From: "David S. Heller" To: Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2003 12:19:34 -0700 Subject: [BARGE] Trip report A week of good times and bad beats. And no, I won't pay you for reading this. You already have all my chips, anyway. ***Bad Beat #0*** Before I even left for Vegas, I got an e-mail from Don Perry that he couldn't make it to BARGE. Aside from missing Don's wit, charm, and joviality, he was the spiritual leader of our CHORSE team. We missed him very much, and we got KILLED. More on that below. Reached McC airport after an uneventful flight. *** Bad Beat #1 *** Car reservation was screwed up, and they had no itty bitty cheap cars. I had to take a larger more expensive car, or walk. I took the car. P.S. They actually told me that if I didn't have 2 phone numbers, they couldn't rent me a car. THRIFTY SUCKS!!! Their customer base has decreased by 1.0. Picked up Phil Gustafson, to whom I was giving a ride, and hit the road to Binion's. Reached the 'Shoe and checked in. *** Bad Beat #2 (minor) *** Room is on the 5th floor. Dramatic view is of the pipes and scaffolding that hold up the roof over Fremont Street. Interesting for a few seconds, then just plain weird. Spot Kevin Un in the poker room, pick up another BARGer or 2, and off to buffet and poker at the Mirage. Dinner was great, the company was great, the 3-6 hold'em game was soft, and *** Bad Beat #3 *** The Mirage 3-6 game was suckout city. Bad cards to me, and the few good cards never hold up. I actually won 1 pot, and stole 2, and that was all the chips I dragged all night. River rats were swarming the place. I felt like calling Orkin. Back to the 'Shoe in time for CHORSE. *** Bad Beat #4 *** World Champion Linda Johnson is sitting two to my right at the Razz table. Ah, you think, having her on my right is better than on my left? Doesn't matter, 'cause she always knows what I'm going to do before I do anyway. Thank goodness she didn't get many good cards. Then there's Mad Mary, and Russ Fox, and Ploink, and Scottro, and Gavin, and -- you know that saying about looking around and wondering who the fish is...? I did make one significant mistake: late in the game, we were getting pretty short on chips, and I raised the bring-in. By the time it got back to me, it had been raised (by Ploink or Scottro, I can't remember) and then re-raised by Linda Johnson. I debated and then called. I felt like I needed to catch a break and was hoping for a good "flop". Didn't get it: BRICK. Then I thought -- hmmm. Scottro been pretty aggressive, and I ain't gonna see 7th street cheap if I stay; Linda hasn't played a hand in ages, and she's probably got something. Shoulda thought of this before I called last round. I fold to the bet. I actually finished each round of razz with more chips than I began it. Unfortunately, some of my teammates did not fare so well. We got wasted. But damn it was fun! I wandered over to the 2-4 hold'em game, something new for me. I've never played in California, but I can only say it must feel like the 2-4 game at Binion's. Preflop raising everywhere, preflop calling everywhere. At one point I was up half a rack of white, then *** Bad Beat # 5 (self-inflicted) *** It got to be REALLY late and I got REALLY sleepy, and I threw back 3/4 of a rack playing badly. I finally came to my senses, and got up and went to bed around 4 am. *** Bad Beat #6 (self-inflicted) *** I awoke abruptly at 9 am and couldn't go back to sleep. So I got up and had breakfast and went off to the poker wars. This was the pattern each day, so I was running on very little sleep. Yeah, yeah, I'm a piker compared to those who don't sleep at all during BARGE. But for me, this was very little sleep and my memory wasn't working too well then, so... The next few days are pretty blurry; I'll pass along some vignettes that probably are not in chronological order: BARGE is: Participating in a tournament strategy discussion (well, mostly I listened like a little sponge) with Bill Chen and Perry Friedman. Listening like a little sponge again while Chris Ferguson and Bill Chen talked about pareto optimality, and actually sort of knowing what that is, but not exactly how to spell it. Having Andrew Prock and Bill explain eigenvalues to me, and sort of understanding it. Busting out of the tournament with K-10 suited versus 44, with a 10-high flop and a 4 on the river. (I'm not calling this a bad beat because the 44 was a slight favorite preflop, though I called a raise that put me all in on the flop, at which point I was a heavy favorite). Having a sandwich and a piece of pie with Linda Johnson and Nolan Dalla, and thinking again what a gracious lady Linda is, and how lucky Binion's is to have hired Nolan. Discussing life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, free will, and determinism with Perry Friedman, and donating to him a Get Out of Jail Free card to hand to his wife in time of need. Playing poker for 5 straight days and getting AA just once, and AK suited not all -- and yes, AA did hold up. Sitting in a 2-4 chowaha game with Howard Lederer on my right and Chris Ferguson across the table from me; winning a pot from Chris (I woulda had those chips bronzed, but I lost 'em) when he wasn't paying attention because he was building the most amazing chip castle in the history of the world; losing repeatedly to Howard; toking half a pot to the dealer; and having a heck of a good time throughout. Soaking up poker wisdom for 4 days, seeing old friends and making new ones. Kudos to Chuck, Peter, Mike (in abstentia -- come back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean!!!) and to Binion's. Barge 2004 is on my calendar already. ________ Thanks to PokerStars, Paradise Poker, and Quiotix Technologies for their generous sponsorship of BARGE 2003.