Random morsels

Just chilling in the Starbucks until it's time to jet out of here.

Fashion report: breakfast this morning was casual. Blue jeans and untucked blue/white striped shirt. Just enough to be semi-presentable. Then back to the room for an early siesta after which I put on a dress black shirt and the first stringer grey suit so I have it of for the flight.

I don't know how many times I have had to navigate the casino floor at the Alladin/Planet Hollywood but I still get twisted about and can never seem to find a direct route to anywhere. I do eventually figure out that the big globes are above the important places like the escalators to the check-in lobby or the buffet. Also realize that the video screens are on the wall closest to the strip. Still takes a while.

Looking back I am up 310 for the trip. There are many big key hands. Yeah it sucked to lose my first buy in to a bad suckout but I had many other huge hands where I didn't get unlucky. I had a hard time having AK domination over AQ work out for me but those were all small pots with just pre-flop money in there. I also had a couple lucky hands where I came from behind as well so I guess it all equals out in the end.

Not sure if this made news up in Seattle or not but there was a power outage last night. A transformer blew up and left the Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay segment of the strip was down for a few hours in the evening. Some guests couldn't get in their room because the lock system was down. I remember noticing the lights momentarily dim while I was playing at the PH. There was even a PA announcement reminding the dealers about power outage procedures. Cover and lock the trays since all dealers are resposible for their own cash and chips. Exact cause is still under investigation though at first I thought that it had to do with City Center construction maybe cutting a power line. There was another local report about a water main busting and cutting off water to the LV Hilton and another smaller hotel. Signs of a city overstressing its infrastructure?

Overall 1711 in buy ins and 2021 in payouts for 310 to the good. That's an aberration though since as we all know from my previous posts, Las Vegas 1/2 tables are unbeatable. I did do some math though and was trying to figure out net profit for winning one 40 pot an an hour at a 9 handed 1/3 with bonuses taking extra rake versus a 1/2 ten handed with no bonuses. I will work on that later.

Due to someone's, ummm, how do I put this...screw up. We are at the airport...three hours early. Oh well at least we won't miss our flight. Getting some work done on the airport wi-fi.

Session 13d

I am looking for my spots and posting blinds. Then I pick up AKos. I raise it to 8 and get one caller from solid guy in the corner. Flop is AK9 and I lead out for ten then he raises me to 30. Huh? Interesting. I go over the possibilities and immediately discard AA or KK. Nines? Maybe but I think far more likely is A9 or another AK. I process the hand and I decide I am at worst chopping so I toss in my stack and say "OK, let's chop it up. We probably have the same hand." The absense of insta-call is music to my ears. He is in the tank now. He is looking back at his cards and really has a tough decision on his hands. I immediately gravitate my read to A9. He really doubts that he can be good but has a tough laydown in front of him and he had already made another really tough laydown with trip Nines a few orbits ago. He starts to move his cards toward the muck and I start to inch mine closer to the middle as well. He asks if I would show him and I apologized profusely and told him that my friends JUST reamed me out for showing cards and that I can't show him. He only has about 40 behind and I can tell the curiosity is just killing him. He draws his cards back a little and I reverse direction and inch mine back toward my stack. He looks at his stack again and then asks again if I would show to which I make a motion towards his stack. He finally reluctantly announces "fold" and mucks his cards while calling my hand exactly. "You're a real solid player and have been showing down quality hands so I can't be good here." I apologized again about not being able to show him and guessed he had A9 and he said no. Then I asked if he had an Ace in his hand figuring maybe he liked AQ but that was wrong too. "K9" he says which explains everything about the hand. I tell him that was a tough laydown.

That gets my stack healthier and I am creeping back to even for the session. Within a couple of orbits I limp in with 8c9c and catch a Flop of QJT two Diamonds. I lead out for a pot sized 10. Decent gal two seats down raises me to 30. Uh oh. Me no likey this situation. Folds around to me so at least I know I am only up against one other person this time. I tank it and just cannot put her on AK in a limped pot. I also don't think she is playing it so aggressively. K9 is haunting me and I cannot dismiss that possibility either. She's definitely not on a Diamond semi-bluff. It MUST be two pair or at worst TT for bottom set but I'm positive it's two pair. I re-raise her to 80 and the table is riveted by the play of the hand. No insta-call so I know I'm good here. I even start speeching about "I am pretty sure we're chopping this one up" to try to sell her on the AK hand just in case she did have K9 and I need her to fold. She asks how much I have left behind and I count out about 60 and change with which I'm insta-calling if she shoves. She has her head in her hands and looks at her cards again. Her body language finally expresses a "screw it" and she puts me all in. I call. Dealer runs the board and a 9 comes off on the Turn. Ugly. River is a blank. I throw out my cards and she can't even process what I have until the dealer tells her I have a Straight. And she then wonders aloud if I got there with the 9 and she has it explained to her that I flopped it. SHIP IT! That hand doubles me up + and gives me over a stack of sugar for the session. The K9 guy was saying that he thought I had AK and I told him that's what she was supposed to think. She even said that she thought I might have the Straight and even says she had top two pair and "outs, a LOT of them." Well, if you mean at most four J's or Q's or runner runner Tens to boat up and the runner runner chop outs then yeah I guess so.

I go into ultra hibernation nit mode and fold everything for a couple orbits then grab a rack to tell the table that I'm leaving soon. I take my free hands and fold AcJc under the gun because I just wanted to get the heck out of there. A bit of a nerve wracking session with some tough decisions for me but my head was clear and making the right reads and the right decisions.

100 + 100 > 312

Session 13c

My hand fails me. I call a heads up pot raised to 10 with As5s. Flop is the absolut best missed flop I could hope for 249 with two Spades for four to the Nut Flush an over and a gutshot. Raiser bets 20 and I insta-shove for 16 more. He calls and the Turn and River somehow both miss. Reload for 100.

Call a raise in front of me with AK. Flop comes Q high and it checks to the original raiser who bets it from the button. I pause then fold. He shows me an AQ that out flopped me.

I raise to 7 early with QQ and get two callers. Flop comes TTlow and old Asian guy bets 10 and he is short enough that I am paying off whatever he has. Turn is low and he shoves in the rest and I call it. River is worst card ever, an Ace. He shows down JJ and I show my Queens. Gaining momentum.

Session 13b

I slow play bottom set of Ducks into the ground and pay off a backdoor Flush to Bud in the 9 seat, same guy who paid off my trip Sixes. Bah.

Gambool gambool! I see a raise to 8 with As9s. I check dark and the Flop is KsQsJx a bet to my left then a raise to 50 behind by Mona who was at my table last night. I mull it over and shove for 67. Then the guy behind me looks at his chips and calls too! Turn puts out a T and now I am freerolling to scoop a 200+ buck pot. River blanks. My A9 is up against AJ to my left and AT who flopped it. Choppy choppy.

Come in with AhTx. Flop comes K high and I flop a gut shot and a backdoor flush. Checks around. Third heart on the Turn and first to act makes it 10. Call. Call. River is the fourth Heart and I have the nuts. Checked to me and I try to figure out the right amount to get two callers. I don't have change but I throw out two Reds and announce seven. Guy behind me mutters about calling seven and throws in the chips and I show him the winning hand.

Have been floating around a little more than a half stack for a while. Play continues.

Session 13a

Going to play at PH until it is time to take off. Buy in for 100.

Third hand I am in and I post the SB and it is folded around to me and I ask he chops. He says no he wants to play this one and raises to 7 before I call. I look at my cards and see 77 so I announce call and there is a little confusion from the BB and dealer but since he raised out of turn I make sure to do it by the book. I make sure his bet is still 7 and then I call. I see a Seven in the door then it gets better as two fours fan out below it. I check and he checks behind. Ten comes on the Turn and I toss out 5. He folds. I don't show and realize later I bet him out of my chance to hit my one outer to take down a high hand bonus.

I raise to 6 with KQos after multiple pot chops and a very tight table. One caller. Flop is all low. I check he checks behind. Turn is low. Check check. River maybe pairs the board or something. Check check and he shows his Nines for an overpair to the board. Nice hand sir. He gave me free swings and I couldn't connect.

I see a raised flop with 7s8s on the button. Flop is 95J with one Spade. Checks around. Turn is 5s and now I have a gutter and a Flush draw so I bet it and put the hand out of our misery.

I limp with 8c6c. Flop is K66. I flat call a bet of 10 on the Flop. He fires 10 again after a J comes off. I bump to 20. He calls. River is a blank. 15 value on the end and he pays it.

For what I think is the first time all trip I get Aces UTG and make it a gentle 8 pre-flop. No callers. Then I jump up and down like Beth Shak and make twin teepee shapes with my fingers then throw my Aces down on the table so I can show the table what a tight SOB I am.

Later I pick up JJ on the button with two limpers and SB and BB in the pot. I make it 11 and take down loose change in the pot.

Breakfast of champions

Last day in town. Since "late" checkout is noon we spend a little time to map out our exit strategy and settle on the plan to put our luggage into the car and park it while kill time between noon checkout and leaving for McCarran at 6:00.

Went down to the Spice Market Buffet for breakfast totally paid for by the room coupons. Real orange juice, impressive. Standard breakfast fare, no surprises. I do wonder about how cost effective it is to use the single serving cereal boxes as opposed to the institutional bulk food dispensers but I have long given up on second guessing anything that Las Vegas does.

And now it's back to the room to take my nap early so I can stay sharp at the tables this afternoon and won't be able to have my siesta this afternoon.

