Wednesday - 5/23/12
Well, the trip started out good enough with my plane landing 15 minutes early. I then get to the rental car center to pick up my car at Avis and am pleasantly surprised with a beautiful, brand new Toyota Camry. +EV I get to the hotel and my Mom and I decide to get some food at Magnolia's. Bizarre, but they were extremely busy for a Wednesday night. After about a 10 minute wait, we get seated. I order a chicken fried steak, which was delicious. Another +EV. My Mom wants to play slots for a little bit so I walk around. There were freaks everywhere and of every kind and lots of street “performers”. I see a Robert DiNiro look alike as I’m crossing the street towards the Fremont and this guy is talking like Robert DiNiro in that movie Good Fellas or the Vegas movie, Casino. He’s dressed like an 80’s mobster and has a cigar in his hand…the whole nine yards. So I’m waiting to cross the street and this guy is just talking, to no one in particular. I see an opening in traffic and he goes “All you crazy people, crossing the street when the lights’ not green, fugedaboutit.” I just about died laughing. I go and find my Mom in the Fremont. We’re both tired so we decide to go to bed and get an early start the next morning as there was a lot on the agenda for Thursday.

Thursday - 5/24/12
We wake up and go grocery shopping. After we return, I decide I want to go check out the pool at Binion’s while my Mom plays. The rooftop pool at Binion’s is small but nice. It’s nothing fancy, but they have comfortable lounge chairs and an area on the other side of the building with big comfy chairs. They also have a nice covered area if you don’t want to sit in the sun. I sun for a couple of hours and go back to the room to get ready for the Anthony Cools show at the Paris. We get there a little early, find the theatre and then go to a bar for a drink before the show. The bartender makes us a drink he calls a ripe pus**. Whatever, it was delicious. Lol We had VIP II seating which was a grade below the “real” VIP seats in the front. However, the theatre is small so it really doesn’t matter where you sit. The show was pretty much what I’d seen clips of on YouTube. One guy hit his forehead with a chair while he was “auditioning” for a porn movie roll. There was one lady that was absolutely hilarious. After the show, we go back to the hotel and I decide to call it a night as I was pretty tired from the night before.

Friday - 5/25/12
The only thing we had planned this day was the Sebastian Maniscalco show at the Paris so we pretty much just laid low. I didn’t really do much of anything. This show was also at Paris, so we decided to head over a little early to check out the casino. The show was fabulous. The MC of the show was really funny and the guy opening for Sebastian was pretty funny too. Sebastian was hilarious. He did some material I was familiar with but mostly did a lot of different material. My Mom really enjoyed him and after the show we had someone take our picture with him. I’d share it, but it’s not the most flattering picture of me and my double chin. Lol After the show, my Mom wanted to wander around the casino some more so I went off on my own. I walked over to Bally’s to check it out as I had never been. Kind of a strange place. And the poker room is not really even a room. Barely even roped off on one side. I did not play as I was not getting a good vibe from the place. On my way back over to Paris, I see a little person walking with a really tall woman. I immediately recognize her as Little Diva. She’s been on Pit Boss and is a total crack up. I made a comment to her as I passed and she was surprised I knew who she was. I got a picture with her too. She was actually pretty nice and very humble and appreciated me recognizing her.

Saturday - 5/26/12
This was the start of the regular tournaments at the Binion’s Poker Classic. I got up early so I could get an early start and eat a good breakfast as the tournaments start at noon. I met up with phantom309 and we had breakfast with my Mom at Dunkin’ Donuts at the Fremont. We registered for the tourney, shook on our last longer bet of $20 to phantom if he lasted longer and $10 and an AVP card protector to me if I lasted longer. I won.  But, it turns out this would be about the only thing I would win this trip. We waited for the tourney to start. Unfortunately, I was very card dead for much of this tournament and wound up going out after 4.5 hours of play. This would turn out to be the standard by which the rest of my tournament play would go this trip. The structure being what it is for these tourneys, I had decided prior to the trip that I would play TAG. It would have been fine, had I gotten any cards. I could not even get anything close to worth playing in position. Any time I’d get something suited or connected I’d be out of position and in the wrong spot (i.e. raises before me). I’d win a pot here and there but mostly because my image was so tight people were afraid to get involved with me. I had one guy tell me during a break that he knew if I raised or c-bet I had the goods and he did not want to get into a hand with me. Any time I’d raise pre-flop, everybody would fold. In some cases this is good but there were times I wanted action and couldn’t get any. I’d love to report a hand or two of note, but I can’t really because I didn’t really get any action on any of the hands I had. There was one point, after the 1st break, where I got big pocket pairs just about every hand. I’d raise, everybody’d fold. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur until after I was out that I probably could have stolen some hands with junk. :shrug:

