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Labor Day Weekend: Beer Pong, A Bull, And Sweet Chocolate Love

September 2, 2010 at 1:09 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

We obviously played beer pong in the wrong basements.

Labor Day Weekend is already here. Hopefully you’ve scored a reasonable room rate and know what not to do this weekend. But there’s also plenty going on that you should do to say goodbye to summer. We'll bring you a roundup of the club and pool scene later on, but for now, here's what you can do that doesn't involve celebs or bikinis.

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The Five Best Budget Hotel Rooms In Vegas

July 29, 2010 at 12:16 PM | by juliab | 10 Comments

Sometimes, appearances can be deceptive. When it comes to the rooms, that is. Not the casino. Shudder.

Reader Santony may not agree with this, but we at VegasChatter are all about the bargains. But how do you tell if dealz really are dealz? How to differentiate between a $27 room at Excalibur and a $25 gaffe at Imperial Palace? Should you write off Hooters for being Hooters? And are the Rio “suites” actually places you’d want to set foot in?

Reader, we share your pain, and not just because on our first trip to Vegas we ended up at the Stratosphere. The other week, we were watching the poor souls making their way around IP when we shacked up in the room of hell, and it made us think: wow, if you didn’t know Vegas too well, you’d think that all cheap rooms in this town came with grimy mirrored ceilings and suicidal impulses on the side.

So to save you from popping into CVS for some razor blades, here’s our list of top budget hotel rooms in Vegas. We've shacked up in a lot of dross in order to sift out some goodies. You’re welcome.

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WSOP Final Table Set, Time For a Break

Where: 3700 W. Flamingo Road [map], 89103
July 20, 2010 at 2:12 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

These now millionaires, all in their best caps and sweats.

That’s a wrap for the 2010 World Series of Poker. For now at least. Way back on May 28, the series kicked off with a casino employee event and $50,000 Players Championship. The series saw record attendance and prizes this year. And while the $10,000 Main Event avoided last year’s controversy by accommodating all 7,319 who wanted to enter this year, smaller non-bracelet daily events did sell out which just point out the overall success of the series this year.

The Main Event played down to a final table of nine players over the weekend at the Rio. Play then stopped and will take a hiatus until November 6 when the final table resumes. The break in action allows ESPN to begin airing weekly WSOP coverage each Tuesday starting tonight with a 2010 preview. The hiatus also allows the media hype to begin leading up to what should be a competitive final table. Here’s a peek:

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What's Left of the WSOP?

Where: 3700 W. Flamingo Road [map], 89103
July 7, 2010 at 7:52 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 1 Comment

You see Batman but we see Summer Santa, Jack Nicholson, Carlos Santana, and a very ragged looking Nathan Lane.

Hard to believe the 2010 World Series of Poker is in the final stages already as the 57th and final tournament, the $10,000 Main Event, is underway. Depending on your perspective, there is either a lot of WSOP left, or very little.

Just over 2,600 players have started play the first two days with many of those already sharing their bad beat stories and looking forward to 2011. With so many players, one would think it'd be easy to jump the first busto for an interview? David Schwartz thought so too. Some still have their dream of big money alive either having yet to play with two starting days left or having survived to see Day 2. For those still alive, there is a long road ahead as the tourney will continue play for the next 11 days.

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Power to the People on the Rio's Sexy New Website

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 30, 2010 at 3:29 PM | by juliab | 0 Comments

Well helloooo there sexy. Yesterday, Pulse of Vegas (the Harrah’s blog) pointed out that the Rio has got a swish new website. Today, we checked it out. And we like it. We like it a lot!

We don’t remember the old one exactly, but we do recall it being a bit dark and skanky (much like the Rio’s casino floor, har har) so the new bright coloring is definitely a good step. What’s an even better step is the integration of its Facebook and Twitter accounts on there. But best - and bravest - of all is a link to its TripAdvisor reviews. Power to the people!

Also interesting is the inclusion of the Pulse of Vegas blog content. Basically, anything that’s tagged in the blog to the Rio will find its way onto the Rio homepage.

It’s technically a trial, but our Harrah’s spies say that traffic and bookings are up big time since it launched this week, so we’re thinking it’ll be permanent. We’re also thinking that if it really is that successful, Harrah’s will roll out the format to the rest of their sites, which would be cool. May we suggest a Pulse of Vegas post on how utterly ghastly the low-end rooms at Caesars are? Having that on the homepage might shame them into doing something about the Centurion Tower. Yes, Gary Loveman, we have long memories.

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Seen at the WSOP: Shannon Elizabeth’s Stack and Other Celebrity Sightings

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 16, 2010 at 3:15 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

What's with the hat and sweatshirt, dear Nadia? Oh, that's your poker face.

