9/30 - 10/4

*Disclaimer...I'm a super NIT player with average knowledge of poker and a horrible writer on top of that*

9/30
As work ends i race to DFW airport to return to Vegas, its been a few months since i was here (5/24) and that trip i managed to win a chop a tourny at IP and ride a roller coaster with my bankroll against the locals in cash games. I've
worked to improve my cash games and couldn't wait to test them out. The plane lands at 10 pm, i grab a rental then drive to my hotel the Riviera. I wander the poker area and see one 1/2 table with an open seat, soo i check in, drop off luggage and return to the table. I observe for a moment, and noticed there was a intoxicated LAG
calling people down with a weak ace and mid-pairs. *cha-ching, i think* I buy in for $100 bucks and eagar to play with the drunk lag. First hand was 9-5 off...and it gets worse from there. it took me atleast 4 orbits to see a face card
and by that time, the LAG got felted twice and left. I slowly blind and limp my way out, and shove HU's with TPTK only for the villain to hit a 2 outer for straight... I call it a night and think, it couldn't get worse...

10/1

I wake up eager to start another day of poker, i check out then wander to IP for their 12 pm Tourny. I register then hit their Lunch Buffet...BAD MOVE. Being full to the brim with buffet food and trying to play poker wasn't a
smart idea. Tourny starts with 2 tables worth of players. nothing much except me folding for the first level. I manage to get some chips with K-J off on a K high flop, betting 1/2 pot every street against a lady with K-9. Fast forward to the final table, 8 players left, i donate 1/2 my short stack to an all in with AQs then get knocked out shoving on the button with A8 suited and got called by the BB with A7off. Guy hits a 7 on the turn and i go home.

I decide to hit Harrah's for some 1/2 cash game action. nothing eventful here either, just fold, win a few small pots, and i coin some titles for myself like "Designated Folder" and play Tiddly Winks with my chips over the course of 7 hrs.
Last hand i had about 30 bb's....and shove with Top two pair HU's with a flush draw and get called by a guy with a set. =\ That concluded my poker on thursday, i join my arriving friends at the Veneitian and check in. While socially drinking my sorrows away I wonder...did i forget to Pack my Luck? Or am i that horrible.

10/2

Ahhh its friday. refreshed and ready to win. First Stop....Hard Rock. I must say this room is NICE. the lighting, layout, arm rest chairs, and empty... =\ I sign up for the 1 pm tourny and decide to kill time playing shorted handed 1/2 cash game (5 players) First hand I get JJ's (which was the first premium pair i've seen soo far on this trip) on the button and raise to 20, Short stacked SB calls, everyone else folds
and its HU's...Flop is Jack high, no draws, i bet, he shoves, I call. He shows Pocket queens, and gets no help. I take down a decent pot and think to myself, maybe my luck has changed. Unfortunately I spoke too soon. 3rd hand.
I'm in the BB with J9, folded around to the SB who calls. Flop is 9 2 x...i bet, he calls...turn is a x, checks around...river is a 9. i bet 3/4 of the pot. he calls. and shows 9-2 for a full house vs. my trip 9's...crap. Deck goes cold until the tourny starts....which i swore the deck followed me. staying true to my form, i folded a
every combination of 2 to 9 and weak non-suited aces. I manage to steal a pot or two to make the final table. Short stacked again. It gets to me with AJ suited on the button with 1 limper (who has been on an unstoppable roll and about 60%
chips in play), I shove, BB shoves and the limper calls. BB shows AQ off and limper has some suited connector that hits and we both go packing.

I embellish my small bright spot and decide to try my luck at the Venetian. and get stuck at a 1/2 table with regs and competent tourists. =\ After a drink, i decide to play a little more aggressively and won a few medium larger
pots. still being passive, I did hit a straight flush and not get paid off. My stack took a huge hit vs. a limper in EP with A6 suited in the BB. I raise, he calls and its heads up with some like J 6 x, no draws, I bet 1/3 pot, he calls, turn is a 6. i bet 2/3s, he calls, river is a 2...i bet 1/3 pot, he min raises me. I call and he shows Ducks for a boat. =\ After that my stack shrinks a bit to the blinds, I shove with QQ's HU against AK and it holds up. Only to loose it When i shove 3 way when i hit a set on flop with 10's versus a flush draw that got there. =
I call it a night after about 6 hrs...

10/3

Another day another hand...I sign up for the Harrah's $150 mega stack tourny, and get seated with some AVP'ers. I rememeber the guy with the NorCal Fighting Alliance hat. I manage to get a few decent hands and win some chips, and then loose a 1/3 of my stack to the biggest stack at table right before a break. I'm in the SB with
K9 off. folded to the button who calls, and its 3 way to the flop, AKx...i bet 1/4 of the pot, BB calls, button folds. turn is a 9. I bet 1/2 of the pot, he calls...river is a brick, I bet he raises, and i reluctantly call. He shows AK.... =\ After the break, deck goes cold, and i go back to being Designated Folder, Tiddly wink player and now Table Cheerleader..(good luck allin guy...) I manage to hang around till the dinner break, afterwards the madness continues and i get AJ suited in the SB, cut off guy shoves, I shove, BB calls. Cutoff has 77's and BB has
something that hits and we both go packing.....

I mop around then join my friends for some steak at Prime inside the Bellagio, which I must say was the best piece
of meat i've had in my mouth. (pun intended) It brightened up my day. I wander by the poker room, and decide not to deposit money to them. We all decide to enjoy some recession level gambling and hit downtown. I break off and play at the Golden Nugget for some 1/2. Got seated a nice passive table, I'm winning here and there, gaining momentum 3betting to take down some pots. Over the course of an hour i manage to develop Arch Nemesis who likes to steal blinds/limpers, and
i've been re-raising his steal attempts from button and BB/SB with marginal hands. He usually folds pre-flop or post with a C-bet. Soo he's up to his tricks, raising to 12 with two limpers, folds to me in the BB with KK. I raise to 30. limpers fold and he calls. Flop is low, but with two diamonds. I bet 52 into a 64ish pot and he shoves. Its 144 for me to call. I tank for a bit....and fold, he shows a Ace of Diamonds. and i wonder if his flush
would of gotten there with how my luck as been. I know its a bad fold. He takes the pot and cashes out! Sonofa___! I loose the desire to play and cash out with my buy-in. I quit for the night and enjoy the drunken fun Fremont Street has to offer.

I sober up and we return to the Venetian and its 3 am...i say screw it, lets play some more. I get seated at the same table from my previous V session with some HUGE stacked
Locals, good tourists and two fish. Luck is better this time. I'm winning here and there, and finally see my first Pocket Aces after 30+ hrs of play, 220 to 1 my ass! Luckly they don't get cracked. After the locals felt a few tourists, they turn their sights on me with a average
stack. betting the pot if its heads up and...asking "how much you got left" repeatedly...I wouldn't mind soo much if i had something better than Mid pair. 6 am rolls around and I decide to cash out. and surprisingly I cashed out ahead! One whopping dollar....anyway i return to the room and sleep

10/4

Nothing much on my last day, wake up and check out...wander by the Mirage and continue riding the escalator to Broke-Basement. Nothing memorable, just sat around losing blinds and i cashed out to salvage something then
head to the airport....leaving Lost Wages with my shirt aleast.

All in all, I enjoyed this trip despite loosing soo much. It was nice meeting some of the AVP'rs! I hope to return to vegas in the future and i hope i remember to pack my luck.

Cliff Notes: came to vegas and lost money due to being a sucky player. but had fun doing it.