One of the more splendorous (hey, we went to college) hotel lobbies in Las Vegas just got itself some holiday touches.

Caesars Palace has begun to deck its halls, and statuary (it was a B.A. in Fancy Words), with festive holiday decorations sure to please the eye.

This is not the place to get your Scrooge on.

Click here for a larger version, so your eyes can be pleased even more.

We hope to see you in Vegas during the holidays. Just leave the fruitcake at home, thanks.

Vegas casinos pay out so many hefty jackpots, on such a regular basis, it’s not even really considered big news. Except to this Las Vegas blog, which dreams of someday getting its first royal flush in video poker and buying a Las Vegas hotel. Or perhaps a scale model of a hotel, made out of cocktails.

Anyway, we’re still dazzled by big casino wins, so we’re sharing a couple.

First up, a $100,000 jackpot hit on a slot machine at Caesars Palace, just the other day. We went into the high limit slot area to snap a photo of the machine, and to give it a long, warm hug.

Seriously. We made moves on this slot machine.

The sizeable amount of cash was won on a Top Dollar slot, machine #7031. We mention the number in case you’d like to give it an embrace, too.

Take note, however, this slot is a $100 machine, meaning each “coin” is $100. “Max coin,” or the most you can wager on a spin on a given machine, is $200. Yes, that’s $200 a spin. Hey, sometimes, you have to bet big to win big. The top prize on this Top Dollar machine is $250,000.

In this game, if your third reel turns up a Top Dollar symbol, the machine randomly displays a max coin bonus, ranging from $500 to $100,000. You can try again, or grab your bonus, but you only get four chances to try again for a higher amount. It’s kind of like “Let’s Make a Deal,” but with free cocktail service.

Choose wisely, Grasshopper. Wouldn't it be weird if your name were really Grasshopper? They're good luck in some cultures, you know. Fertility symbols. What does that say about you, Grasshopper?

We will take $100,000 any day of the week, thanks.

But, wait, there’s more.

Somebody else got some extra spending money recently. Specifically, Diane Dietz-Abusedo of New Jersey (pictured below), who pocketed a cool million as part of the 18th Annual Millionaire Maker Slot Tournament, hosted by Total Rewards, the player loyalty program of Caesars Entertainment.

We’re not sure who was happier, Diane or her boyfriend.

Is there any possible way this blog can party with Diane's boyfriend? Please get back to us on that, thanks.

The Millionaire Maker Slot Tournament Finale was held at Paris Las Vegas, and was the culmination of a year of qualifying events at Caesars Entertainment (whose blog this is) casinos across the country.

If this blog ever wins a million dollars, can you guess how we’re going to react?

Exactly. Did we mention it's a million dollars?

Upon winning the million dollars, Diane made an excited phone call. To her casino host back east at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Hey, they don’t call it a “loyalty club” for nothing.

So, good luck, and we’d love to hear about your biggest jackpot in the Comments section.

Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon is a little casino with a big heart, and now it’s getting a big vote of confidence with a $185 million renovation.

The optimally-located hotel-casino, which sits at the corner of Flamingo Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard, next to Flamingo Las Vegas, will close temporarily on Feb. 4, 2013 for a serious make-over.

Bill’s, formerly known as the Barbary Coast, will be transformed into a “boutique lifestyle hotel and casino” set to be unveiled in early 2014, with a brand-spanking new name.

Breaking: Bill's Gamblin' Hall will continue to have halls.

The extensive renovation will include the addition of a 65,000-square-foot rooftop pool, which we’re fairly sure will have one of the most killer views of The Strip in all of Las Vegas.

The addition of a pool means there will also be a dayclub/nightclub. Drai Management Group, the folks behind the hotel’s award-winning Drai’s After Hours club, will manage the new club. The club is expected to open in late 2014.

Guest rooms at the hotel will also be remodeled, as well as the casino floor. A new restaurant will be added to the hotel’s second floor.

Bill’s trivia: The hotel originally cost $11.5 million and opened in 1979.

