Went to Vegas and stayed at the Mirage from Dec 16-20th. Arrived about lunch time on Saturday. Room was not ready, so I headed to the Mirage poker room.

Saturday:
Mirage:
It must have bothered me about the room not being ready. I was too aggressive in too many spots- I dropped $300 in about 2 hours playing 1/2NL. I took a break, and after going to my room and eating dinner, I played again and dropped another $300 during another 2 hours. Must need a change of rooms as the Mirage is not my favorite to begin with. Poor management runs this room.
TI:
I went over to TI and played there for about 90 minutes. The table had a few deep stacks, so some of the players were at the table for quite some time. Action was fairly aggressive. I bought in for $300 and left with my $300 after 90 minutes of 1/3NL action. I like this room if I just want to play at a lower limit and have some fun.
Venetian:
I then went over to the Venetian. I like playing there on weekend nights with Tao above. Management does a great job running this room. They understand customer service. Well no one from Tao come to our table, but in a prior trip report it talks about the double shots of goldschlager- well I was at that table. I was sitting next to that guy and was never so disappointed not to catch any cards. Talk about an action table for a 1/2 NL game, and I was looking at 6/2os over and over again. I ended up down about $50-$100 in 4-5 hours of play as I saw nothing. Very disappointing.

End of day one- down a little over $650.

Sunday:
Caesars:
Played the Noon Tourny and was card dead. Got elminated during the early part of the 4th round. I think I saw a pocket pair once. Maybe saw an ace once. It was bad. Took a break for a bit and played in a cash game about 5:30 to kill time until the 7:00 pm Caesar tourny. I went down early (Within the first three hands) about $125 in a 1/2NL, but built my stack back up to my buy-in by the time the 7:00pm tourny started. I saw some good cards early in the first two rounds. I had $8,000 in chips at the first break. Third round was unkind, and I lost some pots, which caused me to become a shorter stack quickly. I survived to the last hand of the 4th round, when someone sucked out on me. $350 lost in buy-ins for the day, so I'm down just over $1,000.
Bellagio:
After the 7:00pm Caesars tourny, I went over to Bellagio and played 2/5NL. I played well. I playeda lot of small pots and grinded my way through the table. I only played big pots when I had the best hand and I made $600 in about 3 and half hours. A couple of pros, semi-pros were trying to play too aggressive, so you could trap them. Down a little over $400 for the trip.

Monday:
Caesars:
Played the Nonn Tourny- and knocked 2 players out early. Yes you read that correct. I had a pretty big stack and then I didn't see anything for about 2 rounds. In rounds 3/4- my stack become much smaller, as I went from a leader to a small stack. Then early in round 5- I picked up AA- one person raised, I reraised 2.5x the raise to price them in and the fish bought it- he had AJ as he went all in. I won the hand and had plenty of chips. A short stack then sucked out on me when he moved all-in Under the gun with 10-5, and I had pocket 9's. He caught a 10. Somehow I bounced back from that. I was pretty much the short stack when the final table rolled around, but I won two or three small pots and got to an average stack. We got down to 6 of us (109 were in the tourny). We discussed splitting the pot. 5 of us were ready to do that. Well I raised with KQos and got reraised. Called. K-2-2 was the flop- the money went in- I was up against AA. I got knocked out in 6th. Picked up $670 ($540 profit). Great tournaments at Caesars- you will see a lot of the same players if you play these a bunch.
Wynn:
That night I went to the Wynn, and played 2/5NL. I bought in for $1,000 as I needed the deep stack with the Wynn not capping the buy-in- a lot of money was on the table. Played it fairly tight to start as the table was going crazy, as I saw 3 $2000 pots in the first 30 mintues. Was waiting for a big hand, and was willing to play smaller hands. I went down early in the session, but then I picked up AJ and raised to $30. I was reraised by the big blind To $60. I called. Flop came J-8-3. He checked, and I checked. I figured he had a big pocket pair and wanted me in the pot based on his minimum raise from the big blind pre flop. Turn came a J- BINGO. He bet out $120. I said all in- he called- he had pocket Kings, and I won the hand. It brought me on the profitable side at the Wynn, and I was able because I was playing well (Getting the money in when I had the best hand and putting too much into my top pair top kicker). I ended up about $200 for the night.
Mirage:
Before going to bed I played a little 2/5NL at the Mirage- play was very aggressive and shorthanded. 2 players were drunk and raising pre flop with anything- $90 here, $100 there. Raises were crazy. I ended up about $75 for that hour at the Mirage.

Tuesday:
Wynn:
I went to the Wynn- played in the Wynn tourny. I donked off my chips and got eliminated in the second round. Huge disappointment as the level of play was no where near Caesars. A lot of fish as I saw about 3 players get eliminate at my table in the first round.
Bellagio:
I went to Bellagio because I needed a change after my poor performance, so I playued 2/5NL for about 2 hours and was up about $200 when I decided to check out the WPT final at Bellagio. The line was too long to get in and I would rather play then watch.
Wynn:
After eating at Nobu in the HArd Rock, I went to the Wynn to play 2/5 NL again. New table got started- I bought in for $1,000 again. Kid to my right bought in for $1,000, and later added $1,000 more to his stack. His friend joined the table about 30 minutes in with $8K in his stack. You will see deep stacks at the Wynn. They left about 3 hours in. I was up about $300. I then lost about $250 when I had the top two pair (KQ), and I flopped that with two diamonds on the board. I bet at it hard, and the guy called me- turn produced a third diamond, so I bet at it again. and got a call. The river wasa fourth diamond. At this point I knew I was beat, so I had to check, and he bet $400 at me which I had to fold the top two. I lost $250 in the hand, but I was happy to hear that he had trips with one of those being a diamond, so I made the correct play. Then after another hour- IT HAPPEN. I picked up KK in the small blind. Raise- $25, one caller, I reraised to like $75/$80. The big blind called, as did the raiser. Other player folds. Flop was J-8-2. I bet out like $100. Both players call. 10 on the turn. I bet $300, which put the one guy all-in- and he called. The big blind had $385 in front of him, and he went all-in after he thought about it for 3 mintues. I was not happy when he called, but I had no choice but to call the $85. Wynn does not have you flip over your cards, but I flipped over my KK, and they didn't look happy. River was nothing, and they both mucked. The chips and cash got pushed to me. They must have had AJ or QQ. Well as I am trying to stack this massive pot, I pick up QQ on the button. About 4-5 limpers into the pot- I raise to $50, and get two callers (One being one of the guys who lost the last pot)- Flop was J-9-4. Both players check to me- $150- call, and that put the other player in. Turn was a Q, giving me trips- I asked the last guy how much had had- it was like another $200- I put him in, and he called- I flipped over my trips and won that pot as well. It is nice to win $2,000 in two hands in a 2/5NL game.

Wednesday:
I played at Bellagio- I started with 2/5 NL and was up $200 in 45 minutes. I then moved to 5/10 NL. I went down $600 quickly when I got involved in a big pot with a player who was playing his first hand. My top pair, top kicker was no good. I just realized that prior to betting $150 on the turn. I then got moved to the main game as I was on the must move table. I built my stack back up- getting back that $400 net that I was down. I ended up even for the session. I really like the 5/10 NL at Bellagio. Different than the deep stack you would face at say the Venetian and Wynn (I have played the 5/10 NL game at the Wynn, and you have a lot fo money on the table. Some players may have $40K). Largest stack at Bellagio was $5K, and that guy was a very solid player who built his $1K buy in up.

Overall- I made a little over $2,500 for the trip, so it was a great time. Can't wait to go back soon.