Got in to Las Vegas Friday night 2/27 after going last month with non-poker playing buddies and playing only 1.5 hours of poker in 4 days. So I decided to make another trip mainly for poker.

Friday night I get in, get some drinks and proceed to lose a couple hundred in blackjack right away. Lost a little at the Bally's poker room. There was a donk calling $20 raises and hitting his hands (6-10, J-7) amongst the hands he was calling and probably in the 45 minutes I was there, he made $1000. I left after folding preflop to a raise and a reraise when I held pocket 5's and a 5 came out on the flop. I knew if I stayed I'd be on tilt. Then I went to the poker room at Bellagio. For some reason I have never liked that room. I don't know what it is about it. It's a very nice room and is well run, but I never seem to get great hands there. As usual I lose $100 or so there before heading to bed at 5:30am. Next day...and by next day, I mean 1.5 hours later, I wake up and play at MGM. At 7am they have 3 1-2 NL going and open up a 4th for me. My favorite room and still is. Play solidly for half a day and cash out 150ish in profit. One hand I was kicking myself over was getting dealt AJ suited. I was on the button and just meant to steal the blinds so I raise to $16. Small blind calling machine calls and big blind thinks a bit and folds. Flop comes AJJ. Sigh. Got $10 out of the calling machine out of that hand. Big blind says he folded J10. Sigh. Proceed to lose another 100 in blackjack.

I decided that since I was staying at Bally's I would go try the Flamingo and Planet Hollywood rooms nearby. I walked into Flamingo, bought in for $200. Played 1 round. The room was hideous, the people were hideous, and the dealer seemed to hate his job and didn't pay any attention to the game. When people checked, they would always repeat it to him. I was literally there for 10 minutes, made $30 and left. Next stop Planet Hollywood. It is now my 2nd favorite room besides MGM. I think I liked the rooms with some sort of hard surface around the edge of the tables. Maybe it was also because the cocktail girls were gorgeous and their boobs were hanging out. I was reminded of Ocean's 13 where the Midas's cocktail girls were referred to as "models who serve". I make a bad call my first hand and lose half my $200 buy in. I buy in another $100 and fluctuate for another 2 hours before being card dead for more than three hours. I think I had an hour without a face card. The two hands I had that were playable was because the dealer dealt my cards to me too quickly and the card fell on the ground and I got a new card. Other than that 3 hours of being blinded out about $100. Cash out down 100 before hitting the sack.

Get to the Planet Hollywood room at 8am to play for a couple hours before my noon flight. I played very well and in two hours turned my $200 into $450. I was ready to leave for the airport when a Old Donkey Guy who raised $50 preflop for a few hands in a row in $7-10 pots got involved in a couple hands with me which even now brings tears to my eyes as I think about them. Sniff Sniff. ODG was BB, first position raises to $10. I call with K10spades. So does ODG. Flop QJ6 all spades. ODG raises to $50. Original raiser folds and I push all in. He calls with Q-6. And yes he rivers a 6. Lady next to me says she folded a 6. Sigh. 3 outter. Is this how you guys would have played this hand? He only had about $160ish so I had him covered. A few hands later he goes back to raising his preflop $50. I push all in with QQ and he calls immediately with A10 hearts "because they are suited". Are you kidding me. Flop comes out with the ugly ace and as a slap to the face also a 10 I don't hit my Q and give ODG my whole stack in about 3 mintues. I yell out a few choice 4 letter words and leave for my flight. I would have actually made a profit if it wasn't for that 6 coming out. I think I am doomed to never leave Vegas with a profit. Doomed.