This blog is a tremendous fan of free.

Now, the Flamingo is offering free slot tournaments on weekends, with prizes of even more free! Specifically, free slot play. One of our favorite forms of free, ever.

These slot machines won’t accept your money. Enjoy that feeling while it lasts!

Here’s the skinny. Or the low-down. Or the 411. Or whatever people call it.

Any new or existing Total Rewards loyalty club member can enter the slot tournaments. (It’s free to join Total Rewards, of course.) They’re held in the Margaritaville Casino at the Flamingo, Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

When you enter, you play a three minute session to determine your score. Yes, three minutes. Sort of like this blog’s love life.

There were easily 40 lost shakers of salt when we stopped by.

Tournament results are posted at 3:30 p.m. The top prize is $500 in Reel Rewards (free slot play), with a total of five players winning ($400 in Reel Rewards for second place, $300 for third, and so on).

Good luck, and remind us again why people travel to anywhere other than Las Vegas? We’ll wait.

The recently-revamped Total Rewards Visa Card has upped the ante when it comes to earning comps through Total Rewards, just for doing what you already love to do. Total Rewards is the player loyalty club of Caesars Entertainment casinos across the country.

There’s never been a better time to sign up for this special Visa card, because when you do, you’ll receive a one-time “Buffet of Buffets” pass for two people for 24 hours of access to some of the best buffets in Las Vegas. Learn more about the Buffet of Buffets pass, perhaps the best invention since sliced roast beef.

Neither sliced, nor beef. Blogging is an imperfect science.

Use your Total Rewards Visa card as you would any Visa card, but it won’t take long to see the difference between this and other cards. As you use your card on qualifying purchases, you’ll rack up Reward Credits, those magical “loyalty points” you can use for a variety of goodies like rooms, dining, shows and more at Caesars Entertainment destinations across the country.

There are lots of shows to choose from, but “Legends in Concert” at Flamingo sprang to mind for some reason.

For a limited time, get up to 10,000 Reward Credits as a bonus when you get the Total Rewards Visa card (5,000 Reward Credits for spending $250 outside a Total Rewards destination and an additional 5,000 after spending a total of $750 within the first 90 days after being approved).

Our ticket to several of our favorite Vegas buffets, among other things.

Another great selling point for the card is when you use your card, you’ll automatically be upgraded to Platinum Tier level for the next year, including a 15% discount for rooms, casino gift shop merchandise and more. With the Total Rewards Visa card, your Reward Credits will never expire, as long as you earn at least one Reward Credit every six months. Without the Visa card, you have to visit a casino to keep Reward Credits active.

Get all the details about the Total Rewards Visa card here, including lots of small print and disclaimers, but nothing you can’t handle. Have fun, and earn responsibly. Whatever that might mean.

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.

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.

One of the perks of playing at Total Rewards casinos (at resorts in the Caesars Entertainment family) is achieving progressively higher tier levels as you rack up “Tier Credits.”

Total Rewards “tiers” are Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Seven Stars. Each tier level has increasingly appealing benefits. See the details here.

These cards have juice!

In most cases, achieving a new tier status takes time, but did you know there’s a way to become a Diamond player in one day?

Becoming a Diamond player means you’ll have access to the sweet Diamond Lounges at Total Rewards casinos. There, you’ll find snacks and quiet and Internet access and friendly servers who will bring you complimentary cocktails. That’s just this blog’s favorite Diamond perk, but there are others. As a Diamond, you’ll also get priority hotel check-in privileges, and you can zip past lines at casino cages and at Total Rewards Centers. There’s even a VIP room reservation hotline for Diamond players.

Here’s how you get to be a “Diamond in a day.”

You can become a Diamond by earning 3,000 Tier Credits in one day at one casino. You can be a Gold or Platinum member to do this (sorry, no renewals for existing Diamond players).

Pretty straightforward, right?

“How does one earn Tier Credits?” you ask. Your petulance is duly noted.

Here’s how it works: One Tier Credit is earned for every $5 (coin-in) played on a reel slot machine and every $10 (coin-in) played on a video poker machine. For table games, Tier Credits are based on one’s length of play, average bet and game type.

Insert gratuitous Total Rewards logo here.

More good news: Tier Credits can also be earned in ways other than gambling. You can also earn them when you make a purchase at a participating restaurant or entertainment venue. Earn a Tier Credit for every $5 spent on your entertainment and food purchases at participating outlets. Make sure to present your Total Rewards card. They’re not psychics. Probably.

Some additional small print: If you achieve your Diamond status January through November, it’s valid through March of the following year. If it’s achieved in December, it’s valid for the following year through March of the year after.

