come on all the technology of today and no cell phone photos of the hot Asian women putting sunscreen on each other...I'm a little disappointed

@minton

Perhaps it was the Vegas heat, or the fact that I just got a new cell phone and had no clue how to work the camera, or maybe I was in shock and couldn't move.

how did you score the $4 flight?

Oh...and when can we get day 2 ?!?!?!?

Come on now, three days is far too long to wait for an update! You have to keep the audience tuned in.

@BubbleBass

I used www.allegiantair.com

They have some great deals from time to time. On July 7th of 2007 they had a deal for $7. $7 for 7/7/07. This year they had a special for $4 for the 4th of July. Not sure how/why these deals pop up but I check their site everyday. As of yesterday, the cheapest was $99 in November and January. Their prices change daily, sometimes several times a day.

I couldn't pass up the $4 deal. After all the extra fees, my total was $29.

@LukeSLTS

Right you are. Sorry, work, school, building a custom poker table and playing in a tournament....now onto the report.

Day Two:

Refreshed from the previous night of the late night bar hopping, I was reading to hit the tables. So off to the Harrah’s poker room we go. Arrived around 9 A.M. Room is packed. There are still some people playing from the night before. Check the waiting list for the $1/$2 game. As luck would have it there are two openings. We get seated immediately (at separate tables). Staff was great, all smiles. My buddy never played a cash game before, in fact he never played live poker before. Needless to say he was a bit nervous.
I buy in for $200 and take my seat in position 10. I hate sitting right next to the dealer. Quick glance around the table to check out stacks, attitudes, etc. Big stack in seat 1 has around 2k. Buy in max was $300 so this guy had been around for a bit. Most of the rest were around $200 - $400. For the first several hands, I’m just trying to get a good read on the table. Chip Stack Bully in seat 1 is dominating the table. Calling everything, overbetting the pot, chasing all the way to the river and winning some long shots. Average age of the players was around 50. I felt like a kid and I’m 39. Lots of long faces, no one smiling. C’mon Guys THIS IS VEGAS. Lighten up! Have some FUN!
Guy in seat #8 has around $500. Goes all in against seat #2. #2 rivers a straight and takes half of #8’s stack. 8 is now in full blown tilt mode.
Next hand I look down and see AsAc. Woohoo! Folds around to 8. He raises, I call. Just him and I now. Flop comes 10, 4, 6, rainbow. He bets out half his stack. I raise to put him all in. He calls and shows As7s. I turn over my AA. 4th and 5th don’t help him. Now he’s really tilting, considers reloading, then walks off mumbling something about donkeys and fish.
A few hands later I look down to find KdKc. Folds around to me and #1. I bet ($20 if memory serves) and #1 calls. Bear in mind this guy does not fold. Flop comes 4h9hAh. Great. not only an A but a flush possibility. I bet out another $20, insta call by BSB. Hmm, time to put the brakes on? Turn is a 3s. Check, followed by BSB raising. I muck my KK’s. BSB shows Qh8H. Not sure if I could have played that hand better.
Next coupe of hands I look down and see JJ. End up going head to head with seat 6 who I have yet to see play a hand. Flop comes Ad, 5c, 5d. He checks. I bet $15. He insta-calls. Uh-oh, he either hit his A or a set. Turn another A. Now I’m not at all good yet at picking up on tells, other than the obvious ones. But I decide to push. I bet $40 (about 1/3rd of his stack). He go all in. Decision time. Fold or Call. Pot is $190 and it’s another $80 to call. I call. He turns over KQ off suit. Huh?!? What’s that like what 14% at this point? 5th street is no help and I take a decent pot. He smiles and says, “I thought you were bluffing”.
I’m up around $500 or so now and feeling pretty good. Big Stack Bully is still pushing everyone around but I’m making some $$$ off the others. My friend decides he’s played enough poker and cashes in. I was planning on a marathon session and just starting to get into the groove. For those of you who play a lot, you know what I’m talking about. My buddy stands outside the glass and motions for me to leave. I know it’s rude to sit in for a short period of time, win a few hands and leave but for some dumb reason I felt obligated to my friend.
I cash out, tip the girl behind the counter mainly because she was cute. I’m a sucker for a pretty face. My buddy wants to eat and play blackjack. He says he just wasn’t ‘feeling it’ and wanted a change. He didn’t bother to mention that he lost most of his cash. So we grab a bite to eat and I tell him I want to make it back for the 3:30 PM tournament. He plays a few hands of $25 min blackjack. He loses most of his cash and we head out and venture up the strip. Walk through the Venetian and I soon realize I can’t afford anything in this place. End up at TI. Not at all what I expected. This place was nice. Poker Room was kinda small and the staff was rather rude. I had planned on playing some NL but thanks to the staff there I opted not to wait.
We sit down at the bar and play some video poker. I win about $20 and cash out. I know, I’m quite the gambler. My buddy loses around $40 but he gets his Bud Light for free so in his mind he’s drinking free. Walk back down the strip trying not to get whiplash from all the short sundresses the ladies are wearing. Man I love Vegas! Time to head back to Harrah’s for the tournament.
Tournament is packed. As luck would have it my friend and I are at the same table (#10 if I remember right). And once again I’m in seat #10. First hour or so I get no cards. Bluff once or twice and steal the blinds but it’s hard to win with 7,5 or 8,3 or Q,6. After first break I’m about where I started, not up or down. I better start getting some hands or getting more aggressive. Win a few hands after break without having to show my hand. Good thing too, cuz my cards were horrible. My friend is short stacked and goes heads up with another guy. Friend has A 7 off against 33. Friend rivers a 7 and takes the pot. He does this 3 more times in a row! Rivers the card he needs to double up. Talk about a table on tilt.
