Background—I was scheduled to be out of town for work all week including the weekend, so my girlfriend made plans to visit a friend in LA. On Monday my work trip was cut short, and I now had an entire weekend to myself with no work or personal responsibilities! Like Christmas morning, except better. Although I had a number of productive household things I could/should have done, I decided that I would spend the majority of the weekend playing poker. I made plans to play in a home game on Friday night with some friends, and thought that I would spend the bulk of Saturday and Sunday at a local casino. On Thursday, as I was browsing AVP, the thought occurred to me: if you are going to be playing poker all weekend anyway, why not go to Vegas? My hopes dimmed when I discovered that a direct flight on Southwest would be nearly $600. Oh well, I thought, I can always go to Vegas some other time….wait, I have a free airline ticket….but I was supposed to use the free ticket in July for a trip with my girlfriend….but we are booking that trip in advance so the fares probably won’t be too expensive…but she will think that I’m a total degenerate flying off to Vegas at a moment’s notice just because I have a free weekend…but she doesn’t have to know. Vegas, baby! Vegas!

I couldn’t get a flight out Friday, so I booked a flight that left at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday morning. I went to the home game and played until 2:00 a.m.; showered and packed a bag; got to a deserted airport nearly three hours before my flight; and, by 7:45 a.m., I was walking through the Vegas airport. Sweet, sweet Vegas.

Saturday—

IP--Things began well. No cab line, little traffic, and by a little after 8:00 I was in the check-in line at the IP (cab fare $15 with tip). After being informed that I could not pre-register for a room until 9:00 a.m., I checked my bag, went to the poker room, and sat in a short-handed 1-2 NL game. I don’t remember much of the session except that I didn’t play particularly well—seeing too many flops, calling bets with weak hands, you name it. My first session of a trip always seems to be when I particularly poor. I left after 3 hours down $120. I did have five or six jack and cokes, which seems reasonable and healthy for a Saturday morning.

Burger Bar--Needing a break and something to eat, I walked to Mandalay Place (between Mandalay Bay and Luxor) and had a delicious burger with cheddar cheese and sweet potato fries. $20 including tip but well worth the price IMO. Also, the waitresses and bar tenders are very attractive. Probably good conversationalists, too, but I did not ask.

Luxor--Fortified, I decided to walk to MGM for a session. I really like the MGM room and have had great success there on past trips. On my way, I decided to check out the new (to me) Luxor room. Seeing an open 1-2 seat, I decided that MGM could wait. I bought in for $200 and was seated just as the guy to my left lost an all-in pot with two-pair Jacks and Sevens when another player spiked a set of aces on the river. An argument ensued as pocket aces taunted J-7 for calling a raise out of position with J-7. Fortunately for me, J-7 reloaded. For a 1-2 game early in the afternoon, there was a lot of money on the table and the action was loose. I was seated to the right of a player who had been playing all night and had over $1000. Three other players had between $600 and $900. On my third hand, I was dealt pocket aces in MP, with a $10 raise and call in front of me, I raised to $50, J-7 immediately pushes for ~ $200 and I doubled up when his KQ failed to improve. The guy seated to J-7’s left commented that he knew I had a monster because I hadn’t played a hand the whole time I’d been there. Again, this was my third hand! I love the Luxor. I hovered around $400 for the next hour or so until I made a crucial mistake. Normally, I’m not one to get too excited about suited aces, but for some reason I decided to play a big pot with the big stack holding AJ of hearts on the button. It was limped around to the big stack to my left who raised to $17, I called, as did four other players. I told myself that at least I have position, and I’ll dump this hand unless I hit the flop hard. Flop: AQJ rainbow. Decent but not great. It was checked to me, and I bet $55. Only the big stack calls. Quickly. Hmmm. Turn was a K. Big stack bet $100. Ignoring every instinct that told me he had no worse than A-K, I called. River was another Q. Big stack counts out $25 and places it in the pot then sticks in $200 more. Another player advises the dealer that this is a string bet and should not be allowed. Dealer agrees. Big stack argues…probably a tell, but for $25 I call and see that Big Stack held AQ. I hate myself. No notable hands followed until I was dealt K-K and got it all in pre-flop with a short stack (him not me) holding A-K. An Ace on the flop, and I lose ~ another $50. I don’t love the Luxor as much now. I play for a little while longer and end the session up $26.

