Rhianna is this year's most-nominated artist with 18, followed by Eminem with 16 nominations. there are not a lot of sure things in Vegas, but you can bet that Arcade Fire won't be beating out slim shady for best album like it did in the Grammys ... it wasn't even nominated.
ACCORDING TO an article in USA Today, the best time to buy a ticket to Vegas online is Tuesday at 3 p.m. eastern. And the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
THEY SAY lightning never strikes the same place twice, but megabucks may be another story ... the life-changing jumbo jackpot made an anonymous winner $12.7 million richer in January and another, who also wished to remain under the veil of secrecy, $10.6 million richer last Friday. turns out lightening (like the elusive megabucks) does strike the same place multiple times about 45 percent of the time.
WANNA WIN a million bucks? Go Vegas ... Wanna go Vegas? Play KCCN Fm100's celebrity slots and win a Vacations hawaii, California casino package. the best part of the deal is the Green tea slot tourney with $500 in prize money and traveling with the morning Jams, Davey D, Augie t and Lina Girl. do yourself a favor and pass if Davey d asks you to bunk with him.
RICH LITTLE BRINGS his classic impressions and comedic stylings to the riviera may 25 through June 12.
IF YOU LIKE your eats from a truck on a street (and who in hawaii doesn't like lunchwagon nibbles) ... the El Cortez takes the Vegas StrEATs food-truck festival to the Jackie Gaughan Parkway may 14. It's the Vegas version of eat the street and it's part of the 75th Annual helldarado days Western-heritage celebration.
YIKES! A federal appeals court upheld the conviction of a Vegas truck driver who picked up bales of paper from a recycling company and delivered them to a plant in Alabama. After the run, about 50 pounds of paper was left on his truck that included sensitive player information including social security numbers and playing habits. he then offered to act as a security consultant and return the data for a fee. the truck driver's $500K and dreams of winning the World series of Poker vanished as quickly as he thought them up when the FBI arrested him for extortion.
FOR THE THIRD TIME in four months someone has tried to stick up a las Vegas casino. this time the robber fled sans chips when he was confronted by a Stratosphere employee (a shoo-in for the employee of the month Award).
April 27, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
POOL SEASON has officially opened in Las Vegas ... How can you tell? It's easy, just look for everyone from Kim Kardashian to Michael Phelps on a chaise lounge in a private security guarded cabana filled with beautiful people.
IN A MOVE that rocked the Internet, broadcast TV, casinos and the banking industry, the Federales closed online poker sites PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com and AbsolutePoker/Ultimate Bet to an estimated 5 million U.S. players. They also charged the company's executives with violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act and money laundering. Contrary to its name, the UIGA does not make playing poker online a crime but outlaws transferring money to gamble online. ... This prompted NBC and ESPN to cancel all online poker advertising and all poker programming except for coverage of the World Series of Poker. ... Wynn Resorts terminated its agreement with PokerStars, an affiliation that began less than a month ago. ... The reverberations continued into the halls of the Nevada State Assembly, where lawmakers accepted $300,000 in campaign contributions. ... And four men, including a Las Vegas man, were arrested for operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering by conspiring to persuade banks to process billions of dollars for online gaming sites ... that's right, they used the "B" word. ... Like the bow of the Titanic, we've probably only seen the tip of the UIGA iceberg.
THE FOLKS AT Vegas Tripping have created a list of Vegas hotels that charge resort fees and more importantly what benefits they include. Get the link to check 'em out yourself at KimosVegas.com.
PHOTO OP ... On April 30, the torpedo of truth Charlie Sheen walks the Chateau Nightclub & Gardens red carpet at Paris ...
GOT A CHILd interested in the performing arts? Check out the Las Vegas Performing Arts Intensive (LVPAI). Matthew Banks (Blue Man, singer, song-writer, composer) and Naomi Stikeman (Celine dion dancer, writer, film director) will accept 35 students in July with special guests from O, Love, Elvis, Le Reve and more. Get the hookup at LVPAI.com.
THE CAPO OF APPRENTICES, donald Trump, will test the desert's presidential waters April 28 when he brings his birth certificate and addresses the most powerful and influential members of Nevada's GOP at the TI. He's in town to attend the wedding of his buddy Steve Wynn and Andrea Hissom.
SIR ELTON JOHN returns to the Colosseum at Caesars starting Sept. 28, and tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow (April 25). dubbed "The Million dollar Piano," the centerpiece of the show is a million-dollar piano that took Yamaha four years to create.
April 20, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HUGH ... head bunny huncho Hugh Hefner celebrated his 85th birthday at the Palms. In attendance, a full month's worth of Playmates (31) and his fiancé December 2009 centerfold Crystal Harris (check out the rock on her finger). At the same time he handed the keys to the Playboy kingdom to his 21-year-old son Marston, immediately creating a decline in Viagra stock.
TRAFFIC CAME TO A HALT as Hef led Crystal and Marston with gal pal Claire Sinclair to the hotel's marquee billboard marking the joint birthday celebration. It was one of the largest photo opportunities of Hef's life as he posed with 31 Playmates ...
AS I WRITE THIS, the price of a gallon of gas across the state of Nevada is $3.87 a gallon, up a quarter from last week ... seems like a bargain while the pumps on Oahu push $4.30.
I WONDER if they got the extended warranty ... a water pipe broke inside the Cosmopolitan resort last week forcing the closure of two restaurants and sports book. When you spend $3.9 billion on a place you'd expect no major breakage in the first five months ...
VEGAS MATH ... at more than $116 million, many considered the place's grand opening to be "the party of the year." In its first two weeks of operation The Cosmo posted a net loss of $139.5 million. During the same time period the hotel had $10.6 million in revenue ... hey even I can do that. It was, however, the only Vegas joint to make the annual Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List.
PARIS HILTON says the Hard Rock owes her $200,000 for two 2009 appearances. In addition to the cash, the other riders include: first-class suite and $150 per diem, five more comp rooms and $75 per diem per room, private plane G4, limo service, comp meals for 10 at Nobu/Ago/Rare, an "owners cabana" including food and beverage, 24-hour security and stylist Michael Boychuk approved for the artist's hair and make-up ... why the hurry up to get paid? With the economic downturn, Paris' execs are concerned the hotel may file bankruptcy and stiff the entrepreneur ...
IT'S 98 DEGREES in Vegas ... singer Jeff Timmons will don the signature bow tie and dance for dollar bills with the Chippendales Las Vegas in May at the Rio. And ex-bandmate Drew Lachey makes a special guest host appearance at The Price is Right-Live stage show now through April 30. See the winner of Dancing with the Stars bring it to Bally's where everyone in the audience gets to play the game.
THE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING Jennifer Hudson returns to the intimate Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort on June 24.
AND THE WINNER IS ... looks like the race to be the first place in America to host online gaming will be Washington, D.C. Official bean counters are hoping the regulation will generate $13 million through 2014.
IN AN ATTEMPT to keep up with younger, more technologically akamai customers, the Las Vegas Assembly is considering two bills that would allow casinos to use mobile gambling devices to allow patrons to play outside the casino but within the resort's premises. Right now The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Cosmopolitan and M Resort have mobile gaming devices, but their range is limited to public areas.
April 13, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas … the Player's Edge!
BRITNEY "FEMME FATALE" SPEARS played mommy instead of rock star and took her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James to Disney's The Lion King. Does this make the ex-Mouseketeer's "Circle of Life" complete? The Mickey Mouse Club was also good to Justin Timberlake and BS's exBFF Christina aguilera.
BALLY'S IS hosting the Mortal Kombat 9 Tournament with $21,000 in cash prizes. Bring your deadly alliance and best fatalities ... and sign up for the double elim May 14 and PDPtournaments.com.
AWARD-WINNING Chinese magician Liu Chen debuts his "2011 Witness of Miracles" show in america at the Wynn Encore Theater april 30 and May 1. BYOI ... Bring Your Own Interpreter, because just like his YouTube videos, the show will be done in Chinese. Check out my favorite close-up illusion at KimosVegas.com.
OSCAR GOODMAN is easily the most colorful and popular mayor of (downtown) Las Vegas. Term limits forced him to give up the office, and 18 candidates including the mayor's wife ran for the gig. Of course, she had his endorsement and trumped everyone, but failed to get 50 percent of the votes to win the seat outright and is forced to face County Commissioner Chris giunchigiliani (obviously Hawaiians don't have a monopoly on vowels).
WHADAYA THINK? a new table game at O'Sheas, 3 Dice Football, is played on a regulation craps table with three die. Like regular football, the goal of the game is to score a touch-down. Each "down" (roll) is scored as "Yards gained" total of two green dice minus the red die; "Trips" are an immediate TD; "Turn Over" a red 6 and a green 1-1 or 1-2. The straight pay table pays from 1 to 1 up to 50 to 1, and the bonus side bet table pays up to 66 to 1.
DO AS I SAY ... The Las Vegas district attorney who was prosecuting Paris Hilton and Bruno Mars for possession of cocaine has resigned after getting busted for buying crack for his own bad self.
NOW THAT THE MADNESS of March over, one guy and the Las Vegas Hilton that booked the $10 bet at 5,000 to 1 odds know firsthand what it's like to sweat a huge win. Made before the season began, imagine everyone's surprise when Virginia Commonwealth University made it to the final four. It was a long weekend for the long shot that eventually fell to the oddsmaker's pencil. Unlike pulling the handle on the Megabucks machine, you know in three seconds if you've won or not.
HAWAIIAN IN DA HOUSE ... spocked at the CinemaCon, the theater-owners convention at Caesars in Las Vegas: Jason Momoa, the new Conan the Barbarian.
LIKE FINDING MONEY on the street ... The Trop Plus players club at the Tropicana evens the odds and will reimburse your losses up to $200 on your first day of play. as usual, these offers have some fine print. get the details at kimosVegas.com.
April 06, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WElCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
BRITNEY SPEARS did a surprise free show at Rain nightclub at the Palms Hotel and Casino for an MTV special. The hype announced the release of her new I Am the Femme Fatale album and concert tour that begins June 17. Some casino honchos are thinking she may be the next big Vegas headliner.
WIll THE REAl femme fatale please stand up? ... Kevin Federline, Britney's babies' daddy, and ex-UH mid blocker Victoria Prince marred the release with rumors that the couple is expecting their first keiki.
lAST YEAR the people who went to Vegas played less in the casino, and spent less time and less money gambling. Still, the las Vegas Visitor and Convention Authority reports that visitors did spend more on hotel rooms, food and drink, transportation, shopping, shows and sightseeing.
WHENEVER THE Mega Millions multi-state lotto hits a couple hundred mill, las Vegans flock to the Cal-Neva border town of Primm to pick five numbers from 1 to 56 and one Mega Millions number from 1 to 46. When the jackpot climbed to more than $300 million, lines formed with people waiting for more than two hours to buy a ticket. So many people bought in on the last day that the jackpot grew from $312 million to $319 million, making it the sixth largest in lottery history. The single ticket is rumored to be held by a pool of seven people, and if they choose the cash option the payday will be $202.9 million. The odds of hitting this puppy are 1 in 175,711,536.
This always prompts Nevada lawmakers to ponder joining the multi-state lotto and using the money generated to fund the cost of the state's educational system (sound familiar?). Unlike the 808, the 702's primary revenue stream is from gaming, and elected officials are hesitant to do anything that might hurt the golden goose ... or their campaign contributions.
More Vegas MaTh ... The five leading candidates for the mayor's job will spend more than $3.4 million for a job that pays $130,000 a year.
CheCk oUT the exquisite orchids at the Cymbidium orchid show april 15-17 in the California hotel's ohana Ballroom. admission is free and the show features the fruits of the Torrance and the las Vegas orchid societies.
CoNgraTs To iris suzuki on her $104,738 win at The Cal - as they say in Mililani, aurrrrite!
The glee ToUr hits las Vegas May 21 at the Mandalay events Center. The american TV sensation will be making gleeks smile from sin City to Dublin.
FooDies FroM all oVer make the trek to Vegas for Uncork'd, the epicurean experience presented by Bon Appétit. it's 50 chefs, 30 events and four days of cutting edge culinary expertise. get the link to check out all the fun at kimosVegas.com
March 30, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's edge!
LET THEM EAT CAKE…Eva Longoria celebrated her 36th birthday in Vegas… I'm not suggesting she'd getting hitched, but imagine how big her wedding cake will have to be to top this one.
DID YOU KNOW that the only city to offer wedding packages in a McDonald's is Hong Kong? there's no booze and the cake is made from stacked apple pies ... Betcha a buck a Mac's in Las Vegas makes it the second city to offer this service.
THE FOLKS AT the Golden nugget have one of the best offers I've ever seen ... they'll beat any other casino's offer by 1.5 times. you probably get these in the mail/e-mail all the time. some are for free slot Play, others free Promo chips, maybe free shopping or even free cash! But now your $500 offer is worth $750 ... get one for $5,000, one call and it's worth $7,500! some restrictions apply, so call director of player development John Giannos (800-777-4658 or 702-682-6698) to get in on the action. and ask him about "the $250,000 World series of slots" tourney April 15-17.
ACCORDING TO the Wizard of odds, of the nfl's 267 games played in the 2010-2011 nfl season, the favorite beat the spread 128 times, the under-dog won 133 times, and six games were a push. of bets resolved, the underdog won 51 percent.
COMIC GEORGE WALLACE says the best place to shop in Vegas is "the new, $9.5 billion citycenter - a new complex to explore, if you have $1 million in cash on your person. and a platinum american express card, if you want lunch."
We're no. 2 ... that's what las Vegans are chanting after a Forbes Magazine report that orlando is the emptiest u.s. city with a rental vacancy rate of 23.6 percent. sin city was no. 2 at 13.5 percent.
A U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE says manny Pacquiao has sufficient evidence to continue his lawsuit alleging that floyd mayweather, his dad, uncle oscar De la hoya and others acted with malice when they accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs in 2009.
NEVADA LEGISLATORS are considering a bill that would allow charitable organizations such as churches or schools to operate bingo games in multiple locations statewide via audio and video. can you imagine a lawmaker voting against this one (it would be like saying no to God)? using aristotle-like political wisdom, they forwarded the bill to the Judiciary for further review.
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March 23, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
YUMMY ... Spocked chillin' at Blizz Frozen Yogurt in The Mirage Hotel & Casino: Paris Hilton.
PAT YOURSELF on the back if you are a penny slot-player ... Las Vegas Strip casinos made $2 billion off the one-armed bandits, an increase of 21 percent over the year before. Blackjack play has declined, just like the number of tables dedicated to the game - 815 fewer than a decade ago. On the other hand, natural nine players have 149 more tables to play on. So who is the boss on the casino floor? For the first time, baccarat made more dough for the casinos than 21.
DID YOU SEE MGM Grand president and chief operating officer Scott Sibella on Undercover Boss? A common complaint among casino and hotel employees is that hotel honchos have never worked the line before ...
NEW LAS VEGAS LINGO ... B.C. and A.C. stand for Before Celine and After Celine. Vegas wise guys (casino executives) are hoping A.C. will usher in "A New Day" of good fortune and higher profits. In her last run (2003 to '07) the platinum pipes sold out more than 700 consecutive shows - that's almost 3 million tickets totaling about $400 million in revenue. That's more money than Elvis and the Rat Pack grossed combined. On opening night (last Tuesday) show-goers got a surprise when Stevie Wonder did a duet with Dion to Overjoyed. Only time will tell if Celine can single-handedly revitalize the Vegas economy.
MICHAEL JORDAN is still the biggest name in the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational ... but it's still a huge star-studded event with Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Drew Brees, Wayne Gretzky, John Smoltz, Mark Wahlberg, Spike Lee, Don Cheadle, Shannon Elizabeth and many more on the turf Tom Fazio sculpted out of the Nevada desert. Passes start at $25 and the tourney begins March 31. Get more details at KimosVegas.com.
SEVEN OUT: Silk Road in the Vdara ... The Gold Coast Poker Room and the owner of B.B. King's Blues Club in the Mirage is singing the blues and filed for bankruptcy protection ... Lucille's owner leases his likeness and name to the company and is not directly affected by the filing. If you haven't heard, the Sahara joins the list of ghost-sinos in the Nevada desert. The owners have said the hotel/casino is no longer financially viable - a fancy way of saying it's losing money.
NOTHING TANKS a stock's price like an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Steve Jacobs, former Sands China exec, made some accusations in his breach of contract lawsuit that sent the feds digging for improprieties.
THE SILVERTON HOTEL CASINO once again hosts the 10th annual Pure Aloha Festival April 14-17. With more than 100 island craft and merchandise booths, food and music from some of Hawaii's biggest artists - J Boog, Fiji, Bonafide and Kapena.
FORTUNE magazine says the most admired company in the world is Apple ... The holder of this title in Las Vegas is Wynn Resorts Ltd.
HERE AT Kimo's Vegas we like to laugh and not take things too seriously, but this week we are tempered by the suffering of our family, friends and fellow humans in Japan ... ganbatte kudasai.
March 16, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
SPOCKED AT THE World Magic Seminar at the Orleans ... Hawaii's top magicians Alan Arita, Glen Bailey, John Hirokawa and Mark Mauricio, and Las Vegas magicians Criss Angel, Lance Burton and Siegfried & Roy. Mindfreak Criss Angel joined fellow illusionists Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield and Penn & Teller as this year's inductee into the Magic Hall of Fame.
THE COSMOPOLITAN has banned smoking in every one of its 2,295 rooms. They are serious like a heart attack about this - puke all you want in your room, but light up indoors and the hotel police will fine you. However, guests are encouraged to be a chimney on the balcony of their room.
CELINE DION and hubby Rene Angelil had their twins baptized in the presence of 200 family and friends in Las Vegas ... Doesn't a Sin City baptism sound oxymoronic?
WOLFGANG PUCK'S Spago has a new pre-show menu every night Celine takes the stage at the Colosseum. Show your ticket to get the $60 prix fixe deal.
ITADAKI MAS ... Chef Nobu and his partner Robert De Niro announced a deal with Caesars Palace to create the first Nobu hotel. The rooms in the Centurion Tower will be renovated to reflect the masters'minimal-ist style. The company's 27th Nobu Restaurant and Lounge will open in Appian Way at the base of the tower.
FAMOUS LAST BETS ... Professional poker player Howard Lederer is a well-known vegetarian. Fellow player David Grey thought it would be a sure thing and bet him that he couldn't finish an entire hamburger. After gobbling the beef, he bet his friend "double-or-nothing" if he would consume his least-favorite food ... olives. He didn't, and the professor walked away with the win and 10 large ($10,000).
BARRYMANILOW performs for the benefit of Nevada Public Radio March 25 and 26 at Paris. The man who writes and sings the songs has sold more than 80 million worldwide (now that's a big number). Guys, score big points with the Mrs. and get your discount/benefit tickets at knpr.com.
YOU KNOW you've been smokin' too much peyote when ... The citizens of Pima County, Ariz., (that includes the city of Tucson) are considering seceding from Arizona and forming the 51st state. Seems residents feel they have little in common with fellow Arizonians, and the move would create a state with a population larger than seven other states. This prompted some Las Vegans to speculate that if Clark County (Las Vegas plus Henderson, Lake Meade, etc.) were to secede from Nevada, they would have a population greater than 13 other states.
NEVADA'S BROTHEL industry is lobbying legislators to introduce a bill that that would legalize brothels in Las Vegas and Clark County ... Wouldn't that be a strip hotel lobby?
GET THE LATEST Vegas news: Text OCEANIC VEGAS to 32862 or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, online at KimosVegas.com, AroundHawaii.com.
