The drive from the Bay Area was smooth and swift, even if I did get out about a half hour later than I'd planned (8:30 instead of 8:00) and I totally forgot that Costco closes on holidays, so I had to detour a bit more to get gas (and pay a whole lot more) on the way out. I'm glad I wasn't heading out of Vegas, as I-5 was almost completely solid from the city all the way to Barstow. Meanwhile, I got to the IP about 5:30 and checked in, asking for a quiet room. I got put in Tower 5, and it seemed to be quiet when I entered. I completely forgot about White Castle at El Cortez and walked over to Venetian, thinking I'd relax with a little $4/$8.

The Venetian was insane. The Deep Stack Extravaganza was in full swing. Not only were tables out on the casino floor in front of the podium, there were tables across the entrance hallway. Five $4/$8 games were running, and although there was a list, I was called right away. The game was fairly passive. I decided I was going to play a tight, semi-passive game. I had just driven for 9 hours and wanted to just relax. So, for example, I'd typically not raise preflop with big aces. OTOH, that strategy allowed me to get paid off when I hit--or sometimes allow me to check-raise, and even more surprising, got a couple of folds. I was winning a lot of small and medium pots, often without a showdown, and I'd nearly doubled up my $160 buy in. I took a couple of suckouts and dropped back a bit, and then a miracle hand happened. After a bunch of limpers, a LP *very* loose player raised. I had 77 in the SB and called, as did everyone else. the Flo came J-9-7, and the turn brought the case 7. And when I led out, the original raiser raised me. There was another caller all the way. A J on the river slowed me down a bit, but my quads held up and I took down a $200+ pot, and when I left a short while later, I had almost tripled up for the session.

Got back to the IP and went up to my room. I was in Tower 5, and looking over a room. I could hear the rather loud thrum of the rooftop HVAC equipment, so I trundled down to the registration desk to ask for another room. They found on, on the same floor I was during my last stay: Tower 4, facing Koval, much higher floor. I don't remember the TVs being so tiny though.

I got up "early" Tuesday morning, about 7:30 (a little bit earlier than I had wanted), diddled around a bit, then headed over to the Mirage. I arrived at 9am just to find the $1/$2 NL game had just broken, and only one $3/$6 game going. There was an empty seat, and I sat down. It was a real nitfest. I played pretty tight. Got up a little, then donked a chunk back when my QJo hit a J-5-5 board, I got raised, and called it down. I knew he had the 5 and I gave him $15 extra $$$. Dumb. One dealer dealt 4 pocket aces during his down. Two of them were suited and three of them got cracked. The fourth was to me--and they didn't get cracked. The next dealer dealt me aces again, in my last hand before the tournament started, and again they didn't get cracked.

The tournament began with just under 5 tables. I found a couple of big aces in the first orbit. One (AJ) was called by one person and then raised by another, and I folded. The second whiffed the flop and my CB was raised. I stupidly lost a huge chunk of my remaining stack calling off a 10-2 BB hand on a 10-10-x board when I found another player coming along. I lasted to 24th.

I bopped over to Hash House A Go-Go and decided on the 1 lb. stuffed (with bacon & cheddar) burger. Woo! I finished it all--but realized I'd never be able to scarf down the 2 lb. burger at Toby Kieth's I Love This Bar & Grill. What a yummy pile of beef that was. Not a bad price for the burger, but the sides and drinks drive up the cost of the while meal.

I then took a drive over to the Rio. I pulled in to the first entrance off of Flamingo, and then into the garage on the right. Easy parking, right on the first floor. Found where the WSOP is being played. Huge room! Unfortunately, no measly $4/$8 game going, so I settled for starting a $4/$8 Omaha/8 game. This must not be my game. I got so little traction with anything. I missed all sorts of draws. About the only thing I did right was raise an AAK2 double-suited hand preflop, and the aces stood up on a king-high paired board against one other player. I finally decided that enough was enough, and I left before I lost all of my $160 buy in.

Headed back over to the Venetian (stopping at Denny's along the way for a banana split). Only two $4/$8 games are running. I get the one with one woman who'd been donkeying off chips the night before. This time she has a huge pile in front of her, and she's calling everything preflop. I think in my 2+ hours there, she folded fewer than a half dozen hands preflop. And although I managed to eventually get the seat to her immediate left, I was completely and utterly card dead the whole time. I spent it basically getting blinded off, if you can believe that in a $4/$8 cash game. I mean, it was an epic run of bad cards. The highest pair I had over the 2+ hours was 3s. Other than that, the best hand I had over that entire time was AQo. Once. This woman was calling indiscriminately, and often raising with air. I saw her once 3-bet preflop with what turned out to be J-7 suited--and win with a straight. She was the type to call and raise just to build big pots. And a guy two seats to her right raised light and often. I had nothing to battle back, even though I had gotten myself in position to do so. My last hand, all-in for my last bet, was Q-9o. Preflop is was 3-bet with 5 other people in. Q-x-x flop, and another Q on the turn gave me hope, as there was quite a bit of betting on the flop and turn. But a 33 hand took the whole thing when a 3 fell on the river. Ug. Ly.

Dropped a fiver in a penny slot machine on the walk back to wind down. Cashed out for $9. The only win of the day. Yippee.

Oh well, I have 2 more days to work. Maybe 2+, as I might try to squeeze in a bit on Friday morning, or maybe do the Mirage tournament one more time on my way out (if I go deep, that means a late, late arrival back home). Not sure I'll do anything outside the Mirage/Venetian orbit, but who knows. I hope I'll run into an AVPer or two along the way.

P.S. While I am tremendously happy that the IP (and all HET properties) don't add dishonest resort fees, it sux that they still charge extra for in-room Internet access, which should be treated as any other utility. It also sux that they close the pool at 6pm.