Planet Hollywood--When I finally got to MGM, there was a long wait list. So, even though MGM is good about opening new games and getting players seated quickly, I went to Plant Hollywood instead. After a 10-minute wait I was seated at a 1-2 game. This was only the second time I have played at PH. Unlike my first experience, the room was very busy and had a nice vibe. The game was super loose, and I caught several monsters in succession. In a little over an orbit I was dealt QQ once and AA twice and flopped a set each time. I am good. Although none of the hands made it past the turn, I left PH after a little over two hours up $416. Aside from the drink service being slow at times to non-existent at others, I really liked the PH room.

IP round two-- After leaving PH I headed back to IP to get checked into my hotel room. Because I pre-registered I simply had to get my key, hit the first set of elevators and was in my room within minutes. Although the IP casino has a funky odor, the rooms are not bad at all. Not fantastic but certainly acceptable for someone looking for a clean place to do little more than sleep and shower. After making a couple of phone calls and relaxing in my room, I decided to place a wager on the Hopkins-Calzaghe fight. I could see the look of fear (or was it boredom) in the counter person’s eyes as I approached. Although I felt that Calzaghe would win, the odds on Hopkins were too good to pass up. After cementing Hopkins’ defeat, I went down to the poker room and was seated next to AVPer Karapet, a very good player and even nicer guy. Fortunately for me, even though I had been drinking, I was not the worst player at the table. I more than doubled up when, dealt K-K in early position I limped and facing a raise and four calls, I went all in. I was called down by an older gentleman, who I was told commented that my massive overbet screamed small pair. Good to know. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, or at least the pace of cards did not match the pace of the liquor coming from the excellent IP staff. I recall that there was a guy at our table whose real name was Joe Vegas. I’m not actually sure his first name was Joe, but his last name was Vegas. Also, if you’ve ever seen the movie Heat, he looked exactly like the actor Danny Trejo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Trejo Anyway, I had a fun, if not terribly profitable time, and called it a night around 1:00 a.m. up $140.

Sunday—

Venetian—I played at the Venetian on a previous trip and liked the room, so I decided to try it again. Before playing I had breakfast at the Grand Lux Café. After a decent egg white omelet (~$12) and Diet Coke I hit the poker room. It was approximately noon when I got to the room and there were three 1-2 tables going. I was third on the list and waited 30 minutes for a seat. I was not disappointed on my second visit to this room. It is very spacious and offers great drinks, including 16 oz. Fiji Water. In my limited experience, the players at the V are much better than I have found at other 1-2 games in Vegas. I played very tight and was still hovering around my initial buy in of $200 when I was dealt KK in early position. My $20 raise had four callers. The flop came 2-3-5, with two hearts. I bet $60 and got one caller. A non-heart 10 on the turn. I shoved; he called; his flopped straight A-4 beats my Kings. Down $200, I left and went to TI.

TI—I was immediately seated in a 1-3 game. I don’t remember the exact time but the afternoon tournament had just started. We were short-handed with a dealer occupying one of the seats. There were four really bad players at the table, but they took turns catching cards. I won a couple of decent pots but nothing memorable and ended up $100 for the session. One by one, the bad players left and I decided to visit a room I hadn’t played: the venerable Circus Circus.

CC—I had been meaning to visit CC ever since I finished a book that chronicled the beginnings of CC. I wish I could remember the name of the book because it’s a very interesting read on Vegas history. Well, I can now say that I visited the CC room, but I probably won’t be returning. It was terribly hot in the poker room, and the table was disgusting. The felt was terribly worn and the table was so slanted that it looked like it could fall at any moment. I stayed for an hour only because there were only five people in the game and I felt some silly obligation to play for a bit. I don’t remember anything further except I left up $2 and decided to grab some dinner.

