From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Sunday 7/30 **Warnings** I write long detailed trip reports. I include things like meals, what we had, and how much we paid. Some people have told me it helps them compare places they'd like to try. If this is too much for you, don't read it then flame me, just don't read it. I play poker and I do a lot of family, non gaming activities. I'll separate Poker Stuff from Vacation Stuff with a row of asterisks. You can skip the parts you don't like. The last two parts of the report are our two days in California, off topic for either news group but they're part of our trip and I'm including them. I think that is it. You've been warned. ***************************Vacation Stuff***************************** After two trips to Las Vegas in 1999, Donna decided that we would do the Orlando thing in 2000. Mega saddenz. As I was researching a trip the kids, Courtney 17, and Cory 10, let us know they don't want to go to Florida, they'd rather go back to Las Vegas. Ding! I set up eight days in Las Vegas, having in mind four family days and four days for BARGE and poker. Donna wanted to take a day trip to Disneyland®. Seeing the foolishness of making that drive as a day trip we cut the last two days set them up near Disneyland®. We're set, Monday through Thursday at the Flamingo, Friday and Saturday at the Orleans, and Sunday and Monday at a Motel6 in Fullerton (5 minutes from Disneyland®). For those unfamiliar with BARGE, it is a gathering of the Rec.Gambling.* news groups. Big Annual Rec Gambling Excursion. This is the tenth, and will be my first. In the past there have been Black Jack and Video Poker tournaments but this year they could not be arranged. So the *official* events are the three poker tournaments, a get together at the Mirage buffet, a calcutta we call the symposium, and the awards banquet. The guest speaker at the banquet is Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, the current WSOP Champion. "Jesus" is also playing in the No Limit Hold 'em tournament on Saturday. There were other get togethers, tournaments, and BARGEr games going on all the time. Courtney wants someone to sit by the pool with, so her cousin Erica 15, is going with us. Sunday night finally arrives and we are ready to go. At 11:00 pm mdt we head west into the night toward our favorite city. For 775 miles, almost 11 hours, all goes well. In fact much of the trip went at 85 mph. Then just before the strip exits on I-15 I hear a traffic report about an accident at Flamingo on I-15. I grab my handy "quick find" Las Vegas map and try to find the best way to detour. I guess I should have noticed that the SUV I was passing was a Nevada Highway Patrol car. So we're sitting at the side of the road, I've got my license out and am still fishing out the registration and insurance when he calls me out to the back of the car. I get a deserved lecture and play my "Yes sir, No Sir" part. He then tells me to get off the highway and get back on, that should slow me down. He threatens to give me a $140 ticket if I don't. He is still right behind me and it would truly be a -EV move to defy him so off and back on I go. Traffic does slow a little but isn't that bad, we're there in no time. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Monday 7/31 Traffic does slow a little but isn't that bad, we're there in no time. To be continued... Checking in is a different story. It's 9:00 am pdt there are four clerks checking out a long line of people, three taking care of the VIP line with never more than three in it, and one checking in the regular peasants. For more than 40 minutes I stood in line and my family sat on the marble floor. Finally they add another clerk to check in and I get a friendly one. Her friendly manner calms me down. She asks about my family, offers a key for Cory so he won't feel left out, and answers my questions about the pool, restaurants, etc. I ask for high up with a strip view and she has 26th with Bellagio hotel (but no fountains) and Caesars for a view. We get settled in and the bags are sent up. When we arrived and unloaded the car to lockup we had nothing smaller than a $50. I got change and put a $5 tip for the first bellhop, Vincent, in an envelope. Stan was the bellhop who brought the bags up. I tipped him and gave him the envelope for Vincent. On my first trip downstairs I run into Stan who told me Vincent got the tip and appreciated my not just forgetting about it. Stan remembers I have the family and asks if we plan to go to Wet & Wild. Indeed we are and he tells me stop by the bell desk and pick up a $3 off everybody coupon. Ding! I had put off sending for this coupon from billhere. The coupon for five will cover both tips and then some. We eat lunch at Lindy's. Donna gets a roast beef sandwich, and the rest of us get a Monte Cristo. Erica and I like them, Cory only eats the french toast, Courtney only eats the meat, and Donna's beef is dry. With tip lunch was $72. That will break us quick. After we eat Donna plays some slots while the kids and I digest lunch in the room before swimming. Donna's back shortly doing nothing at the slots. The girls decide to stay in the room. Donna had forgotten to pack her swim suit so she takes Cory to the pool and watches him from the side. I play poker now. *****************************Poker Stuff****************************** The hold 'em game at the Flamingo is $1-4-8-8 with $1 and $2 blinds. I get in what I would describe your average low limit game. A few good, local players, a few fishy tourists, and a few in between. I see two rounds of unplayable cards when UTG K-K. I limp reraise and get 3 bet, rut-roh! My guess is that he has the A-A but I have to pay him off. At least the J on the river stopped him from betting and saved me $8. $26 Kings, oh well, I'm not playing long this session anyway. But playing a straight forward game earned back the loss and then some. In fact I started to believe I might know something about this game. Of course most of it was from the fishy ones paying off to the river with weak hands. One of the bigger pots I took was with 7-8s on the button. Only one has dropped so I limp, sb calls and the bb raises, all call, after the rake and high hand drop $50.50 in the pot preflop. I flop a gutshot draw and call the $4 bet. I hit the straight on the turn and check raise with three callers. The river pairs the board and I'm sure I'm beat, I check call. The bettor had three pair, no boat, my straight g00t. A couple of hours and it is time for a family pilgrimage to Circus Circus. I cash out +$171. **************************Vacation Stuff****************************** A family trip to Las Vegas would not be complete without a stop at Circus Circus. The kids