One word of caution. The “day” in question isn’t a calendar day, but more like a 24-hour period, so ask someone at the casino’s Total Rewards Center for details.

We’ll see you in the Diamond Lounge!

If casino loyalty programs were like 1970s movies, Total Rewards would be like “Jaws,” “Blazing Saddles” and “Grease,” all rolled into one. Just without the inappropriate scenes involving a campfire.

If you’re a member of Total Rewards already, you’ve already witnessed its awesome, probably in the form of room and dining discounts, free slot play, all that. If you’re not already a member, you’re still allowed to read this blog, we’re just not going to give you a back massage like all the Total Rewards members get, sorry.

One of the perks of Total Rewards is its magazine, the ingeniously-named “Total Rewards Magazine.” You can save a tree, or whatever they make paper out of these days, by experiencing the Total Rewards magazine online here.

Yes, the magazine has words. If this is a burden, just focus on the pretty pictures.

Among the many great items in the most recent installment of the magazine is a page devoted to gambling-related “5 Awful Tips From the Movies.” It’s the kind of article this blog would write if it were not busy doing tastings of Las Vegas cocktails on your behalf. The item’s on page 19, so don’t miss it.

Please don't attempt to read these tiny words. This graphic is for illustrative purposes only. Yeesh.

The magazine also features news, upcoming events and profiles, including one about celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

Enjoy, and don’t say we never gave you anything. Find out more about Total Rewards.

Being a Total Rewards loyalty club member certainly has its perks.

This weekend, Total Rewards members were treated to a private concert at Paris Las Vegas by none other than disco legends KC and the Sunshine Band.

The original "Boogie Man" throws a party beneath the Eiffel Tower at Paris Vegas.

The event was one of many hosted each year to thank Total Rewards loyalty program members for their, well, loyalty.

At 61, "KC" still brings it.

KC and the Sunshine Band thumped out their impressive collection of instantly-recognizable hits, including “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Keep It Comin’ Love,” “Get Down Tonight,” “Give It Up” and “Please Don’t Go” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty.”

We would have captured some video of the show, but we were far too busy shaking the aforementioned booty.

This blog loves it some disco.

Here’s a little KC and the Sunshine Band trivia: The group’s name was taken from singer Harry Wayne Casey’s last name (the “KC” part), and the “Sunshine Band” part came from Casey’s home state of Florida, also known as the “Sunshine State.”

Casey put on a crowd-pleasing, energetic performance, backed by about a dozen musicians, back-up singers and dancers. Emphasis on dancers, of course. Hey, it’s Vegas.

You're welcome.

Find out more about Total Rewards and all the benefits of membership, you know, if you’re into room deals, dining discounts, merchandise and exclusive free concerts and stuff.

That's four decades of teaching the world how to get down.

Enjoy more pics of “KC” and his Sunshine Band in our exclusive, possibly gratuitous photo gallery.

There’s a brand new giveaway on the Las Vegas Strip, and its goal is to turn you into half-a-millionaire, instantly. If not sooner.

The Margaritaville Casino inside Flamingo Las Vegas is cranking out prizes daily with its “$500,000 Fins Up” giveaway, so why not get a piece of the action?

Doneshia is very shy, especially when she said, "I want to be in a photo!"

The giveaway game booth is open noon to 6:00 p.m. each day, and it’s free to try your luck. You’ll need to be a Total Rewards loyalty club member (free to join, of course) to take your shot at the half-a-million clams.

This blog likes it some free stuff.

The giveaway game is similar to “Press Your Luck.” You press a giant button to start the thingy, then press it again to land on the thing you’ll win. Hope that’s not too technical for you.

"We're models! Of course we're happy! Life is handed to us on a silver platter!"

Prizes include free slot play, Jimmy Buffett concert tickets, T-shirts, cocktails and other goodies. Everyone’s a winner, though, because in the words of one game attendant, “Everybody gets leid.” As in players get flower leis. Why, what were you thinking?

So, take a chance and if you win the $500,000, this blog’s usual finder’s fee applies. (A Captain Morgan and diet, thanks.)

Total Rewards, the player loyalty program of Caesars Entertainment, is wrapping up its massive “Escape to Total Rewards” giveaway this weekend, May 18-20, 2012, with Grand Finale events in Las Vegas and across the country.

Whee!

If you have no idea what that light trail thingy is, find out here.

Thousands of prizes have already been given away in the Escape to Total Rewards promotion, now each Total Rewards casino will host giveaways featuring goodies like free gift cards, hotel stays and other exclusive “experiences,” a term this blog uses when it “doesn’t have time to research the specifics.” Let’s just say there are some awesome goodies up for grabs.

Find out more about the Grand Finale events near you.