Remember that Strip view we were talking about?

Big changes are certainly afoot center-Strip! The Imperial Palace is now The Quad. The Linq entertainment district is well under way, and the High Roller observation is growing by the minute.

We can’t wait to see the changes in store for Bill’s, especially if it could mean we’d be able to use our Total Rewards cards there, and as long as they don’t take away Rapid Craps.

Check back often for all the latest Las Vegas news.

Popular singing group Human Nature has ended a three-year run at Imperial Palace (The Quad), performing a final show on Nov. 25, 2012.

The show, “Smokey Robinson Presents Human Nature: The Ultimate Celebration of Motown,” has entertained thousands of Las Vegas visitors since it opened on May 23, 2009. The Nov. 25 show marked the group’s 776th performance at the former IP.

Thanks to Erik Kabik for the great pic from the evening of Human Nature's final show at Imperial Palace.

The members of Human Nature are Andrew Tierney, Toby Allen, Michael Tierney and Phil Burton.

A slew of celebs stopped by to see the harmonizing quartet during its stint at the Imperial Palace, including Susan Lucci, Shania Twain (beginning her residency at Caesars Palace on Dec. 1, 2012), Jennifer Love Hewitt and Berry Gordy, among others.

In the near term, the group has tour dates in Florida, followed by a national tour of their native country, Australia.

Some of our memories of Human Nature include their performance on Dancing With the Stars, their appearance at the annual cactus lighting ceremony at Ethel M Chocolates, their memorable photo spread in Las Vegas magazine (see below) and the group’s charitable and community involvement.

Collector's item!

No replacement for Human Nature’s show at the Imperial Palace (now known as The Quad) has been officially announced. We wish the guys all the best, and expect the Las Vegas Strip hasn’t seen the last of these exceptionally talented performers.

As has been the case since the very inception of Las Vegas in the early 17th century (just go with it), Sin City nightclubs are once again pulling in major talent for their New Year’s Eve weekend celebrations.

Today, we learned singer and TV personality CeeLo Green will perform live on Dec. 30, 2012 at Chateau Nightclub atop Paris Las Vegas.

They can call your song "Forget You" all they want, CeeLo. We listen to the original.

The Grammy Award-winning CeeLo Green is best known for his colossal hit single, “F**k You,” and for his appearances on NBC’s talent competition, “The Voice.”

Green will also begin a residency at Planet Hollywood in 2013. Learn more, because there will be a quiz at some point.

Also on the agenda for New Year’s Eve is Nicki Minaj who will host at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace.

Minaj's song, "Super Bass," has been certified quadruple-platinum by the RIAA. Hint: That's a lot.

Today’s thing we didn’t know about Nicki Minaj: Her real name is Onika Tanya Maraj.

Minaj has been the owner and sole proprietor of the U.S. music charts since her debut album, “Pink Friday,” arrived in 2010.

It goes without saying, Las Vegas will be the center of the New Year’s Eve universe as 2012, also referred to as “The Year Holly Madison Broke This Blog’s Heart by Leaving Peepshow,” turns into 2013, also referred to as, “How can it possibly be 2013 already?”

What could possibly make a person love Las Vegas more? How about Las Vegas rooms for less? How about blog posts that don’t ask rhetorical questions all the time? Why, are you easily annoyed by questions? Isn’t that something you feel should be addressed? Perhaps professionally?

Seriously! There is a serious sale on rooms going on for Cyber Monday. The serious kind. Lop 35% off your next stay at The Quad (formerly the Imperial Palace). Or grab a Rio suite for 30% off. Go here for all the Cyber Monday sale details.

We like shiny things.

All the hotels in the Caesars Entertainment family in Las Vegas, as well as across the country, are currently experiencing these glorious discounts.

You can also stay at Bally’s, Flamingo or Harrah’s for 25% off, or Paris, Caesars Palace and Planet Hollywood for 20% off.

Based upon previous Cyber Monday extravaganzas, these rooms go quickly, so snagging your deal now would be advisable. Trust us, we are a Las Vegas blog.

