Everybody make sure to come to Lan Vegas 2017 in Las Vegas, NV. October 27th-29th at the Downtown Grand Casino.
Lan Vegas will be happening in beautiful Las Vegas, NV @ the Downtown Grand Casino on October 27-29th Sign up for Smash 4 $500 pot bonus if 64 come out it will raise to $1000! https://smash.gg/tournament/lan-vegas Word is CLG Void & Nakat will possibly be in the event. Sign up now!
6/17 Edit: Great info guys. Keep it coming! If something changes, please let me know. I reached out to the mods asking about putting together a post to collect minimums for craps tables in Vegas and other places. If this post gains traction, it may get a sticky. It may also help cut down on the amount of posts asking for this info. I'll try to keep the body of the post updated. If information is correct, let me know. Update 6/18 - Nevada Gaming Board announced masks required at table games in Nevada. I haven't heard that this is being enforced yet. 6/30: Keep reporting, especially any of you heading to Vegas. We would love to hear what the mins are on the strip Let me know what casino, day or night and the minimums:
Vegas Strip Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Dividers
Comments
Aria
15
25
Unknown
Bellagio
10
25
Yes, all tables
Poker tables open
Caesars
15
25
No
Poker tables open
Casino Royale
N/A
N/A
N/A
Table Games not open
Cosmo
100
50-100
Encore
50
100
Yes, on some tables
Updated 6/16
Excalibur
10-15
Unknown
10 crapless, 15 regular
Flamingo
Rare (5) - 15
25
Harrah's
15
25
No
Confirmed no dividers per 6/16 Youtube video
Linq
15
25
No
Luxor
10
15
Mandalay Bay
N/A
N/A
MGM Grand
10
25
Yes, all tables
NY/NY
10
15
Yes, all tables
Osheas
Unknown
15
Paris
N/A
N/A
No
Opened 6/18 - Masks required at tables.
Planet Hollywood
N/A
N/A
No open date announced
Rio
N/A
N/A
No open date announced
Strat
Day
10
Unknown
Treasure Island
5
15
Venetian
Unknown
25
No
Wynn
25-50
50-100
Yes, on some tables
Updated 6/16
Downtown Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Dividers
Comments
Binions
10
10
California
10
10
The D
10
15
No glass
El Cortez
10
10
Yes, some tables
2 tables
Four Queens
5
5
No
Confirmed thru 6/14 Youtube video
Fremont
10
10
Golden Gate
5
5
From 6/9 on Vegas Message Board (no carnival games)
Sams Town
15
15
1 table
Offstrip Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Dividers
Comments
Aliente
10
10
Boulder Station
10
10
Cannery
5
5
up to 2 tables, a mask was provided but not required
Ellis Island
5
5
1 table
Gold Coast
5
5
Green Valley Ranch
10
10
2 tables open
The Orleans
10
25
up to 4 tables, I was asked to wear a mask
Palace Station
10
10
Unknown
Palms
N/A
N/A
No open date announced
South Point
5
5
2-3x tables w/ only one $5 buy in
Strat
5
10
Sunset Station
5
5
Other NV Casinos
Day Min
Night Min
Dividers
Comments
Edgewater (Laughlin)
10
10
Harrahs (Laughlin)
10
15
no
Atlantis (Reno)
5/10
5/10
2 tables with different mins
Cal Neva (Reno)
5
5
Circus Circus (Reno)
Closed
Closed
Closed table game pit
Eldorado (Reno)
10
10
Grand Sierra (Reno)
15
15-25
Peppermill (Reno)
10
10
3 craps tables
Silver Legacy (Reno)
10
10
Hard Rock (Tahoe)
Closed
Closed
Currently closed
Harrahs (Tahoe)
25
25
Montbleu (Tahoe)
10
15
Non/NV Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Dividers
Comments
Foxwoods (CT)
15
25
Mohegan (CT)
10-50
10-50
2 were 10, 2 $15, 1 $25, 1 $50. Plus a high rollers table
Harrington (DE)
10
15-25
Must wear mask and face shield
Blue Chip (Michigan City, IN)
5
10
5 minimum prop bets, 5 min ATS bet.
L’auberge (Lake Charles,LA)
25/50
25/50
2 $25 min and 2 $50 min tables. 1 bubble craps $5 min
Harrahs (Shreveport, LA)
15
25
Margaritaville (Shreveport, LA)
25
25
Ocean Downs (MD)
10
15
Maryland Live (MD)
25
50
Yes
5 tables, 4 per side. Electronic craps 15 min
MGM @ National Harbor
50-100
Yes
4 craps tables 2 were $50 and 2 were $100 mins. Not bubble craps or low roller options.
Firekeepers (Battle Creek, MI)
10
15+
No dividers, only distancing
1-2 tables depending on demand, did see it at $15 during the day $25 on Fri/Sat night. Masks required, no smoking. $3 Bubble Craps.
River City (St. Louis, MS)
20
20
Unknown
4 players per side. $20 min. You have to have at least a $20 bet for every throw to "hold your spot"
TL;DR: Man with too much time on his hands goes deep down the rabbit hole on a concept this sub already didn’t seem that enthusiastic about. If you really want to skip ahead, CTRL+F “verdict” and it’ll get you there. Two days ago, u/MrPhillyj2wns made a post asking whether USL should launch a D1 league in order to compete in Concacaf. From the top voted replies, it appears this made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move. But I’ve been at home for eight weeks and I am terribly, terribly bored. So, I present to you this overview of what the USL pyramid might look like if Jake Edwards got a head of steam and attempted to establish a USSF-sanctioned first division. This is by no means an endorsement of such a proposal or even a suggestion that USL SHOULD do such a thing. It is merely an examination of whether they COULD. Welcome to the Thunderdome USL Premiership First, there are some base-level assumptions we must make in this exercise, because it makes me feel more scientific and not like a guy who wrote this on Sunday while watching the Belarusian Premier League (Go BATE Borisov!).
All D1 teams must comply with known USSF requirements for D1 leagues (more on that later).
MLS, not liking this move, will immediately remove all directly-owned affiliate clubs from the USL structure (this does not include hybrid ownerships, like San Antonio FC – NYCFC). This removes all MLS2 teams but will not affect Colorado Springs, Reno, RGVFC and San Antonio.
The USL will attempt to maintain both the USL Championship and USL League One, with an eventual mind toward creating the pro/rel paradise that is promised in Relegations 3:16.
All of my research regarding facility size and ownership net worth is correct – this is probably the biggest leap of faith we have to make, since googling “NAME net worth” and “CITY richest people” doesn’t seem guaranteed to return accurate results.
The most a club can increase its available seating capacity to meet D1 requirements in a current stadium is no more than 1,500 seats (10% of the required 15,000). If they need to add more, they’ll need a new facility.
Let’s pretend that people are VERY willing to sell. It’s commonly acknowledged that the USL is a more financially feasible route to owning a soccer club than in MLS (c.f. MLS-Charlotte’s reported $325 million expansion fee) and the USSF has some very strict requirements for D1 sanctioning. It becomes pretty apparent when googling a lot of team’s owners that this requirement isn’t met, so let’s assume everyone that can’t sells to people who meet the requirements.
(Known) USSF D1 league requirements: - League must have 12 teams to apply and 14 teams by year three - Majority owner must have a net worth of $40 million, and the ownership group must have a total net worth of $70 million. The value of an owned stadium is not considered when calculating this value. - Must have teams located in the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones - 75% of league’s teams must be based in markets with at a metro population of at least 1 million people. - All league stadiums must have a capacity of at least 15,000 The ideal club candidate for the USL Premiership will meet the population and capacity requirements in its current ground, which will have a grass playing surface. Of the USL Championship’s 27 independent/hybrid affiliate clubs, I did not find one club that meets all these criteria as they currently stand. Regarding turf fields, the USSF does not have a formal policy regarding the ideal playing surface but it is generally acknowledged that grass is superior to turf. 6 of 26 MLS stadiums utilize turf, or roughly 23% of stadiums. We’ll hold a similar restriction for our top flight, so 2-3 of our top flight clubs can have turf fields. Seem fair? Capacity is going to be the biggest issue, since the disparity between current requirements for the second-tier (5,000) and the first tier (15,000) is a pretty massive gap. Nice club you have there, triple your capacity and you’re onto something. As a result, I have taken the liberty of relocating certain (read: nearly all) clubs to new grounds, trying my utmost to keep those clubs in their current markets and –importantly--, ensure they play on grass surfaces. So, let’s do a case-by-case evaluation and see if we can put together 12-14 teams that meet the potential requirements, because what else do you have to do? For each club’s breakdown, anything that represents a chance from what is currently true will be underlined. Candidate: Birmingham Legion FC Location (Metro population): Birmingham, Ala. (1,151,801) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Legion Field (FieldTurf, 71,594) Potential owner: Stephens Family (reported net worth $4 billion) Notes: Birmingham has a pretty strong candidacy. Having ditched the 5,000-seater BBVA Field for Legion Field, which sits 2.4 miles away, they’ve tapped into the city’s soccer history. Legion Field hosted portions of both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the 1996 Olympics, including a 3-1 U.S. loss to Argentina that saw 83,183 pack the house. The Harbert family seemed like strong ownership contenders, but since the death of matriarch Marguerite Harbert in 2015, it’s unclear where the wealth in the family is concentrated, so the Stephens seem like a better candidate. The only real knock that I can think of is that we really want to avoid having clubs play on turf, so I’d say they’re on the bubble of our platonic ideal USL Prem. Candidate: Charleston Battery Location (Metro population): Charleston, S.C. (713,000) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Johnson Hagood Stadium (Grass, ~14,700) Potential owner: Anita Zucker (reported net worth $3 billion) Notes: Charleston’s candidacy isn’t looking great. Already disadvantaged due to its undersized metro population, a move across the Cooper River to Johnson Hagood Stadium is cutting it close in terms of capacity. The stadium, home to The Citadel’s football team, used to seat 21,000, before 9,300 seats on the eastern grandstand were torn down in 2017 to deal with lead paint that had been used in their construction. Renovation plans include adding 3,000 seats back in, which could hit 15,000 if they bumped it to 3,300, but throw in a required sale by HCFC, LLC (led by content-creation platform founder Rob Salvatore) to chemical magnate Anita Zucker, and you’ll see there’s a lot of ifs and ands in this proposal. Candidate: Charlotte Independence Location (Metro population): Charlotte, N.C. (2,569, 213) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Jerry Richardson Stadium (Turf, 15,314) Potential owner: James Goodnight (reported net worth $9.1 billion) Notes: Charlotte ticks a lot of the boxes. A move from the Sportsplex at Matthews to UNC-Charlotte’s Jerry Richardson stadium meets capacity requirements, but puts them on to the dreaded turf. Regrettably, nearby American Legion Memorial Stadium only seats 10,500, despite a grass playing surface. With a sizeable metro population (sixth-largest in the USL Championship) and a possible owner in software billionaire James Goodnight, you’ve got some options here. The biggest problem likely lies in direct competition for market share against a much better-funded MLS Charlotte side due to join the league in 2021. Candidate: Hartford Athletic Location (Metro population): Hartford, Conn. (1,214,295) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Pratt & Whitney Stadium (Grass, 38,066) Potential owner: Ray Dalio (reported net worth $18.4 billion) Notes: Okay, I cheated a bit here, having to relocate Hartford to Pratt & Whitney Stadium, which is technically in East Hartford, Conn. I don’t know enough about the area to know if there’s some kind of massive beef between the two cities, but the club has history there, having played seven games in 2019 while Dillon Stadium underwent renovations. If the group of local businessmen that currently own the club manage to attract Dalio to the table, we’re on to something. Candidate: Indy Eleven Location (Metro population): Indianapolis, Ind. (2,048,703) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lucas Oil Stadium (Turf, 62,421) Potential owner: Jim Irsay (reported net worth of $3 billion) Notes: Indy Eleven are a club that are SO CLOSE to being an ideal candidate – if it weren’t for Lucas Oil Stadium’s turf playing surface. Still, there’s a lot to like in this bid. I’m not going to lie, I have no idea what current owner and founder Ersal Ozdemir is worth, but it seems like there might be cause for concern. A sale to Irsay, who also owns the NFL Indianapolis (nee Baltimore) Colts, seems likely to keep the franchise there, rather than make a half-mile move to 14,230 capacity Victory Field where the AAA Indianapolis Indians play and expand from there. Candidate: Louisville City FC Location (Metro population): Louisville, Ky. (1,297,310) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lynn Family Stadium (Grass, 14,000, possibly expandable to 20,000) Potential owner: Wayne Hughes (reported net worth $2.8 billion) Notes: I’m stretching things a bit here. Lynn Family stadium is currently listed as having 11,700 capacity that’s expandable to 14,000, but they’ve said that the ground could hold as many as 20,000 with additional construction, which might be enough to grant them a temporary waiver from USSF. If the stadium is a no-go, then there’s always Cardinal Stadium, home to the University of Louisville’s football team, which seats 65,000 but is turf. Either way, it seems like a sale to someone like Public Storage founder Wayne Hughes will be necessary to ensure the club has enough capital. Candidate: Memphis 901 FC Location (Metro population): Memphis, Tenn. (1,348,260) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Liberty Bowl Stadium (Turf, 58,325) Potential owner: Fred Smith (reported net worth $3 billion) Notes: Unfortunately for Memphis, AutoZone Park’s 10,000 seats won’t cut it at the D1 level. With its urban location, it would likely prove tough to renovate, as well. Liberty Bowl Stadium more than meets the need, but will involve the use of the dreaded turf. As far as an owner goes, FedEx founder Fred Smith seems like a good local option. Candidate: Miami FC, “The” Location (Metro