Let’s start in reverse of sorts. Last day in Vegas the Tuesday November 23rd. Being introduced to BlackJack Switch was a $75 lesson before starting a rough 2 hour session at MGM 1-2 NL. All my premium pairs went down. But the worst was when holding J/J and getting pushed post flop of 6/6/9 by a 65ish local cowboy with a pot belly, and an attitude. He raised pre-flop w 7/6 and called my re-raise. He told me he plays 300 days a year, mostly at MGM, so some of you may recognize him.

Had to fold trip J’s on another sizeable pot when straight and flush draws got there. Decided the poker gods wouldn’t let me leave with decent profit, but my airplane was being fueled - time to go.

Rest of trip was a blast!

Arrived Saturday morning the 20th direct from Indianapolis at 9am. No way that a room was ready at Mandalay Bay, so I took shuttle straight downtown for 10am Binions. $60 tourney. Only 25 entrants and I lasted about an hour when I had to push 10/10, into the tightest lady at the table holding A/A ( earlier she raised 6x holding K/K, then told us she did so because she was afraid of an Ace flopping – yes she actually said that to the whole table!)

Binions has a promo that goes like this: When you get felted from tournament, you can play in the 2-4 limit game for 30 minutes – they will then give you $10 back. Killing time, why not go for it? I play exactly 30 minutes, up $4, then was given $10 in chips. Kind of like putting a band aid on a knife slash wound, but nice of Binions to offer that promo.

Still before noon and I want to stick around and play in the 2pm deep stack. So I walk around to different casinos and play some $5 blackjack. Between the California, Vegas Club and Binions Party Pit, I win about $65. I have a soft spot for the California. I like the darker atmosphere, and notice how Hawaiian’s don’t age particularly well (but am surely getting old myself!)

Then the Binions 2pm deep stack arrives.

15,000 chips, 30min levels after the 1st hour. What’s not to like? 103 players sign up for $100, and 12 will get paid a minimum of $162.

What kind of strategy should I employ here? I can splash a few pots and hope to get lucky early, or I can sit back like a rock for several levels. I weigh the options and…..

My strategy was decided for me.

Vegas local on my immediate right open raised almost EVERY hand! Let me describe him for you. About 40 with greased back brown hair combed straight back, sunglasses, and a porn star mustache. He probably carried an oily comb in back pocket (I think I could smell the Pomade hair gel). But his signature clothing wear was his red and black plaid coon-hunters jacket! Stylin’ brother! His coon dogs may have been outside tied to the bicycle rack resting up for the big hunt.

And boy was he running hot. Building a mountain of chips that would be tough for Edmund Hillary to climb. Within an hour he had knocked out 3 players – 2 of them when holding 8/4sooted! I couldn’t get a pot in edgewise! I called a couple of his raises but missed the flop and folded. The world was his. He could’ve almost folded down to the final table. The cash was awaitin’ him.

Yeah right….then his world started to crumble.

I was yet to win a pot 90 minutes in, but doubled through when he raised and I re-raised w A/Q. He pushed with A/6. Nice older lady sitting 3 seats over doubled through him soon after that. Then he started steaming. He verbally and loudly threatened the nice older lady with something like, “You better not play ANY more pots with me, because I WILL go all-in and you WILL fold or I WILL bust you.”

I was surprised the dealer said nothing about that verbal barrage, so I stepped in and said, “guy, take it easy, almost peed my pants.”

He began playing slightly tighter after that, but his demise was inevitable. My guess is he lasted about 3 hours and finished 50-60th. You could see the wispy smoke trailing from his hunter’s jacket as he stomped away from the table, and toward the casino. The whole table started talking about his attitude and playing style – none of which was complimentary.

Enter the next villain.

