Day 1 – Sunday

Started off with the $7.77 steak and shrimp at the Hard Rock Casino diner, which includes a side salad and whipped potatoes. Decent for the price. The first poker of the trip was at the Hard Rock as well. Bought in for $120 on a 1-2 NL table. Play was all over the place with a guy calling pot bets and all-ins with K high or bottom pair. I was able to double up with pocket A’s, when another player was calling my pot bets on each street, after I hit the set on the flop. I think he turned over J high. There was a flush draw on the board, but he was not drawing towards it. I’ll take it.
Next stop was the MGM. Got on the 1-2 list and a new table opened in about 5 minutes. There were about 4 brits that all knew eachother. I won a small pot early on with a 3-8 in the big blind with a 4-way limped pot that flopped 2 pair. Had 2 callers after a $15 bet, and won the hand after betting $50 on the turn and no callers. Didn’t play much for the next hour and was down $30. Decided it was time head to the hotel and would play until the blinds came around. My last hand, UTG, I am dealt pocket Q’s. I raise to $10 and get 1 caller. The flop is 7 high rainbow, so I decide to check, expecting a rise from a fairly loose opponent. He bets $10 as expected, and I raise to $40 after some thought. He goes all-in rather quickly. I make the call and he tables pocket 7’s for the set. Turn is a J, and the river my 2-outer Q to complete the suckout.

Day2 – Monday

The budget meal of Monday evening was happy hour at the Brewery at Main Street Station downtown. House beers are $2 and generously sized appetizers (20 wings, 20 shrimp, etc.) are $4.50 from 3PM-6PM. Poker began at Binion’s. Table play was the exact opposite of the night before. The majority of the hands were not raised pre-flop, and the calling stations were in abundance. I played for about 4 hours with no real hands of note. When I did raise pre-flop, I was not hitting on the flop. I ended my session down $70.
After Binion’s it was onto the Venetian for a little change in ambiance. The 1-2 NL play was more aggressive, but not crazy. Pocket A’s, K’s, Q’s, and J’s all held up. The biggest hand was the pocket J’s. I had not raised a hand and barely played in any pots at this point. There is a raise in EP to $11, and a caller in MP. I raise to $31 and it folds back to the original raiser. Both remaining players call. Flop is Q-Low- Low with 2 spades. Both villains check. The pot is roughly $95 and I have $75 let behind. All-in seems like the best option to give myself a chance to win the pot. V#1 thinks for a little bit and eventually folds. V#2 thinks a little longer and reluctantly calls. He asks if I have A’s or K’s, and I show my J’s. He says I’m good. Turn and river are harmless and V mucks. V#2 claims he had pocket 10’s, and always mentions that V#1 claimed he had pocket 8’s, although I did not hear it. I finished the session up $164 for a profit of $94 on the day.

Day3 – Tuesday (St. Patrick’s Day)
We made a pre-noon trip to the Pinball Hall of Fame. My friend has played a lot more than me and it showed. I think I won 2 out of about 50 games. This place has a lot of old machines and all in working order. It is located off Tropicana about 3 miles east of the strip.
I decided to make this a drinking evening with a little poker mixed in for good measure. I went with the 48 oz hurricane from Fat Tuesday’s as an appetizer. We spent some time hanging around the Harrah’s carnival court with some interesting people watching. The first poker session was at the Venetian. I had some good hands and was up about $60 at my highest. Decided to have some fun at the table and got a friendly guy on the other end of the table to start doing Patron shots with me. Near the end of the session I couldn’t call an all-in with my pocket Q’s on a 9 high board that I bet pre and post flop. I checked the turn and river and my Patron shooting friend bet all-in for around $80 with around $80 in the pot. He showed pocket 10’s after I folded. I ended the session shortly after down $10.
It was time for another 48oz hurricane that I brought with me to the Wynn. Details are a little fuzzy after this point. However I remember buying in for $160 and doubling up fairly quickly when my all-in with pocket K’s held up and my opponent did not show. At some point I was accused of carrying the half-yard glass around as a prop. I guess I am still tight when I am drunk, but I sure do talk a lot more. I ended this session up $127.

Day4 – Wednesday
My dad returned from the airport with my cousin at 10:30AM and was convinced it was time to get up. Went looking for some food and got a 99 cent margarita from Bill’s. Ended up ordering a pizza in the New York New York casino. More family came to town and we all ended up back at the Main Street Station casino for the happy hour at the brewery. They actually had a table that seated 21 people without any notice or wait.
As late evening rolled around, it was time to head for the Venetian. This would be my last poker session of the trip. The only hand I remember was a offsuit 4-9 in the big blind that was not raised pre-flop. Flop was 9-4-3 rainbow. I checked, loose V bet $10, I called, all others folded. Turn was a 7. I checked, V bet $20, I called. River was a Q, I checked, V bet $50, I thought for about 30 seconds and reluctantly called. V shows a K-9 for a pair of 9’s. My two pair held up for a nice pot. This session was good for a +$80 finish.
Rest of Trip

The next four days were spent with the wife and others from my extended family. We did go to Mystere, which was quite entertaining. The only other gaming was a $20 parlay on the first round of the NCAA basketball tourney. The first two games went my way, but not the remaining 3. All in all a good trip, and played enough poker to be anxious for my next trip.