The latest in what's turning into a long line of casino demolitions took place last week, when the Boardwalk casino was imploded without warning or fanfare. Once the rubble is cleared, work will begin on MGM Mirage's massive $7 billion Project CityCenter. The resort will include a 4,000-room hotel-casino, two 400-room boutique hotels, 2,900 residential units, and retail space. Project CityCenter is slated for a 2009 opening.

Best baseball: If you'd like to wager on your favorite baseball team, try these casino-based sports books: Imperial Palace, Stratosphere, Arizona Charlie's Decatur, and Arizona Charlie's Boulder. What sets these books apart is the 8-cent betting lines. Typical baseball lines have 10-to-15-cent spreads (the difference between required wagers on the favorite and underdog). The narrower the spread, the less the house advantage.

Hippie pit: The Stardust has a "fun pit" near its sports book in which the dealers wear tie-dyed shirts and '60s music is played. Minimums on blackjack and other table games are $5.

Kill Phil: KillPhilPoker.com is a new site for beginning poker players interested in learning to compete in poker tournaments. The name is a reference to top players, several of whom are named Phil (as in Ivey, Laak, and Hellmuth).

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