love winning that crap at the carnival games. The plan is for me to hit the Omaha high game while Donna and the kids play and watch Circus acts. But the only thing going is stud. Doh! I've always done good here, either in hold 'em or Omaha. Oh well, I see a $5 minimum Pai Gow Poker seat. It's a friendly table and I'm having a good time. The dealer misreads a few hands with the bug and I tell him he made the straight or flush. A couple of players get upset with me for it. I hold up a sign that says if the dealer does not set the hand correctly action will be backed up and the correction made. They point out that if I do not tell him, he won't know the hand was set incorrectly. The next time he has the bug he asks if he has the straight, I say nothing, he winks at me and sets the hand properly. He asks how long I've been playing this game and I explain that I play live poker. Donna comes up and they want to go to the Westward Ho to eat. How can they be hungry already? Oh yeah, they didn't eat much of that $72 lunch. I play a little while longer Donna and the kids go to eat. I quit when my loss hits $25. I meet the family as they are finishing dinner at the Ca~fae at the 'Ho. Donna had the prime rib and it was excellent. The kids all finished their meals and the total w/tip was $33 (for four). I asked how the service was and Donna started to laugh. She said they got plenty of attention from the young male waiters and busboys. Courtney had told her it was because of her and Erica. I look over by a service door and sure enough, three young men are staring at our table. Hummm. I'm going to have to keep an eye on those two. We drive back to the Flamingo. The kids want to watch a movie on pay per view and Donna suggests we play poker together. How could I resist? *****************************Poker Stuff****************************** We both get seats and the game is much like before, except for the cards. We both get sucked out on a few times and I loosen up trying to get into some pots with these guys. It only takes a couple of hours to lose a rack and Donna is -$75. We'll get to bed at a decent hour this first night anyway. Here's the worst hand for us: Me UTG A-A, I limp, Donna calls, local raises, I reraise, Donna and local call. Flop J-4-9, I bet, Donna raises, local reraises, I fold, Donna calls. Turn and river both blanks and Donna check calls both. Board J-4-9-x-x, Donna 4-4, local 9-9, Oh well, see you guys tomorrow. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Tuesday 8/1 Board J-4-9-x-x, Donna 4-4, local 9-9, Oh well, see you guys tomorrow. To be continued... An IRC poker friend and RGPer "Schemengie Mitch" Randy called while we were playing poker last night. It was too late to call him back last night and he called back this morning. We went over our plans and there was an overlap for the kids at Wet & Wild. He'll call back after breakfast and we'll try to set a meet at the water park. I hadn't met Randy yet but have been e-mail friends for more than a year. I was looking forward to meeting him. Alas it was not to be. Donna's forgotten bathing suit is an easy fix but one of the girlie girls can't go swimming. No problem, we're on vacation, switch to plan B. Humm, what was plan B again? Oh yeah, walk around the strip like lost tourist looking for a cheap brunch. Actually the goal of this excursion is to get to Mandalay Bay for the new Shark Reef exhibit. We start off at Caesars, mostly window shopping the Forum shops. Then up the Strip in that miserable heat. I'm thinking that there may be someplace to eat at the Monte Carlo, if not the Sherwood Forest Café at Excalibur will do nicely. As we pass the Boardwalk a sign for the brunch buffet catches our eye, $6.95. It's pretty simple but the food was good. I got a great omelet made and tipped the guy a buck. I also had a small chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy, a cheese blintz, an egg roll and a few pot stickers and basically acted like any tourist at an all you can eat, and stuffed myself. The rest of the family acted more reasonably and sampled the french toast and pancakes and bacon and sausage etc. I was satisfied and think this was one of the better value meals we had. From here we walk up to Excalibur and tram to Mandalay Bay. Plenty of signs point the way to Shark Reef but it seems you walk the entire length of the property. It was $12.95 for adults and a few dollars off for Cory. There were a few rooms with various tanks of fish, then a room with different aquariums for walls with a touch pond in the center. The touch pool had crabs and starfish and sea cucumbers and some type of ray and zebra sharks and some others that you could touch, using one finger only. The exit from this room was an arched aquarium the led to two rooms designed to be the inside of a sunken ship and you could look out into the tank with the bigger sharks. In one of these rooms was a cylindrical tank filled with jellyfish. I took plenty of pictures on some 800 film, I hope they turn out. The exit to these rooms is the exit to the exhibit. It was entertaining but a little short for $13. Tram back to Excalibur with no A/C, walk to Monte Carlo, tram to Bellagio, cross over the strip and Flamingo and we grab the car. Being a charter member of alt.cheap.bastard I located a Target in the phone book and we head down Flamingo toward Maryland Pkwy. Donna picks up a bathing suit much cheaper than on the strip and we stock up on sodas (did I mention we brought the cooler), snacks, and a game or two. On the return trip I reroute us past the Las Vegas Cigar company on the strip and pick up two or eight stogies. Back at the Flamingo I discover another bad beat. The exposure count on the camera is on 35 and this was a 24 roll. I check the film and the leader is ripped and not one shot has been taken. Oh well, we'll start taking pictures all over. We now all decide to go to the pool. (Something is amiss here but I've learned not to question these things) The girlie girls wade for a little bit and declare the water is too cold. With the air temperature being so hot the pool did seem cooler than you'd expect but after a little while you got used to it. Anyway the girlie girls go up to the room and Cory and Donna and I play for a couple more hours. Time for dinner. We look in the Barbary Coast and the Victoria Café is a bit expensive. Up to Bourbon Street where they tout a N.Y. strip and lobster for $9.95. The lobster turns out to be two small 4 oz. tails. But It was still good and the Steak is cooked just right. Donna and Cory both had prime rib, Courtney a grilled cheese, Erica the chicken strips, and we shared an appetizer sampler. Cory amazed me by finishing his entire meal. We all liked our food. The total w/tip was