Vegas Baby!!

This was a "different" Vegas visit for me.  My usual trip consists of planting my fat ass in a poker chair for 14 hours a day and never "visiting" a casino just to sight-see.  On this trip I was accompanied by my son-in-law, Vinay, and his mother, father, and grandfather who were visiting from India.  Determined to be a good host I dutifully escorted everyone to The Venetian, Caesar's Palace, Paris, Bally's, Aria, Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood, etc.  I have never walked as much in my life.  We enjoyed the buffet dinners, but could not interest anyone in the breakfast buffet, my personal favorite.  Caesar's was supposed to be the highlight, and it was the most expensive.  We timed it bad, getting in line at 7:30 at the end of the rush and had to wait almost 1 1/2 hours to be seated.  Not my idea of a good time, but the food was excellent and we definitely worked up an appetite waiting so long.

I had suggested that the most beatable game was blackjack, so Vinay studied basic strategy beforehand and really got into it.  He is a disciplined player, not varying from basics and also sticking to good bankroll management practices.  He had several winning sessions, only one or two small losers and finished up for the trip.  Good job Vinay!!  The downside is that he got pretty hooked on both that game and Vegas plus decided quickly that blackjack is a net loss game so is now interested in learning poker (guess blackjack is a gateway drug).  I promised that I would give him so reading material on the game and show him the ropes.  With his discipline, brains, and youth he could be a great player.

How did I do on the trip you ask?  Well, had a couple of small losing sessions, not more than a couple of hundred.  I could tell you the beats but frankly there were just too many.  Played mostly 1/3 no limit with one 4/8 thrown in for good measure and old time's sake (had a $60 win in that session, played only one hand, the first one when I sat down against a monster stack aggressor and rivered a flush against his two pair).  Had my aces and kings cracked by flushes, quad queens, and Q/10.  Pocket aces cracked stacked me twice.  Had a calling station that would not quit on a flush draw despite very incorrect odds.  The queens re-raised me all-in preflop and went runner runner queens for high hand money quads.  double ouch!!!  

I played in two tournamenst at the Mirage.  The first one ($65 buy-in), made the final table short stacked and drew the under the gun seat.  The small blind raised me all-in with AK and I called with A5 suited.  Player down 4 out of the money.  The next day, same tournament I chopped the $1900 pot 5 ways as chip leader.  We were leaving in a couple of hours so just wanted to finish.  Plus there were bad beats aplenty.  My Vegas record now stands at 5 tournament wins/cashes out of last 6 trips.

I had several nice winning sessions in the $150-$200 range, coming back once from stuck $200 to cash out for $170.  Overall, came home with about the same amount I left with after taxi rides, meals for 5 people, tips and miscellaneous, so would call it a good 4 days.  Most importantly, the Indian family had a wonderful time and I actually played significantly less poker than normal (one session, the tournament, was while they saw a show).  I sincerely tried to just be a good "host" and tour guide rather than my usual poker junkie self.  

      I believe that if I rid myself of insatiable cravings, lusts, paranoia, deep-seated anger and ill-will towards others, I'll be a much better person.  Chuck Lorre.