Las Vegas "Friends Trip" Five Weeks Away

As things in the latest cycle at work are winding to a close, I am beginning to anticipate my next trip to Las Vegas, which will begin five weeks from today. This is trip number ... uhhh ... I don't know, maybe 80-something?

When I began going to Las Vegas many moons ago, the trips were primarily a way for me to get away from a job that is customer oriented and communication intensive. I have had trips where I spoke to noone outside of waiters and waitresses. I used to play slots, roulette, mini-baccarat, even a little craps -- long before I even thought of playing poker. I would walk past the poker rooms and see what appeared to be crusty-looking sad people. Of course, this was years before anyone ever heard of Chris Moneymaker.

Somewhere along the line, things changed. When my brother, the former King of Komps (I think he has lost his title to me!) moved back to the United States, he and I started taking trips to Las Vegas together. I started playing poker. Las Vegas, in my mind, changed from a trip of solitude to one of socialization. I attended some WPBT (World Poker Blogger Tournament) weekends and started meeting some of my fellow online poker players. I happened to meet a few others when vacation trips to Las Vegas matched up. A year ago a private tournament was held for friends and supporters of Tony Bigcharles, and I met some news friends then along with a new cast of blogger characters.

Well, this next trip should be a gas as several of my friends will have time in Las Vegas that will overlap with mine. I hope to meet in person two bloggers I have gotten to know over the past few years, Spot and Linda Lou. I first met Spot, I believe, when he railed me in a PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker Pot Limit Omaha tournament we were both in. I final tabled the event, taking fourth place when my flopped full house lost to a bigger flopped full house. Yeah -- a tad of the bitter taste remains over three years later! (Update: Spot is out for June). As for Linda Lou -- I think I started reading her blog when it showed up on th blogroll of some other bloggers.

I hope to cross paths with a few other visitors during my trip. Lucki Duck will be playing in a WSOP event (big congrats on playing your way in via your home game season!) and Memphis MOJO will no doubt be looking to take the World Series of Poker Senior Event crown. Rob, who commutes to Las Vegas more than anyone I know, will be there during my trip.

My trips usually include spending a little time with locals Tony Bigcharles (unless he decides to go on one of his famous road trips in search of an illusive perfect gambling Mecca -- as if Las Vegas was not good enough) and Man In Black, with whom I have deep discussions about stuff I don't usually discuss in this blog. You usually have to read Rob' blog for those kind of tawdry stories! I hope to play some poker with Ron, who is one of the excellent dealers at my version of BSC (Rob - ha ha!).

So ... if grrouchie is up for any poker, if seattle irish and Poker Johnny are around, or if any of the AP dudes at Roughing the Punter are around Jean or Las Vegas, let me know.

I can't wait!