The age-old question: Cash or Tournament?

I'm heading to Vegas next Tuesday for about 6 nights. The days are going to be long (geek computer security fests), and my opportunities for playing some cards will be minimal. We will be staying at Bally's. I will have a very limited BR (less than $300)

So, I'm looking at a couple of options:

1. Play 1/2NL $100 buy-in at Ballys (AllVegasPoker rates it really soft) late at night early in the week. No frills, possibly an easy game with tourists.

2. Play $70 +20 tournament 8PM Ballys which runs about 2-3 hours (5000 starting, 20 min blinds, avg 30 players)

3. Play 1/2NL at Venetian or Bellagio one night for 3-4 hours around the weekend - would do a $200 buy-in for it. Tougher competition, but I've never played there - so it would be a fun time.

4. Play one 7PM Venetian tourney $120 +20 that will keep me up until 3AM if I go deep (could be really dragging next day at geek fests).


The biggest problem I can see is the time committment - as much as I would like to play the big Venetian tourney, I probably will have to settle for a combination of 1 & 2 and if I do well, then maybe #3 to celebrate in a really nice room.

Ideas? And no, I don't want to go downtown... too much hassle.

I know at least for me cashing in a tournament brings far greater satisfaction than making money in cash games.

The Bellagio rarely if ever spreads 1/2...

Alwyas fun to try a tournament....pick he best structure, which I think wold be the Venetian.

I really enjoyed playing in the Venetian tourney earlier in the month. It was my only live poker of my relatively short trip (2 full days and 2 partial, travel days), but it was a great experience. I was done at about 11:30pm, finishing a little outside the bubble. But I would have been happy to deal with the consequences of playing until 3am.