Since 1999, providing a panoramic perspective of Las Vegas, including: history, food reviews, hiking, day trips, local information and photos of this great city.
Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon closed on February 4, 2013
Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon closed on February 4, 2013. Originally opened as the Barbary Coast on March 2, 1979. The casino was built by Michael Gaughan and opened in March at a cost of $11.5 million. Over time, this property, along with others owned by Gaughan would become Coast Casinos Inc. Gaughan shared partnership in the Barbary Coast with Kenny Epstein, Tito Tiberti, Frank Toti and Jerry Herbst.
In July 2005, the Barbary Coast Hotel & Casino was bought by Boyd Gaming. again, in September of 2005, Boyd purchased the 4.3 acres of land under the hotel for $16 million. The hotel had previously been leasing the land.
In 2007, Boyd gave the Barbary Coast to Harrah’s Entertainment in exchange for the 24-acre site of the demolished Westward Ho, to be used for the Echelon Place project. The Barbary Coast closed at 2:00 a.m. on February 27 and reopened on March 1, newly rebranded as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon, in honor of company founder Bill Harrah.
After nearly six years of continuous operations, Bill’s closed on February 4, 2013 for renovation into a boutique hotel. Plans call for remodeling of the guest rooms and casino floor, a new restaurant, and construction of a 65,000 square foot rooftop pool and dayclub/nightclub and will reopen as the Cromwell.
Photo by: Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0
Date Taken: 2 November 2, 2007
A winter storm dumped 7.4 inches of snow on the valley floor on January 31, 1979. The Clark County School District closed the schools and sent everyone home.
My house in Las Vegas January 31, 1979
Photo by: LasVegas360.com
Another snow event was in 1974 with a 24 hr total of 9 inches on January 4-5, 1974
The casinos of Vegas provide the perfect opportunity to begin to play poker.
Spending time on the Las Vegas Strip can provide the perfect opportunity to explore the fascinating card game of poker if you’ve never played a game before or starting out in the discipline. However, it’s critical to begin the right way — even if you do have a few games already under your belt — since any bad habits you develop at this stage will go on to have negative effects on your game for quite some time. Here are some top tips to keep in mind, which cover both playing at a casino and online.
1. Understand Hand Rankings
It almost goes without saying that if you’re a complete poker novice, you’ll need to learn the rules, but even if you’re a rookie, it’s worth taking the time to understand poker hand rankings. For example, you need to do some studying up if you don’t know that a flush beats a straight or can’t name and describe the hand that beats them both
2. Only Play Good Starting Hands
As a beginning player, it’s critical that you keep your game “tight” before the flop. That means that you should only play “decent to good” starting hands, even if you do end up folding most of the hands you have. Of the 169 playable starting hands dealt in poker, beginners should only play around 15–20 percent of these (AK to K8, AQ to J9, AT, JT, J9 and all pairs).
Starting hand charts are useful tools for beginners
3. Resist the Urge to Bluff
Following on from playing decent starting hands, when you’re starting out, you should keep bluffing to an absolute minimum. When you start moving on to higher-stakes games and bigger tables, bluffing will become an organic part of the game. But to begin with, only think of playing when you have a decent to good starting hand and fold when you don’t.
4. Avoid High-Stakes Games
Speaking of high-stakes games: don’t make the mistake of playing games with stakes that are much too high for you. Whether you’re playing in a casino or online, start with the lowest limit games. Such games can still be challenging and still help you develop your skill set and perfect your starting strategy, but blinds are much more affordable ($1 to $5), and buy-ins won’t be any more than $200.
5. Play within Your Bankroll
Sticking with money for a moment: it’s crucial that all inexperienced poker players play within their bankroll. Indeed, this is advice that the world’s best players stick to religiously. Your bankroll is the pot of money that you have set aside for the poker game you play. To cover variance in a game, it’s worth setting your bankroll at the equivalent of 15–20 buy-ins for the game you play. So, if your buy-in is $50, you should have a minimum of $750 in your bankroll. Remember that this amount is a limit, not a goal, so when you find yourself close to empty, fold and try again another day.
6. Take Advantage of Online Offers
Although this tip is for aspiring online poker players, even if you’re more interested in live games and tournaments, you can still get a lot of value from playing online. As a beginner to playing poker online, it makes sense to start with a minimum deposit online casino or poker room. You may not be able to access the higher-stakes games by signing up with a $5 deposit, however, until you start winning games and increasing your bankroll, minimum deposits will cut out any unnecessary expenditure.
