Thanksgiving Pilgrimage (Part 2)

It's been a couple weeks since we' ve returned from our trip, but I'll try and recap the highlights (in no particular order...cause I don't remember the order).

Great Food and Show

On Sunday we had booked a dinner/show reservation at Caesar's.  We ate at Bradley Ogden (who pioneered the Farm Fresh movement) and then on to the Rod Stewart concert at the Coliseum. 

We started with a cocktail at the Shadow Bar, and then over to Bradley Ogden for the Prix Fixe menu.  It was simply fabulous!!

We both started with the the Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Souffle.  It was magnificent!!!  Absolutely fantastic.  For the entree I went with the Duroc Pork Chop with Potato Rosti, Braised Red Cabbage and Granny Smith Apple.  It was just awesome...the pork melted in your mouth.  Merlotgirl chose the Roasted Petaluma Free Range Chicken accompanied with Black Lentil Stew, Lacianto Kale and Chicken Jus.  It was the largest chicken breast I have ever seen, and incredibly moist and tasty!  To top it all off I opted for the Banana Fosters Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream, Macerated Bananas and Chocolate Clusters.  It is profiled on one of the Food Channels "The Best Things I Ever Ate" episodes, and it was incredible!!!  Merlotgirl went for the Housemade Ice Cream Selection, which was a sampler of 4 different ice creams and was amazing!!!!    We each loved the amuse bouche they served at the start of the meal (which I forget what it was), and then the post desert treat they gave us (which also escapes me).  Our night is off to a great start!!!

On to the concert.  Neither of us are really Rod Stewart fans, but I've got to say I'm glad we went to see him.  The Coliseum is a great venue.  This was the last show for Rod at Caesar's and he was in great voice.  The band he had backing him up was just outstanding.  The backup singers were incredible, the horn section and violinist were fabulous and Rod himself put on a fantastic show.  He was very unassuming, gracious and humble which I always find extremely gratifying as a paying customer.  He kicked dozens of autographed soccer balls into the crowd, allowed many fans up on stage with him and just really put on a very entertaining show!  Two thumbs up to Rod Stewart and his incredible entourage!!!!

Great Food II

One of the nights we decided to dine at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.  We're big Food Channel fans and love most of what Bobby Flay does, and figured it was about time we ate at his restaurant.  I started off with a blue cheese and pear salad which was great, but the star of the appetizers was Merlotgirl's Goat Cheese Queso Fundido with Rajas and Blue Corn Tortilla Chips.  It was magnificent!!!!!   Merlotgirl went back another night to just have this as she sat at the bar talking to a "working girl".

We both had the same entree.  We chose the Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon with Mushrooms and Ancho Chile Sauce.  We were truly surprised when our plates arrived.  We figured this would be a petite filet, but no this filet was huge.  It had to be a 10 oz filet mignon, and it was incredibly tender.  The Coffee rub with the Ancho Chile Paste provided incredible taste with just a little heat.  It was excellent!  We topped the meal off by sharing the Pineapple Buttermilk Upside Down Cake with Caramelized Rum Sauce and Pineapple-Vanilla Ice Cream!  The entire meal was just awesome!  Two thumbs up to Bobby Flay and Mesa Grill!!!!

Great Food III

One night while Merlotgirl was cashing in a tournament over at The Venetian (details to follow) I grabbed a quick dinner at the lounge at Bradley Ogden's place.  When we had dinner there before the Rod Stewart show the waitress told us the House Ground Steak Burger is great, so I decided to give it a shot.  It really was one of the best burgers I've ever had.  Adam Richman, host of Man vs. Food called it the best burger he had in all of 2010.  I can see why.  It was fantastic!!!!

Spa Days

Merlotgirl had arranged for two spa days with her friend and master masseuse Gina at the Qua Baths and Spa.  She went Sunday (before the dinner and Rod Stewart show) for her first appointment, and then went back for a second shot later in the week.  Y'all will have to ask Merlotgirl for the details, as all of this oil dripping on forehead and other tricky spa talk eludes me.  I just know that she really enjoyed it!

We also managed to have a couple cocktails with Gina at the Munch Bar one evening!  She's great and I think we'll be nominating her as the Official Masseuse of the One Outers.  I doubt there will be any naysayers.  I know Buck just returned from Vegas and he got another Gina Signature Orang-o-Tang Death Grip with Ass Cheek Rotation massage, so he is on board with this nomination.

