Poker News

• February 21, 2012 Dancer at LVA: You don't have to be a video poker player to benefit from the advice in Bob Dancer's exclusive weekly column at lasvegasadvisor.com. For example, this week's is on the subject of calculating the equity in slot tournaments. A new article goes live every Tuesday, and there's always valuable information in there for any gambler, so check it out, if you haven't already.



• February 21, 2012 1000X Odds at the Riv: The Riviera, which currently offers single-zero roulette and 3/2 single-deck blackjack -- has now become the first hotel in the history of Las Vegas (to both our and their knowledge), to offer 1000X odds on its four crap tables.

The 1000x odds apply to bets placed on the Pass Line: Once the initial bet's placed, players can back it up with up to 1,000 times their initial bet.



• February 20, 2012 Poker Room Closes: The poker room at Fitzgeralds downtown has closed, currently replace by more slots. It's the second casualty this year that we've heard about, following the closure of the Silverton poker room last month.



• February 15, 2012 Poker Tournament News: The 4-day Wynn Classic no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament kicks off Feb. 22, with a $500 buy-in, while the 7th annual Opportunity Village Celebrity Poker Tournament takes place at Caesars Palace on April 7, with a seat at the 2013 WSOP Main Event up for grabs. The entry fee's $300.



• February 15, 2012 Fights on Fuel: Tonight's the inaugural UFC fight on "Fuel" and Cabo Wabo Cantina in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is hosting a viewing party for fight fans. Doors open at 4 p.m. and admission to the party, which will include the showing of all matches leading up to the main event -- the welterweight fight between Diego "The Dream" Sanchez and Jake "The Juggneraut" Ellenberger -- is free.



• February 14, 2012 Rugby Sevens Breaks Record: This year's USA Rubgy Sevens tournament at Sam Boyd Stadium was the biggest to date in the event's three-year relationship with Las Vegas, with a record-breaking crowd of 64,551 fans attending the three-day competition. the crowd of 30,323 on Saturday, Feb. 11 was the largest crowd  ever to attend a live rugby match in the U.S. Congrats to the organizers on a great event.



• February 13, 2012 Station Poker Gets Romantic: Celebrate Valentine's Day with Station Casinos tomorrow, with a Jumbo Hold'em Jackpot on Jacks in all eight poker rooms valley-wide tomorrow. Catch four Jacks on the Flop and get $10,000, or $1,000 for catching four Jacks on the Turn or River.



• February 13, 2012 Bluff Bought: Churchill Downs Inc., owner of the race track that's home to the Kentucky Derby, has purchased the assets of Bluff Media, including Bluff Magazine, plus an online database that tracks and ranks the performance of poker players, and other online content aimed at poker enthusiasts.



• February 12, 2012 Esposito to Stations: Long time sports book operator Chuck Esposito is the new director at Sunset Station. The hire reunites Esposito with Art Manteris, vice president of race and sports book operations at Stations. The two worked together when Manteris was known as the "Super Bookie" at LV Hilton.



• February 11, 2012 Rugby Today: The USA 7s Rugby tournament begins at noon and runs all day at Sam Boyd Stadium. The games are fast and fun to watch and the crowd is energized. Afterward, Sunset Station is the host casino. Look for the LVA white board in the stands with lines on the games made by Anthony Curtis and his rugby brain trust -- for entertainment purposes only, of course.



• February 10, 2012 Weekend Detours for US 95: Last weekend's closures and detours will be reinstated on the U.S. 95 this evening as work resumes on the Summerlin flyover bridge. The second major closure kicks in at 7 p.m. tonight and will run through 5 a.m. Monday. Click here for more information and details about closures and detours.



• February 10, 2012 Free Training for WSOP Dealers: Caesars Ent. is offering free training for dealers for the 2012 WSOP, which takes place May 27th to July 16th at the Rio. The training sessions each last three weeks and run Mon. to Fri., 5 p.m.-10 p.m., or 1 1a.m.-4 p.m. There's also an Advanced Session for those who've successfully completed the No Limit Hold'em training. If you're interested, check out the ad on craigslist, or visit the Caesars Ent. employment site and look up Job Posting Number 2806986: 2012 WSOP Dealer Academy AM. Registration is at the Rio Human Resources Office, Mon. to Thur., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 702/777-7715 for more information.



• February 10, 2012 Beer and Rugby Party: Sunset Station, the official hotel of the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament currently taking place, tonight hosts the official opening party. The International Beer Festival will take place from 8-11 p.m. in the amphitheater and will feature 11 varieties of beer from many of the countries represented in the tournament, including Steinlager (New Zealand), Smithwicks (Ireland), and Bass (UK). Food will be provided by a variety of local food trucks and a live DJ will provide entertainment. The event is open to the public and free to attend.