just over $50. The women folk go back to the room and Cory and I head over to Bellagio for one of my favorite Las Vegas pastimes, enjoying a cigar while watching the fountain shows. We watched four shows and had a great time, but Cory had trouble keeping his cigar lit. < ----- JOKE Cory wants to go up the Eiffel Tower. Using my best "Dad" judgment, I resist the urge to just take him now and decide we should get the girlie girls first. But when we get to the room, about 11:00 pm, the girls are in bed and not interested. We'll go tomorrow night. Can it be? Did we go an entire day with no gambling? We should have left it that way. Donna and I decide to take another crack at hold 'em. ******************************Poker Stuff***************************** Donna gets a seat right away but I have to wait for an hour. This is our session against the suckout king. Every bad beat you can image seemed to hit one of us. I raise with A-Ks and finish third behind A-2 and A-4. Two running Tens snap my K-K. Donna flops a Broadway and loses to 6-9s when turn and river are clubs. Donna has her K-K lose to T-T when the fourth spade falls on the river. I have Q-Q against a live straddle. I raise and bet to the river when an A makes A-6o good. I have top two cracked by pocket 6-6 with a 6 on the end. It went on and on. One guy in particular but two others also sucking out pots. These guys would play any two cards, raise with anything s00ted or connected, call to the river with nothing, and get there. It was a great game, we're only stuck $400. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Wednesday 8/2 It was a great game, we're only stuck $400. To be continued... We're up at the crack of noon. Today we're going souvenir shopping and the girlie girls are going to ride roller coasters. Andy Latto had set up a thrill ride run with some BARGErs for today, but the girlie girls were nervous about going with a group of strangers. They wanted to go by themselves and then stand in line and ride with a group of strangers. Oh well, looks like I won't meet anyone from BARGE until the first tournament tomorrow. I'm up and ready first and it will be a while before the girlie girls get ready, so I've got some time to kill. I go down to play some nickel 50 draw video poker. This game was just fun to play. I blew off $10 while waiting for a seat last night. A nickel a hand for 50 hands is $2.50, fine for killing time. I feed in a twenty and start having fun. I'm down to about $14.00 when the lady next to me is dealt and holds a full house. I watch her machine as the fifty full houses light up. I hit the button for my next play and I've only got $1.50 left. Darn it! The "max bet" button is next to the "deal" button and I hit the wrong one. And I get a T high nothing. I draw all five and only collect a dollar some. I cash out and in my stubbornness walk around to another machine, feed in the nickels plus another twenty. I'm killing time and into a nickel machine for $40. As long as I'm playing for fun I might as well play deuces wild. And I go on a rush. I hold a pair of deuces and on three hands hit quads for 200 each plus every hand will pay at least one. I'm hitting all kinds of wild cards and good pays. Then a cold streak, then wild cards again. I'm over my $40 investment and I'm thinking to quit if I can run it up to $50, when I get a royal with deuces dealt. Ding. 50 hands at 25 each, 1250 nickels. This put me up to ~$110. I'm down to $101.70 when Donna and the kids come down. I cash out, but anything more than $50 requires a hand pay. So I give Donna the valet ticket and wait. I doesn't take long and I tip the change girl the $1.70. I get out to the valet just as the car was coming up. First stop is the 'Ho for lunch at the Ca~fae. Donna and I like the prime rib and there are plenty of entrees for the kids. From here it's down to the souvenir shops across from the Sahara. You gotta bring back some tacky souvenirs from Las Vegas. And now for Speed The Ride. We leave the car and walk across the street. I give the girlie girls enough money for two rides each ($8 for a ride, $4 for a reride) and take Cory to the arcade. Before I know it the girlie girls are back. They only rode it once. It was fun but very quick and short. They didn't think it was worth it to ride again. So we all play in the arcade for a while and then off for more rides. We'd been watching the Strat since the 'Ho and we hadn't seen the Big Shot go once. (Later Andy confirmed that it wasn't running.) So we start up to NYNY but the girlie girls are hot and tired. Okay then back to the Flamingo. The girlie girls are content to cool off in the room and watch TV. Donna is going to play some slots, maybe some cards. I'm taking Cory to the pool with my notes and a cigar. It takes an hour or so to smoke my cigar and then I join Cory in the pool. This is the first trip I have even gone into a pool in Las Vegas. I must say it sure can take the edge off a 113°F day. Another hour or so and Donna gets us to go up the Eiffel Tower. But when we get there it is closed due to lightning. Oh well, we'll try again tomorrow. We go across and watch a fountain show. Then back to the Flamingo to put Cory to bed. Donna's going to play some slots and I'm going to take another crack at hold 'em. **************************Poker Stuff********************************* I buy in for $100 and I go steadily down the crapper. I have offended the Pocker Gods, I gave up on Presto! too soon. I'm in late position with the beloved 5-5. It's raised twice before it gets to me. I should have raised but only called. The flop is three overcards and it is bet and raised before me, without hesitation I muck. The turn is a blank and the river a 5. Oh dear I've done it now. I can't catch a card and the hundred slowly disappears. Donna comes by and laughs at my stack. She moves to a machine within view of my seat. When I'm down to $15 she calls me over and has hit for 900 quarters. Ding. She takes pity on me and gives me another $60 to lose. Ding. I win the next pot but that is it. I'm back down to $20 when Donna joins the game. Suddenly I'm not the fish from Colorado anymore, I am a lucky player, a powerful winning force surrounds me. The deck hits me in the face. Make that, the deck hit us in the face. Donna played a solid game and doubled her $100 in no time. I slowly rebuild my stack. The cards are just coming now. Here's the only hand of note. I raise from early position with K-K and get four callers and Donna says "How's that for respect?" Me "These guys have been playing with me for three days now." The flop is J-9-6, I bet, get two calls, then a raise from a good player, a fold and it's on me. I'm going to call but what does this guy have. A bluff is out, I don't like the combinations that would give him two pair, I put his most likely hand as a set. I still have to call, I'm often wrong about these things, the other two call as well. The turn is a K. I consider a check raise, but decide that I may make more from the two other players, so I bet, the other two fold and the good player calls. On the blank river I bet and he calls with 9-6s. Shortly after this hand as I rack up over $200; him: "Nice comeback!" me: "Thanks, now I'm only down a grand" him: "Wish I could say that." Donna's up on the slots and +$110 on the poker table, I'm up $60 (after being down $140). I'm sure glad someone in this family can gamble. ***********************Vacation Stuff********************************* Tomorrow is the first BARGE event, the History Of Poker tournament. Time to get to bed. If only I could sleep. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Thursday 8/3 Tomorrow is the first BARGE event, the History Of Poker tournament. Time to get to bed. If only I could sleep. To be continued... I didn't sleep very well. Part nerves, part excitement and anticipation. I get the car and head off to Binion's. The directions that Chuck K posted work perfectly, I avoid the strip and get there in minutes. I wander into Binion's and soon find the poker room. I see a friendly smiling face on a guy with a BARGE badge. "Hi" I say "I'm here for BARGE and haven't met anyone yet." Rick (RLM) puts out his hand and says "I'm Rick, you've just met your first." We chat for a while and Rick directs me to the cage for my name badge and to the table assignments. I make my way to the table meeting people. Finally, faces to put with the names of people I've been talking to for a couple of years. I found my seat then walked around some more. I kept telling myself "This is great, this is great." It's almost time to start so I make my way back to the table. I'm sitting next to Fich. Also at the table is Ploink, Don Perry, Chuck Weinstock, and Bruce Kramer. Bruce had expressed an interest in the chip set that I'm using as a bounty in the NLHE. I give him the set and he will give me four redbirds from AC later on. **************************Poker Stuff********************************* The History Of Poker tournament. Rounds of 5-stud, draw high, and draw low ball. I'm dead money in this one. I came to play for fun. And fun I had. Fich is telling stories and I basically fold cards taking it all in. In 5 stud I start with a pair of 8's and raise. Don calls with a 7. I bet to the river where Don makes an open pair of 2s. Fearing 7s and 2s, I check, Don checks behind me and folds to my eights. I won another pot in stud when I out kicked on an A high hand. Then I lost chips when I refused to believe that Walter A. Rullah started with Aces against my Queens. I get Aces and raise, I win the antes. I had two chances to win Ploink's CD, I don't remember the second one, but I could almost hear it on the first. I make the bring in raise to draw one to a 6. Ploink calls from one of the blinds. I neglect to notice that he only has 100 left. I draw one and Ploink waffles between drawing one or two, he draws one. I like my chances but I catch a Q. I'm about to check and call with the Q when ploink tells me he only has 100. So I bet it and he made a 9. Oh Well. Hey Chris, If you feel sorry for me coming that close and missing, and you still have a copy about, I could send you my address and the Veteran's Day chip set. After a bit Ploink busts out and is replaced by Andy Hughes and his mountain of chips. I make no hands and the blinds take their toll. Looking for a hand to play in high, I muck JJ early and it is folded around. Oh well. Later in late position I get AA and I'm ready to jump in the action. It come around raised twice. I muck and trips and two pair are already out there. I get through the blinds in lowball, 75-75-150 300 bets, with 150. The next hand I go all in drawing one to 6-5-4-3. I'm all in so table my hand face up and flop over the draw, a 2, first. The bb drew two, he flips his held cards, 3 to a wheel and the first draw fits in, he has four to a wheel including an A so a 6 also makes him good, but it's a 9 and I survive. A few hands later Andy make a raise and I call all in with 300 to draw on to a 7-5. Andy took two, I pair my 5 and start to get up, Andy paired a 6. I've got 900 now. The next hand I call Andy's raise to 600 to draw one to a 7-4, Andy stands pat. I pair a 3 and check, Andy tables a 9 without betting. I'm down to 300 as we move to draw high and 100-100-200 400 bet. I think it was the second hand at this level and Andy is in the bb, as the dealer points to Fich, Andy says "Time!" Fich looks up at Andy and replies "Time? You're in the big blind you've got all the time in the world!" The table gets a chuckle then Andy shows why he called time. He tables a hand with two jokers in it. Ooops, a new dealer put the extra one in the deck. Two hands later I'm in the bb for 200 leaving me 100. It's folded around to Andy who raises, Fich debates and says he'll give Andy a shot at a double kill and goes all in. With only a sb left I call with 4-4. Andy has a big two pair, Fich a small two pair and I don't catch the miracle 4. I give Andy a Christmas chip from my regular casino as a bounty. According to Beth I bust out in 32nd. I had a great time and met many new friends. I hang around and watch for a while. Everyone I talked to was friendly and included me in conversations. It's not over but I have to get back to the Flamingo and get Donna for the buffet at the Mirage. ************************Vacation Stuff******************************** Back at the Flamingo, the girlie girls have seen an add for the Galleria at Sunset, a shopping center in Henderson. I'm drafted into duty to get them there, tonight if possible. Okay then, off to the Mirage for the get together buffet. As we approach the buffet an attendant notices my BARGE badge and points me through the line pass. We check in with KidZ and fill up a couple of plates. I thought this was a decent buffet. Again I overindulge and stuff myself. I introduce Donna to my new friends and meet even more myself. After the buffet many of the BARGErs are going to play in the Mirage's NLHE tournament. I'd love to have joined them but my little girl wanted to go shopping. We say our good-byes and go back to home base at the Flamingo. Donna takes Cory to the pool and the girlie girls and I head off in an unknown direction to shop. Courtney spots a uniformed security guard and asks for directions. He gives me excellent, detailed directions that were more direct and quicker than the round-a-bout route I had guessed at. The center is right off 95 and easy to get in. They shop for about an hour, I think they were happy just to