March 09, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
WE SAW THEM on the GRAMMYS and now we can check them out in person ... Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe perform Thursday, June 16, at the Pearl at the Palms. Tickets are on sale now.
AND LOOK FOR your favorite local boy singing sensation at The Billboard Music Awards' return to the MGM Grand Garden Sunday, May 22.
THE MERCHANT OF VENOM, Don Rickles, launches his 52nd consecutive year as a Las Vegas headliner March 19 and 20 at the Orleans Showroom.
LOVE TO EAT? So do Las Vegas food critics John Curtas, Max Jacobson and Al Mancini. The three have gotten their collective palates together for Eating Las Vegas: The 50 Essential Restaurants. The reviews are opinionated, humorous and essential for business travelers and anyone who loves eating out on the Ninth Island. It includes the best places to celeb-watch and for cheap 'n' tasty eats. Some of their faves include BARMASA at ARIA, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Encore Hotel & Casino and CUT at The Palazzo.
IF HANGIN' with a bunch of drunken, half-naked college kids is not your idea of a good time, remember spring break is happening March 12 through April 30.
SIXTEEN-TIME gold medal-winner Michael Phelps kicks off the pool season April 16 at Encore Beach Club.
THERE'S A NEW game at the Golden Nugget ... Rupert's Island Draw. Created by Rupert Boneham of Survivor TV fame, the game uses 16 decks of aces through sixes and the object is to get a lower hand than the dealer with bonuses paid for suited hands, straights, and three- and four-of-a-kinds ... Winners will have to beat Rupert on Survivor: Pearl Islands II to get paid.
THE GOLDEN NUGGET Las Vegas presents the second annual Aloha Open Golf Event March 28 and 29. Win $25,000 in promo chips or free slot play. It's $350 per person for non-rated players and includes four days, double occupancy at the Golden Nugget, transportation and fees at Highland Falls & Palms. Call casino host John Giannos (800-777-4658) to get in the game.
HANG WITH the pretty people ... Eva Longoria celebrates her birthday Friday, March 18, at her Beso Steakhouse and self-titled Eve Nightclub in Crystals at CityCenter.
WHAT TO GET the guy who has everything? Try on Las Vegas' newest thrill ride Air Combat Ace, where you pull the trigger and pilot your own fighter jet. Missions include a limo ride to the Squadron Orderly Room, a fighter pilot briefing with an actual fighter pilot, and 30 to 50 minutes of flight time. Get the link at KimosVegas.com.
WHAT DO YOU get the pet that has everything? Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is offering a Paws Massage Package - a 30-minute Trump Classic Massage for guests and a 30-minute massage for your four-legged family member in a spa suite with dual treatments.
GETTING LUCKY at the Main Street ... Milton Fujita of Kaneohe won $2,000, Kenneth Miyashiro of Holualoa won $2,400 and Patrick Sambueno of Pearl City won $5,184!
March 02, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Players Edge!
CELINE DION is in town, twins in tow, preparing to kick off her three-year residency that starts March 15 at Caesars. She told Oprah Winfrey, "It's a whole brand new show ... with a 31-piece orchestra, a tribute to Michael Jackson, a tribute to James Bond and up to seven costume changes ..." Now that's a lotta laundry. Get your tickets at CaesarsPalace.com.
ARE VENETIAN comps for minnows (small-time players) making a comeback? Last month Sheldon Adelson said the company would only be taking care of its best players. No more free food, free play, free shows or free rooms. Chatter on the Internet suggests the casino's aggressive marketing strategies are back in the form of free food, free play and free shows and it's only a matter of time before free rooms are back in the mix.
A MINI Las Vegas Strip in Spain? That's what Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson wants to do.
FORGETABOUTIT ... The Las Vegas Mob Experience opens March 1 at the Tropicana. Check out Meyer Lansky's diary, Bugsy Siegel's wheels, home movies and other personal items from the capos of Las Vegas.
SIN CITY AIR ... There's a new charter airline that plans to fly between NYC and Las Vegas. What makes these flights different from any other? How about inflight safety rules and regs via hologram from Las Vegas celebrities, a catered meal from a famous Vegas chef, straight-to-room luggage service, mood lighting and an iPad? You'll need some juice to sit up front ... All the first-class seats are sponsored by Vegas casinos.
AT THE FREMONT, Neighbor Islanders went crazy ... Mitsugi Kamemoto of Wailuku won $11,144 and Janet Phillips of Hilo won $20,000!!!
BAD BET ... At the Wynn bars, the video poker machines are 7/5 Jacks that give about the same payout as the casino's slots, but you won't get a pretty waitress to bring you a free drink.
TOUR DE FRANCE monster Lance Armstrong celebrated his retirement at Surrender at the Wynn Encore.
"THE THINKER" is the latest addition to the Bodies Exhibition at Luxor.
AT BUGSY'S CABARET in the Flamingo, the girls from "X" Burlesque show will hold 75-minute classes on the art of ... burlesque. X Burlesque University students receive a complimentary makeup kit, souvenir photo and official XBU diploma. Classes cost $34.95 and have been featured on Las Vegas' Sexiest Jobs on E! Entertainment Television.
A VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN is suing a Vietnamese casino for refusing to pay a $5.5 million slot machine cash prize. The Palazzo Club in the 5-star Sheraton Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City told him he won then sent a letter three days later saying the machine was faulty ... auwe!
THE GOLDEN NUGGET returns ... The iconic downtown brand is investing heavily in Donald Trump's Marina with plans to return the casino to the boardwalk a marque that's been unseen in Atlantic City since 1987.
February 23, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… the Players Edge!
BETH RAYMER'S bestselling book, Lay The Favorite: A Memoir Of Gambling, is being made into a movie titled Lay The Favorite, Take The Dog. The movie is about a cocktail waitress who becomes one of the biggest bookies in Vegas. Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake and Catherine Zeta-Jones are rumored to be the favorites to star in the flick ... hard to imagine her as a drink slinger.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL comes to Sin City when the Chicago Cubs face the Cincinnati Reds March 12 and the Los Angeles Dodgers March 13 at Cashman Field.
BECAUSE THE Nevada Gaming Commission has altered its rules, you may get to place a wager on the Academy Awards, the presidential election or even the unpredictable Grammys (Arcade what?). Until now, Las Vegas sports books could only take wagers on sporting events, but beginning this month, Regulation 22 allows them to ask permission to book (take bets) on non-sporting events. The change in ruling was designed to help Vegas casinos compete with offshore bookmakers.
LADY GAGA'S Monster Ball hits the MGM Grand Garden Arena March 25.
TICKETS ARE still available for the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley WBO welterweight championship fight at MGM Grand. But they don't come cheap ... plan to spend between $328 and $16,240 per ticket. The line for the May 7 battle favors Pacquiao, the "Fighter of the Decade," 7-1.
EVE'S MONEY SHOT ... Every Wednesday the club drops $5,000 in cash on party-goers.
THE MISS USA pageant returns June 19 to Planet Hollywood and KHNL (NBC).
BINGO FANS will be glad to know that the game is making a reprise at Binion's. The downtown casino will run six sessions a day with 13 games per session in a new room on the casino floor.
MGM RESORTS reported a loss of $139.2 million during last year's fourth quarter. The most expensive construction project in the country's history, CityCenter, posted an operating loss of $38.4 million.
THE BLUE MAN GROUP is packing up and moving from the Venetian next year. America's Best Dance Crew the Jabbawockeez will co-headline the Monte Carlo's main showroom that was once the home of magician Lance Burton. In the meantime, the blue guys' new showtimes are 7 and 10 p.m.
WHAT'S BETTER than a round of golf in Vegas? Playing in The Miss Hawaii 2011 Golf Tournament at Pearl Country Club on May 27. Proceeds help fund the pageant's $500,000 scholarship awards and tuition grant waivers. Register before May 14 to meet all 22 Miss Hawaii 2011 final-ists. For more information, call John Pang at 479-8098; Don Harada, tournament co-founder and adviser at 947-7575; or Ken Rakta at 247-4121.
SPOCKED checking out one of Cher's final performances at Caesars Palace Colosseum: Kimo Kahoano and Leilani Kupahu-Marino.
PAMELA ANDERSON says her ex-BF, real estate developer Laurence Hallier, promised her a free condo or $1 million to promote his high-end Panorama Towers. But the project wasn't completed on time so she wants the cash.
February 16, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE NEVADA GAMING Control Board reported that the casinos booked $87.5 million in Super Bowl bets this year. Unlike last year, when they made $6.9 million, this year the casinos only made $724,000 with most of the bigger houses taking a loss on the game's over/under. Packers fans hedged bets on their team with a 45 point over that paid $56 for every $10 bet.
THE BELLAGIO BANDIT was smart enough to make off with $1.5 million in casinos chips. He also believed the casino would be dumb enough not to notice him losing $105,000 (in chips) and trying to cash out another $200,000 (in chips). After the casino changed the chip colors in circulation, Anthony Carleo tried to sell $25,000 chips to undercover agents. Chips are nicknamed for their color, reds are $5, greens $25, blacks $100, purple (or Barneys) $500, yellows are $1,000 and the $25,000 chips are called cranberries.
IF YOUR MAILBOX has been light on offers from the Venetian/Palazzo, it's because the company reported its fourth quarter revenue was up from $266.7 million to $310.6 million year over year. Casino boss Sheldon Adelson said, "We've essentially cut all of our comps except our most highly rated players - no more comped rooms, no food and beverage, no showroom credits. We're selling rooms."
THIRTY-SEVEN STATES now have some form of casino gambling ... Will Hawaii become the 38th?
MAKING THE ROUNDS in Sin City is a proposal for a new multiuse 40,000-seat stadium on the University of Nevada campus ...
READERS OF Travel + Leisure voted Las Vegas No. 1 for the best big-name luxury hotels and wild weekends, and No. 2 for luxury stores and big-name restaurants. It was also the eighth rudest city in America. In case you're curious ... Honolulu was voted No. 1 for the best romantic escape, relaxing retreat and spring break, and No. 2 for weather and family vacations. We finished 33rd out of 35 for having the worst pizza ... Yeah, but we make one mean lau lau.
CONGRATS TO Arnold Ramos, Carlos Lawe, Alfredo Vargas Jr., Sam Quele, Arnold Berdon, Chad Puha, Joel Palamia, Kevin Soong, Rory Nalu Jones and Maki Pitolo, who represented the 5-O in the Hilton's LVMMA Hawaii vs. the Mainland amateur fight.
LAS VEGAS' newest mega club, Chateau Nightclub, will open March 5 with resident DJ Samantha Robinson ... perhaps more famous for her torrid relationship with Lindsay Lohan then her skills on the turntables.
BOOK A ROOM at Mandalay Bay by the end of the month and get the 2/2 deal: Two tickets to Lion King and two nights for $200 ... Use the code PDISN11.
February 09, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas … the Player's Edge!
IT'S TRUE … When you hit the big one, you can bring home one-of-a-kind Las Vegas omiyage. Sugar Factory, the confectioner that specializes in couture lollipops, will introduce a million-dollar diamond-covered sucker March 4. Kim Kardashian will be on hand for the sinfully opulent reveal. If you don't have the simoleans to bring it home, you can take a picture with the world's most expensive piece of candy… the lolly, not the celebutante.
LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR Ed Nishioka says he's looking forward to celebrating his birthday in Vegas on 11/11/11 …
Somehow I don't think he'll be alone on the luckiest weekend of the decade.
THE MGM has introduced a new loyalty program to compete with the player's programs at Caesars, Cosmopolitan and Venetian/Palazzo. The big benefit for players in the new system is the M Life Express Comps. They appear as dollars, so there's never a question of how many points you need to get a comp. These dollars also can be redeemed instantly at Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo and New York-New York.
ACROSS THE STREET, Total Rewards has limited-edition player's club cards commemorating the Year of the Rabbit (for the Chinese and Korean New Year) and the Year of the Cat (for the Vietnamese New Year). Get yours at any Caesars/Harrah's casino.
THE NEVADA Gaming Control Board is investigating several cases involving missing points in casino players club programs.
THE RITZ-CARLTON Lake Las Vegas is reopening Feb. 11 as Ravella at Lake Las Vegas. The property will target corporate meetings, weddings and leisure guests.
VIVA LA VIDA, LAS VEGAS … Ricky Martin's 2011 world tour "Musica+Alma+Sexo" stops at Caesars Colosseum Saturday, April 30.
JUST IN TIME for Valentine's power shopping … MAGIC, the fashion industry's premier trade show, hits the city Feb. 14-16.
THE 42ND World Series of Poker starts May 31 at the Rio, where 256 players will compete in the $25,000 buy-in Heads Up No Limit Hold'em Championship.
OSCAR ODDS: The Social Network: 9/4; The King's Speech: 4/11; The Fighter and True Grit: 40/1; Black Swan: 50/1; Inception: 66/1; Toy Story 3 and 127 Hours: 100/1; The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone: 150/1.
CONGRATS TO the cast of Phantom–the Las Vegas Spectacular, for passing the 2,000th performance milestone. The Phantom has spent more than 83 days in makeup, and Christine has made 22,000 wardrobe changes. The Venetian dropped $40 mil on the custom-designed Parisian-themed theater that the show calls home.
EXPERTS ESTIMATE $90 million was bet on "The Big Game" in Vegas sports books — a drop in the $10 billion bucket that was bet on the game worldwide.
February 02, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
BACK IN 1989, when $60 million was really worth $60 million, Steve Wynn built one of the most exclusive 18 holes on the planet. It wasn't shrouded in secrecy, but you had to be a player, a real big player - a whale, in casino parlance - to touch the grassy greens known as Shadow Creek. Built on 350 acres of desert flatland, more than 3 million cubic yards of dirt was moved to form a berm that blocked the outside from looking in, and 21,000 trees were imported to populate the course that includes lakes, waterfalls, rolling hillsides - and no hole is visible from another. A couple of years ago the course's designer, Tom Fazio, over-saw a $17 million renovation. Nowadays most guests at an MGM resort with $500 can get a tee time - not a lotta money, but still more than most of us would spend on a round. For the first time in the course's history, it will be open to the average Joe and Josephine for as little as $25. The occasion is the first time the 10th annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational is being held in Las Vegas. Get the scoops on the March 31 through April 4 charity event and link(s) to buy tickets at KimosVegas.com. If you can afford it, spring for the VIP tickets and watch the final hole from the hospitality deck that has only seen the feet of 150 people in the last 20 years!
HOW LUCKY can one person be? ... Didja hear about the woman who was on her way to her room at the Aria when the Megabucks machine caught her eye? Two spins later - that's a whole six bucks into the machine - she won $12,769,933! When the symbols lined up, she thought the machine malfunctioned because the lights went out. But she was astute enough to know the first rule of playing a progressive slot machine - always bet max coins.
MAYBE SHE'LL CELEBRATE with one of chef Hubert Keller's $5,000 burgers. The FleurBurger 5000 is made with a Kobe beef patty topped with foie gras, black truffles, the chef's special sauce and served with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Petrus. I know what you're thinking ... 5 grand for a burger! Go figgah! They expect to sell about six of these babies a year. The recipe for the regular FleurBurger is available online at KimosVegas.com.
JUST BECAUSE you're going to college doesn't make you smart ... Hubert Blackman says he was traumatized by the Las Vegas police when they threatened to arrest him after he called 911. The New York City resident is suing Las Vegas Exclusive Personals because he paid an entertainer $155 for a lap dance and $120 for a deed of the dark. The rub came the next morning when he called to complain that she left after a half hour, even though he was promised a full hour. He also claims he was drunk and therefore incapable of making an informed agreement. When they refused to give him a refund he called Metro, who informed him that prostitution is illegal in Vegas and he just incriminated himself. Well, that didn't stop him from filing a $1.8 million lawsuit ... Maybe his parents should sue his school for a refund.
January 26, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
CONGRATS TO Miss Hawaii Jalee Fuselier for putting Hawaii back on the Miss America map ... She won the "Lifestyle and Fitness" competition (raise your hand if you still call it the swimsuit competition) and finished as the pageant's second runner up!
AT THE ENCORE on the day aftah New Year's, a high roller bought a $100,000 bottle of Armand De Brignac "Midas" champagne ... a bargain in comparison to all the aerials set off in Pearl City the night before.
SPOCKED broadcasting live from Las Vegas last week ... KRATER 96's Dave & Sherry at the Cal.
THERE'S A NEW KID IN TOWN ... Federated Sports and Gaming, founded by World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, has announced the forming of a new league with three different tournaments at the Palms plus a championship tourney ... It's like the PGA, but played with clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades. Defending National Heads-Up Poker champion Annie Duke will serve as the yetto-be-named league's commissioner. Will the formation of a professional poker league elevate the game and forever end the debate about poker being a sport?
GOING ALL IN ... The PBA, not to be confused with the PGAor NBA, has upped the ante by offering $1,000,000 in prize money. The 52-year-old Professional Bowlers Association has been struggling for dollars and fans, and hopes its offer of the largest purse in the "game's" (or is it "sport's"?) history will attract more viewers (Sundays on ESPN) and sponsors. Better dust off my Wii Sports!
KAUAI-BORN casino host Dale Matsumura writes that the Stratosphere is spending about $20 million on renovations, with most of the money going into the casino's hotel rooms. To make sure you get the nuts - in poker parlance, that's the best possible hand in a given deal or, in this case, the best possible room - ask Dale to hook you up with a Stratosphere Select room in the Premiere Tower. And congrats to Paul Hobson, the Strat's new GM.
IT'S NOTAnational holiday, but it does put a smile on the faces of casino execs just like a three-day weekend. Just in time for Chinese New Year, check out the atrium of the Palazzo, where you'll find a 16-foot-tall rabbit that weighs in at 1,000 pounds. No, you didn't have too much to drink - the eyes, paws and tail really do move.
60 MINUTES did a story on Billy Walters, the World's Most Successful Sports Bettor. He talks about how he uses information, technology and people to make an honest living gambling. He bets $2 million like most people bet $20, and he won $3.5 million on last year's Super Bowl. Get the link to watch the interview at KimosVegas.com.
January 19, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
I'LL SEE YOUR Two and a Half Men and raise you three porn stars ... Last week the Internet was ablaze with Charlie Sheen's attempt to single-handedly put the sin back in Sin City in a big way. The actor was reportedly holed up in a suite at the Palms with three of his favorite adult film actresses (they are acting, right?) ... Hope he left his Patek Phillipe at home. ...
THE REALITY was the young ladies were in town for the Adult Video News convention and were just trying to save a few bucks by rooming with a buddy ...
HOTEL ROOMS during the same week as the Consumer Electronics Convention skyrocketed by as much as 10 times the regular rate.
JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Vali & the Four Seasons, has added a Sunday matinee with a special $55 off front orchestra seats. Visit jerseyboysinfo.com for the deal.
THE JANET JACKSON Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour hits The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23. Tickets for Miss Jackson (if you're nasty) are $195, $150, $95 and $75 (plus taxes and fees). Saying, "In each city I want to meet 20 young leaders who are changing their communities for the better. Please contact janetjackson.com so that I will know who is making a major difference." ... The winners get tickets, a backstage meet-n-greet, an autographed copy of Number Ones and an autographed copy of her upcoming book True You.
SEVEN OUT ... Beso, the Las Vegas nightclub and eatery owned by Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives, has filed for bankruptcy with almost $5.7 million in debts, with losses projected at $76,000 a month on a gross income of $1.24 million. The actress says she owns almost a third of the company but is also an unsecured creditor, having loaned the company more than $1 million in cash.
CHECK OUT the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Chinese New Year display ... New this year: terracotta warriors, a Chinese junk and a 12-foot homage to the Year of the Rabbit.