More shiny.

In case you missed those other Cyber Monday sale links, because we know you skim blogs as much as we do, here it is again.

Just think of all the things you can do in Sin City with the money you’ll save! How about ordering a $1,000 Golden Opulence sundae at Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace? Or maybe a $777 burger at Le Burger Brasserie inside Paris Vegas? Or, perhaps more realistically, you’d enjoy seeing a great show or staying an extra night? Or maybe you could spend your savings on looking into that whole disliking-rhetorical-questions issue?

Or just pay full price. It's still totally worth it.

Have a great Cyber Monday, because whether you take advantage of this incredibly life-altering sale or not, at least you’re not in a mall.

In what has somehow become an annual ritual, this blog will now rattle off 21 things to be thankful for in Las Vegas. Post your own things in the Comments section.

1. Mini Plates

We love buffets, like the new Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, where the food is served in little plates. It’s like the food was made just for us. And don’t worry, while small, you can have as many as you’d like.

What say we cut turkeys a break this Thanksgiving and have chicken parm?

2. Engineers

Among the many things engineers are bringing to The Strip soon is the High Roller observation wheel. It’s massive, and the more you know about it, the more miraculous the efforts of the engineers appear. Yay, smart people. Learn more about the High Roller at The Linq.

This ain't your grandpa's Ferris wheel.

3. Hooch

No list of Las Vegas things to be thankful could exclude liquor, so this one won’t. Big, small, fancy or otherwise, cocktails are part of what makes Sin City so sinful.

We almost remember taking this photo.

4. To Hell With Rules

Seriously. We’re thankful Vegas doesn’t live by society’s rules. If we want #4 on our list to be more cocktails, cocktails it is. Disappointed #4 is like #3? We don’t care! Get your own Las Vegas blog!

Rules, schmules.

5. James and Jaymes

This team of similarly-named Chippendales dancers is currently doing Las Vegas proud on “The Amazing Race.” Yay, you guys. See them in the flesh at Rio Las Vegas.

Shirts, schmirts.

6. Shock Value

When you’re in Las Vegas, you’re bound to hear or see something shocking. Great example: Penny Pibbets and her hand puppets in Absinthe at Caesars Palace. Even Ivory doesn’t make enough soap for Penny’s mouth. And we mean that in a good way.

Granted, we should have said "sock value."

7. The Payline

We love it when objects align on the slot machine payline. Cha-to-the-ching.

Yes, this is #7 on our list. We are a trained professional.

8. Community

It did our hearts good to see juggler Jeff Civillico crowd-fund (to the tune of $10,900) an inflatable arch for his show at The Quad (formerly the Imperial Palace.) It’s amazing what people can accomplish when they join forces.

Behold "The People's Arch." And a ladder on a guy's face.

9. George Wallace

He’s just flat-out hysterical at Flamingo Las Vegas, as well as being a Las Vegas institution (with an epic Twitter feed).

We think he's on our Thanksgiving list every year.

10. Buskers

Come on, admit it, street “performers” (also called “buskers”) help make Las Vegas the people-watching capital of the universe.

We think creative costumes like this mirror man reflect well on our city.

11. Eye Candy

Not that kind of eye candy, although we’re certainly thankful for that kind, too. We mean this kind.

"Wow" should be a French word. Unless it already is.

12. Freebies

From check-ins on Foursquare to loyalty club programs (like Total Rewards) to comps from your favorite casino host or pit boss, Vegas is overflowing with freebies. Free. Is. Good.

The Foursquare badge for Bally's Las Vegas features a woman with a reverse tan line. Probably.

13. The Superstitions

We love superstitions! Don’t let the craps dice hit your hands. Avoid staying on the 13th floor of a hotel. Never gamble without your good luck charm. And when you’re at Caesars Palace, rubs Caesars’ hand (see below) for good luck. A visit to Cleopatra’s Barge may be in order, too. (Although it’s not her hand you’ll want to rub for good luck. Ahem.) Oh, and never, ever list “The Superstitions” as #13 on your list of things to be thankful for in Las Vegas. Note: We know what you’re thinking. Refer to #4.