After the tourney, my Mom and I had dinner at Tony Roma’s in the Fremont. As always, the food was delicious. It’s a chain but my Mom likes to eat there so I always make it a point to take her there.

Sunday - 5/27/12
Rinse and repeat from 5/26/12. I met up with 24fanatics and phantom309 prior to the start. I altered my strategy for this day as I was not happy with the results from the day before. I decided to play TAG for the 1st level or 2 and then open up my game. I again had the same problem as the day before with not getting any cards in position or even any cards. I went a little deeper in this day’s tournament due to winning a huge pot early on, but aside from that was card dead. I did widen my card range a bit but just could not make anything happen. Again I think partly because people were afraid of getting involved with me and there were a few times where I’d raise with K 10 suited in position (button to cut-off +1) and get re-raised or completely whiff on the flop and chicken out. 24 went out of the tourney just before me. phantom had other things on his agenda so he did not play in this tourney. I finished 20th, 10 spots away from the cash. There were less players in this tourney and they seemed to drop out a lot quicker. I think I went out at about 7:30pm. After the tourney, my Mom and I had dinner somewhere but I couldn’t tell you where. Lol I think we did the buffet in the Paradise Café in Fremont.

Monday - 5/28/12
Rio was on the agenda for this day. Specifically, the 2pm $235 Daily Deepstack tournament. The WSOP has changed a few things and added a few things. Either that or I was not aware of these things the last couple of years (valet parking by the WSOP entrance and a general/main tournament registration room). In the past, I had registered for the deepstacks in the room where the tournaments were held. This year, they had a cash cage in place of that and the deepstacks were being held in the Amazon room. I guess that’s neither here nor there. My Mom and I arrived at the Rio just before the start of the tourney. I managed to register for the 2pm just prior to the start. I get settled in at my table, which is the last table for the tournament, and look up to see Paul from Binion’s coming to sit down at my table. A minute later, I look up and see another Binion’s regular, John, walking over to talk to Paul. He’s playing in the tournament as well. They’re discussing a last longer bet and ask me if I want in. I, of course, say yes and then before I know it, I’ve been assigned the responsibility of holding the money from all the participants. :sigh: ;)

I’m in seat 8 when the tournament gets started. I decide to stay with my TAG in the beginning/looser later strategy. After about 20 minutes, I look up and see a new player coming to the table in seat 1. The very same gentleman who berated my playing KQ suited all-in in this tournament last year. I recognize him immediately and say “Hey, how are you doing?” He says “Good, thanks for asking.” I can’t tell if he remembers me or not. A short while later we get involved in a hand. The blinds are at 50-100. I’m UTG+1 and look down at pocket jacks. I raise it to 5 times the BB not wanting to chance going against a bigger pocket pair. This is the first hand I’ve really played up to this point. It folds to my adversary in seat 1 and he flat calls. Everyone else folds. There is now 1,150 in the pot. I miss the flop of blanks but I c-bet 600. Villain calls. 2,350 in the pot. The turn is another blank. I think I’m golden at this point since Villain hasn’t re-raised me yet and I put in a bet of 1,600. Villain immediately re-raises my bet 3 times. I put in the 3,200 to make the call. 8,950 in the pot. The river is what I perceive to be another blank but after the turn I decide to check. Villain bets 6k. I tank for a little bit and decide to fold. I’m so busy stewing about the hand that I don’t see that he showed his. My neighbor tells me he showed pocket aces. Guess I saved myself some money with the river fold but that hand pretty much crippled me. I should have folded when he re-raised me on the turn because I know this guy doesn’t play junk. I was just stubborn and wanted to beat him. Stupid pride. Shortly after that, our table got busted and I get moved to a table with John. Still no hands of note and I’m beginning to believe that I’m just not going to get any real cards this trip. I get moved again and I’m at the new table until the break and a little after the break and then get moved again. I make it to the 2nd break at my 3rd table and I’ve now got about 75k and feel like I can sort of breathe. Shortly after the break, I get involved in a hand with a young European kid. Up to this point, I had played a few hands in position to win some small pots at the new table from the chip leader who was sitting to my right. I’m in seat 6 and Euro kid’s in seat 4. I can’t remember my exact position but I think I was in middle position. Blinds are at 800-1600. Euro kid raises to 6k. There is now 8400 in the pot. I look down at queens. It was all I could do to not jump out of my seat but I think I held my composure while I re-raised to just over 3 times his bet with 18k. It folds back around to Euro kid and he calls. There is now 44,400 in the pot. The flop comes X X Queen, the X’s being the same suit, I think hearts, which I don’t have. Euro kid checks and I bet almost 2/3 of the pot with 28k. Euro kid calls. Now 100,400 in the pot. The turn is a blank and we both check. The river is the 3rd suited card. Euro kid puts in a nice value bet of 40k, putting me all-in if I call and I do. I turn over my trips and he turns over his flush with KQ suited. After the hand, I realized my mistake in not betting the turn. I might have been able to push him off the hand with the right bet as he was a decent player. Argh. Enough fun for the day.

