We can’t say it enough. This blog loves it some free Vegas stuff! The free Imperial Palace slot tournament, where you can win up to $1,500 in free slot play, definitely qualifies.

Here’s how it works. It’s complicated, so pay attention. Not the kind of attention you pay to your spouse. The real kind. You go to the Imperial Palace. You play a fake slot machine for five minutes. Top players of the day get prizes.

Fact: $1,500 in free slot play is better than a shoulder massage from a Las Vegas showgirl. Actual results may vary.

The only caveat is one must be a Total Rewards loyalty club member to enter. It’s free to join, and heck, you can even sign up online from the comfort of your bath tub, French villa or cube farm.

The free Imperial Palace slot tournament moved recently, so you do actually have to pay attention this time: The slot tournament area is now on the third floor of the hotel’s Pagoda Tower, near the Race & Sports book and the theater Human Nature and Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas call home.

Ain't no app for this! Winners are announced old-school.

If you’re unfamiliar with slot tournaments, entrants spend months training, often with highly-compensated coaches, building their endurance and perfecting their slot tournament strategies. We’re totally kidding. You sit and push a button. Over and over. It’s awesome because it’s all luck. No push-ups or memorizing some math-based strategy. Just have fun, already.

The most exciting five minutes in Las Vegas that doesn't involved making love to this blog.

The free slot tournament at Imperial Palace is held Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Good luck, and if you win, this blog’s usual commission applies.

Given the popularity of reality TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the recent opening of Drink & Drag in downtown Las Vegas and the ongoing success of “Frank Marino’s Diva’s Las Vegas” at Imperial Palace, this just may end up “The Year of the Drag Queen.”

How cool is it to be a female impersonator at the moment? Frank Marino’s divas even have their own big wheel at Imperial Palace.

Win, and your friends will "condragulate" you. Yes, this blog is up on its drag queen jargon.

When drag queens are involved, fun is pretty much guaranteed, even with the knowledge casino big wheel games have some hefty house edges. Seriously, though, are you in Vegas to do math or have a blast? We thought so.

Each of the divas is highlighted on the table, too.

The IP felt it was time to put the divas in the spotlight. Felt. See what we did there?

Here’s more about Frank Marino’s Diva’s Las Vegas at Imperial Palace.

You better work. Or something.

Things move quickly on the Las Vegas Strip, and Caesars Entertainment has wasted no time in taking the next big step toward making room for the Linq, the massive development project that will feature a shopping and dining promenade, as well as a 500-foot observation wheel. Let’s blow something up!

This would be the "before" photo.

At 2:30 a.m. on May 1, 2012, just hours after the closing of O’Sheas, the casino’s seven-story parking garage was imploded. Sin City loves its implosions! And while it was just a parking garage, we’ll take it.

The implosion was the result of weeks of planning, and involved very technical demolition techniques this blog does not have time to research, so let’s just call it “painting on things.”

Off the record, what's so tough about imploding something? This blog could paint that.

Read up on closing day at O’Sheas, and learn more about the Linq.

This sign at O'Sheas now qualifies as false advertising.

In related parking news, you’re in for a jolt if you try to approach the nearby Imperial Palace the way you always have. The hotel’s valet entrance has been closed.

Let's face it, this entryway was always kind of a cluster. Yay, Linq project!

We’ve heard that part of a hotel referred to as a “porte-cochère,” but this blog is not that fancy. It’s the place you drive up to the hotel entrance and leave your car and stuff. “Porte-cochère” is French, by the way, and is pronounced, “We have no damn idea how it’s pronounced.”

Now, guests need to drive around back, probably through Harrah’s Las Vegas (the parking entrance, not the hotel itself, that would be rude), to find the new valet area and self-park garage.

It ain't pretty, but it'll do in a pinch.

More Linq news to come, assuming this blog’s brain doesn’t implode like a parking garage while trying to keep track of it all.

The hours until the closing of O’Sheas may be growing fewer (the beloved casino closes at noon on April 30, 2012), but if you move quickly, even if O’Sheas is gone, it won’t be forgotten.