Seriously, whee!

Bottom line: If you’re in Las Vegas during the giveaway, you’ll need to swipe (activate) your player’s card at the Paris Las Vegas Total Rewards desk at some point during the giveaway window (May 18-20). Then, no matter which Total Rewards casino you play in, your entries will be credited. (Entries earned before you swipe your card at Paris will also be credited, retroactively.) Winners will be announced each day, and you can find out if you’ve won in the Total Rewards Center of any Total Rewards casino in town.

A hefty $124,000 is up for grabs in Vegas alone. Why $124,000? We have no idea. We’ve learned not to ask too many questions when people are trying to give us free things. Get more details.

Have fun! If you get lucky and win, we’ll assume this blog’s usual finder’s fee will apply.

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.

The legal department of gaming giant Caesars Entertainment is currently reviewing a natural phenomenon which appears to blatantly misappropriate a design element used to promote the company’s player loyalty program, Total Rewards.

The deep space event, pictured below, shows a black hole’s gravity destroying a star.

Hello, litigation.

The star’s destruction results in a stunning, orange-colored streak of light, strikingly similar to the “light trails” used on Total Rewards cards and in other promotional and advertising materials.

Oh, no, Mother Nature di'int.

Here’s the black hole incident as it allegedly unfolded.

A source inside Caesars Entertainment, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “The development of our new Total Rewards light trails required significant resources, and we believe this event, although it took place in the far reaches of space, infringes upon our protected design elements. We are not impressed by the fact black holes can weigh millions to billions times more than the Sun. To be blunt, Mother Nature might want to take a stab at being more original next time.”

We’ll share more details about this breaking story as they become available, or as this blog has time to make them up.

You know how movies inspired by popular board games are almost always, well, uninspired? Oddly, slot machines based on board games are almost always great. It’s one of the many mysteries of our universe. Like why anyone would prefer Twizzlers over Red Vines. Moving on.

One of the newest board game-inspired additions to the casino floor, exclusively at Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment) casinos at the moment, is Clue. This timeless game translates perfectly to the slot machine realm, and you can get a feel for it with a free, online “mini-game” simulation thingy. Try it out.

This ain't your grandpa's cherry and melon symbol three-reeler, folks.

In the Clue slot machine, you start your game by choosing one of the classic characters from the board game, ones you probably know by heart: Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mr. Green, Mrs. White, Colonel Mustard or Mrs. Peacock. There are seven bonuses throughout the Clue mansion as players try to solve the mystery of who did what, with which weapon and in what room.

Here’s a snappy promotional video with some highlights of the Clue slot machine. We’re not sure that voice-over guy is actually British, but we’re going to let it slide because the game’s so fun.

Obviously, there’s a lot of entertainment value here, with tons of twists and turns, and after every bonus round, you get to guess the suspect, room and weapon for a shot at winning a “Solve-the-Mystery Progressive” jackpot. Which, to this blog, sounds like a good thing.

You could make a killing at this slot. We totally stole that line from the game's Web site.

As you play, you accumulate “Sleuth Points” which help open up new rooms. We tend to like hanging out in the Conservatory, just because we think it sounds cool, despite all the, you know, murders.

Here’s another cool aspect of the new Clue slot. When you play the free Clue “mini-game” online, you can unlock bonus rooms which you can then take advantage of when you’re playing in the real-world casino. Just make sure to log in with your Total Rewards player loyalty number. It’s free to join, of course, and you can sign up online, too.

We did not know that.

The new Clue slot machine is currently being rolled out across Vegas, so use the online Slot Finder to see if it’s available at your favorite casino. Let’s play some Clue, already!

The spring edition of Total Rewards magazine is out, and it’s our favorite installment ever. Read it.

Total Rewards, of course, is the player loyalty program of Caesars Entertainment, and the Total Rewards magazine is its official publication.

Why do photo captions always have to "be interesting" or "provide useful information," anyway?

Why is this our favorite edition? First, it features the new look and feel of Total Rewards, specifically some nifty light trails that look like the result of a wild night of partying at Nikola Tesla’s place.

It’s also our favorite edition so far because of the wildly entertaining mention of this blog on page 7. But mostly the Total Rewards stuff.

Fascinating fact from the magazine’s page 3: According to a recent poll on the Total Rewards Facebook page, 23% of gamblers believe their significant others bring them luck. Also, 21% use jewelry as a good luck charm (hello, gender bias) and 4% believe their players card brings them luck.

Thanks the miracle of the Interwebs, you can peruse the spring edition of Total Rewards magazine online. Perusing is like reading, but just sounds fancier. Check it out.

