From: "Dave Lawful" <Dave.Lawful@AUC.TRW.Com>
Subject: Barge 2001 Trip Report from sam_6

Left Denver on Wednesday AM on Frontier Airlines incurring no meaningful
delay. Arrived Las Vegas around 9:15am. Eventually found the CAT bus pickup
and was able to take the 109 to the transit center, walking distance to the
Horseshoe for $1.75. I intended to expand my low R00ler experience this
BARGE and clearly was off on the right foot.

Hung around the Shoe a bit, meeting and greeting fellow BARGERs and BCCers.
Had to wait a while for a non-smoking room assignment so after checking my
bag with the bell desk I went to the poker room. Before I go I run into
Patrick Milligan, a major creative force behind BCC. Patrick gives me the
personal chip he made with my likeness for team BCC. No Holdem seats were
open so I sat down in a 2-5 stud game with almost all locals. Held split
queens a couple of times and everyone folded into my 3-rd street raise.  One
hand of note I held 3 to a club flush with two live high cards down. I limp
and four of us get to fourth street where I got another small club and it
was checked around. On fifth street the short stacked local to my immediate
right pairs his five bets and I call. We take a sixth card heads-up. Sixth
street is no help and I call another bet. Catch my flush on the river and
raise the local who only has two dollars left for the reraise. I call and am
shown quad fives. "You were lucky he didn't have more chips" Stated one of
the others at the table. (Like I would have re-raised again?) Naturally I
agreed. After I bet another flush and a big straight draws that didn't get
there I left the table stuck $80.

I finally get my room assignment but the room has not been cleaned so I
decide to head up the strip for some lunch and more low r00ling. I got off
the strip bus ($2.00) across the street from the new Aladdin and went over
to check it out. Actually I wanted to check out the lunch buffett that Las
Vegas Advisor put on their top ten things to do list. That and a
recommendation from my Dad was enough to get me to give it a try. For $15 I
was not disappointed. The Buffett was divided into sections with headings
like "Salads," "From the Sea," "Oriental," "Middle Eastern", "American," and
"Desserts." While if money is no object Bellagio and Paris may be better
than this buffett. This place was well worth it. Quality was quite high.  The
sea food section featured a nice selection of shrimp (large and already
pealed), crablegs, and sushi. The salads were wonderful, I tried the feta
and the caeser along with some marinated olives. The oriental section looked
quite good with several dim sum available and main dishes that were being
prepared in woks right behind the display. The American section featured
prime rib and roast turkey, great vegitable dishes too. I concentrated on
the Middle Eastern section with lamb shish-ka-bobs, humus, tomatoes stuffed
with ground lamb and spinach. Desserts were beautifly prepared and I was
able to find something that at least looked light.

Back on the strip bus to head for the Vacation Village free roll. Vacation
village was a pretty sad place. I was going to cash in of the airline ticket
promotion and the "take the bus" promotion. The airline ticket promo gets
you a sheet with match plays and free drink coupons and a free spin on a big
wheel where you can win anywhere from $1 to $100 or even a free night at the
LVC. The bus promotion gets you even more match plays, 3 for 2, and 7 for 5,
coupons. Also, if you stay for an hour they give you back bus fare ($1.50).
At one point the BJ dealer got a little pissed at me because I had so many
coupons to play. She told me I couldn't play any more coupons. A COUPON
BARRING!! Something that only must happen to low r00lers of the highest
caliber! I hadn't been in town a whole day and I had already experienced my
first coupon barring. Eat your heart out Jean Scott! I left LVV having paid
for lunch at the Aladdin. While I was getting my free bus fare envelope
validated in the pit to qualify I get shown a memo indicating that the bus
fare promotion was over on the 31st of July. Of course it was the first of
August but they honored it anyway. LVV is pretty much a dump. It would
probably be more fun with a bunch of BARGERs than alone. The free spin only
paid me $1. Thank goodness I did not win the free night there. There were
enough +EV plays to spend an hour there but no more.

Back to Binions on the 301 which got bogged down in traffic and quite
crowded mid-strip. I get cleaned up and head over to the Las Vegas Club to
participate in the Pre-Barge limit HE tournament. While waiting for the
tourney to start I got some big pairs cracked in the 2-4-8-8 holdem game
dropping another $70. The LVC was host to several "unoffical" BARGE events
this year and that was good of them. Stan Baker, (formerly of the
Stratosphere poker room) was trying to put together several tournaments for
BARGERS. Unfortunately so many other things were going on that I don't think
the poker tournaments were well attended. We only got one table but it was
fun nevertheless. After the tourney I headed back to Binions and was finally
able to cash +$45 in ghe 4-8 Holdem game before hitting the sack.

