Since I don't know if my first post when thru due to time out, I added a better TSA rant to this one:

I scheduled a weekend trip to Vegas for Sep 23, and I was only going to have about 54 hours total in Vegas. Things got off to a frustrating start when my plane was an hour behind schedule, first bad beat of the trip. But once I landed I practically went straight to Bellagio, as my family had already checked-in, so I only had to drop off my bag at Bally's.

I decided to start the trip with some 2/5NL. I got to Bellagio aroun 11:30pm and the table was great. One complete beginner, a disgustingly rich couple playing together, two more terrible players, a below average player, and a weak tight player.

I played pretty tight until I got a feel for the table and realized that raising Q10o in MP3 was probably profitable. I raised to 20 and got 4-5 callers, flop Qd 8d 3, checks to me, I bet, get called by one player behind me. Turn bricks, I bet again because he doesn't have very much left (under 200). And he folds QJ face up after thinking about it. And that is how I realized he was weaktight. I told him I had AQ to encourage his line of thinking. I ask the waitress for a beer. She comes back without it and says "whoops, I'm sorry, I'll go right back for it." I say ok thx. She comes back and gives the guy next to me a tea and I don't say anything. She comes back again and asks if anyone wants drinks, I say, with no attitude, "Can I get a newcastle?" And she makes this funny, embarassed type face and immediately turns around, comes right back and says "No, don't." To the dollar I'm holding out. I cross her over, spin move, and slam dunk it home in her tip jar. I'm here to have fun, not complain, thx for the beer (this will change).

A few hours later I get KK in the sb and raise the limpers to 30, surprisingly BB calls and no limpers call. Flop 456r. I bet 45. He calls. I had been playing with him long enough to take suited connector type hands out of his range. I really felt like he had a middle pocket pair. The turn brings a 4, and I since I really think he's middle PP, i thought about CRAI. But then I thought he may have 77-88 and check behind, so i decided to bet 85. He folded. We were friendly and I had a beer so I asked him what he would've done on the turn had I checked, he said he would've bet 150 with his 1010 and I believed him, but w/e. For not having played NL in a long time, my reads were spot on, and i mean SPOT ON - and I was able to use it to bluff a few hands were I felt I was getting called by good players who wanted to get to showdown cheap, but a dirty card came on the turn (and they had made good flop calls). Different waitress comes by and puts a beer in front of me when I'm playing and says "I got you another one." Oh, rly, you did? That's great because I didn't ask for one, and I don't like how you put it in front of me when I am playing a hand. She had a little attitude about her too. I guilted my more strong, assertive, practical side into giving her a $1 chip, but she got the message, she wouldn't be back. This was my second bad beat of the trip. I think it's kinda weird how I didn't want to give her a buck at all for the preemptive beer, but fought to give 5-trip waitress a buck.

Anywho, I play a little longer and get AxKd and raise to 20 from EP and get called by 4 people (can I flop a hand PLEASE!?). Flop 4 7 8 all diamonds, ck, ck, to me I bet 60 (all diamond flop = I'm cbetting here), weak tight raises me to 150, 'local grinder who really sucks' flats (????), I fold because I think they both flopped it. Turn and river brick (weak tight shoved the turn and got called), and weak tight shows Jd10d and its good. I rack up because it's 3:45am and I haven't slept, and I'm getting kinda tired. End the night +160 despite that stupid last hand.

I wake up at 7:30am on Saturday because i know the games are starting at 9am. I grab the buffet at Paris and I am happy. I head over to the sports book at Paris to put some bets down on ND -6.5, MichSt -22, and UF -19. When I get there ND is -7.5, UF is -21 and MichSt is -22 (or -23 don't remember). I am kinda mad ND and UF moved before I got a chance to bet so I leave the book without taking MSU even tho that line didn't move for my purposes (mistake). I go to Ballys poker room instead because my family is playing table games nearby.

I don't like paying higher rake or jackpot BS, but, w/e, I was looking for a practical game and the players didn't "look" strong. I played for about 3 hours. I had the Nut flush, top boat, and top set within 30 minutes of each other and barely got paid by the two donkeys at the table (both in each hand for a PFR). Meanwhile they are stacking off left and right to everyone at the table with top pair no kicker. I made a few more good reads in tough spots and didn't get rewarded either time. For "running so good" I didn't really pocket much. I take 130 profit off the table and go grab lunch.