7. Go Fishing
We get it, as an aspiring Vanessa Rousso or Phil Ivey, you probably want to play against pros of such caliber as soon as possible. One of the best ways you can develop in poker is to sit at a table with players who are worse than you. You can spot these “fish” because they will play a lot more than those decent to good hands mentioned above and do so passively (just sitting in the pot). Since they’re making such obvious mistakes, you’re more likely to make money playing games against players like this as opposed to solid players with an aggressive game.
8. Be Aggressive with Your Hand
Speaking of aggressive play: this is something you should start doing as quickly as possible. Aggressive play will require you to come into the pot for a raise regularly — especially if you are the first player in the pot. It also helps you to gain control of the pot, making it much easier to win after the flop. A good rule to follow is to make each raise 3x the big blind amount if you’re unsure about raising when starting out.
9. Limit the Number of Tables You Play
This tip is another one especially relevant for online players where the temptation is higher to get involved in multiple tables. However, it’s as crucial that live players remember it, too. Your main goal as a novice payer should be to absorb as much information from a game as you can so that you can develop an airtight poker strategy. Multi-tabling can come later when you start raking in the profits, so for the present, stick with one table and watch how your opponents play as well as take note of the hands that they have.
10. Only Play When You Want to Play
Poker is a strategic game, requiring a calm mind and the ability to make lots of quick (and critical) decisions. That’s why you should only come to the table or log in to your poker room when you have the energy and headspace to play. The process of playing a poker game is emotional enough itself without you add to this by bringing tiredness, negativity, anger or intoxication to the table. You need to establish this healthy boundary as early as possible if you want a long and lucrative poker career.
There are different notions about how casinos work, how the games are
operated, and many customers have suspicions about the outcomes and how fair
they are. However, many notions can be dispelled with the right information,
and that is what most online casinos strive to do. With industry standard
legislation and norms, there are practices in place that make the outcomes
random and fair. If you wish to try your luck at a reliable, licensed gambling
site log in to 32 red casino.
Here are five common myths about casinos explored and what is the true
situation behind such allegations:
Myth 1 – Predictable Trends
This is a notion that is often spread by several people. For instance,
many would say that the number 8 is being hit over and over again with the
craps shooter which means that this number needs to be hit on. Or, the roulette
wheel might be hitting the same number in several spins, and that means that
the game is rigged. Others complain that the dealer in a table card title
busted four times every time out of four hands.
The predictable trends and that they indicate a long-term edge for the
gamers is a myth. Such trends can be spotted, but that they would translate
into wins every time is a misleading concept. Trends can be seen and bet upon,
but that a player will gain a house edge by spotting trends every time is not
for sure.
Myth 2 – Cold Machines Become Hot
Slot machines are designed such that they win more decisions than the
customers do. However, customers do gain wins, and these are often fair or
large enough for them to want to play and play some more even. Cold machines
refer to those that stay ahead of customers while hot machines are those that
help players stay ahead in the game. Those who win slots at a machine title
often might feel that the machine is a hot one. However, there is nothing good
or bad about the machines and how they work since the slot machine software
would work as per a programmed algorithm. The notion about a hot or cold
machine boils down to people’s opinion about that particular game.
Myth 3 – Women Have More Luck with the Dice the
First Time
This is another common idea that does the rounds at casinos. It is said
to be the virgin principle, and it is said to apply to men as well. Many women,
as well as men, are known to have long rolls with the dice, but also there are
men and women whose first turn with the dice has gone down disastrously. The
myth hence is simply a myth and not one to rely upon.
Myth 4 – Third Baseman Usually Determines the
Game Outcome in Blackjack
This is another misleading notion since blackjack customers do not know how the cards would be that is coming up. The third baseman could always make a hit that turns out to be unfavorable, or the dealer could bust. Players can not disrupt the order as the order of the cards is unknown. Customers could jump in or get out of the game and in certain cases; a winning streak is seen for a player. However, a visitor cannot disrupt the order of the cards.
Myth 5 – Casino Games Are Rigged
Software at casinos is designed to ensure that the house edge prevails in the different games so that profitability is maintained. Hence, the slot games will see the house winning more decisions, whereas others will have a fixed percentage that is taken from the wins of players. For instance, roulette pays 35 to 1 on inside numbers; real payments are 36 to 1 on single zero wheels or 37 to 1 on double zero wheels. Casinos however short change wins of the player so that they can make money on the game. However, there is no fixed rigging such as a number 17 appearing spin after spin and so forth. These fixed outcomes are not allowed in fair and random game standards that most casinos follow.
