Harrah's Update:
The 9/7 DB, 9/6 DDB, and 8/5 BP set of 8 slant-tops located in the
far left side of the Mardi Gras Casino are missing. Also missing are
hundreds of other video poker machines stretching from the old poker
room area about 2/3 of the way up to the restrooms at the back of
the Mardi Gras.
The lower-paying, .25 cent progressives against the wall remain (we
hit it last night). One row of .05 25-coin progressives remain; the
other row is gone. There is also some Super Times Pay remaining, plus
the second row of slant-tops against the wall (non-progressive)
remain. This is a very small VP area now. A sign in the Poker room
area directs you to the Island Casino for video poker (area where the
noodle bar used to be).
In place of these hundreds of missing Mardi Gras VP machines is a
walled-
off construction area. On the wall is a picture of a bar area which
looks a lot like the (gulp!) I-Bar. At the point of the new bar
(where the I-Bar has stand-up blackjack), the picture shows what
looks like an automated roulette area, plus one blackjack table. From
the diagram, it looks like there are no video poker bartops - that
may have been an oversight by the artist. To the rear of the new
bar is what looks like a stage - (oh no!).
In a brief walk-through, we did not find any of the Mardi Gras
machines in other locations. Harrah's machines do have a way of
showing up after a few days, weeks, or months. Let's hope so,
especially for the set of 8 premium slant tops.
On Wednesday nights, a lounge combo plays on the I-Bar stage in the
Island casino. Last night there was a 3-man group who sang mostly
Sinatra songs. Apparently Greg Worzel is no longer there, except
maybe in the diamond room on Sunday nights. He was great; much better
than the Sinatra guys. Anything is better than that
cacophony of ex-cheerleader fluff they do at the I-Bar on weekends.
- bcc