This trip report spans the last couple weeks. I try to hit the casinos about once or twice a week, and usually play 4/8 or 6/12 (and very rarely 10/20), all limit.

About a week ago, I played the 6/12 at Caesars, Friday night, traditional tourist crowd. Played pretty late, around 11pm-2am. Very busy all night long.

Normally, I play the 6/12 at Mirage, and kind of thought the play would be similar here. Boy, was I wrong. The Mirage game is usually a bunch of locals, with a very specific type of play, that is fairly simple to play against. The CP game played like a 2/4 game, which I did not expect. Lots of callers preflop and LOTS of chasing. There was one young Asian couple there that I have played before. Probably the two best players at the table, they were also the easiest to play against, as they played good tight aggressive poker, which tends to make them easier to read then the wild guys.

There was one hand I was not involved in that I felt very bad for the loser. UTG raises preflop, three people cold call the raise, including the small and big blind. Flop brings Kd8c5h. Checked to the UTG girl and she bets out, and everyone calls. Turn brings a 3c, now making it two clubs on board, and she bets out. SB and BB check to her, and she bets out. Everyone folds to the SB who check raises. She reraises, and SB raises over the top, and she calls. River brings the J of clubs. SB bets out, and she calls. He turns over the Q4 of clubs for a runner runner Q high flush, and she shows her set of Kings. On our side of the table, we just watch in amazement. Typical for 2/4 or 3/6, but this type of play is common at 6/12 at CP. At the Mirage, this guy would probably get eaten alive.

A few hands later, I had AKs and raised preflop from early position. The Asian girl cold calls the raise (which surprised me), and we go to the flop heads up. Flop brings KQ8 rainbow. I bet out, and she raises. I think she might have KQ or trying to buy a free card, so I reraise. She calls. Turn brings 7, making it to hearts on board. I bet out again, and she calls. River brings a 5 of hearts, making it three hearts. I remark out loud that I think she is smart enough not to chase a runner runner flush, and bet out again (we both snicker trying hard not to look at the guy that chased it a few hands earlier). She thinks about it, and mucks 10Jc face up. Other then that and a few other key hands, though, this game was just a little to loose aggressive for my tastes. I think I will stick to Mirage for 6/12. I bought in for $400 (they use $2 chips), and left with $220.

On to Texas Station. Hopefully someday soon, this and other locals casinos will be represented on this site, as rooms like Texas, Santa Fe, Cannery, and Palace are all being overlooked, yet provide a LOT of good poker action.

I decided to swing by Texas Station when Had a few hours free around noon on Wednesday. This is a locals casino pretty much 7 days a week, but at noon on Wednesday, there was no one who didn't know each other. Locals to the extreme.

Fortunately, though, I have played them enough times to know their playing style. Very loose passive, lots of limping, and occasionally, some ganging up. During my three hour session, one young kid sat down, and played loose, wild, and aggressive. I, and the others, didn't really respect his kind of play, and though he went from his $100 buy in to $500 rather quickly, he ended up losing all but $80 back by the time I left. My best hand was quad deuces against a guy with AK, and an ace on board. Patience and retaining information is essential to beat this game, as these types of players will play the same over and over again. Very little gear changing, by most. Ended up leaving with $340 after buying in for $200.

Finally, we come to Friday, March 17th. St. Patrick's Day. Downtown Las Vegas is traditionally a very drunk scene on any weekend night let alone one that celebrates the Irish. Yards of ale, footballs of beer, etc., were all out in spades. My Binions table was one of rare form. Some obnoxious yet hilarious drunk guys, one plastered girl, and a few locals just laughing it up and taking their money. There as one table where the guys did a shot every time one of them won a pot. Then, they weren't winning enough, so they decided to instead take a shot every time the A of Spades was on the board, then they just decided to just shoot at random. Helluva fun table. This was all at my 4/8 table. I can't imagine what the 2/4 was like.

Binions is great because they literally spread EVERYTHING, when it comes to various limits and games. They had 2/4, 3/6, 4/8, NL, Omaha, and even 1-3PL Dealers Choice! You will not find this assortment anywhere but here, especially at lower limits. Not really any key hands to discuss. This room is always busy due to their 4 tournaments a day, 7 days a week schedule, coupled with cash games. Fortunately, as we all know, their room is huge, so space is a non-issue. Ended up leaving with $284 after buying in for $200. This table was pure entertainment.

These last three sessions were all pretty fun. After playing a few times at Caesars, I think I will only play mid-limit there, instead of low limit. For low limit, I like the downtown and locals scene versus the Strip (with the exception being 4/8 at Bellagio, which is still a pretty good game). Good luck to all!