What a difference a week makes. Whereas only two pools in Las Vegas had announced March openings a week ago, now almost a dozen have declared.

Opening this weekend are Encore Beach Club, Cosmopolitan’s Marquee, Drai’s at the Cromwell and Hard Rock’s Rehab, along with the Lazy River and wave pool in the Mandalay Bay pool complex.

MGM Grand’s Wet Republic, Palms’ Pool & Dayclub, Mirage’s BARE, Aria’s Liquid Pool Lounge, Venetian’s Tao Beach and SLS’ Foxtail open next weekend.

Others will open sporadically leading up to Memorial Day weekend, which is traditionally the official start of the summer pool season.

Surf thing: Planet Hollywood is installing a "FlowRider Wave-in-a-Box Double," a high-powered wave machine that facilitates simulated surfing in a small area. It will be incorporated into Planet’s rooftop Pleasure Pools complex and will be operational this summer.

Riviera closing date: The Riviera is closing sooner than thought. It was originally expected to remain open throughout the summer, the closing date has been moved up to May 4. The casino was sold to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to accommodate a major expansion of the Convention Center.

Slots bonus: Throughout March, South Point is running a progressive slot jackpot that must hit before it reaches $25,000.

When it does, all active players club members will win $25 in free-play, and the jackpot will reset at $10K. If you see the meter close to $25,000, it’s a good time to play.

QUESTION: How much does a White Castle slider cost?

ANSWER: The original slider (hamburger) is $1.29, a cheese slider or jala•peno cheese slider is $1.59 and a chicken ring slider is $1.99. You can get a small discount by buying in bulk.

For example, a sack of 10 burgers is $11.99 ($1.20 each), a case of 30 is $34.99 ($1.17 each) and a crate of 100 is $109.99 ($1.10 each).

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