The goal of this trip was to play poker till my eyes bled and to make enough money to pay for the trip in its entirety. I pretty much did both. This included about 20 hours of 4/8 limit play, 8 tournaments and 2 SNG's. Also managed some time for blackjack, LetItRide, ponies and football.

I played 3 tournaments at Binion's, making two final tables (7th and 9th) good for about $600. Played two tournaments at MGM, making one final table (8th), good for $225. And one each at Aladdin (6th good for $175), Sahara and Imperial Palace.

We got into Vegas around 3 PM on Wed. Had enough time to get settled at the MGM and have a nice dinner at Binion's Steak House before venturing down to the 8 PM $70 tourney. I played well and was rewarded with a 7th place finish, good for $350.

On Thurs, we started with the 11 AM $65 at the MGM. This tourney is just OK. You start with $1200 and the rounds are 15 minutes so you have no time to ride out runs of bad cards. This tourney is designed to be done in 2-3 hours and it is. I was knocked out about mid-way through when I had KQ and the flop was KJ2. I bet modest and got two callers. The turn came out a K, and I went allin. Got one caller who turned over a K2 for the full boat.

We played limit all afternoon. I was up a couple hundred early but I gave it back grinding through a couple of hours of genuinely ugly cards.

We then made our way back to the Aladdin for their 7 PM $50 tourney. This tourney is better, you start with $1500 and rounds are 20 minutes so it moves at a good pace but not unreasonably so. Only had 56 players and I got close to being knocked out when four of us went allin preflop. I had AK of diamonds and the other three had AA, QQ and KJ. When the flop came out AQJ, I thought I was toast, but I caught running diamonds to give me the flush and the chip lead. The poker gods got even though. When we got to the final 6, the others offered to chop it 6 ways ($410 each) and having the chip lead, I declined. I then proceeded to lose three consective big hands to put me out 6th, good for $175. Que sera.

When my roommates decided to retire, I went down to the Sahara for the 11 PM $42 tourney. This starts with $1500 and you can rebuy anytime in the first hour for $20. While I didn't do well, I very much liked the format. I would blame my middle of the pack finish on being unable to keep my eyes open, but since I don't think I had a playable hand for the first hour and a half, I'm not sure it mattered much.

Friday morning, it was more limit play at the MGM where I made $200 before venturing back to Binions for the 2 PM $70 tourney. I made the final table again, but was very shortstacked and got blinded out fairly quicly to finish 9th, good for $250.

After the tourney and dinner we decided to head to the Wynn to check out the posher side of town. As usual we played 4/8 limit. The first table I was seated at consisted of an old local rock, two young oriental gentlemen who were very sharp players, an ignorant doctor who wouldn't even reply when you talked to him, a dealer from another casino and a couple of young women. The play was fast and furious with every hand being won by a straight, flush or full house. I thought I was getting decent cards, but was getting crushed by these monster hands. I found myself down $200 in 30 minutes and being pissed off to boot. So I requested a table change to the table my friend was playing. This was a very good move. The players were all very pleasant and we had a great time chatting and laughing while I was nicely working my way back to even. Then a poker players dream arrived. A guy sat down and started giving away money. He explained that he had just sold his company for $100 million and the sale was very stressful and he was in Vegas to relax and blow off steam. He was drunk as a skunk and played to the end on every hand, raising as often as calling whether he had cards or not. Needless to say, this was a table you wanted to play at all night long, and so we did. My friend and I played with him until 5:30 AM when we just couldn't stay awake any longer. I ended up not only getting my $200 back but making $400 profit to boot. Not bad for 4/8. (A note on the Wynn touneys: if you want to play these, be prepared for a LOOOONNGG night. You start with $3000 and the blinds go up slowly with 45 min rounds. The 3:00 PM tournament ended at 1:30 AM the night I was there.)

Was dragging on Saturday, so we didn't play any tourneys. Played mostly ponies, but did venture into the poker room for a few hours of 4/8 and made a modest $80 profit.

Sunday I ventured down to the Imperial Palace to revisit the site of the first live poker tournament I ever played. This tourney is very fast. You start with $1500 and there is one $20 rebuy for another $1000 in chips, but the rounds are 15 minutes and rise quickly, so it favors the lucky player not the good. The place is still a dump and the room is still run about as well as the game at your local country club locker room, but this tournament is always predominantly tourists and first timers so it is highly beatable. So, of course, I was out in an hour and a half. Oh well. Even fish bite back once in a while.

Stopped at the Alladin for a couple sit'n'go's. $55 and top 2 pay $360 and $90. Got knocked out on the first hand of one and finished third in the other. These are really fun if you are looking for a little quick action.

Back to Binions for the 8PM $150 tourney. I went out about mid-way through the field when I had A8 in the big blind ($800) and everyone folded to the small blind who raised to $2000. I perceived this to be an attempt to steal the blind and I came over the top allin ($8000). He hesitated and then called with A 10 and my tournament was over.

Played the MGM 11 AM again Monday morning before catching my plane and managed to finish 8th, good for $225.

A word on the various rooms: The MGM poker room is terrific. I liked everything from the spacious layout, the pleasant and capable dealers and the plentiful number of TV's, to the good number of fishy tourists and location between the lion habitat and the sports book. But their tournaments are not great.

While I really enjoyed staying at the MGM and the Wynn was magnificent (very much like the Borgata in style, for the rest of you from NJ like me). The Aladdin was a pleasant room and the tournament was good but it didn't get alot of cash play while I was there. The Imperial Palace is a dump in all respects, enough said. But when it comes to tournament poker, I still love Binions the best. The place is run down, dirty and dingy. But it is still steeped in poker history and alot of the dealers have been there long enough to have witnessed that history. They are rumpled and old and vary from stoic to hysterical but they run a good game and the feel of the room is comfortable and pleasant. No breast implant waitresses that act like you are bothering them. No pissy dealers that won't condescend to talk with you. Just good people, good poker and good times.

I came to Vegas with $1800. I ate well (Binions, Emeril's and Wolfgang Pucks), saw the Eagles concert, and was betting something all week, and I left Vegas with $1800. That's a win no matter how you slice it. And I can't wait to come back and do it again.