Let me start off by stating I usually prefer to go to Vegas solo. I dont want to be forced to follow any schedule. My wife doesn't enjoy gambling, but likes resturants and shows. We needed a trip away from kids, so we decided to go to vegas together. The ground rules... I go in a day early, I take her to a nice resturant every night, I take her to one show, and she lets me spend 1/2 time gambling.

I fly in Wed morning with no problems. I'm staying at the Venetian (free room), but I have a free room w/ cmp meals and $600 in bonus chips @ Monte Carlo. The only restriction is 4 hours of rated play (table games) to get bonus chips. I was picked up by the MC limo and taken to the hotel. After a early lunch I begin to grind away at Blackjack. I decided if I get up $250 I will walk away from the free chips and leave. I was up and down playing $25 hand BJ for 3 hours. I make a nice run and get up $225 or so with 45 minutes left before qualifying for the free chips. I thought about leaving, but decided to keep playing for the free chips. When the 4 hour mark hits I lose a little of my profits to only up 125. I get the 6 free $100 free play chips from the cage. Instead of putting 3 $100 free play chips on black and 3 on Red I decided to play 6 $100 free play hands on BJ. I get a pat 20 on 5 of the 6 hand yet only win once with 20. Dealer had BJ on the other hand. I win $100 from the free play chips to end the BJ adventure up $225. I eat an early dinner and head to the Venetian.

I had planned on playing the 8pm tourny but it was cancelled for a Big Stack Satellite. I was pissed b/c I would I played the 7pm Caesars If I had known. Anyway, I get on the list for the 2/5 NL and was seated after 10 minutes when a new table was formed. I buy in for 500. I get up about 200 by bluffing post flop in position in multi-way hands. I show a few bluffs to hopefully set up big payoffs later. My stack is at 200 when I get AA in small blind. I had 4 limpers so I pop it to 25. I get 1 caller. Flop is J 5 2.Player checks ( he has about $140 left), I pop it to 55, he calls all-in so I call the additional 90. He shows J 9 diamonds. He hits 9 on turn for 2 pair. Stack down to 400. Other notable hands. PKt JJ in multi-way straddled pot. Hit J on flop (rainbow). First to act, check it. 4 other callers check. J on turn for quads. Check it. Everyone else checks. river is Q. I bet 20. Get I caller. 2 hands later, get AA UTG. Limp for 5. Get 3 callers. Flop is A 9 3 with 1 spade. I check it. Turn is A spades. I bet 20 get 2 callers. River is @ spades. I bet 30 everyone folds. Cash out up 50 for poker... Play Bj for a few hours and win 250. Hit a wall @ 11 and decide to go to bed. Up 500 for day 1.

I wake up @ 7am and decide to hit the much storied MGM poker room. The room is an internet legend of drunk kids playing all night sessions. I don't know how it got label, but it didn't seem true to me. There were 2 tables of 1/2 NL going. I get on list and run to pick up tickets to Ka show for next night. A few of the players ( from england) had been playing all night, but nothing out of the ordinary. I play mostly tight poker to get a feel for the table. My stack was up to 260 when I get AA in the cut off. UTG pops it to 7 and there were 2 callers in front of me. I pop it to 25. BB raises it to 65. Folds around to me, I Reraise all-in, BB calls and shows KK. AA holds up and I win about 225 pot. I play for another hour of friendly poker and leave at 11am up 200. I walk to Monte Carlo ( i'm still checked in there). I eat comped lunch. Poker room is dead. I play $10 BJ for 45 minutes (win 50). Check out of room at MC and head back to Venetian to meet wife. She arrives @ 2pm. We hit the pool for a few hours. Take a quick nap and head to Steak house ( Del M). We head to Center bar to people watch ( our favorite hobby). We try to pick out the pros from the non-pros. We hit the BJ table. She watches for 15 minutes and decides to go to room. I play for an hour and win 200. Im a little tipsy to play poker so i decided to go to bed. End up 400 for day.

Day 3 . We have a late breakfast and hit pool. One thing about vegas I usually dont do when Im solo is the pool. Vegas pools are always a interesting sight. I get bored after an hour and decide to hit poker room. I give my wife $200 as a gift for her Spa appt. I change and hit the poker room. I get on a newly formed table. Play is mostly TAG. My stack is even at 500 when this hand occurs. A 3 diamonds in SB. 6 limpers.. I call, BB calls. flop is J 4 6 - all diamonds. I check, BB bets 20.. everyone folds..I call 20. Turn is 10 spades. I check, BB bets 50. I call. River is A hearts. I bet 65. The BB comes over top for 200. I go all-in. He calls. He shows 5 7 diamonds for low for small flush. I take down over 1k pot. He was stunned. He thought I had A 4 or A 6 for 2 pair. Other interesting hands. AK diamonds in SB. Button raised it to 35 after 4 limpers. He was a super tight players who played maybe 2 hands in 2 hours. I call to see flop ( as did 3 others). Flop is Q diamonds, 7X, 2x. I check, other 2 check, Button bets 70. I muck. I played poket 2s about 6 times with out hitting any trips. I flop quads 7s and get no action after checking flop and turn. My stack is @ 1125 when I get his hand. K 9 Clubs on button. Raised to 20 with 3 callers. I call from button. Flop is 10X Q (sp) J (Sp). I floped straight. I bet out 70 hoping to take it down. I get 1 caller (original raiser). Turn is 10 spades. FCK. Opp checks I check. River is 6X. He leads out for 130. I go in tank. He had only been at the table for 30 minutes so I had no idea what a player he was. I fold figuring he had flush. What would your call have been. I showed Flopped Straight. He said he had it, but it still bugs me. It was one of those times where you just know you are beat. I didnt want my stack to drop below 1k. What is your call here????? I End session up 525. Return to room and get dressed for dinner and show. We cab it to MGM and eat Sushi. Vegas resturants are SLOW and most are offering Fixed priced dinners at great deals. We go to the Cirque Ka show. It was decent. We head over to Bellagio to watch water show. I walk her to view waht I call Mecca ( Bellagio Poker Room). She does not care one bit. We fight through the porn pedddlers on the stip and make our way back to Venetian. She hit the sack and I play BJ. Lose 300 and hit bed. End trip up 800 after paying cash for all meals and expenses.