Player Persona

January 27th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

BlackjackDice, cards, slots, and more; there’s an infinite way to satisfy your gambling vices here at M. But, what does your game of choice say about you? You might prefer finding a slot in a secluded area or joining the craps table with the most action. Or maybe your luck is better suited at a poker table. A gambler’s preference is a telling sign of a few key personality traits.

Blackjack – The Thinker

If the blackjack table is always your first stop in a casino, chances are you’re in it for more than just luck. Knowing basic strategy for blackjack increases a player’s chance of winning. When a player acts on a hunch, they can end up giving up that big advantage which is where strategizing and thinking comes into play.

Poker – The IntrovertPokerChips

Poker has become one of the most popular games in every casino; players can usually be seen sitting at tables for hours on end with headphones in their ears or sunglasses on. It’s the only game where players are competing against each other and not the house, which can lead to the introverted action in the poker rooms.

Video Poker – The Insightful

Winning at certain table games and slots all depend on luck but video poker is a game of skill. Video poker machine usually have a high payback rate when you play perfect basic strategy. Knowing the strategy (similar to knowing the basics in blackjack) increases your odds. Keeping a close eye on the moves you make in each hand is vital for a video poker player.

Progressive Slots – The Risk Taker

Gambling any large amount of money can deem you a risk taker, but those who opt for the progressive slots are in it for the thrill. Progressive slots offer jackpots larger than usual (think in the hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions). But, to be eligible for the larger-than-life jackpots you have to play the max bet during your spins. Playing the max bet can add up but if you hit the jackpot it will certainly pay off.

Craps – The Extrovert

CrapsTable

Odds are when you’re walking by a craps table you’ll hear whooping and hollering and see the players giving high-fives and other lively gestures. The craps tables are usually the center of attention on a casino floor and tend to attract the most animated of players. This fast-paced game intimidates some, but is a favorite to many.

Of course, not all poker players are introverts and not every progressive slots players is a big risk-takers. These personality traits are a generalization of the average player for each game. Let us know which game of choice you are. Do you think the traits above are similar to your personality? Share your thoughts with us below!

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You’ll Flip for our Burgers

January 24th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

Craving a big, juicy burger? Think twice before opting for that fast-food joint, instead stop by M the next time you’re hankering for a burger. We’re excited to introduce our newest restaurant, Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers & Brews. Located next to our Oyster Bar, Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers will serve up unique, homemade burgers that have been paired with the perfect craft beer.

BurgerBarDining

While their whole menu is packed with items you won’t want to miss here are our top picks:

Imperial Burger

Our most regal of burgers on the menu, the Imperial Burger is topped with stout braised short ribs, mushrooms, gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. This burger pairs best with a Sierra Nevada Stout.

Lollipop WingsBurgerBarBar

Wings are good on their own, but when they’re prepared with the “lollipop” technique they not only resemble our favorite candy but they’re also much easier to eat (read: less messy). Our lollipop chicken wings are served three different ways with your choice of garlic, buffalo or ginger thai chili sauce (our personal recommendation).

Tsingtao Chicken Salad

Our Tsingtao Chicken Salad is chock-full of soy-caramel glazed chicken, cabbage, carrots, mandarin oranges and water chestnuts all topped with Tsingtao peanut vinaigrette. What makes this salad special is the dressing; Tsingtao is a Chinese beer known for its high-malty flavor and we infuse it into the peanut dressing making for one unique experience for your taste buds.

Sides

Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers has not one or two, but five different selections of fries and onion rings on their menu. We love these salty snacks so we couldn’t narrow it down to just one. You’ll be able to choose from Just Simple Fries, Garlic Parmesan Fries, Truffle Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Battered Onion Rings. Order one, more or even try them all!

Gelato Tasting for Two

We’re all about the sweets, so be sure to save room for dessert. The gelato tasting comes with gourmet gelato and cheesecake and brownie lollipops. It’s the perfect ending to your burger experience.

Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers & Brews is open nightly from 4-10pm.

