Started out playing poker Sunday Morning around 6:30 a.m. at the Palace Station (which was my home base).I had gotten up early that morning since I went to bed around 11 pm Sat nite (although my body was still on east coast time so it still felt 2a.m.!). When I went to the Sports books Sunday morning I noticed that the Palace Station Poker Room had 3 or 4 tables going. My last stay at P. S. never showed anyone playing in their poker room before 9 or 10 a.m.. I stuck my head in there and asked a kid coming out "what was happening?" to which he replied "the Bad beat is Huge"!

He was right it was at $396,000 plus with quad 4's or better beaten. I thought I would sit down to a little 4/8 limit with a kill and take a shot. I was familiar with the room and the friendly staff from previous visits but really did not recognize any of the graveyard staff who were still working nor did I like the fact that you could smoke in the room until 8:30 a.m. either! The game had a 80/20 mixture of locals versus out- of-towners (which always seem to be from California) with very little pre-flop raising but after the flop anything was possible.

I played for about 4 hours! I made sure that when I did get up to leave the table for a minute it was always after my button so that I would be eligible for my table share, if the bad beat while I was away, which 1 dealer predicted would be at least 2K each since it early in the morning! (NICE!!!)Friendly room with very efficient dealers and great drink service! The 4/8 game offered a few decent pots. Made about 80 bucks before I called it a day since my mom and Lil sister were moving out to RED Rock for 2 nights and I wanted to travel with them.

Got to Red Rock around 7 p.m. We checked in and I went down to their poker room. It was PACKED!!! Yhe bad beat was now over 400K! (it appears that it is updated at least twice a day!) I sat down to some 2/4 limit and I was clearly the only out of towner at the table! Dealer know everyone but me. Most of the players were pretty friendly but 2 things were clear . 1 - the average player at my table had been there at least 6 or 7 hours in hopes of being on a table when the bad beat hit and 2 - the dealers had all been working 7 straight days because the room was so busy!

Again.. just like at the Palace Station, not much pre-flop raising but decent action after the flop. And unlike the Palace Station no kill game!
Drink service a little slower , but that's probably because of a packed room on a night when not as many waitresses are scheduled to work.
1 thing that I noticed at both Palace and Red Rock (both Station Casinos) is that they ALWAYS had a coffee pot brewing where you could just help your self! G R E A T Idea!!! I Played for about 2 hours and made 20 bucks. Probably tired from getting up early that day so I called it a night and went to find the Paigow tables!!!

Returned to my home base the next day at Palace Station for some more 4/8. About an hour into the game I have AK suited and I am waiting to raise. The older guy on my right raised in front of me so I re-raised. The original caller then annoucned the "SINCE YOU ARE GONNA RE-RAISE THEN I'M GONNA THROW AWAY MY JACKPOT HAND!!" W.T.F. I'm thinking and let the guy know that I traveled 2000 miles to play poker the way I want to play poker...Thank You. However a regular at my table whispered to me about 2 hands later that many of the locals come to the Station casino when the bad beat gets high in hopes of being their when it hits. He also added that many of the locals feel that if 2 or more players can see the flop cheaply with 5 - 2 of Hearts in hopes of catching a straight flush versus quads then..... well you know the rest.
I then realized that that is why there has been very little raising from some guys who have had decent hands i.e. pocket 10's, jacks and even Aces pre-flop! I learned a thing or two about the Stations poker rooms and locals that day.

Tuesday morning my sis and Mom moved to Paris. Since Tuesday was her birthday I decided to join them. Plus Weds. nite I'm heading back to Buffalo!
After we check in and get situated we all head over to the Planet Hollywood. My sister explained how they have a free drawing for 1K, a free slot tourney and a free Blackjack tourney for the first 75 people who sign up. So I go and try the BJ tourney and come in second which gets me 2 tickets to see the show "STOMP". Great show.

Afterwards I settle into a game of 2/4 in their poker room. Mind you, it is my first time at P.H. and I must say that I was impreesed by the room. But what really impressed me was the fact that every hand had at least nine callers. I mean I saw some of the worse poker that I have ever seen. I bought in for 40 and left with 200 after about 6 hours.

1 hand in particular tells a tell. Flop comes with 3 clubs.. King-8-2. Turn comes with a Red 5. River comes with 7 of clubs. The guy on my immediate right (seat 9) from Winnipeg shows me his Ace of clubs before the River card is even shown. Seat 5 bets. Seat 7 Raises. My guy re-raises Seat 1 Calls and Seat 5 re-raises with seat 7,9 and 1 calling. My guy "WINNIPEG" shows his ace of clubs. Seat 7 shows 2 pair fives and deuces..Seat 1 mucks his cards and seat 5 shows his 2 pair Kings and Deuces like he is surprised to see a flush. My god!!

At least 50 hands like that during my stay. Trust me I got my share!

Heck I even took a break around 2 a.m. and walked down to Fatburger to get me a Kingburger.
Note : for those who have never been to Fatburger which is located across the street from the Monte Carlo..IT is the H.H.H.O. - HORRIBLE HOOKER HANG OUT! AT 2A.M.!!

Got my Burger and headed back. Played for about an hour more and called it a night. I must admit that the P.H. had some of the better dealers, friendliest floor staff and worse limit players that I have ever seen in Vegas.

Note : dealer named Jason gave me a Planet Hollywood Poker Room hat ( which they keep behind the check in counter) just because I asked for 1. Ditto for $10.00 food comp for the Earl Of Sandwich ( which I wound up bringing back home with me because the EARL was closed at 2 in the morning.Classy staff at the P.H.!

The rest of the trip was Paigow, visiting the Paris Sportsbook to put ten on the Bills to win the Superbowl,hitting the Paris buffet, work out at QUA - the Spa at Ceasars and then back home to Buffalo!