Based on all the activity in my Guestbook, the loyal "peeps" sure want me to keep playing, don't they? As much as I'd like to take Billy's advice and join a multi-table tournament, there simply aren't many multi-table tournaments I can play on a week night. For one thing, they take forever and I'm not going to devote 6 hours to playing a multi-table on a regular night. Maybe on a weekend. In fact, Theresa has already made plans with the girls Saturday night, so maybe I'll play in some sort of significant multi-table event on Saturday. Otherwise, I'll simply hit the bars and spend my entry fees on alcohol and Golden Tee. Woo Hoo!!
I played some seemingly "boring" poker on PokerRoom tonight. I played in two $20(2) tournaments and finished 4th each time. Ugh!! In the first tournament, I went "all in" with AK and lost to another player who barely had me covered. He had A9, but he caught a nine and took me out. Frustrating . . .
In the 2nd tournament, I found myself as the low stack when we got down to four players and I got dealt 3-3 in the Big Blind. The Small Blind raised me, and I went "all in." My opponent called my bet and flipped over 7-9 (suited). Wouldn't you know it, though? A nine appeared on the board and I was eliminated by another pair of nines. Ugh!!
So, I lost some bucks tonight. At least I went "all in" with the best hand each time. At this point, I think that my short term goal is to simply avoid losing a grand in September. It's a mighty weak goal, but what can you do? The trip to Vegas (coupled with some football pools) is making it a rough month.
Speaking of football, I did go 2-2 in fantasy football this past weekend. I'm a collective 9-3 in my four leagues - and I'm 3-0 in two leagues. Of course, it'll be a couple months before I collect any winnings from those leagues, but I'm off to a nice start nonetheless. Isn't that an exciting post?
Daily Sketch: Down $44
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $948.15
September 25, 2005: The Weekend in Review
Despite the requests of my loyal Guestbook signers, I didn't get a chance to do a lot of gambling this weekend. My cousin got married yesterday, so most of my day was dedicated to attending the wedding.
Today, I dedicated most of my day to watching the NFL. My fantasy teams aren't having a good weekend, and I'll probably go 1-3. Ugh!
I did play one $10(1) Hold 'em Tournament on PokerRoom this evening. I took 2nd place, so I netted a small profit of $19 today. Woo Hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Up $19
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $904.15
Today, I dedicated most of my day to watching the NFL. My fantasy teams aren't having a good weekend, and I'll probably go 1-3. Ugh!
I did play one $10(1) Hold 'em Tournament on PokerRoom this evening. I took 2nd place, so I netted a small profit of $19 today. Woo Hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Up $19
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $904.15
September 23, 2005: A Boring Week
As many of you have noticed, there hasn't been much activity in the Sketchbook lately. I've avoided the online poker rooms and, as a result, there hasn't been anything to report.
I did throw a little money out today, as I joined Luann's $5 NFL pool. In this pool, you simply pick each game against the spread. We've got about 15 people in this pool, with the winner taking 80% of the pot and the other 20% going into a yearly pot. Considering my inability to pick against the spread this year, I'm not counting on much. Maybe a miracle will happen, however, and I'll be able to report something nice next Tuesday.
Despite my lack of gambling, I've been busy watching my fantasy football teams. After two weeks, my four teams are a combined 7-1. That, my friends, is not bad!
With a bit of free time tonight, I joined a $10(1) Omaha Hi/Lo Tournament on Party Poker tonight. Unfortunately, things didn't go particularly well and I was eliminated in 6th place after seeing an incredibly bad river hit the board. I won't even bother describing it.
Daily Sketch: Down $16
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $923.15
I did throw a little money out today, as I joined Luann's $5 NFL pool. In this pool, you simply pick each game against the spread. We've got about 15 people in this pool, with the winner taking 80% of the pot and the other 20% going into a yearly pot. Considering my inability to pick against the spread this year, I'm not counting on much. Maybe a miracle will happen, however, and I'll be able to report something nice next Tuesday.
Despite my lack of gambling, I've been busy watching my fantasy football teams. After two weeks, my four teams are a combined 7-1. That, my friends, is not bad!
With a bit of free time tonight, I joined a $10(1) Omaha Hi/Lo Tournament on Party Poker tonight. Unfortunately, things didn't go particularly well and I was eliminated in 6th place after seeing an incredibly bad river hit the board. I won't even bother describing it.
Daily Sketch: Down $16
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $923.15
September 18, 2005: Ugly Cards
I played poker at Joe's house this evening and experienced a very ugly night of cards.
Seven of us played four $5 Hold 'em Tournaments. Playing four tournaments, you'd think I could finish in the money (top 3) one time, but it didn't happen. I can't remember a time where I experienced such cold cards for three hours. I couldn't have scooped more than a half dozen pots all nights, which is pitiful.
Oh, well. At least we don't play for high stakes in this weekly game.
Daily Sketch: Down $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $907.15
Seven of us played four $5 Hold 'em Tournaments. Playing four tournaments, you'd think I could finish in the money (top 3) one time, but it didn't happen. I can't remember a time where I experienced such cold cards for three hours. I couldn't have scooped more than a half dozen pots all nights, which is pitiful.
Oh, well. At least we don't play for high stakes in this weekly game.
Daily Sketch: Down $20
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $907.15
September 18, 2005: Multi-Table
"Billy" signed my Guestbook yesterday and asked that I play in a multi-table tournament. While watching the Oakland/Kansas City football game tonight, I decided to follow his advice and played in a $30(3) Multi-Table Tournament on Party Poker.
Over 1,300 people signed up to play and (unfortunately) I didn't win. I did survive for 90 minutes - but I was eventually eliminated in 361st place when my AK lost to another player's 4-4. After a garbage flop, I went "all in". My opponent thought about it for a LONG time and decided to make the call. I didn't get any any help on the turn or river. Ooops!
Otherwise, it was a good day of fantasy football. I'm probably going to win in all four of my leagues this weekend, running my overall record to 7-1 after two weeks. I got incredibly lucky in that I played guys who started Peyton Manning in three of the four leagues. Mr. Manning had a very un-Manning-like day, which was GREAT for me.
Unfortunately, I had selected the Packers as my Sure Bet, so I've been eliminated from that pool. Ooops!
Daily Sketch: Down $33
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $887.15
Over 1,300 people signed up to play and (unfortunately) I didn't win. I did survive for 90 minutes - but I was eventually eliminated in 361st place when my AK lost to another player's 4-4. After a garbage flop, I went "all in". My opponent thought about it for a LONG time and decided to make the call. I didn't get any any help on the turn or river. Ooops!
