After a disappointment at PH on Saturday, my brother and I woke up late Sunday morning and decided to head over to TI for the 2pm tourney. We stopped by the Deli for lunch, got some latkes for hanukah, and watched as the Lions choked away another football game. God hates you Kitna.

The TI room was small, yet inviting, only around 8 or 9 tables, but the staff was very friendly and didnt make you feel like an outsider. No real big hands of note in this tournament. Made the final table short stacked, right at the break. First hand back, the BB which was 2,000 wasn't in his seat so his hand was mucked. Sensing some free money, plus a decent hand (Q10 suited) with only 4 BB left, i figured no was as good a time as any to push. The small blind hesitated for a long time before finally calling me. He flipped over AK suited. Jeez, what took him so long. I was happy to be live in cards and suit. The flop brought hope with a 10, but also despair with an ace. I didn't improve, and had now gone 0 for 2. 2 Final Tables. No cash.

With time to kill before deciding what 7pm tourney to do, we decided to go over to the Wynn. I'd never been. It was very maze like to get in and around it, but once we were there we were struck by a WPT table game and a clever dealer named Rick. It was basically a headsup poker showdown between you and the dealer, best hand wins, bonus money for pocket pairs or making 3 of a kind or better. On the first hand my brother sat down at, the board showed quad 3's and he made 200 dollars just like that, paying 40 to 1 on quads. Of course, I plunked down my 100 and lost it fairly quickly. I still liked this game, and would play it again on the trip with similar results. I'm just not the biggest fan of table games. The reason I like poker is you get to see your cards, then decide if you want to put money in. In blackjack and the like, you put your money in, then are allowed to see your cards.

We enjoyed playing at TI and didn't really want to walk anywhere further, so we decided the headhunter tournament was our 7 o'clock destination. I had won both my NFL bets, so the earlier tournament was bothering me at all. Every time you put money down it's a brand new day. $125 buyin. $50 dollars for each person you knock out. So even if you don't make the money you could still recoup some of your buyin. 40 players entered and sitting at my table was TheOD and ilikecheese. I didn't know that then, but could sense from their banter that they were regulars and likely AVP guys. ilikecheese put an extra dollar on TheOD's head, and OD put a five spot on cheese. The room manager then stated that whoever knocked out OD would also get a 25 dollar restaurant voucher. All thing considered, I'd like to stay out of their way. I think of my table image as tight-aggressive. I think people may underestimate me at first, but I really do a lot of thinking underneath my quiet exterior. So, nothing happened the first level, then with blinds at 50/100 some big hands came up.

On the button I had AK and raised to 350. OD in BB called. The board came all rags and we checked it down the whole way. He said, 'Your AK is good' as he showed his KQ. I figured if i bet and he comes over the top I'm screwed, so why bet there with position. But still, I came off as a little weak, unable to pull a continuation bet. Next in middle position I look down at 99 and raise to 350 again. This time ilikecheese calls in the BB.

Flop: K K J

He checks. Hmm. I check, figuring he can raise knowing I don't have a King. Turn is a 10. He bets 600. I think for a while before raising it to 1800, almost half of my stack. Now I'll make him have to have a big hand to play. After some delibiration he folds as TheOD says 'Nice AK again'. Then I do something I rarely do and show the bluff. Partly to feel good about myself, partly to say, hey, I'm not as dumb as you all think I am. The table audibly is surprised and theOD congratulates me on a successful bluff. I'm buzzing and I look down at my next hand and see QQ. Perfect. Raise to 400 this time. Now, OD wants a piece and calls from the button. Hopefully I can set him up if he thinks I'm a bluffer.

Flop: 8 4 3 (2 diamonds)

I feel good about that flop and fire out 600. OD calls.

Turn: Q!

Gin! Pause for a moment, and figuring the best way to make money is to bet right at it, make it 1200. OD calls once more. There are now two flushes out there, spades and diamonds.

River: 8 of spades

Completing a spade flush, filling my boat, and making me absolutely giddy. I put another 1200 out there praying that he raises me. He heard the prayer and min raises back. I think for about 8 seconds before annoucing all in, which isnt that much more. OD calls of course and I flip over my boat. And he literally jumps out of his seat in horror. He later states that he river 3 8's and put me on tens or jacks. But the 25 dollar voucher, the 50 dollar bounty, and cheese's dollar bill are all mine, plus the chip lead. I have to go over to my brother's seat and share my spoils.