I walk around for a little bit after the tourney and wind up getting Humberto Brenes’ autograph on my hat. It’s around 8pm at this point, so my Mom and I head back downtown. We’re both hungry so we decide to get a pizza from the pizza joint on Fremont Street. It was an okay pizza. I’m bummed about the tournament and decide to call it a night. I suck, I know. lol

Tuesday - 5/29/12
Today was the day designated for Sam’s Town. My Mom had wanted to go there last year, but we never made it. We get there in time for me to play the 1:30pm $35 NLH tourney. I almost didn't register because I didn't think they'd get enough players. When I sat down, we only had 10 players and were given the choice to either have a 1 table shoot out or split into 2 tables so we had room for late comers to play. We chose option 2 and wound up getting 18 players. It's a decent structure. You get 3k to start, plus 2k for a dealer add-on and then you could do another add-on of 2k for $10 before the first break. There was one newbie and one know-it-all idiot at the table so the pickings were pretty good. Only one hand of note and I totally screwed it up. I shared this hand with phantom309 via text but deleted the text before writing it down so I might screw up some of the details of this hand. phantom, please feel free to correct any details you see that I’ve screwed up. I was UTG+1. Idiot was in the BB with a semi-short stack. Blinds were at 200/400. I’ve got about 12k in chips. I look down at pocket jacks (again with the pocket jacks – oy vay). I pop it to 1,600. The guy in seat 10 calls, folds around to idiot and he calls. Pot is 5k, ~10.4k in my stack. The flop is 3 X X, all low cards. No jack and no other draws so I think I’m good. I bet ½ the pot wanting to keep the idiot in because I’d really like to stack him so I don’t have to listen to him anymore. Seat 10 folds. Idiot flat calls. Pot is 10k, ~7.9k in my stack. The turn is another low, non-draw card. I check, figuring I’ll let idiot bet. He doesn’t. Pot is 10k, ~7.9k in my stack. The river is another low card blank. I bet 3.5k and idiot just calls, which was weird because that only left him with about 2k. Not sure why he didn’t just shove there aside from the fact that he was an idiot. Lol I flip over my jacks and he flips over pocket 3’s. Oy vay. Guess I should have either bet more pre-flop or not been so cocky post by trying to keep him in the pot. :sigh: In any event, it was back to waiting for premium cards again. I went out with 10’s vs. queens. No cash.

