701 Adventures to the 702: TR 5/26 - 6/1

[QUOTE I get coolered one time aces v kings v jacks and I feel like a total loser.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure which end of the cooler you were, but if it was a cooler, no need to feel like a "total loser."

I'm here too langdon. Always enjoy your reports.

I'm not sure which end of the cooler you were, but if it was a cooler, no need to feel like a "total loser."[/QUOTE]

I had aces, min-raise UTG, JJ shoves for a lot, KK calls all-in, I call all-in
runout 85T 6 J

thanks for the comments.
very hot today

If you saw these two guys it was not a volleyball tournament.

Anyone seen Marvin?

Nothing you can do in that AA spot. Sometimes it's just your turn to lose a gross one.

On Poker Atlas they brag about having "more than ten tables", and I actually see that everyone's favorite vlogger Trooper played there 7 months ago. Room looks to be of a fairly decent size from the quick footage he took from inside.

With rooms at The Strip becoming fewer and fewer, it's good to keep in mind that there are actually some non-strip locations that offer poker, like the one you played at below.

Ouch! Was this guy moving all-in every hand or?

I had AA in the local tournament recently, against 77 and QQ - AIPF, binked an A on the flop, thought for sure I would be good, but still lost to both hands - they had either end of the 4 straight on the board (perfect perfect, of course). That's not being a loser, that's just variance. Lucky for me I had been sun running and covered, ended up cashing 8th place.

the first hand he flopped a straight and it went to a raising war, so that was an easy one. then he got pocket jacks at least twice in half hour. so he wasn't a total maniac

Day 4

today was a roller coaster, figuratively and literally.

started with a great hotel breakfast at Best Western. eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles, yogurt, juice. not bad for free.

finished manually inflating our three tubes I started last night, and then tried fitting 3 kids around them in the back of the car.

we parked in the farthest aisle of the main level at MGMG, and from there to the pool complex is probably as far as you can walk within any single property. we had room key cards from our two previous stays at MGM Grand. I did a practice run-through last time and confirmed they ask for cards but they don't scan them. so we showed them our key cards and next thing we were in the MGM Grand lazy river pool. as good as was solo, it is so much better with the family. I love seeing my kids happy and having fun. totally worth going.

we played at the pool for like 4 hours. near the end, my oldest boy burned his feet on the hot ground and got mad and blamed mom. that was the start of a bit of tension.

the schedule was a bit awkward, as we had a show at 4 but I thought it would be good to check into our room at Luxor then eat near the venue. so we headed to Luxor, and this began a disaster. driving around Luxor was a zoo. seemed like all the parking was either blocked off or full. so we headed to park at Mandalay Bay instead, and that was a zoo too. apparently there was a big international soccer match or tournament at Allegiant Stadium. when we did finally get a spot, there was some confusion on what to bring with us and all that stress caused a bit of tension.

I'm reminded that as a Vegas veteran I am used to a lot of walking and I walk really fast. wife and 3 tired kids, not so much. when we finally got to Luxor, it was also a zoo and the check-in line was a giant mass of humanity. thankfully since I'm a high rolling VIP I could use the Priority Line. when I was planning the trip I first booked with MGM direct, but then found a booking on another site (hotelslash) that was $50 cheaper so I cancelled the first one. when I checked in, they said that resort fees are not waived for reservations made on third-party sites. so saving $50 cost me $83.

we got to our Tower Room where I discovered that I reserved a king bed room, not two queens. family of five staying in a room with one bed. stress level rising.

it was now like 3:40 and we had show tickets for 4:00 for Nathan Burton at Flyover (across from Park MGM). this afternoon is becoming a nightmare. I told everyone sorry but we will need to walk fast. we headed to Excalibur where I always get lost. I hate that place. raced over the bridges by NYNY and got to the venue at 4:03; tired, hungry, thirsty, hot, and grumpy. miraculously, the show had not started and people were still walking in. this was the first tremendous relief we experienced in a long time. the worst part was truly over.

it was really nice to sit down inside a cool and dark theater and keep the kids entertained and not worry about anything else for an hour. the Nathan Burton show was ok. he worked really fast and was clever and had some cute showgirls assistants. I think the kids liked it but I wasn't all that impressed by most of the acts. I liked Mac King much better. but the tickets were cheap and it was fine for the family.

