Greetings, LVL.
I've been lurking on this site for several years--it's what keeps me going between trips to Vega$. I'm going to take a shot at sharing my trip with the forum. Hoping to do several updates per day, but it seems that's harder than it looks. Promise I won't Blasted this one, though. I've been inspired lately by Leon, DoncDunc and The_Canoe, especially. Sad to say, I don't have pockets deep enough to keep up with any of those guys, but I will do my best to keep it interesting with some food and (hopefully) chip porn.

About me: 50+ y.o. resident of the Pacific NW. Just completed my work year and I'm headed to the desert to start a smooth slide into summer. I will be accompanied by my best friend and gaming buddy, Mrs. Duck Me. We have been traveling to Vegas on and off for the past 30 years. Not too many trips when the kids were young, but we have made up for it since they hit their teens. We've averaged a couple of trips per year for the past ten years. We are both poker players, though MDM doesn't play much cash in Vegas. Usually, it's tournaments, slots and table games (UTH/roulette), but I've added in no limit cash in the past few years, and it's mostly all I do in town now. I'm a slightly above break-even rec cash player who had an amazing tourney run a few years ago, so I have this belief that I can win tournaments, recent results notwithstanding.

We are also big-time food nuts--love eating all over Vegas. I'm particularly chapped that Chada closed before this trip, as we just got there for the first time last February (Thanks, Gobbo! we did the "give us what Jimmy gets" when we were there and were profoundly satisfied). Sushi is always high on our list, along with steak and anything else that looks good.

Some details:
Trip plan:
Five nights at Aria Deluxe King--hoping to upgrade, but happy to be there
Lots of pool time with drinks in the mornings
Tequila and Bourbon in room
Cash games at Aria and P Ho, maybe B & V, as well
Trying to bink a daily or cash game on Thursday for a buy-in to the WSOP seniors event Friday (Hey, it could happen)
Dinner Reservations at Lotus, Charlie Palmer, Spago, and possibly Kabuto, if I can run good enough
Father's Day brunch at Border Grill
Dim Sum at Ping Pang Pong and possibly elsewhere
Drunken roulette and UTH at Harrah's (It's where we can't lose at these games)
Car rental for excursions off strip (mostly food/shopping)
Standard Vegas married person shenanigans

Much more to come. I've got to get on my phone to get pics uploaded. Bankroll and shoe pics on the way. I'm leaving for the airport in about 30 min, as soon as MDM gets home from work.

Cheers!

definitely subbed.

may you return home with broken noses from the amount of decks that hit you in the face.

I'm gonna try to upload my first pics. Here goes:

Subbed! Best of luck on your trip!

good luck - I’ve done a couple of reports and it’s not that hard or at least didn’t seem to me. Usually put in updates while waiting on food for lunch and dinner in those calm before the storm moments.

Go win that money.

Tree fiddy, no $50 bills, and a shoe pic.

Looks like the makings of a winning trip..

Henry's at PDX is the stone cold nuts. Georgetown brewing IPA. Wheels up in 90 min.
Sitting here with some time before boarding, I have some stuff from other trips that was fun--4AWAK at Mirage sports bar last year for a grand paid for most of that trip, then Philly Flyers fans are Aria after Golden Knights game in Feb made for an amazing and profitable night of poker. Chada in Feb was also legendary. Panang Duck? Yes, please. Had my 50th birthday a couple of years ago with family and friends at Charlie P's. We put bottomless wine to the test. 😆. Headed back to relive the joy.

With any luck at all, I'll be hitting Aria poker around one, so that will be a good thing. Could be more like two, if I can get to a dispensary for Scooby Snacks.

Thanks to all y'all for good wishes. I'll let you know.

Checked in and straight to poker. In for $300, currently sitting on $550. Two hands of note so far. BB wake up with QQ after folding first 15 hands. Spewy guy on button goes ai for his last $100, call. He rolls 89 o. Unnecessary Q on River, drag my first put of the trip.

Next hand. AKhh. I call 15 pre from sb. . Flop comes K 8 5 rainbow. I check to aggressive bb, who bets 40. Call. Turn 10. I check, He bets 60. I call. River deuce. I bet 60. He tanks and asks if I hit my ducks. Eventually calls and mucks when I show.

Rivered a flush against a pair of aces when he shoved for his last hundred. KK gets a turn fold. Now sitting on about $700.

Good times.

Duck, can you ask aroudn and see what o8 or stud 8 games are running and what limits

Checked in and straight to poker. In for $300, currently sitting on $550. Two hands of note so far. BB wake up with QQ after folding first 15 hands. Spewy guy on button goes ai for his last $100, call. He rolls 89 o. Unnecessary Q on River, drag my first put of the trip.

Next hand. AKhh. I call 15 pre from sb. . Flop comes K 8 5 rainbow. I check to aggressive bb, who bets 40. Call. Turn 10. I check, He bets 60. I call. River deuce. I bet 60. He tanks and asks if I hit my ducks. Eventually calls and mucks when I show.

Rivered a flush against a pair of aces when he shoved for his last hundred. KK gets a turn fold. Now sitting on about $700.

Good times.

Sorry for the double post. If anyone can remove the repeat, please do.

Finished playing around 2 this morning. In for

Cashed out: .

Planning to play Goliath day 1c or Rio daily deepstack. I know that both are longshots, but what sounds like the better opportunity?

there is an app for that...

lol, I finally have to ask out of ignorance ..... what is the significance of shoe pics ?

Waiting to go downstairs to reg the Aria tourney.

"Grocery shopping" this morning. Bar and backpack are stocked. Vacation fully engaged.

Subbed for the sweat. GLGLGL

can you link it to me please?

