Once again, I'm at the Mirage in the morning for promotion poker, waiting for the $3/$6 game to start. It finally gets going at 9:30, though short, but it's not long before the game fills up. This morning, got a good start when I flopped a Q-8-6 when I had 8-6 in the BB and it was unraised preflop, hit an 8 on the turn, and then got raised on the river. It wasn't long, however, when I ran into a duplicate of yesterday, raising with KK in teh BB after several limpers and someone hitting a straight on the river. I go further down when I call an EP raiser after a couple of cold callers with A-10. A Q-J-x flop is checked around and I get my 4-out K on the turn and I cap the betting with the original raiser. But he had slowplayed top set on the flop and the river paired the board. After all that, tournament time came and I was actually up, if only by $7.

In the tournament, I almost doubled up before the break when I raised in EP with AA, got reraised, and I went all-in. The guy hemmed and hawed a bit, then called with.....QJo!! Although a J hit the flop, my AA held up and I took $13K in chips to the first break. Later, I lost about 2/3 of my stack when a short stack went all-in, another stack shorter than mine also went all-in, and I found JJ. I was ahead (the first one had a big gapped connector and the second had AKo) until a K hit the flop. My luck turned ed around when I went all-in with 10-10, ran into AA, and hit a 10 on the flop. I made it to the second break with about $14K in chips. Unfortunately, I hit a spot of card deadedness and didn't get many opportunities to steal, and finally tried to go with J-10s. I actually got a pretty good flop, all undercards with 2 in my suit, but I ran into 10-10 and I didn't improve.

Time for lunch. Thursday was to be Hash House A Go Go day. Got the 1 lb. stuffed burger (with cheddar and bacon). Not quite as good as I remember, but still good, and I wasn't as stuffed as in the past. Decide to hit the pool at Harrah's and cool off. I get into a bit of pool volleyball and have a nice relaxing time. Head back to my room, catch the LeBron media circus, clean up, and head over to the Venetian for some $8/$16.

This turns out to be a very aggressive game. Once, I raise PF with QQ, but my flop bet gets raised on a KKx board and I have to fold. A bit later, I raise in EP with K-10 and only the button calls. I bet out on a Jxx flop and he folds. A bit later, I see the most aggro player at the table make it 4 bets in the BB (after the SB made it 3 bets) with AJs, and I realize this isn't my type of game and I get out after just an hour with a $70 profit.

I go wander around the Forum shops for a bit. The Apple store there is also out of iPhone 4s.

I head over to the IP, thinking I'll play a bit more NL. I see two tables running. One, nearest to me, looks like it has a cadre of Internet kiddies, and a seat open. I wait until it's filled, but two more people beat me to the desk and I have to go on the list. I wait for awhile, then decide I don't want to wait and play too late, so I just head back to my room.

Friday is my last day here. Once again, I'm up early and at the Mirage, waiting for the $3/$6 game to get going, which it does just after 9. This time, I flop a couple of Broadway straights and finish up almost $80 before the tournament starts.

Interestingly, on my last trip, I played mornings at the Mirage, probably a total of 6-8 hours, got pocket aces 4 times, and got them cracked no once. This trip, I played the same 4 mornings, about the same amount of hours, and got pocket aces not once.

In the tournament, I lost a chunk of my stack early when I tried to make a move with Q-10 and didn't get anywhere on a 9-8-7 flop. I hit the first break with only $3700 in chips, but I was still alive. Got moved, and the big stack at my new table raised my BB. Thought he was trying to make a move, and with not much of a stack, moved all-in with KQ. Turns out he was making a move, and he called with J9. A K on the flop doubled me up. Mostly, though, been card dead, trying to survive. and down to two tables, with blinds going up, I get two small pairs, sandwiching KJs. I go all-in all three hands and get no callers, picking up the blinds and antes in all three, chipping up from about $7K to about $25K. Unfortunately, as we're getting short handed, I go all-in with AJ and ran into AA, crippling me, and I'm out soon after in 13th place, the best showing of the week.

But in two trips, in 8 tries, I'm 0 for 8 in cashing in the Mirage morning tournament.

Still, it was nice to catch Chris on a couple of days. Never did see LVM though.

It's about 2:30 in the afternoon. I head over to the Von's to pick up some food and drink, and then hit the Costco in Henderson to gas up. My car thermometer hits 111 degrees in places on my way out of Vegas on I-15. Interestingly, I spot a couple of billboards exhorting people to text for a chance to win money, and then one warning to "practice safe text." By the time I'm back home, it's nearly midnight--and more than 50 degrees cooler after the 9-hour drive. I can't wait to get back, even if this wasn't a particularly profitable trip.