Guys love strippers and strip clubs, and that’s always been one of the big draws for places like Las Vegas. We’ve been going there for years, and we’ve spent plenty of time at some of Vegas’s legendary strip clubs. Old favorites include Olympic Gardens and Crazy Horse Too.

Things have chaged quite a bit, and they have certainly become more expensive. But if you do it right, you can have quite a time with your friends in Vegas strip clubs (or of course on your own!).

Strippers in general can be the ulimate party girls . . . that’s what they’re paid for!! But if you have some game (or you’re a high roller) you can sometimes get them out of the club for even more fun.

With that backdrop, a few of us recently spent some time in Vegas and hit several of the clubs. Here are some of our observations.

Sapphire

We had heard great things about the changes in Sapphire so we made this our priority stop, and frankly we were pleasantly surpised. They’ve remodeled the place, so it’s not smaller and more intimate. So overall it’s a pretty easy floorplan to manage.

What stood out was the quality of the talent. The place was loaded with beauties who were all very eager for attention. We were also impressed with the variety. Many of the clubs are packed with Latinas, which can be great if that’s your cup of tea, but variety is critical if you want to please all your customers. That wasn’t a problem here. Two blonde and athletic twins stood out!

Like many of the clubs, you can call them for a ride, which let’s you avoid the cover charge assuming you tip the driver. We recommend trying this for all the clubs.

One quibble we had involved the main stages. They just don’t get enough of the dancers in the rotation on the main stages.

Overall, the experience here was our favorite so you can’t go wrong with Sapphire.

Spearmint Rhino

This has been a top club in Vegas for years, and based on our visit it’s still going strong. This place always has tons of girls, and most are very attractive. They do a very good job of screening the talent. It’s much darker than Sapphire which creates a different vibe. But it’s also a bit easier to find a dark corner for some intimate dances.

Overall, this one is still a very solid choice.

Crazy Horse III

This was by far the biggest disappointment of the trip. It was epensive, dark and very quiet. No dances on the floow – you had to go the back room. Not ideal! If you have a ton of money to spend that can be fine, but it makes the general vibe very boring and dead.

We remembered the legendary Crazy Horse Too, so maybe we had distorted expections. But this is nothing like that old classic club.

We wish we had more time to visit more clubs. We heard that the Peppermint Hippo was also a good option. We’ll try that one out next time!

Las Vegas is in a bit of a slump, so I was very curious as to what I would find there on a recent trip.

I was only there from Sunday through Thursday,  so I didn’t experience the peak weekend time in the heart of football season. That said, things were certainly a bit slower than I had seen in years past. Not crazy slow, but enough to notice the difference.

One of my stops was The Cosmopolitan. In recent years this was the hot spot on The Strip. Of course there are plenty of other casinos battling for the luxury crwod, but the young, hip, beautiful crowd could be found at The Cosmo.

With that context, I have to say that I wasn’t overly impressed with what I saw (again, considering the off-night visit). The crowd seemed like any other ordinary Las Vegas crowd. It wasn’t the low rent or older crowd of the second tier casinos, but it wasn’t at all a luxury crowd as well. The most glaring difference was the complete lack of the “beautiful” crowd. No hot babes. No real buzz.

Again, it’s only one night, but this is consistent with what I’ve been hearing from others. Since MGM Resorts took over operations a few years ago, some longtime visitors have noted a shift: the vibe has become a bit more mainstream and less exclusively “sexy/cool/elitist.” It’s still attractive to 20s-40s partygoers and influencer types, but the crowd can feel more mixed now. You see more ordinary tourists rather than the ultra-glam scene of the past.

Now, it’s still a very solid option if you’re going to Las Vegas. It remains one of the most popular and vibrant casinos on the Strip and consistently ranks as a top choice for its central location, stylish vibe, nightlife, and dining scene. We noted the Bungalow Suites a few years ago. It’s still very much “hot” in terms of energy, events, and appeal to a younger, party-oriented crowd as compared to other Vegas spots. The Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub continue to draw big crowds.

But something has changed. Part of it might be related to the dip in Vegas tourism. Recently, the Cosmopolitan started offering special perks for locals like other Vegas casinos. When you have to offer specials, then you’re no longer the hot and exclusive option.

We’ll see how this develops, but we’re old enough to remember when spots like the Hard Rock and The Palms had that special, exclusive feel. Things change.

That primal scream you just heard came from Atlantic City . . .

Yes, there’s a chance we may casinos some day soon in New York City. It’s certainly not definite. At this point it’s just a proposal in Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget, but this could have huge repercussions across the East Coast. New York state recently launched app-based sports betting, so the trend in the state is certainly for gambling expansion. It will be fascinating to see what kind of reception this gets and how far this goes.

Atlantic City won’t implode of course, but the entire dynamic from a lifestyle and travel point of view will change in this region. New York is already a huge destination spot, but adding casino gambling really shakes things up. Imagine a night on the town that ends at a casino at 3 AM? The possibilities are endless. High rollers will flock to New York to get their gambling fix while also having the rest of this dynamic city and its nightlife at their disposal.

