My In-Laws live in Vegas so travel there 2x or so a year. This time stayed at South Point, which is close to the relatives. I generally play 1-2 and occasionally 2-5 NL and traveled to the poker Mecca last week from the East coast with high expectations, having plowed...ok plodded though several poker books since my last day trip to Atlantic City.

Started at the GVR (Green Valley Ranch). After waiting impatiently 1/2 hour for a spot to open up on a 1-2 table, I settled for a seat at 4-8 limit just to get some action going after the long plane ride. I'm not much for limit though, which I find somewhat tedious, and dropped $100 or so in a couple hours. Room is okay, hotel is very nice, buffet at GVR is also very good. Hotel room rates are about 2x what the South Point charges, not including the absurd "resort fee" of $29/day. I can't believe hotels still get away with that crap.

Wynn: Nice room that's proximate to the self-park lot and the Ferrari dealership. Was treading water for a couple hours at the 1-3NL table when the following hand played out: I'm on button w/ 28off and limp after 4 or 5 other limpers. Flop comes 22Q. EP player bets $12 and is called by MP player. I raise to $40. SB folds, BB, who is the big stack ponders for a while and pushes. I consider for a moment and call, not crazy w/ my 8 kicker but also only having $125 in front of me and figure the guy pushing may possibly be putting me on a (re)steal and/or won't think I'd be playing a hand with a 2 in it not being in a blind. Other two players fold. Turn is a 5 which gives allin guy a boat. He has 25off. He's 11% to win-- Odds favored a split pot but obviously I got unlucky.

Venetian : Overall I'd agree w/ this site it's the best overall room. Nice tables and chairs, plenty of space and a nice mix of players. Enough vacationers/mediocre players to make for a generally profitable game, at least at the 1-2nl level. By the way the guy next to me ordered a grilled Caesar chicken wrap that came w/ strawberries, tortilla chips and some great looking tart that looked delicious. As for my play, got AK 6 times in the first hour, playing them fast half the time and slow the other half. Didn't hit one flop and didn't take one pot w/ them, even on the hands I continued to bet. So I go into lookdown mode and wait for at least a pair... 40 minutes later finally get 55 and hit a 5 on the turn. Only to lose pot to guy w/ set of 8's. Kinda how my whole week went. Did make a nice pot (around $400) w/ a boat here another day though.

MGM: Won $300 here in 4 hours or so of 1-2nl. This was my first time in this room and I kinda liked it. Tables and chairs okay but the location is right across from the room showcasing two tigers so there's some good people watching (read: young women) to do if you're not in a hand and needing a little mental break.

South Point: Nice hotel, basically the same layout as the SunCoast but 75% larger. It was originally a Coast property and built a little over 2 years ago. Poker room is nothing special but if you're staying at the hotel for the good rate and nice rooms w/ 42" plasmas and don't want to go out to play it'll do. I played here several nights. I'd say 7-8 of the players at the table were locals each time. Were they great? Hmm.. a couple were pretty good. Some were probably at least decent. But most importantly I think is that none were terrible. So the money would have to come from the other 1-2 people. After awhile I became a little uncomfortable here with the chumminess I observed between the regular locals and the dealers. My last hand here: I flop a set of 6's, raise all-in after another player's bet (holding AQ) and lose to runner runner Q high straight. Sick.

I was b/even pokerwise the first five days and up a couple hundred on some dice/21 play but lost 600 final day on poker, which really sucks, but over only down a few hundred.

Bad cards and beats and frankly a least a couple bad decisions on my part calling a couple hands on the river where I was beat.

I'll do some review of my play and start looking forward to next time.