roam around a mall again. A hat, a pair of shoes, and $50 later the girlie girls are ready to grab a bite. Courtney is dying for Taco Bell. Another set of directions from a cute boy and we're off for fast food. On the way back to the highway I pull into a 7-11 for a cherry coke slurpee. Man that slurpee hit the spot after these 110°F days. When we get to the Flamingo the valet is full. It's no problem finding a spot in the self park, just an extra step for me in the morning when we check out. Up at the room Cory is out of the pool and ready for the Eiffel Tower. Donna and the girlie girls beg off. We should have just done this ourselves two days ago. It's a half hour wait but it goes by quickly. We're one of the first into the elevator, towards the end of the group two couples get on, then one of the women jumps off saying she can't do it. Her friends try to urge her back on but the elevator operator discourages them if the woman does have a problem with heights. He says they've had people collapse. I must admit it is a little unnerving as you clear the casino building and can see the pool getting smaller as you head up 462 feet. The observation deck is a cage with camera openings on the sides. I felt very secure on the deck, but one young man was having trouble, he was walking around on the far inside of the deck. He asked for the next elevator down and the attendant told him there was a line. I don't know if they made him wait or not. I take a whole roll of pictures but they didn't turn out. We stay up there a while watching the last two shows of the Bellagio fountains. After a bit even Cory was ready to go down and end another long day. On the ride down, the elevator operator gives a little speech, pointing out some of the free things in Las Vegas. I can't resist telling her one of my favorite AVLV lines; "My Dad used to tell me that there are a lot of free things in this town, and you can't afford any of them." She laughs and tells me my Dad was a smart man. I'm glad we made it before we move tomorrow. The view from the tower, of the city and of Cory's smiling face, will stay with me for a long, long time. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Friday 8/4 I'm glad we made it before we move tomorrow. The view from the tower, of the city and of Cory's smiling face, will stay with me for a long, long time. To be continued... Today we move to the Orleans. I'm 26th on the wait list for the Tournament Of Champions style tournament so we'll check out and move at our leisure. Even though we were out late last night we're all ready to make the move before noon. There's some kind of problem with the TV check out so we call for the bell man and leave the kids with with the bags, I get the car, and Donna goes to check out. I get there first by a long margin. Then Donna comes out, still no bags. I ask her about the check out. No problems but there are 36 calls at $1 each, ouch. The car is in the valet pick up area but has been there too long, they make me move it. Donna checks with the bell desk and they say the bags should be down soon. Finally they show up and I start the puzzle of loading the trunk. A tip for the bell man and we're on our way. I've been pretty lucky using parallel streets to avoid the strip. I should have used Flamingo to I-15 then up to Tropicana but I use Koval to Tropicana and hit bumper to bumper traffic. It takes 15 minutes to move less than a block. Just before the strip, in the middle lane is blocked by an abandoned car. After that it is clear to the Orleans. Check in is smooth until we get to the room, one king instead of two queens. We go back down, get another room, go back up, and there are no ashtrays. This time I call down and they tell us to go ahead and smoke in the room. The girlie girls go to see Coyote Ugly at the twelve screen theater, and Donna, Cory, and I go to the pool. It is here that I discover that the "hot tub" at 102°F is cool when the air temp is more than 110°F. We play for a couple hours then all pile into the car for the calcutta at the Golden Nugget. In the calcutta all the entrants in the NLHE tournament will be auctioned off and the prize pool distributed in the same percentages as the tournament pay outs. We mill around and talk to people until the auction starts. I talk to Schmengie Mitch and he tells me they called me for the TOC style tournament. Mega saddenz. If I thought there was any way I had a chance to play I would have been at Binion's. I figured there was no way I could get in from 26 out. Oh well. Cory was thirsty and I give him two dollars to go get a $1.75 coke. Two minutes later he is back with a coke and the two dollars. Cory explains, "A man saw me and asked If I was John Cervanyk's son. I told him I was and he bought my coke for me." I look up and see Frank Brabec smiling. Thanks Frank. What a great bunch of people BARGErs are! There are a lot of syndicates bidding and I've got no clue about most of the field so we never bid and just watched the fun. I was paired with Martin Maughan. I asked several people about him and some knew him and had seen him, but no one could point him out to me. The morning after we left Martin sent me an e-mail that I didn't get until we got home. He is also from Colorado. Mega saddenz. I missed meeting another person who was there. When we are auctioned off the bidding stalls at $50 and Donna considers bidding. I shake my head no just as it takes off again. This time it stops at $90. Again Donna wants to bid. You would think that after I stopped her from putting $20 on the biggest dog on the Super Bowl, St. Louis, at 280 to 1, last year, I would have learned to let her bet. But no, I tell her I'm not even going to buy half myself back. We went for $90. After the auction is over Randy shows me the "joke" plastic BARGE chips, and points Ken Kubey (QB) out to me. I get a set of the chips and Ken asks if I want to buy half my action back. In another of my stellar moves I decline. Ken tells me they didn't know who I was and they were bidding on Martin. He'd seen Martin that night but not now. Oh well. We make a quick walk through the room and then get out to Fremont for the light show with less than five minutes to wait. I'm a little under impressed with the Fremont Street Experience. I prefer the old skyline without the canopy. We check out a few of the shops and then back to the Orleans. Cory is still raring to go so I take him to the arcade and let him blow off a roll of quarters. After a whole bunch of games he's satisfied and ready to go to the room. Using the excuse of getting the poker rate for the room I go down to the poker room for some hold 'em. I'm about sixth on the list and settle down with a Card Player at a table with others who are waiting. I can't