Unless you’re a loser that wants to stand around and gawk at all the hotties that get invited to these parties, you better have a table to some of them might actually come and talk to you.

Steve Wynn has an incredible knack for creating the ultimate high roller experience. Sure, some also blame him for the corporate culture that invaded Las Vegas with the introduction of the Mirage. I guess those people liked it better when the mob ran Vegas. Regardless of that, Wynn was the main guy that brought Vegas out of the tacky 1970s into the ultra luxury era. After the Mirage can Bellagio, which elevated the standard even further. After cashing out, then he decided to put his name on the building. The Wynn casino wasn’t that much of a leap beyond Bellagio, but it did plant itself as one of the premiere luxury spots on the Strip. If you’re a group of guys or high rollers ready to have a great time in Vegas, then you can’t go wrong at the Wynn.

But now Steve Wynn the person is back in the news, as his ex-wife is threatening his casino empire. BusinessWeek explains that “Elaine Wynn has asked a federal court for permission to sell the Wynn Resorts (WYNN) shares she was awarded in the couple’s 2009 divorce.” This is a problem as she’s a swing shareholder of the company. Even if she just sells half of her 9.6 percent stake, such a transaction could possibly trigger a series of events that would threaten Steve’s sway over his company according to the article.

It’s funny how little things like a divorce, even a $750 million divorce, can have such a potential impact on a place like Las Vegas. Not that any of us really care. There are so many places in Vegas to gamble.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wynn decided to start all over again. Now with Aria and Cosmopolitan, his Wynn casino is no longer the newest luxury hot spot on the Strip. The guy seems obsessed with setting new standards, so maybe all of this drama will lead him to create something new again. That said, the odds may be against that course of action. Vegas is so saturated right now with high end hotels, and the days of the whale from Asia seem to be gone with overseas competition. Still, we love new hotels, so who cares if it’s a financial success for Wynn. He can afford it, even after his $750 million divorce!

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Most people would say that celebrities are blessed with fortune and fame, but are these two elements really all they’re cracked up to be?

The Downsides of Celebrity Status

According to a recent Huffington Post article, high-profile celebrities are faced with much more than just adoring fans and Hollywood red carpet events, as evident in the following examples:

1. Drug/Alcohol Dependency

“…Brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack, ’cause when I leave for the night, I ain’t coming back.”

Ah, the poetic song lyrics of celebrity train wreck, Ke$ha. Though her talent is comparable to that of an amoeba, fans worship her “live fast, die young” mantra, which happens all too often with high-profile celebs. The rich and famous lifestyle knows no bounds, particularly when it comes to substance abuse.

I’m all for a messy night out every now and again, but celebs’ constant access to a bevy of designer drugs/drinks will inevitably take its toll. Just look at all those who succumbed to the “27 club” as a prime example.

2. Security Measures

All the fame in the world can’t buy you peace of mind.

High-profilers are on constant watch of potential threats, from invasive paparazzi encounters to the obsessive fan base. Even with implemented security measures, celebs – and their families – are constantly at risk.

3. Tabloid Rumors/Gossip

Fame doesn’t pardon cruelty. An active face in the limelight guarantees hurtful, negative remarks from the peanut gallery. Such constant berating is likely to penetrate even the thickest of skin. While celebs rank high on the media’s pedestal hierarchy, they’re not exempt from the sting of biting words.

4. Bankruptcy

Money management is a major concern for high-profile entertainers, who often utilize poor, financial judgment. Over the years, top-paid celebrities have been forced to file for bankruptcy as their savings depleted faster than their sales.

*Both fame and financial successes are noteworthy achievements, but they still come with costs. The limelight doesn’t just showcase beauty and talent; it can also extract the negative aspects induced by a high-profiler lifestyle.

Las Vegas is still having some issues following the economic crisis of 2008. Things have changed a lot in the city, and as a result we saw a collapse in the local real estate market. While visitor numbers are creeping up, gambling receipts are still a problem as Macau attracts so many of the world’s high rollers.

You wouldn’t be able to guess, however, if you pay attention to the shows and the nightclubs. Celine Dion just signed a $100 million extension with Caesars. and now there is speculation that Britney Spears could easily top that figure if she completes a deal as well.

Meanwhile, the biggest, newest casinos are killing it. Places like Aria and the Cosmopolitan are packed with the beautiful people, while the hottest clubs are packing them in again.

So Las Vegas continues to evolve. It still attracts the big time poker players, so it’s a mecca for that sport. As more people play online, it just creates more and more players who want to test their skills in person against the best in Las Vegas. If the feds ever get their act together and set up a federal regulatory system for online poker, the popularity will probably explode even more, and that’s very good for Vegas.

The key, of course, is dealing with all the distractions when you get there. Of course we all want to live like a high roller, but living that life has its costs. The booze, the women and the all-night parties make it a lot harder to be effective at the poker table for long stretches of time.

So the real key is discipline. Are you serious about being a winning poker player, or are you more concerned with bringing a hot babe to the Britney Spears concert? These are the choices you have to make. Win first, and then enjoy the festivities.