Very Long.

In February, my wife said, "why don't we look into a Vegas getaway in the Spring?" Well, I didn't hesitate and booked the trip. In another thread I detailed the trip....poker, poker, poker, and good food.

Well, let me cut to it......we stayed at 2 hotels (Stratosphere..thumbs down, Treasure Islan....thumbs up), and I visited TWO URGENT CARES! F**K! As soon as we got out there, I came down with a severely sore throat. Get this....my uvula(spelling?...the ball that hangs down in your mouth) was freakin' resting on my tongue. It was so swollen it felt like I was going to choke on it. Are you kidding me?

I just didn't want anything to ruin this vacation. It's not like I can get to Vegas any day. The first night, my throat was just really sore, but I could still swallow. We had a GREAT dinner at Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse at Golden Nugget, and then made our way to the Venetian for a $130+50RB tourney. Both my wife and I played, and there were 70 players. I busted at 27th, and the wife busted at 18th. I was very happy for her. She played well. However, on the downside, we were seated at the same first table and that sucked...came all the way to Vegas just to play against each other. We witnessed some of the worst poker I had ever seen from two particular players, and also some very strong play, as the Venetian does attract some good ones. By the end of our night's at the Venetian, I was now sweating because I had a big fever running. I was feeling really bad, so instead of playing some more poker, I opted to get a good night's rest, in hopes that I would be raring to go on Friday.

Well, on Friday, my throat felt like it was getting a little better, so we headed to the 11am Sahara tourney. Cheap buyin tourney, and neither of us got many cards, or couldn't connect. I did get AK three times in the first level, losing each of them. I managed to play a decent short-stack game, waiting to pick up a real hand, and finally I saw QQ. Ran up against A6 and AK, and a K came on turn. I was out around 30 again, out of 70. And, my throat was again starting to hurt very badly again. I just couldn't bring myself to go to Urgent Care. I was on numerous over-the-counter meds, just hoping I could mask the pain or get better. I didnt' want to ruin our vacation.

Later on Friday night, we met up with some friends for dinner at Caesar's. Another great meal, and then we were off to Binion's to play in there $200 tourney. Again, 70 players. I was no feeling like absolute dog poop. I was running a big fever, I couldn't swallow without experiencing alot of pain, I was covering up so I wouldn't breath all over everyone, and taking sore throat candies like crazy. At Binions, I managed to build a very impressive stack and got into a position where I was able to start bullying some people around. I was chipleader after the first 4 levels, and then it all went downhill. I hit a pair on the flop, reraised a bet on the flop which was called, then I turned two pair. I bet out a 3/4ths pot bet on the turn, and was called. The river brought a flush, which was runner/runner. At the time it came, it didn't even phase me. But sure enough, the guy called my reraise on the flop with just an ace, picked up a flush draw on the turn, and then rivered the nuts. Oh well. He took a bit from me. A few hands later, lady to my left raises it up preflop and I look down at AKsuited. I reraise her pretty big, and after some deliberation, she calls. The flop comes: x, A, 10. She checks it to me, and the first thought I have is "she hit a set of 10's". But, then I quickly decide that based on her tight play, she wouldn't have called me with 10's preflop. I put her on K's or Q's. I pushed, she called with a set of 10's. Crap. That crippled me, and I was out sometime in the next level. I wish I could tell you more details on some hands involved, but I was really feeling like crap. I decide that I need to go to bed, and I NEED to go to Urgent Care in the morning.

On Saturday, I spent over three hours at two different UC's. I spent over a half-hour at one, only to have them check my vitals and then tell me they don't accept my insurance and I can go to this other location. I go to the other one, which isn't very close by. I wait around for awhile, then get checked out and get my medication.

Well, the meds helped make me feel a little better by dinner. On Sat. night, we had tickets to Penn & Teller. Great show. We were actually in the first row, so my wife got to help out on one of the bits. They do some pretty amazing stuff. I recommend the show. After the show, I'm feeling alot better and we head over to the Palms. I felt better, but didn't feel my mind was ready to sit down and play cash. I was still running a fever, so we decided to watch a pretty entertaining 2/5nl game. The max buyin for this game at the Palms is $1k. There were two monster stacks at the table with around $4-5K. And, from what I could see, they were two very solid players. One was a very young kid, and he actually looked a little familiar. I couldn't put a name with a face, though. Anyhow, there were alot of young guys playing and it was a solid game, with one exception......there was this 40-something women in the #7 seat. She said that she had never played the game, and I believed her. She kept saying "I just want to learn". True story....this woman was buying-in for $1K and proceeding to play each hand for $1K. She would raise preflop to $100 each time. Each time she would get called by somebody. On the flop, she would either lead out for $100, OR she would call any bet before her, no matter the amount. If it was $100, she would call. If it was $250, she would call. Now, on the turn, if she was betting first, she would put the rest of her chips in the middle, and if she was second to act, she would reraise the remainder of her chips. The first time she did this she had Queen-high (Q5 in her hand). One of the monster stacks had a straight. She was felted.....but, she bought another $1k rack. She did the same thing on the next hand with Ace hight.....busted, then buys another rack. She did the same thing on the next hand and I guy moved her allin with his pocket 4's, but she hit and doubled-up. BUT, next hand, she moved all-in with 6's and moved allin for $2K before the hand was over, only to lose. She then rebought, and actually started folding preflop and holding back a little. She lost with pocket 6's to one of the monster stacks and she says "should I have not done that with 6's?". His answer was greatness...."no, you don't have much choice. You have to get your money in the middle with that hand. You just got unlucky." Awesome.

