My family and I will be moving to Canada (from California) in September, so we decided (my wife and I and out 2 kids) to visit my parents in Arizona and then off to Vegas for 4 nights. I had hoped to play a lot of poker, especially at all the places I have read about on this site, but with the family with me, I was only able to play at Excalibur. I really wanted to do two things on this trip. #1 play on a NL table (I had previously only played limit) and also play a few tournamnets (played my first one 4 months ago on my last visit to Vegas).

Arrived in Vegas on Tuesday. My true love is betting baseball in the sportsbook. I have been an avid baseball fan/bettor for just about all my adult life. I did quite well on this trip, which gave me the courage to finally try a NL table....

We arrived at Vegas on Tuesday (7/24). Not much gambling but was able to get a bet in at the book against my Dodgers (almost never go against them, but Hendrickson was pitching). Made a nice call and made 500 bucks. I wasn't able to play poker on this night, as we went to see Mama Mia (for the 4th time....)

Wednesday 7/25

Started off playing limit on the 2-4 table. As was my experience last time, the table was filled with many players new to the game and was overall a pretty fun and friendly game. The dealers were nice and kept a good flow of the game. As can always be expected at this game, there were many callers to the river. I played for about 5 hours and finished plus 130 bucks. It was pretty boring waiting for good hands, but a profit was nice. I won't go in to all the details about my sportsbook action, but over the 4 nights in Vegas, I finished up plus (approximately) $1770 betting on baseball. It would have been over 2k, but I tried my hand at betting on the ponies, (getting advice from a buddy back home), whcih cost me about 300 bucks in total.

Thursday 7/26

I was really looking forward to playing the noon tournament at the Orleans again. Got up early, had breakfast with the family and let the wife meet one of her girlfriends at another casino, as I took my 5 and 9 yearolds to the Orleans, got them checked into the day care center (which they really like) and made my way downstairs only to find out there were no tournaments as they were having some other type of tournamnet or open (I think it was over 500 bucks to join....ummm nope). Wow, that was a bummer. The kids would be upset if I were to retreive them so quickly, so I after waiting for about 15 minutes for a seat at either a 4-8 table or a NL table, I got tired of waiting and went to play black-jack (I rarely play this game and swore it off years ago). Mistake playing. Down 150 in around 15 mins. How many times can that dealer draw 5 card to hit 21, with my 20 hand....egaddsss. Later that night I finally decided to play a NL table at the Excalibur. Bought in for the max (200) and sat down. I thought the players were pretty much like me (average) and were in a pretty good mood. I tried playing aggresively early, and my stack shrunk down to about 75 bucks, so I decided to play a tighter game and re-bought to get the 200 chips again (not worried as the baseball Gods were with me on this trip). There was a guy from Sweeden or Norway to my right and I thought he was pretty good (much better than me). At one point I built my chips up to around 700 or so, especially with this hand... A new guy sits at seat 3 just to my left. on his first hand (unfortunatley for him, with his 200 chips) I had 7-8S. The entire table limps in for the 3 bucks and the flop is 4-5-6 rainbow. Bingo. One 20 dollar bet in front of me and I raise to 50 and new player to my right raises to 100. All fold and I go all in. He immediately calls and flips over 3-7 for the lower straight and I take down the pot. The Sweed or Norwegian (lets just call him Euro-man (EM) takes away about 300 of my 700 chips over the next 30 mins or so. He was just out=playing me and had me kind of scared I guess. I really needed to have a solid hand if I were to beat him I guess. A few times i tried raising him, he seemed to always come over the top to put me in for 400 or more chips. He was very aggressive and really seemed to know his game. One hand happened where the Excalibur management made a blunder I think (I was not involved in this hand). If I recall correctly, it went something like this... The guy to my left (who on the first hand I took his stack) was on what appeared to be a open end straight draw. I think the board showed something like 9-10-J(rainbow) and he had the Queen (the table would later find out). EM to my right bets around 200 into a pot that has about 200 in it, which will put guy to my left all in for his remaining 150-200 chips. He is thinking about calling this and just before he does, the dealer turns over the 4th card, whcih was the 8h and would have made his straight. I personally think this guy was tired of EM and would have called. Now we have a problem. I think (but am not sure) the mis-dealt card should have been ruled dead or burned and discarded. Anyhow, the poker manager comes over to make a decision as to what will happen. Now, he did not seem really clear and I was under the impression that he was telling the player to my right that he could call if he wanted to or surrender his chips in the pot. I think he was really saying (he could have chosen the words better) that the exposed 8 card was dead and if the player wanted to make the call, he could fish for another 2 cracks at the cards if he would like. The Exc Mgr was just not clear and I think the player was thinking he was being given the option to make the call and keep th 8 on the board. SO player makes the call and ofcourse another card(s) do not make his straight and now the dealer is attempting to award the entire pot to EM. Immediatley, player to my right protests, saying he would have never made the 150+ call knowing he could now use the exposed card. It was kind of crazy, but I see his point, even though I thought I knew what was happening. Now EM is upset because he wants the entire pot (rightfully so). One other player (2 to my left) says he thought the explanation to the calling player was confusing and he thought the calling player was being given the option to play the 8 card. The manager asked me if I heard anything confusing and I didn't want to have the appearance of siding against the EM (who took many chips off me) ,but to be fair, I did tell hime it was confusing and could see how the calling player made the call. After all, who in their right mind would agree to call knowing their straight card was now burned and to try again? Anyhow the ruling was the EM could take all chips in the pot, but not the 150+ chips the player called with. That pot put EM up over 1k over what he started with (in about an hour of play), but nontheless, he was very hot and angry, telling the Excalibur that there is no such rule in poker which would allow for that ruling (I would agree with him). What are your (AVP) thoughts? Anyhow, I played for a few more hours (very tight) and finished up my first NL experience plus 180 (after the re-buy).

