Opening day for M Resort, the billion-dollar 390-room hotel-casino located on 80 acres on the far southeast side of town, is on schedule for March 1. Innovative features at M include a gas station where players can redeem club points for gasoline and a full-service pharmacy. In-room amenities include Bose Wave sound systems, iPod docking stations and 42-inch HD flat-screen TVs. The restaurants will feature Italian, steak and seafood (with an oyster bar), sushi, Mediterranean, the Studio B Show Kitchen Buffet, and the Hostile Grape Wine Cellar. There will also be five bars.

SPRINGS BRUNCH: The noncasino Springs Preserve is a 180-acre park in the middle of the city with a restaurant that's affiliated with Wolfgang Puck. It just debuted a Sunday spread with fresh salads and fruits, cheeses, Cajun peel-and-eat shrimp, shellfish Benedict, carved lamb and duck, and the best smoked fish you'll find at any Las Vegas brunch. The dining room overlooks the expansive green of the Preserve and a jazz combo plays. At $28.95 ($12.50 ages 4-17), this rates as one of the town's best Sunday brunch plays; hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BUFFET POLL: Here are the results of the best-buffet poll. With more than 4,000 votes cast, the Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas barely nudged out the Buffet at Bellagio — 524 votes to 511. Third was the Rio (405 votes), fourth was Planet Hollywood (302), and fifth was Paris (273). Of these, the least expensive for dinner is the Rio, $23.99.

Q. Can you convey a couple of the more interesting proposition bets for the Super Bowl?

A. The most interesting from the online sports books is whether the number of songs played by Bruce Springsteen at halftime will be over or under 3.5. But here's a classic game bet to sweat. The bet "no overtime" requires that you wager $13 to win $1. That $13 "lay price" doesn't seem so bad when you consider that there's never been an overtime in 42 prior Super Bowls.

For information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals, see www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.