From: RussCFox@aol.com Subject: BARGE Trip Report (l o n g) - Part 1 WARNING: This trip report is long, contains poker content of dubious value, and, overall, may be hazardous to your health. Reader discretion is advised. Felltham said, "By gaming we lose both our time and treasure – two things most precious to the life of man." That is a lie; at least in respect to BARGE. I did drive the 265 miles to BARGE, arriving Thursday morning. I arrived early enough to sample Breakfast on Binion's: as Lee Jones has previously reported only the egg station had decent food. I made the mistake of trying the scrambled, er, powdered eggs: what a fond memory of the dorms at Berkeley. At least I had a pleasant discussion with Lou Krieger, Steve BIA, ADV Beth, tiger123 and others. The HOP tourney followed. I was not the first one out (I went out about 6th). In the first 5-card draw round, I pick up AAxyz. One person in front of me brings it in (for the automatic raise to T100). What would you do? What I did was call. JP Massar convinced me later that the proper move was to raise, to try to limit the field. Well, I didn't and following me was another call, a re-raise and the original bettor re-raising. At this point I should fold but I (and everyone else in the hand) called. The original bettor stands pat; I draw three; the other two players draw 2 and 1 cards. I look down and see 222! Twos full of aces! A miracle, maybe. But what do the other players have? Well, the stand-pat probably has a straight or flush. The other trips and 2-pair? The original bettor bets T100; I decide to call as does the presumed trips. The 2-pair raises it and, I believe, the original bettor re-raised. Again, I should fold. I say time, and JP (who was at the table but not in the hand) says, to someone who asked, "what's Russ thinking about?"; "He must have trips…." I call, and then muck my hand when the raiser shows his sevens full of fours (or vice versa). The original better did have a straight and the other person had trips. [I apologize for not having the names of those involved in the hands. This was the only event I was in where I did not make extensive notes.] I am soon toast. In retrospect, JP is absolutely right. A raise (by me) identifies what's going on. When I'm re-raised (probably) my fold should become clear. Anyway, on to the Mirage. I play in 6/12 HE followed by 4/8 Omaha HL. Following a pattern, I lose in HE and win in O8. Nothing remarkable, just a typical boring O8 session. The Mirage Buffet was great – wonderful food (especially vis-à-vis Binion's) along with great fellowship. I play the NL HE tourney at the Mirage. My table is not a dream: Andy Latto, Joan Hadley, Paul McMullen, Warren Sander, Kevin Un, Myself, Paul Phillips, Jim Bullard, Don Perry, and Andy Bloch. Ten of us, (nine good players and I) cramped around a stud table. T500 to start, with 1 optional T1000 rebuy. A few interesting hands (at least, the ones I wrote down). Blinds are 10/15. I pick up TT (on button). Andy raises to 50; 3 callers; I re-raise to 400. All fold. I pick up KK. Warren calls my raise with AJs; Kings hold. A couple of hands later, I again have Kings. Paul (Phillips?) raises with Jacks; I re-raise to 400; Paul moves all in. A King comes on flop (and, adding insult, I make the nut flush.). I'm at T1425 when we reach the 100/200 level. Andy Latto raises with deuces; I look down and again see cowboys. K on flop and turn and I'm up to 2900. I try to steal Jim Bullard's blind with Q8s (1 off button); Jim "finally" defends his blind with A6. No help for either of us and I'm T800 poorer. When we reach the 2nd break I'm at T2225. A few hands into the 150/300 level I pick up Presto in the Big Blind. Jalapeno (Geroncio Galicia) had raised with Cowboys. Presto no good. I'm eliminated a few hands later when my KJs (in the big blind) defends against Warren's 44. Only two four's came on the flop….I go home now. Friday had three events, with only the Team CHORSE being fairly memorable. I do play the TOC, surviving until after the 2nd break. I go out in the Omaha, the first hand after the break, holding 2367 (double suited) in big blind. Limits are 1k/2k. The eventual winner whose name I did not write down (agh; I think it was Steven Goldman but I'm sure the winner will let me know…) raises; I call. Flop is AT7 rainbow; I check, he bets, I call. Turn is 7, checked; river is A, I bet (all-in), he calls. He has an Ace and I'm done. I should have bet the flop (and turn). I'm probably not going to drive him out but it's my best play, in