This was a trip out to Vegas for my brother's wedding. There were about 40-50 people that were going out there. This was also a first for me, as my wife was going (her virgin trip), whereas I've only been out to Vegas for bachelor parties or poker trips (5x in the past year and a half). My brother had arranged the Stardust suite at the Orleans (along with reduced room rates for everyone) on 11/12 to host a reception that night - the wedding was a quick affair, reception a lot of fun. I'm going to split this out between a poker and non-poker paragraph.

POKER - we arrived Friday 11/11, and I did not get a chance to play that day. Saturday morning, prior to the wedding (had to be on the bus at 3:15), went down to the poker room at Orleanswhile my wife got her hair and makeup done with the girls. Fairly long list for 4/8 LH, but got into a game within about 1/2 hour (this is at 10:00 a.m.) Nothing major in terms of hands, up about $30, when my brother and enough of our friends came down to see if we can get a table started for our group. The Orleans PR manager (didn't catch his name) got one set up within about 10 minutes, with the understanding he would have to open the list up - no problem. Started about 11:00 playing with a table of my 2 brothers and friends here for the wedding. We're all pretty competitive, with a wide range of poker skills (my bro, one other guy and myself play a lot, a few guys were so-so, and my other bro and a few it was their first time playing in a poker room). 3 memorable hands - first was A/Jd utg, i raised, folds around, my good bro on the button reraises, I pop it all in - he shows QQ. Flop an Ace, take down the pot (about $200 profit) - worth it to note that this is the brother getting married, and this isn't a play I would always do, but figured if I lost, there's his wedding gift. 2nd big hand, I have 3/9s in SB, early raise to $7, whole bunch of callers. Flop is A/Q/rag, 2 spades...small bets, bunch of callers. Turn is a low spade, I bet, folds around, button (one of the non good players, not a close friend), goes all in, I call (had to call about 80 to about a 150 pot), he has A/4, drawing dead. 3rd big hand was against a guy we didn't know that had come in (we told him and a few other guys that joined that we all knew each other to have full disclosure). I had 3/3 in the sb, this guy opened betting from UTG+1 for $8, bunch of calls, I call. Flop is A/Q/3, rainbow (BINGO!) - I check, he bets $10, folds all around to me, I call. Next card is a K, gives the board 2 to a flush...he bets $20, I hem/haw/hollywood a bit, and push all in (he has another $170 back) - he immediately calls (I'm thinking "Oh crap, bigger set") and shows A/K, which doesn't hit the 4 outer on the river. 1:30 rolls around, I think the $650 I'm up is good, lunch and get ready for the wedding. Next session isn't until Monday morning, when I go down at 6:00 a.m. (have to leave for airport at 8)...play 2/4 LH until a seat opens up at 4/8 (about 7:00). It's the type of table I love when I play LHE - weak/tight locals. I end up getting paid on 2 big hands - first, I have A/A, raise gets about 6 callers, flop is K/Q/rag, with 2 suited. I bet, get 2 callers. Turn is a 10, doesn't help the flush - I bet, get raised, other player folds, I call. Turn is the J that does complete the flush, but i bet out at it, guy calls, I take it down. He didn't show, but heard him swear and mumble that he had the lower straight - I feel really bad for his 9/j gutter if that's what he had (NOT). Last big hand I have KK in mid position, raise, gets back around to me for the cap (5 bets, about 7 players). Flop is K/5/3, 2 spades...tight lady bets, I raise, folds around, she raises, I raise, she caps - I'm 100% positive she has a set of 3's or 5's. Turn gets 4 bets around (she finally just calls), and river is one bet - yep, she has a set of 3's, I take down a huge pot - not sure how everyone plays that, but in Limit, I rarely slow play monsters, especially considering a lot of players in. I have to leave at 7:45, up $160, total poker win for trip $840 - not too shabby, feel free to comment on any of the play. The room is very much a locals room, comfortable seats, good dealers, and they were pretty good at filling tables when I was there - thought that I may have been bumped down a spot or 2 on the wait list once when a local came in, but I'm not a 100% sure.

NON-POKER: First time I had ever been at Orleans - I've always stayed on the strip. One thing my wife really didn't like and I noticed a bit, but whatever smell they pump in (or don't I guess, but I think it's something), really just kind of wasn't pleasant. Hotel room was about what I expected - we weren't on a renovated floor (I believe these are 18 or higher, we were on 10), but there was plenty of room for 4 of us to stay. The whole place is just a bit tired tho - I'd put it on par with Imperial Palace/Harrahs/etc. I did like their foodcourt - Fuddruckers, Sbarro, Baskin Robbins and Subway - decent choices and the prices were a few $ cheaper than similar ones on the strip. Wedding was great, my bro got a greyhound bus for everyone, married at the Little Chappel of the West (?), bus to Fremont Street (my first time downtown), played craps at Fremont Casino with everyone where my buddy found a $100 chip on the ground, back to the Stardust suite at Orleans for reception - I was VERY impressed with this room. It's a very relaxing place, perfect for 50 people, they had great food and drinks (bartender working whole time, he made great lemondrop shots). On Sunday, I took my wife, mom, her husband and uncle (my brother was supposed to go, but he didn't leave the room because of his hangover until about 9:00 pm - pansy) via the shuttle to Bill's (very easy to use shuttle), and we worked our way up to Venetian with a stop at Carnival Court (good 80's cover band Whip It), across to the Forum Shops, through Caesar's, over to Bellagio to check out the conservatory (very cool) - everyone was hungry at this point, and I saw the Bellagio Cafe (?) right next to the conservatory - very nice place for their "cheap" (about $15 a meal - huge tho, could easily split it for most people) eating place - bonus was sitting right next to the conservatory with a great view. Went over to the Cosmopolitan to see the chandelier bar - I like that place, but overall it's just a bit to modern'ish for me. Back to Bellagio to catch the fountain show - of course it's a Celine Dion song that come on (I had been ripping on her earlier in the day), catch the shuttle back. My uncle decides on the shuttle it would be great to karaoke to James Taylor (another favorite of mine - not), but memorable. Overall great trip, my wife liked it and will go back with me at some point (she's not a gambler, but did like drunken Pai Gow).