In addition to the options listed below, country-music fans might want to wander on in to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, Harrah's, 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/369-5084), not for the grill part -- the food is definitely on the overpriced and unexceptional side -- but for the bar portion of the program, with live entertainment Wednesday through Sunday from 9pm to 2am. The eponymous owner has been known to drop in and play from time to time.
Note about entrance fees: Many of the following have absurdly high door charges, prices that go up -- way, way, way up -- if you either encounter one of those doormen who will accept discrete (and significant) tips to let you bypass the inevitable line, or if you reserve one of the obnoxious "bottle service tables." Many of the clubs reserve all tables (and thus, chairs) for "bottle service," which require the purchase of a bottle or two of booze, usually running triple digits and way up. By the time you factor in the inflated cost of the bottle (which is often smaller than usual), taxes and other fees, not to mention the original door charge, your evening out has hit mid-three figures or more. Unless your wallets are heavy, skip this racket and resign yourself to maneuvering for a place to stand on the floor.
One bright note -- women are often charged less for admission than men (sometimes even allowed in free), and any guest can get a comped ticket to even the hottest clubs, if you play it right. If there is a sign advertising the club (or even just the hotel) as you walk around the ground floor, and there is a person from the hotel standing by it (who will be in a suit with a nametag), go talk to them. Odds are good they will offer you comps to the club for that night. If you are gambling for any length of time, ask the pit boss for comps.
Note: As far as a dress code is concerned, you are going to go farther with more obviously expensive clothes, but you may not have the budget or fashion sense for that (and who travels with really good clothes, anyway?). When in doubt, all black should do it, and showing skin helps. Otherwise, just dress as nicely as you can and hope they don't notice your sneakers. But do avoid sports team-affiliated jerseys and baseball hats, baggy pants, and other things that might fall under the heading "gangsta-wear" because that's one sure way of not getting past the velvet rope.