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Celebrate the Year of the Dragon

January 19th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

CNYDragonDance

Most of us have already celebrated the beginning of 2012, but the end of this month marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. The Chinese culture celebrates each New Year according to the lunar calendar which is why the date fluctuates from year to year. January 23 marks the beginning of the celebration for the auspicious Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon is the most powerful of all 12 signs in the Chinese Zodiac, which associates an animal to each calendar year. Everyone born in 2012 will be considered a Dragon. Dragons are said to be dominant, ambitious, driven, willing to take risks and unafraid of challenges. These strong character traits are said to cause an increase in births for every Dragon Year. Dragons are also said to be charismatic leaders. In the year 2000 the birth rate in China spiked and is expected to do the same this year.

Each Dragon Year is also associated with one of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth). 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow others to become involved.

To kick-off the two week celebration a traditional Dragon Dance will be held on Monday, January 23 at 6pm to bring good luck and fortune for our guests. A 63 foot-long dragon will feature adult and baby lion dancers, buddhas, musicians and festive flags and will make its way through our entire casino.

Studio B Buffet will feature eight hard-to-resist New Year specialties. Until February 6 you can feast on Meatballs with Bok Choy, Poached Chicken with Ginger and Scallions, Spinach and Bamboo Shoots, Beef Lo Mein, Tofu and Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Lettuce Wraps, Mandarin Oranges with Leaves and Spring Rolls. Our bars will also be serving up specialty cocktails, a Lychee Martini and a Mulan cocktail.DragonChip

Starting this Friday our limited edition Year of the Dragon gaming chip will be available. Keep the good luck coming and purchase the chip at our casino cage for $8. The chips will be available until supplies last.

You can use your commemorative Dragon Chip in our Poker Room for their Live Poker Lucky 8’s promotion. From January 23 – 30 enjoy 8 days of great poker action. Flop four 8’s and win $888. Make four 8’s and receive $88. Plus, the first 88 players that make 8’s full receive a collectible Year of the Dragon Gaming Chip. Play live poker every day at 8:08am and 8:08pm and a random lucky player will receive $88!

If you’ve celebrated Chinese New Year before or if this is your first time for the occasion we hope you take part in the festivities at our resort!

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New Italian for You

January 17th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

There’s nothing like a meal of hearty Italian food to soothe the soul. Our Italian restaurant Marinelli’s is introducing several new menu items including more pizza, pesce and pastas, our three favorite P words! Their new menu debuts today and it’s filled with more casual options perfect for any budget.

PizzaMarinellisPizza

We can never get enough pizza, this Italian-American staple is sure to please. The new variety on Marinelli’s menu features unique options like the Pizza Carne. This pie perfect for meat-lovers has sopressata (an Italian cured dry salami), prosciutto, pepperoni, plum tomatoes and mozzarella. For a more traditional choice try the Bianca, this white pizza has mozzarella, mushrooms, arugula, prosciutto, shaved parmigiano-reggiano and (our personal favorite) truffle oil.

PesceMarinellisSalmon

Pesce, which translates to fish, is a staple in Italian cooking. Marinelli’s offers an assortment of four different fish including Alaskan Halibut, Pacific Salmon, Chilean Seabass and Pacific Snapper. Each fish dish can be ordered grilled or pan seared and is accompanied with orzo pasta, fennel, olives, oven dried tomatoes, asparagus, EVOO and lemon.

Pasta

There’s nothing like a classic pasta dish, especially with fresh, homemade noodles. MarinellisRigatoniMarinelli’s menu features many traditional dishes and all of their pasta noodles are made fresh in our own kitchens. You won’t want to miss their Fettuccini Carbonara, which has bacon, egg, parmigiano-reggiano, cream and sweet peas. The Capellini with shrimp, garlic, fresh tomato and white wine is a great option as well.

These and many more dishes are on Marinelli’s menu. There are even new dessert selections as well as a vegetarian section on the menu.

The Marinelli’s atmosphere still features intimate booths and tables with views of our outdoor pool piazza. During the warmer months, al fresco dining is available on Marinelli’s terrace. The restaurant also has a 20-seat private dining room that overlooks the piazza, which is perfect for celebrations. Stop in and sample some of their new Italian fare daily from 4pm-10pm.