We just learned O’Sheas has issued limited-edition (just 3,000 were produced) gaming chips commemorating the end of an era on the Strip.

Chip collectors, like this blog, lose their gourd over stuff like this.

The $5 chips, “Celebrating 23 Great Years,” haven’t been put into circulation, so you’ll need to visit the casino’s cashier cage to get one. Collectible chips like this don’t tend to last long at face value, so you’d better move it!

In other news, the entirely awesome Lucky the Leprechaun (real name: Brian Thomas), the mascot of O’Sheas, had a live online chat with his fans today, and we were there!

O'Sheas fans love them some Lucky.

Lucky assured his legions of fans that he’s not going anywhere. The next iteration of O’Sheas will be part of the $550 million dollar Linq project, an entertainment, retail and dining corridor set to open in 2013. Read more.

When asked by a chat participant how you close a casino like O’Sheas, Lucky responded, “With lots of police.” Nice!

Of course, all work and no play makes Lucky a dull boy, so he took advantage of the Flamingo Go Room (O’Sheas doesn’t have rooms) where the online chat was held.

Please note: This blog is not liable for injuries sustained while jumping on Las Vegas hotel beds.

Lucky’s going to be busy as the final days of O’Sheas tick by. He’s going to be working noon to midnight each day during the casino’s final weekend.

The “Final Countdown” celebration begins in earnest on April 28, starting at noon. Guests will be able to get discounted memorabilia and drink specials galore, and live entertainment will also be on tap.

Guests can be a part of O’Sheas history by signing a memory wall which will be photographed with Lucky and placed in the new O’Sheas inside the Linq.

Construction on the Linq is in full swing, a fact we confirmed by grabbing this pic from atop the monorail platform behind Imperial Palace. Yes, we had to purchase a monorail ticket, so, technically, this photo cost us $5. You’re welcome.

Vegas doesn't do anything on a small scale. Except Lucky. Wait, that didn't come out right.

There is so much going on with the Linq project, we can’t even keep up!

For example, an entire poker room at Imperial Palace is gone as of today. Well, not gone, moved (to near the hotel’s sports book). Nevertheless, the new wall pictured below seemed to go up overnight.

What just happened? The site of the former Imperial Palace poker room. Linq, you'd better be awesome, because you're creating some havoc on the Strip.

We couldn’t resist strolling through O’Sheas again. Especially because April 26 is National Pretzel Day. And the food court at O’Sheas, you know, sells pretzels. Don’t try to make sense of it. We’re very emotional about O’Sheas closing at the moment.

Yes, we'll even miss you, giant, dusty pretzel replica.

We’re also going to miss the lack of pretense at O’Sheas.

Which, given the photo below, may be the understatement of the last 23 years.

We're going to miss you, too, craps table duct tape.

So, yes, we have some mixed feelings about the demise of O’Sheas. If we can pull ourselves away from our gaming chip collection long enough, maybe we’ll add to our list of Things We’ll Miss When O’Sheas Closes.

Is this blog going to miss taking photos of little people in bath tubs? Oh, hell, yes.

Share your O’Sheas memories on the casino’s official Facebook page, and we’ll see you at O’Sheas. Actually, we’ll probably see three of you, but you know what we mean. It’s O’Sheas.

There’s definitely been one degree of separation between Las Vegas and the TV juggernaut “Dancing With the Stars” lately.

On the April 23, 2012 episode, Imperial Palace headliners Human Nature joined the popular show for a Motown-themed blow-out.

Yes, this blog takes photos of its TV. Why, what do you do with your spare time?

The four freaky-talented members of Human Nature, Andrew Tierney, Toby Allen, Michael Tierney and Phil Burton, performed Motown-era hits throughout the show. They also took the opportunity to promote their new album, appropriately called, The Motown Album.

We want to get lighting like this for our cube at work.

Also featured in the Motown episode of “Dancing With the Stars” were music legends Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and The Temptations.