Otherwise, it was a good day of fantasy football. I'm probably going to win in all four of my leagues this weekend, running my overall record to 7-1 after two weeks. I got incredibly lucky in that I played guys who started Peyton Manning in three of the four leagues. Mr. Manning had a very un-Manning-like day, which was GREAT for me.
Unfortunately, I had selected the Packers as my Sure Bet, so I've been eliminated from that pool. Ooops!
Daily Sketch: Down $33
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $887.15
September 17, 2005: Poker at Art's
I visited Art's house this evening and played poker with Art, Tom, Rob, Dean, and Jared. Overall, I had a good night.
The evening started with a $5 No-Limit Hold 'em Tournament. I didn't find much success in the tournament and I was eliminated relatively early. Art proceeded to win the tournament ($20) and Tom took 2nd place ($10).
For the next five hours, we played a wide variety of dealer's choice games. For the most part, I caught good cards and proceeded to win exactly $52.65. The stakes aren't particularly large for this game, so I'm happy with my winnings.
Daily Sketch: Up $52.65
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $854.15
The evening started with a $5 No-Limit Hold 'em Tournament. I didn't find much success in the tournament and I was eliminated relatively early. Art proceeded to win the tournament ($20) and Tom took 2nd place ($10).
For the next five hours, we played a wide variety of dealer's choice games. For the most part, I caught good cards and proceeded to win exactly $52.65. The stakes aren't particularly large for this game, so I'm happy with my winnings.
Daily Sketch: Up $52.65
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $854.15
September 15, 2005: Poker at Harry's
I played poker at Harry's house tonight. The stakes are a little higher ($1 - $3) than my other games, but it still isn't very extreme.
For the first three hours of the night, I found moderate success and won a little over $100 while playing a variety of dealer's choice games. We had 8 players in attendance, and I caught some nice hands when everyone seemed to play to the river.
At 11:30pm, three people left and the last five of us played another 30 minutes. During that half hour, my luck went south and I lost a good chunk of change back to the boys. I found myself finishing 2nd several times and, as a result, committed myself to pots I didn't scoop. Ugh!
After all was said and done, I won $34.
Daily Sketch: Up $34
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $906.75
For the first three hours of the night, I found moderate success and won a little over $100 while playing a variety of dealer's choice games. We had 8 players in attendance, and I caught some nice hands when everyone seemed to play to the river.
At 11:30pm, three people left and the last five of us played another 30 minutes. During that half hour, my luck went south and I lost a good chunk of change back to the boys. I found myself finishing 2nd several times and, as a result, committed myself to pots I didn't scoop. Ugh!
After all was said and done, I won $34.
Daily Sketch: Up $34
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $906.75
September 14, 2005: Not So Much Fun
I spent a couple hours on Paty Poker tonight and didn't find much success. After spending all of last night in the black, I spent all of this evening in the red.
All told, I lost exactly $134 playing an a variety of tables. Ugh!
After winning last night, I had made a withdrawal from my Party Poker account and I left $134 behind. With tonight's losses, I depleted that account. I think I'll take a small break from on-line poker. I've got a couple house games scheduled during the next few days, and I'll see how I feel after those games.
Daily Sketch: Down $134
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $940.75
All told, I lost exactly $134 playing an a variety of tables. Ugh!
After winning last night, I had made a withdrawal from my Party Poker account and I left $134 behind. With tonight's losses, I depleted that account. I think I'll take a small break from on-line poker. I've got a couple house games scheduled during the next few days, and I'll see how I feel after those games.
Daily Sketch: Down $134
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $940.75
September 13, 2005: A $3/$6 Party
I bonded with Party Poker for a couple hours tonight. Joining a 10-man $3/$6 table, I won the first hand I played and never found myself down all night. That's unusual!
Despite not being down, I didn't exactly rake in the money tonight. During my 2 hours of play, I won exactly $44. It's not going to pay for many of my fantasy football pools, but every little bit helps.
Daily Sketch: Up $44
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $806.75
Despite not being down, I didn't exactly rake in the money tonight. During my 2 hours of play, I won exactly $44. It's not going to pay for many of my fantasy football pools, but every little bit helps.
Daily Sketch: Up $44
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $806.75
September 12, 2005: Poker at Joe's
I visited Joe's place this evening for our weekly poker game. We changed things up a bit.
Seven us decided to play Hold 'em Tournaments tonight. All told, we played three tournaments, with each tournament costing $5. First place won $20, second place won $10, and third place won $5.
I finished dead last in the first and third tournaments, but I did win the second tournament. As a result, I won $20 and finished the night with a profit of $5.
Daily Sketch: Up $5
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $850.75
Seven us decided to play Hold 'em Tournaments tonight. All told, we played three tournaments, with each tournament costing $5. First place won $20, second place won $10, and third place won $5.
I finished dead last in the first and third tournaments, but I did win the second tournament. As a result, I won $20 and finished the night with a profit of $5.
Daily Sketch: Up $5
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $850.75
September 10, 2005: A Trip to the Big House
Friday night (around 9:30pm), Joe and I started a 23-hour oydssey to/from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Joe's a big fan of Notre Dame, and he had gotten a couple of tickets to the Irish/Wolverine game in the Big House. Joe asked me to join him. The tickets were already paid for, so I didn't see a reason to turn him down.
We split our drive into two parts. The first part ended in Gary, Indiana. We stopped at the Trump Casino (around midnight) and proceeded to spend a couple hours in the poker room. I caught some decent cards and won exactly $88 while sitting at a 10-man $3/$6 table. Considering the fact that this trip to Michigan was costing me nothing, I was quite pleased to win some money. I was also quite pleased to add a new $5 chip to my collection.
We checked into our hotel at 2:30am and received a 5:45am wake-up call. Yikes!
At the break of dawn, we left Gary and headed to Ann Arbor. We got to Michigan Stadium about 45 minutes before kickoff, and it took that long to finally get to our seat. With 111,386 attending the game, you can imagine the lines we encountered along the way.
The weather was beautiful and the game was quite entertaining. I didn't really have a rooting interest in the game, but I had a lot of fun watching the Michigan fans complain about their team. The Wolverines didn't play particularly well and Notre Dame proceeded to win the game by a score of 17-10.
One of the biggest "ooooohs" of the game occurred at halftime. The giant scoreboard was showing scores from other college football games when the Wisconsin game came up. At the time, the Badgers were up 51-0 and a lot of "ooooohs" and "ahhhhhs" were heard throughou the stadium when that score was posted. There was also one "woo hoo" that was heard - but that was from me!