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Wiring M

January 12th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

ITServers2

How many personal electronic devices do you use in your home? With a world awash in smart phones, chances are you have one of your own and maybe a computer, printer, laptop, e-reader and even a tablet on top of that. It takes a lot to keep all those devices going, so could you imagine doing it for an entire casino? Our resort’s Information Technology (IT) Department makes sure all electronic communication at M runs smoothly, right down to the very last slot machine.

ITServers4Essentially every device inside our nearly two million square foot resort resides on one network, meaning more than 600 laptops, printers, servers; more than 1,500 slot machines; over 100 point of sale terminals; 1,400 telephones including 400 wireless IP phones and much more are all connected on one single converged network – making our resort one of the most technologically advanced in Las Vegas.

Our resort boasts a full Ethernet gaming floor.  Many casinos in Las Vegas still currently use serial data connections to the tens of thousands of slot machines. Only with Ethernet gaming floors can casinos effectively utilize the content delivery mechanisms embedded in each slot machine.

Planning for a network, like ours, began even before the first architectural drawings were created. Our IT Department’s main goal was to create an infrastructure that would allow all the devices in our resort to be connected. Building codes in Nevada require all network cables be in a conduit (tube for protecting electric wiring), which means every phone, computer or device that connects to a network needs to be inside one. In a large resort such as ours, that’s a whole lot of cable casing. A property of our size normally would have five to seven wiring closets, but because M has a highly collapsed network infrastructure our resort has triple that number.

ITServers

Our IT Department’s next goal was to create an “agnostic endpoint,” which meant that a wall jack, (like the kind you plug a phone or internet cable into) could be anything. Historically in homes, and hotels alike, ITServers3telephones require a dedicated wire that runs from the phone back to a central location, such as a telephone switch. Conversely VOIP (voice over IP) phones are plugged into ports on a network switch and can be treated almost the same as any computer or other network device.  Our Team was able to expand that concept further by taking out all dedicated wiring for security cameras, slot machines, TVs, time clocks and hotel mini-bars and was given the freedom to put anything, anywhere there is a connector.

Thanks to our advanced technology and IT Department, we are able to deliver four-star service to guests both in our hotel and on the casino floor.

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New Year, New Ways to Spa

January 10th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

A New Year brings new beauty trends and all new ways to pamper yourself. It’s the perfect time to rejuvenate your body and your soul with the array of new spa trends coming your way for the New Year. Feeling a little stressed? The holiday season can leave us all a bit drained and incorporating one (or a few) of these new spa treatments will do just the trick. We caught up with our spa’s manager Kate Wind to see what’s new in the spa world for 2012.SpaFeet

The “hot” spa treatments this year will actually be cold! 2011 spa trends brought the heat and 2012 is cooling it down. This year’s trends will include a focus on cold treatments veering away from hot treatments, which have been popular in previous years. Cold-themed treatments help reduce inflammation in joints and muscles as well as increase circulation throughout the entire body.

While many treatments will be cooling you down, this year special focus will be placed on your feet. You can never have enough TLC for your tootsies and foot-focused treatments will help to relieve the stress from the bottom up. Think of all the pain your feet feel after a full day in heels, it’s their turn to get a little pampering.

It seems like everyone’s short on time. Quick spa services are in and we’ve got just the fix for the time-crunched spa-goer. Spa Mio offers a list of “Tapas Services” featuring shorter versions of their most popular services. Think 25-minute manis, facials, waxings and more! It’s the perfect choice for our conference guests or people on the go.SpaMassageTable

Now to concentrate on the soul; treatments featuring vibration and sound therapy will help engage your senses. The sound vibrations of the bowls help align the body and your energy. This technique is one of the oldest in the spa world, being based on a sound massage treatment in Indian medicine over 5,000 years ago.

Keep an eye out for new treatments at our spa. Spa Mio is working on incorporating some of these items in their future spa menu.  For example, cold stones will be used on feet during massages and pedicures. Also, massage treatments may integrate Tibetan Bowls therapy during services.

Have you treated yourself to any services featuring these new spa trends? Let us know what you enjoyed best and what spa treatments you’re looking forward to trying in the New Year!

