Day 1 Mar 12

After a 30 min delay at the airport and a quick little 3 hour or so flight our plane touched down in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sad to see that the airport is no longer smoking in some of the slot areas like it used to be, as I like to spark up asap after a flight. So I head out front go smoke a cigg and get a cab pretty quickly, get to the Flamingo are head to the check in area. The line wasn't very long but they only had 2 people at the front desk so it went pretty slow(this was around 11:45 MT). Before I got the the hotel I had already decided I would upgrade to the GO room. Go up to my room to check it out and the place is very nice. Nice sized plasma TV, small flat screen in the bathroom, electronic drapes, and one of the best beds I think I have ever sleept in. Thought about going to see the Stardust implosion but I figured it was already late and I was dieing to get to the felt.

After being 1st on the list for 30 mins a seat finally opened up for me in the Flamingo poker room. Cashed into a 1/2 for $140, 1st session really didn't catch a whole lot was about even after 2 hours but then when I finally did flop tops with a nice kicker a young asian kid called my all in and busted me out when his flush draw hit on the river. Gave him a mean look and decided to head up to my room to regroup for 30 mins or so and end up deciding that it was time to go check out what all this fuss is over the Venetian poker room. I start walking as I get to IP i am starting to get tired of all this walking business, so I then walk a bit more and see the cross walk to Mirage. After walking some more i finally get to the Mirage poker room. I get seated in a 1/2 right away with a table of drunks with 1 sober local and 1 drunk local. Early I pick up aces and some guy pushed for about $85 with jacks, and the rockets hold. I keep playing small ball picking up a few pots off the drunk guys tip toeing around the local rocks. People keep drinking and the game starts to get pretty insane people turning over cards when people are still in pots. Also one of the drunk guys called a female all in and beat her but then he decided he didnt want to bust this girl out and gave her the chips back. Floor gets called about 4 times in an hour span. All this going on I am just trying to focus and one hand I am BB and it folds around to SB who is the drunk local, I begin to start looking at my cards....in the corner of my mind I hear him asking me if I want to chop. I finish looking at my cards and say ok, then this drunk local player starts to go off about how not to look at your cards if you are going to chop? We end up chopping and I kindly tell him ok, even though it did kinda piss me off; for all he knew I could have already looked. 2 hands later drunk idiot says hes all in for 72 and I look down and see pocket snowmen. He never shows his hand and my 8s hold up, big grin on my face knowing i just took out this jerk. Play for another hour and cash out around $410. Walk all the way back to Flamingo my leg starting to cramp up pretty bad so I go back up and chill for an hour or so, when it hits me..... 5 30am drunk tourists,time to head back down to the Flamingo room. Get seated right away at 1/2 in for $120 being that this session was at the wee hours of the morning I cannot really recall any of the hands, only that I cashed out for $330 or so about 2.5 hours later. At those hours it was exactly what was to be expected a table of pure tourists with about 2 players that seemed to be pretty good, from what I saw. Room service omelet and belgium waffle, really good.

recap on Mirage room: In the wee hours of the moring cocktail service was dead on. Most of the players were drunk tourists with a couple locals peppered in. Only one 1/2 table going on a weeknight. They put out some pastries and stuff at like 5 am or so.Overall I have always liked this room and I would say its one of the tops in Vegas still.

Day 2 March 13th

Wake up kinda late and watch the 1st half of the FL a&m against Niagra game which i had bet on while i showered up and got ready to head downstairs. Get to the Flamingo room around 2 30 wait another 30 mins and my seat finally opened up, this time I wasn't 1st on the list. The have some thing at the Flamingo where you get a certain amount of hours a month and you get in a freeroll for a WSOP seat. So as expected the local rocks were out and about in the Flamingo room at this time of day. I sit at 1/2 with $120, up a bit then I run into a local grinders flop set of 5s and double him up with my pockets 7s, he only had 63 that was the only good thing. I later pick up kings in the hole and double up when a guy calls me down with his QQ. Take a few more pots while watching the 2nd half of the game on the tv. Time to head upstairs for a bit after playing for about 3 hours, cashing out with $312. Take a nice hour and a half break and then its time to go back down to the Flamingo, I smile as I wait for my seat and notice the local grinders begin to start cashing out. Don't recall much off this session but that it was about 2 hours and I made 100. Went back up for a bit and after another break its time to see what all this fuss about the Venetian is about(again!). I jump in a cab this time and before I know it I am seated at 1/2 with $140. Right away I pick up aces and a man with $55 moves in on me with his 10s, I hold the fort. Grinding along picking up a few decent orphan pots for about an hour. I go to grab a smoke and I come back and our table has broken, I go to my new table. I move in, in the dark post flop betting and take a decent pot with my two 7s. Grab anothers guys chips when we go all in for over a 100, post flop Ks vrs Js, and my Ks hold up. I donk off about $60 chasing a flush and decide its time to go after playing for a few hours. Cash out $401. Cab ride back to Flamingo for another break in my room. Last night at Flamingo so I head back down to the poker room in the wee hours of the morning again. Much to my delight the table has about 5 of the same tourists it had the night before. Play for about 2-3 hours and im up a 100. Then I am watching tv not really paying attention and I notice the dealer just put a flop and i haven't acted yet. I was in the SB and the BB hadn't acted either and he brings it to the dealers attention. She decides the hand will continue as normal with me putting my other dollar in. I look down and see QhQs. I look at the flop and see QdQc, call my 1 and the betting goes on like nothing happened.I check someone makes a small bet everyone folds to me I call. Pretty small pot going to the river, for some reason I decide to bet out 7. He calls my dumb bet that could have cost me the quads jackpot, i flip my QQ and two idiots that folded pre flop begin to go off. One wanted the floor called and one wanted the hand thrown out. I tell them they are dumb if they think I was gonna fold QQ pre flop, they keep going on. I get my 172 for quad queens tip the dealer and stand up not wanting to put up with the banter of these two. Made about $215. Room service again Burger and salad, solid.

