From: kubey@summit.engr.sgi.com (Ken Kubey) Subject: [BARGE] QB's 2002 BARGE trip report The story of my seventh BARGE. Hilarity ensues. Repeat. Tuesday, July 30th. --------------------- Lee Jones drops me off at the airport. Flight is okay. Get to the Horseshoe, check into my $15 room. One of the ADB guys hands me my very own cocktail clicker. That was so cool! I played in the HOP tournament. I had some sucky cards. I made two 8's in lowball. Both lost. My best high hand was a pair of K's that I folded pre-draw. At some point, Lou told me to roll my BARGE dice. They came up 6-3. Lou explained that that was good because 6 minus 3 was a good lowball hand. A three? Yes. Lou said that even a "rough three" would be pretty good. I played in the first pot-limit game. I thought I would beat up on this game, but I forgot that BARGErs don't play a stupidly as the guys on Paradise poker. A local at the table is complaining about something. Don Perry looks at the guy and says "Oh yeah? I was up until 4:00 and the only thing I've had to eat all week is hot gravel." <-- best line of BARGE. I lost $10 and was happy to be called for another game. I got into a fantastic 4-8 Omaha-8 game. Half kill to 6-12 on scoops. I had some terrific starting hands, but couldn't win a big pot. A guy in a red UNLV had was raising with pure crap and was hitting hand after hand. He was up to abut $500 in chips. I gave him my last $42 when his K-T-9-3 beat my AAQ2 (3 bets pre-flop) with K-K-J-T-X out. I left the game at 3:00 a.m. stuck $260. What a way to start the trip. Wednesday, July 31st --------------------- I walk by the Omaha-8 game at 9:30 a.m. UNLV guy is still there. He only has $200 left. Good. I heard that he was the big fish in the pot-limit game and that he lost over $1000 in the game. I'd love to hear details. I have breakfast at the snack bar. Do not order eggs at the snack bar. Everything else I had at the snack bar was good or great... soup, carrot cake, Philly cheese, hot dog. Eggs were terrible. Time for the TOC-style tournament. Corey is on my left. At some point, we discuss the importance of 3-betting 55 pre-flop. 3 rounds later, I'm dealt AKs and raise. Corey makes it 3 bets. I call. Before the flop hits, I say "No 5!" Flop is 10-10-X. I check and call planning to check-raise the turn. The turn is a 5. I check-raise, he makes it 3 bets. Suddenly, it is obvious to me that he indeed has 55. I fold my AKs face up. He shows Presto! Laughs all around. I'm barely holding on as we reach the break. To change my luck, I go to the room to bring back my lucky mouse (Cheezer). After the break, I win the first two hands and start drinking more. Ploink comes to my table and says "The rat scares the hell out of me and the stuffed animal scares me too." Steve Jacobs takes the seat to my left. He's all-in with a flush draw and pocket 2's in the Omaha round. Hits a 2 to survive. He goes on to finish 2nd. WAR. Seriously, if there's one guy I don't want to face in a BARGE tournament, Steve is that person. I'm drinking away. The cocktail waitress (Randee) is basically camping out behind me as I'm the only one drinking anything stronger that water. Sign #1 that you are drinking too much... When you have to borrow ones (thanks Rich) so that you can tip. I'm starting to build my stack. I bust two players in the Omaha round with Q's full. Paul M. gives me a white 1994 BARGE chip as his bounty. Cool. Another break. Outside the restroom, Dave Orr mentions that the urinals have a letter "K" on them. I ask him if he noticed what valve type they use. He says no. I know that most of the hotels use Royal valves, so I bet Dave $5 that the valves are made by Royal. Remember that I'm pretty drunk at this point. We go back into the restroom to check. Sloan valves. I say something about Binion's using cheap valves. I take a swipe at one and a metal cap falls off and clangs on the floor. We are laughing. I put the cap back on. We walk back out. We are both laughing really hard as I pay Dave $5 and continue my