Kimo’s Vegas

Clifford Nishina. Photos from Kimo Akane

WELCOME TO Kimo’s Vegas … the Player’s Edge!

LLOYD NISHINA WRITES that his dad is one of or quite possibly Hawaii’s oldest craps player. At 99, Clifford Nishina “goes Vegas” about six times a year, and has been known to grind it out on the same craps table for seven to eight hours nonstop. His name has not made the Golden Arm Wall “yet,” but his longest roll of 48 minutes and craps table stamina makes guys half his age “table felt green” with envy. The secret to the retired accountant’s longevity is betting 52 across and having an agile mind capable of instantly calculating all of the game’s odds and payoffs. He also does pretty well on the slots!

HAWAIIAN105 KINE IS giving away Vacations Hawaii packages all week long … This is the perfect chance for you to try out the comfy seats and other features of its new Boeing 767 service for free! You’ll get all the usual stuff: a comp’ed room, meals, transfers plus a free entry into the Green Tea Hawaii $500 Slot Tournament and everyone gets to go shopping with Billy V (he’s an experienced shopping bag carrier).

Terence Fong and his team

I KNOW HOW IT IS … Sometimes when you “go Vegas” you forget to alert your Sin City relatives of your plans … However, you might wanna reconsider your stealthy travel plans because now through Jan. 31, Nevada residents get a buy-one-get-one-free ticket for The Blue Man Group. Just tell them to show their ID and use the code “LOC241” at any box office location.

TERENCE FONG HAS cooked for everyone from Cher to Tiger Woods, and his award-winning handiwork has been a part of the famed Las Vegas kitchens of the Bacchanal Room, Primavera, Osaka, Gatsby’s Gourmet Room, Malibu Chan’s, Chinois and many more. Now we can stroll down Fremont Street and graze on the Kaiser grad’s gourmet knowledge and local flavors at Island Sushi and Hawaiian Grill in the newly renovated Plaza Hotel (right next door to the Main

Street). They can also tame the carb-craving monster that hits deep in your na’au that only one (or a dozen) hot, deep-fried sugarlaced malassada can cure.

BALLERS MISSING THE game get a quick fix at Allen Iverson’s Las Vegas Superstar Challenge. The four-team tourney will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center starting Nov. 12 and timed so you can still see the Pacman.

SAM NAZARIAN IS known as “King of the Night” because he’s considered the most powerful nightclub operator on the West Coast. His first Vegas hotel investment is the nowshuttered Sahara. However, if you like that new club smell, make sure you check out the New Year’s Eve grand opening of his company’s latest Vegas venture, Hyde Lounge in the Bellagio.

FOLLOW US on Twitter, like us on Facebook and get the latest Vegas news online at KimosVegas.com and every week here in MidWeek. Send me your Vegas questions, mana’o, photos and reunions to Kimo@KimosVegas.com.