From: Chris Straghalis <thanador@yahoo.com>
Subject: Ploink's BARGE2K report Part 1 (long)

Yes, there is more coming.  No, it's not coming right away, I'm
busy dammit!  Read this and see if you don't agree that there is
a happy ending at the end of this story...

BARGE 2K Trip Report

Of course, I'll forget lots of names, get others wrong and just
plain make mistakes.  Don't hold it against me, and let's just
go on down the river, shall we?

Pre-BARGE - It sucks to be me

I suffer my first bad beat a few days before BARGE.  I had been
having some problems with my CD-R player, but thought I had had
them all fixed.  When I went back to check on the copies that I
made of my BARGE CD, I discovered that half of them were blank! 
I think I got them all weeded out, but if anyone received a
blank one, let me know and I'll cut a new one for you. 
Unfortunately this meant I was able to bring far fewer than I
had planned.  There were a lot of people that I meant to give a
CD to that never got one.  I was also going to walk by and
random stick them into pots where RGPers were battling it out. 
Unfortunately that never was able to happen.

TUESDAY - BARGE is finally here!

Arrive early Tuesday morning after an uneventful drive and able
to check in early.  Ding!  I don't really see anyone in the
pocker room yet, so I sit down in a 4-8 HE game. I haven't been
playing a lot of casino pocker since the OC home game got
started, mainly because I am just not interested in listening to
bad players grumble.  BARGE is my chance to not only play
pocker, but have a good time at the table.  My 2nd hand at this
4-8 game, I get KK and win a decent pot (+79 profit for the
hand), but everything goes downhill from there.  People start
arriving and I finally cash out after 4.5 hours down $17.

We head over to the Stratosphere for the special BARGE tourney
they have put on for us.  Don't remember a whole lot about this
tourney (hey, it's been days and drinks ago) but I finish 12/21.
 Just prior to the tourney I lose $44 in an RGP 2-4 game in 45
minutes (eek) and after the tourney I lose $1 in a 4-8 HOSE game
waiting for the next tourney to start.  I do get a chance to
finally make some profit when Paul Phillips sells me $30 in
Orleans chips for $25 in Strat chips.  I play in the 8:30
tourney, but still to no avail, lasting until 13/34 this time.

We head back to Binion's and amazingly enough, IGBN.  My plan
was to book plenty of sleep in the bank early in the trip so I
could withdraw it later.  Worked well enough except for the fact
that I just didn't make a large enough deposit.

WEDNESDAY - Ploink learns to love 10-20 and hate no limit

Wake up, come down and play some pocker!  Wait in an O8 4-8 ½
kill game for 20 minutes and lose $9 before getting called to
the 10-20 HE game.  This is normally a bit higher than I play in
SoCal, since I don't think I'm ready for 15-30 yet, 6-12 is
usually good to me and 9-18 has higher swings than I would like.
 However, in past years the 10-20 game at Binion's was very good
to me and for some reason it plays smaller with less variance
than 9-18.  Well actually it's a good reason, I'll leave it as
an exercise to the reader as to why variance is lower at 10-20
vs. 9-18 given the average lineup at both limits.

The game is not going too well for me, especially since Jupe is
two seats to my left (I am in the 1 seat) and I know I don't
want the aggressive player to my left!  After I'm beaten down
~$200, Jupe leaves and I move to the 5 seat, which was recently
vacated by the loose local woman who cracked my AQs with T4o
that made a gutshot wheel on the river (sound familiar Bingo?). 
This proved to be a good move, as Jupe's seat was filled by an
aggressive and good player I had played against during previous
years.  Scott Byron will know who I mean, as he also warned me
about her when she sat down.  I did have position on her, and
was able to right the session and book a $148 win after 4 hours
40 minutes.  It helped that my end of the table was full of
RGPers that made the game a tr00 pleasure.  I had one r00ling
move, when an Angry Local (AL) sits down in the one seat I had
vacated.  I am on the button, and 6 people call so I call with
92s. The flop came J92, Ding!  Check to AL who bets, one caller,
I raise, folded to him, he 3 bets (rut roh), I call.  Turn is a
blank, river a 2 and he bets into me and pays off my raise! 
Re-DING!  He then goes on mega-tilt, however I was away from the
table talking with CF when he blew most of it off.  This was to
be my lowest win at any 10-20 session for the trip.