Here are a few pictures from the Big House:
Daily Sketch: Up $88
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $855.75
We split our drive into two parts. The first part ended in Gary, Indiana. We stopped at the Trump Casino (around midnight) and proceeded to spend a couple hours in the poker room. I caught some decent cards and won exactly $88 while sitting at a 10-man $3/$6 table. Considering the fact that this trip to Michigan was costing me nothing, I was quite pleased to win some money. I was also quite pleased to add a new $5 chip to my collection.
We checked into our hotel at 2:30am and received a 5:45am wake-up call. Yikes!
At the break of dawn, we left Gary and headed to Ann Arbor. We got to Michigan Stadium about 45 minutes before kickoff, and it took that long to finally get to our seat. With 111,386 attending the game, you can imagine the lines we encountered along the way.
The weather was beautiful and the game was quite entertaining. I didn't really have a rooting interest in the game, but I had a lot of fun watching the Michigan fans complain about their team. The Wolverines didn't play particularly well and Notre Dame proceeded to win the game by a score of 17-10.
One of the biggest "ooooohs" of the game occurred at halftime. The giant scoreboard was showing scores from other college football games when the Wisconsin game came up. At the time, the Badgers were up 51-0 and a lot of "ooooohs" and "ahhhhhs" were heard throughou the stadium when that score was posted. There was also one "woo hoo" that was heard - but that was from me!
Here are a few pictures from the Big House:
Daily Sketch: Up $88
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $855.75
September 8, 2005: Football Pools
I'm swimming in football pools right now. The past two nights, I've spent a decent amount of time getting ready for them.
I started with Sure Bet. For $10, I get the opportunity to pick any NFL team to win any given week. If my team wins, I advance to the next week. If I'm wrong, I'm out of the pool. Last year, 147 people played in this pool and the winner took home a cool $1,470. I've created two entries for this pool, with one entry under my name and the other entry under my wife's name. Each entry will cost me $10.
I'm taking Washington and Minnesota as my Sure Bets in Week #1.
Next, I went to Tom V.'s $100 pool. In this pool, you get to pick any 100 college or NFL games throughout the season - against the spread. You can pick as few (or as many) games as you like each week, but you must finish the season with exactly 100 picks. Here are my week #1 picks:
Michigan -7 over Notre Dame
Oklahoma -30.5 over Tulsa
Denver -4.5 over Miami
Washington -5.5 over Chicago
Seattle +3 over Jacksonville
St. Louis -5.5 over San Francisco
Indianapolis -3 over Baltimore
Next, I entered Bruce's Confidence Pool. In this weekly pool, you rank each NFL game (from 1 to 16) and you're awarded points if your team wins. I've prepaid for the entire year (including the playoffs), so that's an expenditure of $56. I won't bother publishing my picks for Week #1, 'cuz I never do well in this pool.
Finally, a girl at work has organized a $5 weekly pool where you pick each NFL game against the spread. Again, I won't bother publishing my picks, but it's another $5 out the door.
So, after all was said and done, I spent $181 the past two days while entering these pools. Yikes!
The Month-to-Date Sketchbook is starting to look ugly.
Oh, well. It's fun nonetheless.
The Sketchbook will go dark the next two days, as I'm taking a road trip to Ann Arbor this weekend to watch the Michigan/Notre Dame game. In fact, that's the primary reason why I picked Michigan in Tom's $100 pool. At least I'll have a rooting interest in the game!
I leave tomorrow evening and won't be back until very late Saturday night. Watch for me at the Big House. I assume the game will be nationally televised and I'll be one of the 115,000 fans sitting in the stands. Woo hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Down $181
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $943.75
I started with Sure Bet. For $10, I get the opportunity to pick any NFL team to win any given week. If my team wins, I advance to the next week. If I'm wrong, I'm out of the pool. Last year, 147 people played in this pool and the winner took home a cool $1,470. I've created two entries for this pool, with one entry under my name and the other entry under my wife's name. Each entry will cost me $10.
I'm taking Washington and Minnesota as my Sure Bets in Week #1.
Next, I went to Tom V.'s $100 pool. In this pool, you get to pick any 100 college or NFL games throughout the season - against the spread. You can pick as few (or as many) games as you like each week, but you must finish the season with exactly 100 picks. Here are my week #1 picks:
Michigan -7 over Notre Dame
Oklahoma -30.5 over Tulsa
Denver -4.5 over Miami
Washington -5.5 over Chicago
Seattle +3 over Jacksonville
St. Louis -5.5 over San Francisco
Indianapolis -3 over Baltimore
Next, I entered Bruce's Confidence Pool. In this weekly pool, you rank each NFL game (from 1 to 16) and you're awarded points if your team wins. I've prepaid for the entire year (including the playoffs), so that's an expenditure of $56. I won't bother publishing my picks for Week #1, 'cuz I never do well in this pool.
Finally, a girl at work has organized a $5 weekly pool where you pick each NFL game against the spread. Again, I won't bother publishing my picks, but it's another $5 out the door.
So, after all was said and done, I spent $181 the past two days while entering these pools. Yikes!
The Month-to-Date Sketchbook is starting to look ugly.
Oh, well. It's fun nonetheless.
The Sketchbook will go dark the next two days, as I'm taking a road trip to Ann Arbor this weekend to watch the Michigan/Notre Dame game. In fact, that's the primary reason why I picked Michigan in Tom's $100 pool. At least I'll have a rooting interest in the game!
I leave tomorrow evening and won't be back until very late Saturday night. Watch for me at the Big House. I assume the game will be nationally televised and I'll be one of the 115,000 fans sitting in the stands. Woo hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Down $181
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $943.75
September 6, 2005: Fantasy Football
I was part of two fantasy football draft tonight. If nothing else, I learned that it's VERY difficult to effectively draft two teams at once.
I personally attended Extendicare's draft at a downtown Milwaukee bar. It costs $85 to enter and I had the 10th pick (out of 12 teams) in the draft. Here's the team I drafted:
(1) Corey Dillon
(2) Stephen Jackson
(3) Joe Horn
(4) Marc Bulger
(5) Donald Driver
(6) Atlanta Defense
(7) Jeff Wilkins
(8) Cedric Benson
(9) Eddie Kennison
(10) Thomas Jones
Generally speaking, I'm happy with this team. However, at the same time I was making these picks, I was drafting another team in David's league. I'm not as happy with that team - especially when you consider that I forgot to draft a tight end. Ooops!! We don't need a tight end in the Extendicare league, so I forgot about that position when drafting in David's league.
