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If you're a fan of Star Trek, you'll be boldly going to downtown Las Vegas.

Coming early next year is the popular Star Trek attraction that was bumped from its Las Vegas Hilton digs after 11 years and has found a new home at Neonopolis.

Star Trek: The Experience will surely bring in a new stream of revenue to the aging Fremont mall, and already a list of high-profile establishments have taken an interest... which will be announced Dec. 12.

One place that won't be along for the ride is Jillian's. The restaurant/arcade/concert venue was popular among teens, with long lines outside making it seem Neonopolis was the place to be. Neonopolis developer Rahit Joshi said it was closed (pushed out?) in favor of a new restaurant... which will also be announced Dec. 12.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Kids in the Hall are in talks for a regular show in Las Vegas.

After the success of their first Vegas performance at Caesars Palace on Friday (as part of the annual Comedy Festival), the five castmembers of the sketch team may sign for future gigs or even a short-term residency.

Like Friday's show, the new show would likely be a combination of fan favorite skits along with new material.

As for where they may play, they are in negotiations with Caesars Palace and could start as early as 2009.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Could professional baseball leave Las Vegas?

It's a real possibility if a new minor league baseball stadium isn't built either on Cashman Field's 51 acres or somewhere else nearby.

The City of Las Vegas is telling all bidders for redevelopment that a new baseball stadium must be built, hoping to attract all the benefits that a minor league stadium attracts.

But the question is, will the 51s wait around? They're under contract at Cashman Field until 2010, and the new stadium wouldn't likely be ready by then.

Bids are due in early January 2009.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Hard Rock Store is 30 percent off for locals.

At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, merchandise at the Hard Rock Store is 30 percent off if you show your Nevada state license or ID. Ads are also in this week's Las Vegas Weekly, and can be brought in without an ID.

Brand names offered in the store include: Converse By John Varvatos, Paige Premium Denim, 7 For All Mankind, Nixon Watches, William Rast, Hale Bob, PBD, Smet, LaROK, Tylie Malibu, Joe's Jeans, Soul Revival, Lyric Culture, and Leather Rock.

Offer expires Dec. 25, so load up on your holiday shopping while you can.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Flipchip photos were taken during a stop by the Bellagio for a leisurely stroll through one of our favorite spots in all of Las Vegas, the Bellagio Conservatory. Wearing the brilliant colors of fall and artfully displaying the bountiful autumn harvest the Bellagio Conservatory is a traditional holiday delight enjoyed by the thousands of Vegas visitors.

Magical spirits dwell within the trees and hide in the snags. A water wheel slowly turns at the mill house and rain trees really rain. It's a great place to forget about the usual hustle and bustle of neon Las Vegas. A few minutes in the conservatory will lift your spirits, erase the worries of world problems, and refresh your hope for a better future.

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Posted by flipchipro at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Durango Station has been put on hold.

What was expected to be the next Station Casino on Durango near Las Vegas Blvd., Durango Station was going to break ground in 2009 and open in 2011,

Now plans have halted.

With the bad economy and Station losing $23.4 million in Q3 (compared with $3.7 million profit in the third quarter last year), they'll be taking a wait-and-see approach before going forward with Durango.

On Nov. 11, Station and Greenspun Corporation opened the $662 million Aliante Station in North Las Vegas.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight at MGM Grand next month has gone viral.

HBO Pay-Per-View is using Facebook to tout the fight taking place on Dec. 6.

"Dream Fight" is a Facebook application that anyone can play and invite friends to.

The app allows any photo to be placed on the face of a boxer, with that boxer progressing through rounds by fighting virtual opponents.

In addition, every time a player plays the game, they can enter a sweepstakes drawing for a trip to see the real thing -- Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m..

To download the Facebook application, visit this link.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The new Galaxy Theatres at the Cannery (North Las Vegas off Craig) is now serving beer.

Okay, they've been around for a couple years now but we still think of the nice sparkly theater as new... speaking of, check out Sunset Station's newly remodeled movie theater. With the lobby being deep brown, it seems friendlier.

But beer! That idea has been around for ages at movie theaters in other cities -- a sort of "brew and view." It's about time that it hit Las Vegas (and no, we don't count smuggling in cans, bottles, or flasks and sitting in the back).

Showtimes with beer are restricted to those after 6 p.m. You must be 21 or over and only certain theaters will allow beer.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Tonight at midnight, Lance Bass ('N Sync) will appear at Paris Las Vegas.

Bass will be flipping a switch to light up the Eiffel Tower replica to turn it red, kicking off the Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the casino-hotel the rest of the week and through the weekend.