rant against Binion's and the Sloan valve company. It was something like "Damn Binion's and their cheap-ass Sloan valves." BARGE at it's best. Sign #2 that you are drinking too much... you've burned through Rich's $3 and someone offers to go downstairs to break a $20 bill for you. Thanks to whoever that was. Somewhere in here, Dave Tahajian shows up. I ask to borrow his duck. The duck and mouse have a short conversation. Dave says "I didn't know you were going to make them talk." Sign #3 that you are drinking too much... you can't completely reconstruct the hand you went out on. It was no-limit hold'em. We were down to about 17 players. I jammed pre-flop with A5o. I think it was folded to me on the button, but I'm not sure. Big blind calls. I don't like it. I turn up A5o. He shows K5o. Note: I am not at all sure about the flop, turn or river... Flop is about Q-T-3. Turn 9. The few active brain cells that I have left are concentrating on "NO KING". River is a jack. I give a tiny fist pump as I now have a big stack. Wait, the dealer mucks the board and pushes the pot to the other player. I complain and am told that the the K made a straight. I didn't see it at all. I still have my doubts despite being assured by Nolan and Mike Maurer that the pot was pushed correctly. I don't think I've ever been so bummed out in a poker tournament. I pick up my dice and mouse, head to my room and pass out. I'm happy to wake up and not be dead. I think I had between 8 and 12 7&7's during my 6 hours in the TOC. Win $70 in the Omaha-8 game. Don Perry is drinking white Russians. At some point, he says "I keep seeing cards that aren't even there." And then in his best "Sixth Sense" voice "I see dead cards!" Cracked us up. I pick up at about 2:00 a.m. I cash out, go to the restroom. Come back and see that the game has broken up! I *hate* when that happens. Don joins me for a late snack at the snack bar. He picks up the tab and gives the guy there a $7 tip on a $13 bill. I'm ready to get some sleep, but remember something about people playing craps. I wander to the other side to find Foldem, Ploink, Jerrod and Michelle shooting craps. I buy in for $40. We are winning and having a good time. I'm not drinking as I'm still trying to recover from all the TOC drinking. Things are going fine. I get the dice and roll a 10. We make some hardway 10 bets (betting that a roll of 5-5 will come up before a roll of 6-4 or 7). This bet pays 7-1 (should pay 8-1). A few rolls later, one of us bets a 3-way hard 10. The stickman hears "hopping hard 10" which is a one roll bet that pays 30-1 if 5-5 hits. Loses otherwise. I don't roll 5-5. They take the 3 chips away. TIME! An argument starts. Long story short, the other 4 pull off all of the bets they can. I feel obligated to finish my roll. Of course I hit the hard 10. A make a couple more passes and color up and leave the table. $110. Peter buys us $2.99 shrimp cocktails. Then we head over to the Las Vegas club. As you may know, I don't take the odds bets behind the pass line. Peter, Chris and Jerrod were happy to take those bets. As the dice went cold, I lost a little, but the other guys lost a lot from taking odds. Ploink made a nice hardway for me as did Michelle. Jerrod made a "6-way hard 10" bet. That's $1 for each of us and $1 for the dealers. Cool bet. There was also a "3-way hard sex" bet made, but I don't remember the details exactly. I won $8 more and called it a "night" at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, August 1st -------------------- I sleep in very late. Back to the Omaha and Omaha-8 games. The cards finally recognize the talent and I win $180. Adam is crushing the game too. To give you an idea of how good this game was... I fold AAA9. There are six players in in a raised pot. Six players in a raised pot in Omaha hi/lo. Only one of the six can have an ace. What are the other 5 playing? I get a ride to the Mirage with Rich even though I'm not going to the buffet. I play some nickel slots before cabbing to the airport