[Guthrie]

Don't forget the Bike. No poker player's trip to LA would be complete without it. It's in the same general vicinity as the Commerce.

Everything in LA is spread out and the freeways are a nightmare. If you want walking distance from a hotel, there's Sunset, where the hotels are obscenely overpriced. If you don't like the Standard, try the Chateau Marmont, it's a legend.

I lived just a few blocks away from Universal Citywalk for years and rarely went there. I guess tourists like it. You can now get there by subway from Hollywood and save the parking, although I wouldn't park my car in Hollywood and leave it.

The Santa Monica Promenade is great, especially in the summer, at night, and on weekends. Chicks need sweaters, it's very cool near the beach in June. You'll find outdoor propane heaters at the restaurants at night.

Melrose in Hollywood is really funky. Jay Leno does a lot of his stupid people interviews there, along with Hollywood Boulevard and Citywalk.

Hollywood Boulevard is a scummy tourist trap. Although it's cleaned up dramatically in the last ten or twenty years, drug dealing in the open is rampant.

All the cardrooms will be a substantial drive from anywhere else in LA that you want to be. Rush hour lasts 20 hours a day, in all directions. Bulletproof glass is +EV.

There are thousands of great places to eat, although I never found any really good barbecue or, oddly enough, Mexican food. Be sure to get a hot dog at Pinks. Be prepared to wait in line on the sidewalk and don't be surprised at who's standing beside you.

Mel's Diner on Sunset. I used to take a lot of meetings there. So does everybody else. If you see a lot of black SUVs in the upper parking lot, then engage your celebrity radar. They were stalking Winona Ryder last time I was there.

Any of the expensive coffee places on the west side, especially Beverly Hills and Sunset, are great for girl watching. I'm talking grade A, prime, culled by experts.

If you want to get in an audience, just Google for whatever show you want. I think most of the sitcoms will be on hiatus in June, but you can find game shows, Leno, or any of the other talk shows. Tickets are free but you'll probably need to get them in advance.

Oh yeah. There's a beach.