population): Miami, Fla. (6,158,824) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Riccardo Silva Stadium (FieldTurf, 20,000) Potential owner: Riccardo Silva (reported net worth $1 billion) Notes: Well, well, well, Silva might get his wish for top-flight soccer, after all. He’s got the money, he’s got the metro, and his ground has the capacity. There is the nagging issue of the turf, though. Hard Rock Stadium might present a solution, including a capacity of 64,767 and a grass playing surface. It is worth noting, however, that this is the first profile where I didn’t have to find a new potential owner for a club. Candidate: North Carolina FC Location (Metro population): Durham, N.C. (1,214,516 in The Triangle) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Carter-Finley Stadium (Grass/Turf, 57,583) Potential owner: Steve Malik (precise net worth unknown) / Dennis Gillings (reported net worth of $1.7 billion) Notes: We have our first “relocation” in North Carolina FC, who were forced to trade Cary’s 10,000-seat WakeMed Soccer Park for Carter-Finley Stadium in Durham, home of the NC State Wolfpack and 57,583 of their closest friends. The move is a whopping 3.1 miles, thanks to the close-knit hub that exists between Cary, Durham and Raleigh. Carter-Finley might be my favorite of the stadium moves in this exercise. The field is grass, but the sidelines are artificial turf. Weird, right? Either way, it was good enough for Juventus to play a friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara there in 2011. Maybe the move would be pushed for by new owner and medical magnate Dennis Gillings, whose British roots might inspire him to get involved in the Beautiful Game. Straight up, though, I couldn’t find a net worth for current owner Steve Malik, though he did sell his company MedFusion for $91 million in 2010, then bought it back for an undisclosed amount and sold it again for $43 million last November. I don’t know if Malik has the juice to meet D1 requirements, but I suspect he’s close. Candidate: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Location (Metro population): Pittsburgh, Penn. (2,362,453) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Heinz Field (Grass, 64,450) Potential owner: Henry Hillman (reported net worth $2.5 billion) Notes: I don’t know a ton about the Riverhounds, but this move in particular feels like depriving a pretty blue-collar club from its roots. Highmark Stadium is a no-go from a seating perspective, but the Steelers’ home stadium at Heinz Field would more than meet the requirements and have a grass surface that was large enough to be sanctioned for a FIFA friendly between the U.S. WNT and Costa Rica in 2015. As for an owner, Tuffy Shallenberger (first ballot owner name HOF) doesn’t seem to fit the USSF bill, but legendary Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Hillman might. I’m sure you’re asking, why not the Rooney Family, if they’ll play at Heinz Field? I’ll tell you: I honestly can’t seem to pin down a value for the family. The Steelers are valued at a little over a billion and rumors persist that Dan Rooney is worth $500 million, but I’m not sure. I guess the Rooneys would work too, but it’s a definite departure from an owner in Shallenberger who was described by one journalist as a guy who “wears boots, jeans, a sweater and a trucker hat.” Candidate: Saint Louis FC Location (Metro population): St. Louis, Mo. (2,807,338) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Busch Stadium (Grass, 45,494) Potential owner: William DeWitt Jr. (reported net worth $4 billion) Notes: Saint Louis has some weirdness in making the jump to D1. Current CEO Jim Kavanaugh is an owner of the MLS side that will begin play in 2022. The club’s current ground at West Community Stadium isn’t big enough, but perhaps a timely sale to Cardinals owner William DeWitt Jr. could see the club playing games at Busch Stadium, which has a well established history of hosting other sports like hockey, college football and soccer (most recently a U.S. WNT friendly against New Zealand in 2019). The competition with another MLS franchise wouldn’t be ideal, like Charlotte, but with a big enough population and cross marketing from the Cardinals, maybe there’s a winner here. Wacko idea: If Busch doesn’t pan out, send them to The Dome. Sure, it’s a 60k turf closed-in stadium, but we can go for that retro NASL feel and pay homage to our nation’s soccer history. Candidate: Tampa Bay Rowdies Location (Metro population): Tampa, Fla. (3,068,511) Time zone: Eastern Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Raymond James Stadium (Grass, 65,518) Potential owner: Edward DeBartolo Jr. (reported net worth $3 billion) Notes: This one makes me sad. Despite having never been there, I see Al Lang Stadium as an iconic part of the Rowdies experience. Current owner Bill Edwards proposed an expansion to 18,000 seats in 2016, but the move seems to have stalled out. Frustrated with the city’s lack of action, Edwards sells to one-time San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who uses his old NFL connections to secure a cushy lease at the home of the Buccaneers in Ray Jay, the site of a 3-1 thrashing of Antigua and Barbuda during the United States’ 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Breather. Hey, we finished the Eastern Conference teams. Why are you still reading this? Why am I still writing it? Time is a meaningless construct in 2020 my friends, we are adrift in the void, fueled only by brief flashes of what once was and what may yet still be. Candidate: Austin Bold FC Location (Metro population): Austin, Texas (2,168,316) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 95,594) Potential owner: Michael Dell (reported net worth of $32.3 billion) Notes: Anthony Precourt’s Austin FC has some unexpected competition and it comes in the form of tech magnate Michael Dell. Dell, were he to buy the club, would be one of the richest owners on our list and could flash his cash in the new first division. Would he have enough to convince Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (I’m not kidding, that’s its actual name) to go back to a grass surface, like it did from ’96-’08? That’s between Dell and nearly 100,000 UT football fans, but everything can be had for the right price. Candidate: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Location (Metro population): Colorado Springs, Colo. (738,939) Time zone: Mountain Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Falcon Stadium (FieldTurf, 46,692) Potential owner: Charles Ergen (reported net worth $10.8 billion) Notes: Welcome to Colorado Springs. We have hurdles. For the first time in 12 candidates, we’re back below the desired 1 million metro population mark. Colorado Springs actually plans to build a $35 million, 8,000 seat venue downtown that will be perfect for soccer, but in our timeline that’s 7,000 seats short. Enter Falcon Stadium, home of the Air Force Academy Falcons football team. Seems perfect except for the turf, right? Well, the tricky thing is that Falcon Stadium is technically on an active military base and is (I believe) government property. Challenges to getting in and out of the ground aside, the military tends to have a pretty grim view of government property being used by for-profit enterprises. Maybe Charles Ergen, founder and chairman of Dish Network, would be able to grease the right wheels, but you can go ahead and throw this into the “doubtful” category. It’s a shame, too. 6,035 feet of elevation is one hell of a home-field advantage. Candidate: El Paso Locomotive FC Location: El Paso, Texas Time zone: Mountain Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Sun Bowl (FieldTurf, 51,500) Potential owner: Paul Foster (reported net worth $1.7 billion) Notes: God bless Texas. When compiling this list, I found so many of the theoretical stadium replacements were nearly serviceable by high school football fields. That’s insane, right? Anyway, Locomotive don’t have to settle for one of those, they’ve got the Sun Bowl, which had its capacity reduced in 2001 to a paltry 51,500 (from 52,000) specifically to accommodate soccer. Sure, it’s a turf surface, but what does new owner Paul Foster (who is only the 1,477th wealthiest man in the world, per Forbes) care, he’s got a team in a top league. Side note: Did you know that the Sun Bowl college football game is officially, through sponsorship, the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl? Why is it not the Frosted Flakes Sun Bowl? Why is the cereal mascot the promotional name of the football game? What are you doing, Kellogg’s? Candidate: Las Vegas Lights FC Location: Las Vegas, Nev. (2,227,053) Time zone: Pacific Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Allegiant Stadium (Grass, 61,000) Potential owner: Sheldon Adelson (reported net worth $37.7 billion) Notes: Sin City. You had to know that the club that once signed Freddy Adu because “why not” was going to go all out in our flashy hypothetical proposal. Thanks to my narrative control of this whole thing, they have. Adelson is the second-richest owner in the league and has decided to do everything first class. That includes using the new Raiders stadium in nearby unincorporated Paradise, Nevada, and spending boatloads on high profile transfers. Zlatan is coming back to the U.S., confirmed. Candidate: New Mexico United Location: Albuquerque, N.M. Time zone: Mountain Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Isotopes Park – officially Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park (Grass, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion) Potential owner: Maloof Family (reported net worth $1 billion) Notes: New Mexico from its inception went deep on the community vibe, and I’ve tried to replicate that in this bid. The home field of Rio Grande Cr---I’m not typing out the whole thing—Isotopes Park falls just within the expansion rules we set to make it to 15,000 (weird, right?) and they’ve found a great local ownership group in the Lebanese-American Maloof (formerly Maalouf) family from Las Vegas. The only thing to worry about would be the metro population, but overall, this could be one of the gems of USL Prem. Candidate: Oklahoma City Energy FC Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (1,396,445) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (Grass, 13,066) Potential owner: Harold Hamm (reported net worth $14.2 billion) Notes: There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow and it says it’s time to change stadiums and owners to make it to D1. A sale to oil magnate Harold Hamm would give the club the finances it needs, but Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (home of the OKC Dodgers) actually falls outside of the boundary of what would meet capacity if 1,500 seats were added. Could the club pull off a move to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma – home of the Oklahoma Sooners? Maybe, but at 20 miles, this would be a reach. Candidate: Orange County SC Location: Irvine, Calif. (3,176, 000 in Orange County) Time zone: Pacific Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Angels Stadium of Anaheim (Grass, 43,250) Potential owner: Arte Moreno (reported net worth $3.3 billion) Notes: You’ll never convince me that Rangers didn’t choose to partner with Orange County based primarily on its name. Either way, a sale to MLB Angels owner Arte Moreno produces a fruitful partnership, with the owner choosing to play his newest club out of the existing Angels stadium in OC. Another baseball conversion, sure, but with a metro population of over 3 million and the closest thing this hypothetical league has to an LA market, who’s complaining? Candidate: Phoenix Rising FC Location: Phoenix, Ariz. (4,857,962) Time zone: Arizona Stadium (playing surface, capacity): State Farm Stadium (Grass, 63,400) Potential owner: Ernest Garcia II (reported net worth $5.7 billion) Notes: We’re keeping it local with new owner and used car guru Ernest Garcia II. His dad owned a liquor store and he dropped out of college, which is making me feel amazing about my life choices right now. Casino Arizona Field is great, but State Farm Stadium is a grass surface that hosted the 2019 Gold Cup semifinal, so it’s a clear winner. Throw in Phoenix’s massive metro population and this one looks like a lock. Candidate: Reno 1868 FC Location: Reno, Nev. (425,417) Time zone: Pacific Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Mackay Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000) Potential owner: Nancy Walton Laurie (reported net worth $7.1 billion) Notes: The Biggest Little City on Earth has some serious barriers to overcome, thanks to its low metro population. A sale to Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie and 1.6 mile-move to Mackay Stadium to split space with the University of Nevada, Reno makes this bid competitive, but the turf surface is another knock against it. Candidate: Rio Grande Valley FC Location: Edinburg, Texas (900,304) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): McAllen Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion) Potential owner: Alice Louise Walton (reported net worth $45 billion) Notes: Yes, I have a second straight Walmart heiress on the list. She was the first thing that popped up when I googled “McAllen Texas richest people.” The family rivalry has spurred Walton to buy a club as well, moving them 10 miles to McAllen Memorial Stadium which, as I alluded to earlier, is a straight up high school football stadium with a full color scoreboard. Toss in an additional 1,500 seats and you’ve met the minimum, despite the turf playing surface. Candidate: San Antonio FC Location: San Antonio, Texas (2,550,960) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Alamodome (FieldTurf, 64,000) Potential owner: Red McCombs (reported net worth $1.6 billion) Notes: I wanted to keep SAFC in the Spurs family, since the franchise is valued at $1.8 billion. That said, I didn’t let the Rooneys own the Riverhounds based on the Steelers’ value and it felt wrong to change the rules, so bring on Clear Channel co-founder Red McCombs. Toyota Field isn’t viable in the first division, but for the Alamodome, which was built in 1993 in hopes of attracting an NFL franchise (and never did), San Antonio can finally claim having *a* national football league team in its town (contingent on your definition of football). Now if only we could do something about that turf… Candidate: San Diego Loyal SC