"Perhaps" out of friendship? Pshaw. Everything I do, I do for noble reasons. As The Best of All of Us, I don't have any other option. Ironically, 2009 unemployed LiAps was significantly more bothered by losing than 1999 LiAps would have been. Which makes one wonder why he nevertheless had no problem playing $450 hands of blackjack. The Best? Maybe. But certainly not The Smartest.

The 2008 trip changed my Vegas goals forever. Pre-2008, I was completely committed to the gambling, but now I prefer to focus more on the events and special activities that we can only seem to do there, like the pinball museum this year, or Fake Prince, or the Gun Store...and I, too, don't get the gambling rush I used to. I suppose that's for the best...

Interesting Mandalay poker room fact: count the number of cup holders at your table. If it's less than 10, you're sitting at what used to be a designated seven-card stud table. They phased out the game, but were too cheap to replace the tables.

I almost shed a tear at this. But that could be because I'm clearly the Gayest Non-Asian Of All Of Us.