I go and find my Mom and we decide to play some blackjack. The dealers were a lot of fun but I just wasn’t feeling the game. I like to sit at a full table but my Mom doesn’t. We play for about an hour and a half. Mom’s up almost $100 and I’m even so we decide to quit and go get dinner at the Mexican restaurant she’s been wanting to go to, Willy and Jose’s. The margaritas were fabulous but I thought the food was just okay. I’ve had better Mexican food than there. But I keep it to myself as I don’t want to give my Mom ammo for complaining. All in all Sam’s Town seems like it could be a really fun place but it was really dead in there when we were there. But then, it was the Tuesday after a holiday. :shrug:

Wednesday - 5/30/12
Wake up at 7:30am and get ready for the day. Going to play in another Binion’s event. Mom and I get dressed and go to breakfast at Magnolia’s. I walk around for a little bit because I still have some time to kill before registering for the 12pm tournament. There is this one street “performer” who’s all painted in silver. This guy is good. Seriously looks like a statue. I get registered for the tournament and wait for it to start. Unfortunately, there was nothing memorable for me in this tournament except for the tables I was at and the players I played with. I again saw a couple of familiar faces. I went out fairly early. I had told my Mom beforehand if I went out early we would go down to Harrah’s so that’s what we did.

We get to Harrah’s and valet parking was full and we weren’t sure we were even going to get a spot in the parking garage. We wound up parking on the top floor. Then we take the elevator down and when we get to casino level we can’t figure out how to get to the casino. Turned out we had taken the employee elevator. Lol We finally get to the casino and I get my Mom situated and I go out to the bar outside. The place was jumping. I could not find a place to sit (not even at a blackjack table) so I go back inside and wander around. The piano bar is doing karaoke so I decide to go in there and get some good laughs. There actually were a couple of good singers. I’m having a good time, catching a buzz so I decide I’ll just hang out there until the dueling pianos start. They start and it is hilarious. I call my Mom to tell her to come join me but she can’t hear her phone so I go and find her. She’s playing this slot machine she likes and says she wants to stay there for a little bit longer and then get something to eat. So I go back to the piano bar and grab another beer. The first guys finish up their show and the next 2 start. They’re not near as funny as the first 2 so I finish my beer and go get my Mom. We’re walking back to the car and passing Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and we look at the menu. They have po-boy sandwiches, so we’re in. I haven’t had a po-boy sandwich since I went down to New Orleans after Katrina. I order a shrimp po-boy with fries and a Shiner Bock and so does my Mom. My beer comes and then my po-boy comes and I tell you what…I was in heaven. I sure do miss Southern style food and beer. Especially the beer. Lol The po-boy was awesome and the music by the band was good too. I always enjoy Harrah’s. Maybe next year I’ll spring for 2 rooms and stay there instead of downtown.

We go back downtown and my Mom wants to go back downstairs and play but I want to get a good night’s sleep for the next day’s tournament. Party pooper, I know but it was my goal to get sleep this year each night before a tournament.

Thursday - 5/31/12
On the schedule for this day was another 2pm $235 Daily Deepstack at the Rio/WSOP. I awake around 9:00am and get ready for the day. We go down to Magnolia’s for breakfast again. You just can’t go wrong with this place for breakfast. Inexpensive, good food. We head over to the Rio around 12:30pm. This time, because we have some extra time before the tourney, I valet in front since it’s easier for my Mom. We get inside and I see this place that sells a bunch of different flavored frozen drinks. I get one for my Mom, get her situated and then go register for the tournament. I wanted to register early so I would get seated at a table that is less likely to get busted. After registration, I wander around a bit and I walk out into the hallway and see Mike Sexton giving an interview to Dennis Phillips for his radio show. I sit and listen for a little bit thinking I’ll get their autographs after the interview and I do. I think Mike was sick or something but he still took the time to sign my hat and chat with me for a few seconds. Dennis was also very friendly and also took time to sign my hat and chat. In my wanderings, I see the guy from last year that berated my playing KQ and whom I’d gotten into a hand with in Monday’s tournament. I stop him and ask him if he remembers me from last year. He says “Of course I do.” I say “No hard feelings?” He says, “Of course not. Some people take this game way too personal. I don’t.” So I introduce myself and ask him if he’s playing in today’s tournament and he says he is. We wish each other luck and go our separate ways.

