Arrived in Vegas on 2/7 (my birthday) and checked in to a spa suite at the Luxor (nice size, nothing spectacular). As soon as we arrive wife went to check out hot tub and I went to check out the poker room. They had a 4 pm tourney and I decided to enter. Ended up with 26 players that was a mix of locals and tourists (like me!). No amazing hands to report, I just played solid against what I thought were the local rocks and aggressive against what I thought were the tourists. Offered to chop (half joking) for first with a younger guy (early 20's) who had me 5:1 in chips. To my surprise, he said yes and we both walked away with $440. He must have A)been in a hurray B)thought I was a local or C)knew it was my bithday. Whatever the reason, happy b-day to me with a nice win to start th trip. Finished up day by doing to Le Reve at Wynn with my wife. I think this show is way overpriced and Cirque shows are much better. The theater is impressive though. Too tired after show to play anymore after the show.

Woke up the next day and decided to enter the 11 am Bally's tourney. Got there early and played in a soft 3-6 limit game in which I turned a $95 profit in an hour paying for my entry fee. Ended up scoring a third place finish for $300 after a guy sucked out on my pocket queens with his J,10. Once again, a mix of players. Thought tourney was well run and they had a couple of very good dealers. I think the tourney had 40 players.

So far, so good, less than 24 hours in Vegas and about $600 in profit after fees and tips. Headed over to Harrah's for the 3:30 pm tourney. This tourney was a bounty tourney ($10 per knock out)with 1 rebuy in the first hour. Competition here was better and a misread early cost me half my stack. Never fully recovered and finished a respectable 11 out of 50. They paid the top 7.

Here's the one idiot. Went back to Luxor and played 1,2 NL cash game. Game was OK. Solid players, with a couple of second tier pros that I've seen on TV. Then a young guy comes in and announces he is an "action player" and never shuts up from that point forward. Obnoxious self proclaimed genius who, unfortunately, was a card rack for about an hour. He was up and down with his stack. I l lost about $45 (not to him, thank God) and got out of there before I lost my temper with his backhanded disrespectful chatter.

On Saturday I visited area relatives in the AM and went to play the 3 Pm at CP. Unfortunately it was sold out and the only thing open was a 3-6 limit game. Mistake. It resembled everything but a poker game. I had amazing startin hands and, you guesses it, got called down leading to the river numerous times only to be sucked out on by river flushes, str8s, 2 pair, etc. You name it, I lost to it on the river. Lost $100 in an hour (biggest loss of trip) and got out of there. Moved to flamingo where i played in a juicy 1/2 NL cash game and made up losses at CP plus $90 in 2 hours.

Overall, my winnings (about 700)were pretty much offset by my wife's shopping habit and meals,etc. Oh well, at least I got to play a bunch of winning poker!