But mostly Human Nature, because they have a Las Vegas show.

The “Dancing With the Stars” connection to Las Vegas doesn’t stop there, of course. “Dancing With the Stars: Live in Las Vegas” is in the middle of a 12-week run at the Tropicana. Read more.

Las Vegas is also home to a genuine “Dancing With the Stars” champion, Donny Osmond. Donny Osmond’s disco ball trophy is actually on display in the lobby of Flamingo Las Vegas. Yes, we took a photo. This blog rocks it like that.

Las Vegas even has bling inside its bling.

Here’s some video of Donny Osmond just after he snagged his prize in Season 9.

Congrats to Human Nature for stepping it up and representing Las Vegas on “Dancing With the Stars.” Catch Human Nature live at Imperial Palace, in all their synchronized, harmonized glory.

Although Drink & Drag Las Vegas, billed as the “first-ever fully drag queen-staffed bar,” won’t officially open until May 5, 2012, the downtown establishment quietly began to welcome guests this weekend, and we were there.

Unfortunately, because it was just a “soft launch,” we were told we weren’t allowed to take photos. So, naturally, we took tons of photos! This blog does not live by society’s rules.

"Drink" gets top billing, as it should in Las Vegas.

The staff of Drink & Drag, 24 full-time drag queens in all, were out in force, learning the ropes of their new gig and entertaining guests by breaking into choreographed dance sequences throughout the evening.

You better work! Oh, wait, you are working. Sorry!

Far from just appealing to the GLBT community, this blog witnessed guests of all orientations and ages taking part in the fun at Drink & Drag.

Adding to the draw are a 12-lane bowling alley and billiard room.

At Drink & Drag, it's a challenge to keep your mind out of the gutter.

The interior of Drink & Drag is gorgeous, with impressive attention to lighting and creating a sensory experience that leaves you feeling like there’s always something else to see in this 22,000-square-foot venue.

There are surprises around every corner.

Oh, like we weren't going to share a photo of the saucy men's room.

Drink & Drag is tucked away on the second floor of Neonopolis, in the space formerly occupied by Jillian’s. And we don’t used the word “tucked” lightly. (Hint: It’s a drag queen thing.)

Outside, understated. Inside, over-the-top.

The Drink & Drag concept is brought to downtown by the owner of the popular Krave nightclub at The Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

There's something for everyone at Drink & Drag.

Taking their cue from casinos like Rio Las Vegas, cocktail servers at Drink & Drag are equipped with iPads to transmit orders wirelessly to the bar, speeding up cocktail service and providing more time for the servers to interact with guests.

And an unforgettable interaction it is. To a person, the drag queens at Drink & Drag are friendly and hysterically funny, and know how to keep the party vibe going.

Shyness does not seem to afflict any of the Drink & Drag staff.

Insider tip: If you’re not quite up to speed on drag queen culture, we recommend you catch a few episodes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on the Logo network. That way, you’ll have a better facility with drag queen lingo when you hit Drink & Drag: “beating your face” (applying makeup), “reading” (playfully insulting someone), “chicken cutlets” (bra inserts) and “fishy” (a drag queen who looks like a woman, not like a man dressed like a woman). Get more.

Being a dancing queen not your thing? Hit the swanky billiard room.

One of the most amazing parts of the Drink & Drag experience is enjoying the costumes of the staff. The outfits are stunning, and the make-up and hair can take upwards of three hours to get just right, according to one of our cocktail servers. To borrow a line from Frank Marino’s Diva’s Las Vegas drag show at Imperial Palace, “you won’t believe your eyes.”

This blog had a complete blast at Drink & Drag, and we are almost entirely heterosexual. We predict Drink & Drag will quickly become a must-visit part of the ever-growing downtown Las Vegas nightlife scene.

This is where the "drink" part of Drink & Drag tends to happen.

Find out more on the Drink & Drag official site. Only in Las Vegas, baby!

