I got up pretty early on Friday, grabbed some breakfast and headed back to the poker room at the Mirage. The only games running were a $1/$2 NL and a $5/$10 Omaha, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to scout out the other rooms close by. I walk across the street to the Venetian only to find the same sparse pickings: a single, full $1/$3NL game with no lists in sight. Back across the street to Caesar's. Same bunch o' nuttin'. I was tired of wandering around, so I start the trek back to Mirage hoping some games have started.

As I get outside, my cell rings and it's Dave. He says there are no games at Bellagio, and I run down the list of places I've checked. He tells me he's sitting $1/$3 NL at Caesar's, and I head back inside to meet him. There's a single open seat so I go back to the brush to claim it, but two guys just beat me to the punch and now I'm third on the list. Dave mentions the $50 tournament at Harrah's at 11, so I go out to the casino floor to grab a cup...

[ Continued ]

I'm gonna do this in parts because a lot can happen in four days, and putting it in one post would likely exceed my attention span.

The trip started out about as shitty as you could imagine. I booked the flight late, so to get the cheapest non-stop fare I had to fly out of Philadelphia instead of my usual Newark. Since the flight was at 7:30, I had to be up and out of my apartment by 4:30am. Hardly ideal for someone like me who is normally going to bed at that time.

While on I-95 heading to the airport, my windshield gets dinged by a rock and I now have a creeper on the passenger side. The flight claims to be on time, but we board the plane and then sit on the tarmac for the next hour. We get into McCarran an hour late, and I'm waiting for my bag at the wrong carousel. I get the overly chatty cab driver who is also hard of hearing. I don't get checked in at the Mirage till after noon, local time.

I drop my bags off, stop in the cafe for a reuben (goooood sammich) and head...

[ Continued ]

Well, I made it. Here's the hand that put me over the top: http://www.pokerhand.org/?748196.

Fittingly enough, I finished with exactly $6, all of which has been transferred to my kindly benefactor.

I'm having mixed emotions right now. I was kind of enjoying the journey. Fortunately, I don't have to sleep in the car anymore. It's starting to get really cold here in the northeast.

Bankroll: $6.00
$$$ to Go: $0

Oh, so so close.

At one point early this week, I made it to $5.97.

THREE CENTS FROM MECCA!

That was followed by a nosedive all the way back to $2.90.

And then I was back up to $3.50.

And then down to $2.75.

I kinda hovered for a while, and then went on another tear to $5.27.

I almost quit for the day when I had $5.31, because "SIXTY NINE FOR THE MONEY" would've been a great blog title.

Anyway, I was a bit unlucky during the downswing. I'm pretty sure the gremlins that live in my clothes hamper are responsible. I didn't want to run the risk of going broke, so I've taken to sleeping in my car until I finish this thing. I can't have them mucking up the works a second time.

They're tricky.

Bankroll: $5.27
$$$ to Go: $0.73

I have a confession to make.

I should've been finished with my quest by now.

Over the weekend, I had a jones for one of those French vanilla cappuccino things. You know...that instant stuff at the local convenience store that goes into the machine as a big bag of powder and comes out all frothy and tasty and diabetes-inducing. I was a little light when it came to pocket money, so I cashed out $1.45 from the quest fund. I've won most of it back, but I simply can't allow my base desires to interfere with my progress. No more coffee, sodas, cherry-flavored Pez, chips or gum. The bankroll is the bankroll, and I have to stick to that.

Liquid Crack: $1.45
Bankroll: $2.80
$$$ to Go: $3.20