Like many people here, this was also my first time playing poker in a casino. I live reasonably close to Foxwoods, but have never played there, and after my wife and I planned a trip to Las Vegas over Memorial Day, I was bound and determined to hit a couple of the rooms out there.

I was staying at the Signature at MGM - really nice property, and really not that far off the strip. You can take the 10 minute air conditioned walk with the people-mover to get to the MGM Studio Walk, or just leave the Signature property and walk 5 minutes up East Harmon Avenue and dive into the Miracle Mile. Either way, you're going to hit a casino with 15 minutes, and its good exercise regardless.

We visited all of the casinos on the strip and I got checked out all of the poker rooms. I was looking to play somewhere relatively quiet, not too crowded, and a relaxed atmosphere. I targeted the MGM, the PH (Planet Hollywood), the Monte Carlo, and the Tropicana.

Second night out there I stopped at the MGM room - it's more like an area than a room, really. It's right next to the Centrifuge bar and is unbelieveably loud. I walked through and realized pretty quickly that I wasn't going to be comfortable in that room. Didn't see much cocktail service either. So I walked throught he MGM Grand and took a quick stroll over to the Tropicana.

The Trop is a small room, sort of run-down, and they have a few management issues that they need to work out. The dealers weren't very friendly either. That said, the cocktail service was attentive and it was a fun place to play - the players were in their 20s, and most were pretty inebriated and seemed to playing loose. I arrived shortly before midnight and bought into their $60 midnight tournament. Only a single table was going, and I was excited to play in my first live tournament and first Vegas casino poker.

Playing in a tourney is a good way to get your feet wet if you've never played at a casino before - I highly recommend trying a low-cost tourney before you sit at a cash game.

Our buy-in was for $3000 in tourney chips and I played tight for the first 20 minutes through the 25-25 and 25-50 blinds. I started to catch some cards and built some decent hands (K-high flush on a flop that I knocked one guy out of the tournament with, a set of Qs that took a sizable chunk of someone else who had top two pair, and a straight to the 10 that knocked out another guy).

I was in 3rd place and there were 4 of us left around 2:30am. Only the top position paid, and he had about 2X the number of chips that I did, so I was waiting for the right hand to make a move. Here's what happened:

Blinds were at 300/600 at this point and I had around $6000 in front of me. Chip leader was on the big blind and had roughly double that. I was on the button and caught 10-10.. EP folded, and I raised it up $800 ($1400 to go). Small blind folded, and big blind called. Flop came Q-10-x (rainbow). Villan checked. I bet out $1000 after some deliberation, he called. I put him on KQ or AQ at this point - he had been playing only quality starting hands as far as I could tell and I had loosened a bit and saw alot of flops as the night had progressed. It seemed reasonable that he'd think that his top pair with the big kicker was good to go. Turn brought another Q (Q-10-x-Q). Villan bet out $1200. I liked my boat and raised all-in with my remaining $3600.

Villan quickly called and obviously had me covered. I turned over my full house, and he turned over a pair of Qs to make quads. Needless to say I was drawing dead. I finished fourth and they quickly chopped the winnings after that (40/20/20 if what I overheard was correct). I was happy with my first showing at a casino tourney though.

I moved over to the cash 1/2NL game at the other table at the Trop. Only 4 players and I bought in for $200. Played TAG and was able to walk away up $90 after winning 2 big hands - most signficant hand was with a loose player to my left and a 10-4-2 rainbow flop. I had K-10 and raised it up $20. He called. Next card came A. I checked. He bet out $25. Something told me that he had crap - I reraised him another $25 to make it $50 to go. He deliberated for almost a full minute and reraised me another $25. I raised all in for my remaining $190 or so and he quickly folded. He graciously flipped over 7-4 and told me "nice raise". I mucked my hand and took down $75 or so. Ended up going back to the MGM at 4:30am up about $90, including the $60 tournament fee. Good times.

I also played at the Planet Hollywood - great tables, good drink service, great management and friendly dealers. Quiet room and quick seating - I highly recommend playing here. Not many tables going - I think there was one 2-4 Limit and two 1-2 NL when I sat the following day around 4pm.

I was up about $180 when an interesting hand came up. I had Q-10 and was in late position when the flop brought Q-6-10 (rainbow) Checked around to me and I liked my top two pair and bet out $15. Got 2 callers, both in early position. Next card brought a 4. Checked around again, I bet out $25. One fold, and one reraise $25 back. I put him on two pairs - probably 10-6 or 10-4. I reraised $25 back at him and after about 30 seconds he called. River was a 9. I started to wonder if he was gunning for the straight and maybe had J-8 or J-K in the hole. I checked to him, all the while screaming at myself that I should bet the hand and force him to a decision. He bet out $40 at me - very quickly. I read it as a bluff and called. Villan flipped over 6-6 for his set. Played for about a 2 hours total and still ended up + $120 when all was said and done at the PH.

Played again at the PH the following day. Note to self: NEVER play poker while trying to watch your favorite basketball team clinch a berth in the NBA Finals. This is never good.

I was up $105 or so and ready to go find the wife for dinner when I got AK in early position and called a $10 pre-flop raise. We went into the flop 5 handed and it came A-K-7. I bet out $25, all dropped except for the guy on the button who called. Next card came x. Bet out another $25, and he reraised me $40. I quickly called - I didn't think he had a set and was trying to overbet his hand to force me out - he'd been doing this all night. Last card came x and I bet out another $25. Villan just called and flipped over Jd 4d for the flush that I had completely overlooked (Ad-Kd-7x-xd-x). Probably should've noticed that when he reraised me $40 after the 3rd diamond dropped on the turn, but I was too engrossed in the final seconds of a Celtics Game 6 victory. Oops. Still ended up profitable (albeit $3) for the session.

Anyway, I was happy with my play. The first session at the PH included dealers who were busting out of a WSOP qualifier behind us and sat with us playing $1/2NL for a while - so I was happy that I was able to hold my own and take down a couple of sizeable pots per hour with players with obviously more casino experience than I had.

If I had any advice for people going to play poker in Vegas for the first time, it'd be this:

1. The game moves fast. Be alert and attentive at all times.

2. Don't get scared of the guys who are good with their chips and roll them or stack them. This takes 5 minutes to learn how to do on youtube and isn't the mark of a necessarily good player.

3. Get used to pre-flop raises. Your home game, even if it is $1/2NL, probably doesn't include $10-$30 pre-flop raises on a regular basis.

4. Be a railbird for the first 15-20 minutes before you sit your first time. Get a feel for the players and how the action unfolds at a casino table.

5. Relax and have fun. Unless you get killer cards in your first 15-20 minutes, play tighter than usual and let the game come to you.

Good luck and happy playing.