Location: San Diego, Calif. (3,317,749) Time zone: Pacific Stadium (playing surface, capacity): SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm) (Grass, 70,561) Potential owner: Phil Mickelson (reported net worth $91 million) Notes: Yes, golf’s Phil Mickelson. The existing ownership group didn’t seem to have the wherewithal to meet requirements, and Phil seemed to slot right in. As an athlete himself, he might be interesting in the new challenges of a top flight soccer team. Toss in a move to the former home of the chargers and you might have a basis for tremendous community support. Candidate: FC Tulsa Location: Tulsa, Okla. (991,561) Time zone: Central Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000) Potential owner: George Kaiser ($10 billion) Notes: I’m a fan of FC Tulsa’s rebrand, but if they want to make the first division, more changes are necessary. A sale to Tulsa native and one of the 100 richest men in the world George Kaiser means that funding is guaranteed. A move to Chapman Stadium would provide the necessary seats, despite the turf field. While the undersize population might be an issue at first glance, it’s hard to imagine U.S. Soccer not granting a waiver over a less than a 10k miss from the mark. And that’s it! You made it. Those are all of the independent/hybrid affiliates in the USL Championship, which means that it’s time for our… VERDICT: As an expert who has studied this issue for almost an entire day now, I am prepared to pronounce which USL Championships could be most ‘ready” for a jump to the USL Prem. A reminder that of the 27 clubs surveyed, 0 of them met our ideal criteria (proper ownership $, metro population, 15,000+ stadium with grass field). Two of them, however, met almost all of those criteria: Indy Eleven and Miami FC. Those two clubs may use up two of our three available turf fields right from the outset, but the other factors they hit (particularly Silva’s ownership of Miami) makes them difficult, if not impossible to ignore for the top flight. But who fill in the rest of the slots? Meet the entire 14-team USL Premier League: Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven Louisville City FC Miami FC North Carolina FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tampa Bay Rowdies Saint Louis FC San Antonio FC New Mexico United Phoenix Rising FC Las Vegas Lights FC Orange County SC San Diego Loyal SC Now, I shall provide my expert rationale for each club’s inclusion/exclusion, which can be roughly broken down into four categories. Firm “yes” Hartford Athletic: It’s a good market size with a solid stadium. With a decent investor and good community support, you’ve got potential here. Indy Eleven: The turf at Lucas Oil Stadium is no reason to turn down a 62,421 venue and a metro population of over 2 million. Louisville City FC: Why doesn’t the 2017 & 2018 USL Cup champion deserve a crack at the top flight? They have the market size, and with a bit of expansion have the stadium at their own SSS. LCFC, you’re in. Miami FC, “The”: Our other blue-chip recruit on the basis of ownership value, market size and stadium capacity. Yes, that field is turf, but how could you snub Silva’s chance to claim victory as the first division 1 club soccer team to play in Miami? Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Pittsburgh sacrificed a lot to be here (according to my arbitrary calculations). Their market size and the potential boon of soccer at Heinz Field is an important inclusion to the league. Saint Louis FC: Willie hears your “Busch League” jokes, Willie don’t care. A huge market size, combined with the absence of an NFL franchise creates opportunity. Competition with the MLS side, sure, but St. Louis has serious soccer history and we’re willing to bet it can support two clubs. Tampa Bay Rowdies: With a huge population and a massive stadium waiting nearby, Tampa Bay seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up for the USL Prem. Las Vegas Lights FC: Ostentatious, massive and well-financed, Las Vegas Lights FC is everything that the USL Premier League would need to assert that it didn’t intend to play second fiddle to MLS. Players will need to be kept on a short leash, but this is a hard market to pass up on. Phoenix Rising FC: Huge population, big grass field available nearby and a solid history of success in recent years. No brainer. San Diego Loyal SC: New club? Yes, massive population in a market that recently lost an absolutely huge sports presence? Also yes. This could be the USL Prem’s Seattle. Cautious “yes” New Mexico United: You have to take a chance on New Mexico United. The club set the league on fire with its social media presence and its weight in the community when it entered the league last season. The market may be slightly under USSF’s desired 1 million, but fervent support (and the ability to continue to use Isotopes Park) shouldn’t be discounted. North Carolina FC: Carter-Finley’s mixed grass/turf surface is a barrier, to be sure, but the 57,000+ seats it offers (and being enough to offset other fully-turf offerings) is enough to put it in the black. Orange County SC: It’s a top-tier club playing in a MLB stadium. I know it seems unlikely that USSF would approve something like that, but believe me when I say “it could happen.” Orange County is a massive market and California likely needs two clubs in the top flight. San Antonio FC: Our third and only voluntary inclusion to the turf fields in the first division, we’re counting on San Antonio’s size and massive potential stadium to see it through. Cautious “no” Birmingham Legion FC: The town has solid soccer history and a huge potential venue, but the turf playing surface puts it on the outside looking in. Memphis 901 FC: Like Birmingham, not much to dislike here outside of the turf playing surface at the larger playing venue. Austin Bold FC: See the other two above. FC Tulsa: Everything’s just a little bit off with this one. Market’s slightly too small, stadium has turf. Just not enough to put it over the top. Firm “no” Charleston Battery: Small metro and a small potential new stadium? It’s tough to say yes to the risk. Charlotte Independence: A small new stadium and the possibility of having to compete with an organization that just paid over $300 million to join MLS means it’s best for this club to remain in the USL Championship. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: When a club’s best chance to meet a capacity requirement is to host games at a venue controlled by the military, that doesn’t speak well to a club’s chances. El Paso Locomotive FC: An undersized market and a turf field that meets capacity requirements is the death knell for this one. Oklahoma City Energy FC: Having to expand a baseball field to meet requirements is a bad start. Having to potentially play 20 miles away from your main market is even worse. Reno 1868 FC: Population nearly a half-million short of the federation’s requirements AND a turf field at the hypothetical new stadium makes impossible to say yes to this bid. Rio Grande Valley FC: All the seat expansions in the world can’t hide the fact that McAllen Memorial Stadium is a high school stadium through and through. Here’s who’s left in the 11-team Championship: Birmingham Legion FC Charleston Battery Charlotte Independence Memphis 901 FC Austin Bold FC Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC El Paso Locomotive FC Oklahoma City Energy FC Reno 1868 FC Rio Grande Valley FC FC Tulsa With MLS folding the six affiliates it has in USL League One, the league is a little bit thin (especially considering USSF’s requirements for 8 teams for lower level leagues), but seems definitely able to expand up to the necessary numbers with Edwards’ allusions to five new additions this year: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Forward Madison FC Greenville Triumph SC Union Omaha Richmond Kickers South Georgia Tormenta FC Tucson Format of Assorted Leagues – This (like everything in this post) is pure conjecture on my part, but here are my thoughts on how these leagues might function in a first year while waiting for additional expansion. USL Premier – We’ll steal from the 12-team Scottish Premiership. Each club plays the other 11 clubs 3 times, with either one or two home matches against each side. When each club has played 33 matches, the top six and bottom six separate, with every club playing an additional five matches (against each other team in its group). The top club wins the league. The bottom club is automatically relegated. The second-bottom club will enter a two-legged playoff against someone (see below) from the championship playoffs. USL Championship -- 11 clubs is a challenge to schedule for. How about every club plays everyone else three times (either one or two home matches against each side)? Top four clubs make the playoffs, which are decided by two-legged playoffs. The winner automatically goes up. I need feedback on the second part – is it better to have the runner-up from the playoffs face the second-bottom club from the Premiership, or should the winner of the third-place match-up get the chance to face them to keep drama going in both playoff series? As for relegation, we can clearly only send down the last place club while the third division is so small. USL League One – While the league is so small, it doesn’t seem reasonable to have the clubs play as many matches as the higher divisions. Each club could play the other six clubs four times – twice at home and twice away – for a very equitable 24-match regular season, which would help restrict costs and still provide a chance to determine a clear winner. Whoever finishes top of the table goes up. And there you have it, a hypothetical look at how the USL could build a D1 league right now. All it would take is a new stadium for almost the entire league and new owners for all but one of the 27 clubs, who wouldn’t feel that their property would be massively devalued if they got relegated. Well that’s our show. I’m curious to see what you think of all of this, especially anything that you think I may have overlooked (I’m sure there’s plenty). Anyway, I hope you’re all staying safe and well.
A Vegas Miracle - how I won $129,000 in my 3rd tournament ever
This is how I won $129,000 in my 3rd ever poker tournament. Note: don't try this, it probably won't turn out well for you. I spent about 6 months grinding up a $5,000 bankroll playing home/casino games ranging from .5/1 to 1/3. The week that I hit that $5,000 mark, Matt, one of my best friends from college informed me that his job had placed him in Las Vegas for the next month and that I could crash with him for a few nights if I wanted to come on out west. I had frequent flyer miles for the flight and some Mlife/Fremont hotel comps for the rest of the trip. My grand total for flight and lodging for 10 days came to $200. Now, I’m not going to bore you guys with low-level cash hand histories. The next 10 days were filled with me playing lowstakes poker for 10-12 hours a day. It’s as fun as it sounds – it’s not. I was having a good time in Vegas otherwise – but towards the end of the trip I had a realization: 1/2’s the same everywhere. I didn’t have to fly out to the desert to raise to $7 preflop. After 10 days, my grand total from poker (and a fair amount of dumb degenerate shit on Fremont) was -$186. That wasn’t what I came out to do — I knew that I was a better player than my recent results had indicated. The morning of my return flight, I decided I was going to play tournaments until I either busted my $5,000 bankroll or hit something worthwhile. I impulsively decided to not get on my plane at 11:30am. Checkout time from Luxor was at 11:00 – and I didn’t know where I was going yet. I had 30 minutes to pack up my stuff and figure out where I was going before they’d charge me a fee. I sorted TripAdvisor by cheapest first – I’ve stayed in crappy hostels/motels before and overall am a very low maintenance person. I figured that by staying somewhere for $20 a night, I’d be able to maximize the amount of shots I could take before flying back home. I accepted that there was a real chance I’d go back broke – but I didn’t really care. If I didn’t take my shot now, then when? I booked the cheapest bed in Vegas - a 6-person shared hostel just past the Stratosphere. Let's just say you get what you pay for — it was not a happy place. A fair amount of the people in there were bordering on homelessness and there was barbed wire surrounding their outdoor gym. In addition to this, I had the constant stress of knowing that all that separated my bankroll from the rest of my roommates was a tiny lock. I took the Deuce to the strip, lived off food comps, and turned down invites from my friends to hang out. I was in town to play poker, nothing else. Disclaimer: I had never played tournaments prior to heading out to Vegas. My only knowledge of hand ranges was from watching televised events. I downloaded a free Nash chart app on my phone while on the Deuce to the strip and studied it for 5 minutes – whatever, I get the jist of it. Let’s play some cards. The first day of doing this I played the $140 daily at the Aria. Top 13 spots paid -- I finished in 15th. It was depressing to say the least — I felt as if I was at rock bottom. Before the first night of sleeping at the hostel I called the airline to see if I could get on the flight that I had deliberately missed the day prior. I couldn't. I made it my goal to at least cash something so that I could get a decent hotel room. I couldn’t have slept more than 2-3 hours the first night there. One of my roommates was loudly vomiting all night, the sheets itched, and I was going through an existential crisis... like dude, you’ve got a finance degree and you’re really doing this shit? While on the bus to the strip, I opened Poker Atlas and saw that there was a $200 satellite to win a seat into the $1,600 Venetian main event. I decided that I was going to go take a shot at that. I was at risk twice in the satellite but after studying the GTO method on how to win coinflips, I persevered and won a seat to the main. The first day was surreal – once again, I was running on minimal sleep due to my housing arrangements, but I remember the following hands from day 1:
Button opens to 2.2x, I’m in the BB with Q9cc. SB folds, we go HU to a flop of 832c. He c-bets, I call. Turn 4x, x/x. River Ax. I check, he bets, I x/r to like 3x his bet, he insta folds. I take it down and show air.