	Next up is the NL HE tourney at the Strat, $35 + $20 rebuy.  I
do terrible in this event, still not feeling the "flow" of the
game.  Jerrod Ankenman, however, proves to be the Schmengie king
of the tourney, winning innumerable suckouts, the worst of which
was his 67o (or was it 56o) winning with a straight on the end
against KK, JJ and KJ to quadruple him through.  Jerrod went on
to win the tourney and gain a TOC qualifier, although the $800
first place will do little to defray his expenses for the TOC.
	Since I had given a ride to Jerrod, I was waiting around
watching the NL live game the Strat spreads with 1-2 blinds. 
Bingo was sitting in the game and motioned to the empty seat,
giving me the "sit down" eye that means the game is especially
live.  I do OK for a bit, winning about $50 to bring my $200
buyin up a bit until I get the following key hand.  I am in the
SB and it is raised to $15 in mid position and smooth called by
one off the button.  I look down to find AA, so I call the $15
and raise $45 more.  The original raiser folds, the smooth
caller calls again.  The flop comes 8-6-2 with two suits.  I bet
$100 into the pot and the smooth caller, an attractive youngish
blonde woman, calls altogether too quickly.  The turn brings an
innocuous card, and I bet my last $57 which she again calls. 
She turns over 22 and IGHN.  Amazingly I do not go on tremendous
tilt from this beat, and several RGPers tell me I played it just
about perfectly. After watching Jerrod win the tourney, we head
back to Binion's and I once again deposit some sleep units.

THURSDAY - Jalapeno saves the day

	Thursday is the real beginning of BARGE, with little sleep and
many many beer units to come.  I get up early enough to actually
partake in the breakfast buffet, which was a real mistake. 
Other than the freshly prepared omelets and some potatoe (tm Dan
Quayle) sides, it is essentially inedible.  I play in the HOP
tourney, making some truly horrible plays in 5 stud.  I go on a
rush in the 2nd draw round, getting trips 3 times, making a
flush and making a full house to more than double through. 
After that I lose a lot of chips to blinds and bring-ins,
finally busting out in the lowball round when my pat 9-6 loses
to a smooth 8.

	Following the tourney I sweat the remaining players for a bit,
then play about 45 minutes of Omaha, losing $17.  I am informed
that we are going on a "training" run for the craps tour and
take off to join my fellow degenerates.  We head over to the
other side of Binion's and persuade the pit boss to open a new
table for us, which he does only after we agree to play for at
least 30 minutes.  The dice are terribly choppy as we go around
the table twice, no one really able to make a decent roll.  Most
of the RGPers give up, leaving Pete Caldes, Bingo, SteveBIA,
Jalapeno and myself as the last die-hards left.  The dice get to
me and I make a few points, at one point having the last of my
$200 buy-in on the felt.  When the dice get back to Ron I have
about $50 in front of me.  When Ron is finally done rolling I
cash out at $525, booking a nice -ev win.  I am absolutely
positive that he rolled so well only because he had to go to the
facilities so badly he could think of nothing else but "roll a
seven".   This should be a requirement in the future for any
person who wishes to call upon the craps Gods for a long roll.

	We head back over to the pocker room and Bingo and I get into a
10-20 HE game, already populated by Gary Brown and are soon
joined by Clark Olson.  I schmengie Bingo early on when I am in
the BB with 35o.  The flop comes A93, I bet (hey, who knows,
maybe no one has an A, there are no preflop raisers) everyone
folds to Bingo, who check raises me in the SB!  OK, I'll call
and see if I can catch a card, and maybe he's trying to steal it
against me.  Turn is a 4, he bets, I call.  River is a 2 and I
suck out on Bingo's flopped top two.  Yes, I played badly and
got there, good for me, unlucky for CF Bingo : (.