After lunch I head to the sports book because when I was playing poker I saw LSU @ WVU and asked what the line was... LSU -6.5? Awesome. I go put bets on LSU and UF (because UF was now -18). I head back to Bally's because it was close and I felt the game was good enough to justify a higher rake and lower limits earlier. I play for about an hour and realize the game sucks now, I'm not getting the cards. I leave 50 on the table and head back to Bellagio for some 2/5.

I get seated right away and the game is pretty tough. I get KK utg (man I wish i was straddling, i got KK, KK, JJ, and QQ all UTG, unreal) and make it 20. I get called by 3 people and the flop is 34J rainbow. Older guy who plays pretty tight and ABC leads for 40, I consider my options. He seemed competent enough to recognize that I was UTG, and that this was a pretty dry flop; since he was on the tighter side I flat (even tho there are two to act) and the others fold. Turn brings a Q and he checks. This is a pretty bad card for me to bet because I think I'm going to lose him (isn't it obvious he has AJ here?), so I check behind intending to bet the river. If I bet 75ish on the turn I feel like he thinks too much about the 140 he's going to have to call on the river too. River is a low card that doesn't add anything and he checks, I bet 80 and he calls, I show KK and he flashes AJ to me while making a face. I nod and say "I know" as compassionately as possible. Man, my reads are on. I think I should've bet 100-120ish tho if I am going to play the hand this way. More like $100 because I REALLY want a call.

Anyway, after an hour 2-3 of the old guys get replaced by younger guys. I'm up to 800 and i get KK in late position - YAY! its not UTG! There are 2 limpers so I raise to 30. SB calls (note: SB is a terrible player, I was so happy he called, I was licking my chops, he only had 250 after buying in for 200-300). and another player calls too. Flop is Qd10d2x. Ck, ck, i bet 60, crappy SB calls, other folds. Turn is a 9. SB cks, i bet 110, he shoves i call (i think he can easily have KJ here, but w/e there wasn't a lot to call and I know he's pushing with QJ alot too). The river is a 2 and i do a happy dance because there go all his two pair. hahaha. He rolls two pair, dueces and dueces. SOB! I ask the table to wait a second to see if I can beat it and then muck my hand. I'm down to 550.

Not too long later, I'm in the SB with AQ and MP raises to 30, CO calls, Button calls, and I pop to 90. I mean, if I get original raiser to fold I'm money, and this looks super strong OOP, and I don't think late position flatters have much here. If they did slow play AK, that's less aces to hit on the flop and I win with a bet. MP folds and I think "i got this, hands over." CO calls (????) and button folds. I can remember the flop, it was middlish and rainbowish so I fired 120 and CO thinks and folds (tyJ). I have around 800 now and I a loop later I look at JJ utg. I raise to 20 and both blinds call. Note: SB is an LA kid who was also on the 1/2 list, had a nice cashroll tho and didn't mind taking it out. Flop comes 5h8xJh, ck, ck, to me so I bet 45 cuz there are a lot of draws out there I feel and what happens? SB raises to 145! YES! this is awesome! I think for a bit and realize if he has a draw I want to raise, if he's bad enough to get it in with AJ i want to get it in before the draw hits, and if he has a set, I want it in now as well (before a heart comes or something). I raise to 345, he jams for 725ish, and I Phil Hellmuth my chips into the pot. I flash my jacks but he doesn't flash his hand, I feel like he's FDing now and the turn brings a 6d and river Ad, and he says "Unreal." and flips 6h7h. teehee. yay! I scoop a nice pot.

The very next hand, before he can even get chips, someone in MP raises to 20, CO calls, and SB from last hand calls OTB, I have A5o in the BB and decide WTH, I'll play my rush.