The tournament starts and I get seated at a table with 4 other women. Oh boy. This year is just not my year. Lol I’m in the 4 seat, with 3 women immediately to my left in seats 5, 6 and 7 and another in seat 10. There’s a unmemorable guy in seat 1, an older gentlemen who talks about what a great player he is and all the bad beats he’s taken in seat 2, nice guy in seat 3, young guy in seat 8 and an late 40’s guy in seat 9. Pretty well-rounded table, skill-wise with mostly decent-good players. The guy in seat 1 winds up going out first and we all take “bets” on whether the next player is going to be a man or woman. It’s a man. Next, the guy in seat 2 goes and we again take bets and it’s a woman. There are now 6 women and 4 men at this table. Next to go is the girl in seat 5 and the bets go around again and this time it’s a young guy who looks like he could be Phil Ivey’s younger brother. Turns out he knows the girl in seat 6. I’m pretty card dead but manage to steal a few small pots here and there playing suited/connected cards in position and maintain a starting chip stack. The only hands of real note are a pot I won with aces and my last hand.

In the hand with the aces, I’m in middle position at UTG+2. My main opponent in this hand is the woman in seat 10. I don’t remember what the blinds were at but I think it was just after the 1st break. I had an okay stack with about 20 bb’s at this point. I look down at pocket aces. The first pair I’d seen all tournament. There were 2 limpers before me so there was 3.5x the bb in the pot already. I raise it up to 5x the bb wanting to get all the limpers and draw type hands out of the way pre-flop. The guy in seat 9 calls, as well as the lady in seat 10. Everyone else folds. The 2 callers both have me covered by a long shot. There’s about 18.5x the bb in the pot now and I’ve got about 15bb’s left. The flop comes 10x, 4x, Jx. I bet out 7x the bb. The guy in seat 9 looks at me and says “only because it’s you, I’m going to fold” and folds his hand. The lady in seat 10 calls. There’s about 32x the bb in the pot and I’ve now got about 8bb’s left. The turn is another 4 and I’ve now got aces up. Nothing suited but now I’m kind of worried that maybe the lady might have flopped a set. I now realize I should have gone all in on the flop and am kicking myself thinking I may be up against a set now. I go all in and the lady in seat 10 calls. She flips over her cards proudly and says “I’ve got 10’s”. She is suited but nothing matches the board so no flush possibility. I flip over my cards and say “I’ve got aces”. The river is blank and I win the hand. The lady in seat 10 says she didn’t think I had aces. :shrug: I couldn’t believe she called my pre-flop bet with 10 4 suited. I didn’t say anything (to her) though and just raked in the chips. I then proceeded to go completely card dead. By the time I was forced to go all in, it was after the 2nd break and I was just getting blinded and anted off. Every time I tried to make a move, with junk or not, in position I’d get pushed out of the hand post flop. Again, a part of my game I really want to work on. When I went all in, I had pocket 9’s. My neighbor to my right had A K and, of course, called my all in. Ace hits the flop and I’m out. Not even close to cash.

At this point, I’m pretty frustrated with the whole trip and wondering what the heck I’m doing wrong. I know I changed my game, but I thought I’d changed it for the better and I’m really doubting my play and myself.

I go and find my Mom almost 5 hours later and she’s still nursing that frozen drink I bought her when we walked in. lol She’s not quite ready for dinner so I go to the bar in Carnival Court, get a beer and play some video poker. We finally decide on Martorana’s for dinner. Let me just say, this was some of the best food I’ve ever had. It was a bit pricey at $150 for 2 people but it was well worth it. From the Caesar salad to the veal parmesan, everything was delicious. Even the cannoli was unlike any I’d ever tasted before. The service was awesome and the atmosphere was cool, yet comfortable. I would recommend this place to anyone if you don’t mind spending a little extra on your meal once a trip.