Session 12b - Tuesday Night Poker at PH

Pick up KK again in the BB with six limpers ahead of me. I again make it 17 to go. Seat 6 says he has a pretty good hand. I welcome him to call. He folds and says he had KQ. I show my Kings. To answer Marsh, when it is so many handed, it is just really hard to thin the field since an early caller can ripple effect into more callers. Next time I will try to tune it a little lower.

After blowing through half a stack with bad play I have to tighten up my game so I just nit up and post blinds. Turns out that PH runs games at 9 per table like Caesars. I handn't noticed it before but it's nice to have the extra elbow room and a few more hands an hour.

Keke, the guy who raised my pair of 9s on my bad hand play tips me off to Seat 2, Eric, who is a professional. This guy kinda reminds me of an Alan Cunningham with his patience and measured movements. Pure ABC poker, no surprises. Keke and I talk a bunch during the hands and he's been having tough luck at the PH tournies, getting to the final table but finishing just off the bubble.

He gets wrapped up in one hand where the flop comes A68 with two Diamonds. Seat 4 bets a pot-ish sized 10. Keke bumps it to 20. Seat 4 cuts out more chips to raise it 50 more. Keke goes into the tank. Keke flashes his cards to me and he has top and bottom. Seat 6, new to the table also gets a glimpse of his hand is making body language like he can't figure out why the money isn't in the middle yet. I cannot say a word. Keke finally shoves all in and has the other guy covered by about 60. Insta-called by pocket 8s. He has a glimpse of hope when an Six hits on the River but after a short clarification he realizes that his Sixes full of Aces is still losing to Eights full of Sixes. We digest the hand later and I tell him it is like Marshall and Royal's hand where Marsh got in a raising war with Royal in a nearly identical hand. Based on the betting action, both Marsh and Keke were only beating bottom two pair which would be an odd pre-flop holding. He agrees that it was a bad play in retrospect and even said he went against his instinct. He got confused by the action of his friend sitting in Seat 3 who overplayed pocket 7s in an earlier hand.

Hand of the night. Seat 9 can't help but tell me his hole cards whether he folded them or not. He'd make comments like "I folded Ten Five" which would have flopped two pair. He was also complaining about losing with pocket Aces and Keke and I were trying to explain how to isolate with them, etc. So 9 is in this hand UTG+1 after I fold UTG and limps in before telling me that he has Aces. I feel like smacking him in the head but instead say "well, we'll see what happens" as we both watch the entire table limp into the pot. As luck would have it, the flop comes 988. SB checks and limp Aces fires his entire short stack of about 50 into the pot. Seat 3 insta-calls. Uh oh. 9 whispers to me that he thinks that the caller has an 8. Ummm yeah, good guess. Then to my surprise SB shoves! And I am quite confident that AA is no good here. Seat 3 thinks a bit then calls. So now we get to see the carnage. AA versus 68 for flopped trips versus 99 for flopped overboat. That explains a lot. Now the fun begins. Turn is...wait for it...case Eight. Last place takes the lead now. And if to justify horrific play, an Ace on the River comes to put the commanding flop leader into last place behind Aces full. Ouch. The 9s full leaves the table beside himself.

I am still posting my blinds waiting for spots. For the second time in the session I again pick up KK with a bet and a call ahead of me. I pump it to 25 and the initial raiser thinks about it. Then makes a cautious call since he saw my only other big raise of the night when I showed KK. Flop comes out Q high and his eyes are fixated on the flop. I am trying to look into his soul but the line is busy. He makes a pot sized bet and I digest the situation and decide that he does not have a set of Queens. I shove my stack in which makes it about 40 more back to him. He is in semi-shock and eventually mucks showing AQ. I show him my KK and he feels better about his laydown. I commend him for his fold since a lot of people are just making the crying call figuring they losing but wanting to get their money in bad anyway.

I have been at the table for hours and Eric has been there the whole time. I raise one hand and Eric picks up his cards and I can see he is bewildered. He looks at me and calls me out as never raising. He shakes his head in disbelief and and folds his cards. The hand plays out and I bet a Q high flop with my AQ. Eric tells me after that he folded AdKd pre-flop for a bet of 10! Wow. Now that is pro to avoid getting into a situation like that based on previous play from a player. Personally I am calling that to hit a Flush or Straight, especially for only ten bucks but he dumps his potentially dangerous second best hand in the making.

Two gals from the ladies only tournament join the table. They are from Boston and look like burly softball player types. Both very aggressive and bluffy. Not sure if that is East coast offense or whatever but I don't like how they've disrupted a quiet friendly game and I'm glad they are both to my immedate right. They experience some stack swings due to their play but they know what they are doing. Maybe a little rough at some reads but at least they can write it off to a bad read and not d0nk play. One of them is the caller in my KK play above and she knew to get out of the way. They both play a ton at Foxwoods and are complaining about the lax rules enforcement out here. They have seven days of golf lined up, basically the same gig as Ben's shindig.

I get into a pot with one of the softball players with 8cTc. Flop comes 689 to give me a pair and a gutter. I bet it and she calls. Turn puts another 9 on the board and I bet it again. She calls. River is a blank and it goes check, check. She shows 7s and I take down the pot.

Then I get into a hand with Seat 3. A softballer opens for 7 and I bump to 20 with QQ. Seat 3 mulls it over and calls. I know this guy has noticed my play since he's been there for a while and has heard the comments about how few hands I enter. Original raiser gets out the way. I intently watch Seat 3 as the Flop comes out. I don't sense much strength but he leads out for 50 anyway which accounts for about half of my stack. I can't put him on JJ and no other hand makes sense to me. I can't give him credit for flat calling with AA or KK. Maybe he has AK and is just trying to blow me off the hand. I mull it over and don't see how I am losing because the 50 just looks too much like a go-away bet. I shove and he insta-calls which is not music to my ears. He shows AJ for top top and I show my Queens. I guess he knew he was beat but was willing to go to the mat with it before I made my declaration. Turn and River are glorious blanks and I double up to over 200.

Nina from Virginia sits in the vacant 9 seat to my left after busting out of the ladies only tourney. She and I chat it up and she seems to be a fairly solid player. One hand I am in with her I am in the BB with KhXx. Flop comes K high in a short handed limped pot. I bet 5 and she calls. Turn puts a third Heart out there and I check. She fires 15 and I am trying to figure out the hand. I could call 15 more to try to catch a Heart which may or may not be good so I just fold and show her the Kh. She says I was beat. I was saying I thought so but wasn't sure if catching my card would be enough to win. She says no thinking I was talking about another K but I meant catching a Heart since I thought she might be semi-bluffing with Ah. She explains later that she has a set. Ahhh. Got it. Nice hand.

She's very nice and we talk about poker. In one hand a guy makes a big raise pre-flop and then cbets but folds to pressure on a Q high board. "AK never wins" I tell her. Very next hand I pick up AdKd and limp UTG with it. She then bumps it to 7. Folds around to me and I say. Here's a hand I can get into a lot of trouble with and call. Flop comes out Q high and I check. She bets and I run through the options before deciding to fold. I show her my hand and reiterate to her that AK indeed never wins. She shows me her KQ which outflopped me. Would have been very interesting to see a K come out.

Last major hand of the night is me and Nina again. I limp call her raise with KcJc. Flop comes out KQ6 rainbow. I check and she fires 15 into the pot which I cautiously call. Turn puts out 3c which now gives me second nut Flush draw. I check and she fires 45 into the pot and now I know she means business. Every single thing about this hnad tells me that she has exactly KQ again. I am positive that I am behind and am looking at how much of a dent a call of 45 would put in my stack. I am trying to fold but for some reason I instead cut out three stacks of chips each five high and put it into the middle. I had briefly considered a semi-bluff shove but decide against that since we are both roughly even. Turn is a totally undeserved Ac which not only gives me my Flush but the lock hand. I check and she immediately checks behind showing her KQ. I totally soft played her in the end since there is no way she can fold a bet of 20 or I could have shoved and put her to the test but instead I feel bad for sucking out. I apologize and tell her that was awful play and that I had her squarely on KQ. She says it's alright and that it's just poker.

Eric gets up from the table and I walk over to talk with him for a while. He is showing some others in the room a short stack of chips in his hand which I confirm with him that that is his sugar for the night. I asked if he is a professional and indeed his only income is from poker. Interesting. I commend him on his play especially a hand where he limp/flat calls pre-flop, and check calls on the Flop and the Turn against a new aggro guy to the table. Eric had JJ and the other guy had 69 which paired the flop's Nine high. But the Turn put a third Spade and an overcard King which Eric called as well. River goes check/check and Eric sweeps the pot.

After returning to the table I find they are drawing cards to break up the table since we are now four handed. I decide to cash out my chips since it is 12:30, the normal end to Tuesday Night Poker but this time I'm not wheeling off packed up cases of chips at the end of the night.

111 > 279. A good night.

Session 12a

Had a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Decent grub. Usually the food right next to the sports books have good food, cheap, and fast which is what sports bettor want/need. Food was a little slow. Stage Deli at MGM serves stuff up super fast. But it was fine for dinner.

I had 71 from a previous cashout and I tacked on 40 more for a total of 111.

See a limped pot with Ah7h anf Flop brings an AT6 one Heart for Jason straight and flush outs. I check in EP and aggro Asian guy on the button bets and I call since I am pretty sure I am ahead anyway. Turn is a low Heart to get me closer to a Flush. I check call 12. River is Th to give me the nut Flush on a paired board and I bet 30 and an insta-fold. Again, poorly played. Should given him the opportunity to bet a double scare card. He folds and I take it.

Worst hand of the session. I see a flop with 9Tos. Flop is 98 low. I bet 7 and get raised by the button to 15. Like an idiot I flat call with no idea where I am at or if I can even catch a card to help me. Turn pairs the 8 and I check/fold. Lame.

