My wife and I booked this trip couple of months ago. I was excited to go back to Vegas from last October when we went with our friends, which is another couple. Last October my buddy and I hit up the LLNL tables in Mandalay Bay and by the end of the trip he came up $400 ahead and I came up $1000 ahead.

So this time around i'm real excited to go back to play more LLNL. We took a red eye flight to Vegas and landed at the airport at 10:30pm, then waited at the baggage claim and didn't get out of there till 11:30! Then we picked up our rental car and checked in at South Point hotel, since I got a really good deal on it $89 for fri & sat night and $39 for sun night. We ate at their cafe and didn't get out till 1am. My wife went back to the hotel and sleep while I headed out to play at Mandalay bay. I thought about playing at South Point but i read a trip report on this site and how they said people who play here were mostly locals and play real tight. I wanted some action in this trip (I should have never wished for this, you'll see why!).

I finally got to sit at a 1/2 NL table at Mandalay bay and bought in for the $200 max. I looked around my table and average stack is around $250-$300, only 1 person had $400 in front of him and 2 people that were short stack under $100. I was card dead the whole time. A lot of limpers on this table average raise was $12-$15 which was pretty normal. One hand that I can remember was when I was in the big blind with K4 off suit, 4 people limp in and I checked to see the flop. Flop comes KK9 and 2 clubs on the board. I wanted to see where I was at so I bet $15 (there was $10 in the pot, I did this to eliminate the people with draws, or at least I thought I did) I got 2 callers, the guy who called was behind me under the gun, he had about $80 left and another guy who had $150 left. I had about $180 left. The turn is a blank 2. I didn't want to check here since I've been watching these 2 play and usually they reraise if they have top pair or if they see draws to protect their hand. So I bet out $40 (there is about $55 in the pot) the guy UTG goes all in for $35 more after calling the $40 bet and the other guy goes all in for about $100 after calling my $40 bet. Thinking I'm beat since my kicker is so low I muck. They turn up their cards and I was pissed. UTG was in a club draw with 5T clubs and other guy was also on a club draw with J9 clubs. The river brings down a club. I was stunned with what these guys push with and just told them nice hand! I played some more hands but nothing exciting when I looked at the time it was already 4am so i decided to cash out and try again tomorrow. I was down about $140

Next day the wife and I went to the Planet Hollywood buffet for brunch, it was pretty good, but I like the Bellagio buffet better. We did some sightseeing and some shopping. Determind to play again, this time I went to MGM grand to try my luck at their poker room. I sat at the $1/2 NL table and bought in for $200 max. Looked around the table and everyone seemed to have the had the same $200 chip stack, except one lady had $600 in front of her. Tried to get a feel for the table and almost everyone was a fish. Couple of hands later I'm in the big blind with pocket kings. There was 2 limpers and I can either check or raise and decided to raise it to $15. One of the 2 limpers mucked, the other guy who was at the button called.

Flop comes 4h 10h 7h

What a flop, I looked at my cards again and sure enought I still had pocket kings and one of them was a heart. Now I just need to know where this guy is at. I bet out $25 on a $36 pot, Villain calls real quick, so I'm thinking he was probably on a nut draw.

Turn is 4 of spade.

I bet $40 and villain raises it to $80 total. I'm thinking did this guy limp in with pockets and hit a set on the flop? Why didn't he reraise to protect his hand on the flop? or did he play some suited cards and hit a perfect flop? I called the raise of $40 hoping he didn't have a boat and I still had outs.

The river is 2 of hearts.

I was thinking should I go all in with the king high flush or just check just in case he raises me again? I ended up checking since there was a full house and nut flush posibility. Villain bets $50 and I call.

Villain shows his cards and says trips. I was relieved seeing the 4 of clubs and showed my king high flush, then dealer tells villain he has the nut flush and I looked at villains cards again and sure enough i see the A's of hearts. Everyone at the table was suprised and villain never realized he had the nut flush, he said he just called my bet since he hit bottom pair on the flop and raised me since another 4 came at the turn. I was down 170 in this hand and decided to buy in again to $200 since this table was real loose.

Another hand I can remember was when I was in middle position with AQ offsuit and raised to $15, sure enough I get 3 callers 2 from small and big blind and another one behind me.

Flop comes As Qh 8s

Small blind checks, big blind bets $20 (he has about $250 left) in a $60 pot, I raise it to $60 total (I have $110 left). Guy behind me goes in the tank and calls (he has $80 after calling the $60) Small blind folds, big blind goes in the tank and asks me if I have a set or 2 pairs? He goes all in for about $250, I insta call hoping to double up, and the guy behind me says he is pot commited and calls. Big blind has AK off suit, and guy behind me is on a flush draw with K8 of spades.

Turn K diamonds

Giving big blind a bigger 2 pair

River is a 10 of spades

Gave the guy behind me the king high flush.

After that I left pissed off with 2 big suck outs and down around $400 bucks.

After leaving MGM it was around midnight, decided to go back to Mandalay Bay.

Played some more 1/2 NL and decided to try and win some of my money back. I sat at a loose table, but not as loose as MGM. I get cards like AK, AQ, AJ in position and raise and either take down the blinds or miss the flop completely, sometimes I'll do my continuation bet and win the pot right there or get called and just check the whole way. I managed to get my $200 buy in and build it up to $300 when a following hand came up. I had pocket jacks in the cut off. There are about 4 limpers and I bump it up to $15 and 2 people call including the guy behind me on the button. There's 4 of us in the pot.

Flop comes KJ8 rainbow.

Big blind checks, UTG checks, and I bet $40 in a $61 pot, button calls, big blind folds, and UTG calls.

Turn is Q

Now I'm worried someone might be drawing to a straight, I'm not worried about A10 hear because i've seen these people play and they always raise if they get a big ace.

UTG checks, I bet $80, guy behind me calls, then UTG makes the call also. There is now over $400 in the pot.

River is a 10, no flush but there is a 1 card straight on the board. If someone either holds an Ace or a nine and I'm beat.

UTG leads out and bets $50, I call with my set of Jacks even though I know I'm beat, and guy behind me calls.

UTG shows 79 off suit for the straight, I muck and guy behind me mucks.

I tell myself to be patient and one of these times they won't be able to get lucky on me so I reload to $200 again. I kept playing TAG, but nothing developing until a hand where I have pocket tens in middle position.

There are 2 limpers again after the big blind, I bump it up again to $15, the guy on the button calls, small and big blind folds, one of the limpers fold, but the guy who won with a straight with 79 calls again UTG. Three of us take the flop.

Flop is Q J 8 rainbow.

UTG checks, I also check (since I had a feeling one of these guys hit the flop) and button bets $25, UTG calls and so do I.

Turn is a 9

UTG checks again, I now have a straight with my tens, here's where I got greedy and decided to slow play, there was no flush draws on the board and I knew they needed a ten to make a straight...which was unlikely since I have 2 of them. So I checked since I thought the button was going to bet since he's been using his position on other hands i've seen him play...but he decided to check also.

River is a 10

Now the board has a straight, also giving me a set on the river. UTG bets $50, I muck knowing i'm beat, and dealer reraises to $100. UTG calls and dealer shows K8 and UTG shows K2 so they ended up spliting the pot.

After that I called it quits and decided to play some black jack.

Over all I lost about $600 in NL and about $200 in black jack and $100 in slots.

It was fun, but just got out drawn on so many times.