I took my wife and mother with me on this trip. This worked out extremely well because the wife had a show companion and I was free to play while they were occupied. We got to the airport and my wife surprised me with a birthday upgrade to the last first class seat. Man I have a great wife! The flight was uneventful and we made great time to our hotel. I got a special promotion from the MGM players club and got 3 of our 5 nights free at the Monte Carlo (so far this trip is looking great).
The only screw-up was forgetting the games listing that I had printed out in preparation for the trip. So the first night I never made it to the horse game that I wanted to play because I had forgotten. I was tired because I knew the airport hotel that we stayed at would screw-up our wakeup call (which they did) and the alarm clock would not go off (which it didn’t). Good thing I was paranoid but unfortunately I was in no shape for serious poker. So I hung out at the MC poker room and played some uneventful $1-$2 no limit. Nothing remarkable happened and I called it a night a bit early.

Thursday:
The ladies had a show planned for the evening so I spent time walking around with them and was able to get some time in at the Bellagio. I sat at the $15-$30 limit game which was my favorite. Unfortunately the local game all but died once poker became popular on TV so I don’t get to play it very often. I was the only tourist at the table and I could tell that they were all dying to get a piece of me. Unfortunately I disappointed everyone and ran over the entire table. One big hand of note is the one that started it all. I was in the blind and there were a couple of calls to the button. Who of course raised to $30. I looked down and to my utter delight had AA. I 3 bet and we quickly ended up heads up. The flop cam AK3 and we went to war. He finally conceded when he called my hand and then showed AK. If I hadn’t 3 bet the woman to my left said she would have called with her pocket threes (DOH). No biggie, I was very happy with the win. I left there up $1500
When the ladies left to get to their show I decided to get in some time at the MGM. I must say all of the reports of this place being a big fish pond turned out to be false at least on my table. I had some very tough competition. The lone female a local named Kelli (I think I have her name right) had my number on every hand. I have never had somebody flop so many sets on me in one session like that. She played very well and kicked my ass just about every time. Another player laid down pocket queen’s two hands in a row pre-flop and each time the other player had pocket kings. I got back to even and quickly picked up my checks to find an easier game (that and the fact that the club noise was giving me a headache). I wandered over to PH and quickly found an awesome game. A young punk had a big chip stack and was trying to bully the other players, so I sat and waited for my spot. The biggest pot was raised big by him and called by two of us and had about $300 pre-flop. I hit my AK (mind you, I played this hand because of the other players and not because I like AK that much) and went all in and was not called by anyone. I then hit him again with AA for another $150. He quickly lost his initial $600 he had when I sat down plus another buy in. I couldn’t take the noise the bar any longer and left with a headache and another $500.
Friday:
I should have stayed in bed………
The ladies decided that they wanted to go casino hopping and after breakfast. So we piled into a cab and went down to the Venetian. They wander off to play slots so I play some cards. I really like the room especially the couch area for players to hang out. Nothing very eventful happened but I ended up losing $70…. Until the wife came to find me, now I’m down $270.
Off to the Wynn for stop number two. The $10-$20 game is not running but there is a $10-$20 Omaha H/L opening so I take a seat because I am a bit burnt on Hold’em and welcome the change of game. This decision started out to be a great one but ended up being a bad one. The hold’em game never gets going and I walk out steamed down another $400. On the way over the cross walk a woman comes running by with a sheer top and no bra. Suddenly I’m not to upset anymore. I hit TI and miss my name while screwing around on the 5 cent price is right slot game (up $20) for a second I think about giving up poker for the day but quickly vanquish that thought. Even though I miss my seat by 30 seconds they keep me at #1 and I’m soon seated. Not much goes on and I can’t even get in a hand. Another guy comes back with a very good smelling sandwich and I break down and go get one for myself. It’s a good thing I won $20 on that slot machine because that is very close to the price of my sandwich, fries and drink WTF?!?!?!?!?! After another hour of being blinded off I leave down $50. This day is really starting to SUCK!
Next stop is the mirage and I quickly get into the $10-$20 game. WOOHOOO I’m once again the ONLY tourist at the table but this time it is a granite garden and the game really really sucks. I leave after many hours down another $50. I raise the white flag and go back to the MC. On the way to the room I decide to hit a slot while I’m cooling off and make $100 back. Man did I pick the wrong game to play today.
Saturday……
Happy Birthday to me Happy Birthday tooooo meeeee…..
I wake up early even though I go to bed very late. Once the harsh bathroom light wakes me up completely there is no turning back so I quietly dress to see if I can hit the game before everyone passes out. There is a game that looks like it will soon break but I grab a seat anyway. There is one big stack who seems to be the bully. For some reason I am hitting the bullies on this trip and quickly double up off of him. He makes it back off of a very bad donkey and even hits quad queens for a high hand jackpot. Once the game dies I talk him into one hand of showdown for $50. It was his money anyway and I will soon have nothing to do but stare at the walls waiting for the ladies to wake up. I get AK suited and get AAK on the board. I can only laugh to myself. I was dying to hit the buffet at the RIO so we pile into a cab and head out. $78 later we were in the door. GOOD LORD what happened to all of the cheap food in Vegas?!?!?!?!?!
They want to play slots there so I hit the poker room and wait for what seemed an eternity. I finally get into a game and don’t do a whole lot until my last hand. I get pocket three’s and call a small raise pre-flop. Just as the flop is coming I get a call from a Vegas number. Thinking it was my wife’s brother (he lives here) I answer as I see a BEAUTIFUL 3 hit the flop. It is a pit boss in the casino telling me that he is with my mother. She has been pretty sick and I start to freak out but manage to get the villain (who way overplays his hands) to double me up with his AJoff when he hits the jack on the flop. I manage to leave up $100 after the PB tells me that my mom is just waiting for me so we can leave. I give her a huge ration on crap for scaring the hell out of me but it is just in good fun. Thank God I recovered the ridiculous price of the buffet. I leave up $22 overall.
We hit Bally’s because the girls booked us for the Price is Right show. I actually had a good time and was an instant winner of 1000 player’s club points. Had I made the showcase I would have won everything because I was within $100 of the actual price. I didn’t really want the trip or the car so who cares :-P
After the show they want to play so I hit the bathroom and decide to waste $20 on the wheel of fortune slot since that is one of the few that I like. Today is looking up because I quickly hit for $100 and get off of that thing as fast as humanly possible. I grab a seat at the $1-$2 no limit game and all I can hear is slot noise and “DWWWIIIIIIIINNNNKKKKKKSSSS” every minute. The entire table plays badly but I am card dead. We have dinner reservations so they come and get me and I leave even. Not to go into to much detail but if you are a steak eater I highly recommend Vic & Anthony’s at the Golden Nugget. This was one of the best dinners I have ever had and it is worth every expensive penny. I didn’t have time to play there but the GN did a great job on their poker room. It was one of the nicest rooms I have seen and I will definitely stop back there on the next trip.

The rest of the trip was uneventful but I did manage to hit the $15-$30 game at the Bellagio and left up another $400 overall. Sunday was spent doing family things with my wife’s brother but I did manage to get some game time early in the morning and later in the evening. However, nothing eventful happened and I had to get up early the next morning for our flight. Another great surprise came when my mom decided to upgrade all of us to first class for the flight home. Good thing that it was only about $150 for each upgrade.

Poker: Up $1702
Other games: Down $400 (I didn’t do to well with the craps of BJ)
After paying for everything in cash I am really up about $300

I had a great time and there is a good chance that I will be back in October. If so I will definitely hit the HORSE games that I missed on this trip.