7319 Enter World Series of Poker Main Event

With 7,319 players, the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event at Rio is the second largest in the history of the tournament. First prize will be just shy of $9 million.

There has been a lot of discussion as to weather the increased field could mean that the economy is rebounding. It's certainly possible, but I don't know if this event is reflective of the Las Vegas economy. Players come from all over the country, and even all over the world, so it's a pretty small sample size to be an economic indicator.

Minus 5 Ice Lounge to open at Monte Carlo

A second Minus 5 Ice Lounge location will open at Monte Carlo in the space currently occupied by the Lance Burton Magic Shop and an MGM Mirage Players Club kiosk. The first Minus 5 in Vegas is at Mandalay Bay.

Minus 5 is a bar which is made up entirely of ice. Before entering you are given jackets, gloves and boots to wear. It's $25 to get in, and that includes 1 drink. I seem to remember there being a time limit that you could spend in the bar, but I'm not sure if that still exists. I can't imagine people hanging around very long either way.

When the first location opened I was wondering how successful they would be. The overhead must be insanely high, and the bar is pretty small, but apparently they are doing well enough to open a second location. I've never been there but it's probably worth doing once for the experience. They also have some pretty cool specialty drinks, including some named after Las Vegas Celebrities.

Harrah's Project Linq - Still on the Table

Back in July 2009 Harrah's revealed that they were planning on transforming the street between Flamingo and O'Sheas into a pedestrian walkway consisting of bars, restaurants and shops with a giant Ferris wheel at the end of the street.

A year has gone by, and many people had forgotten about the project until a recent Business Week article confirmed that Harrah's is still aiming on building the development in 2011. The cost of the project would reportedly be less than $1 billion.



Here are my thoughts on the project:

I love the idea of turning the street into a pedestrian only street. It's a hassle to cross that street at times, and big crowds can build up near O'Sheas and in front of Margaritaville. Having the street pedestrian only would clear up that congestion and make the whole area a lot safer and more convenient.

Having lots of bars and shops all together sounds like a good idea, but they will need to attract some pretty unique places to entice people to wander down the street. Hopefully they'll have some cool joints and not just an extended O'Sheas food court.

Lastly, I don't really like the Ferris wheel idea. They need an attraction at the end of the street to get people to walk down there, but I'm not sure a Ferris wheel is what people want in Las Vegas. I could be wrong though, as the London Eye seems pretty popular, and people are always looking for great views of the Strip.

UPDATE: August 3, 2011.
Clark County has approved the project and new renderings have been revealed. See them here.