I went to Vegas by myself for a couple days just to play poker. I visit about four times a year, mostly in the fall and winter so I can also bet on football. My goal was to play in as many different rooms as I could. I stayed at Hooters because of their $59 a night rooms. It's not a bad hotel. I was only there to get my four hours of sleep per night, so I didn't care about it too much. The rooms were quieter than most of the nicer hotels on the strip.

I got in late Wednesday night so I decided to get some rest and play in the Hooters 10am tourney. There were 22 players and I finished 8th when my pocket 6's were beaten by pocket 10's. I took advantage of the free burgers and beer coupon you get for entering the tourney. After I busted out I decided to buy a full day monorail pass to hit the casinos at the north end. My first stop was the Flamingo. I bought in for $200 at the 1/2 nl game. I walked away about four hours later up about $50. I then make my way up to the Sahara to play in their 7pm tourney. I was really surprised by the number of women in the tourney. I would guess 15 or 20 women played, and we had four at our table. Unbelievably, we didn't have anyone bust out at our table for the first five levels. We finally got down to 11 players, and we're waiting for the bubble person to bust out so we make the final table. After about 15 minutes, a player at the other table busts, then I see KQ when I'm on the button. I could have thrown it away to make the final table, but since I'm short stacked, I go all in. Unfortunately, the SB has AK and I don't suck out. I walk away with $100 for my 10th place finish.

After I bust out, I take the monorail back to the other end of the strip. I decide to check out Excalibur's 1-3 nl game. I was in seat two and the Asian guy in seat one must have been a beginner. He would call everything down to the river, even when he had 6 high. He dropped about $300 in about an hour. He said he was going back to the ATM, but unfortunately he never came back. I finished even in the three hours I was at the table.

The next morning, I go to Bally's to check out their room, but there were only two tables going which were full. I make my way to the Venetian which is my room of choice and enter a 1/2 nl game. After about 10 minutes of play, I double up when I hit two pair on the flop. I have a really good couple of hours and I take my $200 buy-in up to $600. I hit a cooler and lose two big hands to the same guy on the river. Hand 1: I have pocket 7's, flop is K-10-7. I bet, he raises, I go all-in and he calls. He has K-10 and gets a K on the river. Hand 2: I have KQ. Flop is Jc-10h-8d. Turn is a 9d so I have the nut straight. I bet, he goes all in and I call. He shows Jd10d so he can win with any J-10 or diamond. He rivers the Qd for a straight flush. I was able to suck out once at the table. I had 10-4 in the BB. The board came 10-5-4, and I river a 10 to beat a set of 5's I proceed to win $250 in that session so I decide to play the 8pm tourney. I bust out of the tourney when my KK loses to runner-runner straight flush.

I then head on over to Paris to play some 1-2 nl. There is an overly aggressive man raising nearly every pot. We can't wait until we get a good hand to bust him. Problem is, nobody is picking up hands to play back at him. He raises to $17 or $22 preflop about 90% of the time. When he shows his hands he usually has nothing. The one good hand I pick up against him was AK so I reraise to $50 and he calls. Flop was 368. He bets out $80, and since he very likely could have hit the flop, I decide to fold. He left to play in the tourney and never came back. I decide to leave after about two hours down about $100. Paris was my least favorite "room" if you can call it that since it's in the middle of the casino. The noise and the cigarette smoke are really annoying.

I then make my way next door to the Aladdin to play in the 2am tourney. That place has really changed since I was there last year. There were about 35 players in the tournament. It was down to 16 players when I got A9 on the button. I raised and the really drunk guy who calls everything was in the BB. He acted really confused and raised the minimum. Since he'd been showing rags every hand before, I just went all in. Of course he flips over AA. I sure wasn't expecting that.

Before the trip started, I made the decision to play all night on the last night rather than get a room because I had an 8am flight. I head over to MGM and play until about 6:15. The dealers seemed surprised that they still had eight tables going at that time of morning, but it was Saturday so it was understandable. The table I was at was really crazy. There was a young drunk guy raising pots blind. He was hilarious. He said he didn't care because he closed a $25 million real estate deal earlier the previous day. I won $60 from him when my KJ beat his K5 after a King hit the flop. I finished down about $80 for that session, but had a great time because the table was really entertaining.

I finished down $500 for the trip. I was about even in cash games, but lost overall with tourney entree fees and blackjack losses.