The third Thursday of every November, Beaujolais Nouveau Day is celebrated with bottomless bottles of French Beaujolais Nouveau wine, a light red wine that is meant to drink immediately instead of waiting for it to mature.

Bass will have with him a cask of wine delivered straight via helicopter, though we suspect not actually delivered that way from France.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Former Spice Girl Mel B will star in a new Las Vegas burlesque and striptease show for a reported $1 million.

Melanie Brown will play mistress of ceremonies Peep Diva as she guides Bo Peep (played by Kelly Monaco of "General Hospital" and "Dancing with the Stars") in a search for love in the show Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.

Joining them will be an all-female band and 20 "stunning" dancers plucked from Broadway, movies, and TV.

All come together for a coming-of-age story exploring sexuality through contemporary popular music and dance.

The show is expected to feature a revolving list of celebrities for month-long engagements.

Peepshow is led by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and BASE Entertainment.

Previews begin March 30, 2009 with the premiere April 18.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Penthouse Magazine CEO Marc Bell has made public the details of a plan to buy a major Las Vegas strip property. Does this mean we will be seeing nude dealers throwing cards in the future? Perhaps considering Penthouse has indicated some of the magazines' ladies would do double duty as dealers at the property.

Any bets on what property they might acquire? Rumors have been floating down the boulevard that MGM Mirage might be shopping the Mirage for cash to complete the CityCenter mega-project. Nudes swimming with dolphins, what a concept. Could this be a sneak preview of the next revision for the neon city that constantly reinvents itself?

Posted by flipchipro at 1:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The Deuce bus is increasing its rate by 50 percent.

Beginning Jan. 11, 2009 the popular double-decker bus will be $3 per one-way ride (up from $2).

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada rolled out the Deuce buses on Oct. 27, 2005, serving the Las Vegas Strip and later branching out to residential areas.

The increase was necessary because of higher fuel and operating costs.

The RTC has also stated that bus fare may increase again in 2010.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a few days before the Global Gaming Expo, the annual trade show for casino gaming, and slot manufacturer International Gaming Technology (IGT) dropped a bomb by laying off 300 employees from their Reno headquarters.

That comes to roughly 10 percent of their workforce at Reno.

Like other layoffs from other companies, the move comes as a way to cut costs in this economic downturn.

Employees were first asked to volunteer for early retirement, and those who didn't were let go anyway. They'll continue to get paid through early January, which includes health benefits.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Our weekend treat is a selection of Flipchip photos from the AVN conventions held in Las Vegas in 2007 and 2008 It's a reminder that we will be providing coverage from the 2009 AVN Convention in early January with plenty of Flipchip's photos of all the bare action. Of course it's my favorite event to cover and probably the reason I work at all. These ladies are so hot even the photos will keep you warm at night. They also remind us what Las Vegas is all about...enjoy.

Want more AVN photos before our next post? Click here. If partially clad great looking females offend you then you should move on, otherwise, jump to today's show.

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Posted by flipchipro at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After being found guilty last month, O.J. Simpson attempted to get a new trial.

The verdict that found Simpson and Clarence Stewart guilty of 12 counts (including armed robbery of sports memorabilia and kidnapping) had Simpson hoping for a retrial because of insufficient evidence and judicial errors.

Alas, the request for a new trial was denied by Judge Jackie Glass, who cited the arguments weren't convincing to do it again.

Simpson will next appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Simpson and Stewart will be sentenced on Dec. 5. A life term is possible, but prison time is inevitable.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The past couple months have seen some casino robberies by individuals, almost unheard of before the economic downturn.

This time, it was downtown Las Vegas' Fitzgerald's casino where a man (pictured above) approached the main cashier cage in the middle of the night/early morning yesterday, pushed a note to the cashier, walked away with about $5,000, then entered a cab and left.

He did not appear to have a weapon, and told the cashier that the robbery was "not a joke."

We didn't realize it was that easy to rob a casino.

Surveillance footage captured the incident on tape, and Metro is speaking with eyewitnesses -- including the cab driver.

If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Galaxy Neonopolis movie theater (at Neonopolis downtown) has free popcorn this weekend.

Celebrating the customer (aka anything we can do to get out of this economic downturn), a free bag of popcorn will be given for each ticket purchased on Nov. 14, 15, and 16.

Just in time for the new James Bond flick -- Quantum of Solace plays five shows daily beginning Friday.

The popcorn offer is not available for midnight screenings.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Early this morning a young Peter Eastgate became a multi-millionaire when he called Ivan Demidov's all-in bet at the 2008 WSOP Final Table. The young Scandi tabled a straight for the win and the 2008 WSOP finally came to an end.