I call a raised pot with JcQc. Flop is KcQc5c and for the second day in a row, Tracy the dealer gives me four to a Club Royal Flush. I check call all streets and aggro Asian bets the Flop and Turn for me then checks behind on the River. I take a decent pot.

I raise to 12 with JJ and flop middle set on a K high board. I throw out a feeler looking bet to make it look like overcards hit hoping that Aggro would raise me with AK but no such luck. Fold, fold and I take a decent pot.

Then I get sloppy and play too loose and burn through 40 chips chasing. I am back down to 105. Bad bad bad.

Street vendors

Walking back up the strip there is one of those card flickers sitting in the median with a motorcycle cop writing him up. Pedestrian ahead of me asks another flicker what is going on and he says jay walking, a three hundred dollar fine. Ouch. I think he's going to have to move a palette full of Bambi cards to work that one off.

A little way down the street I run into a guy dressed in black on black promoting clubs. Curiosity gets the best of me and I finally ask one of these guys what the story is because I don't know how the economies of giving away free admission to night clubs work. He pitches the Playboy Club, Pure, Voodoo Lounge, and Studio 54 to me. Says I can get passes to all of them for $10 per person for my group. Ah ha. So that is the price of free. Still don't get the whole food chain though. The clubs would seemingly need to charge the promoters for the passes, right? But not full price since there will inevitably be breakage and he is not getting full price either. I tell him I need to talk to my group and ask how long he is going to be there. He says he is just about to leave but will give me his phone number. I ask if he has a card and he says he runs out of them. Hello? Isn't that the idea? And he has a giant fanny pack full of cards anyway. Hmmm. Then I wonder if those door and line passes actually get honored at the door. I assume they are legit enough though the conspiracy theorist in me wonders what is stopping anyone from printing up fake passes and hocking them for cash to unsuspecting tourists. I figure there is more tipping that needs to happen downstream for those passes to fully work. More investigation needed. I will ask around the table next session to see if anyone knows.

I haven't really been using my Bluetooth keyboard much. Almost all blog entries this time have been thumb typed on the phone's keypad. I wonder how much life there is in these buttons and when I will need to retire this and get a replacement. I will miss this hurking thing.

Session 11b

Seat 10 opens for a raise and gets one caller. Flop is KT high. He bets, call. Turn is an A and they guy is shaking the table he's so nervous. River puts a J on the table and the guy is a wreck. Fortunately the othe guy is short stacked and doesn't have a hard decision. 10 had KK second set versus KJ two pair. Table stops swaying after the hand.

7 limpers ahead of me in the BB and I am thinking about a big bump to steal all the blinds. Wouldn't do it of couse. Uh oh. I pick up Kings. No way I am going to try to extract a single caller out of that field. 17 to go and I take down a table full of blinds.

Then he raises to 7 again and I have him on big pair. Three other callers ahead of me and I have two Black Nines. I call and with the two callers behind me I am getting plenty of pot odds plus mad implied odds. Flop comes T96 two clubs. Original raiser leads 20, folds to me and I three bet him. I have dust behind so he wants to just get it in. I insta and he shows worst case premium hand for me of AcKc for 9 outs instead of an overpair for only two outs. Turn blanks and River pairs the six so I boat up for good measure.

I see a flop with Js9s. Flop comes 578 two suited but no Spades. Targetee bets 7 and I get another call in front of me and a call behind me. Perfect. Totally priced in for my stealthy double gutter. Shannon Elizabeth has been thinking positive for me and a beautiful T comes off on 4th street. Targetee bets 15, a fold in front of me and I massage it 20 more. Fold behind me and it is back to my target. If he is on something like a pair and a gutter or two pair then 20 is nothing to this guy. If he has a 9 he is defintely coming along and a dream 6 on the River would be payday for his full stack. He thinks a little then FOLDS! Bad beat city USA. This guy hasn't folded ALL freaking day and he jumps out to four reds which he drops into the pot on 4th and 5th street regularly. I'm fine with it though. It was a decent pot and I even though he might have stabbed 20 on River I got a little greedy and wanted to build a bigger pot.

I decide it is a good time to take a break so I see my free hands and cash out my chips.

100 > 236

Session 11a

10:45 and I come in for one hundy.

Get K6 in the BB and check my option. Flop is A66 and I bet 5 into a three way limped pot of 6 and take it down witbout a fuss. Hope to bring along an A/rag into the pot but I am satisfied with just having a couple of laps of blinds money.

Guy to my right makes Jerry Yang look like Speedy Gonzales. Every hand is like watching paint dry. And for some reason Mr. Sloth likes the "action" of straddling each time.

Get Ah2s in the BB. Flop bottom pair plus nut Flush draw on a Jh3h2h flop. I check call 10 from the button on the flop. Turn is a black Q and I check/fold to a bet of 20. River pairs the Trey and QJ pays off Deuces full who bet 30 on the end.

Bad vision in Seat 8 has to stand up to see the cards and complains that the numbers are too small.

Biding my time but I have targets selected.

Tuesday morning

Switching things up this morning. Fashion report: smart casual today. Blue jeans, thin striped pattern off white shirt, navy blazer. Breakfast egg, ham, and cheese sandwich brought to you by McDonalds. That place could use bar seating to more efficiently seat customers. I caught rush hour and there was a wait for seats with some people opting to sit on the curb outside while I was hogging up a four top.

Get on the waiting list for the MGM and take a seat after a little while. I wait for the blinds to come around to watch the table a little. Session 11 is about to begin.

That's it for tonight

Just got kicked out of the bar at the sports book since I was using an electronic device. Time to call it a night and head off to bed.

Session 10b

Raise to 7 with JJ and flop comes K high. I get check/called after stabbing and I am done with the hand. He bets the river and I fold. Show him my JJ and he shows Kh9h which was well coordinated with the board.

Call 6 with snowmans and flop an OESD with 679 mixed suit. I bet 16 into the 18 pot and take it down.

I am trying to get in another hand with Seat 10 who is a mega-station. He check raised on the river the paid off a re-raise on a KKQJx board and lost to K7. He didn't show but I doubt he had he case K, probably a Queen.

Limp in to see a flop with 78os and the flop comes TJrag which checks around. Turn is a Nine to fill the gutter to my sucker straight and I am ready to play it really carefully when Seat 4 leads out. Hmmm. Then the short stack after her shoves for about 40. HMMMM. And now it is on me. I was waiting for everyone to check to me, then I would bet it and take it down but instead I get all this action ahead of me and figure that I cannot possibly be beating both of them plus even if I am there is a possible redraw against me to a higher straight. SS would dent me but I would be OK with taking my chances the he is on a semi or made two pair. But Seat 4 has me well covered so I have to let it go. Seat 3 insta-calls. She shows pocket Nines which just setted up. Seat 4 shows QT for pair and a straight draw. River is a meaningless A and Trip Nines takes the pot...MY pot, lol. Meh, it was a difficult laydown but I really just need to avoid those situations so I am way OK with the fold.

I get the BB special of 34os and am glad to see a free flop. Dealer throws out QQQ (rainbow) which checks around. As I am thinking that there is no safe cards for me the dealer puts a 4 out on the Turn. I toss out 10 and Seat 3 (cracked Aces full) has a pained grimace on his face and I am wondering what he has. He eventually folds as does everyone else. I show him my Four and he said he had two high cards and didn't want to have a hard decision later if he caught.

I raise to 12 with QQ and get two callers, the guy who felted me with his set earlier and short stack. Flop comes T high and Seat 6 makes it 4 which puts the short stack all in. SS calls off his last chips. I am somewhat confused by that bet and I say that I have to raise and add 25 more to the call of 4 and Seat 6 gets out of the way. SS has AT and flopped top/top. I Turn an unnecessary set and the River blanks so I take down the last pot of the night because the guy I just busted out gets up and that starts the domino effect of players calling it a night.

I toasted my first buy then actually dropped part of my second roll before climbing back up to 157. I'll take it.

Session 10a

MGM Midnight buy in for 100 clams. Raise to 7 with AQ get pseudo-min-raised to 15 and I call. Flop is K high and I miss all streets. Fold to bet on the River.

I see some other flops with decent starters but no business.

Then I try to protect against the flush when my KQ hits a Q but run into bottom set. Reload.

Hand of the trip. Seat 2 limps. Seat 3 raises to 16. One caller from 6. Then back to Seat 2 who now raises to 40. Seat 3 shoves. Seat 6 folds. Seat 2 insta-calls with KK. Seat 3 shows Aces. Flop brings a King. Groans from the table. Turn is an A to give the lead back. Bigger groan. River is the case King. Biggest groan of all. AA has to leave the table to walk it off. I tip the dealer for her contribution to entertainment value for the table.

Royal's hand to the rescue. I limp in MP with 3c6c. Flop bottom two on a Qc high board. I check and hope one of the stabbers will bet for me. No luck. Then 9c peels off on the Turn and I have the rare two pair boat draw and flush draw combo. I bet 10 and get four callers. River is Ts and I bet 20. No callers and I take down a reasonable pot.

SB special. I throw in the extra 1 in the SB to see a flop with 6hTh. Flop comes 89Q two Hearts for a flush draw and what I thought was a gut shot but as I found when a 7 peels off is actually a double gutter. I called 10 on the Flop. And bet 20 after making my straight. Bad card T on the riv but I bet it anyway for 20 and take it down.

I am trying to not get complacent about winning tons of chips with garbage (no offense Royal). I am pulling back on the reigns now that I have a stack to protect.

