Major Hull Breach

Well got my ass kicked again in Vegas, but this was one of the better trips since the small group of people were made up of all hardcore gamblers. Here are some quick notes from the trip to add onto Lee's post. I expect to see Eric's post later on today:

-End of an ERA: This will probably be the second to last time I stay at the Monte. It would be the last time, but I'm staying there in April with Jay and Laura. The dealers are getting worse, the tables are getting more packed, and I'm tired of the poker and sportsbook rooms being understaffed.

-Poker: Didn't play much. Didn't want to. Got my ass handed to me the first night when I lost on A-A, K-K, A-A, and Q-Q to full houses in a span of about 30 minutes. Brutal. Played in one of the tournaments the next morning and lost and then called it quits for the rest of the trip.

-Excellent Addition: Eric's friend Don was an excellent addition to the group. Hardcore gambler who gets just as excited in craps as Eric and I. He was even more pissed than me when a group of college kids came to the table and was betting the don't pass line. Mikah, while being very quiet impressed me with two things; 10.5 hours in the same Pai Gow chair and a $300 loss at the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. Oh, and how can we forget Carol. The girl managed to gamble with us the entire time at the higher limit tables on $300. And when I ran out of cash and I didn't have my ATM card the last night, she offered her money to keep me going. Thank God she did, since I made a nice run at the BJ table. Got to love enablers.

-Not Invited back: I really won't go into it again, but Lee's sisters boyfriend Mario or Marcello should go into hiding for about 2 years before he appears again. And the faces from everyone made at the BJ table when this schmuk stayed repeatedly on 16 totally justified all of my comments. As I told Lee, I apologized to him for the delivery of my comments, but not the reason why I made the comments.

-No more driving: It took me 7 hours to get home last night, when it should of taken 3.5 hours. I knew I was in trouble when I decided not to get out of bed at 9:00am to make the trip home. And with the repaving of I-15 over the next couple of months, I think that the 7 hour trip will become more of the norm than the exception.

-Dinners: Wow!!! I mean WOW!!!! Two great dinners at Craft Steakhouse and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. This just reinforced the idea that we had the right people on this trip. The "Guess the spread on the women's games" and the out of control wagering on our waitress was just too much fun. Thanks again Don.

-Well Wiz...looks like we won't be able to do anymore stupid bets with Lee and Eric around.

-Golf: Wagering on other golfers is almost as fun as gambling on yourself. Since Eric, Don, and Kermit are all 4 handicaps and below, Wiz, Lee, and I decided to wager on them as well. I got Kermit, Wiz got Don, and Lee got Eric. Don put on a show and won Wiz $40. Kermit, I'm not too sure what to say. Very disappointing.

-New Look: Despite what Lee said about the Mirage, I'm not too impressed. I liked all of the overhangs that they took out. Now it just looks very blah...I do like the lighting though. And I was impressed with MGM's new look. Slick poker room up front, and an outstanding sportsbook. Yes its big, but it has improved over prior years.

-Eric: With this last trip he now has acheived Legend status as a gambler. With his trusty little notebook, his High School teacher looks, his love of Tom Collins, and his one liners, he is now starting to get some stares from the dealers and pit bosses. Easily the best person to go gambling with. With Eric stating that he will be out next year, I'm sure we will have at least 10-12 people joining us. I have yet to meet someone (oh, maybe Mario) who didn't come away amazed and entertained with their gambling experience with Eric.

-BJ: I'm back!!!! I only had 2 lossing sessions at BJ this year, which broke a 6 year drought. Despite losing money overall, this alone has made the trip worth it.

Great trip overall, which I would rate an A-. It would of been an A+ if Jay and Laura were there, so everyone needs to start putting the pressure on them to come out next year.