You may have heard that room rates are low in Las Vegas, but you might be surprised just how low they can go. A survey of rates conducted the week of June 15 turned up extraordinary values, including 60 hotel-casinos with room rates below $50, compared with 42 in the same survey last year.

The least expensive rooms were found at Binion's, Boulder Station, El Cortez, Fiesta Rancho, Four Queens, Gold Spike, Golden Gate, Hooters, Palace Station, Plaza, Sahara, Sam's Town, Terrible's, Texas Station, Vegas Club and Wild Wild West, all of which came in at less than $20. Yes, less than $20! Rates change quickly, and these are base prices that may be subject to any combination of taxes, booking charges and resort fees, but they're an excellent place to start if you're trying to track down great room deals this summer. The entire list, along with tips for finding these rates, can be viewed at the Web site listed at the end of this column.

High-enders: The summer brings good deals at the elite resorts too. The following represent the best prices found at the upscale casinos:

New York-New York, $53; Palms, $55; JW Marriott, $59; Paris, $64; MGM Grand, $66; Planet Hollywood, $71; Green Valley Ranch, $75; Mirage, $79; Westin Casuarina, $79; Caesars, $96; Mandalay Bay, $96; THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, $110; Venetian, $110; and Bellagio, $112.

Daydream: M Resort's Daydream Pool Club will become the permanent summer home to Wet Grooves, America's No. 1 touring pool party. Famous for its annual marathon parties at the Winter Music Conference in South Beach Miami, Wet Grooves' DJs, live acts, guest hosts, drink specials, contests and "decorative themed props" will take over Daydream every Friday. No word yet on ticket prices.

Work halted on megaresort: Construction has officially stopped at Fontainebleau, the north-Strip megaresort that's embroiled in a dispute with its lenders and recently had its CEO resign. Slightly more than two-thirds finished and towering above the Strip, it was scheduled for an October opening.

Fontainebleau follows in the footsteps of the Cosmopolitan and Echelon Place, both of which were stopped in midconstruction, along with several Strip casino and condo projects that never got off the drawing board, due to the economic hard times.

Cheap Trick: The rock band Cheap Trick has been signed for a September residency at the Las Vegas Hilton. Backed by a live orchestra, the group will perform Sgt. Pepper Live. Show dates are Sept. 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23. Tickets are $65, $80 and $90.

Cheap stunt: To promote the debut of Holly Madison as the new lead of its production Peepshow, Planet Hollywood blocked out the "wood" in its sign so it read "Planet Holly." OK, not so cheap a stunt! Madison took the stage for the first time June 22.

Brewpub closing: The long-running Brewpub at Monte Carlo will close July 12. It's not a surprise, since the Brewpub actually stopped brewing back in '06, when the CityCenter project took over the land that housed the former brewery. Still, it's been a popular venue since the day it opened along with the rest of the resort.

Question: What's the status on Lance Burton at Monte Carlo? Is he gone or on vacation?

Answer: Magician Burton has extended his contract with the Monte Carlo hotel-casino in Las Vegas for another six years. He was injured last month and had to cancel several shows.

Question: How has the economy affected attendance at this year's World Series of Poker?

Answer: Once again, poker has proven impervious to these difficult times. The WSOP's "Stimulus Special" tournament (with a lower-than-normal $1,000 buy-in) sold out, drawing 6,012 players. It was the fourth-largest field of all time, trailing only the main events in 2006 (8,773 players), 2008 (6,844) and 2007 (6,358). The winner was 24-year-old Steven Sung, who pocketed $771,106.

For more information about current Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and good deals, go to www.lasvegasadvisor.com