DAY #1- Arrived late on Friday and checked the parents into the ‘lovely’ Imperial Palace; tried the $20 trick and the IP was sold out so it didn’t work. Took them up to the room and put my stuff up and headed over to the TI for the 10 PM tourney and was the 6th alternate. After waiting for about 15 minutes they opened up a new table for the alternates and we got started. Went right up until the 3rd break and busted out when AA didn’t hold up to KJo, oh well. I liked the tourney structure and would like to play it again next time. Played the 1-3 game until about 9:30 AM and lost my $200 buy-in, hit a cold deck and pushed too hard with 10-10 preflop and ran against up AA, and of course this time, they hold up.
DAY #2- Checked into Harrah’s and this time the $20 netted me a suite on the top level, room #3537, a huge bathroom, King size bed, hot tub, private bathroom, 42” plasma TV, double windows to the strip, etc. Definitely $20 well spent! Spent some time with the family and had lunch at the TI buffet. It was kinda nasty and every meat I tried (not ate, tried!) was fatty and gross. The omelet however was fantastic! At around 2 PM went to the room to get a shower and shave before my dad and I went to the fight, thought maybe I’d get a small nap before we left, but between phone calls from friends back home and the football on TV I got absolutely no sleep. Headed to the fight after catching a cab to the Mandalay Bay; this turns out to be an adventure! Our driver gets arrested by the “Taxicab Authority?” He didn’t go straight in the left-hand turn lane, didn’t have his DL and then didn’t have his logbook and times! Kinda cool until the cop unclasped his gun! Went to the fight and my guy lost, nuts! The Huskers lost, bad! Then the LSU game cost my parlay by not covering the spread, a $2800 parlay!! After the fight I went to the Bellagio to play some 2-5 NL. What a juicy game! I sat with $500 and after about 3 hours I was up to around $850 and an interesting hand came up. I was in the sb and had KK. After an initial raise to $30 I reraised to $100 and got 2 callers. The flop came J72 rainbow and I fired out $150 with one caller. The turn was a 4 and I fired out $200 and Villain called again. The river is a 7 and I fire $300 and he reraises me all-in, another $100 or so more, so I call and he shows K7 suited! Oh well…
DAY #3- Went to the Mirage after the Bellagio and played the 2-5 NL there, and played until about 9 AM Sunday morning; played very tight aggressive and fired a few bluffs along the way just to let them know I could. I was in the BB and under the gun raises to $35 and I am the only caller with KQh. Flop comes out A36 and I fire out $75 and he folds QQ face up and I show the bluff! He gets irate and I and one other guy felt him in less than an hour. I end up about $300 on the morning, night, whatever. I then get my first sleep of the trip and sleep until after the first NFL games are over. I take my parents to the Rio’s World Buffet for brunch and we have a nice meal and possibly the best waiter I have ever had, he was very gracious of the $30 tip and he deserved every cent. Went to the TI and got the mixed game going with the Yappy one and a cat named Doug that was interesting and a bit confrontational. We played for a couple of hours and then Terrence played with us, too. This lasted a while and the game broke with me down about $60, and a helluva good time. Afterwards, went back to Mirage and played 2-5 NL the rest of the day. Not a lot of action hands for me to report and then went to the Beatles Love show, utterly fantastic! If you go to any show in Vegas, go to this one! Went back to the Mirage (again) and spent the rest of the evening there (again) and walked away up just some (again). The table was a little more interesting this time though. There was a young guy there playing with a friend and he was abusive as hell towards the dealer and a couple of other players, why the dealer and/or management did nothing is a black eye on the Mirage, it should be dealt with. Walked away up $110 after a $600 loss on this hand: I had A10s and called a raise from wild guy at the table who I had fleeced twice already. Flop comes out A56, he bets $50 and I make it $150 and he calls immediately. Turn is a 10 and he goes all-in for another $350 or so, a move he’s made before with small hands and I call. He tables 56 for a smaller 2 and rivers a 5, not much to do on this one, right?
Overall:
Fri- -$315
Sat- -$600
Sun- +$725

Trip- -$190
Had a great time and can’t wait to get back! The room at TI was fantastic and I couldn’t have enjoyed the staff more, so hospitable and friendly. I did have one complaint and I hope that it doesn’t reflect poorly on me for saying so. Friday night there was an off duty dealer there and he was looking at another players cards and talking about hands and how to play them, while the hand is in play! Later, as he finally sat down to play, he was the most rude and disrespectful guy I have played with in years! Why allow this kind of behavior from your own staff? With exception to that, the TI was excellent, especially Danette, Christopher and Michelle! Top notch and I will be back soon….