To be honest, I’m not sure how. The flight is ‘free’ as we did long haul with the baby last year to use one BA voucher from covid but don’t have any plans where BA is a practical choice for the next 12 months - I used our second voucher to book this. Conveniently it took up approximately half of the voucher…..

As for the hotels, I have loyalty cards and was smart with my spending on previous trips. We ate and spent at MGM places when we stayed at Aria and focussed gambling on MGM/CET on specifics days in both 2018 and 2019 - not hard to be smart. That said I’m not a high roller or pit degen by any means so i was surprised by the offers. PH for 3 nights is basically $100 plus resort fees and park is $200 plus resort fees. Wynn is free courtesy of their slot app which we earned/bought enough gems for four nights for of our 2020 trip!

Edit - all hotels booked direct!

Nice one! I might see you there! Will if I commit to it - happy to chop if we are heads up…. 😂

I’m going to have to have a look at this! Definitely one for the list - thanks!

hey wanna hear how your trips goes. When are you actually gonna be in Vegas? Dates?

nice OP - looking forward to the TR. I am also posting my first one this summer and will be also testing from my phone lolz as I have serious fear of disappointing the group ! GL out there!

Just when you think reading comprehension can't get any worse. It's in the title and from 1st post.

Chick-fil-A is always worth mentioning!

Subbing. Safe travels. Run good!

I did the same. Went last year and gambled mostly at CET and MGM properties, but didn’t gamble enough to get that many points or anything. Booked in January 3 nights at Aria and 2 nights at Paris, all comped (just paying resort fees).

Back with an update after a couple of days under the weather (nothing Covid related thank god!).

Getting really excited now with only 64 hours to go until I leave and a full day/night of debauchery included within that! Given that, I've been on with the household stuff (admin, grass cutting, ironing etc), the packing and some last minute exercise to ensure I've sweated out the last of what Tuesday night's dinner left me.....

As such I have some interesting new pics.....

Took a gentle run up the strip on the treadmill this morning. I have two Vegas runs set up - one is just shy of 9 miles from about a half mile east of atomic liquor up fremont to the plaza, back down and all the way along the strip past Bali Hai, but as I'm in recovery mode, I just did the 5 miles from the welcome sign to the Strat.....



Plenty to get the sweat going and excitement levels up a notch. It is a bit weird when the google street view pics being used go from day to night or the Park suddenly becomes Monte Carlo for 5 seconds.......

As I'm packing, I've got the obligatory shoe pic in - still undecided as to which will be the travel ones though.....



Also the bankroll pic which I need help with.



As you'll see, the starting B/R is a mix of what USD we had sitting around and the fresh order. In amongst what we had sitting about were three $50s.

Options are

a) Don't worry about it - having about tree fiddies is actually good luck
b) Sacrifice them immediately on arrival in a VP machine as an offering to the poker gods
c) Don't let them get to Vegas - spend them on the wife in LAX during the 3 hours there
d) DO NOT LET THEM EVEN TOUCH THE REST OF YOUR BANKROLL - ARE YOU CRAZY?????

Answers on a postcard - or just in the thread below....

Spend them on the wife (of course, I am a wife).

Lots of shoes for one guy. LOL. Makes me feel better about taking six pairs!

d. Always d.

if you think she'll appreciate it, then c seems like the ldo choice

If you want the poker rungood, d. Wife rungood obv c. Either way, gl!

You have bigger problems than just what to do with the fiddies!

Fiddies, twenties, and tens oh my! Who needs 'em? Spend, bet, or exchange them at the earliest opportunities. Hunnies, fives, and singles are all you need in Vegas. Carrying anything else only makes life confusing.

Shoe selection is impressive. Perhaps the best display I've seen here.

Go go go!

1. Covid test .... recently (April) got one at Heathrow a couple of hours before departing for the US. Test was convenient, right in one of the Terminals, lower level. (Think it was called ExpressTest)

2. I have about 100 GBP left over I have no use for here in Las Vegas. Rather than take a haircut like 25% at a currency exchange, I would be willing to exchange it with you at a 40% rate in your favor (if we happen to be playing at the same venue while you are here).

So it seems like D is the obvious choice on the fifties. I'll keep them separate from the rest of the bankroll and see what I can find at LAX - apparently the best idea she's got is a bottle of Crowne Royal. Not glamourous and I'd get a sizeable bottle for $150, but swe can't get it here (unless you pay treble price) and our trips to Nashville have made it a staple item to pick up - problem is it doesn't last long when we get back.....

I have a mini shoe fetish - as in that it's small, not a fetish for mini shoes which would just be odd.... I feel like evolution is doing it's thing though as my dad has more shoes than my mum by a factor of about 3 and probably enough for a fresh pair every day for 4 months. I'm currently rocking about 20 pairs total, but the above includes my strip walking skechers (so middle-aged...), my running shoes (4th pair of fresh foam 1080s - locked in now) and three pairs for whatever else happens - got to have options! There's always a chance that an extra pair makes it home too.....

Thanks on the Covid test info - let's hope I don't need a last minute change of plans - still waiting on my result (will get it before midnight UK time) tonight.

On the currency exchange - happy to do a swap as close to market rate as makes sense in terms of rounding assuming I'm not totally busto by trips end!!!! If you fancy meeting up for a game then let me know what/when works for you!

glgl on the covid test

despite knowing I was symptomless and having tested negative a few days earlier I was still sweating it pretty bad

Post stag/bachelor party update.

Thankfully not too much in the way of hi-jinx yesterday. Was a little tame as we have the away leg (for a select subset) for 4 days at the end of May and that will not include the bride's father, brother etc.... Highlights included

• A few painful paintball injuries
• An hour long argument over an amatuer soccer match from 1999
• One attendee getting a £60 fine from the police for kicking his own car at 2am
• Me waking up 4 times with hiccups because I totally misordered food

I'm now in minute by minute countdown until leaving time - approximately 600 - and have a very small number of outstanding tasks.

• Get clippers out and tidy up what's left of my hair
• Pack laptop and chargers for everything
• Put everything in the car
• Pray for a negative covid result

This is starting to feel like it's actually going to happen!!!!

BOOM!

LOL
Let’s gooooooooooo

And we’re off!

Brag - got to Heathrow in under three hours and was through security 17 mins after hitting the car park.

Beat - it’s still 3 hours to the flight.

Brag - this will help keep it interesting….



Beat - this is definitely not eggslut

Killing it this morning - got to be the best seat in economy…..

Also have a gap in the middle seat and a friendly Australian in the window

Elvis Juice sounds awesome, that sausage on the sandwich looks wrong.

Hope you're having a nice flight.

Made it at last!

Flight was a wash when the entertainment system decided to not work for the first 7 hours…….

LAX was a dump - couldn’t get a beer in the 45 mins I had to wait and also no shopping opportunities so the 50s are hanging around.

Been for water from cvs and now going for food (Hattie B’s I think!) and then in search of some cards for a few hours until I crash. In other news my brother is going to make it for 36 hours from weds evening to Fri morning so that’s a major plus. Hoping to meet Bloobird tomorrow too so it’s not really a solo trip any more.

Random pic dump of room/view and the sign that lifts your heart every time! Sorry for the glare……