East Coast Gambler -

Maybe it’s an April fools joke.  Maybe it’s not.  According to @PHVegas on twitter Planet Hollywood will begin using the Total Rewards system on April 1.

We’re rolling out Total Rewards on April 1, so there are plenty of new perks and privileges coming to make our guests feel like celebrities!

Harrahs.com shows Planet Hollywood, but redirects you to the old reservation system and website for Planet Hollywood.  Unfortunately, this may take Planet Hollywood out of my plans for my next Vegas trip.  Oh well.

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New rumor: Harrah’s is buying Palms next.  How can this be possible?  Steve Friess from The Strip Podcast was the first person I saw with this rumor.  After reading his blog and the accompanying Financial Times article it seems as if we have a repeat of how Harrah’s purchased Planet Hollywood.

The piece relies on anonymous sources, albeit more than one, and notes that “the investment points toward a systematic strategy by Harrah’s to acquire other casinos through their distressed debt.”

Friess followed up this with a call to George Maloof, owner of Palms, to get even more information on the subject.

I just hung up with George Maloof, who cast doubt on the Financial Times’ report that Harrah’s has been buying up Palms debt by saying, flat-out: “They’re not going to take over my company. It’s so far remote.”

Great job of digging for info here.  I love the Palms in the same way I love Planet Hollywood.  Maybe it’s the independent nature of those casinos that draws me or maybe it’s the youthful, energetic crowd that both casinos seem to draw.

Mass homogenization of casinos is boring and it seems as if that’s where Las Vegas is heading.  This will create a wider gap for casinos like Wynn/Encore from MGM-Mirage and Harrah’s properties.

There is part of me that will pay for great service and there is another part that loves the comps provided by “The Man.”  I will sit here torn a little as I ponder whether or not I’m going to make it to Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

ALSO: Props to Steve Friess for the info here.  Follow The Strip Podcast on twitter, read the blog for more info and check the podcast.  A great source for Vegas info from a person that’s actually in Vegas.

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The Las Vegas Sun published their Top 10 Steakhouses in Las Vegas + 1 honorable mention.  I’ve been to 6 of the 11.  Not too shabby on my part.  I don’t think I’ll ever go to The Steakhouse at Circus Circus, so I won’t get to every steakhouse on this list.  I was planning to stop by at least one of these places on my next trip and it seems as if my choice is confirmed.

Here’s the Top 10

1. Carne Vino
2. Cut
3. Craftsteak
4. Delmonico
5. Stripsteak
6. Prime
7. Nero’s
8. SW
9. N9ne
10. The Steakhouse

Honorable mention: Golden Steer

I’ve linked to my reviews of the places I’ve been since I started ECG.  I’ve also been to N9ne and Delmonico.  Both of which are excellent and very different.  After my last visit to Carne Vino I find it hard to have that #1, but it’s in the running.  If I were in charge of order here I would move SW up, Carne Vino down.

I’ve been considering a couple of steakhouses for my next trip.  CUT and Striphouse (at Planet Hollywood) were under consideration and still are.  Everything I’ve read about CUT has been great, so I don’t think anything will bump that from consideration.  The New York Striphouse is one of the better steaks in NYC.  I’m not tied to that, but I love the vibe and I’m curious to check the Las Vegas location.

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I haven’t noticed this before, but there’s been a rumor that Harrah’s would be selling the Rio to Penn National, who has been looking to get into Las Vegas for a while now.  Last time I read (and wrote) about Penn National was their failed bid for Fontainebleau.

Penn National has been working it’s way towards Las Vegas for years and the Rio would be a healthy start for the company. Although the Rio is not located on the Las Vegas Strip it is considered a Las Vegas Strip property. Penn National has an extensive data base and it is unclear it they will be able to tap into the Harrahs Entertainment’s enormous database as part of the deal.

I think the Rio is a good entry point into Las Vegas for Penn National.  The purchase price should be less expensive then being on the strip, but its location is close enough to be part of the action.  There are also quite a bit to update at the Rio, but it’s not as though the place has to be destroyed.

This gives Harrah’s some extra cash so that it can pay down some of it’s debt when it’s due.  Or they can buy more casinos.

I’m looking forward to seeing some fresh blood in Las Vegas.  Maybe this will give me an excuse to wander on over later this trip.

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Resort Fees aren’t cool, but they aren’t always bad.  Hotels will charge whatever they want for a room.  They can charge $75 and make you pay for certain amenities or that can just charge you $95 and include the fees.  If you plan on using the amenities, maybe the resort fees save you a few bucks, maybe you pay a little more.  The effect is different for every traveler.

Well, Vegas.com has compiled a list of what you pay and receive from each hotel.  This is a great reference if you care where you’re money is going.  Resort Fees are on top of the per night rate.  Do a little math and find out what you pay and what you receive.

Thanks Vegas.com for the info!

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Harrah’s officially begins their takeover of Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas today.  Some things about the takeover are starting to trickle out.

…the property should be integrated into Harrah’s Total Rewards database by the end of March.