Friday - 6/1/12
I was supposed to play in another Binion’s event but after the last 6 days of tournament play not netting any kind of result I decided to just hang out and maybe get my drunk on. Lol We sleep in a little and then get breakfast at Magnolia’s. By the time we get out to Fremont Street it’s around 2:30pm. I wander around for a bit just people watching. When I’m tired of walking I go over to Binion’s to see what’s going for cash games. I’m disappointed when I only see one table going. I put my name on the list as there’s a list going for another 1-2 table. I sit down to wait and John walks up and sits down. We get to talking and decide to walk over to the Nugget and see what’s going on over there. They’ve got 3 1-2NL games going so I put my name on the list and get seated a few minutes later at a table in the back. I buy in for $300 and sit back and watch the action for a bit, not really playing much but when I do I raise it up and am able to steal a few pots. I get into a hand with a guy down at the other end that looks like a Hawaiian redneck. I don’t know how else to describe him. His play was somewhat LAG but when he did showdown, he had the nuts. I honestly don’t remember what I had but he wound up winning the hand with a full house. I do remember his hand only being a suited one gapper with low cards. I lost about $100 that hand. Then I get into a hand with an older gentlemen, also at the other end of the table in seat 9, when I’m in the bb. Somebody raises it to 3x the bb, the old guys calls, the girl in seat 10 calls (she’d been playing just about every hand since I sat down and drinking shots of tequila), and I call with my pocket 2’s. ~$20 in the pot. The flop comes 2 4 x. Woohoo! A set! I bet $12. The original raiser folds, old guy calls, girl in seat 10 calls. ~$54 in the pot. The turn is an Ax. I’m hoping someone has an ace. I bet $40. Old guy calls, girl in seat 10 folds. Darn. Thought for sure she’d have an ace. ~$130 in the pot. The river is a blank for me and I’m hoping the old guy’s got two pair or a big ace and am thinking that’s his range because I think if he had anything more he would have re-raised on the flop or turn. Especially if he had a small ace to give him 2 pair. I decide to check and hope the old guy digs his own grave. He bets about ½ the pot. Nice value bet and I’ve only got about $150 behind at this point and have the old guy covered so I go all in. I immediately flip over my set of 2’s and he proceeds to flip over pocket 4’s. Oy f’ing vay. Nice hand old guy. I can’t be mad because I might have played his hand the same way he did. However, I am now crippled with less than $100. I promptly request a table change. Less than 5 minutes later, I get moved to a new table and buy another $100 in chips because everybody else had me covered. This table turns out to be profitable for me and I manage to steal pots left and right after I spend about 30 minutes building a tight image and manage to get up to $250. I buy another $100 so I am more or less even with everyone else at the table. A couple of new players sit down and I proceed to steal even more pots just playing whatever cards I get in position. I even managed to bluff a hand with 2 3 off against pocket jacks when an ace appeared on the turn. The guy showed his jacks. I, however, did not show my hand and just said “I had the best hand.” ;) First bluff I’d pulled the entire trip and it worked. Shortly thereafter, it was time for dinner so I cashed out $176 ahead. The first success of my trip. Too bad it had to be on the last day there. Mom and I went over to the Fremont and had the seafood buffet. For $20, you can’t go wrong. It was delicious.

My Mom wanted to go see a movie this trip but we just never got around to it. After we got done eating, we talked about doing it this night but in the end decided to go back to the room and rent a movie. We both wanted popcorn with butter but we didn’t have any butter in the room so we grabbed some little packets from the buffet. Lol We stopped by the popcorn cart on our way back up to the room and proceeded to melt the butter by taking it all out of the individual packets, putting them into a cup and then melting it with the hair dryer. Voila! Buttered popcorn!  We decided on the second Sherlock Holmes movie and settled in to watch it. It was a pretty entertaining movie and the popcorn was delicious.

Saturday - 6/2/12
Got up around 7:30, took a shower and packed. Got the luggage all loaded into the car and checked out of the hotel just before noon. I still had a food comp for Binion’s so we headed over there for breakfast. After breakfast we decided to just hang downtown until it was time to leave for the airport. I sat and played a tower poker video poker machine. That was pretty entertaining. When I got bored with that I decide to go and use my $10 match play card and play some blackjack. I walked away from there even. No sense on leaking when I’m on my way out the door. I go and grab my Mom about 3:00pm and we decide to go ahead and leave for the airport. That turned out to be a wise decision because a portion of the freeway was closed and traffic was being diverted. It took us an HOUR to get to the airport. Yay! This trip is ending on a swell note. We get to my Mom’s gate in just enough time for her to get her pre-board pass and say our goodbyes. By the time I get to my gate, I’ve got just enough time to get something to eat for the long plane ride home. When I get back to the gate I realize I’m missing the hoodie I had pulled out to wear on the plane. Yep, it’s in the rental car. –EV. Ugh.

Great end to a pretty lousy trip. The only good thing about it was the fact that I was in a place that I love. My Mom was not her usual self and generally in a sour mood much of the trip as well so I really did not enjoy much. We had a few good times but nothing spectacular. I didn’t even go dancing this year, which is very unusual.

