Super Bowl Weekend Update

Helen and I are sitting here in the aftermath of SuperBowl 43, a competitive, exciting - and profitable - game.

We have four winning tickets to cash from the game - Fitzgerald over 6.5 recepts ($45) Boldin over 4.5 recepts ($28.65) 1st score other than a td ($52) and Cardinals +7 ($90).

Our great day began with an 8 a.m. trip to the Lakes Lutheran Church with Helen. It's a friendly congregation that has been very accepting of us "snowbirds."

Today for the offering, the church had a big "Soup Pot" near the altar where we were encouraged to place donations for "Souper Sunday." The idea is that the donations would go to feed the needy. Anyway, while I was in line waiting to make our donation, two guys ahead of me were discussing their Super Bowl bets - one guy bet $20 that At Least 3 Players Would Attempt a Pass (that bet lost). Super Bowl is on everyone's mind in Vegas, Baby - even in church, LOL!

After church, Helen sent me to the Strip to spend part of Super Bowl Sunday there. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked over to Bally's to check out the poker action. There was a buzz of excitement at Bally's and it looked more like a busy Saturday night than a Sunday morning.

I was looking to play some 3-6 Limit Hold 'Em. They had no game going, but were taking names. I was the 6th name on the list, which eventually grew to 11 players. While I waited for the poker action to begin, I sat at a $10 blackjack table and broke even over 45 minutes.

Then they called my name for poker and I got a middle seat at a $3-6 game. I bought in for $100 and for the first dozen hands, I didn't really catch any cards. Then I hit a hot streak and I won 3 of 5 hands, including flopping an A-10 Straight, and putting me up about $70.

I played patiently, waiting for good hands before entering a pot. But that strategy backfired and I lost a couple of nice pots - one when I had 3 As and lost to a full house, the other when I hit a straight and lost to a flush.

Eventually I drove home with a profit of $16. Not great after my rousing start, LOL!

My plan was to play poker and watch the first half of the game at Bally's, then during halftime drive home and watch the 2nd half with Helen. It worked perfectly. I left at halftime and got home just as the 2nd half was beginning. Missed the Springsteen show, but that's OK. His recent political blatherings have turned me off a bit to The Boss.

Now Helen and I are getting ready to enjoy a couple of new episodes of "The Office," always worth a chuckle or two (That's what she said.:)

Yesterday, I was at the Strip too. I bounced around to Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace and the Imperial Palace, playing blackjack at each location. I won some, lost some. A lot of walking, but just a little winning. I came home $27 more than when I left. Not great, but hey, it'll buy a tank of gas out here (where gas is now $2.05 a gallon).

Tomorrow, the adventure continues...