Drafting 3rd in David's 12-team league, here's my team:
(1) Edgerrin James
(2) Rudi Johnson
(3) Donovan McNabb
(4) Isaac Bruce
(5) Donald Driver
(6) Larry Johnson
(7) Carolina Defense
(8) Travis Taylor
(9) Willie Parker
(10) Joey Galloway
(11) Anthony Thomas
(12) Ryan Longwell
This league costs $115 to enter. I had hoped to take Mike Anderson in the 6th round, but he was drafted right in front of me. Then, I should have taken a tight end in the 11th round, but I lost track of what I was doing. I guess that's a hazard of drafting two teams at once. I'll hafta spend a buck to pick up a tight end and I'll hafta waive Anthony Thomas.
Daily Sketch: Down $200
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $762.75
I personally attended Extendicare's draft at a downtown Milwaukee bar. It costs $85 to enter and I had the 10th pick (out of 12 teams) in the draft. Here's the team I drafted:
(1) Corey Dillon
(2) Stephen Jackson
(3) Joe Horn
(4) Marc Bulger
(5) Donald Driver
(6) Atlanta Defense
(7) Jeff Wilkins
(8) Cedric Benson
(9) Eddie Kennison
(10) Thomas Jones
Generally speaking, I'm happy with this team. However, at the same time I was making these picks, I was drafting another team in David's league. I'm not as happy with that team - especially when you consider that I forgot to draft a tight end. Ooops!! We don't need a tight end in the Extendicare league, so I forgot about that position when drafting in David's league.
Drafting 3rd in David's 12-team league, here's my team:
(1) Edgerrin James
(2) Rudi Johnson
(3) Donovan McNabb
(4) Isaac Bruce
(5) Donald Driver
(6) Larry Johnson
(7) Carolina Defense
(8) Travis Taylor
(9) Willie Parker
(10) Joey Galloway
(11) Anthony Thomas
(12) Ryan Longwell
This league costs $115 to enter. I had hoped to take Mike Anderson in the 6th round, but he was drafted right in front of me. Then, I should have taken a tight end in the 11th round, but I lost track of what I was doing. I guess that's a hazard of drafting two teams at once. I'll hafta spend a buck to pick up a tight end and I'll hafta waive Anthony Thomas.
Daily Sketch: Down $200
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $762.75
September 6, 2005: Pics from Vegas
As promised, here are some pics from Vegas:
Here is a wonderful photo of me standing outside the Aladdin Hotel with a showgirl.
Here's a side shot of the Statue of Liberty outside New York New York.
A picture down the Strip . . .
Here was the view from our hotel room.
Here I am sitting at Lucky Larry's Lobstermania slot machine.
Here's a copy of my unlucky losing ticket for the Badger football game.
A picture of the Stratosphere.
Here's a picture of a remarkably boring $5 chip from Wynn's casino.
Here's some exciting literature obtained from the Strip.
Here is a wonderful photo of me standing outside the Aladdin Hotel with a showgirl.
Here's a side shot of the Statue of Liberty outside New York New York.
A picture down the Strip . . .
Here was the view from our hotel room.
Here I am sitting at Lucky Larry's Lobstermania slot machine.
Here's a copy of my unlucky losing ticket for the Badger football game.
A picture of the Stratosphere.
Here's a picture of a remarkably boring $5 chip from Wynn's casino.
Here's some exciting literature obtained from the Strip.
September 5, 2005: Live from McCarron Airport
Las Vegas' McCarron Airport has free wireless access to the internet, so I'm able to type my final Vegas report before I return to Milwaukee. As I type, it's 6:01pm (Vegas time).
I started my day by playing on a Lucky Lobster Larry machine and lost a quick $40 at the Flamingo. Ooops!
Then, we visited Oshea's and I was able to recoup $20 at a craps table. I rolled my own good fortune. Had I only been able to roll one more number, I would have made a decent amount of loot.
After leaving Oshea's, we hopped on the monorail and headed to the Sahara. I hadn't collected a $5 chip from that casino, so the $3 I spent to take the monorail was well worth the expenditure.
I proceeded to win $30 at the Sahara playing blackjack. Then we walked to the Stratosphere and I won $18.25 at that casino. I was up for the day when we headed back to the Flamingo for one last hour of gambling.
Unfortunately, things didn't go well and I lost a quick $70 playing Lucky Lobster. Larry wasn't very lucky for me today! :-(
That's it for the gambling. I could visit a slot machine here in the airport, but I'm content with the amount of money I've lost so far. It's time to start reading some fantasy football updates. I've got two drafts tomorrow night.
Daily Sketch: Down $51.75
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $562.75
I started my day by playing on a Lucky Lobster Larry machine and lost a quick $40 at the Flamingo. Ooops!
Then, we visited Oshea's and I was able to recoup $20 at a craps table. I rolled my own good fortune. Had I only been able to roll one more number, I would have made a decent amount of loot.
After leaving Oshea's, we hopped on the monorail and headed to the Sahara. I hadn't collected a $5 chip from that casino, so the $3 I spent to take the monorail was well worth the expenditure.
I proceeded to win $30 at the Sahara playing blackjack. Then we walked to the Stratosphere and I won $18.25 at that casino. I was up for the day when we headed back to the Flamingo for one last hour of gambling.
Unfortunately, things didn't go well and I lost a quick $70 playing Lucky Lobster. Larry wasn't very lucky for me today! :-(
That's it for the gambling. I could visit a slot machine here in the airport, but I'm content with the amount of money I've lost so far. It's time to start reading some fantasy football updates. I've got two drafts tomorrow night.
Daily Sketch: Down $51.75
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $562.75
September 5, 2005: My Last Update from Vegas
It's 10:19am and within the hour, we'll be checking out of our hotel room. At that time, I'll lose my access to the internet, so this is my last update from Sin City. My final trip report will be posted sometime tomorrow from Milwaukee, along with a few pictures from Vegas.
After watching Brian Vickers take 3rd in last night's NASCAR race (ugh!), we hit the Strip for a few hours. Starting at the Casino Royale, I lost $60 playing on a penny Wheel of Fortune Slot machine. I was able to win that money back, however, playing on a variety of other slot machines. Most of it was recouped, however, on another Lucky Larry's Lobstermania machine. That machine has been very kind to me on this trip!
Next, we went to Oshea's and I sat at a Let It Ride table for nearly an hour. I came out exactly even. Bored with that, I lost exactly $100 at a $10 craps table in no more than five minutes. I didn't win a single wager I made on that table. To put it mildly, it wasn't pretty!
For the next couple hours, I played a variety of low-stakes machines and quit when I was even. At 1:30am, we got back to the Flamingo and I decided to visit the poker room for a short time.
Joining a low-stress 10-man $2/$4 table, I won cash at an astounding rate. The players at my table were not skilled players but, admittedly, a monkey could have won money with the cards I was getting. Thankfully, however, most of the players at this table were willing to see cards through the river and continually said things like "I gotta see what he's got" as they threw more money into the pot.