On Thursday morning after the poker room -- BJ pit comp drill I ate
breakfast. Then I was able to connect with my friends Mike McBride and Kelly
Felder who had dirven in from Denver for their first BARGE. We headed over
to Gambler's General Store to look around before heading out to the airport
to pick up my brother Fred. Fred's plane from Phoenix was right on time and
from the airport we headed to the strip to begin our funbook tour. I had
more low r00ling coupons and funbook instructions. We started at the Saharah
and moved to Circus Circus, Rivera, Slots-'o-fun, Stardust, and
New-Frontier. We basicly played +EV coupons the whole way. Coupons gone?
Time to move on. A splendid time was had by all, kidding around and not too
serious gambling. It took a lot longer than I expected however. I still have
funbook stuff left that we never got to.

We made it to the Mirage by about 4:30p. I sat down in a sweet 3-6 holdem
game It is so nice that the Mirage has gone non-smoking. I was commenting
about this at the table and received general agreement. One local sitting
next to me said that it was hard for him because he was a smoker. He also
told me that there was a rumor the Caeser's was going to open a poker room
and allow smoking in an attempt to grab the poker business from Mirage and
Bellagio. That sounded like wishful thinking on the part of a smoking poker
player but hey guy, there's always Binion's. I cashed up around $80 before
Mirage buffett time. The food at the buffett was the same this year. The
people were better than ever. It was so great to see my old friends,
particularly those of the Virgin class of '99. It was great to meet North
Shore Mike and introduce Mike and Kelly to some of my other friends. After
dinner we hit the Mirage poker room again. I sat down in another soft 3-6
game. After a while I picked up AhQh in the big blind. The early positions
folded, one call and a raise from middle position, at least one more call
before the small blind folded and I smooth called. The flop came Kh, Th,
blank. I lead into the field with 12 outs to the nuts. Two callers including
the initial raser saw the turn with me. The turn was the ever so royal Jh.  I
looked at my hand and checked, the next player checked and the original
raiser bet out this time. I called hoping to check raise the river and not
wanting to shut out the other player who folded nevertheless. The river was
an unprofitable card, another heart. I just checked as did the raiser who
showed me AQoff for the broadway. My first royal in a public cardroom. The
game was good and I continued to make my hands. Cashed out $95 ahead. We
gave Mike McManus a lift back to Binion's and I think nearly everyone else
went to bed.

Not wanting to go to bed right away I hung out in Binion's card room for a
while. There was not a 4-8 Hold'em seat for me but I noticed an open seat in
the 4-8 HORSE game full of r00ling Bargers. Figuring I was comfortable with
three of the five games and reasonably sure of starting cards for one more
the only game I really had my doubts about was Razz. (I took a seat to the
left of Nolan Dalla. Nolan was having a great time observing an Obnoxious
Drunk Player who was jabbering at the whole Lobah table behind us. Of
particular note was ADB Fitch who was trying desperately to ignore the ODP.
The expression on Fitch's speachless face had Nolan and I in stiches. This
HORSE game was one of the most fun games I played in all BARGE. The table
was lively and everyone was making the game fun. The swings seemed to be
large too. At one point Bob Ogus comes back from the men's room and buys in
for an additional $100. Bob starts talking about how there is even positive
EV going to the bathroom and proceeds to tell us about this drunk guy who
bet him something about that day's result in the NY Yankees game. The sports
book verified that Bob was right, the drunk paid off. Guess who the drunk
was? The same guy in the loud shirt with the louder voice who was
proclaiming his lobah prowess to all who would not listen. Back at the lobah
this ODP continued to prattle and now the whole table was silent wearing the
same expression as Fitch. Nolan and I were roaring. Overall in the HORSE
game I caught horrible cards in the games I knew. I did win one nice pot in
Razz on a stone cold bluff. I left the game down but had so much fun with
Nolan and the other Bargers at the table there was no sting in the loss.
(Hmm, isn't this how the fish is supposed to feel?)

