Early start on my birthday trip 3/27 - 4/2
My birthday trip to Vegas is one month away, but I’m so looking forward to it I thought I’d start early.
We used to go to Vegas four or five times a year, but now it’s only two or three times. We are just too busy with work, and we have a new granddaughter who was born in August. Plus, flights got more expensive, and my husband has his own business so doesn’t travel as much. No more diamond with Delta, which is very sad. Knowing we won’t get upgraded to first class is a little depressing, but he has lots of drink vouchers!
We’ll be staying at our timeshare at the Elara. I love this place. The rooms are beautiful, it has a nice pool, and the location is perfect for us – right across the street from Aria. Of course, in Vegas right across the street is a 15 to 20-minute walk!
We have two dinners planned. My b-day dinner at Sparrow + Wolf and a dinner at Pampas – I’m a foodie and my husband loves meat. Granted, I love meat, too, so I enjoy Pampas. We don’t have a Brazilian meat joint here. I got a pretty good deal on Groupon, and it’s on the way to the Aria.
We are doing the tasting plus wine pairing at S+W, and I cannot wait. It’s a bit extravagant, but you only live once. I spend most of my money on travel, food, and wine, so this fits right in. (I buy my clothes from Goodwill, lol.)
We usually go snowboarding in the spring, but my husband is still recovering from long Covid (doing much better) and a back issue, so that’s definitely not happening.
Other than eating, we’ll be drinking a lot of wine/champagne while playing mainly PLO at Aria. We usually know someone at the table, and the dealers remembered us. I hope it’s the same this time. Should be because we were just there last fall. We did miss our winter trip, though.
I’m going to update this a little with how my poker is going live. So far this year, I’m down $1,700, but $1,000 of that is because of crazy $25 double board PLO bomb pots and a couple of luck boxes.
I have a NLHE game tonight and a PLO game Friday night, so I’ll post about those soon.
Roll and shoe picks will come closer to the date.
Dinner was great. Wine prices have gone up, though! The guy in the green is almost 70 and says he's been doing this for 35 to 40 years. I assume he meant waiting tables, etc.
Now we are back at the Wynn poker room. Surprisingly, they seem worse than the Aria players. All of the strat forums and studying just go out the window. It's as bad as playing in my underground games with people who have no idea what they're doing.
On a side note, my husband and I don't remember seeing so many families with young children in Vegas. I can't imagine, but I am sure they are having fun.
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I love the Brazilian places. how is Pampas in comparison to Texas de Brazil or Fogo de Chao
Thanks. It has actually been amazing, the run bad, but we are meeting so many interesting people and seeing so many people we remember from previous trips.
Glad to hear you are having fun, despite the results not being as expected. What's the secret?
For me it's always a struggle to maintain optimistic and upbeat if I am having a bad run at the tables. Thankfully it hasn't happened too often, but it's very easy to wallow in your own misery and get a slightly negative mindset, in my experience.
Glad to hear you are having fun, despite the results not being as expected. What's the secret?
For me it's always a struggle to maintain optimistic and upbeat if I am having a bad run at the tables. Thankfully it hasn't happened too often, but it's very easy to wallow in your own misery and get a slightly negative mindset, in my experience.
Having cubic money helps. Get some cubic money.
Now the tournament area in front of the poker room gets the Encore Beach Club foot traffic.
Sparrow+Wolf was very good, but I don't think it was worth the price, unfortunately. Also, it was extremely disappointing to see that they charged $5 for a bottle of tap water when we were spending $500 for dinner. Quite pathetic. Servers were excellent.
That sucks. I'm sure it was still good, but I know you were looking forward to it.
Sounds like you're having fun even with some of the results.
I have to remind myself how great my life is outside of poker when I run bad -- that definitely helps. I'm not sure I've ever run this bad though. I seriously have never seen so many deuces in my hand.
Here's the hand that got me last night. I had 9TQK on a 2JQ flop. Got it in for what I thought was ~$300, but she had a black chip I couldn't see so ~$400. Q on turn and a 3 on the river. Of course she had QJ and nothing else.
I raise preflop and bet against another guy on flop and turn with a pair and the nut flush draw. He is chasing the second nut flush draw but ends up with two pair (24). Maybe I should start playing the deuces in my hand. They seem to beat me quite often. LOL.