we went out and went to the nearby food court and I said they could get anything. daughter got Panda Express and the boys chose Popeyes (which I like). I ordered a family meal, and the guy asked if I wanted traditional pieces or tenders and I said traditional pieces. this was truly another dad fail. kids don't want to fight through bones or eat awkward thigh or breast pieces. everyone likes chicken tenders. I don't know how I can suck so bad ordering food for my kids. oh well, at least it came with yummy fries and mashed potatoes. wife also got a boba tea from Happy Lemon. everybody ate and seemed satisfied.

of course walking by the M&M store the kids wanted to check it out. and of course seeing the candy wall my daughter wanted to fill a bag. I mentioned that we can get like four bags of M&Ms at Target for less but I didn't fight it, as after that afternoon's ordeal it seemed harmless so we bought a $20 bag of M&Ms. seems like a dad win. also picked up a M&M characters blanket, which kiddo used tonight.

I had a BOGO coupon for the NYNY Coaster. I rode in May, and didn't want to go alone this time. firstborn has a weak stomach and wife didn't want to, but second son was able to be convinced. a few years ago he rode the boomerang coaster at Six Flags and also the Incredicoaster at Disneyland. this time he had mixed feelings and was pretty reluctant but I was persuasive. height requirement is 54 inches, shoes-off he measured in right around 55. for me it was even better the second time. I absolutely loved it. he got freaked out by the initial blind drop at the beginning and seemed a little faint at the end but he made it through (what choice did he have?) and upon reflective questioni he admitted he enjoyed it and was glad to ride. as was I. love my boy. I like roller coasters and the one at NYNY may be the best I've ridden.

we had 8pm tickets for Blue Man Group so headed back to Luxor. first time for the kids obviously but it was my third. the players were different so they have at least 6 blue guys. the show was 98% the same. so if you have seen it before there's no need to see it again. but it is a great show you should see once.

we were pretty much out of water and the car was at Mandalay Bay, and the sleeping situation was going to be weird, so I got to head back to MB.

Mandalay Bay night

they had their weekly promo tourney going on and zero cash games running. however, as I arrived they were starting a 2/5 game and I got a seat. so this is my first experience of 2/5 game in Vegas. and it happened at Mandalay Bay. go figure. I bought in for just $300

- in SB, it folded to me. I actually looked at my cards and I had A4, but I asked fellow next to me if he would like to chop. he responded, "I never chop but I will, where I am from we are not allowed to chop." so he was reluctant to but he agreed to anyway. it was just an awkward moment for something so basic. amusing after the recent LVL discussion on chopping

- button straddle $10, lots of calls, I am in the cutoff with AKhh. I raise to $50 and almost everyone calls.
flop is desirable: KK7ccd. I bet $50, and get a call.
turn is 4h. I go all-in for $220, and he calls with QQ. river inconsequential 3h and I am over $700 after 20 minutes, which means I have recovered my loss from yesterday very quickly. think I played that hand correctly.

- a little later, button straddle, raise to $30, I fold my K9. several calls. flop comes KK7 again. damn

when the guy next to me was in SB, the BB asked if he wanted to chop and he said no he wanted to play. flip-flopper!

- I open with JTdd, several calls.
flop AQ7 one diamond. I c-bet, get a call.
turn is 2d. checks.
river is the third diamond, I hit my flush. bet $75 but he folds.

a 2/3 game opens up. I don't know how different it will be, but I ask and am eventually granted a table change, hoping for a little less pressure.

- I open QJhh $10. raise to $20, next guy goes to $200. wtf is this. I fold. he calls. flop was king high. there were more crazy bets and calls. the guy says "you must have aces." it goes to all-in, he says again "I know you have aces." he calls with KJ and loses to AA. please make it make sense.

- bomb pot, flop KT3, I open UTG with K5, loud guy who rebought calls.
turn whatever, checks.
flop Q. I toss out a little $20 bet. probably too small. but he calls, and he cannot beat top pair bad kicker. nice scoop.

hand of the night
- I open with KJ, several calls.
flop KJ7, nice. SB bets $20, call, I raise $100, SB calls, BB calls for less
turn is Ace. SB (Asian 50-65M) bets $150. I am concerned about AK. but seems like he would have raised at some point. I call and we have a monster pot built.
river 5. he thinks, and shoves for $153. I am in the blender. I would lose to AK QT and AJ, I block KK and JJ. I would have to call $153 to win like $800. I'm going through the action, I honestly don't think I can beat him but I don't think I can fold. I make the crying call and he flips over a Set of Aces.
pain.
twice. KJ shall now be known as the true ace magnets.