UTG+1 opens, MP calls, I flat on the button with K10ss. 3 ways to a flop of Qs43xx. UTG+1 bets 40% pot, MP calls, I call. Turn is the Js. UTG+1 bets 60% pot, MP calls, I flat. River comes the 8s. UTG+1 snap bets 80%. MP flats, I flat. I announce king high flush, they both muck.
Folds to the SB, he limps, I look down at Q10o, and check. Flop comes KQ6r. He leads 35%, I call. Turn 10. He bets, I call. River comes a J. He bets, I tank for about 45 seconds then flick in a call, he shows 76o… ship it.
The average stack after day 1 was around 40k, I bagged like 65k. I walked back to the Deuce stop outside of the Venetian and headed on my 30 minute ride back home. I kept thinking to myself, someone’s gotta win this thing, why not me? I had to get in the money for this tournament to be able to get the fuck out of there. A min cash here was over $3k – that was more than enough for me to get a suite on Fremont for a few nights and party for a bit, then get home with my head held high. Day 2: I get up at 7am after already being completely awake for the past 4 hours. There’s no way I slept more than 3 hours last night. I hit the Denny’s by the Stratosphere then get on the Deuce. I get to the Venetian and feel like I’m about to fall asleep. I go to the self-serve coffee/tea dispenser in the middle of the room and make myself an iced coffee. I get to my table, and the cocktail waitress comes around. I ask for another iced coffee and toss her a fiver. Here are some highlights from the 1st half of day 2:
I open 97ss on the button, BB flats. Flop comes AK3s. BB checks, I bet 35%. He throws out a 5k chip – which I interpret as a x/r to my bet. I groan, make a joke about it being the first hand of the day, and start to muck. The dealer stops my cards midway before hitting the muck, and informs me that he didn’t raise, that he called my flop bet. Everyone laughs, I go silent and wait for him to make change. Turn is the 2s. He thinks for a second and bets 30%. I tank for like 30 seconds, then flat. River is a blank. He thinks for a second, then checks. I bet like 30% pot. He tells me that I’m an angle shooter and mucks. I tell him I’m not an angle shooter and show my 9 high. Everyone laughs, we get on with playing.
CO opens, I 3b 87dd in the SB to 4x, he flats. Flop comes 1032d. I check, he checks. Turn is the 6d. I bet 55% pot, he flats. River comes the Kd. I bet 60%, he tanks, tells me he thinks I backdoored diamonds, then folds. Damn, these players are pretty good.
I open KK UTG to 2.5x, UTG +1 flats. Heads up to a flop of K43r. x/x. Turn 8, I bet 40% pot, he calls. River 3, I bet 80% pot, he tanks, then calls with AK.
I bring my 3 racks of chips to the new table and immediately get some comments – whatever, I’m just on a heater, it happens. At this point, my body was giving out. I was trying my hardest not to fall asleep in between every hand. Cutoff opens, I’m in the SB, I look down at KK. I put in the 3b, folds back to him. He puts in a healthy 4. We’re the two big stacks at the table – I’d guess he was 50bb effective while I was around 65bb. God damn, am I good enough to fold kings here? No, I’m not. I shove, he snaps, I know that I’ve just fucked up my tournament. He shows the aces. The dealer puts a king in the window, and I hold. I’m for sure the chip leader now. I lose a few 40/60 and 60/40 flips and chip down a bit. I still have a very healthy stack, probably around 80bb. The next 3 hands are from the second half of day 2:
Aggro Asian guy on the button. Folds to him, he opens to 2.2x, SB folds, I look down at 43ss and raise to 7.5x, he flats.
Flop comes 894cc. I check, he bets, I call. Turn’s another 9. I check, he bets 75% pot, I call. River’s the 10c. I check, he bets 1.2x pot. I ask the dealer for a count of the bet – meanwhile, villain looks like he’s going to shit himself. I flick in a chip, he throws down KcQx. I laugh a little, show my 43ss, and obnoxiously say ship it.
I open KQo UTG+1, MP 3bets me. I figure that a 4b from UTG+1 could take it down a fair amount of the time, so I decide to go for it. He thinks for a second and flats.
Flop comes AK4r. I check, he checks back. Turn is a 6, goes x/x again. River’s another brick. I put in a 30% value bet. He does a little grimace and tanks for like 20 seconds. It looks like he’s going to fold so I start verbally telling him that his queens are good. The dealer informs me that you’re not allowed to talk about your hand to another player. I inform him that I’m not talking about my hand, I’m talking about villains’ hand. Dealer laughs and lets me continue to antagonize villain. MP starts talking back, asking if I’m really bluffing. I inform him that once he folds, I’ll show the bluff. He ends up calling, I snap show, he pays me then gets up from the table to go for a walk.
We’re playing 6 handed. UTG opens, MP flats, I flat TT on the button. 3 ways to a flop of AT9ccc. UTG bets 50% pot, MP folds, I put in a medium sized raise. He thinks about it and flats.
The turn is the Kd. He pauses for a second then checks. I figured AxKc was his most likely combo. I didn’t think he could fold AxKc to any sizing – I decide to overbet jam 2x pot. He tanks for like 5 min and eventually lets it go. He tells me later he folded AxKc. Nice fold sir. I finished day two 2nd in chips out of the 64 players remaining. More importantly, I was in the money. My friend Matt offered to give me a ride to the hostel to grab my stuff. On the way to the hostel I’m telling Matt how trash the place is and he’s kind of like yeah man, whatever, it can’t be that bad. We gather my belongings and head on out. Matt remarked to me that the hostel reminded him of jail mixed with a summer camp. I open a same night hotel app and see a room at the Four Queens available for $110. The lady at check in was nice enough – however, she informed me that the only room they had available at my price point was a smoking room overlooking the Fremont St. experience. I paid the $20 to upgrade to a non-smoking in the quiet part of the hotel. Vegas man, I swear. It’s like 2am at this point -- I get to my room, sit on the bed and close my eyes. I open them and it’s 11:00am. Ah fuck man, I gotta get to the Venetian. I hop in the shower, brush my teeth, and freshen up. Even if I don’t have clean clothes, whatever, I’m second in the main, who cares. Some interesting hands from the first part of Day 3:
I had two inexcusable punts in this tournament. This is the first one: I open 5h5c from LP, BB calls. Flop comes J62hhh. x/x. Turn is a 4x. x, I bet 50% pot, BB jams 15bb. I called – and immediately realized I fucked up, big time. He had 2 big chips in his stack that I didn’t see, making his shove effectively like 25bb. In addition, I didn’t have the 5h, I had the 5d. I really didn’t ask for a count or double check my hole cards. Villain turns over 64o and holds. In my defense, I literally didn’t know what ICM meant at the time. Whoops.
Someone who I recognize from poker TV jams 22bb UTG. I’m in the CO with JJ, I ask him how much it is, he’s talkative and seems genuinely comfortable/down for me to call. I fold – I run into him a few days later at the Aria, he tells me he had AA there. I believe him.
CO opens, button instantly jams 30bb effective. I’m in the SB with TT and 25bb – live reads, we’re flipping. I call for all in my effective stack, CO folds, button has AQ. I hold. He’s not happy I called with tens. Oh well, sorry bro, gg.
MP opens, CO 3 bets to 7bb, button jams 20bb. I look down at 2 black aces in the big blind. I reshove, MP folds, CO calls off his 20bb stack. I’m up against AQ and QQ. I hold.
Even with my atrocious punt earlier in the day, I’m the chip leader again. We’re down to about 15 left in the field. UTG opens, I 3b AKo on the button, he jams 20bb, I call. He has 99, a king comes on the flop and he’s gone. It’s day 3 of the main and we’re playing 5 handed with 12 people left. Let’s fucking go.
Button opens to 2.5x, I’m in the BB with A8dd, I flat. Flop comes A104r, I check, he bets, I call. Turn is a 7, x/x. River A, I bet 1.2x pot. He tanks, calls, I show, I’m good.
CO opens to 2.5x, I’m in the BB with 108dd, I flat. Flop comes Kd4x2d, it goes x/x. Turn is a Kx, I check, he bets 60% pot, I flat. River is the 4d. I check, he bets pot. I tank and let it go. He tells me later he checked back a weak king on the flop.
SB completes, I’m in the BB with J9o and I check my option. Flop comes Q108r. The SB donks out into me for 60% pot. I flat. Turn comes a brick and he leads into me for 60% again. I raise to 3.5x his turn bet, he thinks for a while then flats. River is another brick. He bets 80% pot into me. I tank for a while, then shove. He starts laughing and folds QQ face up.
Less than a week ago I was grinding buffet comps at Planet Hollywood. Now I have guys correctly folding top set to me. I’ve made it to the final table. I pick up a few small pots and the two shortstacks at the table get eliminated in quick succession. This is without a doubt the most pointless and just plain out stupid punt of my entire life: I open J2dd on the button into a ~18bb SB and a GTO robot with mid 7 figures in career earnings in the BB. Don’t do this, this is quite literally lighting money on fire. SB folds, BB flats. Flop comes Kh8h3d. I cbet, BB calls. Turn is the Kd, goes x/x. River comes a 7h, he leads into me for half pot. Whatever, I’m going for it – I put in a raise. He thinks for all of 5 seconds then calls me with KQh. Wow, I just punted away $50,000 in ICM. Jesus Christ dude, what the fuck. For the next orbit or two, I’m clearly pissed at myself. I get up after my button and do a lap around the poker room – I’m good. The monkey tilt is gone, and I’m ready to get back to playing normal ranges. Anyway, nothing else really happens for a while – I look down at AKo UTG and raise it up. Folds around to the BB, he thinks for a while, then jams for about 20bb. I snap, he has AQo. I hold. I’m now second in chips. We go on a 10-minute break. When I get back to the table, the prospect of a 5-way chop comes up. We’re all tired – and the pay jumps are very significant. If you couldn’t tell from this story, I’m a degenerate, but in this spot, I’m willing to reduce variance a bit. We run the numbers and come to an agreement – we all agree to take a very slight ICM bump to give 1st place a bit more money than his stack is worth. I just won $129,000 -- huh? This was my second tournament cash – not too bad considering that it was my third tournament ever. Maybe I should start learning how to play MTT’s now. I take $124,000 in a check and $5,000 in cash. I’m leaving Vegas in 4 days and don’t plan on coming home with any of the cash. The winner of the tournament’s a pretty cool guy and he asks if I want to crash in his guest room tonight… like yeah, if that’s a real offer, I’m down. I pick up my toiletry bag from the Venetian concierge and we hit the Uber. The next morning Matt picks me up at his house – I hit the Chase bank and deposit the $124,000. I take Matt and my other friend, Spencer out to the Sterling Brunch over at Bally’s – the entire time, Spencer just kept repeating “Davis, what the fuck”. I don’t know dude, seriously, what the fuck. I get a suite at the D downtown that night and (very) long story short I end up hitting $100 on a number at roulette at 5am. It’s time for bed. Here’s a link to my Hendon Mob, verifying my tournament result. Hopefully I see some of you guys at the WSOP in 2021. https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=783521 Davis
Report your table minimums here (COVID Edition) part 3
Part 3 in the COVID series. To try and make this list more helpful, I have added Weekend Day and Weekend Night, as those can be vastly different than during the week. I'm trying to monitor Twitter and the Vegas Message Board to get some additional information. Keep sharing all that wonderful goodness. I'd like to update the wiki to talk about what sidebets casinos have, so if you know that info, I can add it to the table comments.
Vegas Strip Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Weekend Day
Weekend Night
Dividers
Comments
Aria
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
No
Updated 7/26
Ballys
10
15
10
Unknown
3 tables Updated 8/8
Bellagio
10
25
Unknown
Unknown
Yes, all tables
Caesars
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
No
Cosmo
15-25
50-100
Unknown
Unknown
Encore
10
10
10
10
Yes, on some tables
Updated 8/12
Excalibur
10-15
15
10
15
Updated 8/12
Flamingo
15
15-25
Unknown
25
Updated 8/8
Harrah's
15
25
25
25
No
Linq
15
15
Unknown
25
No
Updated 8/8
Luxor
10
10
15
15n
Updated 8/12
Mandalay Bay
15
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
MGM Grand
10
25
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
NY/NY
10
15-25
15
Unknown
Yes
Updated 8/8
Osheas
Unknown
15
Unknown
Unknown
Paris
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
Updated 8/8
Sahara
5
10
10
10
Updated 8/15
Strat
Day
10
Unknown
10
25
No
Treasure Island
5
15
Unknown
Unknown
Venetian
10-15
25
Unknown
Unknown
No
Wynn
10
10
10
10
Yes, on some tables
Updated 8/12
Downtown Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Weekend Day
Weekend Night
Dividers
Comments
Binions
5
10
Unknown
Unknown
Binions had $5 table several times (opens at noon) Updated 8/17
California
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Tables open at 11AM Updated 8/10
The D
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
No glass
Downtown Grand
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Table opens at noon. Updated 8/10.