Pokering

As I mentioned in an earlier post this was not a very successful trip for me on the pokering front. There are a few stories worth telling though.  The day before Thanksgiving I played in the daily noon tournament at Bellagio (Merlot was having a spa day), and Thanksgiving Merlot and I both played in it.  It's a great tournament, and I played well...I'm just running bad, and pretty much card dead.  I went pretty deep but not deep enough to cash on Wednesday.  I did play for a long time with some very good players.

On Thanksgiving Merlot and I both played the Bellagio Noon Tournament.  We were at neighboring tables, and at the first break we compared notes.  I mentioned to Merlot that the young blonde Irish kid who had just bought in late and was seated at her table was a very good and creative player.  I had played with him for several hours the day before and considered him the best player in the tournament.  She filed that away for later use.  Luckily before break Merlotgirl had won some big pots and basically had tripled up and was likely the chip leader with 30,000 in chips (give or take a few). 

We get back from break and she got tangled in a hand with the blonde Irish kid.  The kid was the SB, Merlot was the BB and it was the two of them and another player in a hand that was min raised preflop.  The flop came Q 6 3 rainbow.  The kid bet out, Merlot having 6 3 and flopping two pair raised, the preflop raiser folded.  The kid then three bet it all in, and Merlotgirl called.  Before the cards were turned over the kid asked if she had Q3 or 63.  She turned over the 63 and was looking to lose a third of her chips to the kid who had Q3.  She tells the table, "My husband just told me to be careful getting in a hand with you." As the turn card comes a blank, she says "looks like I'm dead to a 6"...as the River card hits the table it's a 6!  Yahtzee!!!!  She apologizes to the kid, who takes it in stride and handles the beat like a true professional (which I find out he is, from his father who is sitting to my right).  So Merlotgirl is now the chip leader.

After another hour or so an Asian woman buys in (you can buy into the Bellagio Tournament through the first 8 levels ...which is 4 hours) and sits at my table.  She reminds me of JJ Liu.  Very well dressed and coiffed.  Impeccable blue nails, and a spectacular sapphire ring to match.  We get into a hand where she knocks me out of the tournament when my pocket 9's fall to her rivered flush when we got all the ships in on the turn.  As I leave and head over to Caesar's to play in their evening tournament I text Merlotgirl "Watch out for the JJ Liu starter kit...she's a good player".

As luck would have it she gets moved to Merlotgirls table and while they are sitting there the following conversation takes place across tables.  Asian Woman "Hey Slim, how are you doing?" Greeting poker legend and Hall of Famer Amarillo Slim who is at a neighboring table.  Slim: "Doing fine JJ. How are you?"  Hmmm...not so much a JJ Liu starter kit...JJ Liu herself!!!

So Merlot and JJ get locked up in a hand.  Merlot is in the BB with the Hammer 7 2.  JJ min raises UTG.  the two of them see a flop.  The flop come 10 10 7.  Merlot checks.  JJ makes a continuation bet.  Merlot figures her for either a big pocket pair or two overs.  Merlot check raises JJ.  JJ calls.  A blank falls on the turn.  Merlot acting first bets out at it with a half pot size bet (representing the 10).  JJ calls.  River brings another blank, and Merlot does not want to show this hand down.  She grabs a stack of 1,000 chips and moves out a 15,000 bet.  JJ thinks about it, and then folds.  She's convinced Merlot has a 10.

Someone makes a comment about how lucky Merlotgirl is this day.  JJ comments that yeah, especially hitting those 10's on the hand against her.  Merlot smiles and agrees.  At break time she can't hold it in any longer and on the way to the Restroom tells the player next to her that she didn't hit a 10 on that hand.  Way to go Merlogirl!!!  Outplaying JJ Liu !!!!

Merlotgirl went on to cash that day finishing 6th.

Friday after Thanksgiving we head over to The Venetian to play in their noon tournament.  We both play very well, and both cash in this tournament.  There were 160 players or so and I busted out 16th, when my 88 ran into 10 10, while Merlotgirl and I were at the same table.

