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Let's begin at The End, shall we?

I had promised the dear and patient wife a nice dinner on Sunday night. She'd spent the day at the spa while I attempted to drink the Mandalay Bay sportsbook out of vodka. I was having a great time, betting the ponies and hanging around with the group, when The Bracelet ("I've been here an hour and I haven't bet on anything yet!") convinced me to parlay my pony winnings at the blackjack table. A half hour later, I was stuck $220, bringing my losses at that evil fucking game to about $500 for the trip.

And I was pissed.

With the crowd headed over to the MGM, I said, "Good. Let's play some poker. I gotta get my money back."

What I didn't know was that a tourney was starting forthwith. And, in a fit of forgetfulness and blackjack-induced tilt, I signed up. It wasn't until an hour or so in when the dear and patient wife called as to my whereabouts that I realized that nice dinner wasn't gonna be possible if I went deep in the tourney.

I went deep in the tourney. Fourth place, to be exact, for a $920 payday. In addition, I cross-booked 10% with CJ once we got down to two tables and, not surprisingly, he won the thing. When CJ offers you 10% late in a tourney, I suggest you take it.

Thanks to the payday, and the company of the various bloggers sweating the tourney, the wife was appeased. She, in fact, had an excellent time hanging at the bar with everyone while I played. I am grateful to you all.

We eventually did eat, though beef fajitas wasn't exactly what she had in mind. From there, we headed up to Al's posh penthouse digs for a couple more hours of continued drinking and conversation before I blacked out. And that, friends, is what it is really all about. I have stories, big stories, funny stories, that I hope to do justice to in the coming days. Vegas is all about the flash and glitz, being ostentatious. But these blogger weekends are just as notable for their small details, simple but priceless moments shared with good friends. I made a promise to myself that I would play less poker this time around, freeing myself up for precisely this kind of experience. I did just that and was rewarded in countless ways. Not the least of which is that the dear and patient wife got to encounter everything and everyone I've gone on about over the last year. So, most of you have a new reader.

The tourney cash was great, wiping out all my blackjack losses and then some. But I would be hard-pressed to say I got any more joy out of that than I did from taking another dollar off G-Rob on wheel spin prop bets at the Excalibur. Because the latter is still making me laugh.

I don't see myself stopping any time soon.