A good friend and I made the trip to Vegas to watch a British fighter Ricky Hatton defend his World Titles and while we were there play some poker in the best poker rooms.

After researching the best rooms and finding the Golden Nugget to be highly recomended, we searched online and found a brilliant deal on Travelocity for return flights via Chicago to Manchester, including accomodation at the Nugget itself.

Having checked in we ventured down to the poker room and began with $100 on a 1/2 limit game...ease ourselves into our trip. We played for about 6 hours, I slow played pocket A8 only to hit quads on the river. Player 4 seats down from me hit his full house and raised all the way along with 2 others, so finished up with a healthy pot. The Nugget has a brilliant bonus for high hands and pays out jackpots for 4 of a kind (You must have a pocket pair to qualify for this) straight flushes etc. While I was at the table an old guy won two high hand jackpots quad 9s and quad Ks, winning over $600. Great for the spectators!

Over the next few days we played a good 30 hours of poker generally up which is always a bonus. The service was excellent, drinks flowing freely and the banter around the tables was hilarious. Special mention must go to 'TackHammer'the Texan welder who mumbled his way through the night, Silent John - the iluminous green shell suit wearing french guy who chose to wear a white paper face mask while sitting at the table to prevent him breathing in our germs...either that or he had an uncontrolable facial tick which showed up every time he had a hand...who knows.

Entered the 1am tournament on 3rd night and came 3rd winning $400 and the next night went out on the bubble which was dissapointing for the bank balance but reassuring for my poker game skills.

Spent the day of the fight at the Paris Casino mainly drinking, which was a good change of pace and the English crowds of boxing fans brought the house down...

Last day went for the long haul and played non-stop for over 15 hours, before finally grabbing some shut-eye and packing bags before venturing down to the poker room for a NL cash game, which I should have been playing all trip (as it is my preferred game) Anyway played for 2 hours and was up $90 so finished the trip over $700 up and we estimated we must have drunk at least $400 worth of Jack And Coke!

We were comped twice by the Card Room Manager for the excellent buffet at the Golden Nugget, would recomend it to everyone. Don't forget to ask though, as they say where I am from "Shy bairns get nowt!".

A brilliant trip all round, not spoilt at all by missing the return flight from Chicago to the UK, as it mean't we had an extra night of drinking...

Amazing trip and can't wait to go back...