The El Cortez Hotel & Casino, in conjunction with the Las Vegas Design Center, has launches a one-of-a-kind design competition in which local Las Vegas interior designers will remodel 10 of the hotel casino’s luxury suites. The “Design A Suite Downtown” competition closed its deadline for Call for Entries on Thursday, July 22  to all interior designers, architects and teams.

The purpose of the competition is for local interior designers to redesign a suite for the El Cortez Hotel tower. Several suites will undergo remodeling. The top four finalists will have the opportunity to make their design come to life with one winner selected from the final four. The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to remodel the remaining suites, which will be unveiled during the iconic hotel casino’s 70^th anniversary celebration in 2011.

Entries required a $150 entry fee that will be donated to Keep Memory Alive. Finalists will be given a $20,000 budget and all materials used in the design must come from the Las Vegas World Market Center. Particular attention will be paid to innovative ideas for materials and comfort. Judging will be focused around uniqueness of design, technique and execution and the use of items from World Market Center.

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino and Las Vegas Design Center will announce four semifinalists in the “Design A Suite Downtown” competition on Thursday, July 29th, as well as present Keep Memory Alive (KMA) with a check for all funds raised by the competition.

Complete contest details can be found at http://www.designasuitedowntown.com.

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino is celebrating May with Gift Cards! Throughout May,  Club Cortez players winning a jackpot of $200 or more on a slot machine, a $200 or more jackpot on a video poker five-cent or lower denomination machine, a $300 or more jackpot on a video poker ten-cent or higher denomination machine or a $200 or more jackpot on live keno will receive their choice of a gift certificate from either Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Smith’s, Shell or Chevron.

If you’re already a member of Club Cortez, all you have to do is insert your Club card into any machine and the rest is taken care of for you. Not already a member? All you need to do is sign-up in person, or click here and sign-up online.

The El Cortez is located in Downtown Las Vegas at the corner of Fremont Street and 6th. You can reach them at 1-800-634-6703 or online at www.ecvegas.com

The year’s Best of Las Vegas Poll, conducted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, awarded the El Cortez Hotel and Casino the Reader’s Pick for Best Blackjack in 2009. It certainly comes as no surprise to fellow locals. The El Cortez has had some of the best gaming odds in the city since they opened their doors back in 1941.

The El Cortez has held true to the original version of Blackjack, also known as “21,” which is full pay at 3:2 odds. Most of the other Las Vegas casinos have already adopted the newer and safer for the house type of odds in Blackjack, which is 6:5. That is, you get $6 for a $5 bet rather than $7.50 for a $5 bet. I think I’ll stick with the original myself.

Most locals would agree, too, as proven by the voting that occurred for the Review-Journal’s poll this year. Plus, the El Cortez is still dealing single-deck Blackjack. Just another way that they give their players the best chance possible to gamble AND win!~LMM

‘Tis the season to be jolly and generous and we want to make your holidays even jollier. Every time you earn 1,500 points or more, you’ll earn a gift. This is our way of giving the gift of holiday cheer to our valued players we hold so dear.

Come on down to the El Cortez Hotel and Casino this month and every Friday your points will get you more. Earn 1,500 points on your Club Cortez card and you’ll receive a FREE box of See’s Candy. Earn an additional 8,500 points and you’ll get a reward of 25,000 bonus points! For 10,000 additional points earned, we’ll give you another 50,000 bonus points. So, if you earn 20,000 points, we’ll give you 75,000 bonus points AND a free box of See’s Candy. All of this, plus, you get to keep your points!!!

During the entire month of December, on any day of the week, if you win a jackpot of $200 or more on a slot machine, $200 or more jackpot on a video poker five-cent or lower denomination machine, a $300 or more jackpot on a video poker ten-cent or higher denomination machine or a $200 or more jackpot on live keno, you will receive your choice of a $10 gift certificate from either Wal-Mart, Smith’s, Shell or Chevron. 

AND, all jackpot winners will also receive an entry into the weekly Saturday night 42” LCD HDTV giveaway and $2,000 cash prize drawing.  The drawing takes place at 8 p.m.  Winners have two minutes to claim their prizes at the Club Cortez Booth from the time each winning ticket is drawn.  Please see Club Cortez for additional information and to redeem tickets.

The El Cortez is located in Downtown Las Vegas at the corner of Fremont Street and 6th. You can reach them at 1-800-634-6703 or online at www.ecvegas.com ~LMM

If you’re new to the game of Blackjack, a.k.a. “21”, this is the place for you. We at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino want to help our guests enjoy their time with us, and helping you learn how to play the many games we offer is important to us so that we may ensure your experience is a pleasurable one.

Objective of the Game: The objective of the game is to beat the dealer, not the other players. If your cards total higher than the dealer’s cards without going over 21, you win. If your hand or the dealer’s hand goes over 21 you “Bust.” If you bust you automatically lose. If the dealer busts and you do not, you win. The player must act first. If the player busts he loses regardless if the dealer busts or not.

The Cards: The suits of the cards have no affect on the game. Cards 2 – 10 are counted at face value without regards to their suit. All face cards have a value of ten. An ace can count as either one or eleven. A queen and a five would equal 15. An ace and a five would total either 6 or 16. A hand that does not have an ace is referred to as a “hard hand” because it has only one value. A hand that contains an ace is referred to as a “soft hand” because the value can change.

The Table: When you sit down at the blackjack table, you must buy chips from the dealer or bring them from another table. You put your bet in the betting circle if front of your space. Only chips put in the betting circle count as your bet. After all bets are made the play begins.

Hitting: To take a hit means that you want to draw another card. To signal the dealer for a hit you will tap the table in front of you or make a beckoning motion with your hand. If you wish another card after the first you would motion in the same manner.

Standing: Once you are satisfied with either your fist two cards or after hitting, you signal the dealer that you wish to stand. This is done by waving your hand over the top of your cards.

Blackjack: If you or the dealer is dealt an Ace and a ten-value card, you have 21, known as a blackjack. This is a natural. If you get the blackjack you will be paid 3 to 2 for your bet providing the dealer does not get one at the same time. If you and the dealer have blackjack it is a push (tie) and you don’t win or lose. If only the dealer has blackjack all players will lose.

Insurance: When you play blackjack, insurance is offered whenever the dealer is showing an Ace. The idea of insurance is that you are betting that the dealer has blackjack. If you want insurance, you place half the size of your bet in the insurance spot on the table. If the dealer does have blackjack, you receive 2-1 on your insurance bet. You are essentially winning your initial bet back when the dealer has blackjack, for a net of 0 dollars on the hand and the insurance bet. If the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose your insurance bet and continue on with the hand.

View the video:

If you’d like to see more lessons on table games, visit www.ecvegas.com Good luck! ~LMM