Next year is my husband and I’s 10 year anniversary so I think my trip to Vegas will a) likely be by myself and b) be much shorter than normal. I think I’ll stay on the strip next year too. Might as well do something different. Hopefully, it will be a better time next year. Hubby and I want to take a special trip somewhere so I need to save a majority of my vacation time for that. Not sure where we’ll go or what we’ll do yet. We’re thinking either Disney World (went there for our honeymoon) or somewhere in Europe to see a MotoGP race or possibly even the Isle of Man TT races. But I digress.

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Jess

Sorry you had a rough trip, but thanks for writing it up. Still a fun read. The Shiner Bock reference made me smile, and the image of you melting butter packets with a hair dryer made me LOL.

Hope your next trip is more fun and more profitable. FWIW, I usually take shorter solo trips and find them very therapeutic - nice to have some time away and all to yourself. Cheers.

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Just a deck of cards and a jug of wine...

Sounds like your recovery has progressed well. Good to hear.

Thanks Chuck. Two rough years in a row. That should mean that my next trip out will be extra profitable, right? Yeah, the butter packet thing was pretty funny. I just took a bunch of packets from the buffet. My Mom was worried we were going to get "caught". I said "Why? We paid for the buffet...we can take as much butter as we want." At the time, I had no idea how I was going to melt the butter but then it came to me on the elevator. My engineer hubby was proud. Too bad that night got ruined by a huge fight with my Mom. She was really pretty much a downer most of the trip. :sigh:

Thanks mcsquare. It is coming along just fine. In fact, I went to my orthoped last week and he was amazed at my progress and said that he was releasing me unless I needed him. Considering how much pain I was in before the surgery, it's night and day. I am back to the gym on a regular basis and am hoping to drop my 180 pounds back down to a more comfortable weight for myself.

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Jess

Excellent trip report. Sorry your tournament play didn't go as well as you wanted. Still an excellent read. I had to go to Disney World on business last year for a week. Afterwards, my wife and I agreed we weren't going back unless and until we had grandchildren (hopefully a ways off!). Take the trip to Europe! I do like the melted butter idea. Brilliant!

Jess,

Sorry to hear the trip wasn't great -- either poker-wise or with your mom. Sometimes people are just in a foul mood and even Vegas can't cheer them up. Still, sounds like your recovery is coming along and that's huge. So, figure that your were just on the wrong side of variance for this trip -- we've all been there.

You're husband should be proud of the hairdryer trick -- a brilliant use of available resources.

Dave

Pete...we'll probably wind up in Europe. Who knows. I'm going to make a list of choices. He's really been wanting to go to the Isle of Man TT races but I just have been well enough to do it so maybe we'll do that. Or maybe we'll just go to Monterey, California for the GP races at Laguna Seca and stay a week in Laguna. We'll see.

Thanks Dave. Seems I've been on the wrong side of variance for a while. Hoping that changes soon. When are you coming to Buffalo?

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Jess

Jess,

I hope variance stops kicking your butt soon too. All kinds of cool stuff to see across Europe. I had a lot of luck looking at local tourist bureau sites and with Lonely Planet guides. So, take a look at those once you decide on a place.

No idea on a Buffalo trip, although I do keep an eye out for good tourneys up there -- if you see any let me know.

Hell, I'm just getting used to not having to drive a couple hours to play poker. Horseshoe in Cleveland is a nice room. Crowds starting to die down, so the wait lists are stupid long on weekends anymore. Maybe you want to road trip it down this way. If your hubby or you are baseball fans could catch an Indians (or a minor league game, we've got an A-ball team right near my place) and make a weekend out of it.

Dave

Jess - nice write-up on the trip report. Sorry to hear things didn't go as well as they could have either in poker or with the trip itself.

Dave - glad you don't have to make the long treck on a regular basis but don't forget us up here at Seneca Niagara. Hope to see you up here next time we have a good tourney.

Thanks guys. The challenge with travelling to Europe is the time difference. We'll want to allow a couple of days to acclimate to the time difference on both ends of the trip so not sure if I want to do that. Don's really been wanting to go to the Isle of Man TT races for a few years now so I think that will be his number one choice. I would like to go somewhere with no scheduled events. We'll see.

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Jess