  I've been playing poker for 3 years, mostly Texas Holdem NL tournaments or cash games in low limits (partypoker or pokerstar) or micro limits (on pokerstar).
This year from 20th of may to 30th of may I went to Las Vegas to participate at the big event of WSOP 2004. During these vacations, I played at several locations including: - Excalibur NL 1/2 Tables, - Palm's NL 2/5 Table, - Bellagio NL 2/4 Table, - Golden Nugget NL 2/5 Table, I played at NL 1000$ at Bellagio tournament on Friday May 21th and NL 1000 $ at Binion on Thursday May 27th.
First of all. Because in France we can buy poker chips with blue card, I had not taken a lot of money for my trip. When I went to buy some chips at Bellagio for the tournament, they ask me to come back with dollars, so i had to go to the ATM machine to get some dollars. I withdrawed 500 $ and played a satellite at 230 $. I finished second in this satellite and qualified for the big tournament (NL 1000 $) at 5 pm in the afternoon. After having lost in the big tournament, I went back to the ATM machine to withdraw more money for the next events to come, but having reached the limit of my blue card, I was not able to withdraw money anymore.
So I was in trouble, having more or less 250 $ for my livings. I went to Excalibur NL 1/2 table and playing very tight (AA,KK,QQ,AK,AQ, and low pairs in back position when not raised), I started to win money (200$ for the Friday night). This gave me a lot of confidence, because I knew that I would be able to make money on the Excalibur NL 1/2 table.
After that, I did not withdraw money from the ATM machine anymore. My winnings at Excalibur Poker tables were sufficient enough to pay my livings at Las Vegas, to see some shows (Blue Man Group, le cirque du soleil, ..) and to make a trip to Grand Canyon by flight with helicopter. Moreover I took some shots at higher limit tables - 2/5 NL at Palm's where I played with joe awada (starting with 100$ finishing with 212$) - 2/4 NL at Bellagio (starting with 200$, finishing with 239$) - 2/5 NL Golden Nugget (starting with 700$ and loosing all in one hand with pocket Aces cracked) I played several satellites for the Thursday Event at Binion, winning or finishing second, 3 times on 4 games and selling 2 seats, keeping one for me.
At this tourney, I played against Tony Kaiden on my first table, and Padraig Parkinson. And after having changed from table, I sat on a table where there was Tom Mc Evoy. I didn't recognize him. That was only when he lost, that I asked the other players who he was. Having played during 10 days at Las Vegas, what are the lessons I learned ? 1) there are 2 types of players in theses games: - the locals, - the tourists, Mostly the locals are very good poker players.
Some play for living and are poker pros and others are amateurs who comes to play nightly. Some tourists are good players too, but most of them are fishs. They provide bread and butter for the locals. Because of the arrival of locals amateurs, the games are tougher in the evening and during the night.
The games are far easier in the morning because there are less pros and more tourists. 2) In the Excalibur 1/2 NL table, winning the game is essentially a matter of playing tight and patiently, waiting for the right hands and making pay the other players. When all players know your game, you can start mixing your game up a little. Most of these games are played before the flop. During the Friday night and Saturday night, you see a lot of americans coming with money to be spent at Las Vegas. When they sit down at your table, it's a gift. Most of them will try to draw on you whatever the price they pay. It's wonderful. All you have to do is to wait for premium hands and a good flop. They will always call you. There are so numerous that when one is killed another one sits at your table. You know that you are going to win, you only have to expect to have good hands before these fishs have been killed by other players at the table.
3) In 2/4 NL games and higher, you find a lot of very good players. They always know where you are. They have a line on your play after some of your first moves. The impression I had playing these games was to be a fly among spiders.
Very uncomfortable. Moreover most of them have a lot of money when you sit at the table so they can do some tricky things against you. If you want to play comfortably in these games, you have to enter the table with 1000 $. It gives you enough bullets to survive some bad hands. Most of these games are played after the flop. Most of the time, you see the flop for cheap, and the big money comes after the flop. 
