Arrived in Las Vegas Friday morning with the intention of playing the Caesars Palace noon Hold'em tourney. Caught an hour of $1/2 action prior to loosen up from the long flight south. Great service from the desk, they provided me with a Total Rewards card immediately and handed me my receipt for the noon event.

Play started on time with approx. 80 players seated. Dealers were so so. Action came at me quick with some lunatic "all-in" on first hand with only $200 chips in the pot. What's the point? I guess everyone has their own style. I was pacing myself as suggested on this site from other player's reports, hoping to make it to the final table.

Well, by the end of the 2nd level I was pretty much beat up and short stack at my table even with the $3500 re buy. I would make a set on the flop only to be beat by a straight. I'd make the straight and a flush would show...so on and so forth.

I was gone shortly into the 3rd level.

So, back to the $1/2 NL table where I struggled all day. A guy calls my $20 raise while holding 10d, 5d. I catch a set on the flop, but of course there are three diamonds showing so I'm crushed with my trips to his flush.

Took a short nap out by the beautiful swimming pool on a very comfortable lounge chair. I had to force my eyes closed, the scenary was excellent! Whew baby!

Played the 7pm tourney with poor cards and was out very quickly. Back to the $1/2 NL table where I made friends (I know, very dangerous during poker)with a couple of midwest guys. We had a great time. The dealers were very good at the cash tables, waitresses were good, the neck massage I purchased was more than worth the $10!!!

I had friends driving over from CA early Sat morning so I removed myself from the fabulous, and I mean fabulous Caesars poker room and went for a walk to "lick my wounds". Ouch, what a first day, been up for over 24 hours and down $1,100 already. Yikes, I'm a better Hold'em player than that, or am I?

My friends arrive around 2am, we catch up on the past, I give them the news on my day's losses and head to the nearest ATM. Hell, there's more poker to be played.

Back to CP for $1/2 at 4am where I hold my own and battle back $200 up for the session. Would have been much, much more, but I got in a hand at the wrong time again. I'm holding Kc,5c, flop comes Kd,3c,8c. I make a decent bet and get one caller. Turn comes 10c and I make large bet and get called. Now, I'm quite excited at this point but paying attention. River shows a 4th club and I get a very sick feeling. Make bet get called and sure enough he's holding the Ace of clubs and an off suit 3!!!! He had a pair of 3's to the river and won. Aiy-yi-yi!! Oh, well. It happens.

So, I decide to try a hot shower, 1 hour nap and some dinner, just for a change of pace at 2pm.
My friend and I head to the Venetian, wow another beautiful casino, how convenient. Start playing $1/2 around 8pm and the cards start coming my way. This is what I'm waiting for. I'm up $500 quickly into the session winning with straights, two pairs, trips and a little bluffing...shhhh!
Best hand, a heart pounding hand, even with 3 shots of tequila in me at 5am was having a set of 10's with 4 players calling me. After turn card I went heads up with a guy having $2000 plus chips(this at a $200 max buy in table, we were playing some serious $1/2NL). I kept betting $100 and he would call. Finally the river shows the last 10! Eureka! My heart is pounding, I'm thinking up a plan to get him to call a sizable bet, I push all-in for the 1st time ($1000 chips for me in the pot) and he folds. Whew,I win about $450. Fantastic.

Shortly after we hear the Floor-man call loudly "man down". We all turn from our table to witness the number 3 player at two tables over with his face buried into a large chip stack. Chips spilling everywhere. Shortly after there was liquid spilling out of him, whew, rough night for him. Clean up crew was all over it. That guy was literally "all-in" from the inside out!

Another weird site, while walking down the restroom hallway I see a man stumbling slowly around and then flick a lit cigarette onto the Venetian's carpet and make awkward attempt at stomping it out with his polished loafers. I alerted the first casino employee I saw.

Venetian notes: A+ on overall experience. Dealers were from one extreme to other though. Hats off to Lydia and James, they were personable, professional and pleasant. Seating was immediate for a Saturday night, lots of action, comfortable chairs and waitresses had wonderful 3 dimensional geographic features...oh,yeah. Drinks were hit and miss. Some came quick and some never came. One beer drinking player sitting next to me blurted out "I know what the half-kill means here, it means you have to order your next drink when the first one is half gone"

Oh, what a fun weekend. Over all I ended up losing nearly $500 which includes 2 tourney fees. Slept 1 hour in the hotel room, bumped into Vince Van Patten while walking thru Bellagio and enjoyed the feminine scenary that was quite prevalent. It was inevitable Sunday afternoon would arrive and I caught a plane back north.