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Staying Green on the Go

January 6th, 2012 by M Social Media Team

Airplane

It’s not easy being staying green while you’re on the go. Traveling to and from M (or any other destination) and staying eco-friendly at the same time requires a bit of planning. But don’t worry; we’re here to help with tips for traveling and helping the environment at the same time.

Staying green during travel starts with how you travel to your destination. Whether you’re getting to there by train, plane or car there are always green alternatives.

  • When taking a road trip, opt for driving a hybrid car. If you don’t own one yourself, you can rent one. Driving a hybrid will save you money on gas so it’s good for your wallet and the environment at the same time.
  • If you’re going by air, you can reduce your carbon footprint in the skies by choosing a larger plane. On average, larger planes consume less fuel than smaller aircrafts. Plus it’s similar to car pooling, the more passengers on larger planes the fewer smaller planes in the air.
  • While taking a train may seem a bit old-fashioned, trains emit fewer pollutants per passenger than the equivalent amount of cars. You’ll also be able to kick back and enjoy the scenery during your ride.

Aside from your mode of transportation, there are other factors to take into consideration while you travel to help reduce the footprint you leave behind.luggage

  • If you’re traveling green, you should stay green too. Look for accommodations (like ours) that practice environmentally-friendly initiatives. You can read about how we go green at our own resort.
  • Lighten up your load. Packing lighter helps you save gas during car travel. All of those 50 lb. suitcases add up so this also helps when traveling by plane or train.
  • Power your devices with the sun. Chances are you’re traveling with a cell phone, camera, mp3 player and other electronic devices. Invest in a solar charger for your digital electronics and keep them electricity free.

Incorporating any or all of these tips will help you start on the path to green travel.  Do you have any good travel tips for going green? Share them with us below!

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Perfect Couple of Bites

January 3rd, 2012 by M Social Media Team

fruittartsWho said bigger is better? A culture that once craved bigger is now crazy for minis. From phones, cars and now desserts, sweet treats have boldly been going smaller. Bite-size creations are a growing trend in the pastry world and you can find them all over our resort. To get a taste of M’s very own dainty cakes, tiny tarts and other mini treats head to Studio B Buffet or Baby Cakes Patisserie where the minis are prominently presented in our pastry displays.

chocolatemooseSo what’s the appeal of petite pastries? Any dish twice as small as its original somehow becomes twice as irresistible. The bite-sizes allow you to indulge and sample many different treats without the temptation of devouring an entire cake or pie.  Some of our most popular small sweets include classics like tiramisu, éclairs and good old fashioned cheesecake. dessertshooters

Our bakery team has mastered the art of scaling down full-size recipes into the smaller portions that our guests love. The recipes don’t have to be altered much, just the portioning of the actual treat. The real task is in the décor, the decorations on each pretty pastry are smaller and more intricate than its full-sized counterparts.

These guilt-free indulgences aren’t just good for your diet; they’re also good for your wallet. Miniature pastries at Baby Cakes go for about $2, a small price to pay for desserts whipped up by a gourmet pastry chef. At Studio B, all the sweet treats you can devour are included in the price of your meal.

dessertassortment raspberrytart Macaroon

Have you had a bite of any of our mini pastries before? Leave a comment below and let us know which ones are your favorite.

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Ring in the New Year Your Way

December 29th, 2011 by M Social Media Team

MGirlNYEWhat better place to ring in 2012, than Las Vegas! With only a few days left in the New Year, we’re planning something special for those who are spending their last hours of 2011 at M. Our resort is the perfect spot to party on New Year’s Eve, so be sure to make this year one to remember and celebrate whichever way you please. We’ve got entertainment, dining and parties for every taste and budget complete with a champagne toast at midnight for our guests.

Party

We think cover charges are overrated so we invite our guests to celebrate without waiting in line or paying an entry fee. We’ll be offering complimentary party favors, and cake and champagne stations throughout our casino. Toast the New Year with us and enjoy live entertainment beginning at 9pm in Lobby Bar, Ravello Lounge, M Bar and Hostile Grape. See which venue is the right fit for your celebration style.