- a little later. I open JT.
flop is 973. checks to me, I c-bet, one call.
turn is whatever. checks.
River is a jack. he checks, I bet $60, he calls and shows a set of 3s.
I am down for the session and officially on tilt. should have stayed at 2/5. I add $100.

thinking about that KKJJ vs AAA hand, when the ace hit the turn I should have folded to the bet, despite two pair. I just don't see any other hand I beat. and I didn't at the time either. just give up. AA, AK, AJ all beat me and are all likely holdings. same thing last time when old-man-black-iced-coffee blasts the flop (I at least folded the turn with top-top).
it was a painful learning moment.
I suck but I'm learning.

- I open with AJ. the guy next to me who has not stopped talking the whole night flashes his cards as he looks at them and I see 88.
flop comes K88.
checks around. ace on the turn, checks around. river is whatever, he bets $20, everyone folds, and he doesn't show, doesn't say anything. not only did he literally win the minimum, but he forfeited an extra $100 for high hand promo.
two hands later he says "hey you know that hand that had two 8s on the flop, I had two 8s in my hand!" everyone is like you're a moron.

- open AK, only OMC to my right calls.
low flop, I c-bet he calls. turn checks. river is a second 5, ten high board, he bets, I fold.

- I had K5 spades. don't remember preflop action.
flop came K96ccd. new guy bet $15, I call.
turn 5c. new young guy looks interested, bet $50, I snap call.
river is whatever. he goes all in. pretty sure he has a flush and I fold my two pair.

I may be off tilt but I'm not winning hands. I am bleeding chips. it is late and I need to go but come on, I'm due sometime.

I win a couple small pots, not really recouping much but I really gotta go. I cash out for a $240 loss in over 3 hours and take home three small but very expensive bottles of water.

update: quitz pokerz, only paigows

I think the 7pm tourney was still going at 1:45. that seems like a lot of grinding for a pretty small payout.

I have some freeplay at Luxor so when I get back I find a VP machine in the high limit room and play 10 hands, I've never done a 5-play machine but it was pretty fun and I seemed to win each time. got $55 from my 50. maybe I should have stayed on the hot machine but better to quit before it has cooled off.

back at the room there are two comfy chairs pushed together to make a bed for the little girl, firstborn is wrapped in a blanket sleeping on the floor, and wife and middle kiddo are sleeping sideways on the bed, so there is plenty of room for me to also sleep sideways. my wife is smart.

You are going to need a vacation to recover from your Vegas vacation.

I have a really hard time with variance and losing. put too much pressure on myself and tend to take it personally, like a losing session is a testament to my incompetence. I don't play a ton so my sample size is smaller, which doesn't have a huge bearing on my skill level but it makes the peaks and valleys so much more prominent and there is a smaller margin for error.
losing $640 in two days of poker is bad but it's not bad. and there's a reason I/we bring a bankroll of more than one buy-in. I'm still in the plus side overall gaming this week.
the good news is I could never make it as a professional gambler.

this is my therapy session and talking through it like this puts me in a much better state of mind. I'm on vacation and this is fun. hell I wasn't even supposed to play this trip

If I were looking for a family vacation spot and had a jillion flyer miles, I'd go just about anywhere else than Vegas in July.

Thanks for sharing pig4bill

I'm glad that I wasn't the only one confused.

Day 5

Sunday was a chill day, much needed after crazy Saturday. seems like everyone managed to get some sleep, myself included. must say, despite getting less hours, the quality of sleep has been better. time to get a new bed. drove to my sister's, took the family to church with the cousins, afternoon nap, homemade dinner for the kids, and just relaxed. it was much too hot to do anything else.

since there wasn't much to talk about for the day, here comes my most extended meal review.

had a dinner reservation at Kyu Fontainebleu so said bye to the kids and drove back to the Strip. FB is a beautiful property. seen some negative reviews but for my second time visiting my conclusion is people want to complain about anything. this place is stunning.

I don't care much for fancy food, don't have expensive taste. so Kyu was probably the most fancy restaurant I've been to. thought the Komodo menu looked better but, not meaning to contradict my previous paragraph, reviews were not as good (loud, unknowledgeable staff) so I chose Kyu.

first, the atmosphere is very nice. just some quiet music, low lights and lamp on the table. we were treated like VIP and the server Brian was excellent, very knowledgeable about everything on the menu, and made us feel very comfortable.
can't help but laugh when I describe the food.
ordered "corn ribs," quartered cobs with some kind of Japanese aoli, dusted with some kind of special Japanese pepper and there was mention of squid ink. it was amazing. every bite was delicious. the serving size (eight pieces/quarters) was probably for more than two people.

