I had business in Orange County the week of 4/17 and as any good poker player would do, I flew out the Friday before the week of work! I had tournaments all planned out for the LA and surrounding area but that all changed when I got a taste of Hawaiian Gardens and an itch to play at the Venetian!

I played in the $155 at HG on Friday, with starting chips of T2k and 25 minute levels, it wasn't much better than what I experience in FL. I was totally let down by the facilities. I wasn't expecting a Vegas style card room but I wasn't prepared for the "warehouse" type setting and exposed ceiling. A VERY odd feeling for sure! I ended up busting with a hand I'll vow never to play again, the dreaded AQ! I raised from early position and got heads-up to the flop with position. Villain led out for 200 and I raised to 600 which was flat-called on a Qx7 board. Turn provided me with a 3rd queen but all was for naught as it filled him up and I was prompty heading for the door. 257 entrants on a Friday afternoon, Cali sure does love it's poker!

After that experience, I ditched the weekend plan, mapped out the route to Vegas and early Saturday morning, I was on my way to the Venetian! I "landed" at TI right around 10:30am, making the drive in about 3 1/2 hours. I got registered then wandered off for some wake-up juice and eats. I've said it before and I'll say it again, man do I LOVE this room and I LOVE this tourney!

Cards in the air at noon and when all was said and done, there were 81 total entrants. It was a true rollercoaster ride as I went into the 1st break at around the starting stack of T10k, not great by any stretch of the imagination but not bad either considering the structure. I was able to chip up twice catching QQ and AA in the bb against an agressive lp player, but both times I was short and all it did was get back in the chip hunt. Bad for me but good for Binion's, I busted early enough to head downtown for the 8pm tourney. I'd pushed from the sb with 34 and got looked up by the bb who put more than 1/2 his stack in the middle with pockets 5s....WTF? I flopped a str8 draw but I needed him to hit a set which didn't happen, and off I set for Freemont Street.

I got down there early enough to introduce myself to Jennifer. She actually recognized my screen-name and even read my "insane" post. $200 total with the rebuy but a "short field with only 5 tables starting made it a bit of a damper. Word is getting out as it should, it's a good struture for the price and I know my structures! No auto-shufflers and some "been around the block" dealers but it is the birthplace, right?! The tournament was overrun with the crew from NWP, headed up by Brian "The Icon" Micon (?sp). It was a pretty fun evening with most of the crew cutting up and playing hard against each other, really made it enjoyable, even for a over-the-hill player like myself. Others didn't take it so well, but damn them! It was another up and down nite as I played a game I'm not accustomed to but look to get better at playing. I ended up getting my money in the middle against an early short-stack pusher while holding pocket tens. We got 2 more callers and it was JJ v TT v QQ v AA and the aces held booting 3 of us out onto the streets on LV!

By now, I wasn't looking forward to heading back to LA but Vegas was booked solid and I wasn't in the mood to pay $300 for a short over-nite stay. I decided to head down 15S to check out the room availability in Jean and Primm, barring getting a room, I'd drive back. Thankfully I scored a cheap room in Jean, about 30 minutes south of the strip and after a decent sleep, I was headed to Caesars for the noon tourney, then the long drive back.

$130 total and I got settled in for a hopeful session of good cards, but that was quickly quashed as we found ourselves seated with a OBNOXIOUS drunk know-it-all. I was laughing it up, having a good time and making table friends as usual which this guy HATED. I got called a mother farker and was told my chip protector was farking gay. That got him his one and only warning...no more friends after that...LMFAO! This guy went on a table tear, ripping into hands and players alike. Management kept a close eye but he never pushed the line enough to get booted and the drinks kept coming his way. Once again, I found myself on the bad-end of cards, playing the push-bot short-stack. When the table folded to me in late position, I pushed with JTs on "his" blind and he called (I had him covered) without a second thought. He tabled J7 and with a flopped 2-pair, I busted the ARSE and became the table hero! 2 table changes later, I open push when I spy a lone ace but get looked up by AQ and AA, AQ turned a straight and that was all she wrote. I hit the road, wishing I'd left the nite before and the drive took over 6 hours with traffic and delays.

Last but not least, with work looming, I had to get setup for a week of training. After completing the business side of the trip, I decided to ditch my original plans of playing the Commerce on Monday and opted for The Hustler after talking with fellow 2+2r Scooterdoo. I was much more impressed with this facility, more along the lines of what I'd expected! It was a $125 with a single $100 rebuy which I took right away, and must've been the only one out of the 129 registed as I got some seriously odd looks! Most simply rebought when they got low or busted....VERY odd!

T3k in chips and starting at 25/25 with 25 minute levels. Auto shufflers and decent dealers kept the game moving but it seemed like I was the only one who didn't know anyone in the room as it was a 129 person home game! I chipped up with AA in the sb, just completing, praying the bb had a hand. He pushed, I called, my hand held. I caught again with AK against a weaker ace and we were off, or so it seemed. I lost with AQ v AT when trips took the wind outta my sails. Firmly in short-stack mode, I made the most of my marginal hands and position, allowing me to make the money for the 1st time in 4 days! They paid 18, again odd, as 18-16 only paid out $250, a WHOPPING $25 over the total buy-in. Ended up busting 13th, for $275. Somehow though I'd still lost money as I tipped out $5, had 2 beers for $10 total then bought a cool card-protector from George Malowe (just a .com) who makes the little cermaic characters that reminded me of Von Dutch and Robert Crumb, for $50. Had a great time and met some really cool players, overall, no complaints at all!

Tuesday (today) was the first day of training and after a LONG day, it was not in the cards to play cards. I do plan on making the $225 Stars&Stripes event at The Bike tomorrow nite, wish me luck! What a week!