Sun July 26th

Flight was uneventful from Toronto there were a couple ok movies food was all right and the beer was cold. I was like a child on Christmas Eve waiting to get to my favourite place on earth. This was my second time to Vegas hopefully with many many more trips to come. Touch down at 432pm and after a $25 cab drive through the tunnell which I realize when were going through I had read on this site I was getting screwed. Anyways it did not bring me down at all I will just remember for next time. Finally get to the Imperial Palace and bust through the doors ready for some action but ohhhhh no I need to check in first and the line up is HUGE and not moving very fast. It looked like the Mandarin on New Years Eve when they were giving out free buffets. 45 mins later finally we get checked in and head up to the room. Have a quick shower and grab a burger at the burger palace with the parents who are down for this trip as well. The burger was solid definately considering the looks of the place I felt like I was in a 70's porno flick walking through this place except the pron stars were replaced by little mexican workers and giant burger eating tourists. After the burger we hit the strip and walk around a bit and finally hit up Ballys for the first session of the trip. I should mention I have $500 less then I wanted for this trip due to the wife and a completely unrelated topic which is the wife wanted to go on a shopping trip with her girlfriends because I was getting to go to vegas. Thats fine though she is supportive of my degenerate love of poker. So I have a little over a $1000 for the 4 days.

1-2 NL Buy in $160

Very first hand get AK on the button 3 limpers I raise to $15 and the MASSIVE stack calls me. I miss the flop and its checked to me I make contiuation bet of $25 the turn is a blank and it goes check check. I put villian on a flush draw river pairs board no flush and he leads for $25 I go with my read I always go with my reads so I call (mistake) definately should of raised played to quickly so happy to be in Vegas need to relax. Giood news is my read was accurate bad news is he caught bottom pair on the turn. So first hand of the trip and I am quicly down $65 very next hand get QJ spades and make $40 back against Massive stack beating his Q8. Not much happened for the rest of the session I raise from Middle position BB calls flop comes A 10 3 rainbow BB check raises me all in he only ha $40 he had JJ I hold up. and cash out shortly there after for $155 and 8 drinks down after 2 hrs. The drink service at Ballys is so fast its amazing really liked the action at this place alot going on around the poker room it is pretty loud.

1-2 NL buy in $125 Imperial Palace

Its the first night and I am super tired but just cant go to bed need to play poker. Not much was happening in this session I make another mistake and bet $25 into a $40 pot on the rier against a calling station on a board of 3 3 4 4 7 with three dimaonds she almost mucked then shook her head and tossed in $25 beating my K high with A high. Table now thinks im a fish and this table is SUPER soft 5 super drunk tourists the calling station and one other solid young player. Im down to $40 of my buy in and its 5 am Toronto time so I am ready for bed but a new dealer sits down so I decide to play one more orbit I am under the gun. Get KK and open shove saying its time for bed and get called instantly by guy behind me with 88 I hold up. Last hand of the session was two hands later in the small blind I get 10 3 of spades and its a family pot so I call obviously. Flop K 10 5 with two spades I check BB bets $10 four callers I call the turn is a blank I check again BB bets $10 and three callers this time I call. The river is the 2 of spades awesome I hope I check because I know BB will bet again and he does indeed and shoves for $50 putting me all in. Everyone folds to me and I talk it out for a bit and finally decide that I have to call the pots over $200 I getting a good price and this is what I had hoped for the way hand played out and based on this guys play he could have anything so I am good in this spot at least 80 % of the time. I call and BB insta folds and mocks my play haha. I thought I played it well ?? Cash out a little over $200 so up a little under $100 for first night. SO tired so I head up to the room watch a little tv and sleep but its still like christmas to me so I am up about 4-5 hours later.

First night had a great time made two mistakes should be up more but so pumped to be in Vegas and had several drinks feeling pretty good.

Mon July 27th

Breakfast at the Imperial Palace buffett not even close to being worth the money and food was not good at all and I am the furthest from being picky I will NEVER return to this buffett.

1-2 NL Harrahs buy in $130

Play for an hour very boring game multiple players at the table wearing casino SWAG seemed like a very NITTY room not impressed. Cash out even get a slip for $10 on my next session so come back after dinner play exactly 1 hr and cash out up $10 for 2 hrs play did not like this room was boring.