After second break I look down to find A,K suited. My friend donked off most his stack at this point and is back to being short stacked. I ask him how much he has. Dealer makes a comment about if I would feel bad about taking out my friend. Nope, I’d feel just fine thank you. I put him all in. He calls. I turn over my AK and he turns over 9 6. And if you’ve read this far you know what happens. He rivers a 9.
Players get moved around and a new player takes seat 7. He’s a mean, grumpy, mumbling older gentleman and English wasn’t his first language. He pushes the table around for a bit. I get lucky and get JJ and go all in against his A 6. Bye Bye grumpy gus.
Buddy goes out just before break. I make it to the final two tables. I’m super short stacked. New table and there are two types of people. HUGE stacked and Super Short Stack. One end of the table has the 4 BIG STACKS. I’m in seat 7. First hand and two Big Stacks go at it. Not sure what the flop, turn or river was but the winner turns over A 5 offsuit. Losing player goes off. “Where the F@#K do you get off playing A 5 off?” Big argument ensues. Floor is called over. Winner wants the loser tossed for repeated obscenities. Loser says he’ll be quiet. Floor handles everything well. Tell the loser if he acts up again he’s gone.
A few hands later I go all in with AQ and lose to a 67 that rivers a straight. Oh well, it was fun and a good experience.
It’s now around 7 PM or so. Quick shower and change of clothes and were off to hit the strip. Still pretty hot and streets are packed. Quick peek into the Flamingo I think to see some ‘dancers’ up on a stage around the blackjack tables. Don’t remember the show they were promoting but who cares. Stopped into the IP. Checked out the Poker Room to make sure I knew where to go for Sunday Night’s Mixed Game. Buddy wanted to play some BJ. I believe he played some hands at the IP. Does the IP have the Impersonators dealing and every once in awhile they get up on a little stage and sing? Kinda strange to be dealt hands by Michael Jackson. And this guy was the creepiest looking Michael Jackson I have ever seen. Ok, I’ve never seen one before but this guy was creepy. Maybe the real Michael Jackson is just as creepy.
Stopped in to PH, had a few drinks (they were the first place that wouldn’t serve Patron at the video poker games). Watched my buddy play craps and WIN! Craps is a mystery to me. Too much going on, too many ways to win or lose. Looks fun though if you know what you’re doing. It appears the new trend (maybe not that new but I’m not a regular to Vegas) is to have scantily clad women dealing at the tables. And I thank Vegas for that. I decide I can’t pass up the BJ table that has an incredible looking (yep you guessed it) asian hottie wearing next to nothing dealing. It was a $25 minimum table. Oh what the hell, it’s only money right? Buy in for $200. Bet out $50 for the first hand and try to concentrate on the hand and not the hooters.
BLACKJACK! Sweet! She smiles. I know she wants me. I say let it ride or at least I think I said that. BLACKJACK AGAIN! WooHoo! Hey look a free drink. Chilled Patron is my drink of choice and the first one was smooth, as was the second. I play a few more and end up +150 or so. Tip the beautiful dealer, despite the fact I know she’s in love with me, I decide not to give her my number. Always leave ‘em wanting more, right?
End up at the Hard Rock Hotel. First time there and definitely my LAST. I now know where Frat Boys go when they graduate. Attitude was overflowing there. However, some of the best eye candy on the strip (ok it’s actually off strip but whatever). In fact I saw one of the hottest asian women the entire trip (yeah I have a weakness for asian women). I’m guessing she was a ‘working girl’ because as I was following her, I mean as we happen to be walking in the same direction, she was able to bypass security at the elevators and headed upstairs.
We decide to eat at the Pink Taco. Food was o.k. Nothing that you can’t get at any average Mexican restaurant. Not great but not terrible. Friendly staff and quick service. Head out the doors and try to decide what to do next. Hey look, what’s that over there? Paradise something. That sounds like fun, I wonder what it is? As we start down the block towards this mysterious Paradise, a cabbie pulls up in the nearby parking lot. “You guys want a free ride to Club Paradise?” Um, it’s like 100ft from here. I can actually see the front door. “If you guys get in I got two free drink passes” Still a bit hesitant I say, “Dude, I can see the club from here” His response, “I get $10 bucks for everyone I take there, c’mon get in and you get free drinks”.
So we get in and drive the 10 seconds to the club. He thanks us and hands us two free drink coupons. We pay the $30 cover charge and walk into this, as yet unknown mysterious place of wonder. Whoa, there’s naked women in here! Who would have known? Well, since we are already here. My buddy says he’s not getting any lapdance. He’s just here for the atmosphere. We’re not there 10 minutes and he’s off to the VIP room. 40 minutes later he returns with a smile on his face and $350 poorer. He’s ready to go now. He’s hammered. There’s some kind of drink minimum in the VIP and he took full advantage of it.
Head back to Harrah’s for what I think will be the end of the night. Nope, end up at the bar playing video poker next to a very large Mexican Elvis Impersonator named Pete. Only in Vegas! It’s now around 3:00 AM and I’m tired and surprisingly sober. Head up to our room and crash. My friend decides he ain’t tired yet and heads back down. Drunk and a wallet full of cash (ATM’s were his friend). Good luck man, I’m going to bed.
Wake up the next morning and I’m feeling HORRIBLE………….