IF MAKING PASTRY or chocolate is your thing ... Food Network star Chris Hanmer's School of Pastry Design is open to fans, wannabe chefs, foodies and folks who like to eat. Classes start at $400, and you can even arrange for a private, customized experience - or just try the tastings in his chocolate laboratory ... Get the link to book some time in the kitchen of the world's youngest team pastry champion at KimosVegas.com.
IN A MOVE that got Jenny Craig excited, the producers of Peepshow have asked their headliner Holly Madison to drop a few pounds. She says she's gained about 10 pounds since she started as "Bo Peep" over a year ago.
AT THE GOLDEN NUGGET they have a machine that sells gold bars and coins. The gold-plated gold dispenser is located across the casino under the golden lights. The prices adjust every 10 minutes to reflect the current price of the precious metal. At the time of this writing, a gram coin was around $60 and an ounce bar would set you back $1,400. The machine accepts cash only.
January 12, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
CAMERON DIAZ and Alex Rodriguez were spotted shopping at the new Cosmopolitan hotel ... Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez hit the Shoppes at Caesar's Palace.
IN LAS VEGAS they held the first Summit of the Horse - Native American leaders, horse advocates and lawmakers got together to lobby the U.S. Government to reconsider its ban on horse meat as a legal source of food. In 2007, Congress ended the killing of horses for human consumption. That reminds me of that song by the band America: "Well, I been to the desert on a horse with no name, lost all my money in the casino" - and you know what happens next.
SNOW IN VEGAS? It's not as unusual as it sounds. The Ninth Island gets around an inch of snow every year. The year that holds the record for the most white stuff to hit the desert sand in one day ... more than 7 inches is 1979.
COPPER THIEVES hit the Valley Bible Fellowship Church for more than $100,000, taking all of the house of God's plumbing and electrical wiring. Officials say it's almost impossible to catch these guys because they probably cashed the semi-precious metal at a recycling center in another state.
MAYBE THEY USED their ill-gotten gains to buy some lottery tickets ... Last Tuesday's Mega Millions Jackpot was at $355 million. Residents of Nevada ran across the Arizona and California borders and stood in long lines to buy a shot at the huge jackpot.
HAVE YOU EVER noticed that when you cash a ticket in most redemption machines on the casino floor you won't get back any $10 bills? The reason for the disparity is most machines only have four hoppers and they're filled with $1, $5, $20 and $100 bills.
THE LAS VEGAS Convention and Visitors Authority just concluded its most comprehensive visitor survey ever, and says its new marketing campaign will reflect what it's learned ... including specific examples of what visitors can do in Vegas. Eat, shop, gamble, party ... Did I miss anything?
IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL ... The Hard Rock hotel and casino in Las Vegas has agreed to pay $650,000 in fines and expenses. The Nevada Gaming Control Board found excessive drunkenness, public sex acts, prostitution and drug distribution on site - a big no-no for a gambling licensee.
PALMS HOTEL-CASINO owner George Maloof Jr. and restaurant/nightclub operator Michael Morton are parting ways after settling their litigation. Maloof will take over the management of N-M Ventures, the entity that owns and operates N9NE Steakhouse, Ghostbar, Rain Nightclub, Nove Italiano, the Playboy Club, Moon Nightclub and the Stuff store in the Palms. Morton will continue with his latest venture at the Wynn: a wine bar restaurant called "La Cave."
AND THE PALMS Casino Resort has launched a new iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch game that blends Fantasy Football and the most popular casino table game in Vegas: blackjack. The objective of the game is to win the most virtual dollars from other players in your league. Get Fantasy Blackjack a free download from the Apple App Store.
January 05, 2011 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
YOU'RE NOT IN Cali anymore, Dorothy ... After three hours and $500, "The Wizard of Oz" led Dorothy Reynolds to a $2,948,494.50 progressive jackpot on the WMS Gaming penny slot machine at Planet Hollywood. She and husband Don travel to Las Vegas twice a year, and were joined by daughter and son-in-law Jill and Gary Crosswhite, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She says her two daughters and nine grandchildren "may be surprised at this year's Christmas presents." She celebrated her win by continuing to play slot machines with her daughter. She got her first payment of $147,000 and will decide if she will take a lump sum or annual payments later.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER reality show got the green light for another season from the Nevada Athletic Commission. The show is required to follow the commission's health and safety standards like any other sporting event in the state. One of the commissioners said, "Not only does this provide an entertainment value, it provides a nutritional and fitness value."
JAY-Z AND COLDPLAY headlined the 2,500 invitation-only New Year's Eve and grand-opening party at the Cosmopolitan. Price tag for the dynamic duo's one-night stand: a reported $1 million each. Total price tag for the hotel's New Year's coming out party: $25 million!
ETHICAL FASHION DESIGNER Stella McCartney (did you know both of her grandmothers were named Stella?) opened her latest boutique at Crystal's. Next time you're cruisin' through the CityCenter mall, be sure to check out "Lucky Spot," her sculpture named after her mom's (Linda Eastman McCartney) favorite Appaloosa. It's constructed from 8,000 individual Swarovski crystals. Fans will want her latest iPad app (it's free), but her vegan iPad cover will set you back $395.
GEEK NIRVANA, the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, starts next Thursday in Vegas. Experts are predicting that this will be the year of the tablet at CES as manufacturers reveal contenders to the iPad throne.
HUGH HEFNER made the news over the holidays by proposing to his 24-year-old girlfriend Crystal Harris and tweeting about it, saying, "When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears. This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory." To further clarify his intentions, the bunny master did a follow-up post, "Yes, the ring I gave Crystal is an engagement ring. I didn't mean to make a mystery out of it. A very merry Christmas to all."
STEVE WYNN has agreed to serve as an outside director for a joint venture between the governments of Monaco and Qatar. As part of the deal, Prince Albert II of Monaco appointed the Wynn chairman and chief executive Monegasque citizenship. The casino mogul has confirmed that he will retain his American citizenship.
RUMORS CONTINUE to circle the Strip that MGM Mirage is about to divest itself of the Mirage and/or The Mandalay Bay. Depending on the source of the rumor, Phil Ruffin and/or Penn National Gaming are the bargain hunters in the company's asset sale to ease its debt load.
December 29, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
RICK FAUGNO, who plays Frankie Vali in Jersey Boys, stopped by last week to chat with Billy V during his Hawaiian105 KINE broadcast from the Cal in Las Vegas.
MANNY PACQUIAO has decided to fight again - the match will most likely happen May 7 (the weekend of Cinco de Mayo). No opponent has been chosen, but it's never too early to make your rez.
COCKTAILS ...Casinos in Atlantic City are testing a new system where you'll never have to wait for a waitress to place your order ever again. That's right - order your favorite libation directly from the front screen of your slot machine ... Of course, you'll still have to wait for the waitress to deliver it.
THE $1.5 MILLION robbery of the Bellagio was on the lips of every casino worker. It's one way to hit the jackpot. The only problem is the chips are worthless until you cash them in, and the casinos aren't likely to hand over bundles of cash just because you have some chips.
THE CELEBRITY Boxing Federation has offered Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg $1 million each to jump in the ring and go toe-to-toe. The stars of boxing flicks Ali and The Fighter have not responded to the offer of a Feb. 26 match in Las Vegas. My money's on Mickey Ward.
COMING SOON to a cell phone near you ... Experts are predicting that mobile gaming (the pay-for-play kine) will explode in the next few years. Imagine playing your favorite casino game or betting on your team or wagering on the next Dancing with the Stars winner for real money - all from the comfort of your cell. Right now, if you live in Nevada, Leroy's Sports Book has an app that's been approved by the Nevada regulators. It's a sure thing ... for the house.
BOYD GAMING and MGM Resorts International have joined suit in an anti-arena lawsuit. The two companies are saying that the proposed 0.9 percent increase in sales tax for a new Las Vegas arena will benefit only one company, Caesars Entertainment.
CONGRATS TO George T. Kida of Waipahu, who won $ 11,870 on a heart royal at the Cal.
PARIS BYANY OTHER NAME ... Hell's Kitchen head demon Gordon Ramsey moves in at the end of January. Les Artistes is out and the Gordon Ramsey Steakhouse is in, as the MGM Resort International "de-Frenches" the place ...
THE FBI's latest report on violent and property crimes shows both activities were down in Las Vegas during the first half of 2010. Violent crime reports were down nearly 4.6 percent and property crime was off 12.7 percent.
GET THE LATEST Vegas news: Text OCEANIC VEGAS to 32862, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, at http://www.KimosVegas.com, http://www.AroundHawaii.com and every week here in MidWeek.
December 22, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas, The Player's Edge!
DANCING WITH THE STARS' Karina Smirnoff celebrated her engagement, hosting "The Ultimate Girls Night Out"(does that mean what I think it does?) with the Chippendales at the Rio. No word on what fiancé Brad Penny (L.A. Dodgers) did to reciprocate.
VEGAS TACKY ... The infamous "strippermobile" was named for the clear plastic cube on wheels that cruised the Strip with girls gyrating on a pole. The owners voluntarily shut down the rolling bikini club when city officials complained that it was a safety hazard because it distracted other drivers.
However, it was resurrected last week in the name of charity, hauling toys, Santa and eight of his best girls, albeit clad in a lot more than ever before.
STRIP TEASE ... The Bon Jovi Live 2011 tour hits the MGM Grand Garden March 19 ... and Boyz II Men are at the Flamingo now through Jan. 9.
LAST WEEK the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened its doors for the first time. Located between its high-end cousins the Bellagio and CityCenter, it joins the family of high-end resorts that include Wynn, Encore, Venetian and Palazzo. Over the next few months much will be made of the $3.9 billion resort's merits and demerits. Much will be said about the difficulty of debt servicing and the meeting of operating expenses for such a grand endeavor in a down economy. Most experts agree that we won't see another property of this scale being built right now.
FAST FOOD ... The busiest restaurant in the country is the Venetian's Tao Asian Bistro. They serve 1,500 meals a night!
ALSO AT the Venetian, Madame T goes Gaga. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta has been forever immortalized at Tussauds Wax Museum in Vegas. As a tribute to her international appeal, her waxness also will be on display in New York, Hollywood, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
True fans of the artist known for her outrageous videos and even more outrageous costumes will want to check out all eight unique displays.
SAY ALOHA to Miss Hawaii 2010 Jalee Fuselier from 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at Ka Restaurant and Lounge in Ward Centre. The bon voyage party get plenny good food, raffle prizes and Miss Hawaiis. Proceeds from the $10 donation benefit the Children's Miracle Network and Miss Hawaii Scholarship Fund. Look for her Jan. 15 at the Planet Hollywood.
JACKPOT ... That's what paleontologists were saying when they discovered a 7-foot-long Columbian Mammoth tusk near North Las Vegas. The ancient tusk belonged to a 14-foot-tall member of the elephant family that has been extinct for more than 12,000 years.
OL'BLUE EYES is back at the Encore Theater, Wynn Las Vegas ... "SINATRA Dance with Me" features original recordings by Frank Sinatra backed by a live 17-piece big band and 14 dancers. Call 888-320-7110 or 702-770-9966 for tickets.
SEVEN OUT ... The valet at Binion's has gone the way of their coffee shop, KENO and hotel rooms, victims of a weak Vegas economy.
December 15, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
THE FBI arrested Oleg Nikolaenko after he checked into the Bellagio and was checking out the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show. He's believed to be the mind behind the MegaD botnet, one of the Internet's biggest "wanna buy a fake Rolex" spammers responsible for one-third of the world's spam - about 10 billion e-mails a day!
YOU WIN SOME, you lose some ... Last week the government discovered a problem printing new $100 bills. The first notes with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's signature had to be quarantined - a total of $110 billion in hundies! Alan Boyd (Cox Media Group controller) calls that a "BFN" - a big freakin' number. It's difficult to visualize how big this really is, but experts estimate it represents 10 percent of all the U.S. kala in the world! As much as 30 percent of the new money contains the flaw, and it would take the Treasury Department 20 to 30 years to sort through all of the bills by hand ... any volunteers?
THERE'S A GREAT story in the Las Vegas Review Journal about John Lennon's lost Vegas weekends. In it they describe his first shot at gambling: He had to borrow $200 for his roulette "system" ... Kimo's Vegas tip: Don't try it with your own money. Get the link at KimosVegas.com.
AT THE FASHION SHOW MALL, "Believe in Magic." The free holiday show features a 35-foot Christmas tree, dancers, Santa and snow ... well, artificial snow that falls from the ceiling. Check it out on the runway at noon and 2, 4 and 6 p.m.
ZAPPO'S, the huge (billion dollar) online shoe and clothing etailer, is moving downtown. The company signed a deal to occupy the City Hall building on Fremont Street East. CEO Tony Hsieh has another dream, "An indoor ski slope."
BILLY V is doing his show live on Hawaiian105 KINE from Vegas all week ... when he's not on the air (5-10 a.m. HI time), he might just be sitting next to you on a Blazing 7's machine.
ACCORDING TO the latest American Pulse Survey, 58.1 percent of the 10,184 participants said they would not be flying less this holiday season as a result of the new TSA scanner and pat-down procedures - 55.5 percent said it's lolo not to profile airline passengers ... What do you think?
YEAH, THAT'S THE TICKET. Yeah, I wanna go to the Playboy Club Las Vegas to see comedian Jon Lovitz ... yeah, Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar, Dec. 30-Jan. 1. Tickets are $39.99 and $59.99 (VIP) including admission to see the Playmates after the show.
ONLY IN VEGAS ... A doctor dressed as Elvis performed CPR after running the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll half marathon. Claudio Palma, an anesthesiolo-gist, ran into a fellow runner who passed out at the Burger Bar in the Mandalay Bay. He told paramedics that when the woman regained consciousness she gave him a weird look and said she was OK ... What would you say to the King after passing out? ... No good deed goes unpunished - the doc got married later that day.
December 08, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... the Player's Edge!
IT'S EQUALTO a Super Bowl, NBA Championship or World Series ring ... many believe it's invaluable to the person who earns one. But if you have to sell one, do it for charity, and if you have to buy one, it's probably best that the money go to a good cause. That was the thinking that led 2008 World Series of Poker Champion Peter Eastgate to auction his 168-gram, 18K white gold, 219 diamond-encrusted bracelet on eBay. It started at $16,000, and 116 bids later an unnamed bidder paid $147,500 for the one-of-a-kind bauble with all the proceeds going to UNICEF. After winning $9.15 million and the championship, Eastgate retired from poker at the grand old age of 24.
STEVE WYNN has proposed to gal pal Andrea Hissom. Rumor has it that her heart-shaped diamond engagement ring is worth $1 million. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, he said, "Besides having the greatest butt in the world, she also has the designer gene! It's like God made a woman for me. The only thing that stops my world from being perfect is that Elaine (his ex-wife) is not happy."
ONLY IN VEGAS will you find 15 AAA Five Diamond resorts and restaurants. The Bellagio has won the award 10 years in a row - it's also the only resort in the U.S. with two Five Diamond restaurants, Picasso and Le Cirque. Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon and Alex also took home rocks. Other 5D hotels include Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, Palazzo, Venetian, Skylofts at MGM Grand, Four Seasons, Aria, Mandarin Oriental and the Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas.
AN INTERNATIONAL study says the economy in Las Vegas is the fifth worst in the world ... only Dublin, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Barcelona, Spain, and Thessaloniki, Greece, were worse.
A NEW CLUB is opening at Paris called Chateau… Chocoholics will want to visit the Sugar Factory's dining room that includes a Chocolate Lounge with 68 different chocolates from around the world ...
GET A SNEAK PEEK inside the new Cosmopolitan Hotel before it opens Dec. 15. I've seen a few hotel rooms and these rooms look really different. Get the link to check 'em out at KimosVegas.com.
IT'S LIKE being at home, only better ... Ring in the new year with the Society of Seven and Jasmine Trias at the Cannery Hotel Casino in Vegas.
NEW DEAL ... Join the Trop Plus Players Club at the Tropicana and get up to $200 of your casino slot losses back in free play - $100 in free play is available immediately, the other $100 after a month. Players also receive points for free slot play and comp dollars. As you move up the tiered program, benefits include birthday gifts, comp suites, upgrades, limo rides, cruises and lots more.
December 01, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR ... a parade? On Jan. 14, the Miss America contestants will show off their state-themed shoes in a walking parade outside the Paris Las Vegas's Arc de Triomphe.
The parade is an old Miss America tradition that began when the Misses used to ride in convertibles wearing comfortable shoes that didn't match their gowns. After some heckling from the crowd ... the rest, as they say, is history. Miss America will give up her crown the following day at the Planet Hollywood.
GET THAT NEW casino smell Dec. 15 when the Cosmopolitan, the newest addition to the Vegas skyline, opens featuring a 100,000-square-foot casino. Inside, check out the "gambling cabanas" complete with couches and credenzas. Commemorate your visit by hitting the Arto-Mat (old cigarette) machines that dispense small works of art for $5.
THE FUTURE of the high-class Harmon Hotel is still up in the air. The yet-tobe-completed City Center hotel is being examined for safety. One of the possible scenarios is tearing it down and starting all over again.
NEW VEGAS VERBIAGE: "see-through casino" ... That's what Steve Wynn is calling the unfinished projects on the Strip. Regulators have no rules about unfinished structures, but that may not stop the billionaire from suing over the visual blight.
WE'VE ALL SEEN those huge signs that cover the side of casinos such as the Rio, Luxor and Tropicana. Vegas lawmakers are considering regulations to limit the signs, known as wraps. Guess we weren't the only folks to notice the oxymoron of a city that prides its architecture only to cover it with advertising. However, people have been known to request a room in Donny or Marie's smile at the Flamingo.
CONGRATS TO everyone who joined the fun at last month's "All Hawaii Class of '58's 70th Birthday Celebration" in Las Vegas.
THE RULE OF THREE ... For the third time in three years, McCarran International Airport reported a passenger-count increase. Let's hope that rule gets broken a little sooner.
MORE SIGNS ... For the first time in five years, the unemployment rate in Las Vegas has declined.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, Paris Hilton got caught in L.A. and Las Vegas with some powder ... not the face kine, but the kine you pu in sai your nose. She pleaded guilty and was issued a suspended sentenced, a fine and mandatory community service. True to form, the heiress began her civic duty wearing a yellow T-shirt with "Hollywood Los Angeles Beautification Team" on the back, red designer shades and black stilettos.
CHECK OUT the high-energy show with the big cats - tigers, panthers and leopards - and a money-back guarantee! At O'Shea's, Dirk Arthur is so confident you'll love his Wild Magic he'll give your money back if you're not 100 percent satisfied. Don't you wish the casino would do the same?
THE VIDEO KENO gods smiled upon Marilyn Okuda of Honolulu, who won $4,700 on the quarter machine.
THE WEATHER WISE GUYS are saying "The weather outside is frightful ..." They are predicting record low temps earlier than normal this year. Ya gotta love Vegas in the winter.
November 24, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… The Players Edge!
YES, $8,944,310 - that's how much money Jonathan Duhamel won in the 2010 World Series of Poker. The newly crowned champ, the first ever from Canada, defeated 7,318 challengers to the crown who paid $10,000 or won their entry in smaller tournaments ... Say it with me: "Eh!"
HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT, which operates 10 casinos on the Strip, is changing its corporate name to Caesars Entertainment. It announced the change a few months after the company went private in 2008, but didn't get around to it until now ...
FACEBOOK FANATICS get deals directly from Harrah's properties and the Palms on the new Facebook Deals iPhone app. Now through Dec. 29, the Palms is offering users free room upgrades and free extended stays. If you're staying at a Harrah's resort, get a free buffet or other goodies just by joining.
