Let me start off by saying I am a terrible writer and decided to post this as a courtesy to all of those that have posted before.

Day 1 (7/6)
My flight out of Philly on Southwest airlines was uneventful. I was fortunate enough to score a bulhead seat next to a nice chatty lady from Orange County Ca. We talked for a good part of the trip out there. Our flight landed 45 minutes early into Vegas.

I grabbed a cab and headed over to Paris. I told the driver to take Paradise to Harmon to Audrie St. The last time I was in town I was tunneled by a driver and decided I wouldn't let that happen again. My cab ride was $18 including the tip.

I was really impressed by the lobby of the Paris Hotel and Casino. The decor is themed in a french style, with beautiful chandeliers and marble. There was no line as I checked in and was given a room with a view of the Bellagio fountains and the Eiffel Tower. The room was small compared to the Rio which is where I stayed last year. The room had two queen sized beds and had an odor. I called down to the front desk and asked for a room change, since my reservation was for a single king sized bed. The staff member said that reservations are not guaranteed but would do what she could. I could hear her typing away on her keyboard as if she were writing War and Peace. She finally found me a new room with a view of the strip and a king sized bed. I went back down to the lobby to get my new keys and proceeded to room 1098P. The room was at the very end of the hallway and was the last room on the left. I walked into a very large room with two large windows overlooking the pool, Bellagio fountains and the Eiffel Tower. The other window had a view of Bally's and I could see the Rio from there as well. The decor was some what dated and there was a hole in the wall near the foyer. I decided not to complain about the room and went downstairs to give the girl at the front desk a tip for going out of her way to accomodate me.

Two of my friends were due in later that night so I decided to grab something to eat. I saw pretty good reviews of the Le Burger Brasserie and decided to give it a try. The decor of this place is alot like any sports bar I have been to. They had a decent menu with a wide variety of burgers. I decided on the "Le Bleu" which is a burger with blue cheese, avacado and bacon. I gotta say, this was a terrific burger. Perfectly cooked and huge side of fries. I was able to pay for this with the comps I have been saving for this trip.

I took a stroll through the corridor that connects Paris with Bally's. This area is themed parisian style and reminded me of Disney with all the detail they had put into making this place look like Paris. There were many shops that offered everything from clothing to pastries. I ended up in Bally's and decided to play in the $1 - $2 cash game as I waited for my friends who were booked for the week in Bally's.

Getting a seat at one of the tables probably took 15 minutes. I sat down at the table and bought in for $200. My very first hand I get pocket Q's. I make a a raise to $12 and get one caller. The flop came 7 6 2 rainbow. I lead out for $ 20 and the villain calls. The turn is a Jc with no flush draws. He checks and I make it $45 to go and he calls. The river was a 4. He checks and I make it $75 to go. He raises me all in. I had about $50 left and decided to call. I figured him for AJ but to my suprise he turned over 4 6 for two pair. Down one buy in. I reloaded and continued to play the rest of the night with no hands of note. I got a text message that my buddies were in route and I cashed out at about $230. Not exactly what I was hoping for with all the reviews of how soft the games at Bally's were. The table was very loose and unpredictable. There was definitely money to be made in this room as I would find out later in my trip.

I met up with GW and BB at the Paris bar, in the middle of the casino. We talked for about an hour or so about strategy and the main event. GW and I both won our seats into the ME through local poker clubs and BB was paying his way into the event. This was a lifelong dream of his and since he had the money he was going to fulfill this dream. We all agreed that we wanted to go up to Binions the next day and play in the Binions Classic which started around 1 or 2 PM. Off to bed I went with dreams of a ME cash and starting off my trip with a win at Binions.

To be continued.........