El Cortez
10
10
10
10
Yes, some tables
2 tables Updated 8/15
Four Queens
10
10
10
10
No
Updated 8/15
Fremont
10
10
10
Unknown
Updated 8/10.
Golden Gate
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
Updated 8/18
Golden Nugget
10-15
10
Unknown
Unknown
$15 with one table open on 8/18
Plaza
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Updated 7/30
Sams Town
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
1 table
Offstrip Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Weekend Day
Weekend Night
Dividers
Comments
Aliente
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Boulder Station
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Cannery
5
5
Unknown
Unknown
up to 2 tables - now allowing 4 per side
Ellis Island
5
5
5
5
1 table - Updated 8/17 - I just called the pit at Ellis. Craps table opens up at 10am and its 5 dollars 90% of the time
Gold Coast
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Green Valley Ranch
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
2 tables open
The Orleans
10
25
Unknown
Unknown
up to 4 tables, I was asked to wear a mask
Palace Station
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Palms
N/A
N/A
Unknown
Unknown
No open date announced
Red Rock
10
15
15
Unknown
Updated 8/14
South Point
5
5
5
10
No
Updated 8/15
Strat
5
10
Unknown
Unknown
Sunset Station
5
5
Unknown
Unknown
Other NV Casinos
Day Min
Night Min
Weekend Day
Weekend Night
Dividers
Comments
Edgewater (Laughlin)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Harrahs (Laughlin)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
no
Atlantis (Reno)
5/10
5/10
Unknown
Unknown
3 tables on weekends
Cal Neva (Reno)
5
5
Unknown
Unknown
Circus Circus (Reno)
Closed
Closed
Unknown
Unknown
Closed table game pit
Eldorado (Reno)
5
10
Unknown
Unknown
Grand Sierra (Reno)
15
15-25 Unknown
Unknown
Peppermill (Reno)
5
5
10
10
3 craps tables
Silver Legacy (Reno)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Hard Rock (Tahoe)
5
5
Unknown
Unknown
Harrahs (Tahoe)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Montbleu (Tahoe)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
Nugget (Wendover)
5
5
5
5
Updated 7/31
Peppermill (Wendover)
5
5
10
10
Updated 7/31
Rainbow (Wendover)
5
5
10
10
Updated 7/31
Non/NV Casino
Day Min
Night Min
Weekend Day
Weekend Night
Dividers
Comments
Wind Creek (Wetumpka, AL)
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
4 to a table Updated 7/31
Sycuan (San Diego, CA)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Masks required
Barona (So Cal)
10
15
10
10-15
2 tables 2 per side, dealers managing bets for players. Updated 8/21 ($10 at times)
Harrahs (So Cal)
15-25
15-25
15-50
15-50
No
Updated 7/31
Viejas (So Cal)
N/A
N/A
Unknown
Unknown
No live tables
Foxwoods (CT)
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
Mohegan (CT)
15-25
25
Unknown
Unknown
2 were 10, 2
Harrington (DE)
15
15-25
Unknown
Unknown
Must wear mask and face shield
Rivers (Chicago, IL)
15
15
Blue Chip (Michigan City, IN)
5
10
Unknown
Unknown
5 minimum prop bets, 5 min ATS bet.
Caesars Southern IN
10
15
15
25
Updated 8/5
French Lick Resort (French Lick, IN)
15
15
25
25
Tables open at 11am and close at 3AM. Updated 8/5
Harrah's Hooiser Park (Anderson, IN)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Indiana Grand (IN)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
Belle (Baton Rogue, LA)
5
10
Unknown
Unknown
one half sized table sometimes they open the big one. $5 small table and $10 big late at night
Hollywood (Baton Rogue, LA)
5
10
Unknown
15
Updated 7/24
L’auberge (Baton Rogue,LA)
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
L’auberge (Lake Charles,LA)
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
1 bubble craps $5 min
El Dorado (Shreveport, LA)
10
10
10
10
Updated 8/17
Horseshoe (Shreveport, LA) 15
15
15
15
Updated 8/17
Margaritaville (Shreveport, LA) 15
15
15
15
Updated 8/17
Ocean Downs (MD)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
Maryland Live (MD)
25
50
50
Unknown
Yes
5 tables, 4 per side. Electronic craps 15 min
MGM @ National Harbor
50-100
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
4 craps tables 2 were $50 and 2 were $100 mins. Not bubble craps or low roller options.
Firekeepers (Battle Creek, MI)
10
15+
Unknown
Unknown
No dividers, only distancing
1-2 tables depending on demand, did see it at $15 during the day $25 on Fri/Sat night. Masks required, no smoking. $3 Bubble Craps.
Four Winds Casino
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
Digital craps table 5$ min Tuesday and Sunday night. Did not check bubble craps
Gun Lake (Wayland, MI)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
Temp check, masks, usually the crapless table is open
Turtle Creek (Traverse City, MI)
5
Unknown
Unknown
Unknowned
2 tables, temp check, masks
Soaring Eagle (Mt Pleasant, MI)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
5 players per side with glass. Tough to hear dealer.
Hollywood Casino, Maryland Heights (St Louis) MO
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
1 regular table & 1 no craps. 4 per side. No outside drinks.
River City (St. Louis, MS)
20
20
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
4 players per side. $20 min. You have to have at least a $20 bet for every throw to "hold your spot"
Beau Rivage (Biloxi, MS)
25
25
Unknown
Unknown
unknown
3 tables
Boomtown (Biloxi, MS)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
1 table
IP (Biloxi, MS)
25
25
Unknown
Unknown
Scarlett Pearl (Biloxi, MS)
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
No
Masks required, temp check
The Palace Biloxi, MS)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
Treasure Bay (Biloxi, MS)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Harrah’s Cherokee & Murphy
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
No
Harrahs River Valley (Murphy, NC)
25
25
Unknown
Unknown
Ballys (AC, NJ)
15
15
Unknown
10
Updated 7/29
Caesars (AC, NJ)
15
15
Unknown
15-25
Updated 7/29
Harrahs (AC, NJ)
15
15
Unknown
Unknown
Hard Rock (AC, NJ
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
2 tables - Updated 7-29
Resorts (AC, NJ)
15
25
Unknown
15
Yes
1 table - Updated 7-29
Ocean (AC, NJ)
10
15
15
25
Yes
4-6 tables
Buffalo Creek (NY)
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
Seneca Niagra (NY)
10
15
Unknown
Unknown
1 table, can go up to $25
Jack/Harrah's (Cincinnati, OH)
25
25
25
25
3 tables, $25 open to close
Hollywood (Columbus, OH)
10-15
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
2 tables, masks required
Hollywood (Grantville, PA)
15
25
Unknown Unknown
Unknown
2 tables, masks required
Harrah's Philly (PA)
Unknown
Unknown
15
25
Updated 8/10
Meadows (PA)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
2-3 tables.
Mohegan Sun (PA)
Unknown
Unknown
25-50
Unknown
Windcreek (PA)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Mount airy (PA)
10
10
Unknown
Unknown
Valley Forge (PA)
10
Parx (Bensalem, PA)
15
25
Unknown
Unknown
15 but maintaining 25
Southland Casino Racing (West Memphis, TN)
N/A
N/A
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
4 tables all closed. Other pit games open with plexiglas dividers. Bubble craps $5 minimum.
Mardi Gras (Nitro, WV)
15
Usually open on weekends - Updated 7/28
*Last update 8/21 Part 1. It's getting buried so I figured we would make a new one. Part 2 Pulled additional info from here.
A Comprehensive Guide to Southern Nevada Thrill Seeking and Rollercoasters
Introduction
The guide is meant to service roller coaster enthusiasts in the greater Las Vegas area. I won't be including general Las Vegas tips, or any less traditional thrill seeking activities you may find in Southern Nevada. We're going to hit roller coasters first and then move on to other theme park-like activities. I'll try to cover everything, but if I miss something let me know and I'll update this. Welcome to Southern Nevada, the southern portion of the state with 0.05 roller coasters per 1,000 sq mi per RCDB. There's not a lot here, but there are a few memorable experiences that provide some credits and some entertainment to anyone. It's very possible to hit all of the credits in one day, but doing this may ruin the experience of some of these places. However, if you have some time in Vegas, and you'd rather have some thrill rides fill your day, here's what Southern Nevada has to offer.
Rollercoasters (From North to South)
Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix Credits - 1 Transportation - Taxi, Uber, or Rental Car This small attraction is a little family-centered Go-Kart experience with a small credit. The coaster is a small little piece of work that serves as a credit at least. I have some fond memories of it from my childhood, but its nothing special. If you are bringing kids, about the ages 5-14, they'll enjoy this entire place, and its a nice escape from the relentless advertisement barrage that is the rest of the attractions. Keep in mind, this is a good 30 minute drive away from the strip and therefire most of the hotels in town, so transportation can be inconvenient. If you really want the credit though, its still very possible to get there. The Adventuredome Credits - 2 (R.I.P. Miner Mike) Transportation - Foot, Uber, Taxi Ah, The Adventuredome. The infamous indoor amusement park on the strip. This place is good for almost all ages, and even as an adult, one can still find enjoyment here for some part of a day. Getting here is easy, but if you're walking and stayed at a hotel near the heart of the strip, it will be a significant walk. However, its totally possible to walk here even from the New York New York casino, where another major roller coaster resides. Canyon Blaster - The one word I would use to describe this coaster is charming. Its surprisingly smooth and holds up well for its size. Its layout is a little unconventional, but the novelty of it weaving throughout the rest of the park is intriguing. As for seats, the front will give you the most out of the near miss elements, while the back gives you a surprising amount of force. However, the difference isn't enough for me and I prefer the front.Not the best coaster in the world, but for an indoor Arrow, its really good. El Loco - For the most recent coaster to be added to the dome, S&S brought a fun little coaster that takes advantage of the space. In an indoor park, there's no room for air time or huge drops. What there is room for is lots of inversions and nausea. This coaster uses its space really well, and is actually very entertaining to sit and watch. Once again, the novelty of it all being inside is really effective, and if you go to the Adventuredome at night, you'll get a unique ride on this coaster that may be memorable. However, I am a relatively weak stomached person, and the coaster started to get my lunch up after 4 or 5 rides. I have talked to more average people in terms of vulnerability to nausea, and they say its fine for quite a few rides in a row. Just keep that all in mind if you find yourself in a position to marathon this thing. As for seats, there are only four, so my recommendation would be to try to ride in the front two, but it doesn't really matter. Overall, a neat coaster with a lot of novelty which uses its size and space really well. There are a couple flat rides in the dome, such as a Zamperla Disco, Morgan's Chaos, and Morgan's Inverter. These are cool as well, and definitely unique as there are not many indoor attractions like these. Other than that, the rest of the park is kiddie rides and stores. The park is actually quite fun to just stroll around, as the decorations and rockwork really cover the whole park and give the done some charm. I wouldn't recommend eating in the park, and you can buy a wristband for all day and leave in the middle, so take advantage of that. The Big Apple Coaster Credits - 1 Transportation - Foot Perhaps one of the most infamous coasters in the world and the last Togo built coaster in the United States, the Big Apple Coaster is an experience, I just can't say it's the best experience. The potential this coaster had was astounding, but the cheaply constructed final product leaves much to be desired. Getting here is very easy from almost every hotel on the Strip, and once inside just ask someone to direct you to the arcade and you'll be on your way. The casino floors are purposely confusion, so guidance may be necessary to find the thing. The actual coaster is okay. I don't think its as bad as everyone says, and I'll try to make my case here. Just try to not wear the VR, as those goggles make this this as bad as everyone says. You can ask the attendant to omit you from the VR, but I can't guarantee anything. Anyway, here's my defense of this coaster if you're not wearing VR: While the overall experience of this coaster may be slightly uncomfortable and jarring, the main takeaway from this coaster is the view of the strip and uniqueness that make this coaster especially memorable. Few coasters swoop over a crowded parking lot next to one of the busiest streets in the city. Few coasters give you aerial view of a bustling downtown entertainment epicenter. And few coasters are as memorable as this one. In fact, the uncomfortable restraints and unusual layout contribute to this overall memorability. I find the front row makes the ride a little less jarring, and if you can, a night ride is a really cool experience. Yes, the coaster may not be the best experience and give the best forces, but its a unique coaster that is worth at least a day ride and a night ride. Buffalo Bill's Resort and Desperado Credits - 1 Transportation - Uber, Rental Car Driving all the way out to the border between Nevada and California will bring you to Buffalo Bill's Resort and the coaster that towers over it. It pretty much just the coaster out here, but this a motion simulator and I think a log flume, but I'm just going to cover Desperado. Getting out here is very troublesome, and its a good hour drive from the strip center. I would recommend renting a car and driving it out here for about half the day. Desperado is decent to marathon and I don't think I've ever waited for it. The actual experience of Desperado is better than you may expect. It was actually my first coaster over 200ft, and as a hyper it stands up well enough. The air time is not great, but for a coaster in the middle of the desert its good enough. This coaster is really saved by how few people ride it; being able to ride it over and over is one of the best parts about it. Other than that, there's not much to say. Its okay, not great, kinda average. But in a state like Nevada, average is about all one can ask for.