I hit a couple nice flushes and flopped an ace on another hand while holding pocket aces. All told, I won exactly $200 during the two hour session. That's a ridiculous rate of return on a live 10-man table.
With that successful venture, I finally get to record a daily profit in Vegas. Our flight doesn't leave until 7:55pm tonight, so I've still got a full day of gambling ahead of me. Woo Hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Up $100
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $511.00
After watching Brian Vickers take 3rd in last night's NASCAR race (ugh!), we hit the Strip for a few hours. Starting at the Casino Royale, I lost $60 playing on a penny Wheel of Fortune Slot machine. I was able to win that money back, however, playing on a variety of other slot machines. Most of it was recouped, however, on another Lucky Larry's Lobstermania machine. That machine has been very kind to me on this trip!
Next, we went to Oshea's and I sat at a Let It Ride table for nearly an hour. I came out exactly even. Bored with that, I lost exactly $100 at a $10 craps table in no more than five minutes. I didn't win a single wager I made on that table. To put it mildly, it wasn't pretty!
For the next couple hours, I played a variety of low-stakes machines and quit when I was even. At 1:30am, we got back to the Flamingo and I decided to visit the poker room for a short time.
Joining a low-stress 10-man $2/$4 table, I won cash at an astounding rate. The players at my table were not skilled players but, admittedly, a monkey could have won money with the cards I was getting. Thankfully, however, most of the players at this table were willing to see cards through the river and continually said things like "I gotta see what he's got" as they threw more money into the pot.
I hit a couple nice flushes and flopped an ace on another hand while holding pocket aces. All told, I won exactly $200 during the two hour session. That's a ridiculous rate of return on a live 10-man table.
With that successful venture, I finally get to record a daily profit in Vegas. Our flight doesn't leave until 7:55pm tonight, so I've still got a full day of gambling ahead of me. Woo Hoo!!
Daily Sketch: Up $100
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $511.00
September 4, 2005: Another Update from the Strip
Getting up at 10:00am, I went downstairs to the Flamingo's casino floor and spent 30 minutes losing $37.50 on a video poker machine. At one point, I was up nearly $100 on the machine, but I frittered it all away. :-(
After eating breakfast at Harrah's buffet (next door), we ventured down to the Casino Royale. Sitting down at a roulette wheel, I lost $60 in 20 minutes. I think I won a single $4 wager when black hit the board. Otherwise, I lost every chip I wagered at that table. Ugh!
Next, I wandered off to a new game: Blackjack Switch. Dealt two hands at once, you can switch the 2nd card you receive. I would have thought I could have won some money at this game, but I lost $133 during the 2+ hours I sat there. After losing $100 (in 15 minutes) at Wynn's casino yesterday afternoon, I actually felt ok losing $133 in 2+ hours. How sad is that?
Down $230.50 for the day (ugh!), we started our walk back to the Flamingo. Stopping at Harrah's, I visited my favorite video machine (Lucky Larry's Lobstermania) and won $135 on a nickel machine. In a matter of five minutes, I had recouped the money I lost on the Blackjack Switch table at the Casino Royale. Woo Hoo!
Next, we stopped at the Imperial Palace and I won another $90 on another Lucky Larry's Lobstermania machine. The woman sitting directly to my left was particularly distressed when she saw me hit a nice jackpot. Here's a quick excerpt of our conversation:
Me: "Wow. That was a fortune spin."
Her: "You just sat down, didn't you?"
Me: "Just sat down? Are you kidding? I've been here for three minutes."
Her: "I've been at this machine over an hour and haven't won anything."
After clearing that $90 profit, we headed back to our hotel room. I'm down exactly $5.50 for the day and I'm ready to take a break, watch the NASCAR race, and cheer Brian Vickers to victory. He's never won a NASCAR race, but this would be a good time to claim a victory, ehh? If he wins, I'll get $220.
Daily Sketch (so far): Down $5.50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $511.00
After eating breakfast at Harrah's buffet (next door), we ventured down to the Casino Royale. Sitting down at a roulette wheel, I lost $60 in 20 minutes. I think I won a single $4 wager when black hit the board. Otherwise, I lost every chip I wagered at that table. Ugh!
Next, I wandered off to a new game: Blackjack Switch. Dealt two hands at once, you can switch the 2nd card you receive. I would have thought I could have won some money at this game, but I lost $133 during the 2+ hours I sat there. After losing $100 (in 15 minutes) at Wynn's casino yesterday afternoon, I actually felt ok losing $133 in 2+ hours. How sad is that?
Down $230.50 for the day (ugh!), we started our walk back to the Flamingo. Stopping at Harrah's, I visited my favorite video machine (Lucky Larry's Lobstermania) and won $135 on a nickel machine. In a matter of five minutes, I had recouped the money I lost on the Blackjack Switch table at the Casino Royale. Woo Hoo!
Next, we stopped at the Imperial Palace and I won another $90 on another Lucky Larry's Lobstermania machine. The woman sitting directly to my left was particularly distressed when she saw me hit a nice jackpot. Here's a quick excerpt of our conversation:
Me: "Wow. That was a fortune spin."
Her: "You just sat down, didn't you?"
Me: "Just sat down? Are you kidding? I've been here for three minutes."
Her: "I've been at this machine over an hour and haven't won anything."
After clearing that $90 profit, we headed back to our hotel room. I'm down exactly $5.50 for the day and I'm ready to take a break, watch the NASCAR race, and cheer Brian Vickers to victory. He's never won a NASCAR race, but this would be a good time to claim a victory, ehh? If he wins, I'll get $220.
Daily Sketch (so far): Down $5.50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $511.00
September 3, 2005: A Night at the Penny Slots
I wasn't eager to lose any more money tonight, so I spent a few hours hopping around the penny slots at the Flamingo. I don't actually bet a penny on each slot - you can actually spend up to $5/spin on some of these machines. Nonetheless, I didn't get that crazy - as I was usually spending $.25/spin.
After all was said and done, I won exactly $17.50 tonight. It's not a ton of money, but it's the first time I won anything today.
I also placed a $10 wager on Brian Vickers to win tomorrow night's NASCAR race at 22-1. That bet will cut into tonight's profits. Go Brian!
Finally, I placed four separate $5 wagers on the same race for Rob. In the event he's reading this Sketchbook, here are the odds I got for him:
Elliott Sadler: 22-1
Jeff Burton: 45-1
Li'l E: 50-1
Mike Bliss: 75-1
Two more days in Vegas. Hopefully, I don't go bankrupt before I leave! :-)
Daily Sketch (final): Down $427.50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $505.50
After all was said and done, I won exactly $17.50 tonight. It's not a ton of money, but it's the first time I won anything today.