even concentrate on Caro. All I can think about is the tournament tomorrow. I've been in one other tournament that cost $70. And the largest field I've faced is ~85. This is more than just the biggest tournament I have ever entered. It is a tournament of RGPers. Not only some very good players but friends and comrades in loving poker. I want to do well but I'm more worried about not making a fool of myself in front of the people that read my drivel. I can't believe I'm this nervous. I couldn't sleep if I tried. *****************************Poker Stuff******************************* When I get called for the game I ask the floor, Jerry, about getting the poker rate. He tells me to check with Dennis when I quit, no problem. The game is $4-8 structured with $1 and $2 blinds. As soon as I get into the game I forget about the tournament tomorrow. I'm having fun and feel great. At one point I try to make a $4 bet on the turn (like you can in the $1-4-8-8 game I've been playing in for four days). The dealer corrects me and I get embarrassed and take the $4 back instead of making it $8. That's okay, the table got a laugh and I got called on the river. I'm not playing my A game but a good time is being had by all. My stack went up to $200 then down to $30 then back up to $100. I keep pushing back my quitting time until it is clear that I'm staying up all night. A local lady notices my BARGE badge and says "Oh no, are you guys back in town already?" She was supposed to meet a friend downtown but called her on a cell phone and canceled. I only remember one hand from this session, the only hand that I have ever apologized for winning. I call from early position with 2-2, a few calls then the sb raises, all call. The flop is x-y-2, sb bets, all call again, the turn is a 7, sb bets, bb calls, I raise, fold to the sb who calls $6 of $8 raise all in, bb calls $6 of $8 all in. The dealer tosses me back $2 and I can't believe both these guys are out of money when I hit a set. The sb and I flip our hands as the dealer brings the river, my heart sinks as I see 7-7 roll out from the sb, then I hear the table gasp as the case deuce hits the board. I raised the guy after he turned a higher set. And I was cursing his short stack when I would be drawing to one out. And the one out hit. I apologized but the sb shook it off saying it was part of the game and took out more money. Donna comes down looking for me a little after 7:00 am. I play for another hour, 11:00 pm to 8:00 am a 9 hour session. Now I am a BARGEr. ***************************Vacation Stuff***************************** I cash out at $124, +$24. I ask Dennis about the poker rate mentioning that Jerry had put me in the game. Dennis takes my name and room number, makes a call, and asks that we be given the casino rate ($65 weekend) for our entire stay. Ding. I thank him then ask if I'm pushing my luck asking for a food coupon. He looks at my wife and hands me two $5 off coupons with a smile. Ding! So I saved $70 on the room and $10 on our next meal, just by asking. Make that +$24 a +$104, not bad for fooling around all night. Hee hee. To Be Continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Saturday 8/5 So I saved $70 on the room and $10 on our next meal, just by asking. Make that +$24 a +$104, not bad for fooling around all night. Hee hee. To Be Continued... I grab a shower, my bounty chips, and my note book and start out for Binion's. By the time I get there I'm a bundle of nerves. I find my seat and sit down. I didn't think about it at the time, but I could have found Martin from the seating list. I try to jot down some notes from last night's session and I couldn't even do that. I had planned to take notes on key hands but it is already apparent that won't work. Boy, am I in good shape to play the tourney or what? The only night I pull an all-nighter is last night. I'm nervous and can't think straight. As the tournament is about to start I realize I've been up for 23 hours now, nothing for some of these BARGE veterans, but I'm really feeling it. Bob Herlien is at my table (#11) and comments on that you can get a hugh overlay on most of the field by simply getting a good night's sleep. Bob went on to finish 6th, he may be on to something. I remember Jerrod and Tom (T-vol?) at my table. **************************Poker Stuff********************************* The BARGE 2000 No Limit Hold 'em Tournament is underway. My only goal is not to bust out first. One fold of trash cards and the goal is met. Every bust out is met by a round of applause and I think two went on the first hand. The play at my table is a raise and all fold or a reraise and all fold. It becomes the table joke that the goal is to get to a flop. We go about two rounds before we get a flop, no turn but we got a flop. The first hand I play I raise with T-T, get one call and win on the flop. I let out a hugh sigh of relief. Tom is on my left and every time I try an outright steal, he picks me off. Am I sending off a tell? I get T-T again, raise and win the blinds. Any other time I raise I get reraised, usually by Tom. Now for the key hand for me at table 11. And my sleep deprived memory will probably screw up the details. I'm not even sure of the position. I was early and I think Jerrod was late, but he may have been one of the blinds. And I'm not sure if the bb was 200 or 300. For the third time I have T-T and raise to 600, fold to Jerrod who raises 1200, fold to me. "Time, please." So many things are racing through my head. I briefly think about what he may have, but foremost in my thoughts is that I'm getting picked off again. I figure I may be beat but that I can't keep folding to a reraise. Deciding that I would surrender on a scary flop, I call the raise. The flop is A-T-x. Ding! But wait, he could have A-A. I don't think so. K-K to J-J? A-big? I don't have a clue. My first instinct is to check, but if he has the over pair he wouldn't bet with an A on board. A check here may get him to pay off on a later street but why let him draw at all? I bet 1200 and win the pot here. We both muck face down although later Jerrod tells me he had Q-Q and asks what I had for his trip report and I don't mind telling him I had Tens. Jerrod's account will undoubtedly be more accurate. This hand gave me some chips and some table respect. I picked up a few more steals. Until I go after Tom's bb from the sb with 7-7 he reraises and I call. I flop a set and check, he bets all in and I can't get my chips in the middle fast enough, a small gasp goes up as I shove my chips in. He has 8-8 and my set holds up. Some more chips and I collect a cherry from a virgin. During one of the breaks I run into NewJane and Sharla (updock). Jane asks about my family and says she'll try to make it to the banquet to meet Donna. The table breaks and I draw 18-1. 