Vegas, of course, remains the Big Daddy of all poker life. Tournaments run round the clock at all different levels of buy-ins and blind structures.

The Venetian hosts a daily $150 buy-in from Sunday through Friday starting at noon. It's a deeper stack than most with a starting stack of $7500 and thirty minute blinds.

I played there on Sunday, 11/4. There were 97 starting players and a prize pool of more than $11k, paying top 9 players. First place - $3900....

Starting at noon, my day played out like this:
Level 1 - 25/50 $7500 97 players
Level 2 - 50/100 $9200
Level 3 - 100/200 $12550
Level 4 - 100/200/25 ante $13450
Level 5 - 200/400/25 $23575
Level 6 - 300/600/50 $19375 67 players
Level 7 - 400/800/75 $40350 (knocked two players out when I had pocket Aces) 58 players
Level 8 - 600/1200/100 $44100 37 players
Level 9 - 800/1600/200 $61500 22 players
Level 10 - 1000/2000/300 $73800 15 players
Level 11 - 1500/3k/500 $36500 12 players Took a big hit when my trips were busted by a flush
Level 12 - 2k/4k/500 $39000 8 players Wheeee --- In the money!!
Level 13 - 3k/6k/1000 $116500 6 players

After struggling to rebuild my stack and stay alive, I get on a rush of cards and move from dead last to 2nd in chips.

Then--- I get my nemesis hand - pocket Qs!

I raised and chip leader re-raised pre-flop. Only two left in the hand are me (2nd in chips) and the chip leader. I call.

Flop comes 9 high. She checked. I pushed all in, she INSTANT called, turning over pocket Ks.

OUCH! I'm out in 6th place... $719 pay out.

Apparently, I never learn! Can't win with 'em, can't win against 'em!