St. Patrick's Day evening

After dinner we got changed and headed out to the strip. Picked up slushies and stopped by O'Sheas. Looked at the beer pong arena they have built. Walked back down to NYNY to stop by the piano bar but the line was too long so we kept going south to Mandalay Bay and Red Square, home of the Gay Martini. I had my umbrella-esque drink then took off for some poker back at the MGM.

St. Patrick's Day special extended fashion report

Today: grey suit, white shirt, green/black patterned tie for obvious reasons. I am not entirely pleased with the vibrant lime-forest green and the grey suit but I wore the black pin stripe yesterday and wanted to rotate through the inventory. If I were thinking through a little more I could have done something different with the planning but I got lazy. Besides I wanted to wear the first stringer on the plane and leave my backup suits in the checked luggage since everything in the suitcase is my expendable stuff.

There is plenty of green in the crowds. Tons of T-shirts like Kiss me I'm Irish, I (clover) green beer, Irish I were drunk, Get Lucky, etc. Sorry but Notre Dame sweatshirts don't count. Celtics jerseys get a pass though. Lot of green shirts and green dresses. Haven't seen any green hair but maybe tonight.

The town kinda gets into the spirit even for a Monday holiday. The fountain in front of Paris had its water colorized green. Street merchants are selling green Mardi Gras beads and green 2008 glasses like you see at New Year's parties. Even the guys handing out cards on the strip have pictures of strippers with green panties...no not really.

Session 9

Killing time at the PH waiting for everyone to meet for dinner at the buffet. Table is ultra high variance with the entire low end of the table playing Asian ultra LAG style. I limp in with speculative hands trying to flop big.

I finally take down a pot with AcJc. I flop second pair on a QcJredRag flop. Checks around. Kc on the Turn and I call a bet of 8 with my single sided Royal Club draw. I miss the $599 high hand but catch on of my 8 million outs with a 3c on the River for the nuts. 15 value on the end and I get a call from a mediocre Q.

Time for dinner.

100 > 71

Patience grasshopper

I was patient. Very patient. Extremely patient. Painfully patient. Over a hundred bucks patient.

You ever go to the candy store and watch the other kids munch on all of their chocolatey morsels and chew on their gobstoppers and drown themselves in sugary delights while you are waiting in line for your turn? And nothing you can do will make the line go any faster? And the other kids are practically drowning in excesses of dessert goodness? Welcome to my world.

Play was horrendous. Big fish at the table. One Asian dude just would...not...fold...period...end of story. He plowed through what must have been at least ten bills in the two or three hous he was there. Un-fricken-believable. Five overcards and a possible straight? No problem. I will call with my pocket Fours. Gimme some of that! But I was simply not getting anything playable. I open up the playbook so I can get involved in a pot with some of these guys. Ax suited. Any combo of Ace-paint. Any pair. Any suited connector. But the well is dry as the Las Vegas dessert air. I literally blind off about 80 in chips (1/3 at a nine handed table speeds up the erosion) waiting for something, anything to play and connect. Pocket Nines were my biggest pair. Limped with small pairs that didn't hit. No Flush draws to even chase.

Seat 9 even says "Excuse me sir, what kind of cards DO you play?" which gets a chuckle from the table. I reply that I am just not getting any cards. Shortly thereafter I finally go with a JTos and even jokingly make a point to show him that I am playing a hand. Then the guy to my left raises it to 12 and I call the extra 9. Actually flop an open ender but fold to a bet when the Q pairs on the turn. All I need is one hand and I know I will get paid the whole way to the river but the cards just don't cooperate.

I finally punch out after getting down to my original 100 and decide to take a nap.

Session 8a

10am we start a six handed but soon grows to a full nine. Play is atrocious. Anyone limping for three will call a raise to 15. Calling stations abound.

I make it 12 to go with AK and collect four callers. Flop is A63 two Diamonds. I make it 45 and take down a healthy pot.

See a flop with 66 and flop bottom set on a KQ6 flop. Milk about 60 out of that pot after the Heart draw misses. Misplayed it though. I should have checked the river and given him the opportunity to steal.

No playable hands for a while. Couple of set mining opportunites but they missed. I was over 200 for a while but have been posting blinds for a while. My pot to rake ratio is ridiculously low.

Start of the work week

It's 9:30 and I am about to start at Caesars. I am dressed and ready to go to the office and will be hitting the felt before some of you are even leaving the house to go to your work (and you know who you are).

Since it is St. Patrick's Day I had to make the obligatory stop at the old haunt O'Sheas and get breakfast from Burger King in the "Food Park" which is perhaps to liken it to a trailer park for their target demographic? I order up that good ol' comfort food breakfast meal of a sausage croissanwich, taters, and OJ...just like mom used to pick up from the drive through when I was a kid. Nothing like a greasy cholesterol bomb to get the synapses firing for poker.

Did I mention that Caesars has real orange juice available via the cocktail girl? Not like that crap from the bartender's gun like at the MGM. Is it worth an extra buck raked from each hand for bonus hands? Perhaps so.

I am first in line for a seat at 1/3. It's pretty slow at this hour since we all know poker players are largely nocturnal.

Session 7

Met up with the crew at Planet Dailies, the 24/7 coffee shop. I had a fruity pink smoothie which was so aptly named the strawberry apple pie. No umbrella unfortunately but it still caught the attention of every available Barbra Steisand fan in the entire restaurant.

Decide to have a seat at the PH table. D0nkness abounds two players getting the rest of their stacks in on the River. 99 for vs QJ on a KQ high board with a Flush possible. I just cannot get a playable hand against these guys. Some guy slow playing Kings in a multiway pot because he "didn't want to chase everyone away". Oy. I am posting blinds waiting. Guy next to me gets involved in a big hand. He raises, gets one call. Then is re-raised and he shoves. First caller looks at his hand and reluctantly folds. Re-raiser takes a little time and calls. Then the shover puts the folder on exactly AQ and said it is bad for him because it takes one of the outs he needs to beat the caller whom he put on exactly JJ. Both reads are spot on. I eventually pick up QQ and have a raise in front of me which I bump and take down my only pot of the session.

100 > 99

Session 6b

Big bling special of 52 hits two pair on 662 board. I check it and it checks around. Turn is another Deuce. I throw out 5 into a pot of 9. One caller from iPod grandpa. River is a Queen and the third Heart. I make it 15 and he calls with a Queen for three pair.

I pick up KK and raise to 12. Get raised behind me and I decide he is short stacked enough to just put him all in, he folds AQ.

Got a 10 minute massage at the table. And it was delicious.

While I am getting my massage I pick up QQ and make it 12 to go. Flop comes K high and I check/fold to the new pushy guy in Seat 6 who likely has air. But he will give me plent of chips when I have it.

Seat 7 is an Andrew Black lookalike/soundalike who is perpetually taking forever to act and talking to iPod grandpa about music. He's been warned about F-bombs and swearing. We probably get 5 fewer hands per hour while he is mugging for his TV time.

Time for some food so George and I head back to PH to meet up with the other guys.

100 > 178

Session 6a

Grab a Subway meatball sandwich on the way over to Caesars. I am on the waiting list.

Just got asked if I knew where the Pure nightclub was. I direct the guy out the door and to the left. For whatever reason, people assume I work at Caesars more than any other casino. Funny.

First table is an all aggro pissing match. I am glad to see the table break up. I get moved to another table.

First key hand I pick up is QQ with a raise of 11 in front of me. I flat call. One call behind me. Flop is all low 246 rainbow. I check and there is a check behind me then the original raiser bets out 17 and I raise to 40. Guy behind me has a hard time folding. Original raiser folds too and says he had a pair but not as big as mine.

Then I get tricky flat calling Flop and Turn bets when I flop a 5c6c Club flush. Fourth Club comes on the river and I pay off a vbet on the end.

I am knocked down but get it back soon when I flop top pair J on an all Diamond Flop. Then I trip up and get the rest in and my QJ beats JT.

See a flop with Jc9c and flop top two. Lead out and get two callers. Then I check call a 7 on the Turn and a second 7 on the River. Take down another reasonable pot.

Peak at about 150. Friendly table.

Session 5c

Come back from making a phone call and just missed the blinds. Dealer asks if I want to post. I say that I will wait. He asks if I am sure and tells me that it will be a long wait. So I relent and post my missed blinds and tell him that they'd bette be Aces. I instead pick up TT and call 11 from a conservative looking old guy. Flop comes all low and I am lost so I fold. He ends up taking the pot with 99.

I set mine with 22, 44, and 55. Limp in the A rag suited. Nothing is hitting. I am going to get something to eat and head over to Caesars to play over there with some of the other guys.

100 + 100 > 46

Session 5B

Limp UTG with 6c7c. Nothing in the flop for me.

Call the extra 1 in the SB with Ah9h. Nothing.

Call a raise to 10 with TT. Flop brings an Ace and I check fold to the button stab on the Turn.

Take down blinds with JJ raise to 12.

Pick up JJ again in SB and chop blinds.

See a flop with 66 after a raise to 10, a call, and a very probable call behind plus implied odds. Flop is 338 and two players get it all in on the flop. A3 vs J3 and lucky Asian gal takes it down when she rivers a J. That is the third hand in about an orbit where J3 won the hand.

Take down blinds with a raise to 12 with QQ.

Call a raise to 12 with AQos and hit second pair on a K high flop. Check/fold.

Bunch of dead BBs in the pot with new players coming in and a couple returning. I raise to 12 with AJos and take them all down.

Call from the SB with A8os and flop an Ace. Lead out and Irish guy in Seat 10 says he doesn't know what to do with Ace rag. He is good enough to have been watching me and to get away from it. He folds and asks what I had. I flash my Ace and he wants to know my kicker. I smile.