retrospect. Oh well…. I then play live games, and get in this 4/8 HE. It starts out OK, but I notice the preponderance of RGPers. This soon becomes the aforementioned (by Jeff Woods) must straddle game. I pick up two very good hands (in most games) – QQ and AQs and one very good hand (AA). All are picked off, two by Jeff and one by someone else (I don't remember the name). At this point a little voice calls, Russ for Omaha high/low. What is amazing isn't the money I lost ($150) or the money I won at O8 ($150) or the variance (in the Straddle I'd expect it) but that I started to go on tilt. I thought I had outgrown that but…. The Calcutta was humorous. As I sit down, munching and talking with ClarkO, Jerrod Ankenman drafts me to help him enter names. Seems I'm the only one who brought (a) the list of participants being auctioned and their group and (b) blank paper to give out as receipts. The food at the Nugget was good – their hors d'oeuvres were much better than the meals at Binion's. As John Harkness reported, there was some strangeness in the prices. I was surprised that I went (paired with Steve Jacobs) for $130. I did buy some horses – spending $160 and getting zilch. Oh well, last year I spent $100 and got $1500 back. The team CHORSE event was a blast. Foldem did a **great** job. Before I comment about the play, perhaps we could start earlier (8:30 – 8:45) next year if we know when the Calcutta will be over…. I play 7 Stud high, facing: Steve Daniel, Lee Jones, John Harkness, Max Roman, Al Webber, George Wattman, Tiger123, David Tahajian. The dreaded Orange Crush is in the 9th seat, proudly wearing our Caltrans-rejected t-shirts. My play was, well, just slightly on the rockish side (was it David who commented about the moss growing?). Of course, I picked up exactly 3 playable hands, playing two of them. I never had an Ace up while Tiger had at least 10. It got so bad that the over/under on the number of hands I'd play during a round was set at one! I did a steal in the first round with a high honor (K?), got 2 callers, didn't improve and watched Max pair up and start betting. I (correctly) read him for two pair and folded. In the third round I had split Jacks versus Tiger; he called my raise and my bet on 4th street but he folded 5th street. Team Orange Crush managed to finish 3rd – a blast had by all. -- Russ Fox From: RussCFox@aol.com Subject: BARGE Trip Report (l o n g) - Part 2 Of course, after sending Part 1 I realize that the winner of the TOC was Tony Goldstein ... old age must be doing something to my memory.... I woke up Saturday just minutes before the NLHE event. I find myself in the 9 seat (10 handed) facing a rather typical line-up: Shyam Markus, Scott Byron, Gary Brown, David S (Heller), David Lawful, Ed Baker, Lee Jones, Marilyn Newcomb and Ross Poppel. I made a lot of notes, so here goes: First round: I pick up pocket 9's in small blind, call, along with Ross, Scott, & Shyam. Flop has an ace and I'm out. Next hand I hold J's. David S brings in for 300, I call. Flop is AQ9 and as David reaches for chips my hand reaches the muck. A few hands later there's a huge confrontation. Ross raises to 500; Shyam makes it 1000. Scott raises all-in (about 2400; we started with T2500). Ross folds, Shyam calls with AA; Scott has KK (Ross showed me JJ). Flop has an A and Scott is pretty much done. Jazbo is moved to our table. One or two hands later I hold AKo; I bet 800 (I think we're at 100/200), he calls. Flop is 234. I bet 500, he folds. A couple of hands later I try to steal Ross & the blinds (Ross has the button) with Q8s; Ross calls my 800 with KTo. No more betting and no help for me. Marilyn goes all-in (~T1400) saying something like "I'm getting tired and it's time to make a move". I look down and see AKo and call. It holds up (she had AJ). I'm up to T3800. Lee Jones (AQ) gets into a confrontation with David Lawful (A4). Flop is 256, turn is a 3; Lee is down to ~250. Lee (Ax) vs. Mike Chow (who replaced Scott) (KK); A on flop; Lee back to 1000. Lee (AJ) vs. Stephen Blackstock (55). Flop is AJ9, turn 5; Lee done. I again try to steal from Ross (I hold J6s, he has AQs); when the A (as usual) comes on the flop I'm done. For that hand (-T1600). Andy Latto (AA) vs. John Reed (QJ); flop of KTx, turn 9 river J. Andy is done. John Harkness replaces Marilyn. John raises my button (about a 1200 raise); I go over the top with KQs. John mucks, showing AK. I'm up to 4100. A couple of rounds later John again raises my button (1600 raise); I again go all-in. John thinks