Very old Vegas local wearing dirty red golf hat and wrinkled, frumpy coat that covered several layers of loose clothing that looked pulled straight out of a dirty laundry basket. He started building chips by stealing blinds. He didn’t talk much, but he giggled when he would win pots. A giggle that made everyone cringe – a giggle that made you feel sorry for his grandkids. About 30 players left, he sucked out on a draw that would have knocked him out. The tourney was nearing the bubble. 7 hours had passed.

Then it happened….

13 left, and 12 are paid. I am shortest stack in tourney with 16,000 chips. Blinds are $4,000-$8,000. Dread is sinking in knowing that I am about to bubble after so much time invested.

At opposite end of table I hear, “raise”, then old villain says, “all-in”. Then followed by, “I call.”

Old Villian shows A/10 and younger player lays out A/Q! Older villain is slightly covered. If he loses (as he should), then I am in the money!

Not to be…a 10 on the turn wins him a huge pot. Then I hear that damn giggle.

What happened next really made me frothing mad…

Younger player who had just lost last hand then asked the director to play 13 spots instead of 12 thereby giving his some consolation for the testicle numbing beat he just took.

The old villain, this man who should now be out of the tourney, has no friends in the room, loudly says, “NO” to paying a 13th spot.

I was appalled by his callousness, and I have to positively believe that Karma will make him even more miserable than he makes everyone else that knows him.

BUT, the tourney still goes on and I still need one more knockout to survive. Next hand is the crucial turning point.

Younger player just beaten, is now in BB. His post is the last of his chips. 3 players fold to me and I look down at K/Q.

Need to think about this:

1. I could call and hope the big-stacked small blind calls (or other players call)and nobody raises.
2. I could raise all-in and just pray nobody else calls or re-raises, hoping to isolate with my hand.
3. I could fold and hope small blind calls and wins race with him.

Only problem is that the player in SB has been quite chummy with the younger player. If I don’t play the hand then the SB MIGHT EVEN FOLD to him thereby almost assuredly making me bubble boy.

I’ve got to push. Everyone folds. BB turns over A/7 to my K/Q. OMG, I'm behind. My strategy failed.

Yes a King on flop and river wins the pot and puts me in the money. As younger player is leaving the table I call him to the side and tell him of my disgust with the old villain's tactless snap decision. I try to give him $10, he wouldn’t take it.

I actually make it to final table, but am first one out when another K/Q loses to old villain’s 9/9. I cash $200. 1st prize was $2300. I don’t stick to see who wins because I had already been playing this tourney for about 8 hours.

Take the $5 Deuce all the way to Mandalay Bay. I walk around the casino for a bit (it is Saturday night in Vegas but 3am Indiana time), but decide I am too tired to play anymore. Check into nice room, sleep soundly.

Sunday! Wake about 10, shower and head downstairs for some $1-$2NL. Ahead about $20 after an hour. One hand of note, I flop full house holding K/K when it comes K/7/7, but can’t induce any action.

I want to put an obligatory bet on the Indianapolis Colts vs New England. They are getting 3 points at Mandalay bay. I decide to wait and see the betting spread at Ceasar’s since I am walking that way for their noon $85. I stop in at Excaliber – still 3 points, Monte Carlo 3 points. I get to Ceasar’s and the spread is 4 points, so I bet it.

Play in the noon $85 but get felted in 2 hours. I head to the Bellagio for drinks and some $4-$8 limit. I watch the remainder of the Colts game and they lose by 3 points thereby making my bet good! Am glad I waited until I got to Ceasar’s before betting that game.

Win about $60 in 90 minutes of $4-$8. Then head back to Ceasar’s, cash my football bet, and eat dinner at ‘Munch’.

Wife and I go to “O” at Bellagio that night. Great show and didn’t get wet, double bonus!

Monday morning: Wife is going shopping so I head downstairs at Mandalay for more $1-$2, but no game going. I head to Bellagio and get seated in another $4-$8 limit. Win about $45 in 30-40 minutes. One old timer thinks he remembers me from when he lived in New York. Never been to New York, but I tell him that there had been other people that told me I was a spitting image of the 1940’s, 50’s actor, Van Johnson. So look up Van Johnson picture and you will see me, I am much handsomer of course (but I suppose Van might have been a better actor!)

