I had a conference in the LA area, so my wife and I flew into Vegas, drove to the conference for a few days, and then she flew out on Sunday to let me play three days of solid poker. It’s so much easier to play good poker when you’re on your own, with no distractions. I printed up the tournament listing on AVP and use that as my guide.

Wife had her flight at 7:30 AM on Sunday, then I headed to Caesars for the 9:00 AM. $65 buy in, no rebuy. I have played Caesars before, very nice room. Had about 30 players. Went through the first break then raised hard when I hit two pr in the BB. Villian called. Blank on the turn, I pushed, he called with a flush draw and hit on the river. I don’t feel all that bad when I think I made the right play and got beat, it’s when I make a bone head play it shakes me up. More on that later. Headed to Binions for the 10k guaranteed. I have played this one once before. Only $70 plus one $40 rebuy for a nice size pot for a cheap tourney. I think 105 players signed up that day. I play pretty tight especially early. My goal this trip was to just make good decisions and play position poker. I still have a lot to learn about this game. Payed 12 places starting around $200, over 3k I believe for the winner. Very short stacked when I got to final table (its always fun to play on the elevated, set aside table that is used for tv) pushed with Ace crap, the other short stack pushed with AK we both go out to PP. I’m fifth for $735. For some reasons I’ve always liked playing at Binions especially the tournaments. Good mix of people and great nostalgia in the room. Played a little bit of cash games there with a very obnoxious old guy. Maurice did his share of yelling at the waitresses and other players. Ah the good old days. One goal of this trip was to play at PH, due mainly to trip reports on this site. After the Binions 10k I hurried up there for the 7:00 pm $50 + $10. Great poker room. Very new, lots of plasma TV’s, good dealers, good management. I really liked the fact that the chairs had rollers on them. Only time I saw this in a room, it made it easy to push back and stretch every now and then. Nice side note. Since I had never played at PH, I had to sign up for the players card to enter in the tourney. (500 extra chips) You get a free spin on their prize wheel. I won a $10 slot play which I turned into $60 before cashing out, plus two tickets to Stomp which were $60 a piece. I had some friends from my home town in Vegas and gave them the tickets. Got knocked out, I forget with what, but I went in ahead. NOTE: I plan to take a note pad to write down information about specific hands and finishes next time. It would nice to go back and review some of those hands now that I’m home. Hit the Binions 2 am on the way back to my room only 2 tables, nothing much to say. Day one $735 - $295 for a $440 profit.

Monday: I wanted to play a cheap easy tourney with my sights set on the Venetian later in the day. Went to Luxor ( I know, why?) Not very impressed, plus I played bad. Some of the worst play I saw all three days. The only thing that made it bearable were the dealers. A couple of them were very nice and entertaining, that doesn’t include the management. I played some cash after getting knocked out and didn’t do very well. I suck at cash games. The high hand bonuses are sure nice. They give $150 every hour, which seems to be the thing keeping players around. That would be the only reason I would ever go back to that room. Headed to the Sahara based on the comments from a player in another tournament. Room is definitely a little old and tired, tables are getting worn, but over all I enjoyed the tourney and price. Made it through the first break. Raised with QQ middle position had one caller. 9 is the highest card on the board, I bet he raised. I tanked for a while thinking about the set, decided to push, he called with a 98, top pr with a straight draw. He hit the straight on the river, I’m out. Headed to the Venetian for the 8:00. $125 + 50 rebuy and $5 staff bonus for 4500 chips and 30 minute levels, nice. First of all, again based on AVP, PH and the Venetian were the two rooms I had to try this trip. What a room. Very, very nice. Plasmas, new everything, great dealers and management. The higher levels and chips seemed to fit my style of being pretty patient for a while instead of an all-in-fest that the short tourneys sometimes end up. I had a very enjoyable table with a guy from Lubbock, a Canadian and an older guy that had final tabled in the Heartland Poker Tour. He was a riot and made it a lot of fun. It’s great to have a good tournament with some enjoyable people. For the first time I made a real bad play and got rewarded. Middle position with AJ, I called when I should have raised. Flop is 92J. Blind checks, I bet he raises. I have him covered, not worried about an over pair but figured I let him hit 2 pr with bb special. I should have folded because I had the right read on him. I push him in he shows 92, but got Q on turn and Q on river to counterfeit and reward a donkey play, sorry bud. Only time in 3 days I sucked out on someone. He did come back with some doubles but went out. 54 players paying top five. I get to the final table below average on chips, one of the shorter stacks. I seem to play ok short stacked because my decisions are not as many. I raised once in the small blind with A 9 suited against the bb, also short stacked. He pushed all in, (very tight older player, new to the game) I tanked then folded. He told me later he had QQ. Only other hand of consequence, raise in front of me by the weakest player still left (besides me, lol) Seven players still left, I’m short stack at the table and push all in with AQ. He tanked then folded and told me AQ (he is sitting next to me) He asked if he was beat I said dominated, KK. Sorry bud. He went out in 7, the older gentlemen out in 6, I squeak in. They had a formula for chopping based on chip counts. It would take me from a 5th of $545 to $935, so I’m all for it with only 18,000 chips blinds were either 2k or 4k, not sure. I do have the button so I have 3 or 4 hand to push and I’m either going to double or go out. They decide to chop, I’ll take it. Had a ball, I’ll be back for sure. A little higher entry fee but makes for nice payout and big starting chip stacks. Day two $985 (I got an extra $50 from one player to agree to chop) - $265 in entry fees for $720.

