Let me start by saying I love this site and always check it out to read everyone’s stories especially when I’m gearing up and itching to go back to Vegas, so I feel an obligation to contribute when I can. Having said that my husband and I arrived in Vegas on Oct 23/11 for a week of gambling and fun. We're in our mid-forties and have been here 5 times in the last few years including labour day weekend, new year's eve and now over the halloween weekend, but I'd have to say I prefer when it's not so packed (we’ll leave the real partying for the young folks). We live north of Toronto, so we flew out on Sunwing at 7 am, had a great flight (what a treat to still get served complimentary drinks and food on a flight). Prices were very good about $480 return per person, so Sunwing is now a favorite alongside WestJet. With the time change we arrived in Vegas around 9 am and headed over to the car rental place. Almost had my first bad beat when we reserved a mid-size car from Enterprise with a good price around $180/week through Hotwire because the clerk was trying to tell us our car didn't have power anything, so we should consider upgrading for more money. I wasn't impressed and told him so and said it would be the last rental from them. Turns out when we got to the car all the cars except a few base model compacts are fully equipped, so I assume he was just trying to slyly up-sell us. I let the check in know what I thought of this tactic when we returned the car and he apologized for the poor service.

Headed off to the Venetian, this is our 2nd time staying here and I love it, so it will probably be our choice from now on. Previous trips we've stayed at IP, TI, PH and with an average price of $170/night at the Venetian you can't beat having a suite especially when you're staying for a week. I tipped the check in clerk $20 as I usually do and asked for an upper floor suite with a view and got a nice room with a great view. You tip everyone else so you might as well tip for the place you're living at for the week.

Oct 23/11-The first day was spent just hanging around and no poker, but I did donate to slots. I actually rarely play slots, but occasionally when I’m bored I’ll drop minimal amounts into them. With having to get up in the middle of the night to catch our early morning flight we were exhausted by 9 pm Sunday night (I know we’re really showing our middle age status).
Daily totals:
-20 slots

Oct 24/11-As it turned out I woke up at 4 am because I now had a full night sleep, so I headed down to the poker room. Probably a mistake as you can imagine how inebriated some of the young fellows were. Bought in for $100, which is my usual buy-in or sometimes $150 & always play $1/$2 or $1/$3. I know most of you regulars will say I should be buying in higher since I lose some power with shorter buy ins, but it's just my comfort zone right now and I feel if I'm running bad I haven't invested a lot. Some hands of interest after chipping up a bit were KK vs 56o raised $12PF 2 callers, bet $20 on an unsuited/unconnected small board, one caller, one all-in, called the all-in for another $50, now heads up with a player on a straight draw that got there. Another hand had 44, call for 6 way pot, trip up on small, unsuited/unconnected board, call 2 all-ins, lose to trip 6’s while other player has KK.
Daily totals:
-100 poker

Oct 25/11(Tues)
Only hand of note I can remember is KK vs AQ, Preflop raise 12 V calls, flop Qxx V bets 20, call, turn Q V bets 25 call, flop x V bets 40 I call. Even as I was playing the hand I knew I was losing hand after turn & should have reraised V off hand on the flop, but stubbornly call all streets to lose pot. Fortunately I was able to recover to cash out up.
Daily totals:
-45 slots-Cosmopolitan, Venetian, Casino Royale
+164 Poker Mirage

Oct 26/11 (Wed)
Daily totals:
-100 Poker Venetian- fairly card dead entire time, so wasn’t going to donate anymore
+170 Poker PH-nothing to note only stayed 1 hour as we had to go to dinner very easy table would have loved to stay longer

Oct 27/11 (Thurs)
Again fairly card dead & when I got a hand like pocket Q’s other player flops an A after calling a preflop raise with Ax, also hit a straight and two pair which were beat by a flush, no other notable hands. By this point I’ve played 4 days with only one minor cash, so I was frustrated with myself and had to reassess as I usually cash about 80% of time I play.
Daily totals:
-100 Poker Mirage

Oct 28/11 (Fri)
Much better result, adjusted game a little to be a bit more aggressive and use position more to bluff.
Daily totals:
+450 Poker Venetian

Oct 29/11 (Sat)
First session was short maybe an hour had K10 o, V limps with AKo, flop KK2, bet 15, 2 players call, turn 2, V bets 25, call all in 30, other player also calls, river 9. In second session within first 15 min went from $150 to over $400 with a series of straights, full houses, and trips/limped with 62c, V calls, flop 62xo, bet 15,V calls, turn 6, bet 25, V calls, river x, bet 50 V pays me off with trip 6’s. Another hand AA raise 15, 6 callers, flop KQ10o, bet 40, have all players covered with 2 going all in for another $58 and another player calling, turn x, river x, players missed their flush and straight draws, pot over $400. Had KK I raise 15, 3 callers, flop Q,J,9o, bet 15, V raises 65, fold (really thought about this hand & not sure if this was right, so any feedback is welcome. Played with fellow for several hours & he was very tight and usually had it when he raised, but he may have just had a draw in this case? I think I got a bit spooked, he had about 400 behind and think if I reraised he would have pushed and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit that much to the hand I was so unsure of or maybe I just played like a girl) After this hand I went on a another rush of straights & full houses .

Also went to a college football game (UNLV vs Colorado State) as we love football even though the teams playing weren’t the best. To make it more fun I placed a bet on the game, which I strongly recommend as it was much more entertaining
Daily totals:
-100 Poker Venetian (1st session)
+1384 Poker Venetian (2nd session)
+191 on sports book bet

Oct 30 (Sun)
Day to go home :( we didn't need to be at the airport until about 4:30 so we did some shopping. Hubby wanted to watch some sports at Caesars sports lounge, so I headed to the poker room. Played for maybe 2 hours, no real hands of note just steadily chipped up and got paid off when needed to.
+350 poker

Restaurants:
M buffett $15.99 includes all you can eat food, beer, wine and specialty coffees-very good value and food, but need a car as it’s at south end of strip past South Point
BLT in the Mirage is fantastic, would definitely go back
Grand Luxe in Venetian is always a favorite due to good food and prices
Noodle Asia in V also good
Cabo Wabo-good salsa, chips, wings and beer to watch the games
La Cantina Mexicana-very average
Also went to a great Italian restaurant on Flamingo, which for the life of me I can’t remember the name of, but we went because someone on this forum recommended it so thanks for the tip.

Shows:
Phantom of Opera-side orchestra seats, free $146/ea value for timeshare presentation, definitely will do this again for free tickets as it only took a couple of hours and was nice to see the complex

Overall had a good trip and I hope to go back in early spring!