His name is Jaymes Vaughan. He’s in the Chippendales male revue at Rio Las Vegas. But that’s kind of just the beginning.

Don't say this blog never did anything for you.

You see, Jaymes Vaughan does it all. He’s the ultimate Renaissance Man, like Galileo Galilei, but shirtless.

Vaughan not only dances in Chippendales, he’s also the featured singer, and also does his thing in the Rio’s free stage extravaganza, Show in the Sky.

This blog has generously slapped together a snippet or two of his performances just so your eyes have something to do for the next few minutes, ladies.

From what we can tell, this guy has quite the charmed life. He was also named one of the “10 Sexiest People in Las Vegas.” See more.

Note: Quite a bit of the "Show in the Sky" doesn't actually take place in the sky.

Jaymes Vaughan definitely gets around. We bumped into him while doing emcee duties at an event at The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, and it turns out he’s also a gifted public speaker. Damn him.

Jaymes is fairly dashing even when he's forced to wear a shirt.

Vaughan has also been on his fair share of magazine covers, so let’s add “print model” to his list of talents.

This blog did a sit-up once.

You never know where he’ll turn up. We were browsing the saucy merchandise at the Go Sexy shop at Flamingo Las Vegas, you know, as blog research, and came across the costume below. Guess who?

Subtext: Your boyfriend or husband will look exactly like Jaymes if you purchase this costume. Good luck with that.

Vaughan is also, apparently, a member of the armed services. Or at least pays homage to them with this Go Sexy item.

Insert "landing strip" joke here.

He also has some colorful friends. Below, Vaughan hangs out with stars from Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas, the drag show at Imperial Palace, before one of his “Show in the Sky” performances at Rio.

Yes, he just looks like that. All the time. If you're into that kind of thing.

Consider your beefcake quota for the week filled. Learn more about this multi-talented guy in the profile below with Vegas journalist Dayna Roselli.

See Jaymes Vaughan live in Chippendales at Rio Las Vegas, or just about anywhere, come to think of it.

It’s time for more change in the wake of the massive Linq development project in the center of the Las Vegas Strip. The last day for The Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub at Imperial Palace is May 5, 2012.

We just got a little weepy there for a second.

The popular, boisterous watering hole will be moving to a temporary location at The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood until a more permanent home can be found (probably by late summer).

They were the best of times and, well, also the best of times.

As the clock counts down for The Rockhouse, stop by and enjoy the hooch, the beer pong and the lovely bartenders swinging from tires.

Don't try this at home. This Las Vegas blog is not liable for your rope burn.

Catch up on all the latest Linq news.

What awful news. Because this blog loves karaoke. Totally.

We’re pretty much despondent having to report that the Karaoke Club inside the Imperial Palace has closed.

Yes, we realize some people like karaoke. We pity and forgive them.

We can hardly contain our sadness. Because we love karaoke so darned much.

We understand the poker room will be moving into the space formerly occupied by the Karaoke Club. After an appropriate grieving period, of course.

Here’s a juicy little Las Vegas tidbit: From 1959 to 1979, the Imperial Palace was called the Flamingo Capri.

We did not know that.

Soon, the Imperial Palace will be “retired” as part of the $550 million Linq development project, which means the hotel will get a new name. This blog’s rooting for the name “Lee Nover,” but that might just be us.

We’re not sure “Sir Jac” would “Die 4 U,” but this talented “dealertainer” would definitely dance parts of himself off to entertain “U” and your fellow guests at Imperial Palace.

The indefatigable Sir Jac as the inestimable Prince. Thanks again, Internet thesaurus!

We love that Sir Jac (possibly not his birth name) never seems to stop dancing, even when he’s dealing blackjack.

Here’s a little peek at his time on the dealertainer stage at Imperial Palace, courtesy of one of his fans.

Find out more about the Imperial Palace dealertainers, and take a look at all our featured dealertainers.

There are everyday gifts (yawn), then there are Las Vegas gifts (yipee!).