Walk over to Ceasar’s again for the noon $85. About 40 minutes in the action goes like this: Limp, limp, button raises, I re-raise w K/K in SB, then Big Blind goes all-in. OK, I know he has A/A and I shouldn’t call. So guess what, I call anyway and he turns over…..yep A/A. I walk out $85 less.

Walk over to check out the new Aria room. Everyone says it is nice and comfy. 2pm tourney there is $125 entry with 30 minute levels. Let’s play!

Love the room. Subdued aura of darker tones lower my blood pressure (for now anyway). Late registration closes after 2 hours, and 68 player have entered, 7 are paid. I take some unwelcome hits to my starting stack of 8,000 and hover around 3,000 chips for several levels before double up holding A/K vs A/J. As players start to get knocked out I gain more equity and am about at $18,000, near chip average. I then re-steal suspected button steal attempt, and move up to average of $23,000 chips.

Tables break down to 2. Only 18 runners left. Feeling good knowing that something will go my way here (after all it is my Birthday today:)

Yikes! A small stack doubles through me when he pushes and I call in BB with A/7. He has A/8 and no chop. Then this hand happens: Limp, limp, I push with 10/10, get called by smaller stack of A/10. Got him dominated! Or so I did before A/A hits flop.

That hand would have put me above average again with less players. Now down to about 6.000 and $1-$2k blinds. I push w K/J suited diamonds. BB calls with A/Q.
Two diamonds on flop but bricks follow. I am out of tourney.

Thinking back, I should have at least made final table there and cashed (by luck of chopping maybe), but old man mathematics just kicked me and laughed. This was disparaging after 5 hours of playing hard and hanging tough. Moving on though…

Back to Bellagio. Soaking up some frustrations with strong rum drinks and more $4-$8 play. But this table was much tougher than previous sessions. How can a $4-$8 be tough you ask? Young asian fellow raised 40% of pots. On other side of table was experienced girl from LA who competes at the Bicycle. She couldn’t be pushed around. In between them both were some very fat pots!

On button w A/Q suited diamonds. Limp, limp, asian raises, I re-raise. Girl in BB calls. Flop misses but has 2 diamonds. Checked to Asian who bets, I raise w nut flush draw, girl calls. Then a Q on turn gives me top pair. Again Asian bets, I raise, girl folds. Blank on river, check to me, I bet Asian calls and mucks. When other girl sees my A/Q she said she folded her A/Q because the betting too heavy and she was sure she was behind.

Another fat pot with 5/2 in BB, four callers to flop of 2/10/5. SB bets, I raise, girl calls along with Asian. 5 on turn assures full house. I bet, girl calls. River is a 4, I bet, girl raises, I re-raise, she caps. I think she must have 10/10 thereby beating me, so I call. She flips over A/3 for a rivered straight, and I rake fat pot. Thinking back I should have known she didn’t just call pre-flop w 10/10. She would’ve raised. I should’ve have gotten more value bets in on river. Blame the booze for lack of clarity. I leave that 4 hour session up only $90. Crash at midnight after deciding it would be bad idea to jump in $1-$2 NL at Mandalay in my dizzy state.

That’s all!

I want to say hello to Mitch and his wife from Sacramento, whom I saw at the Golden Nugget Saturday. Met them last year and was pleasure seeing again.

To Shuks and Alex from England: Hope you guys cashed at Ceasar’s tourney Sunday. If I hadn’t busted so fast, we would have had fun at Venetian poker room playing the Omaha/8 cash game.

Lastly, to Mahende, the female dealer at Ceasar’s. Your pleasant voice, sweet smile and psychic, voodooish personality was calming (and a tad bit scary). I heard you sigh when I was felted at your table. Thanks for the nice sentiment.