Pick up big lick in the BB and flop trips. Get called all the way to the river by noob who catches runner runner two pair Q3. My stack is healthier now.

Complete from the SB with As7s and flop the nut flush. Turn it and check/call a five bet. Blank on the river and I check to try to get a stab but no customers. Get a few rounds of blinds at least.

See a flop with 9cTc. Flop second pair on an A high flop. Check fold.

Call a 12 bet and call with AK. Flop an A and bet out 30. Take it down.

Set mine with 55 with a 12 bet and call ahead of me. Collect one other behind me and go four to the flop. Miss and I check/fold.

Session 5a

Sit down at 4:30 for 100 and wait for the blinds. Call a raise to 7 with 99 in the BB. Flop is low, straighty, and flushy. I check and the original raiser makes it 15, one call, and I think then call. Turn pairs the Trey and it checks around. River brings an ugly Q and the original raiser bets 40. I fold. Tons of stuff not to like about that hand. Yuck.

Next hand I pick up AsKs in EP and make it 12 to go. Seat Six puts two chips out then the dealer tells him it has been raised then he puts out a red. The dealer tells him he needs another red to call and drags his feet to getting the last call in. One other caller. Flop is AdQd5d and I am OOP. I make it 25 to go. Call, fold. Turn is a second Ace and I am not getting away from this hand for my remaining short stack. I have the case Ace, 3 Kings, plus six outs which pair the board to win if I am behind. He turns over Kd4d for a badly dominated hand which flopped perfect on me.

Reload one stack.

And we're back

Afternoon nap hit the spot. Was still a little under-rested from staying up late the past two nights. Head still is throbbing a little but nothing that is getting in the way. Get cleaned up and head out again. Tuna and OJ at Subway and I'm off to the MGM again.

Session 4

* Note this is out of sequence because it did not post properly. I will fix the order when I get back.

First hand I play is at the end of my first orbit and I make it 12 with AsKs in LP with multiple limpers in the pot. I collect two callers. Flop is KcTc-os rag. First to act makes the bet hand fake then checks. Guy to my right stabs for 10. I make it 40 and take it down.

My second hand I play is AA an orbit later and I make it 12 again. One call from the flush chasing old Asian lady. Flop comes K high two Clubs again. I bet 20 and take it down.

Sit and fold some more. Then a semi-aggro guy with a Duke t-shirt sits down. Kid Denmark next to me ends up raising 60 on top of a 20 bet and call with 4s8s for middle pair and a Flush draw against J5 top and bottom pair. I dont like the atmosphere so I decide to cash out and take a break.

100 > 141 in a short 45 minute session.

Sunday tidbits

The Planet Hollywood assimilation is complete. They have the grand opening gala running on a continuous loop on one of the channels on the room TV. There are still hints of the old (new) Aladdin but mostly in the guest rooms appointments like the valences, wardrobe trim, faucets and the like. Purely understandable from a cost standpoint and I'm sure that everything will be revved when the ten year renovation comes around for the original equipment. They do add a Hollywood prop to each room. My cot is directly below the plexiglass case holding the railgun used in Arnold's move "Eraser" (insert "under the gun" comment here). They've now put purple towels in all of the bathrooms instead of the standard white in order to "Hollywood-ize" it. Looks awful with the sand colored decor. They at least have taken down the old plaques with the Aladdin's lamp motif on them. They have also finished turning over all elevators which I think should have been done earlier since EVERY guest and guest of guests see the elevators at least twice a day. It would have been a high bang for buck item to re-brand early. Now they have been re-skinned and there are plasma TVs inset into the ceiling of the cars.

Today's fashion report: light grey sateen shirt with black pattern tie in a black pin stripe suit. Reason #78 to wear suits in Las Vegas is to stay warm on days like this. Wind has picked up and it is downright cold. Outside security guards are in coats, gloves, and hats. I'm sure Ben is way better off watching The Price is Right instead of freezing his butt off on the course today. Reason #53 for wearing suits is that it helps repel people trying to sell you something. I don't get nearly as many flyers, pamphlets, or tickets thrust into my face when I look like I am a local business guy. Last part of the wardrobe is my black leather dress shoes (not the wingtips) which, when I was walking out of my condo yesterday to get picked up for the airport, got splashed by mud when I stepped in a puddle. Looked for a shoe shine place last night and MGM had one but it was after shoe shine business hours, whenever those are. Coming back to the PH I found a shoe shine place near the ground floor elevator lobby and I got them spiffed up by the Carolina drawled, history majoring, ballet dancing, afraid to drive in the rain shoe shine girl who would not shut up. Did a nice job though and even threw in some towel snapping flourishes to the shoe buffing.

Since there was no action at the PH poker room I decide to take an afternoon nap and I will figure out what to do tonight after my siesta.

My head hurts

Must be the dry air. Get up around 7 and go back to sleep a little.

The weather would pass for Seattle. Cool, overcast, and wet ground from an overnigt rain.

Breakfast sandwich at Subway.

Take my first hand at MGM at 10:30. Qc3c in the BB. Fold to a raise.

Session 3

I decide to play some poker while everyone else plays craps. Sit for three and a half laps with no playable hands and I end up down 12 bucks.

100> 88

Stratosphere poker

Everyone is playing craps so I head over to the poker room. The tables seem intuitively crowded. I count it up and they have 11(!) handed tables. I have my name down but think that I will bail if I get called since this seems so wonky. For a nut peddler I guess it is ideal since you get more free hands but it just seems too weird. Their midnight tourney is about to start so maybe some spots might open up.

Quark's bar

So we wait for Ken and Aaron to meet us at the Star Trek lounge and it takes a while I even decide to put $5 into a video poker machine to pass the time. I know that perfect& strategy is 99+% against the machine but I am so rusty on my Jacks or better game that I don't even know whether or not to hold an offsuit A and Q. But I figure it is better to dump $5 on video poker instead of on the drink.

Ken and Aaron finally show up and we migrate to Quark's bar downstairs and I order up a Mind Meld, one of the manyh Star Trek themed drinks or eats available. Ken gets his picture taken with a "hot" Klingon gal who doesn't go both ways and only will hop in bed with another Klingon and not a lowly earthling like Ken. We decide to take off so I get a to go cup for the resg of my Mind Meld. Chris and Ken bot got the punnily named "James Tea Kirk," the Star Trek bar version of the electric iced tea.

After loading up we head back to the Stratosphere for 10x odds on $5 craps.

That's it for now. My mind meld is affecting my thumb typing.

The Star Trek bar

The LV Hilton monorail stop pretty much dumps you directly into the Star Trek bar. It is exactly what you would expect a bar in outer space to look like with the possible exception of the contemporary music videos on the oversized view screens.

As I recall, the original games were all supposed to be space themed i.e. roulette with orange and blue instead of red and green or something like that. For a Saturday night it seems kinda slow. Maybe Saturdays are slow nights for interstellar travellers.

Session 2

Sounds like there will be continued barfing action over at Mandalay Bay so I buy in to a 1/2 game at the MGM. I sit and fold everything including multi-way limps when I am SB.

Hand 1 is AcJc and I raise to 7 in LP and no one folds. Flop is KJx and I am done with the hand. Fold to a bet.

I post blinds and just see hands from the BB.

Second hand is calling a multiway straddle with two black Tens in LP. Flop is Th4s6s. Checks around to big stack bully who roughly pots it with a bet of 20. Comes around to me and I shove for 69 to charge full price for his draw. He thinks a while and finally tosses in his chips. I show him the bad news. I think he had me on AT and was only concerned about me possibly semi-bluffing with a better Spade draw. He shows JsQs for a presumed 15 outer which is really only 9 outs plus he would need to dodge my boat redraw.

Chris pings me that he is on the way and I am ready to wrap it up. I check A9os in the BB. It checks through to the river where I catch my Ace and I throw out a 5 into a 6 pot for value and get paid by Q9 which as far as I could tell was Q high then the board got swept up before I could double check her kicker though she might have hit her side card for second or third pair.

Final tally: Buy in for 100 cash out for 200 and I erase the losses from the A2 suckout from earlier today and then some. Not bad for 30 minutes work. Now it's off to meet up with the guys over at the Star Trek bar.

Saturday night

Took a little nap after having the room safe "fixed." Sounds like the plan is to head over to the Star Trek bar, get drunk, and pick up some alien chicks...except for Ray who is going to continue having Roy Rogers drinks and reading his golf book while hanging out with us. I head over to the MGM to rendez-vous with the others and we'll monorail over to the LV Hilton. Though we rented cars, probably not a good idea to drive.

I arrive at the MGM and one of the party members is having technicolor yawn issues. So while waiting I have a banana and an Odwalla orange juice. Fruity goodness.

Safecracker

We got our room keys and it turns out the room safe was left locked by the previous guest. We call it in and since there needs to be a guest in the room in for them to take care of it, I volunteer to wait behind while Chris and Ray meet up with the rest of the crew. Security showed up first, checked my ID then came back later with maintenance. While I was waiting I was pleased to find out that trying to hack the entry code results in having a thirty second (or minute?) timeout between attempts to thwart brute force attacks. When security returned with the maintenance guy I was suprised to see a complete replacement safe being wheeled into the room and the maintenance guy pulling the wardrobe away from the wall to completely swap the units. A hassle for them I'm sure but a policy which probably saves them a lot of grief in the end. Turns out the did not swap our unit out since it was only a sticky dead bolt and not a completely malfunctioning safe. Even though they had pulled it out and had a replacement ready to go. Oh well. At least the room safe works now and Ray can lock up his My Little Pony good luck charm that he always brings to golf outings.