I sweat her the rest of the way, and it was fun watching her on a heater.  There were a couple notable hands I saw, and another one she told me about because I missed it when I went to get us something to eat.  The first two hands happened while I was still in the tournament.  Merlotgirl had a lot of chips she was probably fourth in chips when we got down to 2 tables, and she got into this hand with the guy who was third in chips.  She has 9 10 of diamonds in her BB.  Gentleman in middle position made a standard raise, and Merlot called to see a flop.  Flop comes out 7h 8h 9s.  Merlot checks.  He continuation bets.  Merlot calls.  Turn brings a 6h.  Merlot hits her str8 and pushes all in for a significant number of chips.  She puts him on a big pocket pair, and hopes he doesn't have KK or AA with a heart redraw.  He goes in the tank for 5 minutes or so.  Eventually he makes the call with KK and no heart redraw.  He's drawing dead to a 10 for a chop, can can't win.  Blank on the river.  Merlot is now second in chips as he's left with just a couple thousand.

About a half hour later she gets in this battle with a shorter stack.  SS is small Blind and Merlot is BB. It folds to the SB who completes.  They see a flop.  Flop comes up 6 7 8 rainbow.  SB checks.  Merlot bets.  SB check raises.  Merlot reraises.  SB goes all in and Merlot snap calls.  SB turns over 4 5 for a flopped str8.  Merlot turns over 9 10 for the flopped nuts.  Blank.  Blank. And we lose a player.

The hand I missed was another big one.  Merlot  has A8, and checks a flop of AA4.  The other player also checks.  8 on the turn.  Merlot bets.  Other player raises.  Merlot reraises.  Other player shoves all in.  Merlot calls with her Aces full of 8's.  The other player turns over A4 for a flopped Aces full of 4's.  Ship it!!!!  This is what's known as running good!!!

After 9 hours or so of playing Merlot busted out 4th for a nice little payday. 

We then ran off to meet up with Stacey and Kurt who had just arrived in town on their way home from Kurt's folks house.  We met them at Mandalay Bay and goofed off for a while.  The best part was where we all sat at a Roulette Table and were winning a little..losing a little...and then it got exciting.  A gentleman joins us at the table and buys in for $300.  He gets $100 in color and a couple stacks off $5 chips.  He then starts placing them in bunches on numbers.  At least $20 on each number he plays.  And we spin.  He hits nothing.  And buys in for another $300.  Same thing.  Only this time he hits one of his $20 bets, so it pays him $750.  Sweet.  This ups the antes for him now.  It's at least $25 on most of his numbers.  $50 on some.  He wins another $800 or so.  And up we go.  The next spin he puts $100 on one of his numbers and we each put a $1 or $2 on it...and it hits.  Cha ching for him...$3,500.  At which point we're all whopping and hollering, and I dub him "Mr. Roulette".  He gets the $500 in black chips and pockets the pretty yellow thousand dollar chips.  Next spin he hits one for $150, that we all had a chip or two on...so that pays $5,250...woooohoooo go Mr. Roulette!!!!!  He pockets some more of the thousands...plays a few more spins...and then leaves.  We left shortly thereafter and headed to Hooters for some Blackjack and 3 card poker.  It was very nice to hang with Stacey and Kurt for a few hours.  Can't wait to go as a group again!!!!

Diamond Status

While we didn't necessarily have a profitable trip this time, Merlotgirl managed to parlay her slot play into rising from Platinum Status (which she achieved in Tunica) to Gold Status!!!  What does this mean you may ask.  Well we're not exactly sure.  Since Merlot was Platinum Status we managed to get 5 nights lodging at Caesar's comped on this adventure, and only had to pay for 2.  So how much better could Diamond be?  Well...the night before we're leaving Merlot decides to visit the Casino Host area (she will have her own personal Casino Host assigned to her form now on).  So she walks into the room, and is greeted by Big Al.  Big Al is a character straight out of the Soprano's.  Dapper older man.  Slicked back hair.  AC Monogrammed cufflinks.  Fine tailored suit.  Monogrammed shirt.  And he is very helpful to Merlotgirl.  He looks up her info on the computer and finds that she has $187 in credits she can apply to our room bill (which we charge everything to...spa days..Meals...Room Service...everything).  He then says he needs to make a call.  So he calls the poobah of Casino Hosts and asks if Ms. Coyle, as a new  Diamond Member could have $400 taken off her room bill... Sure she can.  Sweet!!!!   So that was worth it right off the bat.  We still have no idea about everything she's entitled to.  But we know we get to check in at the VIP Area, which at Caesars is away from the lobby, has it's own check in process and we can hang out in the Diamond Lounge and drink and eat when we want to.  Nice!!!  Can't wait till WSOP Trip.  We also get offers every other day for junkets to various Harrah's properties that we never got before.  So who know what's in store for us over the next year.  We'll see what Diamond Status holds in store for us.

Coming soon...Top Chef Dinner!!!