I make an annual trip to Vegas for the second round of the NFL playoffs. The goal is always the same, pay for the entire trip and come home with at least as much money as I left with. Thanks to the biggest fish I've ever met, I managed to do just that for the fourth year running. Its hard for the wife to complain about me going when in never costs me a dime.

I played 11 tournaments including 2 at Venetian, 3 at Binions, 2 at Paris, 2 at MGM, and one each at Harrahs and Aladdin. I cashed in four including a first at Aladdin ($400), second at Venetian ($950), third at Binions ($600) and fifth at Harrahs ($270). While I love Binions tournaments, the Venetian ran the best tournaments of the trip. I highly recommend them. Good blind levels and chip stack gives you time to play your cards. Thats all you can ask for.

And while that covered most of the trip, the profit came playing $1/$2 no limit at the Paris. After busting out of a tournament fairly quickly one night, I was seated at a table with a poker player's dream, a guy who just loved throwing chips in the pot. If he had cards he threw chips in the pot and if he didn't have cards he threw chips in the pot trying to make you think he did. So all you had to do was wait for good hands and bet your tail off.

My favorite hand came when I was holding KhTc. I limped in and the flop came out three hearts ace high. When our betting friend bet out $40, I had to take the shot. Two others called. The turn came out another heart giving me the nut flush. The betting machine bet out $100. The other two players folded and while I pondered for effect, he told me "I have the king of hearts. Lay it down." I called his bet and then bet out $200 which he called and rolled over the jack of hearts. So it was all the more satisfying when I turned up my king and he said, "Oops, guess you knew I was lying." I sat down at 8:30 PM and didn't leave until 5:00 AM when I couldn't keep my eyes open. But both me and a buddy of mine left the table with $800 profit for the night. But even at 5:00 AM, my fish gave me grief for "leaving with his money." I told him I would give him another chance tomorrow.

So you can imagine my glee when I returned the next night to find him playing again. I got myself seated at his table as quickly as I could. In almost a repeat of the night before, I had KK under the gun. I raised to $12 and my fish reraised to $50. After everyone folded, I reraised to $150. I think he was pissed and hell bent on taking me down, so he called. The flop was K74. And like deja vu, he bets $200 and tells me he has pocket kings. LOL. I put him all in for the rest of his $300 and when he calls, I roll over the kings. It took me only 45 minutes to clean him out of more than $1000 before he finally gave up and asked for a change to a $4/$8 limit game.

I can't wait until next year. And in my fondest dreams, my friend will be sitting there again waiting for me.