I now feared at my table, both for my stack and my style, and I chip up pretty well collecting some short stacks along the way. With two tables left I tangle with ilikecheese again with the flop of K 8 x. I check with KQ and he bets 2500 and he checkraise him all in. He thinks for a long time asking if i have anything. He's perplexed at my play, probably deciding if I'm just pushing my weight around and bluffing him again or do I have him beat. Unfortunately for him he chooses, the former and I flip my KQ to his 10 8. The turn and river don't help and OD's 5 dollars are mine! We soon get to the final table after I get extremely lucky against two short stacks when I'm in the big blind with 9 3 and turn two pair. Double bounty! The final table's biggest hand for me was when against a good opponent who limped early, I limp late with AK hearts, not something I usually do. The flop is A A Q and when i gets to me I bet 2k with two callers. The turn is a fourth heart and I bet 5k with one caller. The river completes my nut flush, but still am weary of a check caller. He checks and I put out 5k again, which happened to be the perfect amount. Anything bigger he may have laid his A3 down. I had him the whole way, and made a flush to boot.

I had another double knock out against two shorter players when my 910 suited put down 44 and AQ. I really loved that situation. The odds are so close, and as a matter of fact, I just calculated it, and my 910 was the favorite in that situation. When it got down to headsup I was down maybe 2 to 1 but i crawled back to the chip lead when this australian guy who loved to chase his draws missed. Now it was I was 2 to 1 and had him crushed in a showdown K7 v K2 but he turns a 2 and now we're back to even. We decide then to chop 700 a piece and along with my 11(!) bounties, collect 1250, tipping 100 to the dealers. I really think that tipping the dealers is important in tournament play, and have seen too many people short them. I think the Aussie only left like 25 for his 950. Afterwards, I was super pumped, proud of the way I played, and my bro and I celebrated at the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian. Though I dont think the spicy chicken rolls agreed with him.

One last note about the TI tourney: There was the Brit guy there who was so obnoxious. Chastising people's play. After someone called his short all in with 99. He was like, "You call with that rubbish". He called my brother a scumbag, Playfully, he said. When asked if British people are supposed to be polite he retorts, "we ask you to PLEASE fuck off." Luckily, he did not make it to the final table.

Next day, we played the 12 pm Venetian deep stack where I was pretty card dead. A huge room that smells nice. And can I just say the scenery was push-up tastic! Seriously, the waitress didn't spill any drinks, but they sure were spilling out of their tops. I was all in against my brother and beat him when my 44 held up against his KQ. So I have that hanging over him, though he bluffed me out of a pot with a board of K J J J 9 when i had the 9. He had A 10. He was playing much better than me, hoping to duplicate my success from the night before. After my AK couldnt hit vs. 88 with about 40 people left he was left carrying the family torch. They were paying the top 9 places with the first prize of nearly 5k, and the final table was in sight, but he was eliminated in 15th place when his QQ couldnt hold against AK.

After eating dinner at Joe's Stone Crab, where the crab claws tasted like baby meat, and the Filet on the bone was worth every penny, my brother was not feeling well, and went up to the room. I ventured to the 11 oclock tourney at Caesar's one last thrill before the plane back home.

I was definitely the most comfortable I'd felt all trip. I was chatting up the three cowboys in stetsons to my right. Making friends with the tattoo artist to my left. And playing some pretty good poker in between. I never got really big, but I was well respected at the table. I think playing online really helped we understand where I was standing on a hand to hand basis. Chips in accordance to blinds. How much time was left. Nursing my stack. By the time we got down to the final table it was well past 3, and I was pretty whipped. They were paying the top 4 players, and I wasn't looking to hot. Then I got on a rush, and grabbed almost an entire round of blinds and antes that really added up. We got down to 4 people and were all pretty equal, so we figured enough was enough and chopped it 5 ways, right down the middle. I returned to my room at 415. And poured myself into bed.

Check out the next day was a breeze, and for some reason when I saw Jerry Yang, I asked for his autograph, not that I really am a fan, but he was very cordial, and signed "Play to WIN" on my Ace of Spades. Well this trip I did, baby, and once again it paid off. For a poker tournament profit of around 1400 dollars.

Vegas, you're my bitch.