to meet up with Sandi and her daughter Kris. Get Rental. We check in at Circus Circus. Kids everywhere! Friday, August 2nd ------------------ Sandi, Kris and I have breakfast at Binion's then head over to the Stratoshere tower. I valet park. We see the "Viva Las Vegas" show. Two drinks and a show for $12. Pretty good show too. Next we go up to the top to see the view and go on the Big Shot ride. Pretty serious security check before getting on the elevator. I have to empty my pockets into a bucket then put everything back. We look around at the view and then go to the ride. I can't find the tickets. I'm checking every pocket. Can't find 'em. Must have fallen out at the security check point. Geez, now I notice that my car keys are missing too. I'm really freaking out. I ask Sandi to check her purse one more time. She finds the tickets! About then, I realize that I don't have the car keys because you leave your keys with the valet. Disaster averted. Big Shot ride is fun. We driver over to the Rio to catch the 5:00 p.m. sky show. It's 5:02 when we get there. No show. Show is at 5:30. Whew! Shopping, ice cream, show. It's a free show with dancers, singers and floats on the ceiling. Pretty cool. I think the show is on 4, 5:30, 7, 8, 9, etc. Check your local listings. Sandi drops me off at the Golden Nugget for the calcutta. I shake hands with Doyle Brunson. That's a thrill. Rich Strauss, Jeff Seigal and I are once again doing our little "Wagon Wheel" syndicate. We spent about $340 for 12 horses. I thought this was our strongest stable ever. Sandi picks me up at 7:45 and we head over the the Excalibur for the "Tournament of Kings". Poker? No, knights, dragons, horses, eat dinner with your hands, that kind of thing. Great show and good food for $45 each. I highly recommend this one for kids. After the show, we play some arcade games. Playing the ping pong ball toss, I'm trying to hit a red cup to win a small prize. I have a couple of shots that just rim out. Another shot takes a wild hop off the rim of a cup and settles in a green cup. A green cup? Oh no! That's a extra large prize. We now have a two foot square Sponge Bob to take home. Kris is pleased. Upstairs we sign up for their slot club that covers about 7 different casinos. They have a $15 in chips for $10 deal. Okay, we do that. Oh wait. They are action chips. Can't cash 'em. Roulette? $15 on red, $14 on black, $1 on the greens. Black. $14 to Sandi. $7 on red, $7 on black. Black. $7 to Sandi. $4 on red, $3 on black... blah, blah. $29 cash. Not bad. We walk to the Luxor. Neat view of the inside of the pyramid. We walk to Mandalay Bay. We are tired. Take the tram back to the Luxor. Back to Circus^2. Bed. Saturday, August 3rd -------------------- Sandi drops me off at Binion's. Breakfast. Time for the big event. The no-limit hold'em tournament. My table is only medium brutal. I have virgins on my right and left, but they can plan. One of them finished 3rd or 4th, I think. Three horses out early including Bill Chen. Doh. I get ADB Timmy to buy back minutes before he busts out. Turns out that he gets his money back to the penny as his partner in the calcutta monies. The $500 bounty guy and Quick are both moved to my table. This is pretty exciting, but our table is broken before either one gets into much action. One hand has 3 limpers to the the blinds. Rob calls in the small blind. I check my gumbo (85o) in the big blind. Flop is J-5-3. Checked around. Turn 8. Ding! Rob bets T100. I raise to T300. That clears the field. Rob starts to think. I have not seen him get out of line at all. He raises me back T300 more. I have T700. I call hoping that we can check it down. I'm calling if he bets any river except a J or 3. River is a blank. We check. He has 85o too! Double Gumbo! Sandi drops in for about 2 minutes to say hello and heads back out for more sight-seeing. Later I get AQs UTG. I'm pretty short so I jam. Richard calls. This is not good. He has to be ahead. Yep, AKo. I start to gather my things. Flop is A-Q-X. I sit