After being back home for a week I finally had the time to sit down and post a trip report. Well here goes... So I finally arrive to Las Vegas on May 26 Memorial Day. Flew out of Austin, TX in the morning and arrived to Vegas and it was still morning. Having the time setback for two hours made that Monday a real long day for me. I don't know how people handle jet lag that fly in from across the world. Flew out with my friend and his wife and we met up with his cousin in Vegas and his cousins wife. So I was basically a 5th wheel lol. Was suppose to be more people but some bailed at the last minute and whatnot. Anyways, onto the trip.

Took the cab to our hotel which was the Excalibur, stored up our bags and we grabbed a bite. I planned on playing some poker at night and just wanted to check out the strip during the day by going in and out of various casinos. Plus the fact that I was the only poker player in the group, I knew I would have to go on my own time to play. Didn't want to be rude and leave my group already. So I had to play poker on my mind later on that night so I DIDN'T PLAN on drinking alcohol. Well before dinner time we were checking out the mall at Caesars Palace and came across a Fat Tuesday. First time seeing a Fat Tuesday and was mesmerized by their drinks. Decided I'll have just a little drink. Bought a 48oz Bacardi 151 fruit frozen drink and so did everyone else. After walking around and killing that we went to go eat. Well sad to say after having that drink it putted me in the mood to swig. Which is not good for my poker session later on. Grabbed some dinner and did more drinking.

Went to the Bellagio to watch Dian Diaz perform at the Fontana lounge. While watching the show I continue to kill beers. By the time the show was over I was pretty hammered. We decided to play craps. My first time to ever play craps. So I was pretty much betting on what my friends were doing. After awhile I kind of got what I was doing. Bought in for $40 after roller coasting I cashed out for $80. It was probably 1am at this point and we take a cab back to the Excalibur. Say gnite to my friends I decide to play my first poker session in Vegas at MGM Grand.

Walked over the the Grand and bought in for $200 to play some 1/2 NL. Like I said I told myself to not play drunken poker while in Vegas but it was too late for that. I really can't recall any hands. I just remember that my table had 3 people missing for a good 45mins with their chips sitting there. We played shorthanded for a long time until finally they broke up our table. I get seated at another table and before I know it I blew my $200. Sorry for not being able to recall any memorable hands. I wish I could remember what knocked me out. Oh well thats poker and alcohol for me. Walked back to my room and called it a night.

-$200 1/2 NL

May 27

2nd day I woke up hungover and got some breakfast. Made a $20 bet on the Spurs/Lakers game. Betted on the Spurs since I'm from TX and all. Grabbed some lunch at the Harley Davidson Cafe. It was some good BBQ. Since I knew I had two more days left I didn't really want to play poker this day incase I would lose it all. Watched the b-ball game. Spurs lost by 2 points and lost my bet. After the game we decide to do a little gambling. So I decided to work on my misc gambling bankroll and play more craps and roulette. Overall blew my profit from the night before and another $40. Watched the Bellagio Fountain show and I was really impressed. We actually watched several shows and just chit chatting. Nothing real exciting from this day other than toward the end of the night we all got drunk. Told my friends that I'm planning on playing the Noon Venetian tournament the next day and they said they plan on being at the pool all day.

May 28

Got up and got ready and took a cab to the Venetian. Signed up for a players card and paid my entry. Early on I was blowing chips and by the second level I was already down to 3.5k. Decided to tighten up and play TAG. Was card dead for awhile. Picked up little pots here and there. Worked up to 6k. Then the last hand before break I pick up A6 off in the cutoff. Middle position (2nd chip leader) makes a 2 times big blind raise. I flat call figuring I will play one last hand right quick before break. Flop comes AA4 rainbow. I'm thinking hell yeah in my mind. Villain makes a potsized bet and I flat call. Turn is a 7. Villain makes another bet and I decide to raise and he calls. River is a 9 and he bets and I go all in and he insta calls. He has AJ and the jack plays, so I bust out of the tournament on the last hand before break. I say nice hand and walk out. So now I'm down -$150 for the day. Total of -$350 in poker. Called my friends and they are still at the pool. Decide to grab some lunch on my own and play a cash game session at Planet Hollywood.

Walked into PH and signed up for a players card. Spinned the wheel and of course no luck on that. Buy in for $100 for some 1/2NL. No wait at all, but being 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon could be the reason. Sat down and was card dead for a good hour. Dwindled down to about $80. Seemed like everyone was card dead and everyone was playing real rock solid tight. I don't know how many times me and the small blind chopped but it was alot. Finally, I woke up with a rush of cards. Caught QQ and KK back to back. First go everyone folded. I figured since I hadn't raised in a long time. KK got some money off that. Two hands later caught KK's again and won a decent size pot. Sorry I can't remember any real specific flops or what the Villain had. My little rushed slowed down. Played from 3pm till a little past 7. My friends texted me to see if I was hungry and if so to meet up at the Monte Carlo for the buffet there. I was hungry and decided to cash out. Ended up cashing out at $195. Four hours of play and only made profit of $95. PH was a grind but I enjoyed the poker room alot. Think I will stay at PH next time I go to Vegas. So now I'm at -$255 in poker and hiked over to the Monte Carlo.