Mrs Langdon ordered grilled octopus. she is from Taiwan where great seafood is common and she has had a lot of fancy food, but she said she had never had octopus like this. it was perfectly tender, meaty, don't even know how to describe it but there was nothing bad or weird about it. absolutely delicious seafood entree, even for someone who may be averse to seafood.

I ordered the duck breast. server mentioned it takes 30 minutes to prepare but we weren't in any hurry. it was described as "burnt ends," a little misleading as it was medium cooked tender meat but with slightly blackened skin that was also kind of soft. perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, on top of an Asian barbeque sauce or something. loved it. insert superlative here.

ordered dessert, a dark chocolate s'mores cake. it was as amazing as expected. it came with banana-bourbon ice cream. didn't mention that part to the wife. it was so delicious and definitely boozy. she wouldn't let me finish it. for people who don't drink alcohol I don't know the moral implications of eating bourbon ice cream from a nice restaurant but it tastes really really good. overall it was one of the best desserts I've ever had.

we ordered stuff we wouldn't normally get. the four dishes without drinks came to $128 pre-tip. dining credit took care of most of it. felt like a steal. the service was awesome. I loved everything about the experience and highly recommend Kyu.

what's up with this prominently displayed art?

when we got back to Luxor, wife just wanted to relax and expected I wanted to go play. wasn't my intention, but for last night thought I wouldn't waste the opportunity.

walked down to the Luxor casino.

no Pai Gow, but I found an empty $15 blackjack table with a pleasant young black (or Hispanic) lady and said let's go.
the table filled up pretty soon, which is good because I enjoy social gaming. most of the other people were pretty terrible bj players, not doubling down on 11, sitting on 13 vs ace, etc.
I'm not real sure what the shoe was because it was in a machine but looked like she would take out a couple decks and shuffle them back in.
going pretty well, then I got an exciting hand:
88 vs 5. I split, got another 8, split that, got a 3, doubled down. dealer went 5-6 (uh oh) -5-9 for the bust and one of my best ever blackjack hand wins.
when it was time for a dealer change I was not ready to test fate and cashed out for +$130 in about 40 minutes. not bad for a "never play 6:5" game.

walked over to Mandalay Bay, not certain what to do, but skipping the poker room this time found their only Pai Gow table, $50 min. woah, I'm a high roller now. bought four green chips and put half of them in the circle. the other players at the table were much more impatient and unfriendly than cheaper tables. luckily, I won my very first two hands. looking for that one more ladder up, I played for about 90 minutes and once my stack had ten green chips I cashed out.

so my final night of playing was for a cool +$280. always good to finish on a high note.

Great last night! The food looks great.

I always assumed you didn’t as you never mentioned it, glad you confirmed. Drinking probably one of the benefits I feel of going to Vegas. Probably the most drinker friendly city there is. I mean I’d still go if I didn’t. Does your sister who lives in Vegas also not drink?

Obviously this is subjective, but like Resorts World, it just seems sterile. It's objectively a very nice property.

yeah she doesn't drink either. she's also got little kids and doesn't live on the Strip/downtown

Day 6

worked in the hotel room until checkout time. tried one last time to see if we could get resorts fees waived but no luck.

went to Excalibur Buffet for brunch. absolutely adequate, especially with a BOGO.

bought a dragon figurine thing at the Dragon Lair shop as a gift for our firstborn. tried to go there a couple times previously at evening but it was closed. from what I can tell we got lucky to find them open.

the kiddos requested Jack in the Box for their final meal and that seemed to make them happy again. packed up and headed to the airport.

our first connection to MSP was delayed for no good reason, then delayed a little more, then upon arrival it delayed some more. we had a very short layover and were a little concerned. our second connection was set to depart at 10:55, which means doors close at 10:40, and we ran to the gate getting there at 10:43. the agent seemed unconcerned and relaxed and we realized there was another flight also late and they were waiting for like 30 other passengers. what the hell Delta.

made it back around 1am and the dog was happy to see us.

Poker made be filled with variance, but you can always count on your dog to be dependable.

Sorry I haven’t been following along live, but this is a FANTASTIC TR.

Loving the food pics, and learning how to have fun in Vegas with wife and kids.

