Vegas!!!!

We'll...I made it!!!!!!!

Arrived in Vegas yesterday at about 2:30 local time. no problems with the flight or baggage, so that was one hurdle crossed. Took the shuttle to Caesar's and found my room with little problem as well. Unpacked and then headed for the Bellagio to see what I could see.

Found the poker room and tourney room around 4:00, watched the final table of yesterday's event (I believe) for a bit...Clonie was in the final 4 players at the table, so I was rooting for her. Surprised at how small the room was that the tourney was being played in...very nice, but seelemed cramped compared to my expectations.

Pros spotted
Clonie Gowen
Barry Greenstein
Joe Hachem
Gavin Smith
TJ Cloutier (sp?)
Josh Areih (sp?)

Watched TJ and Josh play craps for awhile, hoping to get an autograph if they stopped playing, but Josh seemed to be doing well while TJ was commenting that he was 'stuck like a pig' at the table. Wandered around for a bit, found a small snack bar and grabbed a burger and a coke and then went out to see what else I could find.

Made it over to the Flamingo at 6:20, only to find that the tourney started at 6 and was capped at 30 players, so I may try and get in tonight if I cen get over there early enough to get my name on the list. CP is supposed to have a poker room, but I didn't wander into it last night, so I'll have to try again today. By 7:30 my body was starting to crash, so I figured trying to gamble would be a bad idea at this point and headed back to the room. Watched some mindless TV for a couple of hours and then crashed around 10pm Vegas time. Slept ok, but woke up at about 3am and then was restless for the rest of the night.

All showered and shaved now, so off to find some breakfast and then hit the conference in an hour. More later.

Evening update
Played some BJ and slots during the day, profiting on the slots enough to balance $100 loss at the BJ table...hit the slots for $180 during lunch and then another $100 on the way back to the room from the poker tourney tonight.

Speaking of poker...found my way over to the Flamingo after the seminar was over...played some $2/4 limt for 2 hours for a whopping $20 profit. Was up about $45 but lost a bit on the last hand I played...when my A9 suited saw a flop of AKK and the dude that stayed in had pocket Ks....so I guess I lost a bit in that hand, as he checked it to me all the way to the river to build the pot to allow him to hit the high hand jackpot for the day. Called it quits right there and walked around a bit to get ready for the tourney...

Tourney details...1000 in chips, blinds start at 25/50 and doubled every 20 minutes. I hit a couple of early hands to get up to about 1800....lost 800 to an all in bet with JJ versus QQ....don't know why I called his bet, but it was the best hand I had and he was shortstacked...I was hoping for AK or a smaller pair I guess.....but the Q on the turn pretty much sealed the deal for that hand. I treaded water for a few hands and made it into the third blind raise (100-200) with about 1000 in chips....lost 300 in the blinds with garbage hands to find KJ suited on the button...limped around to me and I went all in for my last 700....blinds folded and the guy to my right (chip leader...drunk and stupid) called the extra 500 with Q-10os....and of course he hits a 10 on the flop and a Q on the turn, leaving me with a straight draw that I missed on the river. Of the 30 players that started, I made it to the final 18 or so, but way out of the cash. Was a fun tourney though....

pretty much done for the day now...had a nice steak for dinner...hoping to catch up with the bloggers tomorrow as they come into town.