Horses & Hoops, Bad Beat Progressive, Food Temptations, More

March Madness More than Just Basketball

This week is filled with College Basketball excitement and the weekend brings a trio of Kentucky Derby Prep Races.  The remaining NCAA men's college basketball conference tournaments continue through Sunday, culminating in the Selection Sunday broadcast that will reveal the field of 68, at 3PM on TBS. This Saturday brings three 50-point races in the Kentucky Derby Championship series: The Gotham at Aqueduct, the Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs and the San Felipe at Santa Anita.  The NCAA men's tournament will start next Tuesday with the First Four games in Dayton on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Then, the tournament roars to life with 16 games each on Thursday & Friday - arguably, the start of the biggest weekend in all of sports.  Just ask Mike who is now ending every sentence with “Go Blue!”  We'll have $2 draft beer at the Casino Bar during all televised NCAA Tournament games.

As a reminder, you can place and collect your sports bets any time the Sports Book is open at the Carson Valley Inn or Bodines Casino. At Sharkey’s Casino and Slot World Casino, all sports betting is done at Guest Services. A winning sports bet placed at any of our four casinos can be cashed at any of our four casinos.  Horse Race bets can only be placed or cashed when the Race and Sports Book is open at the CVI or Bodines Casino.

Bad Beat Back

Good news for our poker players: were bringing back the anecdote to one of the biggest agonies in live poker: losing a hand when you have four of a kind or better! Our Bad Beat Progressive returns next Tuesday along with a reshuffling of our existing progressives to provide bigger progressive bonus payouts. We’ll have all the details on our blog next week, but our poker players will see the new Progressive Bonus Payout Board when it’s posted this coming Tuesday. Back to the Bad Beat Progressive: that one will start at $599 and climb each day along with the rest of the progressive jackpots. More next week!

Food Tidbits and Temptations

• Today is Cereal Day. For the hot and healthy winter approach, order oatmeal in Katie’s – served with milk, brown sugar or cinnamon sugar and raisins. For an extra buck each you can also add bananas, blueberries or pecans. If you’re looking for a descendant of  Ranger Joe Popped Wheat Honnie, the first sweetened cereal introduced in 1939, we offer some of the traditional favorites like Cheerios, Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran.
• Friday is Meatball Day. Spaghetti and Meatballs is such a favorite that we offer it 7 days a week from 11 AM to 10 PM in Katie’s!
• Friday is also Crabmeat Day which is a great reason to tempt you with the Jumbo Lump Crabcake appetizer in CV Steak . . . served with stone ground mustard sauce!
• Saturday is Pack Your Lunch Day. Great idea if you’re chained to your desk or office and can’t get out for lunch in Katie’s. But what if you forget your “packed” lunch at home? Swing by Job’s Perk at the CVI on your way in and pick up one of our sandwiches or salads to-go!!
• Monday is Baked Scallops Day. We like scallops no matter how they are cooked and we recommend all of the following entrees in CV Steak: Seafood Linguine, Seafood Brochette, Seafood Mixed Broil and the Nevada Grill . . .  A full variety of choices that all include scallops!

More Daylight Coming!

This Sunday at 2 AM our clocks "Spring Forward" one hour as we jump into Daylight Saving Time.  Do all states observe DST? What about Dependencies of the US? Why did this all start? Click here for answers to these questions and others . . .  and remember, while it will appear that days are getting longer because it will get dark later, the days (minutes and hours of daylight) have actually been getting longer since the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2017.  Along with Daylight Saving Time comes two additional “Days” of interest: Sunday is Check Your Batteries Day created to raise awareness of the importance of testing and having working batteries in household appliances like smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. You might also check the batteries in your other household appliances such as remote controls, toys, clocks and other electrical items. Then, appropriately enough, Monday is Napping Day – a day to rest from the hour of sleep you lost and the scurrying around the house resetting clocks and checking batteries!

Blood Drive on St Patrick’s Day?

Are we talking a Pint or a Pint??  Actually, you can do both at the CVI next Saturday, March 17: Donate a pint of blood and enjoy a pint of beer! Start by signing up for the United Blood Services St.  Patrick’s Day Blood Drive to be held on Saturday, March 17 in those familiar large Bloodmobiles parked in our west lot along Hwy 395 near the big electronic reader board. The drive runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and advance sign-ups are open now at this link or by calling (775) 324-6454.  And after you make your donation and enjoy a snack in the Bloodmobile, take the few steps to the CVI and enjoy a pint of St. Patrick’s Day beer at our Casino Bar or the CV Steak Bar!