	Clark wins a big multi-way pot against Gary when Gary Holds 82s
to Clark's 88 and the flop comes 822.  I win a very nice pot
when it is folded to me one of the button and I have presto.  I
raise and ClarkO to my left three bets, which is cold-called by
Phyllis in the SB (nice loose passive local player), so I call. 
Flop comes 533, DING!  I wait until the turn to check raise
ClarkO, who folds on the river, but get paid off by Phyllis.  On
another hand I flop a set with presto and three bet the flop
(flush and straight draws possible) and manage to chase out
ClarkO's top two pair!  Damn, that man plays too tight!  I did
manage to runner-runner a straight flush against him later when
he held a set, which will teach him.  Both Clark and I manage to
book good wins for the session, and I cash out +$761 in 3:45.

	Just starting out on the craps tour, I have my best good beat
of the trip.  A very nice and attractive woman comes up to me
and shoves a Playboy Atlantic City $1 chip into my hand.  I look
at the chip, then look at her in puzzlement.  Time travel time:
pre-BARGE, when I had announced to the list about my bounty
being a custom CD, a few people contacted me wanting to know how
they might be able to get a copy.  Many were even willing to pay
for them.  Well for my own twisted reasons, I wasn't willing to
sell any for cash, telling everyone they would just have to win
one by busting me or Max Roman (I had placed a bounty on his
head for his anti-r00ling anti-SoCal trash talk).  Bev McMullin
(aka Unicorness) was one of the ones who had contacted me.  I
had told her that I would not sell them, but if someone were to
say, offer me a nice thing like, say, a Playboy AC chip, well
I'd probably want to offer that person a gift in return.  Well
Bev came through and WOW did she make my trip.  This chip has
been the holy grail for me and I am proud to make it a part of
my chip collection.  Bev you are a sweet person that I enjoyed
talking with and thanks for making my BARGE!  It's only natural
that you and your SO managed to find each other, even if he has
a problem staying away from trash Omaha hands like (A4)K9
<wink>.

	I ran up to my room to grab a CD for Bev, and we hit the sleazy
craps tour, which I don't remember too much of except that I
lost around $200 and don't remember any rolls of consequence. 
Was up many many beer units however and a great time was had by
all.  My favorite moment was when we all trolled into the Lady
Luck (?) and the look on the Pit Lady's face was priceless. 
Cocktails!  I score a nice smoke from Bruce Kramer, which really
makes me feel bad about missing out on the smoker.  Next year
Bruce, I promise!  I finally stumble back to Binion's and the
bed hits me in the face.

 FRIDAY - Team Orange Crush r00lz

	Rinnnnnnnng… Hello?  Wake up?  Oh, is it morning already?

	I don't ever recall what time I went to bed the night before,
so it's probably just as well that I have no idea how little
sleep I've gotten.  A short COLD shower to wake me up, and I
stumble downstairs with my chip collection and traders to see
whassup.  The buffet area is a bit too crowded, we try to make
do for a bit then someone (Warren?) suggests that we go
downstairs to the tournament area that was set up for us.  Great
idea!  We sit around trading with each other and I show off my
newly acquired Playboy chip for everyone to dr00l over (thanks
again Bev!).  After the session I trudge back upstairs to drop
my booty off and get ready for the TOC tourney.

	I feel better for this tourney than in HoP, since I only suck
at two of the three games instead of all three.  Alas, it is not
meant to be, and I again bust out.  Nothing much I can remember
in this one, in fact I don't even recall which round I went out
in.  Lack of sleep and many many beer units had something to do
with my memory lapse I'm sure.  Sometime during the tourney
Ploinkpeg shows up, having flown in around 1:30.  I kibitz for a
bit, then we head up to the room so I can get in a little nap
before the Calcutta.  Head over to the Calcutta where I've
agreed to partake in a syndicate with ClarkO and many others,
mostly other SoCalers.  We buy a few people, then a few more,
then a few more.  We have some good horses, but it will be the
surprises that get us some money back the next day.  Excellent
food this year, btw.  Peg and I took some pictures, which I hope
to be posting shortly.