My husband has a work meeting this morning and then he has to do a little work, so I'm heading over to Aria soon to play some poker and I hope at least have one winning session this trip. Will probably head back to Wynn tonight when he is ready to play. We get good exercise walking there. We've had close to 10,000 steps or more every day, which is good for us -- especially for him. We are very fast walkers, too.
I don't think Pampas is as good as the other two, but they have a few really good cuts. The lamb is fantastic if you ask for medium rare, which is what I asked for with every cut. The tri-tip and the picanha are very good. Some of the others are tasty too. I remember the pork tenderloin being great, but we never had it this time. I did try the bacon wrapped chicken again and it's pretty good, but it's hard to go wrong with bacon.
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That sucks. I'm sure it was still good, but I know you were looking forward to it.
Sounds like you're having fun even with some of the results.
I would go back to Edo, but I would never go back to Sparrow + Wolf. There are a few dishes worth trying, though, if you ever do go. I will do a write-up eventually in the fine-dining thread.
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In the old location? The route to the parking garage was right past the poker room. People would get a seat change for better viewing around 10 pm.
I don't know new vs old but that's right where I was seated on a Friday night.
the Euro next to me keep remarking "Americans don't know how to walk in heels"
I don't think Pampas is as good as the other two, but they have a few really good cuts. The lamb is fantastic if you ask for medium rare, which is what I asked for with every cut. The tri-tip and the picanha are very good. Some of the others are tasty too. I remember the pork tenderloin being great, but we never had it this time. I did try the bacon wrapped chicken again and it's pretty good, but it's hard to go wrong with bacon.
thanks
You wrote, "I have to remind myself how great my life is outside of poker when I run bad -- that definitely helps. I'm not sure I've ever run this bad though."
Given the choice, run good in life is the far more important of the two. Congrats on having life run good figured out.
What rppoker wrote. Had a frustrating home-game experience Saturday, but had a lot of laughs and a beer with the gang. It's all good.
I would go back to Edo, but I would never go back to Sparrow + Wolf. There are a few dishes worth trying, though, if you ever do go. I will do a write-up eventually in the fine-dining thread.
I haven't been and would like to try. We are talking about pivoting and doing a 4-5 day trip to LV this summer.... but I think we might go back to Partage. And while I am postive wj94 is a part owner of Toca Madera, I might finally submit to those beautiful pics.
Sorry... last night? What's the plan?
Finally had a winning night! Won $3,000 playing 1/2 PLO at Wynn! Still down about $3,000 for the trip, but incredibly happy about my play and actually winning. Will do a final write up tomorrow.
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there it is!
Give back the seat change button, looks like you got a good one!
winning the last night makes everyone happy
Yay win.
Boo trip over.
Best way to have a 3k loss!
Nice turn!
I was just about to joke that you needed to make some hands post-flop instead of just punting in stacks with AAxx but glad to see it wasn't necessary 
Look forward to details of the winning session.
I think the seat change button was good luck!
I started the day at Aria while my husband worked. Again it did not go well. In one hand I gambled and lost and in another hand I should have folded but only one hand beat me, and he had it.
I met my husband back at the Elara and we ubered to Yama Sushi on the strip. It was actually really good. About $36 per person for all you can eat. I definitely got my money's worth. I normally eat just raw nigiri, and I had a ton of it. Good fish to rice ratio and the right temperature. We also had pork gyoza, coconut shrimp, bulgogi, and seaweed salad. Plus a ton of sake! Wish I had remembered to take pics.
Then we walked to the Wynn. There were no seats open so we sat in the 20/40 O8 with half kill. It was a blast! Won 100 bucks or so until I moved to the PLO.
I actually lost my first buy-in with the nut flush draw and an open-ended straight draw. I bought back in and then the cards started to hit. I was finally getting playable cards that would either hit or that I could block/bluff with. My husband did well, too. It was how PLO is supposed to be!
We were down for the trip, but it was a pretty good comeback. So sad to be leaving. Sitting in the airport praying we don't get stuck in Atlanta because of storms. Thanks for reading. Until next time!
(My only pic from yesterday. Sorry.)
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I said DETAILS woman damnit 😉
Glad you made a comeback and I hope you had a fun trip