After eating the buffet at the Monte Carlo my friends wanted to stay and gamble there. So I watched them play slots for about 15 mins and after my friend earned 200 credits I figured him and his wife would be at that machine for awhile. I decided to play a little quick poker session. Walked over to the the poker room and bought in for $100 1/2 NL. For some reason I do better playing short stacked with only $100. Sat down and after obeserving a few hands I realize this table is a very LAG table. I have this one guy across from me with over $1k in chips. After a few hands I was able to label him as a Hyper Aggressive Loose ATM (HALA) figure I would make up my own term for this guy. Guy to my right told me that the HALA has been getting lucky catching runner runners like crazy and you can't bluff him out of pots. I decide to not get involved with this guy unless I have something good. Early on in the session I had AJ off and made a $12 raise from +2 from UTG. Only one caller and flop comes
10 10 J. I make a $15 bet. Villain re raises to $30. For some reason my gut is telling me he is on a straight draw so I raise doubling his bet. He thinks for awhile and folds saying nice bet. I win little pots here and there. Meantime staying away from the HALA and seeing him call any bet preflot and making $50 bets on the flop with bottom pair weak kicker and catching two pair on the turn just a bunch of stuff like that. Work my stack up too $185 Finally my biggest hand of my whole trip happens. HALA is UTG and makes a $12 bet one caller behind me, I call with pair of 3's and just praying to flop a set, two more callers after me. Flop hits A 8 3 rainbow! HALA makes a $30 bet. Folds to me I raise to $60. Normally, I would flat call but I know this guy is going to call me or raise me the way he has been playing. Others fold and he calls. Turn is a blank. He fires $60 and I go all in. He calls turning over A4. For top pair. River is a 4 giving him two pair but my set holds up and just like that I doubled up my $185 to $370. Guy to my right comments aloud finally someone has won against the HALA. After that I couldn't wait to catch something again against this ATM. After that I didn't catch anything for awhile and continue to see several people double up through this HALA. Well one guy decides to leave and he happens to be friends with the HALA and he leaves as well. I was thinking damnit I just want another double up! After he left play was pretty much back to a normal 1/2 game. Then a particular hand came up. I'm going to discuss this one hand that happened between the shortstack and the guy to my immediate right as a setup for my next hand.

Quick story, the short stack goes all in for $30 something and the guy to my right calls. SS has AA and the other guy has JJ. Aces held up. Very next hand SS goes all in again with 60 something this time. Folds around to me and I look down at JJ!. I;m thinking surely I have this guy beat if anything it will be a race. Well I was wrong, I call his all in and we flip them up and I couldn't believe he had Aces again! Everyone was like whoa!. Guy that had JJ's on the previous hand just shaking his head in disbelief. Well the Aces held up again. So after that hit, I decided to stay for one more orbit and was card dead and decided to cash out while I was still up. Cashed out for $305 made $205 profit. So now I'm -$50 in poker debt. I'm counting only my profits as to paying back my debt. Met up with my friends and they were still playing slots. I had $20 left from my misc gambling fund and decided to just bet it all on roulette. I placed my bet on the far column numbers to left. One of those numbers hit and my $20 was now $60. Cashed that out and watched my friends play slots for a little bit. It was getting late by now (our plane leaves early morning the next day). Walked back to the Excalibur and we decided to play craps right quick. Bought in for $60 and after some roller coasting it was all gone. My friend lost his money too. Him and his wife decide to call it a night. I decide to play some poker right quick and try to just break even on my overall poker loss.

Got to the poker room and had to wait for a good 45 mins. First time I had to wait. All the other rooms it was instant sit down. I bought in for $100 1/2NL and nothing really happened that is interesting to report. Just the usual picking up blinds and small pots here and there. One hand though I looked down at 89 suited. I call a small raise in late position. Flop gives me the open ended straight flush draw. Villain keeps betting but making it cheap for me to chase. I ended up catching a regular flush on the river and he had top pair. I won a nice little pot. Cashed out my chips for $163. Decided to cash out cause it was 3am at this time and I'm going to have to get up and leave the hotel by 6:30am. I thought about doing an all nighter but I was pretty tired and had been playing poker practically all day.

So quick summary on Poker Earnings:
-$200 MGM
-$150 Venetian Tourney
+95 at PH plus $100 buy-in
+205 Monte Carlo plus $100 buy-in
+63 Excalibur Plus $100 buy-in

Take home $663 from poker.

Like I said I had a real fun time and my only regret was getting wasted and playing drunken donkey poker at MGM and playing real LAG poker too early at the Venetian Tourney. Will definitely play that tourney again and be more tighter early on whenever, I go back to Vegas.

Well I got back home and one of my friends got engaged while I was gone. He wants to have the bachelor party at Vegas!. So looks like I'll be back sometime next year around March or so. Well I'm going to start saving up more for that trip cause I'm sure a bachelor party can be quite expensive. Sorry for the long read and if you read it all thanks.