AND THE WINNER IS ... in Eureka County, Nev., there was a tie for the office of clerk-treasurer. Incumbent Jackie Berg and challenger Carrie Wright each had 376 votes. According to state law, a tie-breaker for the newly elected official will be done the same way Las Vegas has been deciding winners for hundreds of years ... by a draw of cards.
LUCKY AT THE Main Street KENO machine: Charles Pa of Honolulu hit for $7,002.
SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH ... Bill Cosby Thanksgiving weekend at the TI, or Christmas (Dec. 23 and 24) with Andy Williams at the Las Vegas Hilton.
DONNY AND MARIE Osmond and producer Chip Lightman have resolved their differences, with both sides sworn to secrecy on the specifics of the deal ...
MEANWHILE, lawyers for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the lawyers for Hard Rock Café restaurant chain are suing and counter-suing over the Hard Rock name. The eatery says the casino's party image is offending its customers by displaying drunken debauchery, sexual harassment, violence and criminal behavior in the reality show Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel ... Has rock gone soft in its old age?
IN AN INDUSTRY where flat was the new up ... Casino revenue was up 2.8 percent year over year in September. That major about-face has casino operators optimistic about Sin City's future. Steve Wynn said, "We've seen the bottom in Las Vegas. I don't know how fast it's going to get better, but I don't think it's going to get any worse." Baccarat made more money than any other table game, totaling 17 percent of all gambling revenue last year.
KIMO'S VEGAS TRIVIA: In baccarat, face cards have zero value and the highest hand is a natural nine, a nine and a face card is an automatic winner. Players with an eight or nine for their first card will often chant "Monkey" (the game's nickname for face cards) before turning over their second card.
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY checks into Wynn's Encore Theater the week of Nov. 29. On the guest list: David Copperfield, Terry Fator, Cheryl Burke, Jimmy Kimmel, Howie Mandel, Rod Stewart and more.
November 17, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
MORE HAWAIIAN ties for Mirage headliner Terry Fator ... Last week the guy who can sing without moving his lips tied the knot with fiancée Taylor Makakoa in the Lily of the Valley Chapel in Las Vegas. The couple got engaged on the beach at Haleiwa when the local girl found her ring cleverly hidden in a seashell ...
CONGRATS TO Angela Byrd, who was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2011. Be sure to show your support if you're goin'Vegas in April. And congrats to Moanalua High School senior Courtney Coleman, our new Miss Hawaii Teen USA.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM ... A three-day nationwide crackdown on the sexual exploitation of children led to the arrest of 51 people in Las Vegas ...
TWO MEN were busted at McCarran Airport with a record-setting $1 million in heroin ...
KING OF PAIN ... Two Las Vegas residents used prescriptions in their own names to buy 6,200 tablets of oxycodone. Authorities say they sold 30 milligram tabs for $30-$50 and 80 milligram caps for $70-$140 apiece. A total of 27 people were charged with distribution and the laundering of $1.2 million.
NO WONDER that readers of Travel + Leisure have voted Las Vegas the best place on the planet for a wild weekend ... Perhaps Charlie Sheen and Capri Anderson missed that issue.
HAS IT BEEN that long already? Two years later, Criss Angel is transforming his Cirque du Soleil show Believe. The dancers have disappeared, and the show is focusing on his fans: "People wanted to see Mindfreak. They wanted to get to know Criss Angel, and they wanted to see parts of my personality that they typically wouldn't see on TV."
THE ZAPPOS Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 happens Dec. 2 ...
WALLWORKS IS what they are calling the original contemporary works of art that adorn the parking structure of the new Cosmopolitan hotel. With a garage this cool, the hotel should be pretty spectacu-
exclusively in Vegas until next June. You can see Wendy Thomas, the iconic little girl in the red pigtails and blue dress, make her television debut in commercials for the restaurant that bears her name. The ads promoting a new line of burgers named after her dad air exclusively on Vegas TV, but you can get a link to check them out at KimosVegas.com.
November 10, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
LUKELA KEALA WROTE When I Think Of You for his mom ... Imagine her surprise when Terry Fator (an Ekolu fan) performed the song for her during his show! Mahalo to KCCN FM100's Prime Time "Pipi" for sharing the story that Dar (Lukela's wife) told him.
THE MIRAGE Hotel and Casino headliner is honoring wounded war veterans during a special "Tribute to the Troops" concert this Sunday. Proceeds from the Terry Fator benefit go to the United Service Organizations. On Veterans Day, the USO, Las Vegas Center opens at McCarran International Airport for active and reservist service members on orders. The lounge is located in Terminal 1.
OFF WE GO into the wild blue yonder ... The U.S. Air Force hosts Aviation Nation 2010 Nov. 13 and 14 at Nellis Air Force Base. The largest free show in Nevada salutes America's military operations around the world with more than 100 aircraft on display. If you missed them here, the Thunderbirds will perform along with the USAF's F-22 Raptor team, the Navy's F-18 Hornet team and lots more. Get the complete details at KimosVegas.com.
A LOCAL SPORTSCASTER said that a Vegas line moved because the unfavored team had a better chance of winning. Akamai bettors know that when the number of points a team is expected to win by changes, it's not because the house believes the score will be close or that the underdog team has a chance to win. The point spread changes when the casino has booked too many bets on one side and wants to even the betting. They get paid (the vig) no matter who wins. How much money does it take to move the line? It really depends on how much money is bet on the game, but $1 million will get odds-makers reaching for their calculators.
IT'S OFFICIAL: Simba is leaving the building ... The final performance of the Vegas production of The Lion King is Dec. 30, 2011. Two-and-a-half years (and just over 1,000 performances) later the circle of life at the Mandalay Bay comes to an end. Unofficial speculation is that the theater will be the home of the new Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show, opening in 2013.
M.J. FANS WILL BE happy to hear that a concert, "Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour," will be in Vegas Dec. 3, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center, and tickets are on sale now for the 25-city tour. Cirque du Soleil promises that it'll be as close as technologically possible to having the King of Pop in the room. Check out the preview at KimosVegas.com.
CONGRATS TO everyone at Cirque du Soleil ...
Last week the very first Vegas show for the company, Mystere, hit 8,000 performances at Treasure Island.
AOL TRAVEL'S Top Five must-see Vegas casinos are the MGM Grand, selected for its Lion Habitat and fine dining, Bellagio for the fountain show, Venetian for its gondola ride, Mandalay Bay for Shark Reef and Caesars Palace for its Oasis Pool.
THE SOCIETY OF SEVEN and Jasmine Trias hit the Suncoast Showroom Nov. 19, 20 and 21.
THERE ARE LESS THAN 60 days to book your trip to celebrate New Year's in Vegas.
November 03, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
CONGRATS TO Celine Dion and hubby Rene Angeli on the birth of their twin boys. Born a month early, the keiki weighed in at 5 pounds 4 ounces, and 5 pounds 10 ounces. Dad quipped that their oldest son Rene Charles (9) was relieved not to have a sister ... Tickets for Dion's March return to the house that Caesar built for her are on sale now.
SPOCKED IN the audience of Smokey Robinson presents Human Nature, The Ultimate Celebration of the Motown Sound at the Imperial Palace: Uncle Sam Kapu.
THIS SUNDAY at the Crown Theater in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, some familiar faces: Lukela Keala, Akoni Dellomes and Makapu Hoopii, known collectively as Ekolu. The Maui No Ka Oi Baldwin grads share the stage with special guests Lady Reiko and The Sin City Prophets, and HaleAmanO.
SOME CLARK COUNTY residents complained that, when they went to vote, some of the candidates were already checked off. Maybe their electronic voting machines were made by the same guys who make those addictive penny slots.
IT'S GOOD TO BE a celebrity litigator in Vegas ... Just like scenes from the script of the new CBS show The Defenders, producer Chip Lightman is suing Donny & Marie for behavior unfit of an Osmond, and the famous siblings have filed a counter suit.
MEANWHILE, John McEntee and Terry Fator settled their lawsuit, with the puppet master paying his ex-manager $10 million in commission.
MICHAEL JACK-SON'S ex-landlord is suing his estate for $234,000 in property damages.
AND O.J. SIMPSON got the Go Directly to Jail and Stay There card when the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that all of his attorney's arguments appealing his armed-robbery and kidnapping convictions were without merit. What happens in Vegas ...
VEGAS METRO has arrested Stefon Clark for allegedly robbing people in casino restrooms. He was arrested at the Opera House Casino after a customer was shot and later died in an attempted restroom robbery.
CARY HART celebrated the month that's painted in the color of his wife's name (Pink) by giving away free ribbon tattoos at Hart & Huntington in Hard Rock Hotel.
AT THIS YEAR'S SEMA show in Las Vegas, Mopar will display 35 customized cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat. So far, only six of the cars have been revealed including a 2011 RedLine Dodge Charger, 2011 Dodge Durango, 2010 Fiat 500, 2011 Wrangler Sahara Mopar Edition, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Off-Road Edition. The gearhead nirvana runs through Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
BOYD GAMING CORP. is passing on its first right of refusal on the other half of the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa from its partner MGM Resorts. The sale is prompted by the New Jersey gaming regulators concerns over its partnership in a Macau casino. The move has some analysts predicting the company will be jump-starting the stalled Echelon project.
Wayne Newton is petitioning for a zoning change so he can build a museum and give tours of his home. The Las Vegas entertainer is calling his plan "Graceland West" ... Danke schoen.
October 27, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
IN ONE EVENING, the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education raised more than $8 million at its 15th annual Grand Slam for Children benefit concert. I always find the auctions at these things interesting: Breakfast and tour of CBS with Katie Couric sold for $15,000 ... lunch with Olympic champion Michael Phelps, and lessons from the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award four years in a row, Greg Maddux, $60,000 ... tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and NCAA Final Four auctioned for $65,000 ... dinner with Robin Williams in San Francisco went for $100,000 ... and a chance to hang with the heavies Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Michael Mina in the Cayman Islands set the winner back $100,000!
THE M RESORT is offering a football pool with a $100,000 buy-in - that's about 10 grand more than the average price of a Vegas condo!
WHAT'S THE MOST MONEY you've ever lost in a single session of play? I'll bet you 1,000 to 1 that two players in Singapore have got you beat. The pair lost a combined $115 million (U.S. dollars) playing baccarat ... Now that's what I call bad luck.
CIRQUE FANS, get up close and even go behind the scenes for the first time ever. The folks who bring us the magic of Cirque du Soleil will show off their stuff during Cirque Week (Nov. 29-Dec. 5). Check out the custom theater demo through the 6,300 custom-made speakers in the Mirage LOVE Theater, meet Chriss Angel, go to a dress rehearsal and Q&A session with the cast and crew of Zumanity, and much more. In fact, all seven of Sin City's Cirque Productions have something special planned. Get the link for the complete details at KimosVegas.com.
GAMING COMPANY Penn National is buying its way into Las Vegas, purchasing all bank and subordinated debt from the Bank of Scotland for $230.5 million ... about 23 cents on the dollar. The company has 23 gaming properties in 15 states in North America and Canada.
OPRAH CALLED HER the "most talented girl in the world." Charice took the Vegas stage at the One and Only Hit-Man David Foster and Friends concert at the Mandalay Bay. You may have seen the 18-year-old Filipina as a foreign-exchange student in Glee a few weeks ago ... Gleeks will be happy to know that she has a hana hou in an upcoming episode. And an encore of her Vegas performance with mentor Foster is planned for Manila later this year.
CAN YOU BELIEVE there are people who have grown up watching MTV's The Real World? Back in a NYC apartment in 1992, MTV contemporized reality television for an audience that grew up watching music videos. In season 12, the show called a high-roller suite in the Palms home and for season 25, The Hard Rock will do the honors. If you remember when MTV used to play music, then you remember when Donnie Whalberg was in a band.
THE SPORTING HOUSE Bar & Grill is the new name of the old ESPN's Sports Zone in New York, New York.
October 20, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
WSOP WINNER Scott Montgomery reported that a young black man robbed him in the Bellagio gentle-man's lua. While he waited for security, the pro poker player tweeted that he gave the knife-wielding robber $2,000 in cash.
CAESARS PALACE, Imperial Palace and Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino have launched "PetStay Las Vegas." The new program includes all the necessary amenities when you go on the road with your favorite four-legged friend, including floor mat, waste bags, food and water dishes, plus doggie treats. The hotels also have a designated PetStay area and welcome packets. After cruising the outdoor relief areas and dog-walking routes, check out the hotel's room service with menus designed especially for man's best friend.
GEORGE MALOOF, owner of the Palms Casino Resort and part-owner of the NBA Sacramento Kings, spent the night in jail after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The police say the casino owner was speeding and driving without a valid license or proof of insurance. Maloof says he had four beers at a friend's wedding. His blood-alcohol level was just over the legal limit at 0.086.
EVALONGORIAPARKER got waxed by Madame Tussauds. The Desperate Housewife was inducted into the Las Vegas museum as part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and a tribute to her contributions as a performer, philanthropist and role model.
IF YOU THINK playing the piano is tuff ... imagine tickling the ivories with your toes. Armless since he was 10, Liu Wei won first place in the first Chinese version of America's Got Talent (over there it's called China's Got Talent). The 23-year-old piano player's winning performance was James Blunt's You're Beautiful. Check out the video at KimosVegas.com. He'll be on tour with Asian singing star Jolin Tsai and a stop in Vegas is in the plans ...
IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, you've probably wondered what happens to the soap and shampoo that's left over when you leave your Vegas hotel room. Well, if you stayed at Paris Las Vegas, Bally's Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace or Caesars Palace, the unused soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotions are donated to Clean the World, which distributes them to impoverished families in the United States and more than 30 countries. In a few months it's collected more than a ton of soap from the five Harrah's resorts, and it has plans to build a recycling facility with the $100,000 donation from the hotel-casinos ...
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, the residents of the Valley Isle can spend less time in airports and more time on the Ninth Island. Twice a week Hawaiian Airlines will fly from Kahului Airport (OGG) nonstop to McCarran International (LAS) ...
ANDREW TIERNEY, Michael Tierney, Phil Burton and Toby Allen are the headliners in the Smokey Robinson Presents HumanNature - the Ultimate Celebration of the Motown Sound show at Imperial Palace. The four Aussies serenaded All My Children's Susan Lucci with the Temptations'hit My Girl ...
October 13, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
ALL STAGE PASS Total Rewards members can check out 17 shows for $99 (plus taxes and fees) or $119 for non-members. That's no typo ... 17 shows for less than a Benji. Included in the deal: Chippendales ($39.95), Jubilee! ($52.50), Rita Rudner ($54), Mac King ($24.95), Human Nature ($49.95), Price is Right ($54.50), Anthony Cools ($53.75), Matsuri ($49.99) and more. Pass holders also get preferred pricing on Cher, Barry Manilow, Donny & Marie and Penn & Teller. The catch? The pass is valid for only 48 hours and is only available at the Planet Hollywood box office. Get the link for complete details at KimosVegas.com.
THE RICHEST MAN in all the land ... Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands (Venetian and Palazzo), is the 13th richest American on the Forbes 400, with an estimated net worth of $14.7 billion.
JACKIE EVANCHO is rumored to be a surprise guest at David Foster & Friends benefit concert Oct. 15 at Mandalay Bay. The 10-year-old operatic singer, who gained national recognition on America's Got Talent, is only scheduled to appear on 10 of the show's 25 tour dates. But we'll also be able to check her out in the Macy's Holiday Parade.
THE FRIGHT DOME is open now at Circus Circus, and Dan Sperry, who had one of the best (Life Saver) and one of the worst (Wooden Arm) America's Got Talent magic segments, is one of the featured macabre magicians.
THE 25 MOST DANGEROUS neighborhoods in the United States includes three Las Vegas neighborhoods: Balzar Avenue (near Martin Luther Boulevard), North 28th Street (near Eastern Avenue and Mojave Road) and the D Street area. Based on data from the FBI, your chances of becoming a victim in one year is 1 in 7 for the first two, and 1 in 9 for the third location.
JERRY SEINFELD returns to the Colosseum at Caesars Dec. 26 and 27 ...
THE PORTUGUESE Kings of Comedy, Frank De Lima and Augie T, hit the South Point Casino Oct. 29-31.
COLBIE CAILLAT is at the Mandalay Bay Oct. 23 ... It's always cool to see her and local boy (and Kalaheo grad) lead guitarist Justin "Kawika" Young. Did you catch their rendition of the National Anthem just before the NFL season opener?
THIS WEEKEND at the Golden Nugget, it's the Great American Craft Beer Tasting with more than 300 selections from 25 breweries followed by the Oktoberfest Pool Party. Prost!
October 06, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
DO YA THINK I'M SEXY? ... Rod Stewart drops into The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Nov. 6-21. For the first time ever, Stewart will sing all his greatest hits - five decades of music. When asked about the possibility of a Las Vegas residency, he said, "I decided it was time to give it a try, but I thought, 'first, let's try two weeks instead of two years, though.'" Preorder the raspy-voiced crooner's latest album, Fly Me to the Moon ... The Great American Songbook, Volume V, from RodStewart.com and get a special password to preorder tickets for The Colosseum shows.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE SLOTS won four awards from the readers of Casino Player magazine including Favorite Progressive game and Favorite Bonus Round and Favorite Video Slot ... Since we started answering the Wheel of Fortune's call in 1996, those machines have paid lucky winners more than $2.5 billion in jackpots.
FOR THE RECORD, the same readers voted Megabucks their second-favorite progressive slot machine.
THE NEWEST WAX in Madame Tussauds' menagerie is a likeness of Gwen Stefani. No doubt the $300,000 copy is so realistic you can almost smell her Harajuku perfume.
SOLAR CONVERGENCE is the name of the phenomenon that's going on now at the Vdara hotel. The heat from the sun is amplified as its reflected off the curved, super-shiny building. Not powerful enough to combust humans, the "death ray" has reportedly melted plastic bags and foam cups.
RIGHT NOW you can do something naughty and nice at the same time ... Buy a calendar featuring the ladies of Luxor's adult revue FANTASY (coveting) and support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (charity). The 2011 FANTASY Swimsuit Calendar was shot entirely on hotel premises. Get a calendar this month and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute. Visit KimosVegas.com for the link to order your own personal copy.
YOU'VE BEEN downtown and to the Strip, but have you checked out Lake Las Vegas and the new Aston MonteLago Village Resort? About 20 minutes from the Strip, the family-friendly condo resort has studios to three-bedroom suites that include full kitchens and private patios. Get the kamaaina rate hookup starting at $53 per night, or visit krater96.com to enter to win a free four-night stay to test-drive the resort in person.
CONGRATS TO Chef Chai Chaowasaree, the new executive chef and designer of the 2011 Hawaiian Airlines ono menus.
STILL NOT TOO LATE to get in on the Golden Nugget's Topsy Turvy Slot Tournament, where the top 181 winners split $50,000. The action starts Oct. 15. Entry is $100. Call John Giannos or your favorite host at 1-800-777-5687.
HASH HOUSE A GO GO is opening its third Vegas location this Thursday at the M Resort Spa Casino.
September 29, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
CHER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING ... The final curtain falls Feb. 5 for the iconic singer. At that time, the Bob Mackie-clad diva will have called Caesars Colosseum home for about 200 shows in three years.
THE HAWAIIAN 105 KINE Song of the Day is back, and you can win $500 cash and a trip to go shopping in Las Vegas with Billy V! Find out how you can win a complete Vacations Hawaii package (air, hotel, meals and transfers) on the radio at 105.1 or on the Web at Hawaiian105.com.