Other Attractions
There are a couple other experiences that are in the same genome as theme parks. No credits here, but theme park goers may find some enjoyment from these places. Wet n' Wild & Cowabunga Bay These are the seasonal water parks servicing the Las Vegas area. They're not extreamly large, but for small parks they're a nice place to chill in the summer. You could easily spend all day at one of these and kids will enjoy they're time. The differences are not very many between these two. I find that, in general, Wet n' Wild is cleaner and better kept, so if you can only visit one from the strip, that would be my recommendation. The Spring's Preserve This is a large nature reserve and park which is not far from the strip. If you wan't an escape from the consumerism center of the strip, its a relaxing place. It very child-oriented, but it can be relaxing to just meander and explore. There are several buildings that act as museums and historical centers so if its a hot day, don't worry. Overall, a calm center just off of the downtown area that is nice and quaint. The Stratosphere Finishing off with actual thrills, the stratosphere is a tall building with four main attractions at the top. Here's the website from the building for pictures of all three thrill rides. All three of these rides are very crowd oriented and if you don't have any sort of fear of heights they're really just children's rides high in the sky. The view from the tower is nice and the other attraction, bungie jumping off top, is over priced for the experience. I would come up here if you really want to either see the view or hit the rides, other wise it will be a mundane and disappointing experience. I do have to sing the praises of the restaurant at the top. If you have the means to eat there, it's worth it.
Conclusion
Southern Nevada is not a thrill seeker's paradise, but the region does have some nice attractions and a handful of credits for coaster enthusiasts. If you're in the area and are interested in some non-night time activities, these might be for you. The future is not looking great for roller coasters in Southern Nevada, but who knows, some wealthy individual may just bring some thrills to this great desert.
Budget: Around $150-$250 per day. This included the hotel (plus resort fee), food, drinks and entertainment. Trip Length: One week. Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada and surrounding area. Accommodation: Tropicana Las Vegas Activities: Fremont Street, Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Hoover Dam, Vegas Strip. Recommendations: GoCity Pass, hop on - hop off bus, Le Thai restaurant on Fremont Street, water show at the Bellagio. Also, there's a lot to do away from the strip or downtown Vegas. Drinks are free at most casinos so long as you're gambling. Final Verdict: This was my second trip to Vegas. The first was for a business trip and this was for fun. I'm glad I had the chance to cross Las Vegas off my bucket list but it's unlikely that I will return. I had fun but I'm not a gambler. There's a lot to do in and around Vegas if you're not a gambler but not enough to warrant a repeat...for me at least, although I do recommend everyone go at least once. Pictures!: Grand Canyon Hoover Dam Fremont Street Las Vegas Strip Valley of Fire State Park Elephant Rock at Valley of Fire State Park Red Rock Canyon
Now that the calendar has turned to April, we’re about to begin one of the more popular months regarding traffic in this sub. If last year is any guide, ticket sales and a lineup drop could happen within the next 2-3 weeks. Since there will likely be lots of new faces here inquiring about the festival - we're already starting to see repeat questions - and I have been every year thus far, I figured I would put together sort of an FAQ for this festival based on the questions that have come up in previous years. Hopefully to anyone going to this festival for the first time, this will prove to be helpful. Before reading through the FAQ, I do want to caution readers…this festival changes things all the time. They are not always consistent with things like other festivals so while the answers below reflect on what was done in the past, that may not necessarily be the case this year. Where is the festival located?
The festival is located in downtown Las Vegas. The footprint of the festival changes slightly each year, but it is roughly an 18 square block area of downtown. If you are familiar with the Fremont Street Experience, the gates are essentially right across the street from there.
When is the festival this year?
September 20-22.
When does the lineup drop?
In 2017 the lineup dropped on April 25th. Last year, it dropped April 24th.
When do tickets go on sale?
They used to do a pre-sale in February but changed things up last year. The pre-sale was about a week before the lineup drop. General ticket sales happened a few days after the lineup drop.
The pre-sale always sells out quickly…at least for GA.
Do they offer payment plans?
Yes, but not for tickets purchased during the pre-sale
Will the festival sell out?
Before 2017, it never sold out. However, GA sold out both in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, GA sold out in about three hours. It took almost right up until the festival dates for GA to sell out in 2018, but we found out they increased capacity, so they had more passes to sell.
I'm not sure if VIP has ever sold out.
Does the festival sell single day tickets?
Each of the previous years they have put single day tickets on sale. About one or two months after tickets go on sale, they have released the daily lineup and put single day tickets on sale.
Can you upgrade from GA to VIP?
Every year you have been able to upgrade from GA to VIP at the festival, but that may be because VIP hasn’t ever sold out.
How many stages are there?
After the first year, there have been four stages. Two rather large stages, a small stage and for the past few years there has been a tent that sort of resembles the Sahara at Coachella.
There is also a very small stage called the Toyota Music Den, which is basically a canopy and some artists playing at the festival will do acoustic or DJ sets for about 30 minutes at this tent.
What time does the festival run each day?
The past few years, music has run from 3pm to 1am. The gates have opened at 2pm.
Does LIB usually have late adds after the lineup is released?
Up until last year there were late adds every year. Sometimes it was just one act and sometimes it was a half dozen. However, last year, there were no late adds.
Can I go in and out of the festival?
The rules on this have changed from year to year but if they do what they have done the previous two years then the answer is yes. If you have a GA ticket, you can go in and out three times each day, but you must be back in the festival by 9pm. If you have VIP you get unlimited in and outs.
Where should I stay?
You definitely want to stay as close to Fremont Street as possible so you can easily walk from your hotel to the festival. This is also helpful for those in and outs each day.
There are the casino hotels on Fremont Street and there are several other hotels just off of Fremont Street. This thread from last year has lots of good info in it. This thread from about a month ago also has good info.
Be careful of Airbnb's. In 2017, Vegas authorities started cracking down on Airbnb's in the unincorporated parts of the city and a couple people got their Airbnb's canceled. More information on that is here.
It has been two years now and I think things have been settled, but if you're going to book an Airbnb, make sure it is a legal, legit one.
Even last year people had their Airbnb’s canceled, but you run that risk any time you book an Airbnb for any festival.
When should I book my hotel?
If you are planning to go to the festival and haven't booked something yet, do it now! Prices are only going to go up. Way up in some instances. Once everyone gets their festival tickets, they are going to start booking hotels.
The difference in hotel prices in April versus August can be quite staggering for a lot of the hotels.
Are the ticket and hotel packages worth it?
There have been a couple people in the past that did the math and determined that it was cheaper to buy your tickets and the hotels separately. However, that assumed that you booked the hotel early, before prices spike. If you waited too long to book the hotel, then the packages made better sense.
Since tickets haven't gone on sale yet and we don't know much about what, if any packages will be offered (at the time of this post), the math may work out very different this year.
What is the area like around the festival?
If you leave the festival grounds and walk to the Fremont Street Experience, you will be fine. Just about every other direction around the festival area can be a little sketchy at night.
There were people that stayed at the Thunderbird Hotel last year. I have met people that stayed at Hostel Cat as well. Both are OK but know they are roughly a mile away from the festival. Walking to the festival during the day is fine, but you probably don't want to walk back to those locations after the festival ends.
What if I am staying on The Strip or further away? How do I get to and from the festival each day?
You have plenty of options. You can Uber or Lyft. Getting to the festival should be easy, but be prepared for long lines and big surge pricing after the festival ends. To combat that, head out to Fremont Street for a little bit and then organize your ride.
You can also take a regular taxi. Here's a tip: if you take a taxi back, walk to one of the Fremont Street hotels and hail the taxi from there. You won't be up against hordes of other people trying to leave right outside the festival gates.
You can drive and park. The festival offers parking at the World Market and provides shuttles to and from there. I did this the first year of the festival and it was very efficient. However, they now charge per person in the car so I wouldn't recommend this option.
The city of Las Vegas opened three lots close to the festival last year for parking and you could book a spot for as little as $15 per day. Other people and businesses have provided private parking as well and the prices have been all over the place.
Finally, you can take The Deuce bus between downtown and certain hotels on The Strip. It will be the slowest method of transportation, but $8 will get you to and from the festival each day and it runs every 15-20 minutes, 24 hours a day.
What is the food and drink like inside the festival?
Food has always been a big part of this festival. They will release a food lineup before the festival and it usually quite good. If there is nothing you like or it is too expensive, you can always leave the festival for cheaper eats on Fremont Street.
As for alcohol, they have bars and a craft beer area. As you would expect, prices are inflated big time. However, you can always go into Container Park, which is contained within the festival grounds and go to the restaurants and bars in there. The businesses in there jack up food and drink prices from what they normally charge, but it will be a little cheaper than in the rest of the festival.
Can I bring food and drink inside the festival?
Outside food and drink (other than water) is not allowed. Can you sneak it in? Maybe. If you are experienced and successful at doing this at other festivals, you will probably be able to do it here as well.
For the last couple years you were allowed to bring in two sealed water bottles (up to 1 liter, I believe) that were full of water. You could bring in empty bottles and/or an empty Camelback. They have water refill stations within the festival.
What is security like?
I don't go to a lot of festivals myself, but I have found it to be the same as most other festivals.
A lot of people thought security would be tighter last year after the events in Vegas in 2017 but it really wasn’t.
What will the weather be like?
Who knows? 2015 was the first year this festival moved to September (it used to be in October). That year it was over 100 degrees each day and was pretty miserable. That was followed by two years that were quite cooler than normal. Last year was pretty damn hot again.
What should I wear?
Whatever the hell you want. No one would care.
If you only take one bit of advice though, take this: wear comfortable shoes! The vast majority of the footprint of this festival is on asphalt. Make sure your feet are properly supported. If you are one of those people (like my wife) who thinks fashion should take priority over comfort...well, do that the other 362 days of the year if you like. I personally wear my gym or running shoes. They are rather ugly, but my feet thank me at the end of the festival.
Are there official after parties?
There have been official after parties each year. I'm sure there will be some this year as well.
The last two years they have done pool parties at the Downtown Grand at 10am, so it was a “before” party.
Is VIP worth it?
Everyone is going to have a different opinion on that. There are VIP-specific bars at the two main stages. They have AC, couches and private bathrooms. There is grass on the ground for VIP at the two main stages as well and you'll have more room to enjoy yourself. Now is all that worth over double the price? Only you can answer that for yourself.
It is important to note that only two of the four stages have a VIP area.
This thread from last year had a good debate going. Same with this one from a couple months ago.
What is the bathroom situation like?
The VIP bathrooms are air conditioned and nice.
As you might expect, for GA, there are porta potties everywhere, but there are real bathrooms outside of VIP to be found if you know where to look. Container Park has them. The cooling room inside the Western, where the art is sold has them. The building where the comedians performed last year (The Venue) has them. The building where the Miss Behave Game Show was hosted last year has them.
Is the festival kid friendly?
Previously, kids under six (I think) got in for free. I don't think that makes the festival kid friendly, but if you bring kids, there is a playground area in Container Park where the kids can play.
EDIT 4/16/19: The policy has changed. Now, only kids aged two and under get in free.
What is the bag policy?
The festival started a new policy where you could only bring in a clear regular sized backpack. You could still bring in a regular sized fanny pack and drawstring bags,
Any advice on the festival?
This is the best piece of advice I have seen regarding this festival. The line about the speakers may no longer be relevant because unfortunately, it seems as though LIB has gotten rid of the speaker series but they do have a comedy lineup, so you can replace the speakers with comedians and the advice is still good.
Once again, wear comfortable shoes!
Sorry for this being so long, but I hope it was worth the read.
