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Las Vegas - FAQ

Are there any other casinos in Las Vegas, apart from Mandalay Bay, where the dealer stands on a soft 17? I recently played a session of Spanish 21 at MGM, but without the tens, I'm struggling to find any advantage.

Jim from North Olmsted, Ohio, USA

From what I've heard, most shoe games in Vegas require the dealer to stand on a soft 17. Typically, in single-deck games, the dealer hits on a soft 17, whereas double-deck games can vary. I've tried to elaborate on the topic of card counting on my website. card counting .

Do you have any information about the regulations that online casinos follow when they report winnings to the Internal Revenue Service? If you do, I would greatly appreciate any details you could share. Thank you.

Jack from Mesa, USA

I'm fairly convinced that none of those casinos report any winnings.

I've secured a job in Las Vegas, and my family will be relocating there soon. Can you recommend pleasant neighborhoods in Vegas for families, as well as areas to avoid?

anonymous

The best neighborhoods for family life would be Henderson and Summerlin. Personally, I reside in a well-planned community called Peccole Ranch, which is adjacent to Summerlin. I believe the west side is preferable because:

  1. It has a vibe similar to Orange County in California, while much of Henderson seems to lack character.
  2. The elevation is higher on the west side, keeping it cooler during the summer months.
  3. Henderson contends with the disruptive noise from planes landing nearby.
  4. The west side is in close proximity to the mountains, which provide fantastic opportunities for hiking and climbing.
  5. The development on the west side appears to be more strategically planned for future growth.

If you ask a resident from Henderson, they'll argue that it has less traffic, but I believe both sides have valid points, and personally, I find the west side better in this regard. I welcome any feedback from Henderson residents, as I like to present differing viewpoints.

The less desirable parts of Vegas are around the downtown area, but they gradually improve as you venture further out. If you're looking for something in the middle, there’s significant development on the southern side along I-15 and on the northern side along U.S. 95.

Hello - I've been reading your content for a while. Recently, a few friends and I have been considering a trip to Vegas for New Year's. Any advice, tips, or insights about enjoying the experience as a gambler or party-goer would be greatly appreciated.

Harry from Houston

In my view, celebrating New Year's in Vegas is somewhat overrated. If you wish to welcome the new year crammed among countless others on the Strip, you'll certainly be able to do so. However, within the casinos, the only noticeable change is the festive hats people wear. Locals, like myself, tend to avoid the Strip on December 31st. Although I am not well-versed in the party scene, I suspect such festivities can be found at any time outside of that date.

I'm a consistent visitor to your site, and I respect its long-standing history. Since you're open to occasional non-gaming inquiries, I wanted to ask you: during my recent trip to Las Vegas, I observed that there was an obvious lack of solar panels on various buildings. Is there a particular reason for this? Considering it’s Las Vegas, a city with ample sunshine, there seems to be a great opportunity for solar energy production. Solar systems using photovoltaics can generate electricity, which doesn't seem to be in high demand in Vegas. Additionally, solar systems can also heat water. Given the massive amounts of hot water required for hotel showers, laundries, swimming pools, and hot tubs, I'd expect significant energy savings could be achieved here. I would appreciate any insights into the reasons behind the limited solar adoption in that area.

Aaron from Renton, WA

I'm letting Michael Bluejay, my webmaster, answer this question as he runs the top website focused on energy savings, at least based on Google rankings. Here’s his response.

Are you curious about the noticeable lack of solar panels in Las Vegas? Where do you live where solar panels are so common that you find their absence in Vegas striking? I can't recall the last time I noticed a solar panel, whether in Las Vegas or elsewhere.

There are basically three groups who could potentially implement solar panels: homeowners, businesses, and utility providers. Homeowners haven't greatly adopted solar panels due to the high costs of panels, batteries, installation, and maintenance. The return on investment for photovoltaics can take around 12 years, making it less appealing for most individuals. Businesses are in a better position to make the investment, and I’d imagine they would do so once they realize they can save money. In fact, it’s quite plausible that some casinos already utilize solar energy, though I can’t confirm since I don’t typically check the rooftops of casinos—and it seems you don’t either. Nonetheless, I've noticed many local schools have solar panels or plans to install them.