Here’s a Vegas room deal you won’t want to miss. Total Rewards loyalty club members can get 25% off rooms at select resorts in the Caesars Entertainment family of hotels for 72 hours (starting March 12, 2012). Check it out.

Caesars Entertainment hotels in Las Vegas include Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Flamingo, Rio, Harrah’s, Bally’s and Imperial Palace.

Las Vegas, will you have our baby?

And remember, while certain hotels in Las Vegas which we can’t mention (MGM Resorts hotels) are jacking up resort fees in Vegas, Caesars Entertainment destinations have none. Zero resort fees. Absolutely zip. If you’d like, we’re happy to keep typing it until it sinks in. We have nothing better to do. No resort fees. At all. Get the scoop from our friends at Vegas Chatter.

If you’re not already a Total Rewards member, you can join for free, and you can even sign up online. Once you’re a member, you can even take advantage of the new “Escape to Total Rewards” giveaway, where 90,000 prizes are up for grabs, including Vegas escapes and the opportunity to have this blog make an honest woman of your sister. (Actual results may vary.) Learn more about the giveaway.

All right, maybe not 90,000 at this point, since a ton have been given away already, but still, there are plenty left.

Total Rewards members can get room discounts at hotels across the country (up to 35% off) during this 72-hour sale, too. See all the deals and get you some while they last.

Here’s a Las Vegas hook-up in two simple words: Social Rewards.

Social Rewards is a program that gives you perks and freebies for things you’re probably already doing, like following your favorite Las Vegas hotels on Twitter, or liking them on Facebook, or telling friends about various Las Vegas awesomeness.

We are a Las Vegas blog, not a graphic designer. You get the drift.

Depending upon what action you take in the social networking realm, you’ll earn a certain number of Social Rewards points. Those points can be redeemed for Reward Credits, those magical “points” you can use to get things like show tickets, free rooms, food and drink, as well as back rubs from certain Las Vegas blogs. (We made that last part up, but anything’s possible in Sin City.)

Here’s how it works. First, you visit the official Social Rewards site. It’s on the “Internet.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it.

If you’ve never registered with Social Rewards before, you’ll need to do so. This could take upwards of 14 seconds, because all you really do is click a button to associate your Facebook or Twitter or Foursquare account to Social Rewards. You’ll also be asked for a few other tidbits of information, then you’re set.

Next, click on the logo thingy of a Las Vegas hotel. Maybe Planet Hollywood or Caesars Palace or Bally’s. Preferably one owned by Caesars Entertainment, whose official Las Vegas blog this is, otherwise it’s going to be very awkward.

Don't play favorites. The more Vegas hotels you like and follow, the more points you earn.

This is where you can immediately rack up some points. Follow Planet Hollywood on Twitter, get 50 points. Follow Flamingo, get another 50. Like them on Facebook, 50 more points. They add up quickly, and you’ll barely lift a finger. We love perks where we don’t have to do a lot of finger-lifting.

Social Rewards keeps a running tally of the points you’ve earned on the right side of the screen.

Try and catch up to us. We'll wait.

Earn additional points for watching videos. Weren’t you already kind of doing that already? Granted, these videos don’t have as many cute cats, but you get the idea.

Even more points are available if you’d like to Tweet or post some love on your Facebook pages. You get to decide what’s posted and when.

More Social Rewards goodness: Get more points when you check in on Foursquare, or when you invite a friend to join Social Rewards.

Recent studies indicate checking in on Foursquare increases verility. Your results may vary.

Here’s another slick benefit of dipping your toes into the Social Rewards world: If you Tweet or share a room deal on Facebook, you snag not only 25 points for sharing it, but receive an additional 250 points when someone books a hotel stay based on what you’ve shared. It’s like magic, but without all the annoying scarves and doves.

By the time you’ve done all this stuff for all the hotels in the Caesars Entertainment hotels, you’ll have a hefty number of points, and you’re ready to trade your points for Reward Credits to get the most from your Las Vegas experience.

Please don't try to read that small print. This graphic is for illustrative purposes only.

In the “Rewards” section, you can check out all the stuff you can redeem with your points, including drink comps, dining credits and show tickets. For example, two show tickets for “Peepshow” require 25,000 points.

Trivia: Those 25,000 Social Rewards points break down to be 12,500 for each of “Peepshow” star Holly Madison’s best assets—her smile and her public relations acumen, obviously.

Insert gratuitous photo we took of Holly Madison here.

There’s some fine print to all of this, but not much. Find it here.

You might want to follow Social Rewards on Twitter, too, or “Like” them on Facebook for all the latest news about this fun program.

So, sign up for Social Rewards and get started on the path toward getting lots of free stuff while doing relatively little. Which, to us, is how all of life should be. One blog’s opinion.