Caesar has doled out a lot of luck in his day.

14. Publicity Stunts

When it comes to stunts, Vegas continues to deliver on a grand scale. The latest example? Singer Shania Twain was welcomed to Caesars Palace in the company of a herd of 30 horses on The Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas rarely suffers from a lack of imagination.

This was even more exciting than you may have herd.

15. The Neon

With the recent opening of the Neon Museum, Sin City’s neon is finally getting its time in the spotlight.

This also could've been filed under "Eye Candy."

16. These Chairs

We think these bar stools at Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo are great. Feel free to either agree or agree.

We shall have these in our dream home.

17. Zombies

Zombies have invaded Las Vegas, and not just during Halloween. They’re at the new Goretorium attraction, and you can fend them off at the Zombie Apocalypse Store. There are even zombie runs. Use your brain, and don’t miss our post about How to Survive a Zombie Invasion in Las Vegas.

You thought we were kidding?

18. Desserts

Sure, other cities have desserts. But that’s like saying other cities have magicians. Las Vegas tends to take things to a whole new level. The sweetness below, which sometimes does double duty as an engagement ring delivery device, is courtesy of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas.

Fact: 94% of Vegas desserts are calorie-free. Hey, we are a blog, not a nutritionist.

19. Yeah, It’s Another Dessert

This blog is not just about doubling up on the cocktails, you know.

Oh, now we're just padding.

20. Our Seedy Past

Las Vegas doesn’t just acknowledge its sometimes seedy history, it embraces it! If you want to see what we mean, check out the Mob Museum, downtown. It’s a fascinating look at organized crime and the legal eagles that brought them down.

Embracing is not the same as glorifying. You'll see what we mean. There will be whacking.

21. The Vegas Attitude

We’re thankful Las Vegas remains a place where irreverence and outrageousness thrive. Don’t love that we have a Heart Attack Grill? Bite it! Think toplessness is offensive? Tough! The people, the places, the sounds, the games of chance, the sleaze, the utter beauty, and even the enduring schmaltz, it’s all here, and it’s all part of what makes Las Vegas the most exciting destination in the world. Not that we’re biased or anything.

Actual results may vary.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and special thanks to you for visiting this humble blog. Actual results may vary there, too.

It’s easy to overlook Koi Las Vegas, because it’s a little hidden on the Mezz (second) level at Planet Hollywood, but the flavors and nightlife are hard to miss.

Koi’s restaurant and lounge combo is a mix of Eastern design and Hollywood style, with a focus on Japanese-inspired food (“with California accents”), as well as top-notch service.

Koi's version of "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Koi boasts a team of sushi chefs with decades of experience. Yes, we counted. Signature rolls include a baked crab roll, baked scallops, sauteed shrimp, the Dragon Roll, a baked lobster roll and Kobe Surf & Turf Roll.

We have certain friends who are jabbing at their computer monitor with chopsticks right now.

Team Koi (they don’t call themselves that, probably) takes sushi very seriously, and watching the sushi being prepared in the open kitchen is a great show.

Sushi chefs get great singe benefits.

The inviting restaurant has a number of distinctive signature dishes, several of which we just copied and pasted from their online menu: Seared Tuna, Tuna Tartare, Salmon Carpaccio, Hamachi Fusion, Kobe-Style Potstickers, Spicy Crunchy Yellowtail Tartare and Chicken Yakitori.

Well, that's just adorable.

Hot dishes run the gamut from Sauteed Tiger Prawns and Sesame-Encrusted Lobster Tail to Wasabe-Braised Short Ribs and this blog’s personal favorite (pictured below), the Kobe-Style Filet Mignon “Toban-Yaki,” which translates as, “If we ever inherit a large amount of money, we’re going to roll around naked on dozens of servings of this dish.” Or something.

Actually, “toban-yaki” refers to the cooking method (on a ceramic plate), but let’s not get bogged down by “facts” or “useful information.” We are a blog, after all.

