Day 8 Logged some wins at 1$ 10/7 DB VP and went to check out the Nugget poker room...notched some small wins at 2-4 and 3-6 waiting for a NL seat.....

Head over to the Rio and play a 325 Satellite.....I used a 500$ lammer to buy myself in to the 325, and a total stranger behind me into a 175, and he gave me his cash buy in.

I raise on the second hand w/ aT and the flop comes A22 with 2 diamonds against a young kid who had actually missed hand 1. I bet 2/3 pot and he calls...hmmm...turn is a queen....he bets 250 and I checkraise to 600....he flat calls. The river is an ace...to give me aces full....i push in the rest, and he calls....with AQ.....lovely. I head to the Palms as I don't think I'm in the mindframe for more poker....

Day 9
Up hell early at the IP (6:AM) First people I see as I head to the elevator are 3 ~22 year olds drinking out of a fifth of JD.

I head downtown and drop 1500 at VP, then register for the Nugget "grand' series horse event. I have an hour to kill so I head to the CAl and make AAAA for 800 at VP. Then, I watch a 'true' VP expert in action.

At the 4 queens, on the 10/7 DB machines, I am getting crushed. Cannot make a quad. The "Gorton's fisherman" strolls up in slow motion (wool hat, grey beard, corncom pipe, questionable dentistry). He draws my attention b/c it takes him 5 full minutes to sit down and paly a hand. I watch. First hand he is dealt 222Ax. He keeps the 222 AND THE ACE, and pulls quads! I check to see if he is playing the game where you are payed extra for an Ace kicker......NOPE. I query him as to why he kept the Ace. " I've been playing for 50 years,....rash...shmrfl" But sir, this game hasn't BEEN AROUND for 50 years......URGGGGH I am frustrated...He keeps an ace kicker EVERY TIME he gets one. I later see him hold a SINGLE 9, and get dealt the other 3 9s. I am ready to whack this guy with craps rake. Tally: Me: -700, Gorton's fisherman +125

I head to the horse tournament....not particularly well run...I last 6 hours but go out ~80/120 I get all my money in with AT on a t84 flop, and with 67 on the turn river, 99 makes a straight.

No more day nine poker.....

More Video poker punishment at the Palms and Gold Coast on Day 10.....I meet a waiter from the RIO buffet that says that Dennis Phillips left a 3 dollar tip for his party of 4.

After 10 days, I am now down 1100, of which 150 is due to poker.

Day 11; June 16th
Nothing is going right...can today improve?

I head to the Rio and finish 3rd in a SNG.....-175; also drop 200 at craps an 150 at 1$ 9/6 JoBetter VP.

Lunch with Poker Playing Nephew (PPN) has him telling me a story from the previous nights poker. Apparently the player next to him has the identical cell phone, and has it in the cupholder in front of him. When victim leaves the table, PPN swaps phones. 30 minutes later, PPN CALLS victim.....victim looks at phone....sees different wallpaper and strange phone number, is confused......whole table starts laughing.....

I do laundry and head to Orleans for poker....I play 4-8 1/2 kill and scrape up 130$ in 2 hours.

The BBJ at the Orleans is now at 135000.

I slow my VP down, take my 200$ loss for the day......How about an up day soon??

Day 12
No Poker...

I'm developing a serious sinus/respiratory infection...limit my play to being beaten up at 1$ 10/7 DB.....drop a grand and spend much of the day in bed.

Friday June 18th Day 13.
feel better but not awesome.....drop another 800$ at MSS at VP, then reload at my Mirage box. I chase the BBJ at the Orleans at the 4-8 1/2 kill game.....I lose 297 in 3 hours, winning only 2 pots. I have lunch at the BAD Orleans buffet, Drop another 1500 at '10/7 DB" (Optimal play MY ASS!) I am now down about 4600$ for this trip.....

Can this be the low point? I hope so....

Over to the Nugget.... I win about 440 in 2:30 at the 1-2 table and see the Duke of Fremont for the first time.....why doesn't someone mug this guy? He may be a nice guy....but carrying around 40k and spreading it on the table is just STUPID!

I also drop 100 at craps, and 300 or so at VP, and end the day -4781 for the trip, but up a couple hunred at poker.

I drive to the IP to eat at HHaGG with the PPN, and meet his friend David from California, who plays primarily 5-10. PPN has gotten his head handed to him the last 2 days at poker by David and others, and is now up only 1500 (Wahhh!)

They head off to the Rio or Hard Rock and I spend the afternoon digesting a huge HHaGG meatloaf sandwich. I go back downtown and drop 200 at VP; I have no patience to play poker right now. In MSS, I spot an 8-5 Bonus Poker 1$ machine with a 4800$ Royal....I play about 20 hands and am dealt the AKQJ8 of hearts. I throw away the 25$ flush and out pops the ten of hearts....WOOHOO!!!

That 4800 closes the week out at:

Poker +450 ish
VP -550 ish

-100 after 2 weeks....

Next week:
More friends in town, found money, and I whack the BIG one!