Above: The Gold Strike Casino at around 7 p.m.

I played in two tournaments Saturday and struck out in both. In the 4 p.m. Horseshoe tournament, I raised preflop with ♦A ♦K and got one caller. The flop was A-K-4 rainbow. I made a continuation bet and the villain called. The turn was a 10. I bet again and he raised me. Really? I called and called his river bet to see him turn over Q-J off-suit. Two hands later, a villain raised and I had Q-Q. My stack was short and a re-raise would pot commit me, so I moved in. He called and turned over A-A -- ouch.

The Gold Strike also has a Saturday tournament. It starts at 7 p.m. so I decided to hang around and play in it. I lost a good-sized pot when a villain caught a flush on the river. I checked my set to him and he moved all in! That was an easy fold, and he then showed that he had played ♥J♥5 to a raise, then stuck around to the end. Instead of making a value bet with his flush, he overbet to drive me out, then showed me his hand. Losing is bad enough, but losing to idiots is even worse.

I still had a playable stack and raised pre-flop with ♠9 ♣9. The flop was J-J-9! Can you spell Yahtzee? By the river, we were all in and the villain turned over J-9 for a higher flopped full house.

I stopped by the desk on the way out. One of the guys there asked if I wanted to play $1/2 no-limit. I thought for a second, then told him no. It just didn't seem to be my day.

Above: The Gold Strike is quite attractive at night.

Above: As I left, I snapped this: Bad Moon Risin'.

Photos taken with my P&S.