Just back from a great Vegas trip!

The seed of this trip actually began in August at the Lodge Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. My wife's sister was moving out of state and wanted us to go to the Black Hawk casinos with her one more time. While there I played 40 cents in a penny machine and won a $1,130.00 jackpot! When my wife asked me what I was going to do with the winnings I said Vegas Trip!

Flew out of Denver on Monday, October 6. When my wife ordered a white wine on the flight the lady sitting in our row on the aisle said "here honey, let me get that, " and pulled out a Southwest coupon for my wife's drink. We found that she works in Golden, Colorado and has her ex-husband and kids in Vegas. She flies back and forth each week and has way more Southwest coupons than she can use. She gave my wife one for the trip back.

This began one of the themes for this trip - meeting friendly people. I have met nice folks on all of my trips but this time was exceptional. I wonder if the common problem of the bad economy is uniting us all in some way.

Checked in to NYNY with no problems. Had a great deal on a Park Avenue room and it was very nice. We still like the MGM a little better but liked that the walking distances in the NYNY were much shorter. The first thing we did was to visit Pour 24 the new micro brew bar at the NYNY. I love to try new micro brews and they have a great selection. My favorite was the Firestone Double Barrel Ale, my wife liked the Rouge Shakespeare Stout. Then on to the MGM to fool around.

My wife always like to see the lions at the MGM and we spent a while there before playing some slots. I went to find the Megabucks slots. I know the odds are astronomical but I always like to play them a few times. They had moved the location since I had been there last so I came to find my wife who pointed me toward where they were. We headed back to that corner and I played Megabucks - no, I am still not a millionaire. I then played a quarter slot nearby and hit a $250 jackpot! My wife wanted me to cash it in and head down the strip - I had $260.50 on the cash-out ticked so I put it in another quarter slot to play off the 50 cents and hit a $500 jackpot! This was the second theme of this trip - LUCK! We were both luckier on this trip that usual. Ended up the evening in the Nine Fine Irishmen for a late dinner listing to the band.

Day two - I am an early riser and was up before my wife and went over to the Excalibur to check out the PokerPro electronic poker tables (I will have a review in "The Poker Room." When I got there I found they had a 9 AM free roll tourney with a prize of $500 to the sixth place. The tourneyment is full at 60 people and it was already full, however as I was talking with the host a guy came up and handed in his table slip saying he couldn't make the tournament, so - I got his place! (the luck continues). I played at the .50 - $1 blind table (ok - I am NOT a high roller) while waiting and made a few bucks. They have a wheel you can spin for cash (up to $100 or more) if you get quads or higher - I got quad fours and got $25 on the wheel. Tourney began and I did well. When it got to the last three of us we agreed to split the winnings and we each got $133. We finished the game just to see how it would turn out and I came in second. Including the table wins, the wheel, and the tourney I had about $200 in poker winnings for the day.

The wife had called by now and I met her at the Plazzo. We walked around visiting many casinos and playing a few slots. Won some - lost some. Made reservations for Mon Ami Gabi and headed back down to the NYNY. Found the Star Trek slots at NYNY and played them for a long time. I won about $70 by the time we were done but my wife had won almost $200 from them - nice! Took the monorail back down to Ballys to head to Mon Ami Gabi. We really wanted an outside table so agreed to the hour wait and headed to the bar in Mon Ami Gabi that is next to the outside patio. While waiting there and enjoying some drinks a nice couple set down at the bar. They were locals and we had a wonderful hour of conversation before we were seated at our table. We ordered scallops as a appetizer. I had the steak fritas and my wife had halibut. All the food was very good but the scallops were fantastic. We were surprised when we received the check and it was less than what we had spent at the Nine Fine Irishmen! I guess we like Guinness WAY too much!

Day three - I headed over to the free roll tournament at the Excalibur again. I lasted until we were at two tables and then was knocked out when a higher straight beat mine on an "all in." Joined the wife and we headed to the MGM for some slot play then up to Ballys to buy a present for a friend who was watch our dogs. My wife could not stay the full week and had to head out to the airport about two so we fooled around for the day, hit Pour 24 again and then she had to leave. I headed back to the Excalibur for some more poke and spent the rest of the day their playing at the .50-$1 blind cash table. Ended the day with about $100 to the good in poker winnings.

Day four - Excalibur tourney again. I didn't make it past the first table, sigh. Headed to the cash table and was there for ten hours. I was having a lot of fun, at this low limit the table is very friendly and I had come to know a lot of the regulars over the past few mornings. However, I should not have played so long. I was tired from all of the walking from the previous days and made a really dumb move that wiped out my winnings for the day. Down about $100 in poker winnings for this day. I had a ticket for the Chis Angel show "Believe" for the evening so I grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the show. I am a fan of the "Mind Freak" show so I was looking forward "Believe." I came away a little disappointed. I know this is a "preview" show but I think it has some major flaws. I will put up a review "Shows & Entertainment." Really tired after the show so got a snack and a beer and headed to the room.

Day five, final day - Back to the Excalibur. I had to catch the shuttle for the airport at 11:30 so I didn't sign up for the tourney but I did hit the cash table again this morning. There were a couple of guys at the table that were there the previous evening when I blew my stack of chips so I joked as I sat down that their personal piggy bank was back! Did well this morning. I always buy in for the max - it is only $50 - and I was up about ten. I had A - 2 of spades on the "button." There was a raise to $3 and several called. I would usually not call that hand but there was a husband and wife to my right that had been playing really loose. It was only $3 so I decided to speculate. The flop came out K of diamonds, 3 of spades, 5 of spades - I have a flush draw. Early position raises bets $5, two call before me, I call. A 4 of spades hits on the turn! Early position bets $10, one folds, the husband to my right calls and I, slow call. A 6 of hearts comes out on the river. Now there is a possible flush and straight on the board. Early position bets $15, the husband calls and I go for the academy awards by acting like I am trying to think what in the world should I do - ALL IN! Both call - and I show my straight flush. Early position has a flush and the husband had a pair of kings (?). The pot was somewhere around $170. This is why I like low limit tables - everyone yelling congrats and coming around and pounding me on the back. Even early position - the husband was confused as why his kings didn't hold up (?) I got to spin the wheel again but got the lowest amount of $20. I played a little more before I had to quit to catch the shuttle. Poker winnings for the day around $300.

The security lines at McCarran were almost nonexistent. The flight back uneventful. After our luck at the slots and some good days at poker I came back with $400 more that I left with and this includes many meals and bar tabs paid from winnings. I really enjoyed the PokerPro tables and I am planning a trip in the next month or so that will just be a poker trip