Session 1

New table forms at 13:35 and I take seat 2. Buy in for 100. Two players to my immediate left buy in for two bills. Two others get stacks of 100 and the other four come in for 60 each.

I was wondering where I would want to put two players who bought in full and decided that I think I would actually want them to my right since info from them would be cleanest and action behind me would not mean much from the short stacks who presumably know less. Regardless, the seats are what they are.

Seat 7 draws button first. SB, BB, and a UTG limp ahead of me and on the first hand I pick up AcKs and make it 12. Folds to Asian dude with a single stack and the only other one who seems to know how to shuffle chips and he flat calls. Flop comes 446 two diamonds and I check it. He checks behind. Turn brings Kc and I make it 20, he folds. Sweet...like sugar.

I am in straight ABC poker mode and fold KQos to an unknown raiser and 77 from MP to a raise and folds.

Second hand I play is a limp in MP with Ah7h. Miss the flop wildly and fold.

Third hand is 6c7c in late MP and four limpers ahead of me. Check fold the flop.

One of the guys to my left, who know more than the others but I would not consider them good, notes that I haven't been playing many hands. I tell him I haven't been getting many hands. Nice to know someone is noticing. I actually have been getting junkers like J3 (thrice), J8 (twice), and assorted other crap. I have been folding every SB.

One hand it folds to me in the SB and I ask Seat 3 if he wants to chop. He sheepishly says "I have a good hand." I reiterate that it is his choice then he begrudgingly takes his blinds back. Later he tells me he had Aces and asks if I would have gotten any action. I tell him I don't know since I hadn't looked at my cards yet.

I see attrocious play all around like a flat call preflop with AA and a min raise on the flop with a draw heavy board. He collected four others to the Turn then finally got two short stacks in and successfully faded all draws. Yuck.

Fouth hand I play is AQos UTG. I raise to 7 and and take down the blinds.

Then after about an hour and 15 minutes I pick up two red Aces in my least favorite spot to get them, UTG. I make it 12 to go and get one caller from Seat 8. I am watching him as the flop hits and see a slow look of the board. I look at the cards and it is 278 rainbow. I make it 20 into the pot of 27. He looks confused as to what hand could possibly justify that bet. He sits and thinks a little then calls. Turn is a J. I hope he has a QJ, KJ kind of hand but I am OOP and am not getting away from this hand for the 37 or so he has left behind so I grab a more than adequate stack of reds and bet enough to put him all in. No snap call so that's a good sign. He tanks a little then throws the rest of his chips in. I show my AA and he shows A2os which catches a two outer Deuce on the River and I am awash in Sklansky bucks.

I am down to 23 so I buy up another stack. Fold once then make a steam limp with JTos compounded by a call of a raise to 7. I check fold the cbet by AK on the A high flop. It is getting to be time to meet up with Chris and Ray again. I think I can squeeze in an extra orbit but decide to just let it go and only see my last two free hands. First hand is crap then I catch Pocket Treys UTG. I limp for two and get a nice juicy six way limped pot going to the flop. Swing and a miss.

I pack up my chips and cash out. Down 84 so far but with no qualms whatsoever about my play. Got my money in way good and had a lame beat that accounted for a swing of about 150 bones. Oh well. Time for some happy hour drinks and I will play some more later.

Waiting for a seat

Two hours to kill until we can pick up keys so I stop by the poker room. I am second on the list for 1/2NL.

Them new slots

I've noticed from afar the move toward a "cashless society" for slot play. The progression has moved from mechanical slots to computer controlled physical wheels to full video. I just saw a girl return to her group exclaiming that she just won $20 and excitedly waving around a white paper receipt instead of a green bill. Then I passed a couple who just hit a payout complete with audio of the virtual coins that they won hitting the tray. I'm sure this stuff has been around a while but I just don't really dabble with those EV- beasts to know any better. Not there yet but getting closer to just being able to pop in your ATM card and having the casino take money directly out.

Grease is the word

In-n-Out burger and fries grease content > Dick's burger and fries grease content.

Misc.

In-n-out line snaked through half the available walkway though it was knocked down pretty quickly.

Weather is clear and in the 50's. Comfortable.

Today's fashion report: Black and grey striped shirt. Light grey suit. Black leather shoes. No tie. Ready for the tables at any time.

Planet Hollywood, or (sneeringly) "PH" has the hardest to find driveway in the city. I've been through tons of times but always via cab. I knew it was in the back but never had to navigate from scratch.

Almost to front of check in line.

Mother of all...cont'd

Chris is (literally) taking forever to get the rental done. It's like in those Visa commercial where the one person paying with cash disrupts the entire store except it was worse than that. Our line literally becomes the longest line in the entire place.

While waiting for the paperwork I look around the rental center and...holy crap! The rental desks are just the tip of the iceberg. They are in the center of a huge multilevel parking complex housing all of the inventories of all the agencies. There is at least one level below the ones that the public accesses with more cars below and I am sure plenty more in surrounding bunkers.

After all of the finaggling we end up with a Suzuki SUV. Meh. Now it's time for some In and Out burgers for lunch.

The mother of all car rental locations

Been a while since I last rented a car. I used to take my agency's shuttle to their lot but now ALL agencies share the same shuttle and the same roof. National, Alamo, Dollar, Thrifty, Advantage, Enterprise, Budget, Payless, Savmor, Avis, and Hertz all rubbing elbows like a shopping mall food court. Yet one more way that Las Vegas can efficiently process the millions of visitors it gets each year. I am suitably impressed.

SEA > LAS

Ray, Chris, and I handed over our checked belongings at the counter and on to their ensuing fate at the hands of the TSA and the luggage gods. A longer than usual wait to get through security. Did notice one gal who was using a kitchen garbage bag as her carry on luggage. Interesting. Chris booked us on Brand X airline so we end up in a totally unfamiliar wing of Sea-Tac. Ray wants to know how long the flight takes and I tell him 2:20 or 2:30 I forget which way takes longer than the other. I figure the west-east trip goes a little faster due to the rotation of the Earth but Ray, a pilot, disputes and says that has negligible effect compared to the wind currents. Chris smells a Mythbuster episode brewing.

As Murphy's law would have it, Ray, Chris, and I each ended up with a window seat, center seat, and aisle seat (respectively) to none of our likings. I swapped with Ray and Chris moved at boarding to a window so we all ended up getting seats we wanted. After I get seated I can't help noticing that the cute Asian girl in the seat next to me kept looking over at me...or out the window...whatever. Got some sleep. Turbulence over the mountains as we begin our approach to landing. The flight crew have said it has to do with the thermals coming off of the mountains though I secretly suspect that wild gyrations of the plane have to do with someone using their cell phone. We land and pull into another foreign gate that disorients me. We go to the carousel and Ray can easily identify his golf bag thanks to the pretty pink ribbons that he (or his wife) tied to it.

It's off to pick up the rental car and grab some grub.

Gooooood morning

Get a text message at 5:02 telling me to wake up. I blearily volley some texts back and forth. New ETA for the ride to the airport is 5:45 not 6:00. Reset my alarm to 5:15 instead of 5:05 to squeeze out a few extra minutes of sleep. Doze off then get the wake up ditty from my phone. Realize I still have to pack the rest of my stuff, get cleaned up, and get out front so I jump into action, run through the shower, and check off some things on my last minute list like clearing off room on the Tivo so I don't miss my Deal or No Deal episodes and the re-broadcast of Steven Segal's Masterpiece "Under Seige." As I am getting dressed my phone is going off. I look at the clock and the 6:00 pick up that became 5:45 is now 5:40. I do a last second check to make sure I have all my stuff, flip the circuit breakers on non critical functions and head out the door.

I end up on the small half of the split folding rear seat of the compact car carrying clubs for two and luggage for three. Chris rockets through the speed trap on Aurora and we're at the park and ride in no time. On the way to the terminal now.

NEXT time I'll begin packing a little earlier

You know, I end up with less free time than you might think. Well,
maybe a little procrastination is at work also. On Friday I got up,
surfed, did email, had breakfast, played some Stud at lunch poker,
stopped by to get lunch at the old office, came back home, took a nap,
went to a show, got back around 1-something. So with less than five
hours until it's time to head off to the airport I decide it's time to
pack. Could have been worse, at least I did laundry earlier in the
week so I didn't have to do that task hogging up time. I just bought a
$12 rolling luggage suitcase from the thrift store since my carry on
is too small for all my stuff and I didn't want to keep borrowing
other people's suitcases. Once again I crammed it full of way more
clothes than I'm ever going to wear. Yeah, so I'm contributing to
global warming by making the airplane haul around extra weight. Sorry.
Oy, I'm going to need to get up in about an hour. I'm going to be a
wreck for sleep. Hope I get a window seat so I can get some shut eye
on the plane. Have to make sure I'm thinking straight when I hit the
poker tables. OK, time for a short nap.

McCarran adventure

Sat in the longest security line I ever endured at the airport. They put in the Disneyland line cut backs all the way up to the railing. Normally I breeze through and even when transporting chips and get pulled aside I have never had it take this long. Still, only 30 minutes so it's not bad, just more than I would like.

The airport now has free Wi-Fi so you can surf while you wait for your flight to take off. Another plus is that they have free outlets to plug in your 120v products and to charge up your stuff. I am a little surprised that they don't have the outlets tethered to a meter so they can make you pay to juice up.

A friendly game

Sat down at MGM to pretty much play tight two card Omaha. I would limp and set mine with any pair, highest was TT. Limp with Ax suited looking purely for the flush or trips top kicker. I would also see flops with alphabet cards. All only for limps.

