If you can't tell already, I am not a smoker, nor is my wife. F me to tears with all the nicotine freaks.

Stayed at the Excalibur, because I got an unbelievable rate...did the 20 dollar sandwich trick at check in, and got an upgrade, overlooking the strip...In a non smoking room!!! No complaints

Played at Excalibur, they mostly had a 50cent/1$ NLH going, I like a 1/2 or 2/5, but it was okay to pass the time.

Monte Carlo - Nice room, no real exciting hands, but I did make profit both times I played there.

Binions - Played a few times there too. One night, I'm placed at a 1/2 NLH table, and everyone has about 6 to 8 hundred in chips behind them. Cash plays too, as long as it is hundreds, so some players had cash too. I had this asian kid to my right, and every hand he would raise 30 to 40 bucks. Within an hour, he donked off $2000. Unfortunately, not to me, I couldn't catch a hand, but I did leave up about $40. I left when the Karate kid to my right started being a real prick, and put $10,000 cash on the table, and said lets play... found out the next day, he lost about $7200 that night. He did show up the next day too, only to find out that he was no Phil Ivey. I busted him out of a few hundred and he left...as I did too. Played craps through out the week, gave a few hundred back.

Golden Nugget- Played 1/2 NLH again bought in for $300 and doubled up in the first 2 hands. Had a few friends waiting for me, so I played one time around the table and left with my winnings.

Luxor- Play there was okay, but with people smoking five feet from the tables, made it a little uncomfortable for my wife and I. We did meet some really nice people and had some really good conversation. Thanks to Richard the dealer for telling us about Mary Jane Falls up on Mt. Charleston...was a really good hike, simply beautiful. Most memorable hand of the trip happened here, I had A 8 of spades in the big blind. First to act raises to $15 with 2 callers, next guy goes all in with $57. He gets 2 callers, so now I'm priced in and call...as does everyone else. Flop comes A A 7, all check...turn shows an 8, I bet 25 get two callers, and one is all in...let's not forget....river is a 7. I bet a $100 everyone folds, all in flips over his pocket 7's. He wins the main pot, and a $500 bonus. I made a few bucks off the side pot, but I gotta be honest with ya...I already had the main pot spent...if ya know what I mean.

Swung by the WSOP, was going to play in an event, but really did not want to commit to the time needed to play in a tournament.

If you're a fan of Pinball and remember growing up playing...check out the Pinball Hall of Fame off of Tropicana. Spent several hours there with my wife daughter and friends, had a lot of fun and it brought back memories. Inexpensive fun... as was hiking at Red Rock and Mt. Charleston.

Gotta love Vegas, but it's good to be home, where the air is clean.