Wynn Las Vegas has taken a bold step in doing away with one of gambling's longest-standing traditions. The casino is no longer comping drinks at its bars for machine players. For many years the deal has been that if you play a roll of quarters, you get a free drink. But now players must pay like everyone else (and drinks aren't cheap at the Wynn). The same move was tried before by MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay but was reversed when customers rebelled and deserted the bars.

CROWN HEIGHT: The developers of a proposed megaresort on the site of the defunct Wet 'n Wild water park have scaled back the height of a planned tower. The developers are hoping the Crown Las Vegas structure, originally designed to be 1,888 feet tall, will be approved for 1,150 feet, a foot taller than the Stratosphere Tower located less than a mile north of the Crown site. The Federal Aviation Administration has stated that any building on the site taller than 708 feet would pose a hazard to air traffic. However, the reduced-height request requires a new pronouncement from the FAA, necessitating a study that could take several months before another decision is rendered.

HOT CORNER: The big tower may be on hold, but things continue to simmer at the north end of the Strip. In some stage of development near the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara are the Fontainebleau, Echelon Place, and what's expected to be a completely redeveloped Sahara. Not as far along in the works is a second "urban village" complex from MGM Grand, slated for completion in 2011.

Q. Writing about the dates for the 2008 World Series of Poker, you didn't mention a "soft opening," which I saw in another source. Can you explain that?

A. The 2007 WSOP got off to a terrible start. Long lines of players registering for events disrupted schedules and caused much ill will. The soft opening will really just be a period for early registration, though there may be a smaller event or two thrown in.

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