My annual June five day solo trip to Vegas started with QQ twice in the first three hands in the 10 pm tourney at TI. In the next few levels I had QQ three more times and AA twice. Was this the trip that will finally see me coming home to wifey with some serious ROI? The answer turned out to be no but I had some fun along the way.

Playing poker after a door to door journey of about 15 hours from the UK was challenging and ultimately unrewarding as my earlier good hands evaporated as the shove fest got truly underway and I ran out of steam in all senses. I normally enjoy playing TI but the new room seems to have lost its character and friendliness.

Next day saw me up at at 'em at the 9am tourney at Ballys. Never got anything going and the went out to the table chip magnet.

However, this was merely the warm up to one of my earmarked tourneys – the Binions $160 event. Binions is probably my favourite poker venue and I sat down with about 250 other entrants. I was struggling along with a lack of hands but hung in to go past the dinner break and was starting to build my stack. I began thinking I might be set for a strong run into the cash positions when, on the first hand of my new table, I looked down at QQ (the prevalent big hand of my visit). I raised and the action got to the BB who had me covered and who quickly went all in. I called to find myself up against KK and didn't hit my two outer.

I decided to round off my day with some $1/$2 cash at The Flamingo. Sometimes poker is an easy game and I just sat and played my cards and got action when I hit to eventually cash out for $604 ($300 buy in).

Next day I started with the Saturday $120 11 am tourney at The Mirage. Not quite the quality of structure I was expected after reading the positive reviews of the tourney but after winning a massive pot with AK v 1010 near the bubble I felt well set for an assault on the serious cash positions. I then struggled but scraped into the cash when I flopped an open ender, was put all in and decided to risk dying to win and died as my opponent's pair prevailed. I had $187 to show for my work.

Next stop was one of my favourite rooms to play cash - Manderlay Bay. Bought in for $300 but the only conversation at the table was between two guys on their stag. Just wasn't feeling it and cashed in for $302 about an hour later.

I haven't played at the Excalibur for some years and thought I would give it another go. Depressing room, moaning and rude players either side of me who just talked past me to each other. Still I won a big pot against the would be table captain on a KK77x board where I held AK and he decided to call my big river bet with 97. This helped me cash out for $432 to keep my cash roll going.

I decided to spend my Saturday night at Ballys. Bought in for $300 and suffered a slow death with no cards or lucky flops and had slowly dwindled to about $175 when finally I looked down UTG at KK and raised. Having seen the tightest and quietest player raise from first position might have killed the action. Instead I was immediately reraised from UTG+ 2 who in turn was reraised from a player in late position. Somehow this felt bad but no way was I folding KK given the last few hours of being card dead and I shoved. The first reraiser instantly shoved and the second re-raiser called to create a side pot. My worry that I was up against AA appeared to became irrelevant when the flop came K high. There then followed a long delay while the pots were checked and the two players playing for the side pot took their time. Eventually the second reraiser folded (never got to know what he had) and I looked forward to a triple up even though the first re-raiser turned over his AA. Turn was a blank but the river was an A and I staggered from the table. A horrible way to lose the pot.

Still the following day saw me back on the saddle playing cash at The Mirage. This was to be the scene of my second disaster. I was sat between two strong players (in retrospect one was definitely a local shark preying on easy meat) and really should have asked for a table change (this is one of the main lessons I learnt from my trip). However, I thought I would take on the challenge instead. After a little while someone mentioned the aces cracked promotion that was applying ($75) and hey presto a few minutes later I look down at AA and become about the fourth limper in the pot. Flop is all high cards that were likely to have hit someone and I continued to call. The turn potentially completed some straight draws but I continued to call having become fixated on the AAs cracked bonus. The pot had got big by now and all of a sudden I was sure I was behind and found myself facing a decision to make a call for $150 with what I know is the losing hand (even though I know I will get $75). My tired and scrambled brain couldn't cope and I called with my overpair against a straight to lose a massive pot. I really got this wrong. I bought in for another $100 (which had $75 added to it) and eventually lost this too.