Presentation may not be everything, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

An after-dinner drink menu helps round out your meal with specialties like a Koi Frappuccino Shot, Chocolate Espresso Martini, Koi Snow Flake (including Rock Sake Nigori, White Chocolate Godiva and a splash of Goldschlager) and Sweet Saki Flight Tasting.

Koi boasts a surprising number of dessert items, including the Flourless Molten Chocolate Cake, Koi Sundae, the Koi Signature Cheesecake, Chocolate-Vanilla Creme Brulee, Strawberry Cobbler and assorted ice creams, sorbet and mochi. Bypass the agony of decision-making with a chef’s dessert Sampler Platter ($46).

White chocolate bowl? Yes, please.

Bonus: Koi has partnered with the Just a Little non-profit, and will donate 100% of the proceeds of the sale of certain menu items to support the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The items are the Koi Fusion Shot ($5) and Ahi Tuna Carpaccio ($15).

Blogs cannot live by food photos alone.

Discover what’s made Koi restaurant and lounge such a sensation both in Las Vegas and at its sister locations in New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok, which this blog has good reason to believe is in a different country entirely.

More photos! Because we can.

One of the most-photographed statues in Las Vegas is the David replica at the Appian Way Shops inside Caesars Palace.

This statue is truly special, because it’s an exact replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, sculpted from the same Italian marble Michelangelo used (Carrara marble).

David embodies the Renaissance sensibility of force tempered by intellect, which we definitely didn't just cut and paste from the Internet.

David is 18 feet tall, and weighs more than nine tons.

Warning: Attempting to shoplift the David statue at Caesars Palace may result in severe, multiple herniation. Should you choose to ignore this warning, the casino cameras will capture your exploits, and the resulting video will be uploaded to YouTube, resulting in a video more popular than Justin Bieber lip-syncing “Call Me Maybe.”

The original David was unveiled on September 8, 1504. The David statue has come to symbolize the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Florentine Republic, whatever that might actually be. Michelangelo’s statue was originally supposed to sit on a cathedral roof line, which might explain why some of his features (like his right hand) are exaggerated, to compensate for the statue being viewed from below.

The original David currently resides in the Galleria dell’Accademia (Italian for “How are we going to get this statue through such a little doorway?”) in Florence, Italy.

Here’s a little-known fact. There’s another David at Caesars Palace, and we don’t mean the guy from accounting. The other, much smaller, David lives outside, near the hotel entrance. Yes, we just walked down there so you’ll know what we’re talking about. The sacrifices this blog makes for you.

Due to the informal atmosphere of Las Vegas, you can call him "Dave."

Bonus David fact: All of the various Davids are uncircumcised. Oh, and when Queen Victoria first saw the nude David in 1857, a fig leaf (about a foot and a half tall) was commissioned to cover David’s offending appendage.

Now you know!

Being stranded when your car breaks down can be a serious bummer. Thankfully, it’s the Chippendales to the rescue!

While the gift shop that adjoins the Chippendales male revue showroom at Rio Las Vegas offers a variety of saucy keepsakes, it may come as a surprise that the store also offers many items that could save your life if your car ever fails you on the road. Let’s take a look.

First, when your car breaks down, you’ll want to try and flag down passing motorists for assistance. That task is made easier with these handy Chippendales rescue flags, complete with a sturdy handle and attention-getting tassels.

You can never have too many rescue flags.

If stopping other vehicles doesn’t pan out, the last thing you want is to appear alone and vulnerable. The blow-up companion below, when placed in your car’s passenger seat, will give the impression you’ve got company, and John’s got your back if there’s any trouble.

There's safety in numbers!

One of the biggest hazards of being stranded roadside is the potential of being blindsided by a driver who can’t see your vehicle in the dark. The Chippendales gift shop offers a number of useful items to help with this potential danger.

Apply this convenient, glow-in-the-dark paint liberally for the greatest visibility.

Authorities agree highly-visible attire can also help prevent accidents.

