Last but not least, with work looming, I had to get setup for a week of training. After completing the business side of the trip, I decided to ditch my original plans of playing the Commerce on Monday and opted for The Hustler after talking with fellow 2+2r Scooterdoo (lakong here on tworags ). I was much more impressed with this facility, more along the lines of what I'd expected! It was a $125 with a single $100 rebuy which I took right away, and must've been the only one out of the 129 registed as I got some seriously odd looks! Most simply rebought when they got low or busted....VERY odd!

T3k in chips and starting at 25/25 with 25 minute levels. Auto shufflers and decent dealers kept the game moving but it seemed like I was the only one who didn't know anyone in the room as it was a 129 person home game! I chipped up with AA in the sb, just completing, praying the bb had a hand. He pushed, I called, my hand held. I caught again with AK against a weaker ace and we were off, or so it seemed. I lost with AQ v AT when trips took the wind outta my sails. Firmly in short-stack mode, I made the most of my marginal hands and position, allowing me to make the money for the 1st time in 4 days! They paid 18, again odd, as 18-16 only paid out $250, a WHOPPING $25 over the total buy-in. Ended up busting 13th, for $275. Somehow though I'd still lost money as I tipped out $5, had 2 beers for $10 total then bought a cool card-protector from George Malowe (just a .com) who makes the little cermaic characters that reminded me of Von Dutch and Robert Crumb, for $50. Had a great time and met some really cool players, overall, no complaints at all!

Tuesday (today) was the first day of training and after a LONG day, it was not in the cards to play cards. I do plan on making the $225 Stars&Stripes event at The Bike tomorrow nite, wish me luck! What a week!

I wasn't looking forward to heading back to LA but Vegas was booked solid and I wasn't in the mood to pay $300 for a short over-nite stay. I decided to head down 15S to check out the room availability in Jean and Primm, barring getting a room, I'd drive back. Thankfully I scored a cheap room in Jean, about 30 minutes south of the strip and after a decent sleep, I was headed to Caesars for the noon tourney, then the long drive back.

$130 total and I got settled in for a hopeful session of good cards, but that was quickly quashed as we found ourselves seated with a OBNOXIOUS drunk know-it-all. I was laughing it up, having a good time and making table friends as usual which this guy HATED. I got called a mother farker and was told my chip protector was farking gay. That got him his one and only warning...no more friends after that...LMFAO! This guy went on a table tear, ripping into hands and players alike. Management kept a close eye but he never pushed the line enough to get booted and the drinks kept coming his way. Once again, I found myself on the bad-end of cards, playing the push-bot short-stack. When the table folded to me in late position, I pushed with JTs on "his" blind and he called (I had him covered) without a second thought. He tabled J7 and with a flopped 2-pair, I busted the ARSE and became the table hero! 2 table changes later, I open push when I spy a lone ace but get looked up by AQ and AA, AQ turned a straight and that was all she wrote. I hit the road, wishing I'd left the nite before and the drive took over 6 hours with traffic and delays.

After my Hawaiin Gardens experience, I ditched the weekend plan, mapped out the route to Vegas and early Saturday morning, I was on my way to the Venetian! I "landed" at TI right around 10:30am, making the drive in about 3 1/2 hours. I got registered then wandered off for some wake-up juice and eats. I've said it before and I'll say it again, man do I LOVE this room and I LOVE this tourney!

Cards in the air at noon and when all was said and done, there were 81 total entrants. It was a true rollercoaster ride as I went into the 1st break at around the starting stack of T10k, not great by any stretch of the imagination but not bad either considering the structure. I was able to chip up twice catching QQ and AA in the bb against an agressive lp player, but both times I was short and all it did was get back in the chip hunt. Bad for me but good for Binion's, I busted early enough to head downtown for the 8pm tourney. I'd pushed from the sb with 34 and got looked up by the bb who put more than 1/2 his stack in the middle with pockets 5s....WTF? I flopped a str8 draw but I needed him to hit a set which didn't happen, and off I set for Freemont Street.

I had business in Orange County the week of 4/17 and as any good poker player would do, I flew out the Friday before the week of work! I had tournaments all planned out for the LA and surrounding area but that all changed when I got a taste of Hawaiian Gardens and an itch to play at the Venetian!

I played in the $155 at HG on Friday, with starting chips of T2k and 25 minute levels, it wasn't much better than what I experience in FL. I was totally let down by the facilities. I wasn't expecting a Vegas style card room but I wasn't prepared for the "warehouse" type setting and exposed ceiling. A VERY odd feeling for sure! I ended up busting with a hand I'll vow never to play again, the dreaded AQ! I raised from early position and got heads-up to the flop with position. Villain led out for 200 and I raised to 600 which was flat-called on a Qx7 board. Turn provided me with a 3rd queen but all was for naught as it filled him up and I was prompty heading for the door. 257 entrants on a Friday afternoon, Cali sure does love it's poker!

Onward to Friday nite to play in the 7pm Sarhara tourney for $62. Parked at Caesars, my base of operations for the week but before I'm off I just HAVE to do a little shooping. For the sheer novelty of it all, I have to get a Pete Rose signed baseball with the inscription, "I'm sorry I bet on baseball." Phoned a colleague of mine earlier that day and he's a HUGE fan, so it was two balls! Also picked up a couple of Opus X sticks, a little strong for my taste but a nice cigar. Round it all off with a nifty Michael Goddard ornament and I was off to pack my swag away!

Now it was time for the bullet (monrail) right to the Sahara! Definitely an "old school" room compared to what I've seen so far. Tournament had just over 150 runners and I'm glad there wasn't any hay available, otherwise I don't know where they wouldn've stuck all the additional donkeys! My table had 2 players that had even the slightest clue but even one of them doubled me up when my "tight as a frog's arse" re-raised a couple of lipmpers and he decided to push from my left, his wired tens didn't hold up! Blinds go up every 20 minute but you get T5000 for your $62 bones, not a bad low-stakes deal. The tables were in bad shape and it was NOISY! Drink service was good and the dealers I encountered were friendly. I ended up busting when my "M" dictated pushing, hand didn't hold and I was on the "bullet back home."