Flop A Q J r. Chks around. Turn J heart draw added. Checks to button (SB from last hand) who bets 60. I don't know why, but BS bells were going off in my head and I imagine 89h or something. I think for a second and call. The other two fold and the river brings a 5. I Check and he bets 150. So, not only is he steaming from last hand, and my BS bells are going off, he has "bet button," and his bet size went from value to "pls fking fold" I cawl, he says "I have two pair." and i say so do i, but i flop mine first because when he hesitates i know he doesn't have anything, and he's having a rough time. I scoop another nice pot. I play for another 2+ hours and decide to grab some dinner at caesars buffet after taking 1250ish off the table. They have gelato at the buffet, just so you know, I could've sat there all night...

I decide I am too full of gelato to concentrate on 2/5 (even though I feel like I always run better at 2/5 anyway, and there is more money to be made even if I am not at 100% - In before "move up to where they respect your raises") and head back across the street. But not before I cash in some winning NCAAF tickets (ship it).

I'm heading back toward Bally's and hoping there will be some drunks over there. I get to Bally's (this is after I laid on my bed for about 45 minutes trying to recover from the Gelato hangover), and sit in the 1/2 game. And who do I see? Paul freaking Mcgrill – YEAH, X22! I check my pocket, oh NO! I left my phone on my bed when I passed out and I can't take a picture with him. This was my second bad beat of the trip. He's sitting at a 1/2 game at Bally's on saturday night with a briefcase on his chair. lol.. I get seated at another table =( I seriously consider asking someone with a smartphone to take a pic of us and email it for $5 but I thought it'd be too weird. I was in no state (lethagy) to be going back to my room and back to the poker room (i was actually in Paris now). I really have to get over my shyness because I didn't take a pic with Hershiser when I played with him either (different trip).

So i play for a couple hours and I'm up 170 and I decide to get frisky. I am quickly reminded why I rarely bluff, people just want to pay you off. I actually had a hand where I didn't go with my read. It would've involved shoving the turn with air after raising preflop and betting an ace high flop against a weak-tight flop caller. I was almost certain he had Ace rag and would've folded to a shove, but I wussed out. Whatever. Three players are falling asleep at the table, the game is incredibly slow for a saturday night, nobody was drinking, so I left with 80 bucks and went to bed. It was just too loud and smokey in that poker room.

The next day I decide to go check the sports book again. Lions -3, Pats -7, Saints -4, Packers -4.5. I put a bet down on the Lions straight up and then parlay the four games: newbie mistake. What games they were! Back and forth I go 2-1-1, and lose a bet on the parlay. I hate Tom Brady, 21-0 (but how can I complain? Lions were 0-20!). I watched all the games while playing at Caesars Poker room. Again the drop is higher here =( but I wanted to play the $235 at 2 pm (or was it 12? I can't remember). I make about $290 playing 1/3 without ever going to showdown. That's not entirely true, I shipped AQ on QQ46 only to have the river bring a 6 to chop a $760 pot with KQ. I swore when the river came. I usually don't. Caesars brings the worst out of me, you'll see.

I pick up my chips and head over to the turny. The players are pretty tight. Where am I, Vegas? Or the blue hair town I usually play in? I lose the first 5 hands I open, including a AcJc7x flop when I had A7. With 3 people on the flop, ck to me I bet 2/3 pot and Btn flats and brings in the checker. Turn bricks, I bet 2/3 and Btn flats and checker folds. River brings a club and I check, he bets and my brain exploded. Why? Because he didn't seem bad enough to call on the turn with a FD, and if he had AJ, he would've raised either the flop or turn to NOT bring in the 3rd player again when there is draw, right? Wrong, AJ is good. A few hands later the button raises to 200 when blinds are 25/50 and i look down at QQ in the SB, I raise to 700 as there were a few limpers of 50. BB who just sat down (literally, for this hand), and doesn't seem like a gambling asian, but rather tight, asian, reraises to 2700 and it folds to me. I only get 15k chips to start.... I fold and die a little inside.

Anyway, I lose a few more hands, and I'm a little frustrated, DAMN THE GODS (romans, greeks, its all the same... don't tell them I said that). I'm down to about 7500 chips and i get 99, i cbet and i WIN A FREAKING HAND! Is something cooking? Very next hand UTG+1 I get KK and raise the UTG limper to 550 (blinds are 75/150), tight asian on my left calls, and UTG 3bets to 2k. If KK isn't good here I don't care, I'm done. Forget it. I shove. Tight asian groans and folds. UTG doesn't snap, now I know I'm good, PleASE CALL! He does and shows JJ. Lol. Jack in the door. Sigh. I say "I had a feeling it was one of those days" under my breath, say nice hand and wish everyone "fun." And I'm on my way. I wish I hadn't chopped that 700+ pot.... I wish I hadn't played that tournament.