Ravello Lounge – The New Year’s evening will kick off in our lounge with go-go dancers and a DJ spinning hits to get the party started, beginning at 9pm. At 10pm, 80’s tribute band Loveshack will take the stage and sing the best of the 80’s and 90’s and some NYE-style party music. The entertainment in Ravello will be going all night long and is ideal for our high-energy party goers.

Lobby Bar – Relax at Lobby Bar and take in a performance by Lowkey Junction. The band is a unique blend of masterful music mixes, live percussion and saxophone. With the best people-watching views, Lobby Bar is the perfect fit for a relaxed New Year’s celebration.

M Bar – For those who like to be at the center of all the action, M Bar is for you. Located in the middle of our casino floor, DJ Simon and go-go dancers will be kicking off this party at 9pm. Get there early for a seat on M Bar’s cushy couches or get your groove on to the tunes DJ Simon will be spinning.

Hostile Grape – Take a sip of more than 160 wines by the glass in our underground wine hideaway. Veteran DJ Art will be mixing up the music for the night for the oenophiles.

Play

End the year with good luck here at M! We’ll be giving away $24,000 in free pay randomly beginning at 8pm on New Year’s Eve. Every 15 minutes we’ll be drawing 10 winners. Two players will win $300, four players will win $150 and another four will win $100. All you have to do is play with your iMagine Rewards Card to be eligible.

Not to be outdone, our poker room will be giving away a grand share of money as well. Play with us and you could win the following: Heart Royal = $2,012; Club Royal = $2,012; Diamond Royal = $2,012 and Spade Royal = $2,012. All Four of a Kinds = $212 and the poker room will have $2,012 in cash giveaways. Complete details can be found in the M Poker Room.

Dine

Our restaurants will be ready for you to kick-off the New Year’s festivities. Marinelli’s, our authentic Italian restaurant will be offering a la carte specialty items in addition to its regular menu beginning at 4pm and our steakhouse, Anthony’s will be serving up a limited menu for the holiday starting at 5 pm. And of course, Studio B Buffet will be serving specialty dishes all day.

No matter which way you decide to spend your holiday night, we hope to have you at M to celebrate 2012! We wish all of our guests a happy and safe New Year.

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Working the Plate

December 27th, 2011 by M Social Media Team
OysterBarMGirlRoll

Oyster Bar's M Girl Sushi Roll.

Part of serving great food is the presentation. A feast for the eyes is just as important as a feast for the mouth in the restaurants at M. When our chefs present a dish, it’s not only about the trendy tablescape underneath it but also how the food is displayed on top of it. Guests eat with their eyes first and they get a visual feast with what we’re plating up in our kitchens.

When plating food our chefs know the importance of balancing colors and textures. Each dish at our restaurants has its own plating guide, a step-by-step instructional sheet teaching our culinary team members the exact specifications of how a menu item should be displayed. These guides ensure that each dishes’ appearance is consistent and visually pleasing.

OysterBarSashimi

Combination Sashimi from Oyster Bar.

With the addition of a new menu at Anthony’s Oyster Bar, our Food & Beverage Team recently had the opportunity to create new plating guides, unique to the venue. Our plating guides show a photo of the dish, what course type it is (appetizer, entrée, etc.), which outlet it’s served at, ingredients, how to prepare and lastly how to plate.

A little color goes a long way, with our Combination Sashimi plate. The different color fish slices contrast with the shredded daikon, shiso leaves and lemon garnish. The sashimi slices are fanned out on top of one another and separated by type of fish.

OysterBarTempura

Shrimp Tempura from Oyster Bar.

A great base is always the start to plating. Here, our Shrimp Tempura dish is placed upon a Ti leaf. A bed of fried rice noodles is assembled on top of the Ti leaf with the Shrimp Tempura and other tempura vegetables leaned up against them.

A diner’s experience is heavily tied to what they see on their plate and has the ability to alter their opinion of the tastes of the food. Presentation can be the difference between a dish being mundane or gourmet. The goal of every dish we send out is to create a balance between flavors and looks, creating the ultimate dining experience.

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