I also placed a $10 wager on Brian Vickers to win tomorrow night's NASCAR race at 22-1. That bet will cut into tonight's profits. Go Brian!
Finally, I placed four separate $5 wagers on the same race for Rob. In the event he's reading this Sketchbook, here are the odds I got for him:
Elliott Sadler: 22-1
Jeff Burton: 45-1
Li'l E: 50-1
Mike Bliss: 75-1
Two more days in Vegas. Hopefully, I don't go bankrupt before I leave! :-)
Daily Sketch (final): Down $427.50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $505.50
September 3, 2005: An Ugly Day - So Far
I pitched a shutout today, as I lost at every table I sat at this afternoon. That, my friends, is not good!
My day began at 11:00am when Joey and I signed up for the $40 No-Limit Hold 'em Tournament at Harrah's. Almost everyone (including myself) bought in for another $40 (to get another 1,500 chips). With 120 people signed up to play, there was nearly $10,000 in the total prize pool.
At the end of the first hour, things weren't going well. I was down to 600 chips and the blinds were 100/200. Dealt A-Q shortly after the break, however, I tripled up when I was called by two other players and an ace appeared on the board.
Shortly thereafter, I was dealt 6s 8s while sitting in the big blind. I had exactly 1,800 chips and the big blind was up to 400. Another player raised me to 800 chips and I called his bet.
The flop came Js 10s Jc. I immediately bet 500 chips (exactly half of my stack) and my opponent raised me "all in". Holding four to a flush, I was committed to the pot and decided to chase a spade. My opponent showed Jh Qh.
Miraculously, a 9s appeared on the turn and I hit my flush. However, my tournament ended when the river came as a 10c. My opponent's full house scooped the pot. Ooops!! I don't know where I placed in the tournament, but it was well outside the money.
At the same time the tournament was being played, I watched the Badgers score an incredible 56 points in defeating Bowling Green. I had placed a $100 wager on Bowling Green (+2.5 points). Had someone told me that the Falcons were going to score 42 points against the Badgers, I would have thought that there was NO WAY I was going to lose that bet. What can you do?
Down $180 for the day, I stayed in the poker room for another 90 minutes and sat at a $3/$6 table. It was a rather uneventful session, and I lost $15. At 2:30pm, I left the poker room and our group hit the Strip. I was already down $195.
Our first stop was at Wynn's - where I needed to pick up a $5 chip from the new casino. Three of us sat at a $10 Blackjack table and all three of us lost $100 in less than 15 minutes. I'm guessing that it took me 20 hands to lose that $100. Interestingly, I losted longer than either of the two other people who sat down with me. I believe that Joey only won a single hand before leaving the table down an even hundy. At least I kept a $5 chip - although the chip is rather unimpressive. I'll take a picture of the chip and post it on this site on Tuesday. The chip's look definitely doesn't match the extravagance of the rest of the casino.
After leaving Wynn's with our tails between our legs, a few of us went across the street to the less extravagant Frontier Casino. My bad luck continued, however, as I quickly lost $20 on a $.25 Wheel of Fortune Machine. Then I lost another $65 at a $5 Let It Ride table. Then I lost $35 on a $1 Wheel of Fortune Machine.
Down $415 for the afternoon, we headed back to the Flamingo where I lost another $20 in a Rocky "the Contender" slot machine. I can't believe that I didn't win at a single thing I played today. Ugh!
I'm resting in my room right now. I'm not particularly inspired to do a lot of gambling right now. Unfortunately, the price of every table on the Strip increases on a Saturday night, so the losses could get ugly if this streak continues. Maybe I'll simply camp out in a poker room tonight.
Daily Sketch (so far): Down $435
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $513
My day began at 11:00am when Joey and I signed up for the $40 No-Limit Hold 'em Tournament at Harrah's. Almost everyone (including myself) bought in for another $40 (to get another 1,500 chips). With 120 people signed up to play, there was nearly $10,000 in the total prize pool.
At the end of the first hour, things weren't going well. I was down to 600 chips and the blinds were 100/200. Dealt A-Q shortly after the break, however, I tripled up when I was called by two other players and an ace appeared on the board.
Shortly thereafter, I was dealt 6s 8s while sitting in the big blind. I had exactly 1,800 chips and the big blind was up to 400. Another player raised me to 800 chips and I called his bet.
The flop came Js 10s Jc. I immediately bet 500 chips (exactly half of my stack) and my opponent raised me "all in". Holding four to a flush, I was committed to the pot and decided to chase a spade. My opponent showed Jh Qh.
Miraculously, a 9s appeared on the turn and I hit my flush. However, my tournament ended when the river came as a 10c. My opponent's full house scooped the pot. Ooops!! I don't know where I placed in the tournament, but it was well outside the money.
At the same time the tournament was being played, I watched the Badgers score an incredible 56 points in defeating Bowling Green. I had placed a $100 wager on Bowling Green (+2.5 points). Had someone told me that the Falcons were going to score 42 points against the Badgers, I would have thought that there was NO WAY I was going to lose that bet. What can you do?
Down $180 for the day, I stayed in the poker room for another 90 minutes and sat at a $3/$6 table. It was a rather uneventful session, and I lost $15. At 2:30pm, I left the poker room and our group hit the Strip. I was already down $195.
Our first stop was at Wynn's - where I needed to pick up a $5 chip from the new casino. Three of us sat at a $10 Blackjack table and all three of us lost $100 in less than 15 minutes. I'm guessing that it took me 20 hands to lose that $100. Interestingly, I losted longer than either of the two other people who sat down with me. I believe that Joey only won a single hand before leaving the table down an even hundy. At least I kept a $5 chip - although the chip is rather unimpressive. I'll take a picture of the chip and post it on this site on Tuesday. The chip's look definitely doesn't match the extravagance of the rest of the casino.
After leaving Wynn's with our tails between our legs, a few of us went across the street to the less extravagant Frontier Casino. My bad luck continued, however, as I quickly lost $20 on a $.25 Wheel of Fortune Machine. Then I lost another $65 at a $5 Let It Ride table. Then I lost $35 on a $1 Wheel of Fortune Machine.
Down $415 for the afternoon, we headed back to the Flamingo where I lost another $20 in a Rocky "the Contender" slot machine. I can't believe that I didn't win at a single thing I played today. Ugh!
I'm resting in my room right now. I'm not particularly inspired to do a lot of gambling right now. Unfortunately, the price of every table on the Strip increases on a Saturday night, so the losses could get ugly if this streak continues. Maybe I'll simply camp out in a poker room tonight.