The next morning came the TOC. I was pretty pleased with my play this year
mainly because I was able to survive and play while short-stacked most of
the day. At one point I lost all my chips but my last T500 to Peter Secor, I
believe it was an Omaha hand where I had overcommited myself and my draw did
not get there. Then through catching a series of great cards, and from time
to time some good play I was able to rebuild my stack to about T9500 before
the 8th level (round 16). Shortly before the 3rd break however I made some
steal attempts in stud that left me with T3600 by the start of level 10
(1000/2000 200 ante.) I was actually relieved when we got to the No-limit
rounds because it is easer to win a lot of chips in no limit. Part way
through level 10 our table was broken and I was moved to one of the last
three tables with only about 3K in chips. I took an empty seat on Jazbo's
left.  Because of the location of the Blinds they had to deal around me for
one hand. I picked up Presto on the first hand I got (cut-off seat) and
pushed in all my chips. I was able to scoop the blinds and antes for another
lap of the button. The antes had whittled down my stack again when It was my
turn to put in the big blind. It was folded to Jazbo who had plenty of
chips. I was forced to play all my chips with these to cards or get blinded
and anted out over the next two hands. I chose to play 5c6c and the flop
looked pretty good with both a 5 and a 6 hitting me for two pair. Jazbo was
playing As3s and made the flush on the river. IGHN 25th no cash. But very
close like last year.

That nights team C-HORSE event was fun. It was great to meet Roy Cooke.
After I looked at the lineup for Holdem I was glad I had relinquished my
seat to Roy and played Omaha/8 for the BCC. BCC made a good showing this our
first year with our stack gradually growing each round. I know Timmer had a
particularly nice round in Stud/8 early and in the next to the last round
Randy did pretty well in Pinapple and I must have won 3 or four pots, a
coulple of them scoops. Our sideline assessment was that going into the last
round we were ahead. Then the bleeding started. We were already down some
when I got the stack. Although my Omaha experience is somewhat limited I
have never picked up so many premium O8 hands and have all of them miss so
partially. Just good enough to keep drawing to the nuts. Board not good
enough to catch. I also made at least one terrible call on the end that did
not help matters. All-in-all team BCC cashed which is a better way to go
home. Peter, thanks for making the arrangements for this event again this
year.

The next morning was the big one. I failed to make it to the first break
again this year. I held my own through the early rounds. Catching some
hands. One minor mistake when I bet into the Bubble Girl's pocket kings. I
know I frustrated Chuck Weinstock by picking up good hands almost whenever
he wanted to play. I even made a straight with Presto (although the pair
itself would have won the hand that was checked down until I bet the river)
I beat big slick and won with it too. Then, two off the big blind I merely
called with presto. (Man I picked up that hand a lot this year. I had thrown
it away at least once before that day.) I was also messing with the wrong
big stack in the big blind. The button and the SB folded and the big blind
and I saw the flop. The blind bet and I (who had told myself before the flop
"no set, no bet" ) put a misread on my opponent and thought." That is a chip
position play! He did not pair either of the two overcards that hit the flop
so even though he is the big stack I can push him off by putting all my
chips in. Even if he calls I still have him beat with two cards to come."
What was I thinking?! Of course he had a larger pair. IGHN.

Later that afternoon I tried my hand at the LVC again. Fred and I sat down
in a fairly short handed game. The floor was trying to keep it going by
proping one seat behind me. There was however one live one, and a
subsequently two more joined the action. These guys would play literally any
to cards and almost always call to the end. They played nearly every hand
too. Naturally one of them cracked my pocket kings with Q5 off (flopped two
pair) but with a little patience that game paid. I returned to Binion's in
time to do a walk by toking where some of my friends including Mike McBride
were trying to bust the dealer's pocket with tokes. I sat down in a less
desireable 4-8 HE game and cashed up slightly before it was time to head
back upstairs and change for dinner.

Phil Hellmuth gained my respect for his goodnatured humor and his
willingness to stand in front of all of us and take responsibility for some
of the awful behavior that he has been know for in the past. Basicly the man
acknowledged that he needed to grow up. And he's much better about it now.
That's a tough thing to admit to a live audience. I hope you can keep in
control in the future Phil. I'm rooting for you.

 I sat down in the must move chowaha game after dinner and blew off chips
until I felt I had put enough into what would end up in the toke buckets.

I sat down in and Omaha/8 game but was called almost right away for holdem.
It turned out it was a R00ling 4-8 holdem table. full of Bargers and some
others. There is certainly one live one at the table. One of the most fun
games I played in. Wise cracking all morning. I was getting pretty tired
though. One of my most memorable hands of Barge was played at that table.
I'm in middle position. I am checking my cards one by one as they are delt
to me, first card is 5s, next card I pick up I just lift the corner enough
to see that it too is a black five. It is folded to me, at this point there
was a substantial amount of limping in the game and I figured that there was
a pretty good chance that others would limp if I did too. Sure enough two
more limpers and both the blinds come. I pray for a set. The flop comes with
a high card, K, a red 5 and something else that did not matter to me at the
time. I check raise the flop and get a couple of callers. Lead to the end
and am called by the live-one. Just as I am forming the word "presto!" with
my mouth I flip over my cards to reveal one black 5 and one red King!
Evidently I looked at the same card twice. I r00l anyway winning with two
pair!