Harrah’s also plans some physical changes to the property, such as moving the high-limit room away from the front entrance and removing some of the slot machines.

Harrah’s acquisition of Planet Hollywood does not include some restaurants, Privé nightclub, the Miracle Mile Shops or the new 1,201-room PH Tower By Westgate.

A licensing agreement also allows Harrah’s to brand other casinos with the Planet Hollywood name internationally.

So effective immediately will be the movement of some slots and Total Rewards will get going by the end of next month. With a trip in early April, I’d like to see Total Rewards to kick in a little quicker.  I’d still like to stay here if possible.  A friend called reservations last night and they weren’t sure when the players club switchover would take place.  Now we have an idea.

I’m sure pay tables for video poker will be switched out over the weekend.  Can’t wait to play 7/5 Jacks or Better.  At the same time, maybe they’ll add the $5 9/6 Jacks or Better which they have in every other casino on the strip.

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I didn’t just play slots and video poker when I was in Las Vegas in December.  I played 3 card poker, 4 card poker, blackjack, blackjack switch and of course, bet on sports.  Unfortunately phones and cameras are shunned at the tables and sportsbook so there aren’t any pictures.

I didn’t only gamble at the Palazzo. I played a little at Wynn, Encore, Bellagio and Palms.  The people I was traveling with were blackjack players so most of my time at the tables was spent playing blackjack.

3 Card Poker
I only played at Palazzo and only played a couple of times.  If the table isn’t full I like to play multiple hands.  Palazzo didn’t allow me to do that.  I went at it with just one hand both times I played.  I lost everything I put in both times I played and lost it quickly.  I’d like to blame this loss on the rules at Palazzo.  I’ve had no problem playing two hands in Atlantic City.  Thumbs down to Palazzo.

One point to note; there was only one 3 card poker table open all weekend and it was rarely full.

4 Card Poker
I put a couple hundred bucks up while killing time at Bellagio.  I’ve only played this game once before and wasn’t too familiar with the rules.  Thankfully, I happened upon a table of very nice people.  The game was a slow bleed until my friends found me.  I wanted to play the hand blind, but was told not to.  I didn’t want to look at the cards, so I showed them to someone else at the table and ended up with a straight or a flush.  Whatever it was I won all of my money back + $5!  WOOOHOOO!

I probably won’t play this game again.  Most of the non-blackjack card games at Bellagio were packed.  This was the only table that had players that also had room for me.  There were a couple empty tables.  I don’t like playing these kind of games alone.

Blackjack Switch
This was the game I was most looking forward to trying out.  I wrote about it when I first heard about it last year.  Blackjack Switch it a newer table game where you are dealt two hands of blackjack and can switch cards dealt.  I learned two things about this game after playing at Wynn after a great steak dinner at SW.

First, I had a little too much wine with my steak and probably wasn’t in condition to experiment with a new game.  I lost my initial buy in of $200.  I was too confused to play the game properly.  I lost patience fairly quickly.  As a result I lost my money, but I had a good time losing it.  The game was fun and kind of slow.

The second thing I learned about Blackjack Switch came the following night when talking to a pit boss at Encore.  More people walk away winners at Blackjack Switch.  In fact I was one of the few losers they met that played the game.  Oh well, there will be a next time.  In fact, I just got an idea on when that next time will be!

The tables in this area at Wynn were pretty crowded for a Thursday night.  There was an entire pit area that was empty, so I guess they did a good job shuffling people to one area.

Sports Betting
I ended up at Legasse Stadium every day of this trip.  Unfortunately, I didn’t record all of my bets, but I did ended up on the plus side at sports betting.  I split my action between the NBA and NFL.  I may have lost one NBA game and a couple NFL parlays.  You can see my review of in game betting at the Palazzo here.

One resource I found shortly before my December trip is covers.com.  I like to use trends to help with my knowledge of NBA and NFL.  Covers.com color codes and simply lays out game and total trends.  It’s an easy read on an iPhone too.

Blackjack
I played a lot of blackjack on this trip because that’s what the others on the trip played.  The best time I had at the blackjack table was at Encore.  It was one of those runs that keep people gambling.  Read full details at Wynn and Encore Win Me Over.

I only played blackjack at Palazzo once and I went from up $700 to losing $300.  This was my first gambling session of the trip and it lasted about an hour.  It was a wild ride.  Kenny Rogers said it right..have to know when to walk away, know when to run!

We made a stop at Palms after a quick stink at Bellagio and it was a quick stop.  I turned $200 into $500 in about 20 minutes.  I don’t even remember the game.  A friend of a friend happened by and introduced his girlfriend.  Chit chat began and I just kept pressing winning bets.  Palms rules.

The best thing about my blackjack play is that none of the games I played were 6/5 payouts.

Overall, the tables didn’t treat me too poorly.  Bad runs in 3 card poker and Switch were made up for with wins at video poker, sports betting and blackjack.  I’ll take an even trip to Vegas every time!

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