Daily Sketch (so far): Down $435
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $513
September 2, 2005: Vegas Report - Part II
Generally speaking, today was a long and unproductive day. I could probably write 25 paragraphs about the day, but it's officially 12:55am and I'm getting tired. I didn't get much sleep last night (about 3 hours) and my entourage has been roaming Las Vegas Boulevard for the past 16 hours. I need to get to sleep so that I can attack Sin City with enthusiasm tomorrow. So, I'll try to keep tonight's Sketchbook reasonable . . .
Before going to breakfast this morning, I spent 90 minutes at a $10 Blackjack table (at the Flamingo) and made a whopping $5. I was actually quite happy to make money, 'cuz I was down for 89 of the 90 minutes I sat at that table. It's actually quite amazing to watch yourself lose $100 during the first 7 minutes you sit at a blackjack table. That can happen, however, when you spend most of your time playing 1-on-1 with the dealer and see a lot of hands hit the felt. The girls wanted to visit the pool before we hit the Strip, so I spent those 90 minutes alone with a dealer. I had no desire to waste my time at the pool.
After breakfast, I lost $60 on three different slot machines at the Flamingo. Ugh! Theresa's aunt did win $250 on a Wheel of Fortune Machine, so that was nice to watch.
The first casino we frequented after leaving the Flamingo was the Aladdin. We spent an hour or two at that casino and I left $65 richer. Most of that money was made when I hit four Aces on a $.50 Video Poker Machine. Woo Hoo!!
Next, we went to the MGM and I lost $40 playing on a few different slot machines. We didn't spend a lot of time at this casino, although I did view the remarkably large lion that they have on display. It appeared that he had been fed a heavy dose of medication, however, 'cuz he looked pretty bored and lethargic. Nonetheless, he was an impressive creature to view.
After leaving the MGM, we went across the street and stayed at New York New York for quite a while. I played on a $10 Let It Ride Table and left $80 poorer. Ugh! Thankfully, however, I made $30 back at a $10 Blackjack table. At one point, I had gotten back to even at New York New York while playing blackjack, but I lost my last five hands and decided that it was time to get up and leave that table.
After leaving New York New York, we went to the Excalibur and I suffered through another bad session of Let It Ride. After losing $80 at MGM, I should have known to stop playing that game, but I threw another $85 down the toilet at the Excalibur. Oops!
Interestingly, Joey (Theresa's cousin's husband - he learned how to play Let It Ride this afternoon) couldn't lose at the game today. I think he made over $150 sitting next to me at these tables. Good for him, although I could have used some of his good luck!
After leaving the Let It Ride table at the Excalibur, I introduced the group to the game of War. We sat at that table for 15 minutes and I won $30. I gotta say, however, that War is THE MOST BORING card game in Vegas. Despite the fact that I won $30, I was bored to tears and I had no problem leaving that table - despite the fact that I was winning.
As we headed to dinner (at Harrah's), I was down $135 for the day. Considering how much I had gambled during the day, however, I wasn't overly concerned about the losses. I'd like to be ahead, but I wasn't going bankrupt (yet!).
After dinner, we went to the Imperial Palace for another session of Let It Ride. Similar to my afternoon, I slowly (yet surely) started to lose money. In fact, I was down $85 when Lady Luck finally appeared. Borrowing $1 from my wife, I put a buck on the Bonus line and put my last $15 in front of me (I had declared that I wasn't going to lose more than $100 at the Imperial Palace). Wouldn't you know it, however? I actually hit a flush. I probably put the $1 bonus in front of me a total of three times today, and I actually hit a nice hand the third time I did. Whew!!
My bonus buck paid $50. The flush itself paid another $110. Just like that, I was ahead at the Imperial Palace and content that I finally had a winning session at a casino. I retired a short time later - up $85 at the Imperial Palace. That left me with a deficit of $50 for the day and $78 for the entire trip. That's not too bad. At the same time, my wife is actually up a few bucks, so things are going ok - so far. Of course, we've still got a solid three days of gambling in front of us, so anything can still happen.
I've got several nice pictures loaded onto my digital camera. I had hoped to post those pictures in my Sketchbook today, but I packed the wrong adaptor. Ooops! I guess that the pictures will hafta wait until Tuesday to appear on this page.
Tomorrow morning, the Badgers play Bowling Green. When I got to Vegas, the line was Wisconsin -4.5 points. Now it's down to 2.5 points. I'd like to bet on Bowling Green, but I really wish I was getting 3 points. I'll check out the line tomorrow morning.
More updates to come . . . It's time to get to bed and try to get a good night's rest.
Daily Sketch: Down $50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $78
Before going to breakfast this morning, I spent 90 minutes at a $10 Blackjack table (at the Flamingo) and made a whopping $5. I was actually quite happy to make money, 'cuz I was down for 89 of the 90 minutes I sat at that table. It's actually quite amazing to watch yourself lose $100 during the first 7 minutes you sit at a blackjack table. That can happen, however, when you spend most of your time playing 1-on-1 with the dealer and see a lot of hands hit the felt. The girls wanted to visit the pool before we hit the Strip, so I spent those 90 minutes alone with a dealer. I had no desire to waste my time at the pool.
After breakfast, I lost $60 on three different slot machines at the Flamingo. Ugh! Theresa's aunt did win $250 on a Wheel of Fortune Machine, so that was nice to watch.
The first casino we frequented after leaving the Flamingo was the Aladdin. We spent an hour or two at that casino and I left $65 richer. Most of that money was made when I hit four Aces on a $.50 Video Poker Machine. Woo Hoo!!
Next, we went to the MGM and I lost $40 playing on a few different slot machines. We didn't spend a lot of time at this casino, although I did view the remarkably large lion that they have on display. It appeared that he had been fed a heavy dose of medication, however, 'cuz he looked pretty bored and lethargic. Nonetheless, he was an impressive creature to view.
After leaving the MGM, we went across the street and stayed at New York New York for quite a while. I played on a $10 Let It Ride Table and left $80 poorer. Ugh! Thankfully, however, I made $30 back at a $10 Blackjack table. At one point, I had gotten back to even at New York New York while playing blackjack, but I lost my last five hands and decided that it was time to get up and leave that table.
After leaving New York New York, we went to the Excalibur and I suffered through another bad session of Let It Ride. After losing $80 at MGM, I should have known to stop playing that game, but I threw another $85 down the toilet at the Excalibur. Oops!
Interestingly, Joey (Theresa's cousin's husband - he learned how to play Let It Ride this afternoon) couldn't lose at the game today. I think he made over $150 sitting next to me at these tables. Good for him, although I could have used some of his good luck!