Nothing says "I'm here, watch out!" like neon.

Even with those precautions, you can’t be too careful in the dark of night. The handheld light pictured below can provide an additional layer of insurance against distracted drivers.

Other drivers are sure to steer clear now.

Once you and your vehicle are sufficiently visible, you’re ready to pop the hood.

But before you start fumbling around with your car’s engine, you’ll want to wear these fashionable wrist protectors.

Ever see an auto mechanic with wrist abrasions? Exactly!

Often, automotive break-downs are caused by simple problems, such as leaking hoses. Tape can provide a quick, simple fix, enabling your vehicle to get to a service station for repairs.

Patching up a leaky hose can be a pleasure with this affordable tape.

If worse comes to worst, and you aren’t able to diagnose and repair your problem on the fly, towing your car may be necessary. Use your rescue flags, and hitch your vehicle to another using this durable, high tensile strength towing rope.

This tow rope could truly be a lifeline in an emergency.

Once your car is at the repair shop, you’ll be back in the swing of things in no time. In fact, the Chippendales have even thought of a way to keep yourself occupied while you wait for your repairs to be completed. A portable swing!

After your harrowing roadside adventure, you deserve to have some fun!

Who needs triple-A when you’ve got the Chippendales guys watching out for you? As any Chippendales dancer will tell you, it pays to be prepared.

Check out the Chippendales guys in all their pectoral glory at Rio Las Vegas.

It was a spectacle worthy of Las Vegas, as the famed Las Vegas Strip was shut down for a short time on Nov. 14, 2012 to welcome Shania Twain to Caesars Palace.

Throngs of Twain’s ardent fans lining The Strip were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime scene: Dozens of horses paraded up Las Vegas Boulevard, delivering the singer to the fountains at Caesars Palace.

You thought we were making this up for a second, didn't you?

The record-breaking recording artist begins a two-year residency at Caesars Palace on Dec. 1, 2012. Twain joins other renowned performers who regularly appear at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, including Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld, Rod Stewart and other luminaries. Learn more.

Shania Twain wows the crowd with her horsepersonshipment. (Possibly not a real word.)

The jaw-dropping welcome event was seven months in the making, and we slipped behind the scenes for a look at the staging area at Caesars Palace where the horses got to shake off their pre-show jitters.

We're 71% certain these horses have Screen Actors Guild cards.

The horses were treated like royalty, including ample room to frolic leading up to their debut on The Strip. In case you wondered, the cowboys didn’t frolic too much.

And, yes, there were cowgirls! But it’s like craps in a casino. There are female “stickmen,” too. Is this really the time and place to have a meaningful discussion about this issue? Moving on to the cowpersons!

Never again question this blog's ability to horse whisper.

Shania Twain’s horse (below), named Molesso, was all gussied for the grand entrance.

Molesso warms up.

Make that two divas coming to Caesars Palace!

Spoiled, much, fancy feet?

Our favorite cowpoke accessory of the day?

Thanks so much for asking.

There's no reason to believe, just because it's Vegas, this bottle contains anything but water. Probably.

Close to a dozen seasoned cowboys ensured Twain’s dramatic entrance was safe for equines and spectators alike, moving the approximately 30 horses (40 if you include the ones the cowpersons were riding) from their impromptu pens to Flamingo Boulevard, around a corner to Las Vegas Boulevard, and back again, without incident.

Just another day on the Las Vegas Strip, moseying-wise.

The horses seemed to take the hoopla in stride, at one point turning toward Shania Twain (below), appearing to ask, “Does the craft services table include carrots?” Or something equally horse-like, we assume.

Don't everybody freak out, Shania Twain has got this.

After her brief ride, Twain made some heartfelt remarks to the crowd, reflecting her obvious love of horses and riding. She said, “It’s a pleasure to be able to ride in here on my welcome day on a horse, one of my favorite things to do.”

Shania Twain shares the stage (suspended over the hotel's fountain pool, somehow) with Gary Selesner, Caesars Palace regional president and John Meglen, president and co-CEO of AEG Live/Concerts West, the folks producing Twain's show.

