Day 1….Binions…..After being up almost all night and napping for a couple of hours I got into a 2-4 limit game at Binion’s. It took about 30 minutes to get seated and there were a total of maybe ten tables going. I sat down with six twenty-something kids who seemed to know each other and a few middle-aged tourists (like me). The kids were drinking and even though I was too, I thought that was a good sign. I guess my tight play was obvious as I won a few small pots that were folded to me but basically stayed even with the blinds.

I finally got in a hand with pocket jacks and was raised on the turn and the river by a middle-aged woman. I should have known this from the Lee Jones book (a continuing theme throughout the weekend), but got Poker Lesson #1: pocket jacks aren’t as good as they seem. I went to the showdown and got beat by pocket aces.

A little later I got in a hand with one of the kids (an Asian woman) who had a drink in front of her that she’d been nursing for a couple of hours. I again stayed in the hand despite feeling uncomfortable and she beat my pocket nines with trips she made on the turn. She was raising the last two rounds, and I should have folded.

I ended my first-ever session down $45, but got a coffee shop comp to take some of the sting away. I also felt like I knew what I’d done wrong; I resolved to trust that “uh-oh” feeling more.

Day 2…..Binion’s……I came back in late afternoon after winning some basketball bets and having a decent run at the craps tables. There were a lot more tables going and the table I got was mostly middle-aged and older. The dealers were great, telling stories about the mob days in Vegas, asking people about their home towns, etc. I dragged a couple of pots that were folded to me and then finally won a showdown hand. I started with 8X offsuit in the big blind, checked and got another eight on the flop. Everybody folded to me and an older woman who was calling my bet but not raising. At the showdown my eights held up against a king high. I don’t know if she put me on a bluff (it was early and I hadn’t had a chance to fold much) or was just loose, but she cashed out soon after.

After another hour or so I was about even and a heavily-tattooed Hispanic guy sat down. He didn’t speak to anybody and looked pissed off, but didn’t play many hands. A little later I got in a hand with AK and paired my king on the flop. Top pair with top kicker, right? Tattoo called my raise on the flop, turn, and river 9. He turned over a K9 to beat me with two pair.

Poker lesson # 2: When a tight player comes alive, look out. But in fairness to me I had a good hand and there were no straight or flush draws, so I can probably chalk that one up to card luck.

Day 3…..Golden Nugget…..My last day in Vegas I got up about 5:00 AM and joined a 2-4 table at the Nugget with several bleary-eyed guys who looked like they’d been playing all night. (One guy fell asleep at the table and almost spilled his beer-and-tomato-juice.) I won a couple of small pots and then called in the BB with A4 suited. The flop came 4-4-X, and I figured my face gave away my cards, but two guys continued to call my bets. I drew an ace on the river, and got one caller. As he flipped over his cards he said “If you got the four it’s yours”, and I dragged a $35 pot.

About an hour later I called in late position with a 10d-Jd. The flop gave me a straight draw with J-Q-K. I was calling one guy who’d been playing almost as tight as me. The river was Ad and after I called the guy said “You got a flush?” as he turned over two diamonds. I mumbled “no” and turned over my cards as the dealer said “Straight flush” and pushed me the pot! I had a royal flush and didn’t see it! I had misread the K as a heart.

Everybody at the table was chattering and asking the dealer about a bonus (they don’t have one). I felt like crawling in a hole. One guy kept asking me if I knew I had it, but I ignored him. After a couple hands I cashed out my $50 profit and got out of there with another coffee shop comp.

Poker lesson # 3: Take your time reading the board, moron!

After trying to sleep for an hour I got back up and signed up for a $35 sit-and-go at the Plaza. Remembering the Lee Jones book, I stayed out of the way through the first few blind levels (not that I had any playable hands anyway). It got down to five players and I didn’t have enough for the next blind level, so I went all in with Ax unsuited. The guy to my right went all in with a pair of tens. I pulled an ace on the flop that held up to get me to the final four.

There was an old guy to my left who won a few early pots but had tightened up. I raised him out of a couple of pots from the SB until he and I were the two biggest stacks. I then got Poker Lesson # 3: On the bubble in a tournament with a big stack, let the small stacks do the banging. The guy raised my pocket fours in the BB and I went all-in. He called with almost all of his chips holding AJs. He got another spade on the flop and then two more on the turn and river for a flush.

That night on the way to the airport we made our traditional stop at Orleans and I sat in a 2-4 game for about ninety minutes. I won a couple of small pots but finished the session exactly even.

For my first poker foray I ended up losing $55 over about twelve hours, but I felt like I learned a lot. Next time I’ll a) read the board and b) not underestimate drunk kids.