Leg 2 review and thoughts

I didn't do a lot of gaming as it was a family trip, but I did some. probably why it was so fun is I didn't play a single tournament. played poker cash at Bellagio, Red Rock and Mandalay Bay and despite a couple disappointing sessions I ended down only a couple hundred in poker due to two coolers. haven't had a plus poker summer trip in a while but that's why I bring a few buy-ins. I am planning to play again this week at a a ND casino when I'm not dealing in the big weekend tournament so I wanted to make sure I didn't blow all my bankroll.

the pleasant surprise was the other stuff. in blackjack and Pai Gow I had zero losing sessions, and combined with my brief VP play, the bottom line is non-poker gambling resulted in $485 profit. so even with paying for the movie theater and leaving a hundred to my sister's family, I still came home with more cash than I started with. that's fun to tell Mrs Langdon. couldn't convince her to play a little, even with my money. she would rather relax content in the hotel room and that's fine by me.

I really like Pai Gow. my gaming mental comfort level or priority is to hang on and play for a while with mental stimulation and end up somewhere on the plus side, not gamble to win a ton of money with high variance. as long as I don't lose three hands in a row (which is hard to do), PG keeps me quite content, especially without playing the side bets. another thing is that the game doesn't change whether you are alone at the table or if there are four other players, unlike blackjack.

don't really want to sit at a smoky blackjack table with a grumpy dealer. poolside at Red Rock is the nuts, even if it is 6:5. I know everyone should only play 3:2 but on the Strip that is way high minimum outside of like TI. I don't mind playing $10-20 at 6:5 if it is convenient. Luxor was fun. I'm unlikely to play hours and hours anyway.

Park MGM is such a better experience than any other normal indoor casino. I hate cigarette smoke. even if the person smoking is two tables away it is nauseating. Park casino is clean and not super loud and has breathable air.

Vegas on the weekend sucks. it's super crowded and extra events take up all the parking. everything costs exponentially more. I will be happy to return to Sun-Thur trips.

staying off Strip at a Best Western on Friday night was not bad. it was quiet, clean and comfortable, offered free breakfast, and was just 10 minute drive from Red Rock casino, and no resort fee.

I'm still bummed about wasting my MGM Gold perk on a priceline deal where I couldn't get resort fee waived. my promotional tier upgrade expires in August and I don't know how I'll ever get back to Gold. but it still has saved me $200-300 bucks.

I did get notified that I reached Stations gold tier (again). that must be a really low bar. hope they send me some offers.

for dining, the highlight was clearly Kyu at FB our last night. I have only glowing remarks. the food, service and experience was perfect.

La La Noodle at Park MGM was good too, as was Noodle Shop at Mandalay Bay. can't recall having any bad dining experiences in Vegas to be honest; that's part of why I like coming.

now that I'm 40 I think I have outgrown my low-roller ways. I have fun planning a trip and finding deals and discounts and making cheap itineraries, but I no longer track every nickel spent once I get there. I know I'm financially responsible and the bean counting ends when the airport lands.
along with that, played 2/5 NL in Vegas for the first time in and table games with $50 bets. don't tell my mother.

taking a bunch of North Dakota kids to Las Vegas in the hottest week of the city's history was a worrisome challenge but it was likely the best family vacation we've ever done. everyone enjoyed it. "dad this was a good trip" is the best compliment ever, especially after all the effort that went into preparing it. Red Rock pool and MGM Grand pool were easily great experiences. finding a few shows like Potted Potter, Blue Man Group and Nathan Burton magic entertained them and gave them something memorable to talk about. am also lucky that they now have cousins living in Vegas that they can stay and spend time with. I would not be able to keep them entertained and happy and myself happy in Vegas them with me all the time without spending thousands of dollars otherwise.

this has been an interesting year. I've gone to Vegas on a solo trip, a mommy daddy trip, and a family trip. after this, I have no intention of taking them back to Vegas, at least for many years. this will resume to being my solo getaway destination.

not sure when I will come back next. I do have an Allegiant voucher that expires this month and since I can bring my computer and work remotely I could justify a fourth trip. as a family man that might be a bit too selfish though.

when I do return, I would like to stay at South Point for most of it, and/or TI or Stations if they send me any offers. I want to eat at Wynn buffet, go back to Cheesecake Factory, and I have never had a cronut. North Dakota does have poker and blackjack, but it does not have Pai Gow, and that's my new favorite table game so Vegas is staying on my radar.

thanks for following along again. I enjoy writing and keeping these TRs as a personal journal that I can go back and read through months or years later. I can already see significant growth and changes through the last several years. so I will keep doing them whether they get read and get hundreds of comments or not.