In the Casino

• Ladies’ Night Tonight:  Ladies, join us from 5:30 to 8:30 PM with a Free Speedy Chopper for the first 150 ladies and World Market Baskets as hot seat prizes.  Also tonight: games, a weekly drink special, free bingo and chances to earn entries for the March 28 drawing for a $500 Cash Prize. And while you are here having fun tonight, chat with the rest of the ladies about International Women's Day which is celebrated tomorrow. Learn more by clicking here.
• $200,000 Cash & Freeplay Giveaway Drawings Fridays and Saturdays: Join us at 5, 7 and 9 PM for the drawings in our $200,000 Giveaway Promotion through March 31. There’s a guaranteed $1000 winner at each drawing every Friday night and every Saturday night . . . plus four more winners at each drawing with lots of cash to go around. You’re earning one free entry into the Friday and Saturday drawings for every five base points you earn during the month.
• Table Games Hot Seats Saturday: If you’re playing any of our casino table games from 7 to 10 PM on Saturdays in March, you could be called when we do one of our Hot Seat Drawings and Win up to $500!
• Multiply Your Points Saturday: INN Club members earn 4X Points on video reel slots and Double Points on video poker slots. So be sure to use your INN Club card while playing in the casino and multiply the benefits of your play every Saturday in February.
• Slot Tournament Mondays: Every Monday in March we’re holding a Tax Relief Slot Tournament from noon to 8 PM. Play once free and earn additional tournament entries (up to 3 more) for every 50 points you earn on Monday. The top ten finishers each week win cash-freeplay prizes so be sure to get in on the fun.
• At the Sports and Race Book: This week you can bet NHL, NBA and the NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments. You can also place wagers on Horse Racing and Sunday’s NASCAR TicketGuardian 500.  Futures on the board include winners for the NCAA Basketball Championship, The Masters (April 5-8), FIFA World Cup Russia™ (June 14 – July 15), NBA Championship, NHL Stanley Cup, World Series, NASCAR Monster Energy Series, the NFL Conference Championships and the 2019 Super Bowl!

In Our Restaurants

• Wednesday is Italian Day in Katie’s – three specials for $6.99 each served from 11 AM to 10 PM! The Friday and Saturday night special in Katie’s is Roasted Prime Rib & Fried Shrimp for $14.99 served from 4 PM.
• Thursday’s special in CV Steak is the CV Steak Mix Grill, a combination of our Filet Mignon, a Dijon and molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallion and Herb Marinated Lamb Chop for $26. This Friday it's Medallions of Wild Boar Tenderloin with bourbon jus and spiced grapes for $30. Saturday night’s special is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is King Crab Legs for $32. These specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato – au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked – tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.
• Click the restaurant name for more info, specials and links to menus for Katie’s, CV Steak and Jobs Perk at the CVI . . . or our nearby sister property restaurants, the Jackpot Café at Sharkey's Casino, Bodines Restaurant at Bodines Casino and Betsy’s Big Kitchen at Slot World Casino.

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge

Cliff and Dave tonight, The Buddy Emmer Band Thursday thru Saturday, Carolyn Dolan and Big Red Sunday and Monday and Bill Wharton Tuesday and Wednesday. Cliff and Dave is powerhouse singer/gospel drummer Cliff Porter and southern-fried singer/guitarist Dave Berry providing an evening of  sultry R&B, funk and swinging rock ’n’ roll.  A longtime favorite on the West Coast and Northern Nevada circuit the Buddy Emmer Band’s versatile style includes everything from blues to jazz, rock to reggae and top 40. Whatever your taste in tunes they will be sure to please! Carolyn Dolan can dive into powerful R & B, deliver a smooth jazz standard or a gentle country ballad. Bill Wharton’s smooth, melodic tone comes out in his vast repertoire from old classic country thru modern country, pop to classic rock, blues and jazz.

Planning a Stay at the CVI? You will always get the best rate by booking directly with the Carson Valley Inn either online or by calling our Reservation Department directly at 775-783-6629 or 800-321-6983. 

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit “0” when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

College Basketball, Lacy J. Dalton, St. Patrick's Day Fun, Easter Dining, More

Lacy Bringing Three More Artists

Join us in the Valley Ballroom on Friday, April 8 when Lacy J. Dalton, one of the most distinctive female country singers of the '80s, invites everyone to help support Nevada's wild horses at a special charity event sponsored by her Let'em Run Foundation. Dale Poune, comedian Huck Finn and the singing group All Hat and No Cattle will be joining Lacy for a full evening of entertainment. Soak it all in for $20 . . .  get your tickets at the CVI hotel desk or call 775-783-6606. And be sure to check this page on our website for the 2016 concert lineup so far in TJ’s Corral.