Recap on Venetian room: This place is huge, very open room loved it. Cocktail waitress was smoking hot and spot on with the fiji waters! This room is def in the tops in Vegas. Players are solid.

Recap on Flamingo: Smokey but doesn't relly bother me. Lots of tourists locals are there during the day. Pretty soft play here by the majority of the players. Only had 1 losing session here, my 1st 1.

Day 3 Mar 14

Time to move my homebase to Caesars Palace,pack up and make the quick walk from Flamingo to Caesars. I was there at 1 and my room was already ready, not so standard as there was a tv in the bathroom but the bed was a rock compared to the Flamingo bed. Time to see what the poker is like here. I head down and get seated after waiting about 10 minutes, I am in $140 @ the 1/3. About even for an hour and a half when on back to back hands a bluffing swede hits his draw on the river both times. I am left with 30 dollars and I push blind and split when a straight comes on the board(making my top pair useless!!). I push blind again and am busted out. Cool off a bit and come back an hour later and I am felted again when I try a big bluff. Not feeling so lucky here anymore. Its time to get out of this 1/2 1/3 game and step up the stakes a bit. I make the short walk to Bellagio, always loved this place. 2/5 seat is waiting for me and I am in for $200. Make some big reraises with my pocket pairs a couple times and take some nice 40 dollar pots. Loving the 2/5 seems like in some of the 1/2s it will take the other guy having the nuts for him to call a 40 dollar bet. Grinding on for a few hours loving the 2/5 when i flop top pair with my A8 and loose asian woman is betting at the pot hard. I decide to stick around after her post flop bet and hit my 8 on the turn. She makes the same bet and i smooth call. River comes 3 to a flush out there( 1 on flop, turn and river). She pushs her wad of 100 dollar bills and chips in, after thinking about it for a bit I decided the story she was telling me didn't add up and made the call, she flips A3 for a pair of Aces. I take down the nice pot. Playing along for another hour or so when a guy goes on a big bluff against my top pair of Js with a K kicker and catches his straight on the river. I had the will power to toss the two jacks after thinking for 5 minutes about his 150 dollar river bet. Its time leave and I cash out $422.Sleepy so I order dinner Chicken Tenders and french fries, best chicken tenders I have ever had in my life. Hit the hay time.

Day 4 Mar 15th

Wake up late a I go down to the Caesars room and lose my $120 in an orbit, not able to recall that session at this time. I then decide its tournament time, call Sahara and dealer Gordie was very helpful giving me all the info and letting me know if Ipods were allowed. I start walking to Flamingo and then jump on the monorail to Sahara for the 7pm tournament. I decide to hang onto my rebuy incase I got busted rather that coming in all at once, this ended up being a great move. Early on I flopped tops with a K kicker in a 5 handed pot and lost about all my chips calling a guys all in who flopped top and bottom pair (102off!). Had about 200 left and used my rebuy, then going on a nice lil run making it to the final 3 tables out of 129 runners. Blinds high and the Last hand before they put us into 2 tables I am mid stacked and I pick up JJ in early postion, make my raise. Comes to the button he has only 4000 less than me and he is all in, I think for a while and these jacks are the best hand I have seen in a few hours....so i am going with them.... he has KK. Flop comes another J! I am going to be able to coast to the final table! Then the ace comes on the turn and he fills his gut straight draw(Gordie delt this hand). I am left with 4000, I double up once. Then my a9 suited falls to KQ and I am out in 20th. I then head to Bellagio and donk my $200 off on a semi bluff with a gut straight draw and it doesnt hit, out in 20 mins. Starting to get late, I dont have much time left.I decide it time to make 1 last stop at Caesars 1/3 game and make some dinner money. Sitting for an 1.5 hours even, when i flop my set of 10s and slow play them for 98 profit..... well it ain't 2/5 profit that i was loving the night before at Bellagio but its dinner money, I stand up after playing 2 more orbits.Kung Pao Shrimp from room service it was solid but prolly the meal I was most dissapointed with in the trip, becuase i forgot to ask for fried rice. Head back to my room and end up falling asleep and waking up late the next day and that was it for me.

Recap on Bellagio room: Place seems like it has never changed since I went there for the 1st time ever and was amazed. Always a place I love to play at, cocktail service was iffy at times. Good players, good dealers, top place to play in town.

Recap on Caesars room: Overall this is the place I prolly disliked the most because this is where I did most of my losing. I have heard some say it has a warehouse/ meeting room feel, I didn't feel it. Nice room good staff.

Great trip had alot of fun, made a little cash and Until May we meet again.......