To end the month of May. Mike and I went to 5 different rooms played for the minimum and kept track of who won. I get about 5 bad beats.

The first room I go to is the MGM. We intend on playing the $.50-$1 NL game, $20 minimum buy-in. I get there first. They have 12 1-2 nl games going, but no $.50-$1 going (1st BAD BEAT). For those of you who have never gone to the MGM, its about a half mile walk from the valet to the poker room. So I walk the green mile back to valet. We meet at the Excalibur.

At the Excaliber we played the 2-4 limit game, $20 minimum. Mike loses $20 and I lose $11. OK I am winning, 1 to zero. No bad beat.

On to room 2, the Luxor. This was funny as we were there for a total of 5 minutes. We played either 3 or 4 hands. I posted my big and small blinds, at which point someone raised. I folded and Mike called. Mike proceeded to lose his whole $50 (minimum but-in). OK, now were rolling. I'm up 2 rooms to zero. I've got him on the ropes.

At this point I suggest that the winner of the most rooms should win the competition. Mike isn't thrilled about this so we decide to keep records both ways. This is the point that my arrogance apparently pissed off the poker gods.

So on to the 3rd room, Mandalay Bay. I have the worst record at the Mandalay. I play the Omaha Hi at Boulder better than anything I have ever played at the Bay. I even was Bubble boy at a preliminary WPT $1000 buy-in event at the Bay. Good Times!

So we get there and the only game they have is 1-2 nl going. It has a $100 minimum buy-in. Now this is suppose to be a low limit competition. This buy-in fell outside the parameters. But here comes my arrogance. I said sure. and jumped right in.

And thus I experienced Bad Beat number 2. About 1/2 an hour into the session, Mike was up $150 and I was up $75. Then this hand came around. I was in the big blind with 10-J of Hearts. It gets raised to $6. I call. The flop is 4-10-J. I bet $15. Its raised to $40. so I push. The raiser calls, he has $150, and A-J. So of course the turn peels off an Ace (BAD BEAT #2) and I lose everything but $25 dollars. to add insult to injury he is one of those guys that won't turn his hand over until he knows he's won.

So I end up losing $100 at the Mandalay. Mike wins $147. I am still up 2 rooms to 1. If I win just one more room I am home free. So on to Bills. And their $.50-$1 game.

As I have always told you guys. We attract groupies. This group has a crush on LVMike. Two prominent AVPers showed up at Bills: AdRock and TonyBigCharles. That's right the man himself, TBC. Of course I am honored. The only legitimate AVP pro is on one of the EAs. I'm humbled.

After about one rotation, Mike and I want to get the hell out of there. So when I am in the big blind and he is the small. Mike says, "if its folded to me, I am pushing blind." I agree. Its folded. We push. I have K-Q. Mike has A-9. (BAD BEAT 3) Mike hits an Ace and wins the competition at bills.

OK 2 to 2. No problem. I just need to win the El Cortez and I'm home free. We sit down in the 1-3 spread limit game. Your hero gets up $40 instantly. Mike is up like $5. I've got him. Victory is mine. Then I hit a hand and get counterfitted. I flop K's full of 8's. It comes 10, 10. so I chop the pot. (BAD BEAT 4).

We still had 20 minutes left. Then the hand that defined the competition was played. I call preflop with A-8 of clubs. Mike and I are heads up. The flop has 2 clubs. on the turn, we get into a raising war. The river puts out an offsuit J and Mike wins the pot with a pair of Jacks. He had the J-10 of clubs. He was drawing to 6 outs. (BAD BEAT 5).

So Mike wins 3 rooms to 2. And he wins $133 to my losing $123. the take home message is this: THE POKER GODS HATE ME! For those of you who agree with the poker gods, I hope you've enjoyed this.

See you next time!

SPPerry