College Basketball News and Links

• The American Gaming Association is estimating Americans will wager $9.2 billion on March Madness this year and complete more than 70 million brackets which will likely surpass the number of ballots voters cast for any single presidential candidate in the November election. Read the entire article here.
• While most people in the country – and certainly most who come to our sports book – are focused on the NCAA Tournament and the associated bracketology, there are many local fans supporting the Nevada Wolfpack as they start play tonight in the College Basketball Invitational. We’re taking action on all these games plus the games in the NIT, the collegeinsider.com tournament and the Vegas 16 tournament.
• Until the start of the first game Thursday, you can also place bets on who will win the NCAA Tournament. Odds range from 5 to 1 all the way to 75 to 1.
• We’ll have a parlay card out today for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. As usual, pick between 3 and 10 games. Trivia: We will have to exclude 4 of the “Round of 64” games on this card. Do you know which games and why?
• Also on the board (you may have to ask at the Sports Book as the “Board” has been overrun by basketball) are Major League Baseball Exhibition Games, Horseracing, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey, Sunday’s Auto Club 400 NASCAR Race in Fontana, CA, select MMA/UFC Fights this weekend and the Masters coming up on April 7 – 10.

• Cash and Freeplay giveaway drawings at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. with five winners each time.
• 16-ounce domestic drafts for $2 in the Cabaret .
• Extended live entertainment starting at 2 p.m. with The Blues Monsters and continuing with Melissa Dru and her band from 7 to midnight.
• $6.99 Corned Beef and Cabbage in Katie’s from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. 

Easter Dining at the Inn: Katie's and CV Steak are serving their regular menu plus specials on Easter Sunday. CV Steak Easter Specials from 4:30 p.m. are a 12 oz. Grilled Veal Chop marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wine, apple cider and herbs, fire grilled and finished with a wild mushroom cream sauce for $34. The Grilled Salmon “Oscar Style” includes grilled fillet of Atlantic salmon topped with crab, asparagus, béarnaise sauce and port wine glaze for $32. For CV Steak reservations, call 775-783-6650 (The Sunset Menu is not available on Easter Sunday). Katie's is serving two Easter specials from 2 to 9 p.m.: Orange Glazed Baked Ham with sweet mashed potatoes for $12.99 and Roast Leg of Lamb with minted pan gravy and mashed potatoes for $14.99. Click for more on the Easter Specials. Just as we were finishing this section, our Pastry Chef advised us that she and her crew will have Easter Bunny Cakes for sale at the Katie's Bakery Counter starting Saturday . .  we'll snap a picture for next week's blog.

Free Cabaret Lounge Entertainment: George Pickard is here tonight, Melissa Dru entertains Thursday through Saturday nights and Jonny Smokes takes the stage Sunday through Tuesday. Melissa Dru and her band cover a wide mix including classic rock, R&B and a bit of country; everything from Pink Floyd to Patsy Cline. Jonny Smokes enthusiastically delivers a high-tech, one-man exhibition that draws attention, amazement and positive raves every time he appears in our Cabaret Lounge. The Blues Monsters are also performing Thursday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. for St. Patrick's Day.

Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Cash Party Saturday: There’s a guarantee of $5,000+ in cash giveaways this Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. in the second Cash Party of our $80,000 All-Cash Love & Luck Giveaway Promotion. We’ll have drawings every 20 minutes, snacks served randomly throughout the day, hot seats, gifts, and a guaranteed $5,000+ in cash giveaways.
• Our Three Card Poker table is now open by noon on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. No need to wait until swing shift on the weekends to play this relatively new (invented in the 1990s) game originally known as Casino Brag.
• Ladies’ Night Tonight: The first 150 ladies who sign up for Ladies’ Night tonight receive the second of four Jennifer Aniston Luxury Fragrance items.  Also tonight: a ladies-only drink special, games and hot seat prizes – this week for Chocolate Shoppe Gifts.
• Quail Friday, Prime Rib Saturday, King Crab Sunday in CV Steak:  Our Friday special is Roasted Stuffed Quail with prosciutto, wild rice pilaf and plumb port glaze for $28. Saturday night’s special in CV Steak is Garlic Studded Prime Rib for $26 and Sunday's special is one pound of King Crab Legs for $32. All three specials are served with fresh vegetable, choice of rice or potato (au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked), tableside tossed salad and warm demi-loaf of bread.
• Monday’s CVI Polo Shirt is maroon and you can have one just for earning 150 points on the same day. Check at Guest Services for your shirt and remember, you keep those 150 points for comps or Freeplay!
• Because We Feel Like Mentioning It
• Friday is Awkward Moments Day. Like the awkward moment we had last week when our Blog briefly and prematurely alluded to another 2016 Concert in TJ’s Corral. We will have that all cleared up by next week.
• Saturday is Poultry Day.  We suggest you make it a two-day event by starting with our Saturday $5.99 Eggs Benedict Special in Katie’s and then come back for our $5.99 Chandler Chicken Dinner on Sunday!