Good table though. Limping was the norm. Very social. Pretty much everyone was very friendly. Seat 1 would seem to collect a rotating supply of curmudgeons including some punk kid with bling and the "street player" look. He raised it up with what turns out to be Aces and got action from Seat 10, a dealer from another casino, one of the "regulars" in the group. Flop came out eight high. She check calls. Then the Turn puts out a second spade. She bets, he calls. River is a Ks and she bets again. He calls. She turns over 6s8s for runner runner flush. Normally I would think she is a donk and the play was indeed odd but by virute of her being one of the "good guys" and the guy being an arrogant jerk, I am OK with the play.

I am in Seat 6. Seat 7 next to me is a guy from Richmond who "lives" at the River Rock. His signature move is the min raise and he later ordered a dozen Krispy Kremes for the table. He also started the trend of showing one card after the hand, the "unimportant" card, and others followed suite later. Seats 2 and 3 on the end are a couple who look familiar. She can't help but bet her flush draws. 4 and 5 would rotate. Mostly dudes who quickly towed the line to limping with the rest of the table. 8 was grandpa who played pretty tight not surprisingly. Seat 9 was a guy who was pretty good. He would do his share of stealing pots but was friendly about it.

Every one was pretty much there just shooting the breeze and making jokes. Dealers were getting into the same mode as well and would shoot the breeze with everyone.

I dragged a couple of pots when my KQ hit top pair and it checked around to me in LP. And I also successfully mined a set of Treys and that was good for about 40 bucks. The rest of the session was pretty much posting blinds and limping with nut makers while BS'ing.

After about three hours of chit chat I cashed out for a massive three bucks of sugar or a run rate of a buck an hour or about half of the benchmark of a BB/hour. It was a fun time and I am glad to have come out in the black.

Planet Holly-weird

Planet Hollywood is pretty much fully assimilated now. No obvious traces of the old Aladdin motif anywhere. Street side has been completely redone and it's all glitzed out.

Inside the poker room I find out during the tourney that they are doing "euro style" raise rules where the min raise is the size of last BET, not last raise. Some guy tried to massage a "call me" re-raise. Bet was something like 200 and the raise was up to 525 so the re-raiser tried to go something like 900 but was told it had to be 1050. This surprised the rules guys at the table and the dealer kinda apologized about it knowing that it is not standard. I had heard that this is common in Europe and I was originally surprised at it but after thinking it over more I could go either way on it. Makes the math easier for sure and inasmuch as there is a reason that the last bet needs to match the last raise I guess the same reasoning would apply to matching the last bet which it is not unusual to do anyway. The other funny thing about PH is that the dealer said they had a Chinese Poker tourney! He said they even had special four handed tables. I asked if it took a while to deal and he kinda smirked and acknowledged that dealing out ALL 52 was time consuming. Sounds like they did a High Low High variation with the middle set being Deuce-Seven rules. Don't know how many players they got but I would be interested in looking at the rules and blind structure on that one.

Down and up

Decided to buy in short this time and only came in for a hundred at the MGM. First hand I get involved in I have AsTs and flop the nut flush draw on a Q high board. I roughly pot it and get check called by the guy to my right. Turn is a blank and he checks again. The only reasonable draw is Spades so I figure I'll bet again to get him to go away and/or build the pot in case a Spade peels off. River is a blank and he checks so I check behind. He shows pocket sixes for the win and I am left wondering if this guy can just see right through my soul or something. First hand I play and this guy has a dead to rights read on me? Scary. Later on I see this guy call my bet after a K hits with K4 after I raised pre-flop with AK. He also came in way light on some other hands and did stuff like fold in disgust after calling and being shown third pair and stuff like that. I picked the wrong guy to bluff. Although in my hand I actually had two overs and any Spade so I was actually favored against pocket Sixes on the flop.

With my starting short stack crippled by my missed bet on the come, I limp in with 7c9c. Flop comes three Clubs K high. Nice! Seat 9 leads out, and Seat 2 calls. Time for me to clear out the chasers so I bump it up 25 more. Then first to act raises...hmmmm. Then back to Seat 2 who shoves! At this point I'm in so deep and short stacked that it is only another 15 or 20 so see how bad I'm losing. I even announce "well I'm paying someone off" and I figure there is a non-zero chance that someone flopped two pair or a low set. Nope. I'm up against EP's Qc4c and shovers 3c5c. THREE flopped flushes! We are both drawing dead and second nutters takes it down. Bigger stack and I'm folding but I donk off my spare change and reload.

Seat 2 gets replaced by n00b guy who can't even post blinds correctly. It is folded to him and when it gets to him he puts out another three on top of his post of two, clearly confused on what he is supposed to do. Gets to me with KK and I make it 20 to get this guy out. Gets back aound to him and he calls. Great. Flop is of course A high and I check, he checks. Turn is a blank and he throws out 10. I make a crying call. River is another blank and I forget if he checks or bets 5 or 10 but we get to showdown and he has Kd5d which ended up being the nut flush draw though I doubt he understood that. Guy to my left commented on the bad flop. I reply with "No crap, worst flop ever."

That donk goes on to fund many another player's stack, mine included. I got into a hand with him where I had some strong hand and got a call from him on the flop and turn but couldn't coax a call out of him on the riv.

Another hand I make it 15 preflop with AK trying to shake off limpers, two callers. Flop is a relatively safe looking Ah Th Rag-off. I am ready to pot it and take it down in position. Check, then this dude in Seat 9 is double fisting his stacks massaging two towers of 50 as if he was warming them up. He fondles his bet for a while then brings both stacks forward in usison to overbet the pot by a factor of two. I sit and mull over the situation. From previous play I'm fairly sure he is not ahead in the hand. We have approximately even stacks of 200 after I've dug myself out of a hole and gotten even and I'm not looking for a high variance hand right now. I'm only 15 deep and there is no way I'm getting out of this hand without putting it all in at some point so I just muck and decide to pick a better spot. He shows two Broadway Hearts for a gutter to the Royal which gives him 12 outs and a rough coin flip to my made hand. Odd play and I'm fine with getting out of that hand.

Later on I'm in another hand with the same guy. I limp UTG with TT. Two seats down a guy raises to 13. Hulky guy calls. I may well be out front right now anyway and I call looking to flop an overpair or nail a set. Flop comes T high, just what the doctor ordered. I make it 20 on the flop and the pre-flop raiser looks at me. We are both pretty solid and have been staying out of each others way. He probably missed his AK but reads strength from me and folds. Big guy calls. NO idea what he's drawing to but he's been chasing all night. Turn is low and I think might have made some weird gutter straight. I lead out 35. He flat calls. Hmmm. River is a Q him and I bet 60 hoping that he has an KQ-ish hand but he thinks a while and then folds. In retrospect I think maybe a check to him to sell AT that was afraid of the overcard so he could stab at it and I could raise him. Oh well. I take down the pot. Orig raiser put me on bottom set of Treys and was surprised when I show him top set.

Guy to my immediate left is friendly and a chaser too. He does his second straddle of the night and decide to complet the straddle bet from the BB with 5s6s. He checks and we're three handed. Flop is 6d3d6h. I lead out for 10 into a pot of 12. Straddler has seen me enough to fold. Button calls. Hmmmmmm. I was ready to take down a small pot right there and now I need to range this guy. I'd feel better boating up since I am in deep kicker yogurt. Turn is a non Diamond Seven to give me a gutter to go along with trips. I lead out for 25 and figure he'll go away now. Nope. Straight and a Flush draw out there so I hope the river is a blank...instead I get the Case Six in my late Xmas stocking. I size up the guy's short stack and grab an aribtrary amount to roughly match his stack. 55 is the bet and that would leave him with about 15 to 20 left. He asks if I liked that Six and I make a comment about making my Flush. He's in the tank now and I ask if he has a boat though I am positive he must have one or else he wouldn't be thinking this hard. He finally calls and I show my hand. He mucks but later explains he had 5d7d for a GSSFD and all of the peripheral lesser hands that that entails. After the River boats him up he promotes to Sixes full of Sevens and is only behind my six or pocket Sevens. He said he couldn't put me on an overpair so that is whyh he called.

I'm up to about 375 to give me some sugar after climbing out of the hole. I nit up and blind off a few more chips. Raise in EP with AK to 11 and get like six callers. Flop is QJ high and guy two to my left bets it. Desperation call from short stack who is covered by the bet. Everyone else gets out of the pool. Turn is a K and I get ROTty but shorty turns over AT after the K fills his gutter.

I'm down to 360 and decide that is a nice round number so I cash out and hang out with Marsh over at his table and chat with Jason and MB. That session brings me basically even for the trip.

Revisionist history pre-disclaimer

So I'm doing the blogging from the phone so I don't have the full complement of tools available that I would from the web interface. As such some of my posts are out of order and I have some posts that I've started but haven't finished yet.

Basically I am going to need to go through the blog after I get back and straighten everything out.

Right now blogging from the West Wing Bar at the MGM. Some football game is going on in the background (they really should put more football on) and it's two for one happy hour! Just going to catch up on some email and stuff before hitting the tables.

Swing and a miss

After busting out, MB and I sat down for 1/2. MB was up a quarter. I paid a BB and an SB. Jason went out on the bubble when his 99 fell to QT in the BB.

Jason wanted to go play 4/8 O/8 so we cabbed across the highway to The Orleans which looks to be mostly older locals. We grabbed a quick lunch then all signed up but the list just was not moving at all. Back to our rooms for a siesta and we will be back after dinner.

International cuisine for dinner

Since it's the last night in LV I figured I would give the Subway and deli a rest and enjoy some fine dining. Panda Express on the Strip, baby! Actually I do have a nice seat perched above the Las Vegas Blvd facing the NYNY casino. The meal is world class.