18 will be the final table. Patri is in seat 9 or 10, Bill Chen is in 3 and Bruce Kramer is in 6. Bruce came over to me at my starting table and gave me the four redbirds from AC for the Veteran's Day chip set. My time at this table is a blur. Bill Chen is making odd raises. Instead of going to 1200 he would go to 1375. This table is a lot like table 11 in that there weren't a lot of flops. Most hands were decided preflop. And now Bill is picking off my steal attempts. He is two seats away but often the 2 seat was empty. Time after time I would raise, he would reraise. One thing I noticed about Bill moving in, is that he would say "I'm all in." But it was the same every time. Then I get As-Ks and make the usual bring in raise. Bill checks out my stack, looks at the other stacks and says "I'm all in.", folded around to me. I agonize over this play. I want to play these cards, I want to make a stand against Bill's constant reraising me, But I can't put Bill on a hand worse than A-Ks. He either put on a hell of an act preflop or he really liked his hand. I can't play. So far I have not shown a hand I didn't have to. I have mucked T-T three times, K-K twice, A-A once, and A-Ko once. But for some unknown reason I say something like "I want to play this, but I can't call." and muck it face up. Bill shows the two red Aces. The crowd gives a small round of applause. I shake Bill's hand and thank him for showing the Aces. At some time at this table we have the classic preflop all in confrontation, A-big against a middle pair. Patri says "Don't we flip coins for a lot of chips?" I bust a small stack that moved into the 2 seat, Salim I think. Then I bust Ken from Colorado who was in the 4 seat. Earlier Patri was short stacked and in danger. He went all in four times in a row. He doubled through the first two and got the blinds the second two. He slowed down again. I'm in late position waiting for the action to check my cards. I see Patri check his cards and look at mine. As he is moving all in I see K-K. I have maybe double Patri's stack and move all in behind him. He asks "Ace, King?" I shake my head no and say "King, King." and table the hand. Patri, "I still have outs." The flop is three little rags, the turn pairs the flop, and the river makes a bad, low straight possible. Patri drops his cards face down and disappears in a flash. In a little while a cheer goes up behind us. Schemengie Joan has busted out on the bubble and the rest of us are in the money. Joan, I only ran into you once during BARGE and it was my pleasure. I want to thank for sending me the posts from the BARGE list I missed, and for not having to face you in the last two tables. Sorry I missed out on a chocolate fish, though. I made the money. I made the money! Hee hee, I can't stop smiling. Then I remember, I didn't buy half myself back. In fact I stopped Donna from bidding on me. I wonder if she'd had won at $100? Oh well, I made the money. The trip is a success. The best vacation I've ever had, no matter what happens till we get home, this is the best. I haven't found a hand to play since the Kings that busted Patri. The cold spell continues. I can't even attempt a steal. People continue to bust out and in the sb I'm moved to table 17, to the left of Don Perry. Patti Beadles and Nolan Dalla and Scottro are at this table. Still no cards. Then the hand that probably had more to do with how I finished than the bust out hand. With As-8s I make the standard bring in raise, about a third of my chips. I get one call, from Nolan. The flop is an A with two other Broadway cards, maybe A-Q-J. I don't feel good about my hand at all. I don't like Nolan's call preflop. I can't imagine Nolan calling with a worse A. Maybe he's on second pair with K-Q or the like. Or maybe he called with crap because he is a better player with position and can outplay me on the flop. I can't commit all my chips to this weak A and check fold. Nolan, do you remember the hand? Care to educate a fish from Colorado? I never should have made the preflop raise if I wasn't going to commit to the hand. Those chips would have got me through two more rounds of blinds. And the way the final table went, two rounds of blinds could have meant 2-3 places, $53-$391. Oh well, I can still get lucky and find a hand. But all I see is trash. I fold cards till the final table. In fact I fold cards till I blind out. At the final table I'm in seat 5 with Don Perry on my right again, and Patti on my left. I've got one bb and three hands before I blind out. I see three Aces. I was tempted to play the first, A-9o. Again all kinds of things to consider. A-9 against a full table, or 8 left to act, I'd only be calling and inviting overcalls, losing chips with A-8s a little while ago, it may be the best I see in four hands. Humm, I fold. I don't even think twice about the A-4 or A-2 I see the next two hands. On the third hand Bob Herlien goes all in. He gets a call, 3-3 against K-Ts. He flops a set and doubles through. On my bb Patti offers some friendly advice, "No matter what happens show your cards." I agree, when the money is in I always show my cards. In fact in the Patri bust out I showed before him when I could have waited for his cards. Anyway, it's folded around to Don in the sb, he apologizes for having to call with 9-6o. I've got J-4s. He flops a 9, I turn a flush draw, and the river pairs his undercard. I go out in 10th. I give Don the four piece Veteran's Day chip set I offered as my bounty. He really seemed to appreciate it and I'm glad a collector and someone as classy as Don got it. *************************Vacation Stuff******************************* Binion's generously added a WSOP jacket for all those who cashed. Ding! I love my new jacket. It means more to me than the $208 10th paid. I mean, I get to wear the jacket, Donna gets the $200. ($8 to the dealers) I picked up my jacket and they paid me in chips. I would have been tempted to put a Binion's green in my collection but these things were filthy. By the time I cashed the chips and left a message for Donna, three more had busted out. I played over 7 hours and I've been up 30 hours now, but I've got to watch this one to the end. The final hands have already been posted so I won't add any memory flawed accounts. I hang around and talk to people about the tourney, my bust out, my A-Ks lay down, other big hands, and congratulate the winners. It's time for the banquet and I still have to go get Donna. At the Orleans the valet is full and I have to park half a mile away. The place is packed. I've never seen this casino so busy. Donna is laying down, she thought maybe I went without her, she didn't check the messages. Back toward