…Day Three – to be continued.

@zzjitterzz

Didn't see the Alice Cooper guy. I saw Garth Brooks (someone had to tell me who it was), MJ, Tina Turner?, some real tall blonde guy in a cowboy hat???, and a curly haired brunette. Either they aren't real good impersonators or I need to start reading more issues of People Magazine.

the only way I figured out who half of them were was to read the plaque on the table or wait until they "sang" their song.

@minton

Never did see a plaque and when 'Garth' got up on stage I had no clue what song he was 'singing'.

Day Three:

I’m awoken to Jason (my friend who has no concept of time or money) flicking casino chips at me. Quick glance at the clock 6:00AM. Apparently Jason had returned to the Casino floor after I crashed and won at the blackjack tables. Good for him. Man do I feel like hell. Chills, fever, nausea, driving the porcelain bus, etc… This isn’t from just a few too many Patron’s. Thinking back I remember walking into O’Sheas on Friday. At the entrance was a middle aged woman of middle eastern descent. She had one of those very colorful robe like dresses on. As I walk past she unloads a barrage of coughs in my direction without the courtesy of covering her mouth. Could that be why I feel like the floor of a taxi cab? (Name the movie)

Jason, still drunk, decides to order room service. Food is exactly what I don’t want at this point so I pass on the food and bury myself under the covers hoping whatever virus is attacking me would find better things to do.

Most of Day Three is spent in bed……alone. The only big plan for today was Penn and Teller. Flu or no flu, I’m not missing the show. Make it over to the Rio about 2 hours before showtime. Arrived just as WSOP Main Event was going in dinner break (or maybe just a regular break, not sure). A sea of poker players heading towards me. Didn’t recognize any major players, but then again I couldn’t really see straight.
Get the tickets to P&T, purchase a $4.00 bottle of water from the bar (gotta love Vegas) and get seated. Without a doubt, Penn and Teller was the best show I’ve seen. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it and for those who have, see it again. Get there early if you like Jazz. Penn plays the bass (the big violin looking bass, not bass guitar) and Mike ? plays piano. After the show, Penn and Teller hang out in the lobby area for photo ops and autographs.

Head back to Harrah’s. Still feeling like death warmed over. I’m off to the room, Jason decides to try his luck at the blackjack tables again. I guess Lady Luck decided to take a holiday because he came up not long afterwards, minus his winnings from the night before.
Wake up early for the flight back home. Very little poker. Some great times though, lots of laughs, incredible views (both of the architecture and ladies). Can’t wait to go back. Next time it’s either a solo trip or whoever comes with has to understand that I want, need, desire Poker, the rest of Vegas is just icing on the cake.

For those who have stuck with this, there is a reward. I signed up for a Total Rewards card and received a Coupon Book. I didn’t use any coupons from it. I’m going to list all the coupons and anyone who wants one (or two, or three, etc..) can have them. I’m going to list them under ‘Dining and Entertainment’.