River Rock Casino...Chinese New Year! Mercedes-Benz giveaway!

On a side street in Chinatown yesterday I spied a gaggle of Asian residents boarding a chartered bus emblazoned with the name of RIVER ROCK CASINO scribbled on the side in a decorative eye-catching scroll.

To celebrate the New Lunar Year the gambling resort has been hosting a special promotion for the Chinese community which spans over the next week or so.

Curious, I hopped on board and trekked out to Alexander Valley (on the outskirts of San Francisco) to partake in the festivities.

Outside the main Casino of the Native American Indian resort a handful of inviting red lanterns were hung.

Inside, authentic dragon dancers delighted guests.

Live musicians played traditional Chinese song which sweetly serenaded the slot machines which sang out in their own distinctive top notes.

Members of the Players Club (free) who played the enticing array of slots on hand were automatically entered into a draw and the golden opportunity to win substantial cash prizes.

Being the Numerologist that I am, I was quite impressed with fact the organizers chose a most auspicious occasion for the event to get underway.

For example, at 8 o'clock on Friday February 8th, slot-players betting on the one-arm bandits were eligible to win the princely sum of $888.00 cash.

Of course, the number eight is a Master money number; so, the portents were great for one particular guest for sure!

At 8 o'clock on the 21st of February another lucky player will have the opportunity to win the grand sum of $8,888.00.

In addition, there will be a spanking-new Mercedes-Benz giveaway.


On one machine I won thirty (30!) free games which resulted in a cash windfall by the time the lucky streak ended. On another entertaining video slot I slipped down in front of, I managed to scoff up another four hundred wins.


Maybe it had something to do with those elegantly-wrapped candies they were offering up for free at the Players Card desk which a number of my new Asian friends swore up and down were "lucky".

One lady I sat down next to patiently waited as a machine tallied her winnings.

The elegant old gal won an astounding 50,000 credits!

Oh, Nellie! Talk about a jackpot.

Of course, she was betting on a penny machine.

One had only to slash a couple of zeros off the end of the configuration to figure out the excited player had snapped up the tidy sum of $500.00.

Better than a kick in the pants, though!

By the way, if you take the tour bus up to the Casino, the promoters of the tour will hand you five coupons valued at five dollars each as you disembark.

The vouchers may be inserted directly into the machine and used to play the slots.

After you play an initial $5 of your own cash - if you play the coupons right - you can conceivably end up playing on the Casino's moolah all night.

I did.

If you want to drive up, then make a week-end of it.

In Alexander Valley there is a well-equipped trailer park. And, hiking trails are a hop-and-a-skip away.

In Sonoma County a number of wineries offer up free wine tasting, as well.

In addition to the slot magic - River Rock offers Blackjack, Mini Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, low and high-limit card tables, Texas Hold 'em Poker - you name it.

There is a formal dining room and a snack bar, but both are a bit pricey.

So, you may want to snack before you roar into the Casino.

I know I get hungry when I gamble.

After all, it's strenuous business working those slots.

But someone's got to keep the economy goin', eh?

Las Vegas...in great New Year spirits! Sahara Buffet specials & Hooters $100 free slots!

St. Pierre vs. Hughes "fight match" (December 29th)


As New Year's approaches, the masses continue to throng into town by the moment.

Meanwhile, I'm having a great winter vacation in "sin" city.

Last night I stood in line for about twenty five minutes for the Buffet Special at the Sahara Hotel, but, it was worth the wait.

There were tiers of succulent fruit, enticing salad dishes for the diet-conscious, and a whole array of scrumptious entrees - prime rib, steamed fish, oysters on the half shell, an assortment of tantalizing pasta dishes - you name it.

For those with a sweet tooth (I confess, moi!) there were mouth-watering pastries, pies, cookies, and other delectable goodies priced at a bargain-basement deal at $6.99.

Then, I hot-footed it over to "Hooters", where management was offering up $100 free slot play.

