Got into town Oct 19 for 3 nights at the Bellagio. This was the wife, friends, and dinner trip in contrast to the guys, drinking, poker trip a month ago.

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/trip_detail_1054.html

While you cant beat the Venetian rooms as I said before, I dont think you can beat the Bellagio overall. So I tried the $20 trick and got a room in the spa (Egypt) tower but facing fountains on 17th floor. Not even really sure if that is an upgrade. Whatever, we really enjoyed the whole stay.

Friday afternoon, the wife is gonna take a nap, so I get a little free time. I get on the list for 2/5, 7 tables going and the room is almost full. I get a seat after about 5 minutes and buy in short for $300 (approx avg stack at the table). Second hand pick up QQ, make it 25 and 2 callers. Two checks, I bet 100 on a scary Q J T flop and fold, fold. Few hands later get KK in BB, 3 limpers, I make it 25 and all folds. I get a call and I have to go, +$58 in 35 minutes. If you are a new 1/2 player go to caesars or PH for some 1/2 or 1/3 because you can lose a buyin here quick, the chips were flying. Not all great players Im sure (afterall I was there), but no newbies either. Dinner was The Palm steakhouse the Forum Shops for excellent filet.

Saturday I got a little free time and went to PH across the street looking for action. Sat immediately at a 1/2 table with the worst players I have ever played with. Nothing memorable in 40 minutes, +$80. I do like this room, and it is a short walk from the Bellagio. Dinner was at Wynn at the Corsa Cucina casual Italian. Ehhhhh, it was ok. Stood right next to Charles Barkley playing 1000/hand BJ out on the floor. That ws pretty cool.

Sunday, last day, we cab to Mirage (I wanted to walk) and wives shop at Venetian. Played 30 minutes of 1/2, nothing memorable, -$9 in 30 minutes. Boring. (Why is the Mirage on the "strip rooms"
not "big rooms" it is bigger than the MGM?) Cab back to Bellagio and get a little more time while wife gets ready. After a short wait, I sit down at 2/5 and buy in for $350. Anyway, 2nd or 3rd hand, pick up 99 and board comes J 9 5 T x and take down a good pot with dude to my right check-calls the turn and bets into me on the river with QQ. Later I limp MP with AhJh, limpers everywhere and button makes it 35 to go. Call, call, and its to me (roll the dice and they said call) and 2 more callers, 6 handed to the flop. Flop A 4 4 and it checks around, wow. Turn was x, 2 checks, I fire 100 into 200 pot, folds around to dude on my right with QQ earlier and thinks and then calls (he doesnt have a 4 in my mind). River J he checks and I say same bet and throw out 100 and he calls with AK of course. I say sorry but still stack the chips. Maybe he put me on a 4 but how? Now I gotta go get ready to go, leave shortly after +478 in 1 hr 15 min. Dinner was Little Buddha at The Palms, good Chinese.

So we eat and I walk around and lose the rest of the group. As I am walking by the Key West room (right past poker room) somebody walks out and I see a poker tablet with a TV crew, you know I gotta go check that out. There are no signs or anything. Turns out it was the Pokerbowl, and Dolye, Magician, Hoyt Corkins, Nenad Medic(sp?), Seidel, and a few others are playing some kind of team event or something (they were wearing jerseys). Matusow was in the back running his mouth (hard to believe). Also, Laak, Tilley, Michael Binger, several more I forget. I walked right up almost to the table, there was hardly anybody in there. Pretty cool.

Back at the Bellagio about 1130, I have to go cash out a slot ticket at Caesars and we leave the next am about 8. Hell yeah I am gonna play a litle more poker....CP classic is going on and the room is pretty crowded for midnight on Sunday IMO. I sit down immediately at 1/3 and buy in for 200, seat 9. After about 10 minutes I look up and see JOSE CANSECO...he is with a girl playing at the table, and walks away after a few minutes and I say, "I dont know if the rest of you know it but that was Jose Canseco." Everybody else eithr knew or didnt care judging by the reaction. ANYWAY after about 30 minutes there he sits down with that girl's chips (girlfriend I assume) ~$170. Jose in seat 4 on the button, I limp in seat 9 with 88. Jose button raises to 25 and once again I roll the dice and they say call, so I call. Flop A 8 x, 2 spades, I check, Jose bets 25, I min raise to 50 and he FOLDS...Normally I would slow play putting him on a weak ace, but seriously how many people can say they check-raised JOSE CANSEC0.......A few minutes later I stood up and shook his hand and said I was a big fan, and seriously if you were a kid like I was when he came up, I am 32, and a baseball fan, how could you not be? Played 1 hour 20 minutes +$28.

Overall winning trip, only losing bets were college football (did horrible) and everytime my wife plays BJ I gotta give her a 100 so she can lose it. One more note, I have never been a slot player, but a buddy there always seems to win at those electronic machines (whatever you call them). I won about 350 on this one "Texas Tea" maching at the Bellagio, I turned 20 into about $150 three times in about 10 minutes each time.

No trip planned yet but cant want to get back.