Las Vegas, Nevada

Game on: For all the glitzy shows, celebrity-chef restaurants, and ever-changing luxury hotels in this desert city, gambling remains the lifeblood of Las Vegas. If your taste runs to high-limit games in plush surrounds, stick to the Strip and slick operations like the Venetian, Wynn, and Bellagio. Though some top guns have complained that the Big Game at Bobby's Room at the Bellagio doesn't run as often as it once did, the Ivey Room at the Aria still sees high rollers like Phil Hellmuth and Sammy Farha battling it out. And there's always plenty of action at less dizzy limits in the casinos' main poker rooms. The MGM Grand and Planet Hollywood both have a reputation for attracting unskilled tourists who make easy targets for card sharks. For old-school Vegas atmosphere, not to mention the possibility of more favorable odds, head off the Strip and downtown to El Cortez for low-rolling action or to Binion's on Fremont Street.

Inside bet: No clocks and no closing time make it easy to lose track of the days in Vegas. Try staying at the Mandalay Bay and keeping your vitamin D levels topped up by sunbathing at the 11-acre beach.

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