Anniversary trip with the wife April 20-22. I didn't expect to get much poker in, but due to a combination of lousy weather and quick tournament exits I managed to get in five sessions.

Played a 3-6 limit session at Bally's. Played from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., but didn't experience the drunk and/or free spending tourist crowd I expected. Didn't care much for the "room", which is really just a section of the main floor. Play was pretty solid, and a good mix of young and old, male and female. Dealers competent but not a lot of fun. I lost about $40, which was actually a pretty good result considering the lack of quality hands. Only three tables going (and when I stopped by at 9 a.m. one morning none were going), so it seems their action is lagging. I'd play here again, but it's not at the top of my list.

Played two 2-4 limit sessions at Flamingo, and won modest amounts both time. One was an afternoon session, one an early evening, and both times the room was busy, with maybe 7 or 8 tables going. The room is short on aesthetics, but I find it a fun place. Mix of people, with maybe more local rocks than is ideal, but one lady at my table said she'd just reached the final table at a WSOP circuit limit event, but was the bubble girl and didn't cash. Parenthetically, she was losing at our table. I like the dealers here, and drink service is pretty attentive (the poker room is right next to the bar).

Played a 2 p.m. $50 tourney at TI. Only about 20 players. I know these tournaments don't attract the greatest players, but I have to say, in all the tournaments I've ever played in, the quality of play at this one was the worst I've experienced. Only three players (including me) at our table knew what we were doing. Lots of weird bets, calls and folds. Raising an unopened pot to $300 when blinds are 25/50? Check. Betting $200 into a $1,500 pot on the turn, and getting a fold? Check. One of the "good" players was the first to be eliminated, when he got aggressive after losing a pot on a bad beat. I find that better players are often early exits, as they understand the value of chips and when the circumstance is right to push. I was eliminated when I was dealt K7 in the big blind and checked my option to the two limpers. A King on the flop, so I go all in (I'm at less than 10x big blind). Limper (the big stack at the table) calls. He has AK. Limping with AK? Oh well, I guess that's life on the low buy-in circuit.

Which leads me to the $60 11 a.m. Mirage tournament. Slightly better quality of play than at TI, but not by much. Had to explain string betting to more than a few of the players. I targeted one guy as a pretty good player, due to his controlled aggression. We're at the first level and I'm dealt Ad7d in early position. I limp for $100 (blinds are 50/100), the good player raises to $300, the blinds call, as do I. Flop is AJ7, all clubs. Blinds check, I bet $800 into a $1,200 pot, good player raises to $2,500, blinds fold. I figure the guy has a big club and something else, because he played it exactly the way I'd play that type of hand. But, I figured, if he had a made flush he'd probably smooth call, rather than risk running someone out of the hand. Since I don't have a ton of chips, I make the only play I can (other than fold), which is all in. He snap calls, with the nut flush. Really? Maybe I overestimated him (or maybe he was really, really savvy and pegged my move). Anyway, I still have 4 outs, but no A or 7 comes, so I'm out in about 15 minutes. I very much like the Mirage room, but this was the second tournament I'd played there, and I think my total playing time has been 45 minutes. Guess next time I'll hit the 3-6 limit table. Maybe then I can last at least an hour.

Oh, and a few quick tips from the rest of the trip. Skip O at Bellagio; you can see many of the same acrobatics (sans water) at Love, and Love is a much more enjoyable production (with better music, of course). Had two great meals, at Fleur de Lys and Bradley Ogden. Not cheap, but excellent special occasion places. If you travel to Vegas in Aptil, don't bank on spending time at the pool. We caught weather in the 50s and 60s.

Had a great time despite the lousy poker results. Will be back.