Vegas still offers fun for the budget conscious

updated 1:03 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2008

LAS VEGAS - Things are noticeably quieter on the Las Vegas Strip these days, and casinos usually known to boast excess are dropping prices to cope with a bad economy that has hit Sin City particularly hard.

It might seem weird, since people generally think one thing when they come to Las Vegas: Big money. But enough inexpensive fun exists here to fill a trip without stinging stakes. Examples: $45 rooms at the Monte Carlo, slow-paced poker games, and free attractions, from lion-watching to a manmade volcano.

"It's the whimsy — it's just fantasy enough. It doesn't take itself so seriously that you can't have fun while you're enjoying the entertainment," said Jan Jones, senior vice president of communications and government relations for Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., and a former mayor of Las Vegas.

"You're not supposed to be overtaken by the grandeur, you're supposed to be captivated by the creativity," she said.

GAMBLING: OK, so gambling and the concept of being "on a budget" don't seem likely partners, but if you're tired of blackjack's big swings and don't want to spend hours pumping slot machines for a penny a pull, try Pai Gow poker.

This table game, a variant of a Chinese gambling game played with dominoes, can be found at just about any casino with stakes starting at about $10 per hand, equal to or less than the cheapest blackjack tables.

Your goal is to assemble the seven cards dealt to you into two separate poker hands — one with five cards and another using two — in hopes of beating the dealer on both. A single joker in the deck can be used either as an ace or as a wild card to fill a straight or a flush.

Win both hands and win the bet, lose both hands and lose. Winning one hand but losing the other means the hand is a push — no money won or lost.

Because of the nature of the game, pushes happen more often than wins or losses.

The house gets its edge in two ways. First, it benefits from identical hands, so it would win a two-card showdown if you each held ace-king. Second, it charges a 5 percent commission on all wins. That means a $10 bet will get you $9.50 if you win.

If you're confused, ask the dealer to assemble your cards the way the house would play them. Other players at the table likely will offer their help, too. Unlike blackjack, you can't affect anyone else's hand, so there's no pressure of taking a bad hit and costing other players.

That makes this game a whole lot less tense than others — plus you'll still get free drinks.

FREE ENTERTAINMENT: Lounge acts and good people-watching posts are plentiful on the Strip, but it's tough to beat the beauty of the fountains at Bellagio.

Sidewalk space is free for people to gather and watch the water dance to whatever's playing, whether it's classical music, opera or popular tunes. Below the surface, the 8-acre lake holds some 1,000 custom-built nozzles and about 4,000 lights programmed to create complex choreography.

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Showtimes are every half-hour starting at 3 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends, with shows every 15 minutes from 8 p.m. until midnight (except on windy days).

Beyond the fountains, free entertainment can be found just about anywhere.

The developers of the fountain show are also premiering a new volcano at The Mirage on Monday, with flames dancing for roughly five minutes to music from Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Indian tabla musician Zakir Hussain (every hour on the hour from dusk until 11 p.m.), http://www.mgmmirage.com.

Off the Strip, the Show in the Sky at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino features a coed cast of singers and dancers taking over one side of the casino, riding floats on tracks from the ceiling and performing on the hour every hour from 7 p.m. to midnight, http://tinyurl.com/6czncg.

There are animals to see for free, as well, including flamingos at the wildlife habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas and lions at the MGM Grand.

Those entertained by basic Vegas glitz and glam should simply walk through Caesars Palace and the Bellagio (including a stop at Bellagio's seasonally changing botanical garden), the Venetian and Palazzo (through the Grand Canal Shoppes with its daily street performers) or the Wynn Las Vegas, http://www.wynnresorts.com. Encore, the new resort attached to Wynn, opens Dec. 22.

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