Read all the details of Monday night's action direct from the Rio Resort in Las Vegas with the following link to Dr Pauly's final 2008 WSOP Wrap Up. You'll also find Flipchip photos of table action. Watch the two days of the WSOP World Poker Championship Final Table tonight at 9 PM ET on ESPN Sports Television.

Posted by flipchipro at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Steve Wyrick's Real Magic show at Miracle Mile Shops (in the mall at Planet Hollywood) is half-price for locals.

From now through Jan. 4, show your Nevada I.D. at the box office and pick up tickets for $46 each.

Shows run Saturday-Thursday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Dec. 20-30, there's an added show of 4 p.m. and Fridays are included.

The offer excludes Dec. 31.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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We will soon know the 2008 WSOP World Champion of Poker for the next year. Will it be the first ever Russian, Ivan Demidov, or the youngest champion ever, Peter Eastgate? Tonight at approximately 10PM the two finalist will meet across the green felt of the final table at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas and play until only one has chips and claims the championship.

Read Dr. Pauly's Recap of Day 1 of the 2008 WSOP Main Event Final Table for a look at the glamorous event from his always skewed unique perspective. And don't forget to be at the Internet's best site for live updates from the final table, Dr. Pauly's Blog Tao of Poker. A great source of instant information direct from tableside at the event is PokerNews Live Reporting where you also find Flipchip photos from ringside of all the action as it happens.

Tune into ESPN Tuesday night, November 11, at 9 PM ET for the final two hours of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table. Meet the two finalist below.

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

We are hours away from the legendary call to "Shuffle Up and Deal!" The call to begin play after the longest layoff in WSOP history should come at approximately 10:20 AM PST Sunday morning. The November Nine will look at the hole cards and the battle will begin for the top prize in all of poker, the World Championship of Poker. Along with the title the winner will receive $9,152,416 in cash and the fabled WSOP Championship Bracelet.

For the web's best updates live from the final table in the Penn & Teller Theater click here for Dr. Pauly's Blog Tao of Poker. Another good source of quick information is available at PokerNews Live Reporting. You'll also get Flipchip photos of the action. For the best in Final Table Recaps this is as far as you need to go. Dr. Pauly will keep you up to date on all the action on and off the final table in his special style you've come to favor and of course there will be plenty of Flipchip's in-your-face images from the event.

Watch the final table in the fastest turn around ever for a WSOP event on Tuesday, November 11th, at 9-11 PM ET. Within hours, almost live, of the final river hitting the board ESPN will bring you two hours of final table play leading to the crowning of the 2008 World Series of Poker's wortld poker player champion. Don't miss a minute of this highly anticipated finale.

For those wanting a refresher and a player guide to the 2008 WSOP Final Table check out our 2008 WSOP Final Table Nine Guide

Need more good stuff to read from the WSOP then click for Dr. Pauly's latest WSOP final table post and comment.

Can't get enough of WSOP poker? Use the following links for easy access to Dr.Pauly's daily Recaps of the WSOP Main Event.

Main Event Day 1A Recap

Main Event Day 1B Recap

Main Event Day 1C Recap

Main Event Day 1D Recap

Main Event Day 2A Recap

Main Event Day 2B Recap

Main Event Day 3 Recap

Main Event Day 4 Recap

Main Event Day 5 Recap

Main Event Day 6 Recap

Main Event Day 7 Recap

A table of the updated final table prize payouts are available after the jump.

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

On July 15, 2008 the nine remaining players were each paid ninth place prize money ($900,670) from the initial $32,633,446 that was slotted for the first nine places in the tournament. The remaining amount ($24,527,416) for spots 1-8 were placed in an interest-bearing account. That $24,527,416 accrued $98,179 in interest, which when added to the prize pool will pay out the following:

1st Place $9,152,416

2nd Place $5,809,595

3rd Place $4,517,773

4th Place $3,774,974

5th Place $3,096,768

6th Place $2,418,562

7th Place $1,772,650

8th Place $1,288,217

Total $24,527,416

• + $8,106,030 paid out already (9 places x $900,670)
• Updated Total Prize Pool for this Final Table = $32,731,625
• Updated Total Prize Pool for 2008 WSOP Main Event = $64,431,779

Computing the Math

Below shows the original figures and the added dollar amounts and interest percentages to achieve the above revised payouts.