List of Las Vegas casinos that never opened Over the years there have been several casinos and resorts planned for the Las Vegas Valley that never opened. The stages of planning may have been just an announcement or groundbreaking.[1][2][3] Asia Resort and Casino Where the Palazzo Casino and Resort currently stands (adjacent to the Venetian Hotel and Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center), an Asian themed casino was proposed but was rejected for the present Palazzo project.[4] Alon Las Vegas A proposed luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip on the former site of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino, announced in 2015.[5] The project was put in doubt after Crown Resorts announced in late 2016 it was suspending its involvement in the development.[6] Crown announced in December 2016 that it was halting the project and seeking to sell its investment. The remaining partner Andrew Pascal announced he was seeking other partners to proceed with the project. However in May 2017, the land went up for sale.[7] The land was later purchased by Steve Wynn. Beau Rivage Steve Wynn, who had purchased and demolished the Dunes hotel-casino, had originally planned to build a modern hotel in the middle of a man-made lake. He later built the Bellagio with a man-made lake in the front of the hotel.[citation needed] The name was later used by Wynn for a resort built in Biloxi, Mississippi. Caribbean Casino In 1988, a sign for a proposed casino was erected on a fenced vacant lot on Flamingo Road. Standing near the sign was a scale model galleon. For several years, that was all that stood on the property. The empty lot was the source of many jokes by the locals until the ship, which was later damaged by a fire started by a homeless person, was torn down in the 1990s and the lot became the site of the Tuscany Suites and Casino co-owned by Charles Heers, who has owned the property since the 1960s.[8] Carnival In 1990, the Radisson group proposed a 3,376-room hotel next to the Dunes, with a casino shaped like a Hershey's Kiss.[9] Cascada A proposed resort that was to have been built on the site of El Rancho Vegas. The parcel is now partially taken by the Hilton Grand Vacations Club and Las Vegas Festival Grounds.[4] City by the Bay Resort and Casino A San Francisco-themed resort was proposed for the site of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. The project was rejected in favor of the Swiss-themed Montreux, which was also eventually cancelled.[4] Countryland USA A country music-themed resort was planned for construction of the site of the former El Rancho Hotel and Casino. For some years, the El Rancho sign stood with the words "Coming Soon - Future Home of Countryland USA."[10][11] Craig Ranch Station Main article: Craig Ranch Station A Mediterranean-themed hotel-casino for North Las Vegas, proposed by Station Casinos in March 2000.[12] The project faced opposition from nearby residents,[13][14][15] which led to the proposed location being changed to a vacant property on the nearby Craig Ranch Golf Course.[16] Residential opposition to the new location led to the project being rejected by the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee in March 2001. Station Casinos still had the option to develop the project on the initial site,[17][18] but the project was cancelled entirely in July 2001, following a weak financial quarter for the company.[19] Crown Las Vegas Main article: Crown Las Vegas Formerly known as Las Vegas Tower, the Crown Las Vegas was to have been a supertall skyscraper built on the former site of a Wet 'n Wild water park. In March 2008, the project was canceled and the property was put up for sale.[20] Desert Kingdom In 1993, ITT Sheraton purchased the Desert Inn casino, and had announced plans to develop the large parking lot into a Balinese themed resort to complement the Desert Inn. The project was never developed and the site is now the location of Wynn Las Vegas.[4] DeVille Casino After building the Landmark Hotel and Casino on Convention Center Drive and selling it to Howard Hughes, developer Frank Carroll built the DeVille Casino across the street from the Landmark at 900 Convention Center Drive in 1969. Chips were made for the casino (and are sought-after collectibles), but the casino never opened.[21] The building was renovated in 1992 as a race book parlor named Sport of Kings which closed after nine months.[22] It became the location of The Beach nightclub, which was demolished in 2007 to make room for a planned 600-unit tower[23] that was never built.[24] The land sits currently empty. Echelon Place Main article: Echelon Place An announced project by Boyd Gaming planned to have a hotel built on the property of the former Stardust Resort & Casino. Construction was suspended on August 1, 2008 due to the Great Recession. In March 2013, Boyd Gaming sold the proposed site for $350 million to the Genting Group, which is redeveloping the project as the Asian-themed Resorts World Las Vegas. Fontainebleau Las Vegas Main article: The Drew Las Vegas Located on the Las Vegas Strip and originally known as Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Construction began in 2007, and the resort was to include a casino, 2,871 hotel rooms, and 1,018 condominium units.[25] Construction on the $2.9 billion project ceased in 2009, the year of its planned opening. Investment firms Witkoff Group and New Valley LLC purchased the unfinished resort in 2017.[26] In 2018, Witkoff and Marriott International announced a partnership to open the renamed project as The Drew Las Vegas in 2020. The resort will include a casino and three hotels totaling nearly 4,000 rooms, with the condominium aspect removed from the project.[27] Harley-Davidson Hotel and Casino A resort themed after the motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson was proposed, complete with hotel towers shaped like gigantic exhaust pipes, but was never built.[4] Jockey Club Casino The Jockey Club is a condominium and timeshare resort at 3700 Las Vegas Boulevard South. It was planned to have a casino, and chips were made for its use, but the casino was never opened.[28] Kactus Kate's By April 1994, Gold Coast Hotel and Casino owner Michael Gaughan was interested in building a hotel-casino in North Las Vegas,[29] at the northeast corner of North Rancho Drive and Carey Avenue. In January 1995, the city planning commission approved the rezoning of the land for use as a hotel-casino. The resort, to be named Kactus Kate's, would be built by Gold Coast Hotel/Casino Limited. The hotel would include 450 rooms, and the casino would be 105,000 sq ft (9,800 m2),[30] later decreased to 102,000 sq ft (9,500 m2).[31] The resort would be located directly north of the nearby Fiesta and Texas Station resorts.[31] In December 1998, Coast Resorts, Inc. received approval from the planning commission for a use-permit relating to the undeveloped property. In November 2000, the planning commission unanimously approved a two-year extension on the permit, giving the company more time to decide whether it would build Kactus Kate's. Because of a 1999 Senate bill that placed restrictions on casinos in neighborhoods, Coast Resorts had a deadline of 2002 to build the casino. The hotel would measure over 100 feet (30 m) high, and Coast Resorts was required to notify the Federal Aviation Administration of its final plans, due to the site being located less than 1,000 feet (300 m) from a runway at the North Las Vegas Airport.[32] In January 2001, Station Casinos purchased the 29-acre (12 ha) site for $9 million. Coast Resorts president Harlan Braaten said, "As we saw the competitive nature of that area intensify, in terms of the size of competing facilities, we just felt we would have to build something much bigger than we had intended to compete with Texas Station and Santa Fe Station. It was just going to be a very expensive project, and we didn't feel the returns would be that good." Station Casinos planned to sell the property as a non-gaming site.[31] Las Vegas Plaza Main article: Las Vegas Plaza Not to be confused with the Plaza Hotel & Casino. This was to have been modeled after the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The project was announced shortly before the demolition of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino, where the new hotel would be built. Las Vegas Plaza was cancelled in 2011 due to the Great Recession. London Resort and Casino This announced project was to have been themed around the city of London, and featuring replicas of the city's landmarks. The project was to be built on land across from the Luxor Hotel and Casino. A second London-themed resort was to be built on the former land of the El Rancho Hotel and Casino. Neither project ever began construction.[4] London, Las Vegas This was a proposed three-phase project using London as its design inspiration. When completed, the 38.5-acre (15.5 ha) property would have featured 1,300 hotel rooms, a casino, a 500-foot-tall (152.4 m) observation wheel named Skyvue (partially constructed), and 550,000 square feet (51,097 square meters) of restaurants and shops — all of which would be architectural replicas of various British landmarks and neighborhoods.[33] The project was to be constructed on land across from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, where — as of November 2019 — the partially-constructed Skyvue still stands. The wheel was to be "Phase I of London, Las Vegas". Montreux Resort This Swiss-themed resort was to have been built on the property of the former New Frontier Hotel and Casino, but was ultimately cancelled.[34] Moon Resort and Casino Proposed by Canadian developer Michael Henderson, this is a planned 10,000-room, 250-acre (1.0 km2) lunar-themed casino resort.[35] Gaming experts doubt it will ever be built in Las Vegas, simply because the space planned for it is too large for the Las Vegas Strip.[4] NevStar 2000 Further information: Craig Ranch Station § NevStar 2000 Proposed by NevStar Gaming in 1998, the NevStar 2000 entertainment complex in North Las Vegas would have included a hotel and casino,[36] but the project faced opposition from nearby residents who did not want a casino in the area.[37][38] The project was cancelled when NevStar Gaming filed for bankruptcy in December 1999.[12] North Coast/Boyd Gaming project In May 2003, Coast Casinos had plans for the North Coast hotel-casino, to be built at the southwest corner of Centennial Parkway and Lamb Boulevard in North Las Vegas. The project would be built on approximately 40 acres (16 ha) of vacant land, surrounded by other land that was also undeveloped. At the time, the North Las Vegas Planning Commission was scheduled to review requests for zoning changes and approvals for the project. The project was not scheduled to be built for at least another four years, after completion of a highway interchange at Lamb Boulevard and the nearby Interstate 15, as well as the completion of an overpass over nearby railroad tracks. Bill Curran, an attorney for the land owner, said, "We're going through the zoning changes now so everybody knows what's going to be out there." The North Coast would include a casino, a 10-story hotel with 398 rooms, a bowling alley, movie theaters, and a parking garage.[39] In June 2003, the Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 to approve preliminary applications necessary to begin work on the North Coast.[40][41] Boyd Gaming, the owner of Coast Casinos, announced in February 2006 that it would purchase the 40-acre site for $35 million.[42] Jackie Gaughan and Kenny Epstein were the owners at the time.[43] Boyd Gaming had not decided on whether the new project would be a Coast property or if it would be similar to the company's Sam's Town hotel-casino. At the time, no timetable was set for building the project.[42] In March 2007, the project was put on hold. At the time, Boyd Gaming had been securing construction permits for the project but decided to first review growth in the area. Construction had been scheduled to begin in mid-2007.[44] In August 2013, Boyd Gaming sold the undeveloped property for $5.15 million.[43] Palace of the Sea Resort and Casino This was to have been built on the former Wet 'n Wild waterpark site. Conceptual drawings included yacht-shaped towers that housed suites, a casino resembling the Sydney Opera House and a 600-foot (180 m) tall Ferris wheel-type attraction dubbed a "Sky Wheel". It never left the planning stages.[4] Paramount Las Vegas A casino and hotel and condo resort with more than 1,800 units that was planned by Royal Palms Las Vegas, a subsidiary of Royal Palms Communities.[45][46] The project was to replace the Klondike Hotel and Casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip,[47][45] beside the Las Vegas welcome sign.[48] The resort was approved in October 2006,[45] but an investor pulled out of the project in August 2007, and the land was put up for sale in May 2008.[46] Pharoah's Kingdom Pharoah's Kingdom was planned as a $1.2 billion gaming, hotel and theme park complex to be built on 710 acres (290 ha) at Pebble Road and Las Vegas Boulevard, five miles south of the Las Vegas Strip.[49][1] Construction was approved in October 1988,[49] with Silano Development Group as the developer.[50] The project would have an Egyptian theme, including two 12-story pyramids made of crystal, with each containing 300 suites. The hotel would have a total of 5,000 rooms,[50] making it the largest in the world.[51] The 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m2) casino would include 100 table games and 3,000 slot machines, while an RV park, mini-golf, a bowling alley, and a video game arcade would be located beside the casino area.[52] Three of the project's various pyramid structures would house the 50-acre (20 ha) family theme park. Other features would include sphinxes, man-made beaches, waterways resembling the Nile river, an underwater restaurant, a 24-hour child-care facility, a 100-tenant shopping promenade, and a repertory-style theater that would be overseen by actor Jack Klugman.[52] Additionally, the resort would feature an 18-hole PGA Championship golf course,[52] and a monorail located within the theme park.[50] The project would have one mile of frontage along Las Vegas Boulevard.[52] Frank Gambella, president of the project, stated that financing was in place, with groundbreaking planned for March or April 1989. Gambella said the project would be financed by several entities, with the money coming from a Nevada corporation, suggesting the entities would be grouped together as an umbrella corporation. Gambella stated that the project could be opened by Labor Day 1990. The resort was expected to employ 8,000 people. Following the completion of the resort, Gambella said a complex of 750 condominiums would be built on the land along with 900 retirement-care apartments.[52] The project was cancelled shortly after it was announced, as authorities became suspicious of developer Anthony Silano's fundraising efforts for the project. It was discovered that Silano and his associates hacked into the Switzerland bank accounts of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos following his death in 1989. Silano pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges. Another Egyptian-themed resort, Luxor Las Vegas, would open on the south Las Vegas Strip in 1993.