	After the Symposium we head back over for team CHORSE.  We have
a strategy: play tight as rocks and let Jerrod make it all up in
Crazy Pineapple.  My Razz table might very well be one of the
toughest, as John Harkness related earlier.  It included Nolan,
Ed Hill, Q, Quick, Patti and more!  In 4 rounds, I played two
hands, once winning the antes and a call, the other time making
a 6 to Patti's 7 and taking down a nice pot.  Our strategy
worked to perfection, as Jerrod managed to roll over the table
in his 20-40 round, netting us a $41 per person win and Team
Orange Crush takes 3rd place!  Considering the tough tough
lineups we were up against, I consider this to be proof positive
that the SoCalers are indeed the poker talent of the future and
are there to play as a TEAM!  While the NoCalers… well, the less
said the better.
FRIDAY - How to make money from a Maverick

		I'm tired after the team event, yet somehow not yet willing to
get to bed.  I kibitz the $500 freezeout limit lowball match
between Bill Chen and Quick.  They are playing $30 limit with a
kill and Bill has Quick short stacked a few times while I
watched.  They were nice enough to answer a few questions while
I watched, but I quickly realized I could be distracting them so
I wandered over to watch the Mississippi stud game.  A quick
recap: Cards are dealt as in 7 stud, with the following
exceptions; 4th and 5th street are dealt at the same time, and
7th street is dealt face up.  Oh yeah, did I mention it's pot
limit?

	I'm watching the game which is a 50 cent ante with a $1 force,
unless the previous pot was over a certain amount, in which case
the winner of the last pot "kills" for $5.  Later on it was made
that all winning pots were kills, which I was to later
appreciate (foreshadowing cominggg).  The game had Patri, Max
Roman, ADB Timmy, Maverick, the infamous Walter A. Rullah and
other noteables.  I watched for a bit, then got eager, watching
Maverick drinking and throwing his money around (although also
winning his share of pots, especially when getting buried
rockets back to back).

	When some seat reshuffling happens, I sense an opportunity
getting into the game with Patri and "Walter" to my right and
Max and Mav to my left.  I made a short buy-in of $200 and
settled in to play tight-aggressive.  I win a few pots early on,
building my stack to around $350 when the following hand
happens:

I am the kill from the previous pot with (7d5d)8s.  It's called
around to me (3-4 callers) and I check.  After fifth street I
have (7d5d)8s8d4d, a pair of 8s with a gutshot straight flush
draw.  I am high with the 8s, so I bet $10 to see where I'm at. 
Maverick raises it $45 more with a K high and two little cards
showing and I call.  6th street brings me the beautiful 6d and
Mav the even more beautiful 2nd K.  Maverick slams down a bunch
of chips, which the dealer counts down to be $95.  I peek at my
hole cards, hemming and hawing, trying to decide whether to
call, while in reality making sure I really do have a straight
flush.  Finally I just call.  On the river, Maverick gets a 3rd
King!  Without waiting to even see what I caught, he bets out,
more than enough to put me all in.  Wishing I could borrow money
from Patri, I call.  Turns out Maverick was running a bluff and
had only the trips, but the look on his face when I turned over
my straight flush was (as they say in the commercials)
priceless!  I played a couple more laps, then finally headed up
to the room, $500 richer thanks mostly to Maverick.  This would
not be the last time Maverick would make me money…

MORE TO COME…


From: Chris Straghalis <thanador@yahoo.com>
Subject: Ploink's B2K Trip Report Part 2/2

SATURDAY - The Big Dance & Ploink becomes an ADB

	Saturday morning comes bright and early: much too bright and
much too early.  Ugh, did I really stay up that late?  I stumble
down just in time for the start of the tourney.  Quite a few
recognizable faces at my table, including eventual champion Jeff
B.  Joan throws me a chocolate fish,  and we are off to the
races.  I manage to take some chips early on and have slightly
less than T3000 when the following hand develops:

	I am UTG with TT and blinds at 50-100.  I make it 300 to go and
it is folded to the button (Jeff B) who smooth calls and
everyone folds.  The flop comes JTx, I check and Jeff makes it
T300.  I raise to T1200, he jams and I call.  We turn over our
hands and Jeff has KK.  Turn is a Q and (as Phil Hellmouth says)
the river ran swiftly with a 9 and IGHN.  Did I play the hand
poorly?  Perhaps.  However, I got all my chips in when I had the
best hand.  Jeff picked up a lot of outs on the turn (I recall
saying No, nooooo when that Q hit) but I was still a favorite. 
I was disappointed to be busted so early, especially since I
would have had a big stack after that hand (T6000) and been able
to move some chips around.