Casinos, like any entertainment industry segment, have structures on their gaming software and how they operate. These are showcased in most gambling sites and terms are clearly defined. House edges are mentioned, and so are RTPs at the sites. These terms and clarifications ensure that customers realize the risk of losses when they start on certain categories. There are fair outcomes and possibilities of wins that players can still realize, and that is a reason the players come back for more at the gambling sites. After all, if the fair and random approach was not taken, then the casinos would not see customers come to play and wager their money. Hence, myths are usually developed on the basis of certain experiences of players and should be considered with a pinch of salt.
So, the guys want to get together and get wild? Is there a better place on Earth than Las
Vegas? There are so many things to do in
Las Vegas, that no matter what your vice of choice is, or isn’t, there is
something for everyone.
Let’s start with the obvious – gambling. When is the last time you and your buddies
could huddle up on a blackjack or craps table, make some bets, and have some
lovely ladies come by every so often and serve you drinks? Sure, there are many places in the USA and
abroad that offer casino gambling, but nothing like Las Vegas. If you play enough, you can even earn comps
towards your bill or hotel rooms!
Getting filthier, Las Vegas is one of the best strip club
towns on planet Earth. Starting with
Sapphires, Spearmint Rhino, and Crazy Horse 3, and down to all of the smaller,
lesser known ones like the Cheetah, Chicas Bonitas, and Little Darlings, there
are more women here to entertain you than you will know what to do with!
If you come during the Summer months, you’ll have all the
luxuries of the wonderful pool scenes Las Vegas offers. There are many pools that allow you to relax,
throw back some drinks, and take in the scenery, in addition to some other
pools, like Encore Beach Club, that allow you to turn up the volume as loud as
you want and spend money like it’s not a thing. No matter which category you
fall into, you’ll see scantily clad women looking for some action while on
vacation. This is where being single is
a man’s dream. The pool season is
officially from late March to late October, but you’ll also see outliers
enjoying the pools in other months.
A great place to meet women in Las Vegas is any lobby bar of
a hotel. These areas serve as meet-up
areas for groups of people who have their own rooms and need to meet up before
heading out for the night. You’ll always
find sexy women hanging around these lounges on evenings as they prepare for
dinner, shows, and the club scene.
A little known fact about Las Vegas is that many of the
cocktail waitresses will party with you after their shifts if you play your
cards right. There are many of them that
just want to let loose with guests for some no strings attached fun. Normally they can’t be on the property they
work at within a certain number of hours from the last or next time they work,
but with so many places to hang out in Vegas, you can easily find somewhere to
get a drink and let loose.
Fremont East Street in Downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Las Vegas, known as Fremont Street, is also a great
place
for single men to visit and party.
You’ll find no shortage of street performers, entertainers, and
drinking. It’s almost like a mardi gras
– only every day.
If you ever had apprehension about doing a “guys trip” to
Las Vegas, hopefully this article clarified just what you’ve been missing out
on. There are very few places like
it.
Evel Knievel failed attempt to jump the fountains at Caesars Place on December 31, 1967
On December 31, 1967, Daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump over the water fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Knievel’s jump was a 141 foot attempt and his longest to-date. When he hit the takeoff ramp, he felt the motorcycle unexpectedly decelerate. The sudden loss of power on the takeoff caused Knievel to come up short and land on the safety ramp which was supported by a van. This caused the handlebars to be ripped out of his hands as he tumbled over them onto the pavement where he skidded into the Dunes parking lot. As a result of the crash, Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist, and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in the hospital for a month in a reported coma for 29 days.
The Caesars Palace crash was Knievel’s longest attempted motorcycle jump at 141 feet. After his crash and recovery, Knievel was more famous than ever. ABC-TV bought the rights to the film of the jump; paying far more than they originally would have had they televised the original jump live. Ironically, when Knievel finally achieved the fame he had always wanted, and fortune now a distinct possibility, his doctors were telling him that he might never walk without the aid of crutches, let alone ride and jump motorcycles again.
On September 15, 1980, Gary Wells gained much media coverage, and much physical suffering, when he unsuccessfully tried to jump a motorcycle over the water fountains at the Caesars Palace. He sustained injuries to many different parts of his body.
April 14, 1989, Robbie Knievel, Evel’s son, successfully completed what his father could not do years before by completing the fountain jump.
On May 4, 2006, Mike ‘The Godfather’ Metzger jumped the Caesars Palace’s fountains that included a back flip.
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