Got into Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday and stayed through Friday. We stayed at the Monte Carlo. The poker room at the Monte Carlo is the friendliest in town. They have 2-4, 4-8, 4-8 with a half kill and a no limit game with 1-2 blinds or 2-5 blinds depending on the day. This is a very friendly game, a few good locals but mostly tourists, some that are good and some that are not. The room offers good high hand jackpots in the limit games but not in the no limit game. The drink service was excellent. I made money in the no limit game evertime I played. They also have good room rates and a poker room rate for players if you book through the poker room in advance (1-800-311-8999).

I played in the $130 buy in no limit tournament at the Mirage on Tuesday. the game has $100 rebuys and $100 add on for one hour. This was a tough game. I did fairly well. About 2 hours in I got A-J suited and moved all in with one caller. He had a pair of tens, the flop came with a jack and he hit a 10 on the turn to beat me. This was a very aggressive game and was all about drawing out a few times to get into good chip position.

I played 5-10 Omaha 8 with a full kill at the Mirage for about an hour before the tournament. It was a very good game with 5 or 6 players to the flop. I broke even after an hour of play but it would have been a good game to stay in if I had the time.

I also played 10-20 hold'em at the Mirage twice on the trip. Durring the Super Bowl it was a fairly good game with lots of action and a good mix of players. I also played in this game on Tuesday night and had a far different experience. That night it was the toughest game in town. Seven very tight locals were in the game and very little action. I should have left after half an hour. I couldn't catch any cards and never got a flop to go my way. After three hours and $240 I got smart and moved on. The drink service was marginal.

I played at the Bellagio early Wednesday morning for about three hours and made $400 in the no limit game. This was a great game with a good mix of players. A couple of tight locals and several tourists over their head. Half the tables were removed from the room and they were starting to do an addition. I also played in this game durring Thursday afternoon. On Thursday the poker had been moved out on to the casion floor in a roped off area. The room will be adding 10 tables when it is complete. The no limit game is a must move system with two or three table going. The first table was great with tourists coming, busting out after their first $200-$400 and leaving. The second table was alot tighter with about half locals and half tourists. It was still a good game until the worst player at the table called two all in bets from other players, sucked out on the river both times and left with the $800 he had lucked into. When he left with his money so did I. I had made $600 in about three hours.

I also played at the Rio for about an hour one night before a show. The room is attached to the sports book and seemed OK. It had a fairly good mix of players and the cocktail service was decent.

Over all it was a very good trip and the no limit poker at the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo was excellent. I did not play the no limit game at the Mirage but a friend of mine did and had a great experience and made $600 in a couple of hours. If you want to find out where you stand in limit hold'em play the 10-20 game at the Mirage. Overall I came out $1,000 up in poker after five days of play even after getting beat up at he Mirage.

If you go to Vegas, good luck.