• February 8, 2012 Diaz vs. Condit Rematch: Nick Diaz apparently requested a rematch on Saturday night, following his defeat by Carlos Condit, and it's just been confirmed by Dana White that the fight will go ahead, although the date has yet to be announced. Watch this space.



• February 8, 2012 Pacquiao vs. Bradley Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has announced that eight division world champ Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight undefeated Timothy Bradley for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.



• February 8, 2012 Rally for USA Eagles: The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood will host a pep rally for the USA Eagles this morning from 11 a.m. as they prepare to compete in the 2012 USA Sevens international rugby tournament at Boyd Stadium Feb. 10 to 12. The rally, which will take place by the entrance to Cabo Wabo, will feature performances by the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy drum line and the USA Sevens cheerleaders, appearances by the USA Eagles, and showgirls from Vegas! The Show.



• February 7, 2012 Caesars Poker: It's time for the 2nd annual Caesars Winter Poker Classic, which kicks off Friday, Feb. 10. There are 42 daily events scheduled through March 1, including the $560 buy-in three-day Championship Event on Feb. 25. All tournaments start at noon or 4 p.m., aside from the Seniors Event, which begins at 10 a.m. Visit the poker room for more details.



• February 5, 2012 Super Bowl Line: The closing line is Patriots -3 with extra vig the on Giants (-120 in most places). The total is 53.



• February 5, 2012 America in Action: While the legal sports books in Nevada are looking for a handle today in the $90 million range, it pales in comparison to the amount of illegal betting on the Super Bowl that will be done across the nation. It's  estimated that $8 billion will be wagered illegally, which equates with more than 50% of U.S. adults having a wager of some sort on the game. This includes online bets, illegal bookies, betting squares, office pools, and man-to-man wagering.



• February 5, 2012 Super Bowl: Indianapolis may be the best place to be for the Super Bowl, but Vegas is a close second. The town is jumping, but the books aren't packed yet, so there's still time to get in and stake out a seat. The line is Patriots -3 in most places, though we've seen 2.5s at Wynn, South Point, and the Palms.



• February 4, 2012 Diaz/Condit Line: Nick Diaz is a -215 favorite over Carlos Condit in tonight's UFC main even. Over 3.5 rounds is -175. In the other big matches, Fabricio Werdum is -175 over Roy Nelson and Josh Koscheck is -275 over Mike Pierce.



• February 4, 2012 Super Bowl Ticket Prices Decline: Bloomberg reports that the price of Super Bowl tickets has fallen 15% over the past week. What does a seat at the big game go for? The average price is a cool $3,664.



• February 4, 2012 First '2' Shows: As the line on the Super Bowl moves slowly downward, the first Patriots -2 has popped up. While most books have held steadu at Pats -3, a few have moved to -2.5, and now Wynn Las Vegas is dealing -2. If the line closes less than 3, it will be only the fourth time it's done so in the 46-game history of the Super Bowl. You can follow the moves for yourself by with our free lines feed at LVASports.com.



• February 3, 2012 Super Bowl Props: Props are the subject of today's Question of the Day at lasvegasadvisor.com, and since we wrote the answer, various race and sports books have started posting their props online, so keep checking back as we're adding the links as we find 'em.



• February 2, 2012 WSOP Ups the Ante: The 43rd annual World Series of Poker, which kicks off Sunday, May 27, will feature an additional 92 tables and will add three more bracelet events -- bringing the total number to 61 -- it's been announced.



• February 2, 2012 Fezzik on Radio Today: With the Super Bowl looming, handicapping luminary and LVASportsboards moderator Fezzik will be the guest on the Seat Williams and Paulie Howard show on ESPN Radio (1100 AM) today from 1-2 pm.



• February 1, 2012 Charlie Spoonhour Passes: Former UNLV basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour died today at the age of 72. He coached the Runnin' Rebels from 2001 to 2004, when he retired.

Today also marks the opening of the Rebel Swag store in Hooters Casino, featuring logo apparel and accessories.



• February 1, 2012 Top Pick for Big Game Parties: This year's offerings haven't impressed us that much, but we just found a really good one, and will highlight any others we come across between now and then. For our top pick so far, check out the new Spotlight on... feature at lasvegasadvisor.com.



• February 1, 2012 Mayweather to Fight Cotto: Floyd Mayweather has announced that he plans to fight Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 5, after the Nevada State Athletic Commission today voted unanimously to grant him a one-fight license for the fight. The license is conditional upon Mayweather meeting the counseling and community service requirements of his plea deal; a status review is scheduled for March 15. The announcement ends any further speculation and hype about a May 5 Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.



• February 1, 2012 WSOP Dates Announced: The dates for the 43rd annual World Series of Poker have been announced. The event, which will once again be hosted by the Rio, will kick off May 27, running through July 16. The Main Event begins July 7.