Well played indeed! LOL

In the end it's all about the compromise with the Mrs. Whatever you end up doing I'm sure you will have a great time and be back for more!

LMAO, WINNARRRRRRRR

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It's pretty much been said, but I'd summarize with the following.

If you go on vacation with your wife (or girlfriend or mom or brother or friend) then you're on vacation WITH YOUR WIFE (or other). You don't necessarily spend every waking moment together, but you can't just ditch the person for parts of the trip. Imagine you flew to New York to meet someone for the weekend and all they wanted to do was hang out in coffee shops and people watch.

With your wife/gf, she gets a bit more say on dictating what you (plural) are going to do rather than discussing a joint plan, but it's the same deal. Some will want to shop during the day and not want you around; some will want you around to carry bags, pay, and give opinions. Some wives will be ready for bed shortly after dinner and it's a great time to play poker; some will want to see the Vegas nightlife until 1 AM.

Specific to Las Vegas, there's a lot more to do and see in the town than the four walls of 20 different poker rooms. If you've never been (sounds like at least you've never been together), making playing poker at Venetian/Bellagio/Aria a MUST for the trip just like the Bellagio fountains and a fancy dinner are. But check out what Vegas has to offer and come back and stare at walls and felt some other time.

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Don't tap the glass!

you need another couple with at least a non-gambling wife. also the only way this works is to write off fairly large shopping losses.

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Twitter: @TheGameKat

I have been to Vegas several times with my wife, several business trips without my wife where I extend a day or two to actually enjoy Vegas and poker, and a few solo fun poker trips for myself. I love Vegas and she tolerates it and enjoys certain aspects. Just not her first choice of places to go which is why she is agreeable to my solo trips. Plus, we are now empty nesters and she travels a lot for her work. Additionally, I am always supportive when she wants to do "girls" trips to places other than Vegas or wants to extend on her work trips which can be to some pretty nice places.

Having said that, when she does come to Vegas with me, here is what works for us:

- I may like to be in Vegas longer than she can handle so I may go a couple days earlier or stay a couple of days later. I remember not to complain when she comes from the airport in a black sedan/limo (technically not a limo I guess...a Cadillac or Lincoln) that cost $50 because she didn't want to wait for a taxi and she would never get on one of the shuttle buses.

- It is best to go when it is great pool weather in Vegas because she loves to lay by the pool and is just fine doing that without me (although I don't mind doing it for a while). In fact, that is her equivalent of a long poker session or going deep into a poker tourney.

- I never object to her going shopping, particularly if it isn't pool weather. She is fine with me shopping with her but doesn't mind if I play poker while she shops.

- We stay at a nice hotel/casino. A Go Room at the Flamingo or worse no longer cuts it for her if we are taking vacation time to be in Vegas. We typically stay at the Bellagio if in Vegas for other than work. She also likes the Venetian/Palazzo and would like to try the Wynn/Encore. We are fortunate that we are at a place in life where we can do this.

- We go to dinner at a nice restaurant every night. Our/my favorite is Sinatra at Encore. She loves nice restaurants (ok, I do as well) where we can have a great dinner and bottle of wine.

- We usually do a show or two. She loves the shows. We've seen Phantom, Jersey Boys, Le Reve, Donny & Marie (don't knock it, they actually put on a great Vegas show), Barry Manilow (that one was a little strange with all the age 40+ Fanilow women screaming, crying, and singing along), Danny Gans just before he passed away, Second City Improv (or something like that...it was at the Flamingo a few years ago), and Matt Goss twice (good, inexpensive, and my wife loves him). She's also seen various cirque shows without me.

- She doesn't mind playing a little video poker at the lower cost machines. She's played blackjack with me a couple times and enjoyed it to some extent. I think she'd actually have fun donking off $100 at a $2/$4 LLHE table if I could get her to give it a shot. She'd probably just enjoy the social aspect of that particular game if she was at the right table.

- On one trip we took our then 21 year old daughter and that worked extremely well since they get along great, it was pool weather, and they didn't really care what I did or where I was.

So, when do I play poker on trips when my wife is along? While she is shopping, at the pool, or at the spa (an advantage of resort fees...yes, I said it....is that if you work out the fitness centers are now included and she likes that). Also after I tuck her in bed. She doesn't like to stay out all night so I can usually be playing poker by no later than midnight and sometimes as early as 10 p.m. if I want to do so. I only play cash games so if I get at least a 2 hour window I can play and then go meet her afterwards. My primary advice to you is don't play tourneys, play cash games unless your wife gives you the green light on a tourney and understands that if you do well it will take some serious time. I feel like I can comfortably play 6 hours a day when she's with me. More if I don't want much sleep.