Well it had been almost a year but we were back in Las Vegas. Grandma came to visit from out of town for a week which gave us the pass to leave town. We departed Seattle monday evening and touched down in Las Vegas around 8 pm. You know the drill. Straight to the taxi lane and off to the hotel...this time the MGM. Check in wasn't bad. We booked a package a while back that gave us two free KA tickets. I was hoping to upgrade to Spa Suite upon arrival but no dice...Girl at check in claimed there were no upgrades available...Realllllllly...Monday night and there is nothing? Whatever....We booked the grand tower but were told it was 2 queens in the Grand Tower or a king in the West Wing....Gimme the west wing...I left a trail of breadcrumbs as we took a magellan like route to the elevator marked "West Wing". No tub at all is a bit of a buzz kill for the wife...oh well....We did find a sneak route through the west wing bar that dumps you out next to the sports book and poker room...not bad...

Here is where the differences between guy trip and wife trip will become apparent. First night of a guy trip to Vegas seldom starts with a leisurely stroll through the arcade/midway area of NY NY(kill me now)...On a bright note I did manage to remember that I had my glasses on moments before going in the loop of the roller coaster....It would have been very bad darts to lose the glasses two hours into the trip...Disaster averted...

We then strolled through the Excaliber, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay. As I realized poker was not going to happen for me on this night I tried to think of a way to salvage the evening...."Hey, how about that? Fat Tuesday has Peach Belini's..." My wife is not a big drinker by any stretch but she can seldom resist an icy peach belini...

The trick was to monitor her consumption as we strolled back to the MGM...If consumed too quickly the buzz will be gone before we hit the hotel....I know I'm demented...A baby sitter, hotel room, and alcohol after almost 18 years together is living large...

After turning in early we were up and ready to....go to the pool?? Okay, whatever. It was actually pretty nice. My wife is very fair skinned. She is often oblivious to how much sun she is getting...On one of our first trips to Vegas she refused to leave the pool area at the Mirage...She kept poking the skin on her arm saying "See? I'm not getting anything." An hour later after a shower and a $17 can of bactine from the gift shop she believed me...Think Mr. Krabs off Spongebob... But I digress...

Our early start now turned into "Wow...It's almost noon and I have to eat..." We ate a La Salsa for the first of three times on the trip...Whatever...Then it's off to Planet Hollywood for shopping...YES!!!! Shopping is soooo much more fun in Vegas than at our mall at home...There was one moment at which I realized I had lost all semblance of scene control...We picked out 4 chocolates at a candy store in the Planet Hollywood...."That will be $8 dollars sir." The Main Street Lunch Buffet is $7.99 and I spent $8 for 4 little turd shaped candies...Whatever...

We continued down the strip looking for a playable blackjack game...I knew all of the single deck games had gone to 6:5 on blackjack but every shoe game I saw was 6:5 as well...We strolled into the IP and found a $10 table that pays 3:2 and played...Picture Clark Griswold playing that smartass blackjack dealer in Vegas Vacation...That was me...Me 20 dealer 21..Me 8 8 dealer 6 up..Me split another 8. Split again another 8. I get 2's and 3's on every 8 and double. Nothing higher than a 16...Dealer throws a 5 on her 16 and I'm out the door remembering why I started playing poker...That was fun...

Early night and Early rise....I screwed around on the Sigma Derby at around 7 am while the wife got ready. The MGM does have the Sigma Derby (AKA plastic horses). There might have been more people standing around that machine at 7pm each night than there was at the opening Saturday of the Emerald Downs meet in beautiful Auburn Washington.

We headed to downtown to recoup our previous nights losses.....I sat down at a $3 blackjack table at the 4 Queens with the wife. Pretty early I get a blackjack and the dealer pays me $3..."Hey aren't you $1.50 short?" "Blackjack is paid at 6:5 on this table sir" It seems it's a $3 minimum table but they will pay even money on any BJ under $5....We bolt...we go by the Nugget and I have a hunch...My wife and I give each other that knowing nod as we plop down at the 3 card poker table.....All I know about 3 card poker is it's a two hand game...I just feel better having two hands in play...We tread water for a while and my wife's hand starts to hit a couple of pair plus bets....Nothing huge...Pairs a flush etc...We always start with $5 on the pair plus and press it as we keep winning...I look over and see my wife with $15 on the pair plus as the dealer rolls over 3 10's...$15 x 30 to one plus 5 to Ante bonus...Hello $500 win...Goodbye Golden Nugget...Hello tasty Main Street Buffet....

After lunch it was time....my wife's first experience at live casino poker....A new 2-4 game was starting at the Plaza...My wife and I bought in for $40 a piece and sat next to each other...it was the perfect place to get her some action...pretty laid back and not intimidating...I gave her a quick review before she sat down and reminded her she was on her own while in a hand...I implored her not to check-call her money away...If it's worth calling to bet it...The first hand she plays she calls in early position and I call behind her with pocket 8's....Flop comes 10, 9, 3 and she leads out....I was so proud that she actually bet out...I fold having no idea what she has....She gets one caller....Third heart hits the board and she checks...check behind her....4th heart hits the river and she checks and calls a bet...She flopped a set of 9's and the guy called her with A-3 off suit on the flop...Welcome to 2-4 poker...I explained she likely wins the pot if she fires out after the turn....However, this is 2-4 hold em...the dude was going to chase.....I gave her props for betting out and encouraged her to keep doing it...We played about 2 hours and she ended up about $30...Pretty nice....I hit a quad 10's and was getting reraised on the river when the board had A, K, 10 of Spades....I could see my quad 10's getting snapped off by a Royal at a place with no bad beat...luckily he just had a flush...welcome to 2-4 hold em..

The highlight of our last day was the Price is Right Show...(Yes it's a wife trip)....The wife got called down to spin the wheel...She beat 2 other girls and won $250...Alright...

Had a great trip....I tease about the wife trip but it was nice......As far as wives go I overachieved...She actually encourages me to play poker, earns 3 times what I do, and is still a hot size 4.....

I have the guy trip set up for this weekend...I'll compare and contrast...