back down. Back to a medium stack. I find JJ in the small blind. Adam raises from the button. Adam has been playing really well all week. I'm thinking. I'm thinking about *folding*. No, I gotta go with this. I jam. Adam starts to think. Good. He doesn't have AA or KK. He eventually folds. He hinted at AQ. I'm not sure. Next round Adam jams. I find AQ and raise to isolate. It works. Adam has A5 and doesn't catch. He gives me a pretty $1 chip as his bounty. I'm not sure, but I think that's the first bounty I've collected in the no-limit event in 7 years. Quick busts out! Cheers all around. I'm getting quite short stacked again. I finally find an ace and jam. Michael Hunter has an easy no-look call in the big blind. He has 52s. I have A4o. 5 on the flop and I'm out in 43 place. I had AA twice, but under the gun both times and I only won the blinds. Other than that, I had pretty bad cards. Amazing that I hung on as long as I did. I stick around to watch the action. The energy in that room is incredible. I watch Nolan take a horrible beat with QQ over JJ for Andrew and a jack hitting on the river. Nolan took it hard, but took it well too. Down to 19 players. We still have 3 good horses left... Patti, Dieter and Bob Herlien. Bob goes out on the bubble on a coin flip hand. Oh well. He wanted to win the tournament, not crawl into the bottom money. Patti and Dieter ran into some big hands and finished 16th and 13th. A lipstick is found on the floor. No one claims it. It couldn't be Sandi's could it? It looks like her color. I take it with me. Turns out it *is* her lipstick. Ding! The final table is very exciting. Mike Maurer looks strong as does Gavin. But it's Andrew and Mike McBride in the finals. Andrew was a card away from winning the whole thing, but Mike survived and then went on to win. Congratulations Mike! To the Banquet. I thought the Carnac routine was great. Linda's talk was fine. Would have been nice if the bloopers could have been projected on the screen. Steves talk was good except for the A/V failure. I was on the projection crew in 6th grade. Anyone else? My food was good, but the veggie meal is a complete joke. Something has to be done about that. Time for Chowaha! I must have some tells. No one called when I had a winner. I got called every time I bluffed. I was down almost $200 and finally won a big pot to get to -$100. I think Lou was the only winner at the table. Maybe Beth. Beth won a monster pot with AA against my turned straight. Everyone at the table knew Beth had aces full on the river, but I just couldn't fold for $4 in a $100+ pot. Sunday, August 4th ------------------ Check out of kiddie land. Go for 14 inch $1.49 hot dog at Westward Ho. We check out Bellagio. I send Sandi and Kris to attack the Caesar's shops. I stay behind to play nickel slots. I win a chocolate coin in a trivia game for knowing one of the old names of Istanbul. Constantinople. I'm stuck $10 playing a Hollywood Squares slot. Suddenly, I hit a 500 coin jackpot! Woo hoo. Oh wait. That's only $25. Ah hell, woo hoo anyway! Next we walk over to Paris. Then we drive to the Venetian. Pretty hotel! Return rental. Airport. Buy a Beanie Baby. Sandi hits a nickel slot for 300 coins. $10 profit. I didn't see one BARGEr on my 9:10 p.m. flight back to San Jose. Weird. craps: won blackjack: did not play! live poker: lost - almost all at Chowaha slots: lost tournies: lost Looks like I should stick with craps. My trip highlights? #1 The Sloan valve story #2 Standing ovation for Chuck at the banquet #3 Everything else Most bizarre thing... #1 Eric "Jaeger" Holtman not drinking. Someone could have lost some serious money betting against *that*. I had a very good time at BARGE 2002. What a terrific group. You guys are nuts. I mean, you guys are *the* nuts! I still like Binion's Horseshoe, but I'll go *anywhere* for the next BARGE. Thanks to Chuck and Peter for bringing off a terrific event. Zimmers, we missed ya! Can I sign up for BARGE 2003 now? Ken Kubey kubey@engr.sgi.com (650) 933-3536