AT LEAST SOME-ONE'S HAPPY ... When the Cowboys lost outright to the Bears in week two, Dallas fans across the land wondered what happened to the country's most valuable sports franchise. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, that game helped many sports books make their number.
CELEBRITY JUSTICE ... You be the judge: Paris Hilton copped a plea that gets her a one-year suspended sentence, $2,000 fine and 200 hours of community service for possession of 0.08 grams of cocaine and for lying to the arresting officer, saying that the purse she was carrying wasn't hers. As he announced her sentence, the judge quipped, "The Clark Country Detention Center is not the Waldorf Astoria."
SINGER BRUNO I Wanna Be a Billionaire Mars was busted for doing the Paris Hilton thing in Vegas. The bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock called security reporting that a man had been in the stall for a long time ... Something to keep in mind the next time you're checking e-mail in the library.
MICHAEL BOLTON and Chelsie Hightower took a break from Dancing with the Stars to check out Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian.
AS DIRTY HARRY WOULD SAY ... "Do you feel lucky?" At the Palms, they have more than 10 reasons for you to visit on 10/10/10. Upgrade your room for $10, get $10 bucks in free play for joining the Rock Star players club, 10 slot players will win $1,000 between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., flop four 10s and get a $1,000 bonus, bet a buck on the hard 10 and win an additional $10 when it hits ... Call the Hard Rock if you're feelin' lucky.
GO DRAGONS ... The first-season winners of America's Best Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez, will replace magician Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo beginning Oct. 7.
OMIYAGE FOR GIRLS ... The Hello Kitty chocolate bar collection is available exclusively at the Sugar Factory. The pink icon of innocence strikes a different pose on each label of the four different flavors: cookies and cream, caramel, milk and dark chocolate.
September 22, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… The Players Edge!
THE TOOTH FAIRY has gotten generous in her old age ... Floyd Mayweather Jr. gave his ex-lady friend $200 for their daughter's lost tooth (if you made $20 million the last day you worked, what's a couple of Benjis?). The evening cost the fighter even more money after he turned himself in for an altercation with the mom of his three children and put up $3,000 bail.
HOLIDAY BLUES ... Last week The Plaza Hotel and Casino notified 400 employees that they will be out of work starting Nov. 11. The hotel is shuttering its rooms as part of a planned remodel that should take about 18 months. The casino floor and restaurants will be open for biz as usual.
THE RAT PACK IS BACK! The tribute to Sinatra and his pals just signed a three-year deal to star in the Plaza's Copa Showroom ... It's not affected by the hotel room closures.
THE LADY LUCK got the green light to remodel ... If everything goes according to plan, the Lady's face lift will debut in 2012, six years after the hotel initially closed for the project.
MISS OCTOBER is the October guest star of MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris, Las Vegas' French burlesque show. See the Playboy Playmate Oct. 21-28 in custom costumes and choreography. But don't look for a centerfold in the casino because she's only 19! If you can't wait to see Hef's latest discovery, Clair Sinclair also is on E! Network's The Girls Next Door: The Bunny House.
DIANA ROSS does a twofer at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Nov. 12 and 13. Tickets for the "MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY" tour range from $49.50 to $99.50 - a bargain when you consider she's sold more than 100 million records and had 18 No. 1 hits.
SEVEN OUT ... You'll have to go to San Francisco and dine at the original Fleur de Lys because after six years Hubert Keller's upscale Mandalay Bay eatery from the same lineage is closing.
WAY TO GO, DOC ... Dr. Phil celebrated his 60th birthday last Friday with the cast of Donn Arden's Jubilee! on his self-titled TV show. The longest running production show in Vegas (29-plus years) also is the only true showgirl show left in the U.S.
PROVING THAT MAGIC can be funny ... Mac King celebrates his 10th anniversary by extending his stay at Harrah's, Las Vegas through 2015. "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show" has entertained more than 1,000,000 people since it opened in 2000. The family-safe shows are at 1 and 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets are $24.95 plus tax. Kimo's Vegas tip: Get a discount coupon from the Carnival Court or by signing up for the players club.
September 15, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
NO ONE CELEBRATES Labor Day like Las Vegas, and officials estimate that 229,000 people were in town for the kickoff of the college football season and the traditional end-of-summer three-day weekend. Lookin' hotter than the triple-digit temps, actress/model Carmen Electra was the celeb in residence at Mandalay Bay's Moorea Beach Club.
THE LONG WEEKEND also brings out the worst people ... At Arizona Charlie's Boulder Hotel and Casino, a man went up to security, lifted his shirt to reveal a bomb and said "You've got five minutes to evacuate everyone." After two hours, SWAT negotiators convinced the man to surrender. The device was fake and his attempted suicide by cop was avoided.
GOOD NIGHT, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite ... Forty-two Las Vegas hotels, motels, clubs and restaurants reportedly have bedbugs. The tiny blood suckers are reported by travelers at some of the biggest, most expensive resorts. Get the link to check out the 20,000 reported cases in the U.S. and Canada from a new online database at KimosVegas.com, but keep in mind that there's no second-party confirmation.
BIG MONEY! In town to celebrate his brother and sister-in-law Chase and Brea Kaiuwailani's nuptials, Keahi Coleman hit "Four Aces with a Three," good for $2,014 and a "Royal Flush" for $4,389 in less than 20 minutes on the Venetian's "Double Double Bonus Poker" progressive machine. "It's my lucky shirt," he says. "I had a big night wearing the same shirt at New York, New York a couple of days before." Fellow Pearl Harbor machinists are forgoing the traditional omiyage in exchange for a spot on the wait list to borrow the charmed cotton.
THE WAC Volleyball Championships are happening in Vegas Nov. 22-24. Book early while the rates are still low.
NICE TRY ... The TI was fined 10 large for mishandling a dispute with a player. After seeing his cards, the player picked up his $500 bet and attempted to leave the casino. Security stopped and subsequently searched him. A manager then took five $100 chips and escorted the welcher to the door. Fair enough, except casino execs should have notified the Vegas three-six first (doesn't have quite the same ring as "five-oh").
AN UNIDENTIFIED professional poker player was taken for a ride ... after playing poker with a beautiful woman for two hours at the Indiana Horseshoe casino. The couple went up to his room and after a long night bumpin' uglies, he woke the next morning to find his new friend and his $9,000 in winnings (that he hid behind the TV) gone.
Police later arrested the woman (they have cameras in casinos) and she was sentenced to 90 hours of community service and ordered to repay the nine large. Moral of the story: Never hide your bankroll behind the TV. It's the first place they look ... OK, that's not really the moral, but it does make for a better punchline.
AN UNIDENTIFIED man shot himself at McCarran International Airport ... When did they start letting us bring guns into the terminal?
September 08, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS stays in Vegas ... unless your name is Paris Hilton and you get busted for possession of cocaine. Then your name and picture get plastered all over the world. According to the police report, Ms. Hilton claimed the purse containing the illegal substance belonged to a friend. However, the contents of the purse including $1,300 in cash, credit cards, rolling papers and the Albuterol (she has a 'script) did belong to her. She told officers that she believed the baggie of benzoylmethylecgonine was gum and she didn't know how it got there.
GRAZIE ... The readers of Travel + Leisure have voted Palazzo the best hotel in Vegas and the 18th best (large) hotel in the U.S. and Canada.
THE MGM GRAND scored 11 wins in Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards. Sample the hotel's royal vineography at the award-winning L'atelier de Joel Robuchon, Seablue, Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, Nobhill Tavern, Diego, Pearl, Shibuya, Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck's Bar & Grill and Fiamma Trattoria ... Saluti!
THE JUSTIN TIMBER-LAKE and Friends benefit for Shriners Hospitals for Children happens Oct. 23 at Planet Hollywood. This year Christina Aguilera, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Dirty Money, Lady Antebellum, Salt-N-Pepa and T-Pain are a few of JT's buddies scheduled to perform. As of this writing, tickets (though pricey) are still available.
FORBES MAGAZINE says Las Vegas is tied with New York as the most hip city in America. But it's not easy being cool. The magazine also says Las Vegas is the nation's most stressful city - the high rate of unemployment, foreclosures, long work hours and excessive heat were the big deals in its decision.
IF YOU'VE ALWAYS wanted to own your own city ... 70 miles south of Vegas and 30 miles northwest of Laughlin, $17 million gets you the town of Cal-Nev-Ari including the casino, restaurant, store, motel, mobile-home park and airport (residential homes not included). Wonder how the 400 towns-people would take to being referred to as MidWeek-ans?
IT'S THE MONSOON season in Vegas ... The weather wise guys are expecting 0.31 inches of precipitation.
LAS VEGAS' big deal-maker Jack Wishna says, "No entertainer is worth $200 million a year to any venue or gaming operator." He oughta know, he created the widely adopted "headliner in residence" model and once offered Madonna a $150 million, three-year deal.
THE MISSION of the nonprofit Hata Foundation is to strengthen, support and provide hope for Hawaii's families with medical, financial and educational assistance. To create awareness for the foundation and its good work, it's created Hawaii's Big Deal Poker Tournament, Hawaii's first reality poker tourney for charity. Players win a VIP trip to the Golden Nugget ...
Get all the scoops at Hawaiisbigdeal.com.
MICHAEL JACKSON's death exposed the illicit behavior of a Las Vegas doctor. Now the death of 25-year-old pro golfer Erica Blasberg has another Vegas doc looking for a good attorney. Dr. Thomas Hess admitted taking a suicide note and the prescription meds he gave her before calling Metro.
September 01, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
BACK IN THE DAY, Gatorade had us all wanting to "Be like Mike." But in 2010, Twitter may have us wanting to be more like Marcus and Jeffrey. The fruit of His Airness'loins tweeted that they were in town for a fantasy basketball camp. They managed to squeeze in a little face time at Haze (night club) and hit the pool at Aira, dropping $56,000 on a single day of pre-back-to-school de-stressing! That's some serious coin for us regular folk, but hardly a dent in just one of Papa Jordan's endorsements. In 1991, his exclusive testimonial for "First in Thirst" was worth $13.5 million.
THE LAS VEGAS Gaming Control Board says that allowing a player to walk and dance on the top of a baccarat table is not kosher. In the Caesars high-limit room, dealers allowed a player to celebrate atop the felt not once or twice, but three times.
THE INTERNET was ablaze with rumors of a billion-dollar deal for Madonna last week. One thousand million ... No one doubts that the Material Girl is a huge draw, but her last tour grossed just over $400 million. Her 85 shows had an average audience just south of 50,000 people. Current hotel concert venues have a maximum capacity of less than 5,000. That's a whole lotta shows before the first dollar of profit is made.
THE WYNN and Encore Las Vegas is offering no-meat and no-animal-byproducts dishes on its menus. The vegan options were always available on request. Executive chef David Snyder said, "It's printed on the menu now. It's a little more in-your-face that we're doing this."
THE BOYS are back in town ... Now through Sept. 25, the original SOS Classic is returning to the SOS Main Showroom at Outrigger Waikiki. During its nine-year Las Vegas tenure, the group has won many awards including the Best Show Award (2010) and a star on the famous Las Vegas Walk of Stars (in front of the Flamingo Hotel). Check 'em out every Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 and get the kama'aina deal with free parking. Call 923-SHOW (7469).
IF YOU CAN break away from the casino, check out the third annual Barrett Jackson Auction Sept. 23-25 at Mandalay Bay.
SEVEN OUT ... Lloyds Banking Group is soliciting bids for ownership of M Resort. Expressing interest in the 93-acre property are M Resort CEO Anthony Marnell III, Boyd Gaming Corp., Fertitta Gaming and Penn National Gaming.
THE QUARTER Wheel of Fortune paid out big for two lucky people at McCarran International Airport. The first jumbo jackpot of $303,806.30 went to an anonymous winner, but Joseph Allen hit the big money $906,558.77 ... What is it about those people inside the machine screamin' that makes us so pupule?
August 25, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
THE HOME Shopping Network celebrated its 33rd birthday by cablecasting live from Las Vegas. On hand for the weekend of shopping, partying and playing at Planet Hollywood were actresses Molly Sims, Tori Spelling, Susan Lucci and Jennifer Flavin Stallone (Sly's significant other), Wolfgang Puck and more.
YO ... The universe aligned for the Stallones, who were also in town for the premiere of Sly's latest flick, The Expendables.
WOLFGANG PUCK invites you to join him Sept. 16 in the Venetian Showroom. The master chef will show his stuff in a live demo exclusively for Grazie players. Members or rated credit players, call 866-898-8014 for the setup.
"HOW BIG IS IT?" Big enough to be the largest video display ever seen in an airport. Maybe even big enough to warrant a trip to Concourse D. Measuring 33-by-19 feet and made from 100 (ultra-thin bezel) screens, it looks just like one huge TV. The A, B and C concourses will boast smaller 10-foot screen walls. There's a big price tag, too: $570,271 - and the entire deal is in exchange for signs that say "Powered by Samsung."
EX-BFFs Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton got into one small kine fight at Lavo. Paris asked the DJ to play her song Stars Are Blind. Reportedly the audience laughed, and when the song ended Kim took the mic and said, "Now let's hear some real music" ... That's what happens when one friend sleeps with the other friend's NFL running back.
JUST WHEN many thought Las Vegas home prices couldn't go lower, the market found a new bottom in May. That's according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. The drop in value is attributable to the decline in the subprime mortgage market, foreclosures, the national recession and Nevada's 14.5 percent unemployment.
SEVEN OUT - just in time for the Super Bowl ... Carey Hart's Wasted Space in the Hard Rock is rumored to close before the end of the year to make room for a sportsbook.
SOON THE CABS in Vegas will allow you to swipe your credit card to pay the fare. The convenience will cost you a processing fee of $3. Not a bad deal if you're traveling on the company's dime, but it may be a little steep when it's coming outta your own pocket.
THE FOURTH ANNUAL Las Vegas Restaurant Week kicks off Aug. 30 at more than 80 of the city's finest eateries. Each will feature a prix fixe three-course menu for $20.10, $30.10 and $50.10 per person. Your meal will taste even better knowing that a portion of the proceeds will be going to the food bank and to help Three Square end hunger in Las Vegas. Get the link to check out all the ono grinds at KimosVegas.com.
FOR THE FOURTH consecutive month, gaming revenue went down ... The Strip was off 7.6 percent to $382.9 million year over year. Does this mean we're winning more or playing less? Smart money's on the latter.
August 18, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
ON SATURDAY, Maria Venus Raj, Miss Philippines, auctioned a pair of Manny Pacquiao's gloves at Mandalay Bay. The champ's autographed mittens were part of the Miss Universe National Gift Auction to benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute. The congressman told the Miss U contestant, "You must be confident. Just think you are in the Philippines. There are many of our countrymen there who will support you. I will call our friends who are there to help you." So that's what it's called these days ...
LV METRO arrested 20 people in raids on three reflexology massage parlors. The group was charged with conspiracy, racketeering and obtaining money under false pretenses. Apparently the "reflex-ologists" were promising you-know-what in exchange for money. Cabbies drove victims to the off-Strip locations in return for kickbacks.
KIMO'S VEGAS TIP: Bing, the online search application, has added a new feature to its BingMaps. Choose the city, enter your location (LAS for McCarran Airport) and destination (like Caesars, NV), click on calculate and it'll tell you what the cab fare should be between the two points. Get the link to check it out at KimosVegas.com ... Bookmark it on your cell phone and never get long-hauled (cabbie lingo for taking the long way) again.
LE DIVE ... For $999 a night, certified scuba divers can dive with the cast of the Wynn Las Vegas' Le Rêve during the show. Your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the show from the performers' perspective includes a Resort Room, VIP Indulgence tickets, a private backstage tour and an SDI certified scuba training session with the Le Rêve diving team.
HARRAH'S Entertainment Inc. is officially the largest casino operator on the planet with $8.91 billion in revenue last year.
TIME FLIES ... seems like only "yesterday" when Cirque du Soleil opened Beatles Love at the Mirage. Four years later, more than 3.5 million people have experienced the musical legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo ... It's probably the closest most folks ever got to going to a Beatles concert.
THE HEAT WAS ON ... The mercury in Las Vegas thermometers hit triple digits for 45 days in a row with the average temp for the month of July at 106.6! All together now: "But it's a dry heat."
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES has announced a new schedule that will reduce the number of seats it flies into McCarran International Airport by 1,600 per day! The reduction by the airport's largest carrier begins Nov. 7. In June, 3,400,550 people passed through the airport's gates.
THE GOLDEN NUGGET has launched a new game on Facebook. It's FarmVille a la Glitter Gulch (the old nickname for casinos on Fremont Street). Instead of getting your hands dirty on a virtual farm, you're running a joint like Sam Rothstein in the movie Casino. It's also one of the first games to feature contextual sound effects that keep you apprised on what's happening on the casino floor while you do other stuff (like work).
EXTRACURRICULAR SURFIN' ... There's some great deals on the Vacations Hawaii website, boydvacationshawaii.com ...
August 11, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
HAWAIIAN CRUSH is the latest sucker in the Sugar Factory's Signature Series. Designed by local girl and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, you can reserve one online now or pick up one in person after Aug. 14 at the ultra hip candy store in the Mirage or Miracle Mile Shops.
RIGHT UP THERE with owning your own casino is owning your own golf course ... the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will be auctioning, less than seven miles from the Strip, The Stallion Mountain Golf Club, which closed in 2008 when investors could no longer make the note. The deadline to submit your bid (experts say it'll go for more than $5 million) is Aug 16.
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON ... Lance Burton's final performance in the showroom that bears his name is Sept 4.
SEVEN OUT ... Lani Misalucha at the Hilton.
WE'RE NOT the only ones who lose money in Vegas ... MGM Resorts reported a second-quarter loss of $883.5 million.
THIS YEAR the Miss Universe Pageant rocks with host Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison and the winner of last season's Celebrity Apprentice. By his side will be NBC Today Show co-host Natalie Morales. Musical guests Orianthi (Michael Jackson's guitarist on This Is It) and John Legend & the Roots. The show is live Aug. 23 from the Mandalay Bay. If you prefer your contestants in swimsuits, check out that competition Aug. 20.
NOW YOU CAN get your grind on and save money, too ... Búzios Seafood Restaurant, Martorano's and VooDoo Steak in the Rio have special three-course menus for $29, $39 and $49 per person ...
SPOCKED AT the World Series of Poker: the crew from PokerPens.com ... Pros stopping by for some aloha spirit (it's a Hawaii-based company) and the coolest poker accessories were "Capt." Tom Franklin, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Bernard Lee, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Humberto "Shark" Brenes and Paul Wasicka. Modeling one of the company's famous offerings is the legendary 10-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson.
August 04, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
THE LEBRON JAMES party train pulls into Vegas as the King holds court at Tao. In the entourage, his dad, Eddie Jackson; his management firm, Randy Mims, Maverick Carter, Richard Paul, Chris Paul (Hornets) and brother C.J. If you missed the tallest guy in the crowd (at 6-foot-8) you couldn't miss his five bodyguards.
ALL THE KING'S MEN ... "Legends in Concert" presented the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest on the Fremont Street Experience. Elvi (plural for many Elvises ... OK, I made that up) from across the country competed to be the King of all Vegas Kings.
The $2,500 cash, a Graceland Getaway and the chance to compete in the 2010 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis went to Las Vegas impersonator Justin Shandor.
TO COMMEMORATE Elvis' 75th birthday, a new CD titled Viva Elvis will be released in November. Modeled after the Vegas show of the same name, the producers say what will make this album different is it will be made as if the King were still performing today.
FIFTY-FOUR BUCKS will get you into three Vegas attractions. Make money: choose Bodies ... The Exhibition (Luxor), Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (Luxor) and CSI: The Experience (MGM Grand).
