Myself and 3 friends drive from Kansas to Las Vegas and arrive at approx. 8:00am Vegas time after 22 hours on the road. I was dead tired and could not shake being so tired the whole trip from that drive. I will be flying from now on!

Day 1 Sunday 6/12: We get checked in at Harrah's around 10:00am got a quick nap and showered up and hit the Rio to sweat a friend in a $1,000 WSOP event. He busted after about 7 hours when he got his K-10 vs 8-10 on K high board and V went runner- runner for straight... sick. I decided I needed to get into a tourney and settled on the Harrah's 1:00am $60 buy in, 20 min levels. It got 33 runners and they paid 4 or 5. I never really got anything going, but made final 15 or so before just running out of chips. No hand of note, just kind of fizzled out without any excitement. But I did get the first tourney out of the way and played decent enough. My buddy made final table but got 8th overall for no cash. I hit the bed after that at about 6am after 2 hours of sleep in the last 44-- I WAS DEAD!

Day 1 Harrah's Tourney -$65

Day 2 Monday 6/13: Wake up around 11:00am and buy a 24 hour buffet pass for the Harrah’s properties. Hit the lunch buffet at Harrah’s, it was ok, I’ve had better though. After lunch a buddy and I buy into the Binion’s Poker Classic 2:00pm $165 No Limit tourney, 35 minute blinds 12k starting stack. The tourney was very well run and just felt like a good tourney. They had around 140 runners, and paid 15 I believe. The players at my table were pretty straight forward and I felt I had an advantage, but I played too many hands and got a little out of control with my aggression in bad spots. I built my starting stack to over 20k early, but never slowed down even when I knew better and was on a short stack after I ran into some real hands. Got moved tables and was in an all-in or fold situation and pushed with AK, got called by 88 and didn’t improve, busto in about 70 something place. Buddy went bust not to longer after me and we hit the PH buffet. It wasn’t as good as Harrah’s to me, but I wasn’t as hunger either so maybe I’m not the best judge. After we ate we hit some roulette for a while and walked around the strip. Went to bed around 2am, still dead from the drive.

Day 2 Binion’s Poker Classic -$165, Total -$230

Day 3 Tuesday 6/14: Wake up at 8:30am and hit the Paris breakfast buffet. It was great again. I’ve been twice now and think I will hit it every time from now on, it had it all. After that we hit the outlet mall out past the Luxor. Bought me some new Oakley’s and the wife a Coach purse, after a couple non cashes I figure I better get something before I go broke. After we get back from the mall we walk down and get some food from the food court at Venetian. I had a slice of pizza and garlic sticks, very solid. 3 of us decide to hit the Stratosphere tourney because I had played in Sahara before and enjoyed it. I knew I would like this tourney! It’s a $45 buy in for 4500 chips with an optional $20 add on for 4000 more chips, 20 minute blinds, no antes, had 63 runners and paid 7. My table was NUTS, lots of action and seat 1 was a guy that won the night before and made 7 straight final tables at this tourney, confirmed by dealer after he got up for a minute. After the first break and add on period was over I had 16k, after taking my add on. I kind of cruised to the final 2 tables where I was seated direct to the left of one of my buddies. He busted in 13th, I knocked out the last 2 players to go to final table. Once we get reseated I notice that I am overwhelming chip leader with about $140k, but blinds were at 5k-10k at this time. We decide to pay 8th, 9th and 10th $50 each as I am not greedy at all and like to see people walk away with something if possible. We get down to 6 and now I am 2nd in chips, blinds are 10k-20k and are getting close to going to 20k-40k, so no one is comfortable. After we try a few times to bust short stack unsuccessfully and realizing blinds are now out of control, we all chop 6 ways for $431 each. I tip dealer and am happy with my score. It’s about midnight and head back to Harrah’s for some gambling. I stay up for a couple more hours and hit the bed.

Day 3 $431-$65=$366, Total= +$136

Day 4 Wednesday 6/15: Wake up around 10am and grab some quick breakfast. Travel back downtown to hit the Golden Nugget Grand Series $135 buy in, 12k in chips, 40 min blinds, 229 runners, and they pay 27. The Grand Series is incredible, great structure, great venue, solid players, but like everyone says, its FREEZING in there!!! I play solid, probably as patient as I ever have played. My cards weren’t great at all, but by the time of dinner after 6 hours I had chipped up to about 35k in chips. After the dinner break the blinds are 1k-2k with 200 antes. I got down to 21k pretty fast and was hurting for chips, so I was looking to steal a few blinds but got myself into trouble. From late position I raise the blinds to 5k, leaving myself about 16k left, guy from SB puts me all in and after some thinking I call with AQos vs KK. I played that hand HORRIBLE! I know that after I make the bet and leave myself with a small stack that I felt like I had to call, but I was sure I was beat and called anyways. I mean really what do I beat in that situation, I would have to hope the he repopped with JJ or 1010, but I know better. Bad play on my part and I was bust in about 65th place after 7 hours of play. My buddy cashed though in 16th for $300ish and we hit the strip. Played some 2-4 limit and had drinks for fun. Jeff or Jake the dealer at Flamingo is an awesome guy. We stayed out until the sun came up and hit the bed.

Day 4 $-135 Total=+1 in the tourneys. LOL, I am even steven!

Wake up and hit the road for Kansas, arrive home about noon central time.

Final thoughts: I will get the buffet pass again, but most likely before breakfast and try to hit Paris breakfast twice, it’s awesome. I will also for sure be playing in Grand Series again as that was a great time. I highly recommend Strat tourney all the time as it’s just a great tourney for the price. I got offered drugs a couple times and the guys trying to get me and my friends to go to the strip clubs were annoying. But we had an awesome time. I had 3 newbies with me so I had to show them around and missed out on some tourneys that I would have loved to play in. Next time I’m either going with wife and hitting shows and things with her at night, or going solo for the poker tourneys. After roulette, goofing off in the 2-4 limit game, gas and hotel I spent about $500 total, which was pretty cheap in my opinion. I plan on going back next year around the same time if possible. I enjoy the tourneys and think there are some more I can hit next time. Good luck to all fellow AVPers going out to LV or already out there! Thanks for reading, hope it wasn’t toooo boring.