After leaving the Let It Ride table at the Excalibur, I introduced the group to the game of War. We sat at that table for 15 minutes and I won $30. I gotta say, however, that War is THE MOST BORING card game in Vegas. Despite the fact that I won $30, I was bored to tears and I had no problem leaving that table - despite the fact that I was winning.
As we headed to dinner (at Harrah's), I was down $135 for the day. Considering how much I had gambled during the day, however, I wasn't overly concerned about the losses. I'd like to be ahead, but I wasn't going bankrupt (yet!).
After dinner, we went to the Imperial Palace for another session of Let It Ride. Similar to my afternoon, I slowly (yet surely) started to lose money. In fact, I was down $85 when Lady Luck finally appeared. Borrowing $1 from my wife, I put a buck on the Bonus line and put my last $15 in front of me (I had declared that I wasn't going to lose more than $100 at the Imperial Palace). Wouldn't you know it, however? I actually hit a flush. I probably put the $1 bonus in front of me a total of three times today, and I actually hit a nice hand the third time I did. Whew!!
My bonus buck paid $50. The flush itself paid another $110. Just like that, I was ahead at the Imperial Palace and content that I finally had a winning session at a casino. I retired a short time later - up $85 at the Imperial Palace. That left me with a deficit of $50 for the day and $78 for the entire trip. That's not too bad. At the same time, my wife is actually up a few bucks, so things are going ok - so far. Of course, we've still got a solid three days of gambling in front of us, so anything can still happen.
I've got several nice pictures loaded onto my digital camera. I had hoped to post those pictures in my Sketchbook today, but I packed the wrong adaptor. Ooops! I guess that the pictures will hafta wait until Tuesday to appear on this page.
Tomorrow morning, the Badgers play Bowling Green. When I got to Vegas, the line was Wisconsin -4.5 points. Now it's down to 2.5 points. I'd like to bet on Bowling Green, but I really wish I was getting 3 points. I'll check out the line tomorrow morning.
More updates to come . . . It's time to get to bed and try to get a good night's rest.
Daily Sketch: Down $50
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $78
September 2, 2005: Vegas Report - Part I (of many)
As I type this entry, it's exactly 2:40am - Vegas time. That means that it's 4:40am Milwaukee time. No wonder I feel a bit sleepy! It's Vegas, though. Woo hoo!!
Obviously, the internet connection is working in my hotel room. Hopefully, dialing in to Road Runner's remote site isn't costing me anything. I guess I'll find out when I get the hotel room's final bill!
Anyway, it was a relatively uneventful opening night in Sin City. In my first 15 minutes of action, I lost $60 on a few different slot machines. Then, we went out for dinner and I miraculously won $110 while playing Keno at Harrah's when four of my five numbers hit the board.
Our group ventured to the Imperial Palace and Oshea's and I proceeded to lose some money. The blackjack table at Imperial Palace was particularly painful. I believe I lost $175 at that table alone. However, I came out ahead at the Let It Ride table and won some more money at the craps table at Oshea's. In between, however, I lost $60 at Oshea's Roulette Table.
After all was said and done, I lost exactly $28 tonight. Considering the fact that I lost over $300 in my first night in Las Vegas last year, I feel like I'm ahead of the game.
Due to the fact that I've been awake for a little over 21 hours, I'm not going to bother proofreading this entry. I hope it makes sense. More reports to follow . . .
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .
Daily Sketch: Down $28
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $28
Obviously, the internet connection is working in my hotel room. Hopefully, dialing in to Road Runner's remote site isn't costing me anything. I guess I'll find out when I get the hotel room's final bill!
Anyway, it was a relatively uneventful opening night in Sin City. In my first 15 minutes of action, I lost $60 on a few different slot machines. Then, we went out for dinner and I miraculously won $110 while playing Keno at Harrah's when four of my five numbers hit the board.
Our group ventured to the Imperial Palace and Oshea's and I proceeded to lose some money. The blackjack table at Imperial Palace was particularly painful. I believe I lost $175 at that table alone. However, I came out ahead at the Let It Ride table and won some more money at the craps table at Oshea's. In between, however, I lost $60 at Oshea's Roulette Table.
After all was said and done, I lost exactly $28 tonight. Considering the fact that I lost over $300 in my first night in Las Vegas last year, I feel like I'm ahead of the game.
Due to the fact that I've been awake for a little over 21 hours, I'm not going to bother proofreading this entry. I hope it makes sense. More reports to follow . . .
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .
Daily Sketch: Down $28
Month-to-Date Sketch: Down $28
September 1, 2005: Poker Tourneys
In the hours before I leave for Vegas, I've been surfing around the internet to see what poker tournaments will be available to me on Sunday. I've designated that day as "poker day." Here are my top options:
Bellagio: $540 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 2:00pm. I'm going to hafta be WAY ahead to join this tourney!
Mirage: $330 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 5:00pm. Again, I'm going to hafta have a healthy bank roll to join this tourney.
Binion's: $125 buy-in for a tournament that starts at noon. If I find myself downtown on Sunday, this is a legitimate option.
Luxor: $100 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 10:00am. I wish this tournament didn't start so early. However, I've logged many hours in the Luxor poker room, so this tourney is definitely a possibility (if I can get up that early).
Flamingo: $55 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 6:00pm. Considering the fact that I'm staying at this hotel, this would be an easy tournament to play. However, the field is limited to the first 30 players to sign up. I'd like to play with a bigger pool of players.
Harrah's: $40 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 11:00am. This casino is only a couple doors down from my hotel, so this would be easy to play.
Imperial Palace: $60 buy-in for a tournament that starts at noon. This is the same tournament I played last year. 91 people (I think) entered and I finished 9th.
At this point, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
Bellagio: $540 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 2:00pm. I'm going to hafta be WAY ahead to join this tourney!
Mirage: $330 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 5:00pm. Again, I'm going to hafta have a healthy bank roll to join this tourney.
Binion's: $125 buy-in for a tournament that starts at noon. If I find myself downtown on Sunday, this is a legitimate option.
Luxor: $100 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 10:00am. I wish this tournament didn't start so early. However, I've logged many hours in the Luxor poker room, so this tourney is definitely a possibility (if I can get up that early).
Flamingo: $55 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 6:00pm. Considering the fact that I'm staying at this hotel, this would be an easy tournament to play. However, the field is limited to the first 30 players to sign up. I'd like to play with a bigger pool of players.
Harrah's: $40 buy-in for a tournament that starts at 11:00am. This casino is only a couple doors down from my hotel, so this would be easy to play.
Imperial Palace: $60 buy-in for a tournament that starts at noon. This is the same tournament I played last year. 91 people (I think) entered and I finished 9th.
At this point, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
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