Day three: Back to PH for the 10:00 am, $50 + 10 rebuy. Only 34 player but it payed out 6 players, that really cut down on the top payouts but makes it easier to make your entry fee back. Early folded my 10 10, he showed QQ and I stayed out of trouble. Made the final table. With four left and the blinds at 4,000 the bb is all in with 4,000 chips. UG folds I just call from the button wanting to knock out and get to three. The small blind with 2,000 already in FOLDS. I kindly explain the bb is all in I would have checked down, two of us have a better chance then one to knock this guy out. I don’t think he ever understood what I was saying. Of course the bb won the pot and the small blind stated he had folded the winner. I said, you know this guy will now come back and win this thing. He doubles up the next hand and I’m thinking here we go. Nope, he gets knocked out in 4th and the guy the made the bad play from the small blind wants to chop. The guy next to me looks at me and I say no way. Number one: with six payouts the top is only 465 with 265 (?) for 2nd, and based on his play, he needs to be taken out, which happens 2 hands later when my JJ holds up against his AQ. I chop with the other guy, had fun. I met some friends for lunch at the Orleans and then went to Iron Man for a nice break. My choices for my last tourney was Caesars at 6:00 or the Venetian again at 8:00. Decided to go to C and if I get knocked out early I’ll bust over to the V at 8:00. Well when I got to C it was at 7:00 (tournament list is wrong and also a bigger buy in) I stayed for the deep stack. Loved the set up, I forget the buy in but 4,000 chips with 40 minute levels. 4 tables, went through 2 breaks and then made the worst play in a long time. Only 11 left, I’m average in chips and playing pretty solid. I had KQ in small blind, just called the BB, (first mistake). Flop is J3A. I bet testing for an Ace, he calls. Turn is my miracle 10 giving me the straight, I check, he checks. (mistake 2) River is another J, I bet 1k he raises to 3k. The J is one of my few scare cards, my only play should be to call, if I’m beat so be it, I’m still ok with chips one away from final table. Like a donkey I raise to 9k (mistake 3 ). He pushes all in I have @ 5k left. He can only have a FH, I call (mistake #4). He turns over J3. Hard to make 4 mistakes in one hand but I did (or even 5). They say confession is good for the soul, I’ll not make that mistake again. All I can remember about this trip was how bad I played that hand. Hit 2:00 am Binions again. Gave a guy my tournament schedule from AVP (had at least 5 people ask where I got it, so should be some new recruits to AVP) when I got knocked out, had steak and eggs at 5:00 am, 3 hour nap, flight home, what a trip. Day 3 $365 - $220 fees for $145. Total of over $1300 profit on tourneys, lost a few hundred on cash games, even on craps. Venetian and PH are great rooms, Caesars is also very good. Can’t wait to go back.