I wanted a change of scene so went downtown to play $1/$3 at Binion's. Straight away this was a much better experience with friendly players and atmosphere. I struggled to pick up many hands but after grinding away for over five hours I cashed out for a £129 profit.

Back to the strip and the 9 pm Ceasars Palace $150 tourney. An instant medley of strong starting hands (AK twice, AJ and AQ) felt good but I went out quickly when I called a raise on the button with AQ. The flop was A high with two spades (my Q was a spade). Pre flop aggressor c- bet and I called. Turn was another spade giving me top pair and the second nut flush draw. Pre-flop aggressor bet out again and I called. River was a spade to complete my flush and pre-flop aggressor went all in. I felt uneasy but called to see him table AK with the K being a spade. I had been behind all the way through.

Ceasars was noisy, a bit impersonal and slightly chaotic and although disappointed to go out I was happy to take my trade to The Flamingo for some $1/$2 cash. This turned out to be the most enjoyable session of my visit. Lively atmosphere through the whole room and friendly slightly drunken table. I was chugging along but slightly down from my $200 buy in when I called a pre flop raise with 66. Apart from the above incident when I hit trip kings I had not hit a set up until now so was delighted when the flop came 262. The pre flop aggressor bet out and I called. We both checked the turn and he was good enough to check the river and not call my attempted value bet. However it got me up and running and a little later I won a massive pot where I called a late position raise out of the blinds with 99. The flop was all low cards and I check-called the pre flop raiser. The turn was also a blank and I again check-called. The river was a jack which might have hit my opponent and I checked again. He fired out a big bet of around $130 but it did not feel like a value bet and I called for him to show A10 and for me to take down a big pot.

After this I got the respect of the table, hit some flops and generally built my stack to allow me to call it a night for a $445 profit.

Although I do not care for the non-smiling dealer style of the Aria I bought in for $235 for the 1 pm on my next day. Over 200 entrants and I was feeling the pace after four days of little sleep. I initially was going OK after winning a big pot with trip nines before I suffered a bit of a mini Mike Matasow-type breakdown when I open raised with K10h. I thought my opponent had merely called when in fact he had raised and after a decision from the floor I called off half my stack in a defiant attempt to show I was not to be messed around. I then had to fold when I completely missed the flop. Two hands later I looked down at AA and went all in for what I hoped looked like a tilty move. I think it must have done as I got three callers. An ace on the flop looked good and indeed it was enough my me to quadruple up and get back in the game.

Tournament poker can be a long and brutal affair. We were now down to about 50 players (27 got paid) and I was on a new table. I got a lucky near double up when my A10 prevailed against AK. I then went on heater, picked up some big cards, hit some flops and had people betting into me. I easily made it into the money even though a suffered a few dents as the bubble burst.

I felt good to give it a real go but ran 55 into AA straight after the bubble and min-cashed for $310. $75 for 11 hours work seemed harsh but I can't complain and it was nice to get something from a tough tournament.

I decided to end my day back at The Flamingo cash tables but a dull table, dull cards and dull mind resulted in a listless and gradual loss of my buyin.

My last day saw me at the Caesars Palace $100 10am tourney. Only about 25 runners with the top four being paid ($470 for fourth). It quickly deteriorated into push or fold but with about 8 runners left I was well placed to get into the cash but ran out of cards and went on the bubble.

With about five hours left until I needed to go the airport I had one last cash session at Ballys. Just played my cards, hit a few flops and eventually cashed out for $446 (bought in for $200) to end my trip on a positive.

Overall one of my more enjoyable Vegas trips (this was my sixth) partly because I ended it with a small poker profit (between 1% and 2% to be exact!). However, the most enjoyable part was playing on friendly tables in friendly rooms with the Vegas buzz in the background. I am already looking forward to my next visit.