	Immediately after the best I run up to my hotel room to cool
off for a bit.  Came back down in a much better mood.  Very
proud of myself for not tilting too badly.  Wound up watching
most of the rest of the tournament, especially the last four
tables.  Our syndicate had a lot of horses left when it was down
to four tables, but most of them were at one table!  We made the
money with three horses, including 25% of Nick Christenson (my
Calcutta partner), 100% of Maverick and 75% of Grizz.  The
ClarkO syndicate wound up losing 9%.  I made a little ($1)
because I had bought ¼ of my Calcutta team for the syndicate,
and ¼ for myself.  WTG Nick!

	After the tourney, most people left for the banquet.  My wife
and I were just planning on a quiet dinner, but happened into
Russ Fox, David Schwartz and Clark.  Russ told us about a decent
seafood place across from Palace Station (Landry's?) and it was
very good.  Definitely a must try again.  After dinner we tried
Bellagio, but wound up back at the 'shoe.  At this time I get
into a 10-20 game with probably the worst player I have ever
seen.  NewJane is also at the table and for a time is the only
other BARGEr there.

Some sample hands:
1) Random preflop action.  Flop comes Q52 with two diamond and
there is some betting, with Phyllis (who is between Drunk Guy
(DG) and NewJane).  Turn is a 5h.  Jane bets, DG raises, Phyllis
cold calls, Jane 3 bets, DG raises, Phyllis calls and Jane caps.
 On river a blank hits.  Jane bets.  DG looks at his hand, looks
at the board, back and forth… finally says, "Oh, that was a 5h
on the turn, not a 4h, gee I though I had the nut wheel" and
mucks his A3s!  Phyllis pays off Jane's QQ :).
2) I limp with KQs in mid position.  DG calls, along with Jane
(BB) and Nice Lady (NL) to her left.  A King flops, and I bet it
all the way until the river, where it gets checked to the DG on
the button who bets.  Jane calls, NL calls!  I can't make the
2nd overcall, so I muck my K, flashing it to the table.  DG has
Ace high, Jane has J9 (for 2nd pair) and NL has Q9 for 2nd pair
better kicker!  I might steam a bit, if I didn't realize that
the overcall with 2nd pair made me a big favorite in the game.
3) DG raises, NL three bets (at this point, everyone was 3
betting DG just to isolate against him). And everyone folds back
to him, he calls.  Flop comes 236.  DG checks, DL bets, DG
calls.  Turn is a 4, action goes the same way.  River is a J and
DG wakes up and bets.  DL raises, DG re-raises, DL 4 -bets but
just calls his re-raise.  He has JJ and rivered a set, but loses
to the DL's presto!  Heh, she was afraid of 57.

	After a bit, DG gets called for 15-30.  Saddenz for me, as the
list is too long and I'm on the Chowaha board, but DINGz for jk.
 I call him to one side and inform him about the play of the DG.
 Jk makes out well, as has been related.  Finally get called for
Chowaha and leave the 10-20 after 3 hours, up $209.

	Chowaha r00ls.  Drinking r00ls.  Drinking and playing Chowaha? 
Well it doesn't get any better than that.  I start at the must
move table.  First hand that I get to play, it's capped preflop
8 ways.  I finally look at my hand after the flop (JJ) and turns
out I had flopped top set.  I fill on the turn and get paid off
on the river and DINGz, string toke for the dealer!  We play for
a bit, but then the table breaks and I head on over to the main
game, where I get in after a while.  Great fun with Jesus and
Zorak at the table.  I tried to get Jesus to play no-limit overs
with me, but had to retreat when I put my bankroll on my stack
(covering his stack) and he laid HIS bankroll on his castle,
trumping me.  Much chat, many beerz and a few shotz had by all.

	Game finally breaks, and I go over to sweat the 4-8 HORSE game.
 Somehow I wind up playing Nolan's chips for him, with Foldem
and others kibitzing.  It seemed fair, after all between us we
likely had at least one live brain cell.  We don't do much with
Nolan's stack, so foldem and I decide to take it over to the
craps table 'cause "that's what Nolan would want us to do." 
Unfortunately we do nothing, so we replenish the chips from our
bankrolls and buy back into the HORSE game (hmmm, seems like
people were out looking for us and someone was ready to send out
a cab, just in case).