After that, we decided to move on to the casino table games. I played some Ultimate Texas holdem. I like that game, but it gets expensive. I ended up getting pocket AA, and with it paid out 30-1 on my $5 bonus bet, and good returns on my other street bets and ante. So, we made a couple hundred at Palms and left. Tool played at Palms that night. I was unaware of that. I love tool, but don't think the wife would go see them with me. Anyhow, the scenery in there that night (as I'm sure every weekend night) was simply unreal. Oh yeah, and we did see Keifer Sutherland...he's pretty damn short. Tried to get a tat at Hart, but they were booked, as is easy to guess for a Sat. night.

We got back to our hotel, Treasure Island, and I was feeling better. So, I decided to play their $60 2am tourney. We had 30 players, and I busted in 5th for my money back. I got short-stacked at the final table, and tried to make a move with A6, only to run into KK. Oops.

On Sunday, the wife was going to play in the WSOP Ladies event at Caesars but because I was still running a fever and on medication, she decided she didn't want to commit to a long tourney. We decided to go grab some sushi at Nobu at the Hard Rock, only to find out they aren't open for lunch. Their pool party, Rehab, was starting their first event of the new season, and I couldn't believe my eyes. There were women everywhere, waiting in line for this event. It was absolutely ridiculous! WOW!

We continued our search for Sushi, only to find out that most places were only open for dinner. We end up at Mandalay Bay for lunch, then play some three-card poker at Luxor. Made a little bit of money, and then headed back to the TI. Saw in a magazine that comedian Ty Barnett (from Last Comic Standing) was at Harrah's on Sunday, so we got some tix. We finally had our sushi at Social House in TI. It was good, but nothing better than what you can get here in Dallas. The entire staff is from Nobu, also. We went over to Harrah's and played some more three-card poker before the show. We were down, until my wife hit a straight flush, 40-1 on the Pairs Plus bet, and we walked to the show with a couple extra hundred. The comedy show was pretty funny. Nothing spectacular, but worth the price. Good show.

We then headed over to TI, where I was an alternate in their 10pm $60 tourney. I was sitting to a very obnoxious guy, and it actually was getting really hard to deal with. He was hitting everything. Long story short, I didn't really do much, and didn't cash. Having been up late the night before, I opted for bed. I was feeling better, but still not 100%. Maybe I could be 100% atleast for my last day in Vegas.

So, Monday was the best day of the trip...both health-wise and financially. We were losing money all weekend. Mainly on poker buyins from the events we played on Thursday and Friday, but also money here and there on blackjack, roulette, stupid slots, etc. On Monday, I felt great when I woke up. We went and had a nice breakfast, and then had to look for something for my mother-in-law. We made it back to TI, just in time for the 2pm poker tourney at TI. My wife wasn't feeling up to playing poker, so she went and played some casino games. Long story short, I ended up taking 3rd in the tourney for around $340. I was chipleader with 6 of us, but then my pocket 9's lost to an preflop allin's pocket 7's when he hit set on flop. Then we got down to four players and I had built a decent stack. I pick up pocket 9's again. I raise it up to 13K (blinds 2/4k). I get called by chipleader, an older man that wasn't good, but was trying to show off for his family that was watching and cheering behind him. Guess he wanted to show him he could beat "these kids". Anyhow, he called and flop came down 8,9,10. He bet 4K, and I moved allin for an additional 13K. He thought for awhile, and then called with A8. I tabled my 9's and then the dealer dealt out 7,J for turn and river. So, we chopped. Crap. A few hands later, I've got J10 in the blinds. I see the flop against old man river and flop is x, 3, J. I bet out about 13K, and he calls after a long time...I move all in dark. Oops! Turn is another 3, and sure enough he calls with A3. I bust in 3rd, and he does go onto win tourney.

For dinner, we go to the Rio for the Seafood Buffet. Pretty good. A little pricey, but still good. There is a seafood buffet at Hollywood in Tunica that blows that out of the water, but hey, we weren't in Tunica. We ate plenty of lobster, crab, etc. And, then we were off to see Carrot Top at Luxor. Alot of people knock him, but he put on a very funny show. It was a throw back date for us, as we went to see him about 9 years ago in Houston. We again had front row seats, and he is one ugly mofo. Good show.

Once we got back to TI, my wife was pretty tired. She wanted to relax. There was no way I could waste the new found good health and our last hours of Vegas. I headed down to the Three-Card poker table. And, in 30mins, I turned $300 into $1300. I hit trips for 30-1 and then a straight flush for 40-1 on my $15 prop bets, as well as the other bets. I went upstairs, and when my wife saw me after only being gone for 30mins, she didn't think that was good news. I kept the straight face, and laid the chips on the bed. Needless to say, she was quite happy, and in a few minutes was dressed and ready to go back downstairs. We played a little more three-card poker and won a couple more hundred. Nice. AND, because of my trips earlier, I qualified for some $25K 3card tourney in August. The wife has granted me permission to head back out for that. It's a free buyin for the qualifiers, and cheap room rates. So, I'm planning to be out there in a few months again. Nice.

I couldn't just go to sleep, so I decided to stay up and play in the 3am tourney. Long story short, I took 4th for double the buyin. I got my money in the middle with AA vs. A7. Board: 6,8,9,10,J. Awesome.

Well, it wasn't the ideal trip because I was sick. But, we made the most of it. I didn't play nearly enough poker. And, unfortunately, never sat in and played any cash. Next time I will. I didn't get to drink a single drop of alcohol because of the medication. I couldn't really enjoy the steakhouse on Friday because it was so hard to swallow. I didn't get to smoke a single cigar, which I was really looking forward to. I didn't get a chance to stop by the WPT final table on Friday. I did check out the WSOP Circuit HORSE event. Jamie Gold really was the FIRST person I saw when exiting our airplane, once we arrived in Vegas. Even with the illness, it was a good trip with the wife and a relaxing time away from the kiddos. Looking forward to a short return trip in August.