for a few minutes and mucks saying that he held a suited A (A9?). I had AJo. I'm up to T5700. John Harkness (QQ) vs. Mike Chow (JJ). J on the flop sends John home. Michael Hunter (KTo) moves to our table and almost immediately faces Mike Chow's 99 with his 88 – the 9's hold up. I look down and see pocket Jacks; I raise to 3500 (the blinds are 500/1000); Jazbo goes all-in with AK. Both an A and a K come and I'm in trouble – down to 1400. Our table breaks and I'm moved to what would be the final table. On my first hand I see A6o. I raise all-in (blinds still 500/1000). ADB Bruce and 1 other (Walter Hunt?) get into a bigger battle but an A on the flop gets me the main (smaller) pot and I'm back to 5700. One raise with AK puts me at 7200. Then I pick up Jd7d in the small blind; Bill Chen is the Big Blind (Bill has oodles of chips). I raise to 3500; he calls. Flop is AA3 (2 diamonds). I go all-in, Bill folds. I'm at my high point – T9700. The blinds move up to 800/1500, I'm at ~T9000. I pick up KJo 2 from the button and raise to 5500. ADB Bruce raises to ~9000. Walter Hunt goes all-in (for about 2500). I call all-in, a dubious move that gets worse when Bruce shows AA (oops). Warren wins the main pot, Bruce the side, and my very tacky Cubs pin goes to Bruce. As to Omaha in Vegas, I was shocked – pleasantly shocked. In LA, the games are juicy. Yes, you have to play in a very boring way but it's usually a very profitable (albeit dull) experience. The games in Vegas were great! There were few RGPers and lots of fish. Except for one session (see below) I made at least a rack per session. I skip the banquet and have dinner with Schwartzy, Ploink and his wife and ClarkO at Landry's – a nice moderately priced seafood restaurant across from Palace Station. We then drove down to Bellagio but couldn't get in – the driveway was blocked. So we return to Binion's and await the thundering herd. Clark, Schwartzy and myself sit down to O8. Once before Clark & I played in the same O8 game (during Escargot, at Hollywood Park); while Clark was sitting in it we both lost. History repeated itself – Clark and I both lose. Clark gets up and I start winning (again). Clark's replacement, a non-RGPer tries to stump me in trivia while we're playing. I scoop two pots from him while answering his not-so-difficult questions and he is definitely on tilt! He moves from the 1 to 10 seat but I scoop another pot! (Sample question: what US state is furthest in each compass direction?) The only downside of the evening is that I can't get into the HORSEL game (I signed up at Binion's but no one leaves while I'm there). As not everyone attends the banquet perhaps an announcement can be made next year regarding such lists (or give everyone a chance to get in the games by random draw?). Overall, another wonderful Barge experience. The camaraderie, the wonderful people, the friendships and the atmosphere make up for the minor failings. But I'll still point those out: - The smoke. Like Lee Jones, I'm spoiled in California. Binion's was much worse than the Orleans or the Mirage. - Minor frustrations with the limit changes in the TOC. Probably unavoidable if the tournament is going to finish by 6pm. The only alternative is an earlier starting time, which isn't a great idea. - The food at Binion's. Other than the snack bar (thank goodness they had ice cream – twice it saved my throat), the buffet was awful. Yes, even CircusCircus compares favorably to Binion's (I never thought I'd say that!). But more than balancing these out are the significant positives, especially compared to last year: - Binion's wanted us. At least their poker room people did! We were treated extraordinarily well; they spread most (if not all) the games we wanted); the dealers were very good, and, as far as I know, they all want our business and acted that way. No comparison to the Orleans (1999). - The tournament structures were, overall, good. The NLHE, especially, had more-or-less slow increases in the blinds giving everyone play. - Binion's rooms were (on the Tower side) a pleasant surprise. It'll never be compared to the Ritz, but the rooms were large, pleasant, and relatively quiet. For $35 a good value. - My thanks to Chuck & Mike for putting this on. It's a ton of work. Maybe Mike will figure out who I am next year! - The friendships. I'm repeating myself -- but with reason. Finally, where else will such a great group of people come together? Of course, the answer is MARGE, FARGO, SARGE, TARGET and ESCARGOT! Not to mention BARGE 2001. --- Russ Fox