Heh, Dudes, there are a bevy of bodacious babes on hand to cater to your every need.

So, it may be wise to wet your whistle at their trendy watering hole before moving on for a wild carefree night on the town.

The strip has been bumper to bumper with traffic, so it may be wise to pluck up a day pass when you arrive, at the top of your stay.

The double-decker buses are quite comfortable, and trek up and down Las Vegas Boulevard regularly, so it appears the numero uno choice of travel for most over the holiday season.

The nights have been a bit nippy, though, with biting winds swirling in unexpectedly from the far reaches of the desert.

So, if you haven't sauntered into the popular desert resort yet, it may be wise to pack a sweater, wool cap, and maybe - mittens!


But, no doubt, you'll be slipping into the Casinos along the strip before the night freeze numbs the old bod - each offers up free cocktails to slot players - so take advantage of it.

Actually, if you don't win bundles of moolah at the slot machines, all is not lost.


With the advent of dazzling computer technology in recent years, Casino owners have given the nod to clever creative game-programmers, to spruce up the one-armed bandits with virtual screens that light up, drag you into fantasy scenarios when you hit a bonus line, and - in some instances - draw you into a unique interactive experience.

When I plunked down to play "Floppy Shoes", and hit a hot spot, a colorful clown popped up on screen.

Each time I was instructed to punch his nose, a balloon floated up and indicated the spoils I'd won, until the final end round.

At a slot machine with a theme on magic - a master of the sleight of hand swirled ten golden coins above his head - and invited me to "pick one" ; at which point, he swept 'em up in one fell swoop.

Then, tossed out a handful of coins, the lion's share of my booty.

But, it was the "Dance of the Spirit" which truly captured my imagination.

After hitting a special sequence of icons on the payline, the screen opened up, and a haunting voice invited me on a "Mystical Journey".

At this juncture, I was asked to select my "spirit guide" - which was an Eagle - by the way. Then, I was thrust headlong into a delightful fantasy journey.

In one sequence of events, a dreamcatcher "caught" coins that fell from the sky; in another, an exquisite butterfly fluttered across a screen, beckoned me to choose three options.

A fun, intriguing experience!

As for the Hotels, each has their own house band, in the event guests were not into slots or gambling at the Roulette or Black Jack tables. For the most part, the capable musicians drumed up solid musical stylings with a great party beat.

One woman I innocently slipped into some idle talk with (who turned out to be familiar with my blog, by golly!) lamented that she found it odd that one resort had booked in Kevin Federline (Britney's ex) to host a "party".

"Do you think he can actually draw in people?" she asked me incredulously.

At the Sahara, the house band really rocked - played a lot of olden golden goodies, for example - and got the crowd revved up and tilting on the intimate dance floor.

Yeah, in this instance, you could invite your date to the "Casbah", since that was the name of the joint.

Crowd-pleasing, top-selling shows in Vegas right now include such hits as Zumanity (Cirque Du Soleil), Blue Man Group (Venetian), and the American Superstars (Stratosphere).

Check the listings for details.

As the days have passed, Hotel accommodation has soared in price in anticipation of New Year's Eve.

One day the rate may be $60.00 for a single, for example, the next $100.00.

One hotel manager confessed he was unable to quote a price for tomorrow.

I guess they're waiting to see what the demand is, before they set the rate, and proceed to gouge the visitors for astronomical sums!

Maybe, I'll be homeless tomorrow ("No room at the Inn"?) and trekking back to Los Angeles sooner than I expected.

Actually, the crowds have been in great spirits.

When tourists stumble across a fellow traveler snapping pictures of family or friends on the strip, they wait patiently on the sidelines before passing to be sure the magic of the moment is not ruined.

Elsewhere, the throngs have stood in line patiently at site-seeing spots, courteous to those all around with smiles on their faces.

Yes, the town is in high spirits.

I guess, there's something about the intrigue of a New Year on the horizon, that puts folks' hearts in the right place!

Blue Man Group New Year 2007