Yesterday, we received the amazing gift below, purchased at Whiskey Run, one of the shops at Imperial Palace. (Yes, there are shops at Imperial Palace.)

No, we didn't make it appear larger in Photoshop. What would we know about making things larger in Photoshop? And why are you interrogating us like this?

This awesome gift, a mere $4.75, involves several of this blog’s favorite things.

First, Rice Krispie Treats. Although it’s not called that. On the packaging, they’re called “Coated Crisped Rice Treats.” Yay, lawyers! Ultimately, though, this treat is a gigantic Rice Krispie Treat, arguably the greatest invention since spiced rum.

Also one of our favorite things: The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. We’ve posted a lot in this blog about the most recognizable sign in the world, including the fact it was never copyrighted, which means it has been put on just about everything, including key chains, coffee mugs, dice, mouse pads and, yes, even Coated Crisped Rice Treats.

In Vegas, size matters, so please note this bad boy is a whopping four inches across, and three inches deep and 2.5 inches tall, making it roughly the size of The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Yes, this blog has tools, and we're not afraid to use them.

The package says the monster of a treat is two servings, at 390 calories each. Not that we’re counting. Las Vegas is not a place for “counting calories” or “acting prudently” or “not having a coronary.” Vegas is all about letting loose and throwing caution to the wind.

Bottom line: We love Las Vegas so much, we could just eat it up! No. Literally. We just ate it up. We’d have saved you some, but, you know, our research has to be exhaustive.

You never know who you’ll bump into when you’re in Las Vegas.

As we strolled the Strip the other night, we spotted a TV crew tailing two Metro officers we can only assume were in the process of taping an episode of truTV’s “Vegas Strip.”

That TV crew should probably be cited for tailgating.

The officers and their crew were all business as they patrolled outside Imperial Palace, heading toward Harrah’s Las Vegas.

“Vegas Strip” is described as an “action-packed drama that puts you up close and personal with the tough-as-nails police officers of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, giving you a never-before-seen look at the wildest street in the world.” Which is a little different from the episodes we’ve watched, because we’d describe those as “lecturey.”

Find out more about “Vegas Strip” on the official site of truTV, a network whose cap key is clearly on the fritz.

As a Las Vegas blog, we have a vested interest in keeping track of both our wines and our spirits.

We were a tad dismayed, then, when we learned the Carnaval Wine & Spirits shop, between Harrah’s and Imperial Palace, has closed as part of the ongoing Linq development project. Read more about The Linq.

Want to make a Las Vegas blog despondent? Close a Wine & Spirits shop.

Thankfully, our concerns were quickly allayed, and trust us, there are few things more satisfying than having ones concerns allayed in Las Vegas. We’re just saying.

A handy sign on the former Carnaval Wine & Spirits shop alerted us to a new source of said libations, Flamingo Wine & Spirits, a short stroll away.

Las Vegas, is there anything you can't do?

The new, full-service liquor store, on the Strip-facing side of the Flamingo, will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. each day.

In other Linq project updates, there’s a gaping hole behind the aforementioned Flamingo Las Vegas. Exciting, and it’s much larger (and deeper) than it appears.

We're digging this Linq project. See what we did there?

And during our stroll to Carnaval Court at Harrah’s, we caught a glimpse of this gaping hole in the side of Imperial Palace.

Remember, in Las Vegas, gaping holes are often indicative of Vegas newness!

Don't try to hide the newness, you tease!

We’re giddy with anticipation to see what the masterminds behind The Linq have in store. Rest assured, there are more light-on-actual-information updates still to come!

“Name That Tune Live” has abruptly closed at the Imperial Palace.

The stage show based on the iconic TV show, and hosted by Zowie Bowie and Marley Taylor, offered audience members a shot at $10,000 for naming popular songs.

No word yet on what might replace "Name That Tune." We'll have to wait and C. (See what we did there?)

Despite the show closing, entertainment options abound at Imperial Palace, including the ever-harmonious Human Nature and the female impersonator show, Frank Marino’s Diva’s Las Vegas.