Place - Original Amount - Added Interes - Percentage

1st Place $9,119,517 $32,899 33.51%

2nd Place $5,790,024 $19,571 19.93%

3rd Place $4,503,352 $14,421 14.69%

4th Place $3,763,515 $11,459 11.67%

5th Place $3,088,012 $8,756 8.92%

6th Place $2,412,510 $6,052 6.16%

7th Place $1,769,174 $3,476 3.54%

8th Place $1,286,672 $1,545 1.57%

9th Place $900,670 $0 0%

Worth Noting

• Since each of the nine players received ninth place money, the person who finishes in ninth place will receive no additional cash.
• The top eight spots (whose leftover money comprised the amount garnering interest) will share the $98,179 interest in a sliding scale based on their slotted share.
• The Main Event paid out 666 places and each of those places was slotted a percentage of the prize pool totaling 100%. When redistributing the interest, 658 of the 666 slots were removed, with the percentages redistributed amongst the top eight places in an sliding scale percentage consistent with the original payout structure.
• The $24,527,416 was put into the Fidelity Institutional Money Market Fund - Treasury Only Portfolio on July 14, 2008 and removed on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. It was a variable interest rate investment, currently returning 0.9%.

Posted by flipchipro at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What a day for a poker tournament, especially one with plenty of pros, celebrities and a very reasonable buy-in. Even better would be if the buy-in money went to a very deserving charity. Well, poker players, today is your lucky day. All of the above is available but not in casinos. Its happening at the grand opening of the gigantic Red Rock Harley-Davidson dealership on S. Rainbow. There you'll find 104,000 square feet of absolute fun -- in the form of bikes, boobs, booze, and live poker.

Check out all the details for the 3:00 PM poker tournament in our previous article. You'll be playing for very special Harley Davidson, a rare 2008 105th Anniversary Edition. Hope to see you there. More photos after the jump.

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by the flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Posted by flipchipro at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sadly, the days of cheap shoes around the corner is close to an end.

Zappos.com, the discounted online shoe store, will soon close one or more of its retail centers in Nevada. Zappos' corporate headquarters is based in Green Valley Ranch.

As many as 200 employees have been laid off (8 percent of the company), with those employees receiving severance through the end of the year (with additional pay for those employed more than 3 years) and COBRA medical benefits for 6 months.

As a result of the layoffs, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (who makes a reported base salary of $36,000) hopes to have the company positioned better next year with regards to the economy.

According to his blog, it's "one of the hardest decisions [they've] had to make over the past 9.5 years, but [they] believe that it is the right decision for the long term health of the company."

Though we may not be able to pick up cheap shoes down the street, we can still get free shipping online.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mos Def is a wanted man in Las Vegas.

By Metro, that is.

An arrest warrant issued yesterday for rapper and actor Mos Def, aka Dante Terrell Smith, on charges of felony robbery and malicious destruction of property.

Accuser Volker Corell was a staff photographer for the MAGIC (Men's Apparel and Garment Industry Convention) fashion trade show this past August in Las Vegas, and Mos Def mistakenly thought he was paparazzi and allegedly threw Corell's camera on the ground, then took it with him.

The reason it's taken so long is that Corell just recently pressed charges, citing an injury to his hand and private property.

Mos Def may now surrender on his own to authorities in Las Vegas.

If you believe in the publicity machine conspiracy, Mos Def's next movie Cadillac Records, in which he plays Chuck Berry, releases Dec. 5.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Neil Gaiman appears tonight from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at MIX (Mandalay Bay).

Gaiman is the author of such celebrated graphic novels as The Sandman.

Guests will have a chance to meet Gaiman while receiving signed copies of The Graveyard Book (or another one of his books). Free hors d'hoeuves will also be provided, along with a cash bar.

He will be part of a special reception that benefits Nevada Humanities and Vegas Valley Book Festival.

Tickets are mandatory and are limited to 100 total (when we checked, there was still availability).

Cost is $75 in advance or $100 at the door.

To purchase, call (702) 228-0398 or email rsvp@cheyennemarketing.com.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Breaking with tradition the silver state has gone from its' usual red to blue. Barack Obama defeated John McCain by a 55% - 43% margin in Nevada, considered to be one of the pivotal battleground states. Apparently the positive image created by visits of Senator Obama and his wife, Michelle, combined with the negative image of the bumbling "W" administration to paint the state blue.

In addition, Nevada voters also fired Republican Rep Jon Porter from his three term meal ticket in the House. Democratic challenger and UNLV professor Dini Titus claimed the victory with a 47% - 42% vote margin. Most of the people we talked to said their decision to go blue was decided by the obnoxious negative ad Porter aired that featured a wise-ass female voice over replacing the word "Texas" with "taxes," a play on the fact that Titus is a Texas transplant and hasn't lost the drawl. Nevada's veterans helped to turn Porter out of office with his history of voting to cut veteran's benefits.

Congratulations to all the Tuesday winners. Now, do us proud by working to make your campaign promises a reality.

Posted by flipchipro at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While you're out voting today and picking up your free Ben & Jerry's, stop by Starbucks as