Well, we had high hopes for the trip, just as any one does. My buddy, who is not really a poker player but more of a partier drank from the moment we parked the car at the airport until we got back to the airport 3 days later. Now, I have nothing against drinking, but it can distract you from stuff like, I don't know, playing poker!

We stayed at the Stratosphere and I managed to play in 3 tourney's. I like the structure, $60 buy in, no rebuys (you can buy in as a new player for the full 60) and 4000 in starting chips. The midnight tourney ending starting full with 50 and had about 15 alternates. Everyone at my table had the "i saw it on tv" poker instruction and forced me to play tight. I played 2 hands to the second break and got forced in on the big blind and got beat on the river with a straight to my k q pair.

After a night of drinking, I managed to make the 9 am toruney. only about 25 plus 10 alternates. The players at this tourney were more down to earth and didn't go all in on the first hand. I one a few small pots with my steller bluffing skills but still played tight. After the second break, I again found myself to being the short stack at big blind and went all in preflop. got called and lost again on the river to a flush against my q 9 pair. darn it.

The last tourney I got hounded by my buddy to quit so we could go to a strip bar and i ended up losing 5 minutes after the tourney started and then he changed his mind. Grrrrr!

Played a few hours of 3/6 but just never got anything playable and found myself chasing straights and flushes.

Well, all in all, I think going with friends really cramp my style. My buddy called me every 2 minutes wanting to do someting else. He doesn't understand that poker is a long term game, not a hand of blackjack.

Well, my next trip is scheduled for april and i may take my other friend who IS a poker player and maybe we can do better since that will be all we'll do.