Lose money: The Roller Coaster (New York-New York), the Shark Reef Aquarium (Mandalay Bay), Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat (The Mirage) and SpongeBob Squarepants 4D ride (Excalibur) are cheaper if bought individually.
ROBIN LEACH reports that Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon will be renamed and completely remodeled. The end run will be a boutique hotel, casino and a 24-hour party palace.
ROBIN HOOD 702 strikes again. The professional gambler uses his skills (and his own money) to take from the casinos and help those less fortunate. This time the beneficiary was a family whose dad is fighting Stage 4 cancer of the colon, liver, adrenal glands and lungs.
After being down more than $200,000, the tables turned and Hood won enough to pay their rent and groceries for a year and then some.
YOU'VE HEARD those commercials about bringing in your gold that's lost its meaning for cash ... This Saturday Rick and Corey Harrison and Chumlee bring the Gold & Silver Road Show to the Suncoast. Five bucks gets you into the show to have your gold, silver and antiques appraised and possibly bought by Pawn Stars.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Sports books in Vegas like the Dallas Cowboys (8-1) and the Indianapolis Colts (7-1) to win the 2011 Super Bowl. Teams with a snowball's chance in the Nevada desert are the St. Louis Rams (200-1), and the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions are next at 100-1.
July 28, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
"Playing the slot machines in my briefs and socks - damn, I love Vegas, like being at home." That's what Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chad Ochocinco tweeted while playing the Majestic Lions slot machines ... be it ever so humble there is no place like the MGM.
While the unemployment rate in Nevada hit an all time high last month (14.5 percent) it may be the best time ever to be a litigator in Sin City. Dealers have taken the Wynn to court over a tip-sharing program with their supervisors, Cosmo condo owners are suing the hotel for fraud and tribute bands are suing each other. The battle of the bands is between "The Fab Four" and "The Fab 4" and who is the real fab fake ... a few years ago Nevada politicians passed a law that made it illegal to claim affiliation to a real band. Neither group is claiming to be the original, but they are both claiming to be the original fake Beatles.
The Las Vegas Cut is not the house edge but what a Saskatchewan master diamond cutter does with something that began as a piece of coal. The rare diamond is made with 111 facets, almost double that of a standard (57) cut stone. Starting at 10 large for a one carat, loose stone, the rock is named after Las Vegas because of its brilliance.
The number must be a lucky one because it's also the number of days the World Series of Poker Nov. 9 have to wait before the Texas Hold 'Em tournament continues. But don't feel sorry for these guys ... for making the final table they each get a minimum of $811,823! With only one amateur, seven are sponsored by the Full Tilt poker web-site, and eight of the nine are in their 20s, making it the youngest final table in WSOP history.
Harrah's president and CEO Gary Loveman said that legalization of online poker in the U.S. would generate billions of dollars. He should know - the company owns the World Series of Poker brand and offers poker online in the U.K., with plans to expand to Italy and France where it's legal. In 2008 the American Gaming Association estimated that U.S. residents spent $5.9 billion playing poker online ... now that's a BFN (Big Freakin' Number).
Hotter than blacktop on the strip, the flames from Mel Gibson's career or the land where pitch forks call home ... the weather wise guys have been issuing "excessive heat warnings" frequently in our second favorite city under the sun. Docs say sports drinks that replace electrolytes are good, but nothing beats the desert heat like H2O.
At a time when Vegas hotel rooms are being discounted deeper than an abandoned Nevada mine, the Cosmopolitan is taking reservations now for opening night, Dec. 15. The right to occupy a cherry room will set you back $300!
July 21, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
Welcome to Kimo's Vegas… The Players Edge!
Pamela Anderson participated in the latest celebrity trend and picked up a paycheck for celebrating her birthday in a Vegas night club. It's a win-win - the club gets a name to draw attention to it and the celebrity gets paid to do what celebrities do. Her 43rd at TAO was briefly interrupted by security when a couple on the dance floor was caught doing what the hotel hopes you'll rent a room for.
Also at TAO, the world's largest pillow fight - and ladies in lingerie went to the head of the line and got their drinks free.
You're probably familiar with Joan Ginther's exploits. The 63-year-old Texan hit the state lottery for $5.4 million in 1993, $2 million in 2006, $3 million in 2008 and $10 million last month. Winning more than $20 million gets her my vote for luckiest human on the planet. What are the odds? Glad you asked. In order of wins, 1 in 15.8 million, 1 in 1,028,338, 1 in 909,000 and 1 in 1.2 million. In all, it's like one in 18 septillion… I wonder how the casinos are doing now that she's moved to Vegas.
Seven out: Last week the Riviera filed Chapter 11. The hotel/casino will stay open and employees and guests should experience no changes. The company's top men are saying that the Riv has been hurt by the loss of convention attendance and its isolation. So we're not the only ones who miss the Stardust, New Frontier and Westward Ho… OK, just the Stardust.
European bathing is sin city's way of saying, "Ladies, tops are optional," but the Moorea Beach Club at Mandalay Bay has switched teams (so to speak) and is now tops required.
LeBron James' "decision" got him some heat, but in the desert where summer temps regularly break 100 he got respect from the bookies. The odds on Miami winning the NBA title dropped from 25-1 to 9-5 or 4-5 (bet $100 to win $80 and your hun) in some places. Or you can bet on the King to win a championship (in the next two seasons) at -200 ($2 wins $1) or the the other way at +175 ($1 wins a $1.75).
The Labor Commission has ruled in favor of the Wynn Las Vegas' tip-pooling policy. Four years ago the hotel started splitting the dealer's tokes with their supervisors. Wynn dealers reportedly made more than $70,000 a year in tips before the sharing program was instituted. The dealers are planning to appeal the decision in the Nevada District Court.
Spocked in Honolulu: Semi-retired Las Vegas casino executive Dan Shumny… good work if you can get it!
WSOP math… Start with 7,319 players, each anteing $10,000 and hoping for a piece of the $68.8 million prize pool. Finishing as one of the final 747 means a "cash" (that's poker lingo for payday) that starts at $19,263 and escalates to $8.94 million for the top spot. The final table will air live on ESPN in November.
July 14, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… The Players Edge!
WARNER BROS. will be filming a biography of Liberace. Michael Douglas will play the Las Vegas legend, and Matt Damon will co-star as Scott Thorston, his chauffeur and romantic companion ... Hard to imagine two straighter dudes in those roles.
THE MUCH ANTICIPATED Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather mega-fight is currently penciled in for Nov. 13 (pending Team Mayweather's approval). Dallas and Las Vegas are vying for the rights to host the bout. The MGM Grand Garden and Mandalay Bay are frequently home to such iconic events, but in the mix are billion-aire Steve Wynn's Wynn and Encore.
SOME ONO ... Las Vegas locals who use their Red Card at the Wynn and Encore are eligible to win a comp for two at The Buffet every day for the rest of their lives.
CELINE DION moves back to Vegas Feb. 26 to begin rehearsal for her show opening March 15 at Caesars Palace.
DID YA KNOW it can be better to play a slot machine with a theoretical payback percentage of 97 percent than a machine programmed for a 99 percent payback? UNLV casino management professor Tony Lucas says, "Standard deviation is what can make a machine feel tight." The Wizard of Odds' Michael Shackelford says, "The laws of probability dictate that the longer a machine is played the closer it will come to its payoff, even when every spin is completely random." So what we're looking for is a low-volatility, high-frequency slot machine ... or what locals call "loose."
IN THE Las Vegas Sun there's a story about a new form of advertising: Idle slot machines at the Palms now feature commercials. The concept targets the 62 million people who visited a casino last year. The first companies to take advantage of the slot-mercials are Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Miller, Corona, Dos Equis, Absolut, Grey Goose and Red Bull. For now, the one-armed bandit-ads are silent. The Palms says "We have seen people stop and pay attention to the machine, saying, 'Hey, look - it's like TV.' "
LAST WEEK, the Rio kicked off the 41st annual World Series of Poker no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event… officials expect 6,000 to 7,000 players will fork over $10,000 for a shot at the bracelet and a multimillion-dollar payday of at least $8 million.
IF YOU LOVE to eat but love to cook even more ... Nove Italiano executive chef Geno Bernardo will host a four-course cooking class Saturday, July 24. On the menu: summer heir-loom tomato brodo, Maine lobster, braised veal cannelloni, baby squash, Umbria summer black truffles, grilled wild salmon, fava bean puree, jumbo lump crab, strawberry carpaccio, eight-year aged balsamico and crème fraiche gelato. For reservations, call (702) 942-6856.
WELCOME COMRADE'S, KGB Las Vegas' latest restaurant is now open at Harrah's. In addition to Iron Chef Kerry Simon's (Kerry's Gourmet Burgers) burgers, sliders, tater tots and strawberry shortcake push pops, there's a full-service ice bar with a variety of vodkas ... Choot-choot!
VIDEO POKER sensei Bob Dancer has free VP classes every Tuesday at South Point ...
July 07, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
I GET IT ... Eva Longoria is the first female to own a Las Vegas night club. She also was recognized by the Latin Chamber of Commerce as the only Latino nightclub owner (Eve) and restaurant owner (Beso). You don't have to be a Hollywood heavy to hang like one. Mrs. Parker's place is open to everyone at the MGM CityCenter.
LONG HAULIN'is what they call a taxi ride that takes the scenic (most expensive) route to your destination. Last year the Las Vegas Taxi Authority issued 208 citations for this violation, and that was up from 116 the year before. Earlier this year it recorded 1,848 cabs going into the south tunnel (a popular long haul route) in a nine-hour period! The TAsays an average trip from the airport to the South Strip (Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand, Tropicana) should run $15, a Center Strip trip (Bally's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Bellagio) is $18 and the North Strip (Circus Circus, Riviera, Sahara, Stratosphere) should be $21. And a trip Downtown, Fremont Street (Plaza, El Cortez, Golden Nugget, Fitz) should cost about $25. Prices will vary depending on traffic and time of day. If the industry can't police itself (stop breaking the law) the TA is considering a $20 flat fee or variable fee structure based on the destination.
THE FARRINGTON, Kaimuki, Kalani, McKinley, Mid-Pacific, Roosevelt and University high classes of '63 are having a multi-school reunion Nov. 6 at the Main Street Station Hotel. Get the scoops at KimosVegas.com or call Jim at 457-9849.
PROVING THAT the economy is only bad for some of us ... A 1954 X-ray of Marilyn Monroe's chest sold for $45,000; a dress worn by Cher went for $26,250; Kate Winslet's earrings sold for $25,000; a dress worn by Audrey Hepburn cost the high bidder $56,250; and a glove Michael Jackson wore on his 1983 Victory tour sold for $190,000 ...
RIHANNA PULLS a onenighter July 17 at the Mandalay Bay. I wonder if the three-time Grammy winner has worked in her duet with Eminem, Love The Way You Lie.
ROBERT KNIGHT, the master lensman who's shot every major rock star who ever played in the Islands and other places, has opened the Knight Gallery. Check out his iconic images of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix and many others at the Las Vegas Hilton ...
THE MGM GRAND's Signature one- and two-bedroom suites come complete with a state-of-the-art builtin kitchen ... and for an additional $55, you can get all the ingredients needed to make one of the hotel's Signature dishes. Choose from Scallop Risotto, Tandoori Chicken Curry or Baked Ziti. Just tune into the hotel's Signature Channel and cook along with executive chef Uday Huja and executive sous Chef Patrick Hoefler. Oh, and let us know if you need help tasting the fruits of your labor.
June 30, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
ANNIE DUKE and Don Cheadle's fourth annual Ante Up for Africa celebrity charity poker tournament is happening this Saturday at the Rio. Bring your camera; celebrities in the house include Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ray Romano, Brad Garrett and poker pros Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson,Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth and more. The red carpet starts at noon. The tourney has raised almost $3 million to date, in addition to priceless awareness of Africa's worst conflicts.
THE MARRIAGE REF, Tom Papa, makes the call July 31 and Aug. 1 at The Orleans Showroom.
IT'S THE FOURTH of July weekend and, in Vegas, it's what the Super Bowl is to football, the Masters is to golf or what Christmas is for na keiki. Every casino worth its chlorine has spent months carefully planning for the biggest pool weekend of the year. The celebrities have been contracted and eye candy put on the payroll - music, bikinis and fireworks ... Happy Birthday, America!
NOW THAT'S a commute ... Folks on Hawaii Island (like our cousins on the continent) think tripping between Hilo and Kona is no big deal. Dave Monahan was based there, working for a private equity firm called Colony Capital. The company made him CEO of the Las Vegas Hilton and now he commutes between the Ninth Island and the Big Island to see his wife and kids!
PRIOR TO the current economic downturn, you had to have a casino host verify your willingness to bet the price of a Caddy on the turn of a card to qualify for a stay in some Vegas suites. There's a rumor that even Bill Gates (who doesn't gamble) could-n't buy his way into some of these mini mansions. Well, the times (and the rules) have changed. The Las Vegas Hilton has opened 46 suites including three Sky Villas (that used to be reserved exclusively for whales) to us everyday folk. Don't forget your Amex black card. These rooms run $1,700 to $13,500 a night.
RESORT FEE hits the Wynn Las Vegas ... Twenty bucks a day gets you into the gym, unlimited Internet service, local calls and boarding pass printing service. Comp'ed guests don't normally get hit with this charge.
FEELIN' BLUE? Check out the open auditions for the Blue Man Group July 19 at the Venetian. Applicants must be between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-1, have solid drumming skills, excellent acting abilities and be willing to relocate, because Blue has ongoing productions in Chicago, New York, Boston, Orlando, Berlin, Tokyo and Las Vegas. Oh, yeah, blue women are encouraged to apply as well.
DON'T DO IT ... More and more Blackjack tables are converting to 6-5 from 3-2, much to the dismay of 21 players. Stanford Wong, gambling author, says 25 percent of Strip blackjack games are now 6-5. (When you hit 21, they pay $6 for every $5 bet instead if $3 to $2. So if you bet $10, 6-5 pays $12, 3-2 pays $15. Ouch.)... These tables usually stick out like a sore thumb - just look for pretty dealers in skimpy outfits ... That's why they're called party pits.
EXPEDIA DOT COM has added 130 people to its Las Vegas operation, bringing its total staff to 500.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT ... Las Vegas county commissioners are testing an iPhone app that allows you to take a picture of graffiti. The app then sends the image to the city, including the exact coordinates from the phone's GPS for de-graffitification.
June 23, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
HOLLY MADISON donned a Swarovski-covered Playboy bunny costume to deal some 21 at the 50th anniversary of the Playboy Club at the Palms last week ... that's a big nanny nanny boo hoo to those who didn't think the reality star could count that high - hit me!
SEVEN OUT ... The ESPN Zone in Vegas! Disney execs announced the closing of five Zones, including Chicago, Baltimore, New York and Washington. Now if you wanna watch TV in a stall, you'll have to go to the L.A. or Anaheim restaurants.
THE SEASON is over, but you're still jonesing for more action? Check out the 2010 NBA Summer League. The first tipoff of the 58-game schedule happens July 9. In all, 22 teams will be in Sin City showcasing the league's best rookies and free agents this summer. Adult tickets cost $25 a day. Call 702-739-FANS to get yours.
THE SPORTS BOOKS in Vegas made Tiger Woods a 4-1 (bet a buck and, if Tiger wins, you get four) fave to win this year's U.S. Open. The odds, however, are diametrically opposed to the experts' predictions.
That's because both sides have different objectives - the experts wanna be right, but bookies are in it to make money. In a perfect world, an equal amount would be waged for and against Tiger winning and the books make their money by charging a vig (vigorish) on every bet made. The casino gave Wood's same odds at the Masters and Pebble Beach.
THERE'S STILL TIME to help "The Old Man," "Rick," "Big Hoss" and "Chum Lee" raise money for charity. In fact, 100 percent of the final sale price of every auction goes to the YMCA. Buy a DVD box set, T-shirt or bid on the Pawn Stars Vegas weekend ... it includes air, a room at the Palms, dinner and a poker game with the boys and a day with the gang at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. Search Pawn Stars on eBay for the details and latest bid - at press time it was $16,000!
IS THE MGM selling the Mirage? Bossman Jim Murren says nope, the change in letterhead to MGM Resorts International will better reflect the company's global presence. Ten years ago they changed the name to MGM Mirage to help employees of the newly acquired (Steve Wynn's) Mirage feel more secure with the merged company. The next time you're paying the mortgage, think about their $13 billion in debt ... Now that's what you call a big nut.
GRAZIE PLAYERS are getting offers to play in the club's $50,000 tournament July 16 and 17. Included in the offer is a room, two tickets to see a taping of Wheel of Fortune and a VIP reception to meet Vanna White. Didja know the Guinness Book of World Records said she was "Television's Most Frequent Clapper"? According to the keepers of records, the pop culture iconette claps an average of 720 times per show.
THE GAMING Control Board said that casinos in Nevada won $810.5 million in April ... Isn't that just a "politically correct" way of saying the players lost a lotta money?
June 16, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ... Tournament of Kings is celebrating its 20th year of timeless family entertainment. It's a big Vegas production in a 900-seat theater in the round with 38 horses and 44 actors, one of whom is a Saint Louis grad. Shane Kawamura plays one of the five Dragon Warriors (bad guys) in the show. He says, "We must keep a figure that suits our role at all times. The diets are hard, but it helps motivate me to keep going and opens doors to many other gigs." You also can check him out in the new Ving Rhames movie Submission and at TJ Lavin's new gentleman's club called Discreet.
MICHAEL CHOW spent his 33rd birthday at the tables of the World Series of Poker. He beat a field of 818 in the $1,500 Omaha high-low split event 4 to win $237,463 (that's a sweet birthday present). Only the second Hawaii player to win a WSOP bracelet, he says, "I have been working hard trying to make a living for the past four or five years. I made a final table at the WSOP before, and I won a Bellagio event. So I have had cashes here and there. But to win a gold bracelet, that's everything to me."
ACTOR, COMEDIAN and celebrity poker enthusiast Brad Garrett is opening his own comedy club. Raymond's older bro is set to take over the Tropicana's Comedy Stop Club beginning June 28.
WHAT DO YOU get a guy who has everything? That's a popular question around this time of the year (Dad's day) and Kailua resident "Ace" can definitely deliver you from this dilemma. He says, "I'm an avid poker player who has been starving for quality poker-related items to quench my passion for the game. That's when I came up with the idea to create something poker/cards-related, which a poker enthusiast could use every day to remind them of their monster pots, sick laydowns and incredible bluffs." Check out his unique handcrafted, quality gifts perfect for any card or video poker player at PokerPens.com.
THE 37TH ANNUAL Daytime Emmy Awards happens June 27 at the Las Vegas Hilton. The CBS tele-cast will feature an all-star homage to Dick Clark with Cher, Simon Cowell, Barry Manilow, Marie Osmond, Garth Brooks, Jay Leno and more. To buy tickets to see your favorite soap and game-show stars, call 818-260-0041 (ext 7290).
THE BOXING WRITERS Association has named Manny Pacquiao "Fighter of the Year" ...
FARRINGTON HIGH School Class of 1963 is celebrating its 65th birthday "Jammin' in Vegas." Get in on the fun. Call Mary at 988-7524 ...
TRIPLE D's in Vegas last week: The temps broke three digits, registering over 100 degrees ... Yeah, but it's a dry heat.
BOYZ II MEN heats up the desert July 10 and 11 at The Orleans Showroom. The group includes three of the quartet's original members: Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman.
JUST IMAGINE, A Musical Tribute to John Lennon, opens June 30 at Planet Hollywood.
