Since the trip was a few weeks ago I don't have a hand by hand accouting but let's begin.

I flew in on Allegiant Friday, no worries. I was down $13 playing $1 showdown with my friend on the plane but got back to even. Good start.

I get checked in to Harrahs and wander over to the V to get into an O8 game, no game running. They have 8 on the list and they try and open it but we only had three so they never started it. I appreciated that they tried. So I go to the IP to kill some time and play 1-2, which I swore I wouldn't do. I won a whole $6 in a short session before dinner. While I was there a well-dressed gentleman arrives with a violin case. I knew it was the Duke and I asked him. He confirmed it. He was very pleasant to play with but I only got a few hands in before leaving.

I went back to the IP after dinner becuase there were a couple European guys that were going at each other and were LAGs to the max. I had the good fortune to find them again in seats 1 and 4 while I was in seat 5. So I lock down super tight and decide that I'll play for stacks against them pre flop with a top hand in the right situation. After about an hout I get JJ and call $2 pre flop. LAG in seat one raises to $20. Everyone else gets out of the way and I go all in for $154.00. He thinks and says "really?" I say "yes" but he still calls. I turn my hand up and he does not. Flop has a Jack and the river has the case Jack! Double up plus $50.00. Nice. I leave up $165.00.

Saturday, I finally get into an 4-8 O8 game, I get quads three times and a straight flush but still lose $200.00. After dinner, I decide to play some $25 blackjack. In two shoes of double deck with 2 other players I lose one hand. I hit and run up $450.00. It was sick I had 9's and 10's and 11's and the dealer gets 5's.

So with my newfound fortune, I go back to the IP and look for my European friends but they are gone. After a long time I get tired decide to go all in with AJo. I get called ($42) but ATo and he spikes a Ten. That's the way it goes. About two hand before this I see TBC walking up. I am too tired to engage him but a sighting is a sighting.

Sunday, I go back to the V to play 4-8 O8 and lose $130.00. Here's my sick suckout. I have KKxx and call a preflop raise. Flop is 222. I bet hoping to find out if the 2 is live and get two callers. Turn in a K but I am not sure Kings full is good so I check. Man on my left bets and 2 of us calls. The river is the case King! We all check becuase I thought the player on my left would bet but he checks. He had AAxx and the other guy had the case 2. Someone can comment on getting home with the last two kings but it has to be 1500 to 1 or so.

While I wait for the mixed game, I offer to sit in a new 1-2 game to help get it going. I can tell the players are relatively inexperienced so I try to table captain. I get some chips early then raise to $11 preflop with AQs. I get two callers the flop gives me JTx no flush draw. I bet $20 and get min-raised. I call. We both check the blank turn and with a King on the river he goes all in. Of course I call with the nuts...good times.

The mixed game cost me as always but it was still fun. We were 5 handed most of the night. in 2-7 triple draw two of us get the nuts on the second draw and 6 bet the river when I called instead of rereaising becuase he was good enough to only 5 bet with the nuts. Still lost $270.00.

So I went back to Harrah's to play BJ again and took another $400 from them.

In summary I sucked at non-holdem poker, I'm ok at holdem and I am very very good at blackjack!

Mike