Busted out in 12th this time

Should have folded my BB but saw a flop with Ad9d to a raise and shoved in first position on a KK3 flop. Jason doubled up and looks destined to final table.

Second break

Sucked out two pair with my AQ after flopping an Ace against AK to get healthy. Then I bluffed off chips with 45 trying to steal blinds then have to call a shove for not much more holding Q2.

I won the chip race to color off the 100s when I spike As as one of my cards.

Planet Hollywood tournament again

We are at PH again to play their tourney.

I am up about a quarter stack. Jason and MB are down a little.

I flopped middle set on an ugly 7s9sTs flop. I led out and took it down. Also drained a lot of chips off of a gal when I had AsXs. Flop nut flush draw, turn an Ace, and river the nuts.

Closing time

So I cash out at my table and am BS'ing with Marsh. I'm looking for a place to do some blogging and where Marsh can meet me after he is done playing cards. I figure I'll just meet him at the Centrifuge, the circular lounge which the MGM Poker Room surrounds. I head in there and the entrances are roped off. Check my phone and it's one in the morning! Excuse me? The city of 24x7 and the place is a bar is closed at 1? I ask around and yep, that's when they close. Not that there aren't other places to get a drink, just not as comfy as a lounge like that and it's hard to blog at the bar when my keyboard is fighting for space with the buttons for video poker game set into the top of the bar.

Old salts

I'm in the Island tower of the Tropicana, the one further away from the strip and in order to get there you need to walk this gauntlet of kiosk vendors. It's like walking through the Pike Place Market or being at Northgate but with a higher density of hawkers.

I just try to keep my head down and pretend like I work there since I'm in my suit but on this day I get nabbed by a gal who asks me if I've heard of the Dead Sea which actually was a nice hook since it didn't directly try to sell me on something. I get suckered into saying "yes" and the next thing I know she is holding my hand and telling me how dry they are. OK, now at this point I'm minorly insulted since I have some of most soft supple hands known to mankind but I humor her anyway and go along with the gig. Then she has me hold my hands over a basin and she pours these salts in my hands and I'm supposed to rub them all over my hands. I think I'm exfoliating. Dunno. I'm no manicurist. She then rinses my hands off and I towel them dry. Apparently at this point I think the magical music is supposed to be cued up birds fly from out of nowhere with ribbons for my hair. But in reality my hands feel like they've just been scrubbed with rock salt. She asks if my hands feel "better" now and I tell her I'll have to ask the wife what she thinks and then say that I am late to meet her so I had to leave before she tried to sell me this miracle cure.

In all honesty my hands did feel wonderful after the mini spa treatment...but that's just because my mitts naturally feel wonderful to begin with!

A bill of sugar

Stopped by the MGM and had some lunch (turkey sandwich at the sports book deli) then signed up for some 1/2. Sat down and folded for a while. After about 20 minutes or so I get involved in a hand. It is raised to 11 with one caller. I pick up Aces in the blinds and pop it to 40. Corner pocket thinks about it then calls. Other guy folds. Narrowed the field down to one as desired. The guy is short stacked with only about 50 behind and I decided that I'm riding this out no matter what so I put him in on the flop (K, low, low). He shakes his head indisgust and gets it all in. He turns over Tens which is behind AA, KK, and AK, the biggest re-raising hands as well as tons of other hands of course. Aces hold and I'm up over 100 for the session. I pay some more blinds and then take off after another half hour or so. Cash out for 294 and am satisfied with the session. Time for a smoothie at NYNY and then an afternoon nap in the room.

Tourney wrap up

The Planet Hollywood tournament is decent. 4000 chips 60 bucks. Jason got to use the rebuy feature when his Kings got cracked by TT that flopped a boat on a T22 board and lead out on the flop with it.

MB and I were at the same table to start. I tried to see some cheap flops with Ac8c and small pairs but nothing hit. Pretty nitty play. Boris came out of the gates swinging though he played the first four hands for a raise then limped with QJ which ended up boarding out Broadway and he raised and got a call from AJ.

I was down to about 3K at first break. Jason was up a K and MB was down to a low stack. I got some better cards after the break. For some reason I was about to muck QsJs in LP and even made a hitched motion but caught myself and shoved instead. Took down the pot. Then very next hand I got AJos and shoved after one limped. Folded around to him and he hemmed and hawed about it and finally called with 33 and I was mentally admonishing him for a marginal call. Much better to shove than call but better to not even get to invested at all. Flop came QQx then a K to give me more outs and then the board double paired to counterfeit his microi-pair. I didn't apologize for the suckout since that was a horrible play.

Some really bad play and plenty of players who don't know how to play. Guy folds his BB. People not knowing it is their turn. Raises that are too small, etc.

Guy limps UTG with QQ and a guy shoves in LP with KJ. QQ calls and gets pissed because a K flops. Ummm...guy might not have called a raise with KJ? Nevermind.

I end up with 4h5h in the BB and see a flop. 7h22. Check check. 8h comes off and he bets min. I call with a GSSFD, the river is a 7 and I think of stabbing when it is checked to me but think he'd call with an A so we show down. He has K8 and wins.

I shove or raise a few times with any reasonably strong hand so I have chips for blinds.

Second break comes around. MB and Jason are out. I come back to 4K in chips with blinds 1K/2K and take a few hands until I "min" shove with QJos. Get called by BB holding K8 and he turns his eight. I'm done in about 14th place. Top six pay.

Planet Hollywood tourney

Jason, MB, and I are at PH for a tourney. 60 buy in for 4000 in chips.

Down a full buy at Tuesday Night Poker

I'm in full nit mode and posting blinds waiting for cards.

I try limping in a couple of times with a small pair or QJos but get raised out.

Then I pick up KK and make it 17 to go and even the guy that knows what is going on calls along with one other. I'm first to act and have to check the A on the flop. A check behind and then a shove from a short stack in LP. Bye bye.

See a flop with ATsuited. Flop comes A high with two spades. Checks around to the guy to my right who puts out 10. I nudge it up to 20 to try to see where I am at. Then I get the two checkers calling the 20 cold and I don't like this hand. Turn brings the third spade and I'm done with this hand. It checks around. Blank on the river and then it's check, 25, call ahead of me. I think about it then fold. Call behind by A3 who wins it.

Next hand I get involved in is AKos, I make it 17 again and quiet guy in the corner pocket makes it 40 and I fold.

I see a flop with KdJd and flop second nut flush draw and a gutter. Small bet on the flop which I call. 15 to go on the turn and I call but then the guy behind me raises to 45. I decline to chase anymore.

Raise with AJ and totally miss the flop. Cannot continue.

See and flop with AT sutied and flop top/top on an 89T board, not the greatest but I bet it in EP. Multiple callers. Turn is a 6 making a one card straight possible. I check/fold to the girl who flopped the nuts with QJ.

Limp with 55. Fold to three overs.

I'm down to 50 in chips or so and pick up QQ. Bet of 15 ahead of me and I flat call figuring that we will be isolated, two other callers. Flop is 7 high two clubs. Original raiser bets out 25 and I shove for the rest of my stack. Folds to him and he calls with KcQc and rivers a K.

I'm done with this session. Time to take a break and track down everyone else.

Down 17 for the year so far

Sat down at Caesars 1/3 NL. No cards. Limped in late with QJos and got bet off preflop. Limped with AsTs and missed. Only raked one pot with 58os when it checked all the way through. That's it.

Over to MGM for TuNP.

High drama next door

So there I am minding my own business just relaxing in my room and I hear a female voice in the hallway which ends up entering the room next to mine. The Tropicana is older construction so the noise carries through the walls better than in the more modern casino/hotels.

It was hard to understand everything being said, even with an ear pressed up to the wall...IF I had done that...which I didn't of course...but the dialoge went something like the following:
Door shuts and there's a pause.
Female: Various irate yelling and expletives.
Male: Unintelligible.
F: What the F? How could you do this?!
M: Unintelligible (he didn't project like she did)
F: (crying now) I ASKED you!
M: This isn't fair.
F: You said you wouldn't.
I didn't hear a second female voice so it wasn't THAT juicy.
F: You said you weren't going to watch this.
Wha? At this point I'm figuring she's getting bent out of shape over her boyfriend getting an adult pay per view movie.
M: I don't need this.
F: (blah blah blah)...if you wanted to watch the game then why didn't you just say so?!?!?!

OK. At this point I'm tuning out. All this hubbub over watching a football game? C'mon! That was four minutes of my life that I'll never get back.

8th to 11th hour stuff

Meet at the BBQ place. It's basically an all meat menu and even the beans have meat product in it so I settle for sipping on a soda pop. Half of the plasma screens in the restaurant are highlighting the 300 foot motorcycle jump attempt (spoiler: he makes it) which is actually happening right oustide of the Rio visible from the rooms of the people at the table.

We hang out at the bar for a while Ken works his clout to get me included in his party up at VooDoo lounge up on the 51st story at the top of the Rio tower overlooking the Strip.

Mission accomplished by Ken and we are all escorted by the concierge type people assigned to keeping Ken a satisfied Rio customer. We get our wristbands and are shown the way to the guest elevators which whisk us up to the top floor in no time. The table is on the perimeter of the lounge's deck. A bit brisk to be sure and most of the party retreats to the warmer confines of the indoor lounge area but by a quarter til midnight the deck steadily fills with onlookers who are treated to a bird's eye view of the strip fireworks. It's not often that you look *down* onto a fireworks display which by the way were being shot off from the top of buildings which aren't so short themselves.

After the fireworks it's time to head back inside and hangout with the other revelers and get sauced. I save myself the drunken stupor back to my hotel and just crash at John's place while he terrorizes the blackjack tables.