She then went on to talk about how personal her show, “Shania: Still the One,” is and how excited she is to share it with her enthusiastic fans.

Oh, we’ll just let her say it.

Shania Twain is the world’s best-selling female country artist of all time, has sold 75 million albums worldwide, and recently got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Perhaps eclipsing all those accomplishments, she also has the distinction of being one of this blog’s lifelong celebrity crushes. Which we should probably keep to ourselves, but this Las Vegas blog doesn’t live by society’s rules.

Dramatic entrance, dramatic exit. This ain't Shania's first rodeo, you know.

Congratulations to everyone, two-legged and four, who made Shania Twain’s arrival at Caesars Palace so utterly unforgettable! Visit the official ShaniainVegas.com site for ticket information, or snag tickets at Ticketmaster.com.

Swoon. Yep, she's still the one! Shania should call her show that or something.

Check out our exclusive photo gallery for more insider eye candy from Shania Twain’s only-in-Vegas-scale welcome celebration.

Everyone comes to Sin City, eventually, and bigtime TV series are no exception.

“Royal Pains,” a popular show on the USA channel, recently shot an upcoming two-hour movie in one of The Strip’s most iconic hotels, Caesars Palace.

In the foreground, right, the show's star, Mark Feuerstein chats with actress Brooke D'Orsay between takes.

We breached security to bring you some exclusive, behind-the-scenes photos from the casino floor during the shoot.

Craps, finally receiving the airtime it so richly deserves.

“Royal Pains,” which premiered in 2009 (recently renewed for its fifth and sixth seasons), features Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty, Henry Winkler, Brooke D’Orsay, Campbell Scott and Jill Flint.

You shoot craps your way, Hollywood will shoot craps its way.

The holiday special including scenes shot at Caesars Palace, “Off-Season Greetings,” airs December 16, 2012. In the episode shot at Caesars, the show’s leads visit Las Vegas for some bachelor party fun.

Where else?

Unlike a real craps game, TV craps games involve depressingly few cocktails.

Keep an eye out for your favorite Caesars Palace dealers who moonlighted as actors during the craps sequences. You can’t just call Central Casting for expert stick handling, you know.

Thanks to Paulo Costanzo (who plays Evan R. Lawson on the show) for letting us get all up in his grill without pulling a Sean Penn.

You, too, can feel like a TV star by visiting the casino at Caesars Palace, although you’re on your own when it comes to hair and make-up, sorry. (Although, a visit to Color salon at Caesars might do the trick.)

Find out more about “Royal Pains” at the show’s official site.

There are few experiences in life that can match the sheer exhilaration of simply strolling the Las Vegas Strip. The neon, the stunning architecture, the people-watching, the non-stop revelry.

Recently, we spotted a mode of transport on The Strip in front of Caesars Palace which could very well change the way The Strip gets experienced. Behold, the Solowheel.

Sin City and the Solowheel may have been made for each other.

It’s a “gyro-stabilized electric unicycle,” along the lines of a Segway, but much more compact and dramatically less expensive. (A new Segway is about $6,500, a Solowheel is $1,800 new or $1,400, refurbished.)

Here’s a video that shows off some of the Solowheel’s capabilities.

How much fun would it be to zip down The Strip on one of these babies? The distance between Las Vegas hotels can be deceiving, so this might be the next best thing to a limo ride to keep those dogs from barking.

Solowheels sometimes travel in packs, apparently.

Based upon our extensive 12 minutes of research, the Solowheel was developed by inventor Shane Chen in Washington state, weighs about 24 pounds, can move up to 10 miles an hour, and a charge lasts about an hour.

We called around, and it doesn’t appear any of the local tour companies offer Solowheel rentals at the moment, but we figure it’s just a matter of time, and we’ll be the first in line to give one a test ride.

Here’s the Solowheel official site, and you can also find the company on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you ever seen a $60,000 sandwich? You’re about to.