June 09, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
WHAT DO YOU DO when the economy goes bad and the funding your neighbors were using to build their hotel dries up with it? If you're Steve Wynn, you rip out the new $13 million entrance you built (because the view left from incomplete projects makes it look bad) and drop $69 million to build a secluded adult playground called Encore Beach Club and Surrender night club. Paris Hilton and Neyo kicked off the Memorial Day grand opening. In case you were wondering, Steve Wynn says the waitresses in the tiny orange bikinis "make north of $100 grand apiece, annually."
WHEEL OF FORTUNE stops at the Venetian/Palazzo July 13-30 to shoot shows for its 28th season. Requests to hang with Pat and Vanna must be sent by June 25. Get the link for the form at www.KimosVegas.com. Because they get more requests than seats, tickets are awarded randomly starting June 28. http://www.wheeloffortune.com/tickets/lasvegas2010/print/
DIAMONDS ARE a girl's best friend, especially when they come in a royal flush ... Melissa Moniz, associate editor and senior writer here at MidWeek, won $2,353 on the quarter video poker machine at Main Street. She says, "I'm not much of a gambler, but I do occasionally visit the poker machines just for kicks." So that's the secret: Gotta kick da machine.
THE CASINO CHIP & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club is having its annual get-together June 23-26 at South Point. After the first day, the show is open to the public for two red chips ($10), or become a member for $20. The dealers there are more than happy to look through the collection of chips you found at tutu's, especially if you've got an old Hacienda nickel chip (yellow with three black inserts around the edge) - it's worth about $15,000.
THE OFFICIAL Star Trek Convention lands in Vegas Aug. 5-8. It'll be the first time the largest gathering of like-minded folks in the galaxy congregated at the Hilton since Star Trek the Experience went homeless. There'll be plenty to keep a Trekies busy, including Leonard Nimoy's "Secret Selves" project. He and William Shatner (I wonder if he gets a deal from Priceline?) have the highest priced autographs at $79 before and $90 at the convention. Next comes Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) at $70 (all are plus the price of convention admission). On Saturday, organizers hope to "seek out new life" and break the Guinness World Record for "Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Star Trek Characters"... Note only those dressed in full costume will be counted.
June 02, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
MISS MICHIGAN Rima Fakih won Donald Trump's Miss USA crown and will be making a return trip as one of the 80 beauties who'll vie for the title of Miss Universe.
The out-of-this-world pageant will happen Aug. 23 at Mandalay Bay and will broadcast live on NBC. The question on the mind of folks who follow this stuff is: Will it be a three-peat for Miss Venezuela?
THE MISS AMERICA pageant has signed a deal to return to network TV on ABC ... The 90th annual contest airs Jan. 15 and hopes to feature at least 60 prior Miss Americas: calling Carolyn Sapp and Angela Baraquio! ... Still no confirmation whether the show will continue to originate from Planet Hollywood or Las Vegas.
IN THE WORDS of Alicia Keys, "What goes around comes around. What goes up, must come down," but Las Vegas real estate investors are wondering: Does it have to keep going down? According to the Standard & Poor's Home Price report, prices for Vegas homes were down 0.8 percent from February to March.
ANNIE DUKE won the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars. She said, "My plan to get lucky has come to its fruition." So being the first woman to win the tourney and the $500,000 in first-place cash was all part of the plan.
WHADAYA THINK, peyote or too much time on their hands? Nevada election officials have made it illegal to go to the polls wearing a chicken suit ...
AT THE Bellagio and Four Seasons, high tea has nothing to do with the elevation of Las Vegas (2,028 feet above sea level) or the stuff the election officials were smokin'. If you like dainty, open-faced sandwiches, pastries, scones and Devonshire cream with your tea, check out the Petrossian or Verandah. This English tradition is so popular, reservations one or two days in advance are required.
THERE'S AN APP for that ... MGM Mirage has just released the world's first augmented reality app - nope, it's not The Biggest Loser on 'roids, but a blend of real and virtual Vegas. Using the latest technology you can cruise the Strip, point your phone at a hotel and, like magic, the hotel's info appears on your phone. There's a lot more to it and you don't have to be in Vegas to get a fix. Get Vegas Reality free from iTunes ... However, it only works on a 3GS, another reason to get the $97 special from Walmart.
AT THE CAL, Honolulu resident Gail Tamura's four aces won $13,367, Jacob Kaleikini won $7,200 and Rena Pantohan of Ewa Beach won $3,600.
H&M IS A Swedish clothing company with 2,000 stores in 37 countries. It will be one of the newest tenants of the Caesars Palace Forum Shops, occupying the space that FAO Schwarz once called home.
THE RIO'S resident magical duo Penn & Teller begin the eighth season of their Showtime show Thursday, June 10.
THE TROPICANA is undergoing a $165-million face lift, its first major renovation in 25 years. The hotel is targeting the Luxor/TI type customer ... Ask for the Paradise Tower to check out the hotel's new South Beach feel.
May 26, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
LOCALS GETTING LUCKY at the Fremont ... Hawaii resident James Harada was staying at the Cal and decided to try his luck on the $1 Wheel of Fortune at the Fremont. That was when (as they say in casino lingo) he hit the big one - a jackpot totaling $1,450,628.54 ... Not in the same league, but a win is still a win: Congrats to Garrett Suzuki of Mililani for winning the Double Double Bonus Poker Diamond Royal, which was worth $20,000, and Kengo Katoof of Wailuku and James Fulgoni of Ewa Beach, who each won $4,000.
THE BATTLE FOR Las Vegas pool supremacy continues with the opening of Steve Wynn's Encore Beach Club on Memorial Day weekend. You don't have to be beautiful to get in, but you do have to be an adult with $40 ($30 for ladies). And the private cabana with flat screen TV and fridge will set you back and additional $1,000.
LE REVE is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and locals save $50 on every ticket ... well worth making a call to your Vegas relatives.
IN MARCH, the Nevada casinos won ... In other words, the players lost about $912 million.
ON JUNE 26, Larry Birkhead will be selling off Anna Nicole Smith memorabilia, including her Mercedes and other personal possessions, to fund the education of their daughter Dannielynn.
OR YOU COULD wait a day and check out the Star Trek auction at Planet Hollywood.
THE MAC KING Comedy Magic Show is celebrating its 10th year at Harrah's ... That's 2,600 days or 5,200 shows and 15,600 Fig Newtons (if you don't get it, you've gotta see the show).
ACCOUNTING ABRACADABRA ... Magician Steve Wyrick has filed for bankruptcy, saying he has $54,353,748 in liabilities and $93,157 in assets.
HAVING TOO MUCH fun at the California Hotel's May Day Festival were Shannon Dresser (Miss Oahu), Kevin Kaneshiro, Tioni Tam Sing (Miss Diamond Head), Pono Fernandez (Miss Waikiki) and David Wilkins.
THE "SUMMER of the '70s" is the 102 days between Memorial and Labor days featuring performances by Gloria Gaynor, The Little River Band, Blue Oyster Cult and Jefferson Starship, free concerts by tribute bands, an Elvis contest and a special stage show on the Fremont Street Experience Downtown.
"WE DON'T NEED NO ..." Roger Waters, Pink Floyd co-founder and principal songwriter, brings The Wall to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nov. 26. Originally released in November 1979, it's still one of the top 5 best-selling albums. The rocktacular show has been performed just 31 times since its release 30 years ago.
GET $50 TICKETS to Cirque du Soleil's resident shows during the "Summer of Cirque." Some restrictions apply, and the offer is good now through the end of summer. Get the link for the deal on KA, Mystere, Zumanity, Believe, Love and Viva Elvis direct at http://www.KimosVegas.com.
THE SOCIETY OF SEVEN and American Idol star Jasmine Trias exit the Gold Coast Showroom May 30.
THE KING is back ... B.B.King gigs Aug. 5 and 6 at his self-titled crib B.B. King's Blues Club in The Mirage. Call the King's club to get tickets: (702) 242-KING.
BRING YOUR yum-yum and "May the Force Be With You" when The Star Wars Symphony Orchestra sets down May 29 at the Orleans Arena.
IF YOU LOVE a good meal, you'll love the Las Vegas Review Journal's Best of Las Vegas "Best New Restaurant" - Eva Longoria Parker's Beso in the ARIA.
CONGRATS TO Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines, who beat Japanese champion Toru Kuribayashi 8-3 in the 2010, 9-Ball Party Poker World Pool Masters at the Riviera Hotel.
May 19, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
CAN YOU GUYS see Russia from there? ... Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be the keynote speaker at the International Council of Shopping Centers annual convention May 23-25.
To see the ex-guv of the 49th state, register for the conference at the convention center ($575 for members, $1,150 for guests) ...
FOR SOME, the attraction of Vegas is to display the ability to waste money ... The same may be said of the Polo Bar in the Westbury Hotel in London, known for its stellar cellar of expensive spirits and fine wines. A Russian billionaire recently dropped $76,000 on a single bottle of bubbly. Shared with five friends, each glass cost about $2,375 plus the $6,600 service fee and a generous $16,000 tip. The 1996 Methuselah of Dom Perignon Rose Gold is known as the "King of Champagnes." Are customers who order this required to pay cash in advance?
IF YOU'RE DROPPIN' that kind of coin on drinks, you'll be right at home in the Villas of Octavius Towers. The $15 million suites are the largest and most opulent in all the Empire and maybe even as far as Caesar can see. Cornelias, just imagine a bathroom so complete that the toilet seat cover opens upon your approach. This kind of attention to detail and a 24/7 butler don't come cheap. These 10,000-square-foot mini mansions run $40,000 per night.
A TALE OF TWO CASINOS ... The primary difference between Harrah's and the MGM Mirage is that one focuses on players while the other caters to business travelers. The down economy hit both companies, but an MGM Mirage executive said that Harrah's properties earned a higher profit per occupied hotel room. This is good news for gamblers who use their player's card to get more and better offers.
AS RUMORED, the poker room at CityCenter's Aria has been officially named after poker pro and seven-time WSOP champ Phil Ivey. "The Ivey Room" is hosting its first $1 Million VIP Tournament this weekend. Win the tourney and take home $250K; kick Phil out and earn $100,000. The tourney is free but by invitation only.
FAN THE Sahara on Facebook and look for $1 room offers. The deal happens randomly and will be good for 24 hours only.
AS ONE-HIT WONDER Right Said Fred sang, "I'm too sexy for ..." The Miss USA pageant caught some heat last week for the Victoria Secret-type pictures of the 51 contestants they used to promote the TV show. While some of the Misses posed more provocatively than others, owner Donald Trump said, "The pictures are a reflection of their ongoing attempt to break the stereotype of a 'pageant princess' and instead promote a smart, sexy and sophisticated modern woman."
May 12, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
IF ITAIN'T BROKE, fix it ... Playboy cover girl and star of Peepshow Holly Madison helped reveal the new Las Vegas sign. After 51 years, the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign was altered to say "Welcome to Fabulous Camp Vegas." The festivities included Mayor Oscar Goodman's official proclamation that summer has started and adults must pay a visit to Camp Vegas.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you ... On May 15, the city of Las Vegas is 105!
IT'S NOT your standard "Grandma went to Vegas" shirt ... Up your "street cred" and score some omiyage the moopuna will fight over. The MJ702LV is designer Mark Jacob's signature 100 percent cotton tee. The limited-edition souvenir is available at the store bearing his name in the Caesars Palace Forum Shops.
CRAPPED OUT ... Were the promoters intentionally capitalizing on Chris Brown's arrest for assaulting Rihanna when they booked him to sing the national anthem at the Mayweather/Mosley fight? After his performance, the bouncers at Eve Nightclub refused to admit the under-age singer with the infamous short fuse. He got angry and kept repeating, "Do you even know who I am?"
MORE PLAYERS are buying in early after the debacle at last year's World Series of Poker ... The action starts July 5 at the RIO.
WILL GLORIA Maria Milagrosa Fajardo be the next headliner on the fabulous Las Vegas Strip? Yes and no ... If the rumors come true, the Tropicana Hotel will become the casa for a new show about her life. Like Frankie Valli and the Jersey Boys, the show will not feature any performances by Gloria Estefan. Did you know that the Miami Sound Machine singer and husband Emilio are part owners of the Miami Dolphins?
SPEAKIN' OF rumors, will Siegfried & Roy fans get to see a show inspired by the magical duo?
THE FREMONT was lucky for Ronald Cabalse of Honolulu, who won $4,000, Diane Melechor of Koloa, who won $5,000, and Priscilla Freitas of Wailuku, who won $6,000.
IT'S THE ultimate all-day buffet ... $29.99 gets you an all-you-can-eat, 24-hour unlimited entry to not one but seven Las Vegas buffets. Included in the feast of all feasts is the world-famous Carnival Buffet at Rio, Flavors at Harrahs, Flamingo's Paradise Golden Buffet, the Emperor's Buffet at Imperial Palace, Le Village at Paris, Caesars La Buffet and Spice Market at Planet Hollywood. To sweeten the deal, players also can use their reward comps instead of cash.
May 05, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
IF YOU HAVEN'T yet met the multi-Grammy-winning, irresponsible Michael Buble, your best shot may be his one-night stand at the MGM Grand Garden Aug. 28. The "Crazy Love Tour" (not to be confused with your best friend's bachelor debauchery) includes visits all over the U.K., Europe, Canada and U.S., but not the 808.
HAWAII FAVES Gloria and Emilo Estefan (Miami Sound Machine) got their very own "twinkle twinkle" on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. It's a cool tribute to the folks who've sold more than 90 million albums and shaped the sound of the '80s.
COMIC SUPERHERO Stan Lee gets a star May 7 in the Brenden Theaters at the Palms ... Hey, that's the same day as the premiere of Iron Man 2!
BIRTHDAY SUITS ... The Kardashian sisters celebrated Kourtney's 31st at MGM's Wet Republic. Her secret to a killer bod? Drink only one shot of espresso per day. She eats raw almonds instead of salted ones and no sugar mixed with a cardio-heavy exercise mix that includes running and squats.
MSN TRAVEL has declared the Bellagio Fountains one of the "50 Most Beautiful Things on Earth." The lake holds about 22 million gallons and every year it takes another 12 million gallons of H2O to keep it full ... Only God has a bigger water bill.
NAME OF the forthcoming Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show is ... Triumph.
STEVE WYNN told CNBC he was considering moving his company's corporate headquarters from Las Vegas to Macau ... Do they award frequent-flier miles on the company's corporate jet?
ATAHEARING about his $2 million in markers, Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis told the judge: "Mr. Wynn has threatened to kill me. He said he would hit me in the back of the head with a shovel and bury me in the desert." The guy with his name on the hotel responded: "I think somebody already hit him over the head with a shovel when he was little."
IT'S DEJA VU all over again ... Cynthia Anne Chevalier of Los Angeles played $25 in the quarter Wheel of Fortune machine when the lady next to her told her she hit the big one (don't you just hate that?). And $414,676 later, the California clerk plans to use the money for retirement, a family reunion (in Las Vegas) and help her daughter and grandchildren.
FANS OF daytime TV can catch a glimpse of their favorite stars when the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Daytime Emmy Awards moves to Vegas. The 37th annual awards will be passed out June 27 at a to-be-announced hotel.
THE EXCALIBUR is offering $25 rooms via e-mail ...
April 28, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
BY NOW you've probably heard that Michael Jackson will be forever immortalized by Cirque du Soleil in two shows. The Canadian company that got its name while founder Guy Laliberte was in Hawaii will debut its Vegas tribute at a MGM Mirage property next year. Its eighth Vegas production promises to be the most expensive and elaborate in the company's history, surpassing the $220 million they invested in KA!
CASTLE GRAD Mae Russell says classmates, radio friends and Facebook buddies are always callin'for da hookup at the Palms ... Wonder if she gets comps for Grammy award-winning Norah Jones and Corrine Bailey Rae's concert Aug. 22.
JULIO IGLESIAS makes a three-night stop at the Hilton Theater on June 10, 11 and 12. Enrique's dad has produced 79 albums that have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
JUST LIKE THE title of Bob Dylan's third studio album The Times They Are A Changing ... Carrie Underwood won the Entertainer of the Year award and made history for being the first woman to do that twice in a row in the Academy of Country Music's history.
BRING YOUR CAMERA ... Hundreds of swimsuit sweeties will be poolside at Planet Hollywood's third annual Bikini Bash. The bathing beauties will be spelling C-O-S-M-O for a photo spread in the mag's August issue. Ladies in their best beachwear are invited to check in at 5 p.m. Get the link to register at http://www.KimosVegas.com. Bikini-clad girls or the craps table ... tough choice.
MAKE YOUR PLANS to support to Miss Hawaii USA Renee Mokihana Nobriga at the 2010 Miss USA competition May 16 at Planet Hollywood.
NOW OPEN: the world's tallest SkyJump at the tallest observation tower in the United States - 855 feet above the Las Vegas Strip, it's a trip I can personally guarantee you will never forget. First, thrill seekers don a specially designed suit with a built-in harness. Then you're connected to a high-speed descender machine that controls your rate of descent, allowing you to float to the ground like a feather. No worries - you won't toss your lunch or even lose your glasses, but the first step is the hardest. Rated players, call Dale Matsumura for a comp.
IF YOU THINK "Wine Snob" is a compliment, bring your royal palate to the Bellagio May 7 and 8 for Uncork'd. The hotel's finest chefs and four master sommeliers have designed pairings just for the event. Editors from Bon Appetit will moderate discussions with winemakers, wine reviewers and wine buyers. Call the hotel's concierge for tickets.
TWENTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Daniel Tzvetkoff was arrested by the FBI in Las Vegas and charged with bank fraud, money laundering and processing illegal Internet gambling transactions. The founder of Intabill, a company that processed more than $500 million in transactions only to fail, owing players and online poker sites more than $80 million when the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" was passed, could face up to 75 years in prison.
LAST SUMMER, the state of Hawaii passed a law that prevented gamblers from deducting losses from their winnings. The governor signed Act 165 last July, but was forced to reverse it to conform with the IRS code. The deduction is retroactive to January of last year.
April 21, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
LADY GAGA'S "The Monster Ball Tour" checks into the MGM Grand Garden Arena Aug. 13 ... Her singles Just Dance, Poker Face, Lovegame, Paparazzi and Bad Romance have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Promising outrageous costuming and never-before-seen stage effects, if the show is anything like her videos, concert goers will leave with something to talk about ...
THE HOUSE that Frank built ... The location of a reported liaison between John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, the resort where the actress spent her last weekend and the Rat Pack's refuge from the paparazzi, the Cal Neva Lodge Casino, is seven out. Once owned by the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, the hotel had a series of underground tunnels that were originally constructed to smuggle alcohol and later employed by guests wanting to avoid the public, press and FBI.
IN JUNE, a radiograph of Marilyn Monroe's famous bust will be auctioned off at Planet Hollywood. Bring your plastic - the 1954 Xray is expected to go for at least $1,200. Other lots include Christopher Reeves' Superman costume (cape, body suit and tights), Mel Gibson's costume from Braveheart and the earrings Kate Winslet wore in Titanic.
FOR THE FIRST TIME in three years, gaming revenue was up double-digits, and it was also the largest single month increase since November 1999. This year, popular gambling weekends Chinese New Year and the Super Bowl were both in February, and this boosted the month 13.9 percent to $946.6 million. So far, "The Year of the Tiger" was not so lucky for baccarat players, who wagered more ($1.2 billion) and lost more ($205 million) at the tables.
IN DECEMBER, fans of "that new casino smell" will be able to satisfy their craving between the Bellagio and MGM's City Center at the $3.9 billion Cosmopolitan. The resort will have 13 restaurants, a spa, nightclub, convention facilities and shopping.