	Nolan shows up after about an hour and sees that his chips are
now somewhat, er, lacking.  He gets the r00ling idea of putting
it all on the craps table… one roll, double up and keep playing
or go to bed!  We amble (ok, at this point I am stumbling) over
to the craps table and place the whole rack on the DC.  Floor
wants to count it up, but we convince 'em to let it stay on the
felt for one roll.  The shooter rolls a 6, but then the pit
starts to count up the rack (consisting mainly of ones) which
made for a h00ge tower.  We cam crashing down to earth when the
6 got there (damn river!) and finally headed up for bed.
SUNDAY - Studaha? Ploink finally cashes.

	Sunday after noon (sometime).  Finally wake up, brush frogs off
my teeth and head down to find out what's what. Foldem comes up
and tells me I'm an ADB. I am?  What did I do to deserve that? 
I guess if you remember what you did, then you don't deserve to
be an ADB.  Well at least after 4 years of training, putting in
the hours, doing the heavy lifting (16 ounces at a time) I've
finally made it! Make decision to go to Orleans and play in
their 7PM $120+$100 tourney, which is fine with me.  Bad
decision after we get there and tourney starts I finally find
out it is limit.  Geez, don't know that I'd want to pay that
much for a limit tourney, even if I am up for the trip.  Oh
well.

Suffer a bad beat when I don't get in on the ice cream last
shortest bet and Sabyle busts first, having to buy ice cream for
all RGPers left.  I lose a bunch of chips when I have 65o in the
BB, flop 65Q, turn T, river 6.  Opponent has TT and we go 4 bets
on the river.  Luckily it was the first limit, so not too much
harm done.  Steve Landrum gives me some chips when I raise UTG
with TT (hmm, sounds familiar) and he three bets with 88.  JP
winds up giving me a lot of chips because every time he raises
my BB I look down and find a hand and manage to flop it.

	During this tourney I am chatting with a nice guy who has come
up with a great game: Studaha.  It goes like this:  Starts as
Stud (2 down, 1 up) followed by a round of betting.  Then
another card up and a round of betting.  Thereafter it is played
as Omaha, with a flop and standard Omaha rules.  This sounds
like a r00ling game.  He apparently told the same story to Scott
Byron and we agreed that next year's BARGE would be the perfect
opportunity to try it out.  Maybe a combo tourney of Mississippi
Stud, Chowaha and Studaha?

	As the tourney goes on, I win a huge pot with JJ and am able to
basically coast into the money.  I have a little above average
stack at the final table, but really am able to get no cards,
not even to steal with.  I finally make some steals with
absolute trash (picking my spots VERY carefully) and outlast
John Stremp (sp?) (of Mirage and WSOP fame), Max Roman and Steve
"Crunch" Daniels.  Finally go out in 5th place, rather
anticlimactically with AQs losing to AKo.  As Patti told me,
"He's supposed to have A-little there."  Yeah, I agree.

	Get back to Binon's.  Most people are gone, but we get a
r00ling 4-8 CHORSEL game going after playing a bit of 4-8 Omaha.
 I book some minor wins (<$50) in each and finally make my way
back upstairs.  Monday is devoted to checking out and showing
Peg the new hotels on the strip she hasn't seen yet.  Make the
obligatory stop at Gambler's Store and I finally buy a copy of
Super/System.  Hit the road just as the sun goes down, and
another BARGE is in the books, but still on my mind.

Acknowledgements:
I said at the beginning I'd forget people, and I know I have. 
Some randoms that didn't make my report by mention: Chris & Sam
Hartman, the married couple of BARGE, thanks for the Teem Feesh
cover piece and fish tie, even though I abandoned Teem Feesh
this year.  Hope you liked the CD.  Paul 'ET' White, gave me a
personalized rock, so of course had to get a CD too.  The rock
brought me luck in the tourney on Sunday (hmm, but I had it when
I got sucked out on in the NL… oh well).  Beth Even, with her
incredible enthusiasm, boy sure wish I could be that awake at
ANY point in my BARGE travails.  Lou Kreiger, who put a $10
bounty on me at the TOC when he heard there was a $200 bounty on
Spencer.  Others too numerous to mention, except to say I
enjoyed being with you all, and hope to see you VERY soon,
perhaps at another ARG event.  If ever in SoCal…

ADB Ploink
World Chowaha Champion