Great start on the report and best of luck but let’s stop calling a raise in the sb with AKs - thats too passive for LVL.

I agree about the passive play. Villain in hand was super aggressive, and I figured he'd bet for me. Sometimes I try to get to tricky. Appreciate your comment.

Just busted the Aria Classic. The deck just wouldn't find me. Not too many hands of note. Doubled up back to back hands when I was short, won races with 99 vs. AK and AQ. Busted out on a missed Royal draw. Made flush, villain rivered a boat. Meh. Other than those the hands, it was pretty much 74 off type hands for three hours.

Heading back to cash tonight after MDM guess to bed.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/brav...470322257?mt=8

Second morning in town

After a 22 hour Thursday and a tourney bustout, went upstairs and started drinking. Drinking and edibles together--good--it's bound to lead to some questionable eating and life decisions, though.

MDM and I decide we're hungry for everything, so it was off to Aria Buffet. Had serious thoughts about Carbone, but too far gone to appreciate it.

After we ate, we headed to the casino for some low stakes degen. Quickly dropped a couple hundred on roulette and UTH before back to back full houses got me back to+70. Buffet belly prompted me back to the room to top off cocktails and put on roomier clothes. Sat down on the bed for a minute, sexy times ensued. . . Annnnd it's morning.

Sat straight up in bed at 6:00, out the door for breakfast and some casino crawling. Ended up at MGM for roulette and UTH. A quick hundred down at roulette and mostly even at UTH when MDM bets her last$40 blind. Three 8s hit the board, and damned if she doesn't have the case 8. A small scene was made. Bonus bet light was on for $100, and hand paid something like another four.

Donked a hundred or so into slots working back to Aria (gotta stack up some slot points for comps, plus, Vegas).

Currently 48 on 1-3 waiting list, so I'm going to head to the pool for awhile, then Lotus for dinner. Planning to play most all night after dinner--probably here, but maybe across the street at P Ho. Maybe both.

Food and poker pics coming later. Hoping for more run good.

Following, good luck OP!

Friday Night
Currently waiting out the list at Aria. MDM has decided to play some cash tonight, too.

Rungood on all aspects of this trip continued with dinner at Lotus. Went with crispy rice/pork sausage app

Followed by garlic shrimp (10/10 would recommend)

Duck Curry (9/10)

Then Khao Soi (7.5/10)

Finished with coconut ice cream/sticky rice (10/10) that was gone before I could get a pic. I've wanted to go to lotus for a long time, and it did not disappoint. I liked some things better at Chada, but Lotus will definitely do. Food came out in A HURRY. If you haven't been to the new building, by all means GO.

Solid work - keep the food porn coming

Friday night-Saturday

Finally got onto a table last night around 11. Played a few interesting hands, but no success overall. First hand of note--AK cc in big blind. EP raised to 12, button 3-bet to 22, and I elected to four-bet to 45. Two
callers. The of us see a flop of Q 10 8, one club. I C-bet 60 and get a caller. Turn is 9c. I like my draws here, but I still don't have anything. Nevertheless, I continue my line and stick $100 in. Villain tanks and finally calls. River is 7x. No flush, no straight. I hate to shut this down, but I didn't feel I had a choice. Check. V checks back and turns over AJ and says, I swear, "I thought you had KJ." Sheesh. Reload.

A few hands later I wake up with Two red Queens in middle position. Two early limpers and I raise to 18. Five of us see a flop of A J Q rainbow. Nice. Checked to me and I bet 24 and get two callers. Both look like they have an Ace. Turn J. Great. AK just got there. I check and call a bet of 75 because I'm a little tilted, but still have a draw. River is a beautiful JACK. Original raiser shoves, and I snap him off for my last $150. Other player folds. V turns AJ for rivered lesser boat. I'm back even for the session. More later, headed to dinner.

Update
Finishing off Friday night session--full house hand was high water mark for the evening. I played for a couple more hours and rarely got past a flop. Ended up -$200 for the session.

Saturday morning we took the car and went to The Egg And I on Sahara. Solid breakfast with stuffed French toast and relleno omelet. Forgot to take pics, but portions and prices were both appreciated.

After breakfast, both of us played the Caesar's 10 am tourney. First four hands for me are: AQ, 88, AQ, AK. Never hit a flop, but took down all four without showdown. Flopped a set with JJ from the big blind and chipped up to my high point of 36 k in the first hour. They broke our table and I got sat to the right of a guy on an impressive sun run. He won eight pots in a row, took out five players, and ALWAYS had the goods. AA and QQ twice each over the course of about six hands.

At this point, I'm looking at 83 off types of hands, seeing paint occasionally, but always with huge raises in front of my action. Down to 18k (1000/2000) when I get two red sevens. Aggressive player raises to 8k and I jam. He calls, and I'm up against A10 ss. Flop comes KQx, turn K andriver, of course, pairs the board queen. A high takes it and I'm out. MDM played, too, went out with flopped straight vs backdoor flush draw that got there.

MDM wanted to do some shopping, so we went out to South outlets and Summerlin, with a stop at BF Sushi for a snack. . This guy was awesome. We got three rolls and some sashimi. 8/10 overall for food, 10/10 for service and value.

Poker Thoughts For the most part, I've been happy with my play, though my results are just ok. Currently -550 tournaments and +370 1/3. I've been ramping up my aggressive play, especially in cash, working on post-flop betting sizes and reading my situation. Variance has been high in tournaments.. In other news, the sun is hot. I would welcome feedback on any of the hands I've posted.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Heading to the pool, then pit extravaganza tonight, followed by more late night cash game. Saturday Dinner and evening coming later