Utility companies are also making substantial investments in solar energy. For instance, there’s the Clark Photovoltaic System at the Clark Generating Station, which is a 3.1 megawatt facility currently under construction, as well as a 70-megawatt solar plant being developed near Boulder City, making it the third largest in the world once completed. It’s one of only nine such facilities globally. Furthermore, there’s Daystar1, a smaller installation right next to UNLV, located about a mile and a half from the Strip. I also recall seeing some traffic signs or streetlights in Vegas equipped with small photovoltaic panels, likely storing energy in batteries to illuminate the signs/lamps at night.

While energy generation is crucial, the stark reality is that we could significantly reduce our environmental impact more effectively by focusing on energy conservation. With global oil production declining (we've used up half of the planet's oil reserves), the real question should be: 'How can we conserve energy so that we don’t need to create so much?' To explore more solutions on this topic, check out my site on energy savings. saving electricity .

What is the rationale behind not utilizing mirrors on flat roofs in Las Vegas? Wouldn't this approach help reduce air conditioning costs?

anonymous

I posed this question to my father, who holds a Ph.D. in physics and has a solar panel installed on his home. Here’s what he explained:

While the use of mirrors could be beneficial, their economic feasibility might be questionable. It is likely that less than 25% of heat enters a home through the roof. Over time, the reflectivity of mirrors could diminish to 60% or lower due to dirt accumulation. Utilizing that roof space for water heaters or solar electric panels makes more sense. My rooftop panels provide sufficient energy on sunny days to operate both my air conditioning and pool pump, which are my largest energy consumers. When either of them is off, my meter even runs backwards. Last week, the pool heater panels elevated the water temperature to 90 degrees, leading me to reduce the pumping time.

I understand your reluctance to name the casinos with the worst air quality. However, is there any chance you could share which casinos have the best air quality? Looking at your site, I noticed that Strip Casinos #2, #3, and #9 received favorable scores. My wife and I are visiting in February (we’ll be staying at the smoke-free Vdara in City Center) and would appreciate any guidance on where to gamble. We just found out today that my wife is pregnant, so it would be ideal to minimize second-hand smoke exposure. Thank you! Casino Air Quality Survey Congratulations on the fantastic news! I hope you utilize the popular baby name lists from Social Security, which I initiated, to avoid the trendiest names.

Andy

I was hesitant to publicly shame the casinos at the lower end of my ranking because my methods were not entirely scientific. However, I'm happy to acknowledge the top three. They are:

I have some doubts about whether the $1,000,000 display at Binion's in Las Vegas genuinely holds a million dollars. If it were all in hundred-dollar bills, it should appear significantly more substantial. It's possible there's a trick at play, with one-dollar bills hidden in the middle of the stack. What do you think might be concealed between the hundreds at the front and back?

  • Mandalay Bay
  • Planet Hollywood
  • Paris

I have no reason to believe there isn't a million dollars displayed within that case. Their previous display, which was far superior, clearly had one million comprised of 100 $10,000 bills. For those who aren’t acquainted, $10,000 bills are exceedingly rare and fetch around ten times their face value at auctions. Another reason I trust there’s a million dollars in that case is that every casino in Nevada is required to keep enough cash on hand for business operations, and I assume the Nevada Gaming Control Board allows Binion's to include that display's money in their counts, as a last resort. Ironically, Binion's was shut down in 2004 due to insufficient cash reserves.

Ayecarumba

 

To address your question, it would require 10,000 $100 bills to total a million dollars. Considering that a bill is about 6 inches long and 2.625 inches tall, and that a stack of 100 bills reaches around 1/2 inch in height, a million dollars would occupy only 787.5 cubic inches. This is just about 46% of a cubic foot, meaning you could easily fit a million dollars in $100 bills inside a briefcase. Therefore, it is evident that some bills other than $100 must be present in that case. source ).

The discussion in my forum unveiled an article with detailed information from the Las Vegas Review Journal dated August 22, 2008. It mentions that the display consists of 42,000 $1 bills, 34,400 $20 bills, and 2,700 $100 bills.

This topic was raised and discussed in the community forum of my associated website. Recurring currency Providing mathematically sound strategies and insights for casino games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, and countless others available for play.

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