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit “0” when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Oak Ridge Boys Tickets Now on Sale

In this week's blog: Oak Ridge Boys  concert tickets now on sale, news on Mike's horses, this week's entertainment, NCAA Brackets, Stag Golf Outing reminder, Ladies' Night prizes and more!

Oak Ridge Boys Concert Tickets on Sale: Tickets are now on sale through our web site for the Oak Ridge Boys Concert on Thursday, May 15. As we mentioned last week, tickets are also on sale for the Michael Martin Murphy Concert on May 1!  As a reminder, when you order tickets, make sure that the zip code on your address matches the billing zip code for your credit card!  Here's a link to our full schedule of concerts where you can watch for tickets going on sale for the remaining concerts - and announcement of more concerts - coming soon!

Mike's Horses – Another Derby Hopeful Shines:  Hoppertunity, Fiftyshadesofhay & Govenor Charlie (yes, that's the way this horse spells it: Govenor) all ran last weekend.  Hoppertunity went off a 6-1 shot in the field of eight Kentucky Derby hopefuls in the $600,000 Rebel Stakes at The Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The colt out dueled and out bumped Southwest Stakes winner and 2-1 favorite Tapiture down the stretch. Hoppertunity's next outing?? Per Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, "We’ll give him another spin. I don’t know where next."  Fiftyshadesofhay & Govenor Charlie both finished out of the money. New to our blog? "Mike" is Mike Pegram, owner of the Carson Valley Inn and Bodines Casino.

More About April Casino Promos: We got a peak at the April Casino Promotion mailer last night and, in addition to the 4-Wheeler ATV giveaways we mentioned last week there's also plenty more. But, let's not put the ATV before the horse  – be sure to get in on the 5 Million Point Giveaway going on during March!

NCAA Basketball March Madness: The brackets are all set for the field of 64 and ALL 32 First Round Games will be shown on our three dozen plus HDTVs throughout the casino area. There's plenty of seating in the Cabaret Lounge, Casino Bar and CV Steak Bar and you can bet the games up one side and down the other at our Sports and Race Book. If you get the munchies as you watch your Alma mater go down to the wire, just order one of our bar bites from the first available bartender, slot attendant or even the manager on duty!

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: George Pickard performs tonight, Atomika takes the stage Thursday through Saturday and Dale Poune appears Sunday through next Wednesday. Atomika entertains with chart-topping hits from Top 40, Rock, R&B, Country, Hip-hop, Pop, Alternative, and Dance. From Aretha Franklin to Iron Maiden, no tune is left unturned.

$3 Craps on Thursdays: If you haven't played craps in a while and would like to get back into the "feel" for the game, swing by the pit on Thursdays starting at 5 p.m. and jump in again for just a $3 roll. Also a great way to pass some nervous time while waiting for your team to tip off in the NCAA Tournament this Thursday.Our friendly dealers are always ready to answer any questions about craps, so stop by this Thursday for some high energy fun!

Game Special: Sous Chef Patrick Pierce's Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak this Friday is Wild Boar Shanks - two boar shanks braised and slow cooked with a Bourbon boar sauce for $26.00. As with all CV Steak entrees, the Game-On Friday special also includes tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato.

Happening in our Valley Ballroom:

·         The Douglas County Democratic Women "Keep Nevada Blue" Annual Dinner is Saturday. We appreciate the business we get from both sides of the aisle!

·         The Nevada Airports Association Conference runs next Tuesday through Thursday

·         New Bar . . . Almost: The lighting, mirrors and treated-wood trim is all up, the plumbing is in and we are just about ready to unveil this classy addition to the Valley Ballroom – patience has been in order but the end is clearly in sight!  

Ladies Night Tonight! Gift baskets from Bath & Body Works are again going out to our six Hot Seat Winners tonight! Deanna and Julie have a great big box of Lady Nugget Ultra-Bright L.E.D Pocket Flashlights with clips for the first 150 ladies who show up tonight and 20 of these will also have a Free Play!  Ladies Night Bingo games are at 6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. with the first 2 games "paying" $50 in Free Play and the last game paying $100 Cash.