Friday 7/27.

Got up, had breakfast, took the kids to play more kid games downstairs (they must have spent 150 bucks each playing those stuffed animal games...future gamblers for sure), went to the M&M store, had lunch and then saw the Excalibur knight jousint show for the 8th or 9th time (no kidding..it was painful again, especially since I had a new NL craving :)

Finally made it to the NL table once again. but this table was super aggressive (I guess that could be a good thing if you get the cards). It seemed to always go like this. $3 limp, limp all the way around the table (fun family pot right?) and the last guy raises 15-25 bucks. I played for the first two hours and never won a pot. These guys were always raising pre-flop 10-50 bucks. The table was lively and the players were all really cool. Guy to my right was a local about my age and very cool. He sat down about the same time as I did and after a few hours he was up plus 600 or so. I aksed him if he had been to the AVP site and he said no. I told him it is the best place to go and he got a pen and wrote it down...maybe he will see my post. ANyhow, I didn't really play very many hands (only those I could limp in for a 3 dollar peek and my cards really stunk.) I had a big bet on the Phils (1750 to win 1000 and a smaller bet on the D-backs 270 to win 200) so I was basically waiting for both games to finish (Phils were in a rain delay). I had about 160 in front of me when my one and only hand appeared... I get pocket kings and for whatever reason, I limped in (on-line I always lose with kings and this table was crazy). Anyhow just about everybody limped in (figures, no pre-flop raising) and the flop is 10h-Kd-Jh. I bet 50 and guy on the other side of the table raises me (forget how mcuh), but I go all in and he calls. He has 9h-Qh for a flopped straight and possible straight flush. next card is another 10, which makes my boat and he does not make his straight flush. That hand was my only winner and put me up to a bit over 300. My games (baseball finished and I cashed both tickets). I finished up on my second Nl table for a little over 100 bucks and had a blast.

I probably wont be back to Vegas for a few years once we move to Toronto. I guess I will be back sometme during the summer of 2009 and will hit it again. I can still make my bets online (as I have been doing for the past 10 years) and I heard there is a casino in Toronto, so hopefully I can play at the NL table again. I know this was a long post, so hopefully it did not put you all to sleep.

Rob