Every year the World Series of Poker draws some celebrities trying their hand at winning a bracelet. Some are known for their poker skills: Jason “Costanza” Alexander, former MLB pitcher Orel Hershisher, actor Don Cheadle to name a few. Others not so much: say UFC fighters Randy Couture and Forest Griffin, WWE Diva Torrie Wilson, and former NBA player turned “reality star” (I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”) John Salley.

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It's Official, Poker Makes You a Lady Magnet

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 15, 2010 at 12:25 PM | by juliab | 0 Comments

Haha. This is our favorite souvenir from the World Series of Poker. It’s partly the brutal honesty that we love, and partly the utter shamelessness – and it can be yours for just $20 at the official shop at the Rio.

It was our first trip down there and, poker virgins, may we suggest you might like to take a little time out from the pool and go down for a squiz? Because we have never seen anything like it. So many people playing for so much money, but in a weirdly relaxed atmosphere. The players arrive late! talk! They get up from their chairs! They get massages at the table! And then they get stoned in the carpark because the little darlings are stressed. Lovely.

And if you want an extra incentive, tomorrow, we’ll be bringing you a list of some extra special playahs to stalk look out for. Hold. Your. Breath.

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Tweet of the Weekend: Lighten Up But Don't Light Up

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 14, 2010 at 11:32 AM | by juliab | 1 Comment

Many people got trashed in Vegas this weekend, and lots of them told the world about it. So, every Monday (or Tuesday, in today’s case) we’re bringing you our favourite tweet of the weekend. And don’t forget to follow us at @vegaschatter.

Having been out with some World Series of Poker players this weekend, we were aware they were dark horses when it comes to letting their hair down at the end of their $180k wins.

But it seems like some of them have been relaxing a little too much for the Rio’s liking, by the looks of this tweet from @derricklaw last night:

I'm not a pothead, but Harrah's instituting lifetime bans to the WSOP for anyone found to be smoking a joing in the RIO parking lot? fascist

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WSOP: What You Missed So Far

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 9, 2010 at 7:41 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

We almost didn't see the $1.5 million because of Ed Hardy.

While it feels like the World Series of Poker just started, we're coming up on event #20 over at the Rio. This year’s series has already brought some interesting headlines and created an early buzz in the poker community. If you’ve been on Holly Watch and not keeping up on your poker happenings, here are some of the highlights so far:

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Best Shots to Follow Your Favorite WSOP Player

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
June 1, 2010 at 6:15 PM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

If you’re a fan of poker, you should be well aware that the World Series of Poker is officially underway. If your skills aren’t quite up to WSOP levels yet then you’re more honest with yourself than 50% 75% 90% most of the field. If your bankroll isn’t quite up to snuff, you should be playing the competing deepstack tournaments around town with smaller buy-ins.

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If Size (Of Your Poker Bankroll) Matters, Here Are Some Cheap WSOP Options

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89103
May 27, 2010 at 1:03 AM | by Mr Pappagiorgio | 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again already when ESPN and thousands of poker players with a dream descend into Vegas for the 41st World Series of Poker at the Rio. The poker marathon gets underway tomorrow night with a $500 casino employee event and $50,000 Player’s Championship and continues non-stop through July 17. While the cameras will focus primarily on the big buy-in tonight, the $10K main event, and the Ante Up for Africa charity event, there are plenty of cheaper opportunities to take your shot at winning some cash and get some practice in before the main event.

At the WSOP itself, the smallest buy-in event is $1,000. Dubbed the “economic stimulus” event when introduced last year, its popularity prompted organizers to run this event multiple times over the series this year. Other “small buy-in” events on the schedule start at $1,500 and run up to $5,000.

Still too rich for your blood? Don’t worry, this is Vegas and there are plenty of competing deepstack series running concurrently that may match your wallet (and ours):

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Voodoo Beach Lines Up Rockers for Summer Concert Series

Where: 3700 West Flamingo Road [map], 89109
May 17, 2010 at 6:42 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Expect things to be a little more rocking than this

While we wait for the tribute shows to show up at the Crown Theater at Rio Las Vegas, we do have the new summer concert series at Voodoo Beach to look forward to. The poolside concerts will be held on Thursdays from May through September.

Kicking it off on May 27 will be the rock band, Filter. Later in the summer, Hoobastank is expected to rock on July 8 while Crash Kings and Vertical Horizon will play August 19. More opening acts will be determined by radio station Area 108's battle of the bands style Big Break competition. And as you can gather, most of the bands here are rock bands. If you want some Top 40, you should head to Tao. In the mood for 80s rockers? Head to The Palms. Want Justin Bieber? Then scurry down to the Bahamas.

All shows will begin at 6pm and entrance if FREE with tickets printed from www.1079thealternative.com. But you have to be 21 or older to attend so don't bring your kid brother.