I head back to the Bellagio, for some reason I run good there. I hope on 1-2 while I wait for 2-5 and drop 100 c-betting various hands and getting no action on my strong hands. Gross.

I hop on 2-5 where I am about to suffer the embarassment of my life. Angled. Hardcore. Old man with glasses on, white hair, hawaiian shirt, limps in for 2 in a 2-5 game and leaves it out there for everyone to see, probably a fake wedding ring on too. Had a few girly drinks, just so he had some alcohol in front of him. Kinda skinny face, but a bit of a gut (in case you're looking). I haven't had a hand since I sat down and I'm down 50-70 bucks and he raises to 20 and there are a few callers and I'm in the BB with QJo. Bleh, discount I guess. Flop Q 9 2 (srsly, every hand I play flops Q9X), chks around. Turn brings another low card and i bet 50 into 100ish and old man calls. I put him on 1010-JJ at this point, i almost thought I saw him reach for more chips and then decide against it. River brings backdoor clubs and old man checks out of turn. Alarm bells go off in my head. He KNOWS I was first right? Did he reach for chips on the turn? I think he has 1010-JJ tho, and my read has not been wrong yet. Should I check? No, that's weak, let's get another $50 of value. He thinks and raises to $150. OMFG. Seriously? I say nice angle under my breath and try to decide if my $50 bet is really that weak or he's actually angling. I should've folded but I really wanted to see the Nut clubs. Ugh. I hate people like that, no integrity, no self-respect. It's like admitting you can't beat the game unless you deliberately try to break the rules. but kudos to him for finding a way to make a profit. I told my friend who played for 4 years this and he laughed and said "old guys looooooooooove to do that." i did not know that. Now you do. They are meaner than they look.

So i was in a sour mood after dumping $300 in 1-2 and 2-5, and since I'm kinda upset and the cards were dead I head back to my hotel and wander the pit games for a while. I make 120 on PAI GOW (you have to yell it) and various other games, then go to bed.

I wake up late and my flight is soon, so i head over to the book and take the giants runline, reds runline (thanks to my friend for talking me into this one), and the tigers runline. I give the tickets to my family and wander to pits to see my family crushing blackjack. I join the fun for a couple hundred, play some pai gow where an asian dealer says i look asian despite the fact I'm totally white. I almost said "that's funny because when i was little people said I looked asian because my chubby face made my eyes squint, but i felt this may have crossed the line so i caught myself mid sentence and said "that funny because when i was little people said i looked asian b...."

off to the airport. At the airport I draw the radiation tube again, son of a b. I opt out. I never understood why people got upset with pat downs until now. I don't have my belt on and the guy is like pulling on my shorts. I might as well have been in my boxers at that point; now i understand why they ask if you want a private screening (i say no to save time). Then he's a little too thorough with the pat down, and it's like HEY BUDDY, there's sensitive equipment there. This pat down, combined with the fact that they yelled at me for not wanting cancer last time, and made me leave my CASH AND WALLET on the conveyer belt out of sight for 10 minutes, makes me not want to fly again. I could not believe that they made me take my roll out and leave it out in the open, and when I told them "My money and wallet are right over there, can I watch it, or grab it, or can you grab it please?" They just yelled at me, "NO! Once you opt out, yer done. Don't move." Yeah, I'm smuggling a kilo of coke in my wallet and roll, you morons. Heaven forbid I should be able to hold onto my wallet and roll while I wait for your stupid pat down and chemical test. Oh what's that? You didn't detect cocaine despite it being on every $100 bill I rolled in the last 24 hours (yeah, I celebrate my poker wins with a cash shower... making it rain?), how good can your equipment be?

Anyway, with that behind me, it was a great trip. Did great on sports (2-1 on those final MLB tickets +145 and +170), and pretty darn good on poker.