[1] Planet Hollywood Resort (original plans) Not to be confused with the current Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Originally planned to open in the late 1990s on the site of the Desert Inn, it was to be one of the largest hotels in Las Vegas. Because of the bankruptcy of Planet Hollywood Restaurants, the hotel was never built. However, in the 2000s, a group of investors bought the new Aladdin Hotel and Casino and remodeled it with a modern Hollywood theme.[4] Playboy Hotel and Casino A proposed casino resort themed after Playboy magazine was rejected in favor of a nightclub and suites built at the top two floors of the new Palms tower.[4] The planned location for the Playboy Hotel and Casino, on the Las Vegas Strip, was later used for the Cosmopolitan resort.[53] Santa Fe Valley Main article: Santa Fe Valley Santa Fe Gaming, which owned the Santa Fe hotel-casino in northwest Las Vegas, had plans for a second Santa Fe property in 1996.[54] The Santa Fe Valley would be built on a 40-acre (16 ha) lot[55] in Henderson, Nevada, adjacent to the Galleria at Sunset mall. The start of construction was delayed several times because of poor financial quarters for Santa Fe Gaming,[54] and because of the company not yet receiving financing for the project.[56] Site preparation started in July 1998, with an opening date scheduled for December 1999,[57] but construction never began. In 1999, the property was sold to Station Casinos,[58][59] which sold the land a year later for use as a shopping center.[60] Shenandoah Hotel and Casino A project by Wayne Newton. Although the hotel operated for a short time at 120 E. Flamingo Road, the management was unable to get a gaming license. After years of floundering it was sold to a Canadian company and became Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino. Silver City proposals By January 2000, Luke Brugnara was planning to build a San Francisco-themed resort on the site of the closed Silver City Casino.[61] Brugnara intended to give Silver City a multimillion-dollar renovation, with plans to have a fully operational hotel-casino by 2002.[62] In March 2001, Brugnara's request for a gaming license was rejected.[63] In May 2002, it was announced that Brugnara had sold the casino while retaining six acres located behind the building.[64] In 2003, Brugnara was planning to build a 24-story, 304-room hotel and casino resort on a portion of the Silver City property. The resort, to be named "Tycoon", was to be designed by Lee Linton, with an expected cost of approximately $100 million.[65] Starship Orion International Thoroughbred Breeders (ITB) announced plans to demolish the El Rancho and construct Starship Orion, a $1 billion hotel, casino, entertainment and retail complex with an outer space theme, covering 5.4 million square feet (501,676 square meters). The resort was to include seven separately owned casinos, each approximately 30,000 square feet (2,787 square meters).[66][67] Each potential casino owner was to contribute up to $100 million to own and operate a casino within the complex.[68] The complex would have included 300,000 square feet (27,871 square meters) of retail space, as well as 2,400 hotel rooms and a 65-story hotel tower. ITB hoped to begin construction later in 1996, with a planned opening date of April 1998.[67] Sunrise This was to have been located at 4575 Boulder Highway. Property developer Michael Mona Jr. built the hotel-casino and stated that he was going to break tradition by starting a "casino without a theme". He failed to get an unrestricted gaming license when suspicions arose concerning his associations with alleged organized crime figures. Chips were made for the casino, but were never used.[69] The building was opened as Arizona Charlie's Boulder. Titanic In 1999, Bob Stupak was planning a 400-foot-high (122 m) resort themed after the RMS Titanic, to be built on a 10-acre (4 hectares) property he owned near downtown Las Vegas. The resort would have included 1,200 rooms, 800 of which were to be used for timeshares to help finance the project. That year, planning commissioners rejected Stupak's request to change the zoning to allow for a hotel.[70] The project was later planned for the former site of the El Rancho Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip, but was rejected by the Las Vegas City Council.[4] W Las Vegas Main article: W Las Vegas W Las Vegas was proposed in August 2005, as a $1.7 billion joint project between Starwood and Edge Resorts, with a scheduled opening in 2008. The project would include a 75,000 sq ft (7,000 m2) casino and approximately 3,000 hotel, condo hotel, and residential units.[71][72] The project was cancelled in May 2007, after Starwood pulled out of the deal.[73] Wally's Wagon Wheel Wally's Wagon Wheel was to be developed by Walter Weiss through his company, Magna Leisure Partnership.[74][75] The project was proposed for 2200 South Boulder Highway in Henderson,[76][77] between Wagon Wheel Drive and Roberts Road,[78] near Henderson's Old Vegas western theme park. Manga Leisure Partnership purchased the 15.5-acre property in late February 1988. Weiss, at that time, had tentative plans for a western-themed, 112-room property known then as the Wagon Wheel Hotel and Casino. The Wagon Wheel was expected to cost $15 million, and financing had yet to be obtained for the project, which Weiss expected to open in early 1990.[74] The project, which would include a 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) casino, was to be built in two phases.[79] By October 1991, Wally's Wagon Wheel remained unbuilt due to difficulty obtaining financing.[80][76] That month, the Henderson Planning Commission voted to give Weiss more time to make progress on the project. At that time, the project was to include 204 hotel rooms and would be built on 13.30 acres (5.38 ha). Weiss noted that the nearby successful Sam's Town hotel-casino opened with 204 rooms, and he believed his project would be successful if he opened with the same amount of rooms for good luck.[76] By the end of 1992, Weiss had still not acquired financing for Wally's Wagon Wheel. At the time, the project was the largest of five casinos being planned for Henderson. The three-story project was to include 200 rooms, two restaurants, a theater lounge for country and western entertainment, and a large bingo room. Weiss stated that groundbreaking was scheduled for May 1993, with an expected opening in June 1994. The hotel-casino would employ approximately 600 people upon opening.[81] Weiss met with nearby residents to discuss the project, and he had the original design changed to include a larger buffer zone between homes and the hotel-casino. In November 1994, the Henderson Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Weiss' requested zone change as part of the redesign. The project, at that time, was to include a one-story casino and a four-story hotel with 400 rooms.[82][83] In December 1994, the Henderson City Council rejected Weiss' plans for a 200-foot (61 m) buffer.[84] In July 1997, the unbuilt project received its sixth extension from the Henderson Planning Commission for a use permit and architectural review.[85] In August 1997, the Henderson City Council approved the sixth extension, but denied Weiss' appeal for a one-year extension, instead giving him six months to make progress on the project.[77] Up to that time, $1.7 million had been invested in the project by Magna Leisure Partnership.[86] As of 1998, the project was expected to cost $80 million and employ at least 1,200 people, and the proposed site had increased to 19 acres (7 ha). At that time, Weiss stated that he was close to obtaining financing for the project from a casino operator.[87] The project was never built. Wild Wild West Not to be confused with Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel. As of 1993, Station Casinos owned a 27-acre (11 ha) site on Boulder Highway with the potential to be developed as a casino. The site was located across the street from Sam's Town hotel-casino.[88] In January 1998, Crescent Real Estate Equities Co. announced plans to purchase Station Casinos, which had intended to sell the land prior to the announcement.[89] By March 1998, Station Casinos was planning to develop a hotel-casino complex on the land, which was occupied by a vacant strip mall. The complex would be known as Wild Wild West, with local residents as the target clientele.[90][89] Crescent's purchase of Station Casinos failed in August 1998, and Station Casinos subsequently slowed its plans to build the project.[91] By the end of the year, the project had received approval from the Clark County Planning Commission for a 273,000 sq ft (25,400 m2) casino and a 504-room hotel.[92] No timetable for construction was announced,[92][93] and Station Casinos had already decided by that point not to start any new projects prior to 2000.[92] Station Casinos sold the undeveloped land for $11.2 million to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in April 2004.[94] World Port In 2000, Howard Bulloch, David Gaffin, and their partner Tom Gonzales transferred ownership of the Glass Pool Inn property to their group, known as New World, with plans for a megaresort.[95] New World purchased several other nearby motels to accumulate a 77-acre (31 ha) parcel located on the Las Vegas Strip and east of the Mandalay Bay.[96] In January 2001, plans were announced for World Port Resorts, a megaresort consisting of hotel-casinos, a convention center and a fine arts facility. The project was to be built on the 77-acre (31 ha property, a portion of which was occupied by the Glass Pool Inn.[96] World Trade Center To have been located at 925 East Desert Inn Road. Leonard Shoen, co-founder of U-Haul truck rental, purchased the property of what had been the Chaparral Hotel & Casino in 1996, renovating it into the World Trade Center Hotel. A gaming license was applied for, but when it was discovered that two of Shoen's closest partners were convicted felons, the application was denied in 1998. He withdrew his application, and died in a car crash in 1999 that was ruled a suicide. Cards and gaming chips were produced for the World Trade Center Casino, but were never used.[97] The property has since been demolished and is now a parking lot, part of the Las Vegas Convention Center Annex. World Wrestling Federation A casino resort themed after the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was proposed for a property near the Interstate 15 freeway across from Mandalay Bay. The project never went past the proposal stage.[4] The land where it would have stood is now Allegiant Stadium. WWF also proposed to open the project on the property once used by the Clarion Hotel and Casino, which was demolished in 2015 to become a parking lot. Xanadu In February 1976, the Clark County Commission approved the 23-story Xanadu resort, to be built on the Las Vegas Strip at the corner of South Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. The resort would include approximately 1,700 hotel rooms and a casino, as well as convention facilities, a showroom, dining, and indoor tennis courts. The resort was to be developed by Tandy McGinnis – of Bowling Green, Kentucky – and his Xanadu Corporation, and would be built on 48.6 acres (19.7 ha) owned by Howard Downes, a resident of Coral Gables, Florida.[98][99][100] The Xanadu would feature a pyramid design, and was expected to cost $150 million.[100] It would have been the first themed mega-resort. Much information and many artifacts of the project are housed at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas library. The Excalibur Hotel and Casino ultimately opened on the property in 1990.[101] See also Category:Defunct casinos in the Las Vegas Valley List of Atlantic City casinos that never opened
Downtown Grand rooms are designed to set a new standard for downtown Las Vegas, featuring pillow-top mattresses, HD flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi, and modern amenities in a refreshingly retro setting. Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino is home to Triple George Grill, a classic steak house offering perfectly dry-aged steak and Bay-style seafood dishes. Casino Promotions, Offers and Drawings. From $1 Blackjack tables to action-packed slot tournaments where you earn chances to win cash giveaways and other perks, The Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino is always looking for fun new ways to reward our hotel guests and casino players for their loyalty. Downtown Grand rooms are designed to set a new standard for downtown Las Vegas, featuring pillow-top mattresses, HD flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi, and modern amenities in a refreshingly retro setting. Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino is home to Triple George Grill, a classic steak house offering perfectly dry-aged steak and Bay-style seafood dishes. Grand Hotel Casino Las Vegas prides itself on winning the Las Vegas Review Journal’s “Best Hotel Value in Las Vegas Award”. It also won the “Best Casino Award” of Casino Player for its 375 slot and video poker machines as well as its exciting table games. Guests of Grand Hotel Downtown Las Vegas are sure to have an authentic feel of the city with its dynamic environment, vibrant ... The Art of the Getaway Since 2013 the Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino has been a preferred destination for visitors who want an authentic Vegas experience. Lage: Downtown Grand Las Vegas besticht durch eine zentrale Lage in Las Vegas, nur wenige Schritte von Mob Museum und 4 Gehminuten von Four Queens Casino entfernt. Dieses Hotel mit Casino ist 0,4 km von Fremont Street Experience und 0,4 km von The D Casino Hotel entfernt. Ausstattung der Anlage: Zum Angebot gehören ein Businesscenter, eine rund um die Uhr besetzte Rezeption und mehrsprachiges ... The casino at Downtown Grand has been the driving force for me to want to book a room. It is one of my favorites in Las Vegas. DTG’s gaming floor has a modern vibe, 375 slot games to choose from, as well as some of the most advantageous video poker pay tables you’ll find in Vegas. Located in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, Downtown Grand, features the Citrus Grand Pool Deck, the largest pool deck in all of Downtown Las Vegas. This hotel and casino is 1,300 feet from Fremont Street Experience and 650 feet from the Mob Museum. All guest rooms offer 40-inch flat-screen HDTVs, bedside tables and a build-in work desk. USA Nevada (NV) Las Vegas Sehenswürdigkeiten und Aktivitäten in Las Vegas Casino at The Downtown Grand ... Find the best prices on Downtown Grand Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas and get detailed customer reviews, videos, photos and more at Vegas.com. Fun and stylish, Downtown Grand has comfortably appointed and affordable rooms just steps away from Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas.