POOL SEASON in Vegas is officially here, and every Strip hotel worth its chlorine has a celebrity wearing SPF250 and a suit that would make Heim & Reard blush. The headline "Heidi Montag reveals her new body at Liquid Pool at Aria" was no exception.
Eyewitnesses report that The Hills star's new developments were well-received by patrons.
LAST WEEK more than 85,000 broadcasters were unleashed in Las Vegas. The annual National Association of Broadcasters convention is expected to generate more than $133 million - not including dollars spent on gaming and Sin City's illicit offerings.
At the NAB show, Conan O'Brien announced that he would be doing to George Lopez on TBS what Jay Leno did to him on NBC. Network executives say the difference is that Lopez signed off on the change. At the Harvard grad's ex-network, Rickey Minor (the band leader from American Idol) is replacing the Tonight Show's outgoing music director Kevin Eubanks.
THE WINNING continues at the Fremont ... Yvonne Yamasaki of Pearl City collected $4,171 and Gregoria Oroc of Kekaha won $7,000.
April 14, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… The Players Edge!
SEVEN OUT ... Lance Burton exits the Monte Carlo. The Master Magician has been a headliner in a theater named after him since the hotel opened 14 years ago. He'll probably be performing elsewhere on The Strip, but you can check him out before the final curtain falls on Sept. 4.
GUYS CAN score major points for $425 and a trip to Vegas. Dina Ousley, the Emmy-winning makeup artist, brings her Dinair air-brush makeup system known as the secret weapon of A-list celebs to Salon Bellagio. You can get an expert lesson, supplies and a compressor in white pearl, red sparkle or black onyx - just remember not to mix your epoxy paint with the wife's makeup.
OR YOU'LL have to "make up" for it with a trip to Vegas during Fashion Week when MAGIC, the annual fashion trade show, is going on. The show is for members of the trade only, but stores in the malls have plenty of sales to celebrate and showcase the latest designs. But once she discovers that the 2010 PGA Fall Expo is happening at the same time (Aug. 16 to 18) you may be back on the couch.
THE LAS VEGAS Sock Market (that's no typo) is a store dedicated to hosiery. Featuring a large variety of socks for men, women and children, there are socks for everyday use, specialty, professional, exercise, animal prints and team logos. Get your favorite podophile (not to be confused with the iPod kine) some "preferred socks", "blue chip socks" or even "sock certificates" at the Shoppes in Mandalay Bay.
KIMO'S VEGAS TIP: It's Spa Week (until April 18) and the Spa's in the brand new Aria and Vdara are offering $50 treatments. That's a savings of $140 on the Thai Poultice Massage and $125 on the Thai Clay Aromatherapy Wrap.
C O N G R AT S T O Mililani's Teana Vann, who won $10,000 from the Fremont ... so that's what the 10x's, 10's seven looks like.
HOW MUCH $$$ do Hawaiians spend annually in Vegas ... experts estimate it to be about $100 million.
THE THINGS we do for love ... over at Treasure Island, billionaire owner Phil Ruffin let his wife (Miss Ukraine 2001) spec the remodel of the hotel's spa. And $3 million later, he says, "It was her vision. We spent way too much money on it, but it's very pretty."
TIMES ARE tough all over… In '09, Steve Wynn, the guy with his name on the hotel, made, $8.39 million - down from the $8.45 million he made the year before. His divorce from Elaine Wynn is reportedly the most expensive to date, but he told the Las Vegas Weekly, "Let's put it this way. Elaine is a very wealthy woman. And no one deserves it more, and no one will use the wealth more intelligently, more compassionately than she will. She has a very definite attitude toward money that it should go to charity and to her grandchildren."
ABOUT 200 people auditioned for The Apprentice at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas last week…
WAYNE "THE REAL DEAL" BRADY'S Making %@it Up returns to the Venetian starting May 27. It's as old school as new school can get, and a good time.
April 07, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Hugh ... Head bunny hunter and chief Playboy lifestyle prognosticator Hefner's Huge Awesome '80s Birthday Celebration is happening this Saturday at the Playboy Club in the Palms Casino. The octogenarian's 84th soirée is open to all, and '80s attire is encouraged. What do you get a guy who "really" has everything, including a lifetime prescription for Viagra and three live-in girlfriends?
A DEALER at the Sands Macau was the target of a murder-for-hire plot after he cheated the casino out of millions of dollars. At the trial, a witness implicated a Sands VIP host and identified him as a member of organized crime group the Triads. It's still unclear if this will impact the Nevada-regulated company that also owns the Venetian and Palazzo.
THE NATIONAL Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh is suing two ex-Hard Rock employees for $831,519. That's how much the insurance company had to pay when the casino caught the count room workers stealing on video surveil-lance. Their plan was simple and stupid: Make two piles of money, give one to the casino and put the other in your pants.
TICKETS FOR Celine Dion's 2011 (March, April, June, July and August) at Caesars Palace Colosseum are on sale now for $55, $95, $140, $175 and $250. It's difficult to visualize a million of anything, but imagine selling 200 million albums worldwide and you begin to see the enormity of the Canadian-born ingénue's recording career. ... Super fans may wanna check out the Diamond VIP package to celebrate her 42nd birthday with her in Vegas. It includes one ticket (in the first five rows), preshow dinner, $150 gift voucher to the Celine Dion store, a limited-edition Celine Dion VIP laminate and matching lan-yard, a comp drink, commemorative souvenir concert ticket and more for $1,375. There's an Emerald and Ruby package (read smaller) for less $$$ ... Get the hookup at http://www.KimosVegas.com.
JAY Z blew into Vegas last week after he blew away folks at his Blueprint 3, L.A. show. Hip-hop's hottest couple partied with 7,000 close friends at TAO, then he and Beyonce retired to the Mint high limit room in the Palms.
A CASINO CHIP or two has passed through our collective possession at one time or another, but most of us have never used the rectangular tiles like we see on TV, or that they use in the movies and high-roller salons. Plaques start at $1,000, but the highest value ever used was $10 million at the London Club in the Aladdin.
HOW MUCH is a ticket for driving too slow on the Las Vegas Strip? That gift from LV Metro will set you back $45.
THE PRICE of the Monorail has gone up! An unlimited one-day pass is $14 and the three-day pass will cost you $30, but the single-ride fare is still five bucks.
March 31, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
RAN INTO Frannie Kirk (Outrigger Entertainment) and she said The Society of Seven is now doing one show a day on Fridays and Saturdays at the Gold Coast with Hawaii's favorite American Idol Jasmine Trias ... Did you know that McDonald's in the Philippines offered a Jasmine Trio? Astrawberry float, fries and a limited edition CD single.
SEVEN OUT ... After celebrating their second anniversary at the Palazzo, Charlie Trotter's Restaurant Charlie and Bar Charles has closed ... The American Kitchen & Pub House in Luxor also has closed and will reopen as Company American Lounge, but for only three nights a week. And the "Men of X" have checked out of Hooters Hotel.
MEANWHILE, three-time James Beard Award-winning chef Todd English debuts P.U.B. at MGM CityCenter's Crystals. An acronym for Public Urban Bar, it has more than 50 bottle, keg and cask beers. It also includes a seven-second timer - finish your pint before the sand runs out and it's free (maximum four per day).
THE DRUNKEST CITY in all of the U.S. is ... Fresno. Surprisingly, Sin City didn't even make the top 10. Las Vegas finished 11th on the list that's compiled using liver disease and DUI data.
VEGAS according to Jim ... Jim Belushi is set to star in a new TV show based on the experiences of real-life Las Vegas attorneys.
CHER RETURNS to the Colosseum at Caesars in June and July.
THE LAS VEGAS Convention and Visitors Authority new study says that gamblers are spending less this year compared to last (and even the year before). About $12 less on shows, $25 less per room night, $63 less on food and drink, $20 less on shopping and about $50 less in the casino - 83 percent of the people who visited Vegas visited the casinos, and the players' gambling budget was $481.57.
http://WWW.KIMOSVEGAS.COM TIP: Some hotels are compensating for deeply discounted rooms by charging a "resort fee." The nightly surcharge can add up to 30 percent per night to your bill. After making your reservations, a quick call to the front desk will verify if you qualify for the special fleeced rate.
THE CARNIVAL World Buffet has joined the growing list of all-you-can-eatall-day feasts ... A one-day pass will set you back $24. Don't forget to check your play; you may be eligible for a comp.
THE CHEAP TICKET turf war began when Vegas Tix 4Less opened shop in front of the Showcase mall, which Tix 4 Tonight calls home. The red shirts carried yellow umbrellas and cruised the sidewalk in front of their competitor with sandwich boards that said: "Don't be fooled, you're looking for Tix 4 Tonight."
ABSENT FROM the Strip skyline is the Cloud Nine balloon. Ripped beyond repair by last week's strong winds (for the second time in a month), the company says it has ordered a new bag (officially called an envelope) and will be open again in less than a couple of months.
THE ANNUAL Casino Chips and Gaming Tokens Collectors Club's annual convention starts June 23 at South Point. Check out the exhibits and seminars or just bring some chips to trade.
March 24, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
IF THE OWNER has his way ... the syringe that administered the drugs that killed Michael Jackson will be auctioned in Las Vegas on the first anniversary of the King of Pop's death, June 25. Experts believe wealthy (albeit psycho) folks will pay up to $5 million for this infamous piece of macabre music history. The Jackson family was understandably outraged at the proposed sale. ...
OTHER ITEMS included in auction at Planet Hollywood are 22 pieces of furniture that were hand-picked for Michael Jackson's London home, and a Swarovski Crystal Glove that's estimated to go for $30,000.
CONAN O'BRIEN'S "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television" tour hits the Palms on May 1 and 2. Some believe the comic wasn't funny before the lawyers got involved, but his $40 million settlement from NBC has him laughing all the way to the bank. Tickets to see the only host fired from the Tonight Show will set you back $75, $100 or $150 each.
SEVEN OUT ... Basic Food Flavors Inc. (Las Vegas), the company that made Hawaiian Kettle Style Potato Chips, Pringles and Quaker Crispy Mini Rice Cakes - the FDA found salmonella contamination and says the company knowingly continued to distribute tainted products weeks later.
THE LAS VEGAS Convention and Visitors Authority says 2,877,716 people visited Las Vegas in January, up 4 percent from the same month last year. That makes it five months in a row of year-over-year increases. To get there, average daily room rates dropped from $104.89 a year ago to $99.75.
ANNIE DUKE is back on TV and back in the winner's circle, taking home the money as NBC's 2010 National Heads-Up Poker champion. Now $500,000 richer, she beat a field of 64 that included the game's biggest names: Scotty Nguyen, Peter Eastgate and Doyle Brunson. Watch the action starting April 18 on NBC.
THE LOU RUVO Center for Brain Health (dedicated to treating and curing Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, ALS and other memory disorders) fundraiser brought in $27 million in about six-and-a-half hours. Tables went for $15,000 to $75,000, and big-ticket auction items included private dinners by chefs Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Keller ($230,000), a tennis lesson from Andre Agassi and Stephanie Graf including lunch ($130,000) and a seat to play poker with Ray Romano and Brad Garrett ($100,000).
AT THE 2010 Nightclub and Bar Convention in Las Vegas last week, it was the debut of "Hello Kitty Wines." Since 1974 the adventurous icon's billion-dollar merchandising includes toys, stickers, clothes, greeting cards, school supplies, home appliances, theme parks and personal massagers.
WIN A FREE Vacations Hawaii, Las Vegas Trip for two ... Listen for the KCCN FM 100 Celebrity Slot Machine at 7:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 4:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. When the audio reels line up, you win!
THE SPORTS BOOK in the Las Vegas Hilton is so confident Tiger Woods will be adding another green jacket to his collection that it set the odds in favor at 30 to 1.
STING BUZZES into the MGM Grand Garden Arena June 18 with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Vegas sports book odds are in Tiger Woods' favor
SOME PEOPLE can't wait to get to Vegas ... Southwest Airlines reported that a man flying into Las Vegas started removing his clothing while the flight was in the air.
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WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas… The Player's Edge!
AND THE AWARD GOES to Sarah Palin for Best Vegas Line ... During her Tonight Show stand-up comedy act, she said, "I have been really busy, I've picked up a gig in Las Vegas, at the Legends show playing Tina Fey."
LAST YEAR Paris/Bally's recycled 417 tons of cardboard, 25,690 pounds of glass, 36,745 pounds of plastic, 20,800 gallons of recycled kitchen oil and 150,000 pounds of paper ... Makes you wonder where we put all the stuff before recycling.
IT SEEMS ODD to pay $40 to volunteer to work, but that's what you have to do for The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The tourney starts Oct. 18 and you get a tournament jacket, golf shirt and hat, a weeklong badge, a ticket to the volunteer party, meals during your shift and maybe even meet one of the celebrity players. Call Donna Millwood at (702) 589-4945 to volunteer.
CRISS ANGEL just dropped a $100 large on a new bike for his show at the Luxor ... What makes these wheels freakish is that the frame is made from real human skeletal remains that were dipped in stainless steel ... bakemono.
SEVEN OUT ... Dirk Arthur: Extreme Magic at the Tropicana has closed.
SEE A SHOW for free ... not just any show, but Cirque du Soleil's Beatles Love or Terry Fator and his cast of thousands. Just stay three nights or more at the Mirage on select dates now through June 30. Call (866) 825-7608 and use the code MIR-SHOW2.
SEE A SHOW, win a car ... That's what'll happen to one person who sees George Wallace's Flamingo show between now and April 1. Just fill out an entry blank after the show and keep your fingers crossed until April Fools.
ONLY IN VEGAS ... To staff the Encore's new Beach Club and Surrender Night Club that's opening on Memorial Day, applicants for the cocktail server, bartender, host, promoters, lifeguard, pool attendant and security positions were interviewed in swimwear. The Aria's new pool is called Liquid and features European (topless) style sunbathing ...
THE WORLD SERIES of Slots starts April 16 at the Golden Nugget with $250K in prize money and $100K for first place. Call John Giannos to get in on the action. Or ask him about the King of Clubs Golf Tourney on May 21.
AT THIS Wednesday's Hawaii Tourism Authority Spring Update, we'll get more details on Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air's planned Hawaii connections.
March 10, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
ON A LITTLE more than what it costs for two Fort Street Grill plate lunches, John Johnson Jr. of Denver got lucky in a big way in the Reno-Tahoe airport. He got off the plane, put 20 bucks in the machine - "I said to my wife, 'Where is the attendant, because I'm going to win something big.'" And $12 later, he hit for $10,422,754.08.
OVER AT the Hard Rock, another John (last name withheld) put $100 in the quarter Wheel of Fortune, won $877,061 and got a comp'd room for the weekend.
ONE OF every 92 homes in Nevada has been fore-closed upon, prompting President Barack Obama to shower the Silver State with $100 million in coin to help residents keep their houses.
BURIED IN BILLS? Losing your home? Wanna forget your problems and go to Vegas, stay in a high-roller suite at the Palazzo, go to shows, visit the spa and enjoy the finest meals in the city? Robin Hood 702 takes from the rich (in this case, the casinos) and gives to the deserving. The self-made man and expert blackjack player is looking to help a family with an all-expense-paid weekend in Vegas. While you're there, he'll take you to the casino and attempt to win enough money to pay off your bills with his money. Win or lose, he'll pay at least half of your bills. People from Hawaii to Romania have been asking for his help. Get the hookup at http://www.KimosVegas.com.
KIM KARDASHIAN was spotted double-dipping last week in Vegas. First she was the official grand marshal for NASCAR's Shelby American Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With her face on the hood and her name emblazoned on the body panels, there's no question who she wanted to see in the winner's circle. But Mike Bliss's No. 36 Chevy finished 39th of 43. Then the reality star showed off her new fragrance at Tao in the Venetian. You too can smell like Kim - her scent is available exclusively at Sephora.
CRISS ANGEL'S rides are now on display at Liquidity and in the lobby of the Luxor. See the Lane Splitter, Loyal Drag Bike, Screamin' Demon, T-Rex and all the other crotch rockets from past seasons of MINDFREAK ... Rumors are circulating about Believe, the magician's Cirque du Soleil show. Apparently the contracts for the shows dancers will not be renewed when they expire in June. The beginning of the end or a change in creative direction - only June will tell.
VIVA ELVIS, the latest Cirque du Soleil show narrated by none other than "Who Da Guy" Ron Jacobs' mentor Col. Tom Parker ... Would be interesting to get RJ's take on Aria's homage to the colonel.
THE ANNUAL Downtown St. Patrick's Day parade happens March 17.
PARTAKE IN the wares from 50 wineries at the Golden Nugget's second annual Spring Wine and Jazz Fest happening March 26-28.
March 03, 2010 Share Del.icio.us | Podcast | KimosVegas.com | Hawaiian Airlines Discount
WELCOME TO Kimo's Vegas ... The Player's Edge!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO be president of the United States or a former president to eat like one. Palms N9NE Steakhouse executive chef Barry S. Dakake prepared a meal for President Bill Clinton and cooked for the Democratic National Convention's million-dollar fundraising dinner that was hosted in Palms owner George Maloof's home and was attended by President Barack Obama.
IF YOU MISSED getting your okole kicked by the mechanical bull from John Travolta's Urban Cowboy, you might plan on using your tax refund to finally check it out at Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall and BarB-Que opening April 16 at Treasure Island. Or, if you just like to watch, check out the bikini-clad cowgirls who mount the mechanical monster at regularly scheduled intervals.
GARTH BROOKS' Wynn Las Vegas Encore schedule has been set, and showtimes are 8 and 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays, March 26-28, April 9-11, June 25-27, July 16-18 and Aug. 6-8. Known for his unpredictable performances, he left the stage after a two-hour show but the audience wouldn't leave - they did after he gave a 45-minute hana hou.
STRIP RUMOR ... Is Bette Midler making her Vegas encore at the Wynn?
IF YOU GET an offer for a King Suite in the Wynn or Encore, do yourself a favor and take it for a test drive.
IN HIS BOOK Whale Hunt in the Desert, Steve Cyr took readers on an insider's tour of the casinos' biggest customers. In a recent interview, the senior director of player development at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino said that a whale used to be a million-dollar player. These days, anyone willing to play $250,000 gets the title and the high roller accoutrements that go along with it.
WHEN IS A COMP not a comp? When you have to pay for it! After hitting a progressive slot for $800K, the Bellagio hosted the winner in its Presidential Suite. Thinking his room was comped, the player extended his stay for six additional nights. When he checked out, the hotel presented him with a bill for $16,000 plus tax.
CHRISTIAN PETERSON, 41, of Wisconsin, pleaded not guilty to two counts of drawing and passing checks without sufficient funds, owing Caesars and Hard Rock $3.45 million.
McCarran International Airport is contemplating a liquor store selling booze for off-site consumption in the airport's south baggage claim area. If it happens, it will be the first liquor store to operate in a U.S. airport.
LET'S MAKE A DEAL ...Wayne Brady returns to The Venetian Memorial Day weekend.
SPOTTED at Chippendales ... Former Olympic skating champion Dorothy Hamill took her daughter Alex Forsythe to celebrate her 21st birthday in Vegas.
PARIS HILTON celebrated her 29th birthday with BF Doug Reinhardt, Mom and Dad in Vegas ...
IN DECEMBER, $1.3 billion was wagered on baccarat in the 17 casinos on the Strip. This translates into a record casino win of $155.7 million from players who favor natural nines.
GLENN FREY, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit bring the Eagles' famous four-part harmony to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 24 when the "Long Road Out of Eden" tour rolls into Vegas.
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