Peppermill—I have raved about this restaurant to my friends based on past visits, but I was not terribly impressed with the food this time around. I think my mistake was sitting at the counter so I actually got to see my food prepared. I won’t do that again. I still recommend trying it once—big portions and a lot of neon—but you’ll find better food elsewhere.

Venetian Round Two—On my way back to IP, I decided to try to Venetian again. It was around 6:00 p.m. by this time and the room was considerably more packed. I was immediately seated and bought in for $200. Apparently this was not communicated to the chip runner, who never brought my chips. Fortunately, cash plays at the V and I was able to exchange cash for a stack with another player. It didn’t matter much because on my second orbit I was dealt AA UTG. I limped it was raised to $15, with a caller, when another player raised to $75. I pushed, and the raiser called. We didn’t flip our cards, and the flop came KQ10, and I recall thinking that I couldn’t see a worse flop. The turn paired the Q and the river was a blank, and I was getting up to leave as I announced that I just have aces. The other player mucked his hand without showing. I guess he had jacks or AK? I lost a decent amount back when my flopped two-pair lost to a turned straight, but I felt good that I folded to my opponent’s raise on the river. I left up $125.

I made it back to my room around 7:30 p.m., and returned a call from my girlfriend. I decided against telling her that I was in Vegas and instead focused on how much fun she was having in LA. Yes, I’m a terrible person. After speaking with her, I decided to try Bally’s for a bit. I have never been a big fan of Bally’s room, and I can’t pinpoint the reason other than it seems too much like my hometown casino. I only played for an hour and left up $95 after my KK survived a short stack’s AJ all in preflop.

IP Take Three—I returned to the IP and, after a ten minute wait, was seated at one of the two 1-2 NL games going at that hour. I was seated next to the big stack, and did very little for the first hour or so. The big stack was tight and very aggressive and very much out of place at the IP, i.e. a very decent player. Despite my better judgment, I still managed to get in several pots with him and lost every time. He with a set of tens and me with TPTK (AK); his AK > my JJ; his JJ better than my 10-10 on a non-threatening board. Good times. Fortunately, he never felted me and I kept playing. I managed to build my stack up to ~$450 over several hours when the following hand went down. I called a pre-flop raise ($15) with 9h-9d on the button. I think there were four callers including me. The pre-flop raiser (~$350) was a young aggressive sunglasses and hood wearing guy (YASHWG). Actually a nice guy, but he was playing nearly 50 percent of all hands and, as his name would suggest, playing them aggressively. Anyway, the flop came 9-7-6 with two hearts giving me top set but putting flush and straight draws on the board. YASHWG bet $45, everyone else folded, and I raised to $135. He went all in and, after convincing myself that he couldn’t have a better made hand, I called. We didn’t turn our cards over and I was thinking that I was ahead but needed to fade another heart as he probably had a flush draw or some combo draw. I don’t remember the exact cards but they were both hearts giving me a runner-runner 9-high flush which beat YASHWG’s flopped straight. I guess it’s better to be lucky than good. I played another hour or so and left up $655 for the session.

Monday—

I checked out of the IP and took the Deuce “$2 one-way, $5 all day, beat the heat ride the Deuce” to Tropicana. I checked my bag at the Trop because I thought it would be the quickest and cheapest cab ride to the airport. $12 including tip. After parking my bag, I went back to the Burger Bar for another tasty burger. After my meal I played at MGM. As noted earlier on page 50 of this endless report, I really like this room. The room is open and spacious. Although the music and atmosphere are, at times, loud, I do not find it to be a distraction. One note of warning, the closest restroom has to be the smelliest room on the planet. I don’t know if they pump in the lion feces fragrance into the room or whether it’s real, but it smells bad. I suggest taking a few extra minutes and hitting the facilities inside the West Wing instead. As for the poker, my string of playable hands came to an end. After four hours, I pretty much blinded off $90 without playing any significant hands. There was plenty of action at the table—one lady left with over $1000—but I wasn’t a part of much of it. Still, I highly recommend the room.

That pretty much sums it up. I hope that my report was somewhat helpful.

P.S. Don’t tell my girlfriend.