A little background:

I’m an old 2+2er. Poker was my favorite thing to do. I was fortunate enough to play back in the Party Poker days when everyone was awful.

I was risk averse and a bankroll nit. I grinded low stake SnGs and MTTs. I was a decent winning player; I checked sharkscope and my stats are still up under kevstreet.

I posted a TR a very long time ago when my wife and I last went to Vegas. I ran super hot; to this day it’s still one of my favorite vacations ever.

Poker wasn’t alway good to me, I had my Stars account hacked for $13,000 with no recourse. Except that the amazing people from 2+2 rallied and raised $6,500. I was also staked for a while and eventually earned all of that lost money back.

After Black Friday I haven’t played much poker at all. In fact Over the last 9 years I don’t think I’ve played one hand anywhere. I miss it.

I now have 2 boys that are 9 & 12 so other things have gotten in the way as well.

I’m making my triumphant return in August for my wife’s 40th birthday.

I’m looking for advice for everything:

What forum/threads should I study over the next couple of months?

What limits and games do you think I can handle and where?

Hotel and restaurant recommendations?

Anything else at all you can think of.

I posted a recent picture. whenever I read a TR or a thread I’m always interested in what everyone looks like.

Wish me luck... I’m gonna need it

Thanks in advance

1. Stay at the bellagio corner of the strip as all the good poker is within walking distance.
2. Hit one of the better steak joints with your wife.
3. Read Eggmcbluffin's posts for GTO tournament strategy on here.
4. My girl loves the Venetian's spa.

This is so good, thank you. Do you have a go to steak joint? Also, do you know if the Golden Tiki bar is worth going to?

Bellagio, Cosmo, Aria, or even Wynn can't go wrong with any of those hotels to celebrate a special birthday! Restaurant wise, SW steakhouse or Cut are great options. Carbone for Italian at Aria and Zuma at Cosmo are other dining options. Spa and a good show as well and you can't go wrong! Enjoy...

I love 2p2... always delivers!

link to eggmcbluffin posts?

Too many good steakhouses- Cut and SW are awesome as jay stated. I thought my best steak ever was the delmonico cut at Delmonicos in the Venetian but the chain has opened in my hometown and I did not like it the second and third time around. But originally, the Venetian was Emerils restaurant and I love his cooking style.

Never been to the golden tiki.

He posts in the mid-high stakes mtt in tournament poker. Its actual eggsmcbluffin. He shows his work from the solvers....a great poster.

If you havent been here in 10 years you're in for a big shock, completely different city now and not for the better gl.

How so? Will you elaborate please?

no one cares

I’m also heading back to Vegas for the first time in a while (until last week I think it was 5+ years since my last post on 2+2)

I’m interested to hear about what’s changed.


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My favorite place to stay is the Cosmo Terrace Fountain view. The view is iconic IMO. The ease of accessing the strip and the proximity to everything will be appreciated in middle of summer I'm sure. The diversity of solid restaurants to choose from at the hotel is also a huge plus. The Wicked Spoon Buffet is always on my list to hit up and I tried STK and its up to its billing as one of the better steakhouses. I haven't been disappointed with any meal I have ate there. I like the vibe and beer selection at Yard House and they have a decent happy hour and food deals (by the Link Ferris Wheel) Absinthe and Opium are two of my favorite non Cirque shows and I don't think you can go wrong with any Cirque production. Have Fun!! Ill be there in September for the Life is Beautiful Festival

Basically all the better Strip restaurants are horrendously overpriced. Look for places off-Strip. Lots of yootoob reviews.

August may be the worst time for Vegas poker. Temp wise it's basically hell on earth and people are burned out from the WSOP, so poker crowds will be thin.

10 years? The two major areas that changed the most are ones surrounding the LINQ (formally IP/QUAD) and Park MGM (formally Monte Carlo). Cromwell is worth checking out as well.

I'm always a fan of the Vdara to stay. I'm past my party days and having a quiet room to escape to is always a top priority.

Steak joint? Agreed with all the previous posts, but I'll add Bavette's in Park MGM. Very unique speak easy vibe. They also have a food hall now called Eataly.

Have fun!

You will have to excuse him. He has never been able to pleasure a female, let alone entertain one for an entire weekend.

We understand that a wife who is celebrating a milestone birthday requires more preparation than the "relaxation therapist" he hires by the half hour.

THIS. IS. AWESOME!

thank you for the laugh! and truth!

Fine Dining Thread is helpful. No need to read the whole thing, you’ll get a taste (no pun) from the most recent pages. For milestone birthday I would recommend Picasso.

Stay at Wynn/Encore, Aria, Cosmo, Bellagio or Venetian/Palazzo. I wouldn’t consider any other place for a milestone trip, not even Vdara (which feels more like an apartment than a hotel sometimes).

What you’ll notice as far as a decade’s worth of change is the increased commodification of every inch of strip real estate. Every change makes it look and feel more like Times Square- which is of course hell on earth- and you will encounter what feels like price gouging in a much wider variety of places than a decade ago. Get ready for a $6 drip coffee at Starbucks.

But anyway, have fun. Treat it like an upscale vacation that you won’t be repeating anytime soon.

Thank you for the thoughtful response.
We were debating NYC or Vegas but we want to take the kids to the City soon so we went for LV. Hope it’s the right decision.

Thank you!! I’ve added the Park MGM options to our list of possible dining experiences.

kev, planning to play donkament or cash?

Live donkament play has evolved less than cash, but the structures in the dailies suck and you're going after the WSOP, when donkament series are pretty thin on the ground, afaik.

Live cash is nowhere near as splashy as it was 10 years ago, but most players still have significant leaks. I'd start with 1/3, if I were you, and/or 2/5 100BB max (Bellagio) If you are going to play 2/5 with a 200+BB cap, be prepared for lots of grinders.

I am leaning towards donkaments. Unless I can study cash from now until then I will be a sitting duck at even 1/3.

I’m wondering if the structures will actually work for me given my time away from the tables. I can get into push/fold quicker.

Do you have suggestions for daily <$100 MTTs?

I’d say just go to have fun and be entertained. Don’t worry about studying up (unless you just enjoy that) and have a bankroll you’re willing to lose. If you want <$500, play one daily tournament (anywhere should be below $120) and then play 1/3 with the rest as far as it will take you.

$500-$1000 roll you can fire more at 1/3. $1000+ and you can think about 2/5 once you get you’re feet wet in 1/3. $5k+ and you can be someone’s whale at 5/10

Have fun!

Lots of dailies available for 100-150 last time I was there. Venetian/Wynn/Aria the better ones, altho Bravo app (or more recent visitors) will be more up to date than I am. If you have played zero poker since, keep an eye on hands you don't play (that get shown down) in to get an idea of how ranges have changed.... 9 years ago where AJ was an easy fold, its often now an easy gii in a similar spot instead. Just shovel it in and row for the finish line from level 5.

Other point already addressed, if you aren't super picky, Picasso is a perfect 40th dinner for 2. Expect to be given the bum's rush by everyone loosely connected with the service industry.

There’s an area that changed even more. 10 years ago when I went to LV for the 2009 WSOP for the first time, the area South of Bellagio was still a huge construction site. City Center (Aria, Vdara, then Mandarin Oriental, Crystals Mall) didn’t open until December of 2009 and Cosmopolitan opened a year after.

That totally changed the landscape of the Strip.