downtown and and a comedy of errors. I turn too early and end up on Industrial. Instead of turning around I decide I can catch the highway further down. I end up driving around and killing about 20 minutes. Finally we make it to the Golden Nugget for the banquet. And the first person we run into is Jane. She greets my wife and wishes us well, then runs off to get back to a poker game. What a gem she is. We sit with Randy and his wife Carol and with Charles Haynes. Pleasant conversation through dinner. We miss the soup but feast on the rest. With the exception on a doughnut in the Orlean's poker room this morning, I haven't eaten since the calcutta. Chris Ferguson was a little uncomfortable talking to the group but had some interesting points to make about no limit play. He certainly took my question of how he busted out in good humor. "Some people get married to a hand. I couldn't get him to lay down his Aces." (Chris had 9-9) We witnessed the Roshambo with amusement. And I cringed every time the sign up list came around. I would have liked nothing more than to play or at least railbird the chowaha. But we drive to California early tomorrow and I've got to get some sleep. We say our good-byes and go get the kids at the Orleans. A trip to a Walgreens for a perm for Courtney and sodas then gas up the car. I can get in the valet back at the Orleans. The kids want to eat at the Courtyard Café, but I've been craving a Vienna Beef hot dog for two days. They take the food coupons from the poker room to the café and I go to Terrible Mike's for a dog an a soda. Finally after 36 or so hours I get to sleep, and a very good sleep it is. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Sunday 8/6 They take the food coupons from the poker room to the café and I go to Terrible Mike's for a dog an a soda. Finally after 36 or so hours I get to sleep, and a very good sleep it is. To be continued... We're up by 7:00 and checked out and on our way by 8:00. The drive through the desert goes smooth. About a half hour from our motel everyone needs a break so we pull over for some Taco Bell and then on to the Las Angeles area. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. A huge blanket of brown smog covered the entire city. You can't smoke in public places, but you can breath brown air. At last we arrive at the luxurious Motel6 in Fullerton. The room is a little older, a little more worn, but basically the same room as the Flamingo, for about the same price. We dump the bags, get directions, and head out to Disneyland®. Five minutes later we're following the signs to the Disneyland® parking lot. This system work well and traffic flows smoothly to the booths where they collect $7. Then a "free" tram to the main entrance where they collect a whole lot more money. We got a Magic Kingdom Club card from work. The literature that came with the card, the Disneyland® web site, and the automated phone messages indicated that this card was good for discounts on admission, at the gift shops, and restaurants. At the gate they tell us it isn't good on one day admissions. $195 for the five of us. At one of our first stops, a gift shop where the girlie girls buy a stuffed Pooh and Tigger, we are told the discounts are only if the purchase is over $50. Later we find out that only the expensive restaurants offer discounts with the card. Oh well. We stay together as we tour the park. Cory loves it. I think the place is geared for his age group. We got him an autograph book, but he only got one, Pooh Bear. He was the only character we saw. Oh Well. The girlie girls liked some, were bored some. Many of the rides were the same as they were 30 years ago. We explore the whole park. Some rides we skip, others we do more than once. For dinner we go to the Hungry Bear. Cheeseburger or chicken sandwich, onion rings, and sodas for five, $51. We go all day and shut the park down just before midnight. I have to ask three attendants for directions back to the motel but the third one knows exactly how to get there. I'm glad we made the trip, and that the kids got to see Disneyland® but I am extremely annoyed by the misleading information we got about the Magic Kingdom Club. I doubt we will ever come back. We are all exhausted, hot, sweaty, and in need of showers and sleep. I'm last in line for the shower and by the time I get out everyone else is asleep. A quiet minute or two, alone in a room with four sleeping people. Even after our long day at Disneyland®, I'm still riding high from the poker tournament yesterday. I take out my jacket and try it on, again. To be continued... -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net From: "John A. D. Cervanyk" Subject: Trip Report: Family/BARGE Monday 8/7 Even after our long day at Disneyland®, I'm still riding high from the poker tournament yesterday. I take out my jacket and try it on, again. To be continued... I wake up to Donna coming into the room. Why is Donna coming into the room at 10:00 in the morning? The motel has a coin laundry and Donna's been washing clothes, the last load is in the dryer. I get ready and start to figure a route to Universal Studios. The TV news does a report on the Libertarian convention and demonstrations and counter demonstrations and closed highway exits and expected delays. We don't need to go all the way across L. A., we'll stay in the neighborhood and visit Knott's Berry Farm today. The "attractions" map I'm using has a coupon good for $5 off admission. Soon the laundry is done and we're on our way. In a little more than five minutes we're there. $157 for admission for all of us. Cory does a couple of quick rids in Camp Snoopy and we realize we haven't eaten yet. So off for cheeseburgers, fries, and sodas. This time it is only $26. We decide to split up. The girlie girls want to ride the roller coasters and the Supreme Scream® and Cory is more inclined to the bumper cars and the Sea Dragon. Donna takes the girlie girls to the big rides and Cory and I make our way all the way across the park to the bumper cars. We spend the next few hours hitting rides and games as we work back through the park. The rides are more fun and I think we all had a better time here than at that people trap built by a mouse. At 5:00 we meet back up and hit some more rides together. After another long day we head back to the Motel6. We eat at the Denny's in the same parking lot, then to the room for a quick nap. At 1:00 am we start the long, long drive home. Five hours and three states later we stop for gas and Donna takes a short stint at the wheel. Then I drive again and finish the 14½ hour drive back to Colorado. This has been the best vacation I've ever had. I need a week off to recover. -- Take care, John A. D. Cervanyk --- jadc@dnvr.uswest.net