The plan was to play at 3/6 LHE at the MGM grand on my solo Vegas trip, just to relax and unwind for a few days. I had only ever played 2/4 LHE where it's tough to keep to good starting hand requirements without wanting to splash around. And forget about trying to stay ahead of the rake and the toke. What a struggle! At least the MGM does not have a bad beat jackpot drop, which is one of the reasons why I like playing there. Imagine that from every pot you pulled in over three days a buck had been taken out of it. Wouldn't you rather have all of that money given back to you at the end of your trip? Yeah, I thought so. Forget the bad beat jackpot; it's a sucker's proposition.

I started off in a 3/6 LHE game on Monday, July 2nd, sticking to a tight/aggressive style of play. I kept position in mind when deciding to play my holding, looser in late position and tighter from up front. I'd play suited connectors all the way down to 5s6s from nearly any position since the tables were loose, and even with a raise there were usually many callers, so I'd get fine odds to see a flop with multi-way action. I'd play a suited Ace from any position, but never an unsuited Ace unless it was a 10 or better. After my eight hour session, I cashed out with a $135 profit.

The following day, I played more 3/6 and a bit of 4/8, and cashed out with a profit of $205.

The next day, Tuesday July 3rd, was my last day in town and I was determined to play as much poker as I could. I was seated at a 4/8 LHE table and recognized many of the same players I had played with from the previous two days at both the 3/6 and 4/8 tables. I stuck to my same strategy and was doing well for a while. However, I found that people will play any two cards from any position, even for a raise, as if it's all a game of luck. Perhaps in NLHE, one can use this style to one's advantage, seeing lots of flops, and push the better hand out of the pot with one's betting. But at low-limit HE, often you'll be hard-pressed to push a guy off his middle pair, even if you've been aggressive from the start. I watched players' stacks rising and falling with whatever streak their luck was taking.

More than once, after raising pre-flop, or calling with say JTs, I'd flop two-pair only to be run down at the river by a straight or flush. Perhaps my opponents were receiving the right price to continue, however, not once did I make my flush (often the nut or second nut flush) while holding two suited cards and getting a four flush on the flop. Okay, I did open raise on the button once with A9s and only the blinds stayed in. After two of my suit hit the flop and the blinds checked, they folded to my bet. I backed into a flush one other time I can remember, but I already had top pair and a decent kicker. And that may be it for my flush action.

So, no, I don't think I received my fair share of flushes after flopping a four-flush. And I certainly wasn't chasing down weak runner-runner flushes with mediocre holdings. I wouldn't play low suited cards with more than a two-gap. So, yes, I did miss opportunities to make more flushes, but sticking to better starting requirements saved me money in the long run. After that seven hour session, I was down $135 after taking the brunt end of several lucky draw outs.

After dinner, I returned to the MGM room and was seated at a different 4/8 LHE table which treated me much better. After another seven hours (and at 5:00 in the morning) I cashed out up $320.

My conclusions: Just because someone is a Vegas local does not mean that they 1) Know how to play poker well, or 2) Play poker well. The only difference in the competition at 2/4 and 4/8 is the size of their bankroll. The players are no tougher at double the limits. I may try my hand at 6/12 next time if it is spread. On July 4, the room was packed with every table in action, including one 6/12 table which, at times, had trouble filling all its seats.

The competition: I found that the competition was easily pegged. You had 1) The tourist who liked drinking alcohol and splashing around in pots; 2) Locals with the "lucky" mindset (often Asians and East Europeans, but not as a rule); and 3) Tourists and locals who play knowledgeably, thoughtfully and fairly well.

My Homework: Observing players' tendencies is extremely important to predict future behavior and likely holdings. The MGM has lots of distractions and I often found I was not paying as much attention as I should have to the game after folding, especially after several hours at the table. I will decidedly work on this aspect of my game during my next trip to the MGM which is planned during the week of Labor Day.

The Bottom Line: With my poker winnings, I paid for my entire trip, including airfare, hotel and food, with money left over. (The trip was actually paid for from my vacation fund and my winnings were added to my poker bankroll so I can fade higher limits.) Until next time!