Stag Golf Outing Just 5 Weeks Away: The unofficial kickoff to our golf season, our Spring Stag, is just five weeks away and entries are rolling in. Three nights of food and fun, two days of golf and much more! Click for more information or call Greg at 775-783-6615 and he'll get you signed up!

Lots More Coming Up: We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday!

Have questions or comments? Post a comment below, shoot us an email using info @ carsonvalleyinn dot com or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!

Michael Martin Murphey Tickets Now on Sale, St. Patrick's Day, More

In this week's blog: Michael Martin Murphey concert tickets now on sale,  March Madness begins, Monthly 21 Tournament winners, St. Patrick's Day at the CVI, Mike's horses last weekend and more!

Michael Martin Murphy Concert Tickets on Sale: Tickets are on now on sale through our web site for the Michael Martin Murphy Concert on May 1 (thanks for your patience)!  We've had so many requests to buy our concert tickets online that we finally made the move. Also, with more concerts this year and with the seating capacity of the Valley Sky Theatre being three times that of the Valley Ballroom, we couldn't keep operating out of the proverbial "cigar boxes" at the hotel desk.  A tip when you order tickets: make sure that the zip code on your address matches the billing zip code for your credit card!  Here's a link to our full schedule of concerts where you can watch for tickets going on sale for the remaining concerts and more concerts news coming soon!

NCAA Basketball March Madness: The ample seating and many flat screen HDTVs in our Cabaret Lounge and Bar Area – plus its convenient location just inside the casino entrance and adjacent to our Sports and Race Book – make it the  perfect place to catch all the March Madness action. The Conference Tournaments continue through this weekend, "Selection Sunday" is Sunday afternoon and the NCAA Tournament 1^st Round starts on Tuesday.

Monthly Blackjack Tournament Winners: Last night's monthly Blackjack Tournament paid a total of $1,525.00 and, as we do every month, all the entry fees and rebuys went into the prize pool. The top three finishers were Butch M.1^st for $765.00, Richard L. 2^nd for $460 and Paulina G 3^rd for $300. Our next Monthly Blackjack Tournament is Tuesday, April 8.

St. Patrick's Day at the Inn on Monday, March 17:

·         In the Casino:

o   INN Club members earn 5X Points from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

o   Cash and Free Play Giveaways at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m.

o   $2 Green Bud Light draft at the Cabaret Bar.

o   Traditional Bagpipe Salute at 3 and 7 p.m.

·         In Katie's from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm:

o   Corned Beef and Cabbage plate with Irish red skinned potatoes, carrots and horseradish cream sauce for $5.99.

o   Green Split Pea Soup with smoked ham: $1.99 for a cup, $2.49 for a bowl.

4-Wheeler Giveaway in April: Word is out that we'll be giving away some 4-Wheeler ATVs in April . . . watch our weekly Wednesday blog postings for more information soon.  And don't miss out on the 5 Million Point Giveaway going on during March!

This Friday's Game Dinner Special: Our Game-On Fridays special in CV Steak this Friday is Braised Antelope with Cranberry Port Glaze and Smoked Potato Croquettes for $26.00. As with all CV Steak entrees, the Game-On Friday special also includes tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato.

Clear Creek Tahoe through the Eyes of our PGA Pro: Check out the blog posting about Clear Creek Tahoe by Greg Enholm, PGA Golf Professional and proud member of the Carson Valley Inn Sales and Special Events Team! Be sure to read what happens to those who try to pocket the Titleist Pro V1 practice balls!

Happening in our Valley Ballroom:

·         Carson Valley Arts Council Murder Mystery: "The Wedding From Hell" is this Friday. Call 775-782-8207 for tickets and more information.  Oh, and speaking of the Arts Council, be sure to check out our Weekend Package for their Presidio Brass Concert on April 11.

·         New Bar Just About Finished:  Wow! The new bar area came out great and our staff was working on the finishing touches yesterday – watch for pictures in next week's blog posting.

Ladies Night Tonight! The gift baskets from TastefullySimple were a big hit a few weeks ago so tonight the Hot Seat winners will again receive one of these popular prizes! Deanna and Julie will be handing out a variety of mini flashlights to the first 150 ladies who show up tonight and 20 of these will also have a Free Play!  Ladies Night Bingo games are at 6:45, 7:30 & 8:15 p.m. with the first 2 games "paying" $50 in Free Play and the last game paying $100 Cash.

Mike's Horses:  Midnight Hawk, Shakin It Up and secretsatmidnight all ran last weekend and only Midnight Hawk was in the money with a runner up finish in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Lots More Coming Up: We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday!

Have questions or comments? Post a comment below, shoot us an email using info@carsonvalleyinn dot com or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator. He or she will get you to the correct person or department!