The following morning I get up and have breakfast at the Deli with Russ
Rosenblum and Jazbo Burns. Kevin Un passes by schlepping his baggage heading
to check out and mentions that he is going to Bellagio. I decide to go with,
saying so-long to Russ and Jazbo. At the door we meet Randy Collack who
decides to come along. While we are leaving the Valet I spot Bob Ogus and
wave good by until next year. Our conversation on the way to Bellagio
centered around this year's Barge. We had all been virgins in '99. The
consensus was that our first couple of Barge's we tended to focus on poker
and the tournaments but all of us concluded that this Barge was for us as
much about the people. Seeing old friends, making new ones. I myself like
how individuals step forward to make their own contribution to the Barge
community. It is always great when people step up and do something in the
Barge spirit, just because they want to.

At Bellagio we part ways and I wander off looking for trinkets for the kids.
I decide that Monte Carlo gift shops may have more to offfer a couple of
boys ages 6 and 11 so I jump on the tram. I find a couple of keychain
calculators that look like they will do and stick my head in the poker room.
The holdem game does not look that great so I wheel my bag over to Excalibur
because I need a chip for my collection.

At Excalibur I check my bag with the bell man and go to the poker room.
There looks to be a seat in the holdem game and I ask the floor what limits
they are spreading. 2-6 any time is the response. I hope my face did not
reveal what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, "Why on God's green
earth would you spread limits like that when you could have a structured
game? In Colorado where I come from the casios are restricted from games
where a single bet is more than $5 and everyone spreads $2-$5. Most decent
players hate it! Why!? Why!? Why!?" Instead I just said. "I'll take a rack
of white." I join the game which has a single $2 blind and am not required
to post. On my immediate right is none other than the r00ling Bob Ogus.
Didn't we just say goodbye? Bob points out the local rock in the 9 seat.
This game is good, lots of limping not much pre flop raising. There is one
bizarre feature. If you get AA or KK cracked, you get a free spin on a wheel
with payouts anywhere from 10 to 100. At one point Bob and I figure the
average spin is worth about $25. I never got to spin but I did make someone
else do it. Shortly after I sit down I look a pocket eights from middle
position. But Bob raises when it is his action. Would I like to play eights
against Bob acting after his raise? I think. Perhaps I should raise, we
might get to play heads-up. If I smooth call the rock will be out any way
and the weak players could come too. I call. Only one other guy and the
blinds call. The flop comes 6 7 8 rainbow. I look up and the late position
caller is showing his cards to his wife. I believed it more likely that he
flopped a set and not a straight because of the instantanious recognition in
her eyes that he has a hand. Straights are harder to see af first glance.
Two pair would not be good enough to show his wife. Besides he did call a
preflop raise and I thought would be more likely to play a pair of sixes or
sevens than middle cards in sequence.  I think Bob bet and I raised although
I could have had first action. Man with wife and tell re-raises, the rest of
the field drops and I make it $24 and am called. Turn is 7. I bet, man with
wife just calls. Well if he has the Scottro (77) hand more power to him. I
put him on sixes however because he just called and I bet the river. He
calls and I show my eights full, he still is proud of those pocket sixes and
shows smaller full house. I make big deal about "set over set" and how that
almost never happens. Man with wife buys more chips. Before I have to leave
I make one bad call on the river but also win two more pots. One hand I have
AQ suited and end up making KK spin the wheel when I get two pair on turn
and fill on river.  I cash out around +$75 for just about an hour of play.

I make it to the airport in plenty of time to board my plane which is
running an hour late. After we take off I finally take the time to look at
that CardPlayer I picked up. I'm flipping through and see Roy Cooke's face
and remember how gracious he was when I asked him to autograph my copy of
his book. The next page I flip to I see Phil Hellmuth's face. "I met him
too" I think to myself. Flipping the page again I see Nolan Dalla's face.
"Oh yeah, I had the best time playing HORSE with him." I think. And as my
eye starts to scan down the page of Nolan'a article I see Russell Rosenblum,
Barry Tannenbaum, and Crunch are all mentioned. Yep, Barge is about the
people. I can't wait for next year!

Dave Lawful
sam_6