Before I get started, I'm an very average player who over my entire playing career is a break even player. But I love to play and never win or lose a lot of money. This was my first trip to vegas where I would be playing poker, all of my other experience playing live was in AC or Foxwoods, Ct.

Venetian: Played here twice, a Sunday afternoon and Monday morning with two completely diffent experiences. The room is great, nice place to play, as good as any I've been to. What changed was the competition. Sunday afternoon was all tourists, Monday morning was mostly regulars.

Sunday afternoon I won $350 in little under 2 hours. It mostly came on one hand, I out boated someone and took all her chips, and I took all the chips from a guy who wouldn't let go of his pocket aces (which he limped in with). The competition was easy and it was an enjoyable session.

Monday morning I arrived about 9, the 1 table was still going from the night before and the minute I sat down I got a bad vib. Didn't help that the guy to my left was drunk and could barely count his chips, and smelled horrible. What was amazing about this is guy is that he won a few big hands lucking into aces. That did me no good, my $300 buy looked very feeble against the big stacks and the feeling that I was the only stranger at the table. Also, didn't help that I saw no cards, chased a few hands I probable shouldn't have, but who wants to fold every hand you get? I busted out when I finally got a decent hand. I caught JJ, went up against AA, hit a jack on the flop, pushed all in, and got beat on the turn when a A came up. Cost me $300, most of that coming on the last hand.

I'd go back here, but pick my spots better.

Wynn: I was staying here and what's not to like, but based on the reviews I thought it advisable that I stay away. Of course I couldn't, and played a 3 hours session one night. Another run of bad cards, this time I stuck to my game and avoided too many mistakes, but without cards you're not going to do well here. I left when it became apparent I was going to have a hard time getting back to even. Ended up down $180.

Things got better the next day when I had a spare hour and half before dinner. Sat down and in the first hand (I wasn't playing yet)I watched a $800 pot go to a guy who out boated one player, and crushed the straight of someone who went all in. Made me wonder what I was up against. There were some very large stacks on the table as well. So I tightened up and played a very solid game. Also helped I saw some decents cards for a change. I avoided the big money and picked my spots. One of these spots included catching two pair on the turn and pushing a big stack off his hand.

This worked out even better when two hands later I caught pocket 7's and isolated the same guy to go heads up. I hit a set on the flop, a boat on the turn, and hammered away at the pot. He figured me for a donk and called me down to river where he got the bad news.

Ended up a $100 for the hour or so I played. I had a very good feeling about that table and didn't want to go, but had no choice, work called.

Imperial Palace: What can you say about this place? I was looking for the rock, paper, sizzors table. But as bad as the place looks, it's very relaxed. There's no pretense, no wannabees, no poker snobs, its just poker.

The other players were fun to play with, the dealers we're easy going, the waitresses were effecient, and best part was the competition. There isn't any. If you can play a good game, you will win.

Although I got off to a rough start. I got dealt A9s, AQs first two hands, called big preflop raise, saw 2 spades hit each flop and went fishing. Cost me plenty and I came up empty. Third hand I'm delt 99 and raise $15 preflop (which was the standard preflop raise all night). I got 2 calls, hit my set on the flop and pushed. Got 2 calls again, hit the boat on the turn and was back over my intitial $300 buy in. I was this close to busting out in three hands at the easiest game in town...from there it was all about how much to win.

And it would have well been over $500 if I didn't lost my JJ to 88 when I pushed a short stack allin and they got a set, or if my QQ all in push wasn't called by the table's worse player, who happened to have KK.

I played for 4 hours, left with $400 and had a great time.

If you're not some high roller who looks down your nose at this sort of place, it's hard to not have fun.

Summary: Hard to win big playing in 3 hour clips, but I did ok, up $300 or so, and had a great time for my first poker play in Vegas. Just too bad I had business to attend to.