At Noon head back to room after walking around with the parents last time I was in Vegas was just after turned 21 with a buddy we didnt know where to go or what to do so spent alot a time at Excalibur this was about 7 years ago so I didnt see alot of the poperties. We checked out Ceasars and the Venitian the size of these places is unreal walked by the poker rooms and will be back for the Noon tourney at the Venitian later in the trip. On the way up to the room for a rest the old man and I thrown in $40 and play some low limit roulette and an hour later I cash out up $67 BONUS. Nap time for a couple hours.

4-8 Limit Bellagio Buy in $100

Headed over to the Bellagio around 3pm to get in a session before we tried the Bellagio Buffett. I loved the feel of this room there was so much action the chairs were super comfortable and the dealers were amazing. The only thing I didnt like was being bumped every 5 mins because tables are too close together. I had a good session played for about 3 hrs and capitalized on my hands when I got them. I should mention that I feel most comfortable at a limit table when I turned 19 close to 10 years ago thats all my local casino had so I learned to play on Limit now that NL has exploded I obviously play it quite a bit but my true love is limit. I love NL tournaments still need to work on the cash games. Anyways one hand of note in this session I have AA on button and I three bet a late raiser and 3 of us see the flop 9 4 3 rainbow check to me I bet and call call. Turn is a J first spot leads out and next guy raises and this kid has been really mixing it up I cant put him on a set and hes all in now I am worried about spot 1 hes only showed solid hands so I just call and see what hes going to do he mucks so now I think I am golden the Kid shows KJ and I hold up for a nice pot. I cash out $188 and head over to the Buffett and WOW this was easily the best buffett I have ever been to they dont have anything like that in the Toronto area it makes the Mandarin look like a Denny's. After dinner I am so tired the last 24 hrs are catching up to me so I play my 1 hr at Harrahs and pack it in at 10pm watch some tv and get some sleep because the next two days I am going to logg alot of hours. First full day was amazing heading downtown tomorrow morning too see the sites. I gotta say the heat is also getting to me Vegas at this time of the year is EASILY the hottest place I have ever experienced I dont know how people live here and work outside.

Tues July 28th

Up birhg tand early 6am and have a shower and head downtown via the Bus pretty good deal for the bus pass and its not busy at that time so it worked out well. Ate breakfast at the Golden Nugget Buffett it was $10 and i was really surprised at how good it was I definately recomend it. After breakfast checked out their pokerroom about 9am and it was dark not one game going so we headed over to Binions liked the look of the poker room but once again no games going there was a list but only 3 names on it. So unfortunately I am downtown with no games to play and the parents are slot junkies so they are playing and I need to find something to do for a couple hours so I play some balckjack and roulette and stupidly lose $130. This was the worst decision of the trip I like to play other games from time to time but like $40 not $130 I was pissed at myself but ahh well I am in vegas its not gonna bring me down. So after the loss we get back on the bus and go to WYNN I love this place it is super high end from the tables to the waitresses everything was amazing. I will be staying here for sure when the wife and I come down ourselves she will love this place and I can go play poker.

4-8 Limit Buy In $100 Wynn

Had a good session played for about 3 hrs and made the money back that I had lost downtown which was good but still not pleased I did that. The table was very loose lots of action drunk man beside me and yes its 11am lost his $100 very quick then pulled some chips out of his pocket several $1000 chips and a couple $5000 chips he said he had just came from blakcjack he needed a break and he was going to see if it was possible to lose $1000 in an hour playing 4-8 limit hahaha he was very entertaining he left after an hour down $300 he hit a few flops so his goal of $1000 was out the window. The hand of note that I had a won me a huge pot was I had 7 8 suited on the button 7 callers flop come A 7 3 with one diamond BB bets 4 callers so I obviously call trying to hit the turn turn comes 8 excellent BB bets out again 3 callers I just call theres now a possible flush on board so I want to see the river cheap thinking I need to hit. The river is a beautiful 7 BB now checks must have A X then next guy leads out folds to me and I raise BB folds and guy reraises to I reraise again and guy insta reraises I think about it for a min cant out him on 88 when I have one cant put him on A7 if he has aces he played it very strangely not raising preflop or on the flop with a flsuh draw but I talk mysel finto just calling thinking he could have me beat and he has 33 so I missed another bet. So after a few hours cash out with a little over $200 back to about even for the day. Instead of taking bus walk back down the Strip taking some pictures and enduring the intense heat.

