I received offers in the mail for free rooms in Vegas this fall and decided to go 12/12-12/18. I regularly play at Caesar's Indiana so my rooms were at Rio and Bally's. I planned to play some limit poker but, as this trip report indicates, limit action is pretty hard to find in mid-December.

At the start of the week, my parents were in town so I ended up only playing later at night. Thursday night I headed to Caesar's looking for a limit game, but found only 3-6, (a little small for my taste). I ended up going back to the Rio on the last free shuttle of the night and closing down the 3-6 game there off about 100. I know, I know, I just said 3-6 is too small for me, but it was the first night in town, needed action, and too tired to go anywhere else.

Second night I was determined to find a limit game higher than 3-6, so I headed to venetian (4-8 didn't look good), mirage (4-8HK seat never opened after 90 minutes) and Caesar's again (3-6 only). Like I said, I'm primarily a limit player, so this lack of action was discouraging to me, to say the least. I went to bed vowing to find a limit game to my liking somewhere.

Third night my sis arrived so I showed her around a bit and had a couple drinks, deciding that to play NL, I needed lubrication. Anyway, I sat down at the Rio NL table and just started winning. I never even showed a hand, not that I had any good ones except the 99 I took the last pot with. I ended up 139 for about 2 hours of play.

Fourth night played in the 11PM tourney at caesar's, lost in the first level when AA lost to AK. This seems to be how my tourneys go.

Fifth night, decided to play NL at Bally's, as we switched rooms and my parents left town. 1-3 blinds, which was a little weird since it was the same buy-in range as the 1-2 games. Second session in a row I ended up not showing any hands and winning. Found two tourist types at my table and felted one when I picked off a bluff with mid pair but he just walked away when I called so I raked the pot without showing. Ended up 125.

Sixth night, played NL at Paris because Bally's room is too loud. Two tables of 1-2 going, good mix of tourists and rounder/off-duty dealer types. Started out down, but took a $250 pot of a dealer from Bally's when I flopped the flush and let him do the betting with his set until I min-raised the river and he felt obliged to call. Ended up 165.

Last day, tried the Venetian noon tourney on the advice of the reports I've read here. Very good tourney, very bad cards as usual for me in live tourneys. Lost set over set, but his came on the river.

Last night, went to play at Bellagio, but ended up playing table games (up 500) instead. Man, Vegas is dead midweek in mid-December.

Overall, -100 at limit, -250 tourney fees, +429 NL
table games payed for airfare, good trip overall.