Chef Robert Butler (below), of Café Ile Saint Louis at Paris Las Vegas, not only made a $60,000 sandwich, he invented one.

This scrumptious sandwich features a delightful mixture of both "cha" and "ching."

Butler, with his right-hand man, Chef Lowell McCain of Le Village Buffet at Paris, was named the first-ever World Food Champion at the Final Table of the World Food Championships held in Las Vegas, Nov. 1-4, 2012.

We asked Chef Butler to re-create his title-winning sandwich. For, you know, blog research purposes.

This ain't your grandpa's hoagie, whatever a "hoagie" might actually be.

Chef Butler took part in two competitions during the World Food Championships, winning $10,000 in the sandwich category competition, then snagging $50,000 in the seven-team final World Food Championships battle. The final seven competitors represented the best-of-the-best in a field of 300 challengers from across the country.

The Grand Champion prize-winning sandwich was a “barbeque pulled-pork sandwich on bacon and white cheddar bioche with onion conserve (a jam containing nuts), caramelized sliced apples and white cheddar gratinée using Kraft and Grey Poupon (the event sponsor) products. The pork was cooked with barbeque sauce, Dijon mustard, bourbon, brown sugar and sliced jalapeños and the onion conserve was made with walnuts.”

We put quotation marks around that to ensure you didn’t think we memorized it. We are a Las Vegas blog, not a sandwich ingredient-memorizing robot.

Let's just say Chef Butler does more things at one time than this blog does in the entire course of a day.

One of the trickiest parts of this whole thing? At one point in the competition, chefs did a blind draw from a bag containing 10 classic sandwiches, and didn’t even know which kind they’d be preparing for the judges. No pressure.

Says Chef Butler, “Pulled pork was the one sandwich I didn’t want to pull out of that bag. It’s not something I eat. I had a lot of ideas for the other nine sandwiches, but nothing ready for this one. Pork is tough. It starts as rubber and often ends as mush. There’s really no life in between.”

One of the key secrets to the winning sandwich? “Probably half a bottle of bourbon went into the pork itself,” says Chef Butler. Suddenly, the chef has this blog’s undivided attention.

Another winning addition was the use of an onion conserve. “Using a conserve came from originally wanting to use Hawaiian rolls, but even when you brown it, it has no body to it. The conserve binding the nuts to the onions gave it a little bit of texture and crunch.”

The onion conserve, a thing this blog didn't know existed until yesterday.

“I’m still in shock our sandwich won, to be honest,” adds Chef Butler. “A big moment for me was at the Final Table, when Chef Tim Love, who Lowell (McCain) and I respect a lot, from him, a barbeque guy from Texas, to say it was one of the best sandwiches he’s had in a very long time, that was a huge honor.”

According to our calculations, that's about $3,000 per bite.

Chef Butler’s win was all the more astonishing given he never attended culinary school, and this was his very first cooking competition!

Read more about our award-winning Las Vegas chefs at Las Vegas Weekly, and say “hello” to Chef Butler when you stop by Café Ile Saint Louis at Paris Las Vegas.

This seems an ideal place to insert our photo of Café Ile Saint Louis at Paris Las Vegas which we, granted, probably mucked with too much in Photoshop.

Visit the World Food Championships site for all the event details.

Also, enjoy our exclusive gallery of far more photos than Chef Butler was comfortable having us take.

Recent improvements outside the Margaritaville Casino at Flamingo Las Vegas have resulted in a prime new spot for people-watching on the Las Vegas Strip.

Let the eschewing of moderation begin!

The new patio area, just outside the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, has tables and seating, perfect for checking out the non-stop action on The Strip.

This is the same thing, but this time, we turned our camera sideways.

Recent construction has also widened the sidewalk along the front of the hotel, making it much easier to access the Flamingo Wine & Spirits store. If you’re into that kind of thing.

This blog is into that kind of thing.

See more about the Margaritaville Casino at Flamingo, including photos of scantily-clad cocktail servers. Oh, like you’re not going to click that link now.