Hit the pool at the Imperial for an hour or so then head over to the flamingo to check out there poker room.

1-2 NL Buy In $150 Flamingo

I liked the flamingo very soft game lots of tourists seemed like that didnt know what they were doing and they served Bud Lite Lime in the big steel cans I love it. Drank several of these and got a good buzz going in the afternoon played for about 2 Hours no real hands to mention pretty card dead won one nice pot with AK over AQ so had a winning session of $50 and 8 beers. The drnk service was very quick.

Head back to the hotel around dinner time and we decide to take the bus down to MGM but cant find a bus stop on the bellagio side of the strip heading up that way and after walking for a while we say screw it and eat at Paris Buffett it was all right expected better after the Bellagio experience but it was ok. After dinner head back to Ballys and play for about 2 hours and take a tough beat but once again I made a bad play and di it to myself.

1-2 NL Buy in $150 Ballys

I get 10 8 of spades on button 3 callers I call flrop comes 9 Q 3 qith two speade so nice flop for me BB bets $10 four callers turn is a 2 of spades beautiful BB bets $25 call then its my turn to act pots like $70 I have about $130 before hand starts so a call makes put close to $100 and I have about that much behind the play was to raise with 2 people behind me but I acted to quickly again and called behind me it goes call call ohh shit. I know I am leading this table has been crazy so I am praying for no speade rivers comes 6 of spades and it somehow gets checked around so I show and SB rolls over his K 7 off with the K of spades. I really misplayed this pot and it cost me a $400+ pot because BB had a set and 100% would of payed off a push on the turn he was a maniac and had no idea what he was doing. So I played a few more hands and made my best decision of the night and cashed out I was tired and felt myself getting frustrated so I casked out with $100 or so and took my loos and headed back to the Imperial.

The imperial palace at 10pm on a Tuesday not only 1 game of 2-4 limit going and 2 names on a NL list. I waited around for 10 mins then decdied to play some $5 Black jack. Sat with some guys from Iowa and a couple from Atlanta then two cougars from Florida I played for about 6 hours and almost lost $200. I was DRUNK at least a vodka red bull every 15 mins. I had my last $50 of the $200 put $25 down $25 got an 11 so Double and won then started playing small again and made my way up to a $50 profit very lucky this was almost a disaster but turned out to be a super fun night. I literally staggered to the room about about 5 am or so just hammered good times. Woke up 4 hrs later.

Wed July 29th

After a few hours sleep get up have a shower and head over to the Venitian I am going to play in the Noon tourney. I am really hung over and not feeling great but thats not gonna stop me. Get over to the Venitian sign up for the tourney and go get a burger with the parents at Grand Luxe the burger and fries were amazing loved this place very cool spot in a casino very classy.

Noon Tournament Venitian

Excited to play in this tournament and have to admit a little nervour there were 83 runners. I play alot of tournies online but not much experience live. Get seated at a good table clearly 5 of the players are just not good and within 5 hands guys beside me way overplays his AA and loses to a set. I played tight to start and get a fell for the game and try to relax. 2nd level I get 10 10 and call and small raise from guy under the gun flop comes K 10 3
rainbow I lead out $250 and raiser make it $700 to go I once again act way to quickly and go all in for like $5500 more and the guy mucks his AK so stupid of me I should of flat called and let him bet the turn lesson learned from this trip relax and slow down. No real hands of note didnt pick up any premium hands blinds got high had to push with 66 and chip leader called with AQ and won the race. Came in 20th got busted at 430pm.

4-8 Limit Bellagio Buy In $100

Played last session of the trip after dinner at the pixxz palace in imperial palace very good pizza. I was really tired and di dnot play my best played way too many hands and lost my $100 over 5 hours or so. One of the highlights of the trip was from this night though Bobby's room had a game going with Phil Ivery, David Benyamine, some guy i didnt know and Bobby Baldwin it was very cool to see. This was only session of the week where I lost a buy in.

Headed back to Imperial slept for a few hours packed and we caught a cab to airport at 730am and slept on flight home which was a nice surprise. I had an amazing trip and know where I need to make some improvements for next time to make it a little more profitable went home with same amount of money as I came with so I see that as a success this time. Cannot wait to come back all ready checking my players card to see when I can get a good deal and catch a cheap flight out of buffalo or detriot with a couple buddies in Novemebr or December hopefully.