Feel compelled to write today, much to write, much I want to say and I should take advantage of that spirit moving me. I’ll probably never get the time to just sit and write for a week, and knock the whole thing out … so better take it when I can. Bellagio Series starts on Friday so will be quite wrapped up in that for a couple of weeks.

Had some business meetings at the Venetian and stayed to play some cash. Up and down and all around, that seems to be my cash game at smaller levels. Brilliant moves coupled with stupid ones, not my gig, really like tournaments better, can put more pressure on someone who can’t reach into their pocket. Ended up a little so can’t complain …

Getting ready to take L & S to the Math Tutor then catching up with Hayden’s best friend, Bentley. Always nice to see his school friends. Don headed to the airport for a business meeting in San Diego, back tomorrow.

Catching up on business things, cleaning the desk and planning the next big poker tournaments. Looks like Caesar’s Classic and the Bellagio events have an overlap so a little bouncing back and forth. Lots of poker. I’m in Las Vegas until the International Political Consultants Conference and Board meeting in Panama, early November. Panama doesn’t rank as one of my favorites but the Conference will be great, the fellowship better and I can never resist the beach.

Although the aces were a bad beat, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t discuss the one I gave to last that long in the tournament. I started Day 2 short in chips, hovering around the starting stack. Every move was met by a guy two to my left who seemed to have a premium hand, having shown aces twice and kings once – and this was early. Finally the guy to my right raises and I smooth call his pre flop raise with K l0 of hearts, figuring I was live against him and had a shot with position. I’m on the button and the big blind, as he had the last four hands, re-raises the original raise. Original raiser to my right folds and I move All-In … he insta calls and shows aces, AGAIN. I groan. A king hits the flop and the original raiser said he had thrown away a king; but sure enough the last king in the deck hits on the turn and I win a pot which allowed me to go on and run into quads. I should have been out but I wasn’t .. I was freerolling and I’ll take that any day of the week …..

After a hard day of grinding I get a pair of 8s under the gun. I raise, the big blind calls me. Flop is A A 8, he bets, I call him, turn is a 4, he bets and I reraise him, he reluctantly calls. Then the River is the last lone ace in the deck, giving him quads and killing my boat on the river. Such is the game, went out 168 out of 1118 players. Played well, glad to be going home, miss my family. This place is definitely NOT Vegas, different players, different personalities. Had my fill of ‘Jersey boys’ for a while, thank you very much.