Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:17:28 -0600 From: Joe Long Subject: Trip Report OK, I didn't know a trip report was expected. I'll write one here, but it won't be as detailed as what some of you folks are producing. I bought my airline ticket before I knew there would be any Tuesday events, so didn't arrive until Wednesday. As I'd won my tournament buyins in one of the online "warmup" tourneys, I was now planning to play the Lowball tournament despite never having played Lowball before (except the occasional hand in a nickle-dime-quarter home game). My plane was late arriving, so I rushed to the Plaza to register and drop off my stuff, then rushed to the Venetian without even having time to shower and change (sorry, guys). I arrived at 6:58 for the 7:00 tourmanent! Nolan Dalla was at my table, and early on he limps and draws four cards! I drew one, and made an eight. No one else was in the hand, Nolan checks and I bet -- and get check-raised! After he drew FOUR!! Of course I call, and he shows his 74!!!!!! Ah, but he forgot about the "must bet a seven" rule so I didn't lose my post-draw bets. ; ^ > A little while later I'm dealt an eight and plan to stand pat, but a lady ahead of me stands pat ... so I commit the cardinal sin of breaking my eight and drawing. And I make a seven. I'm so sure she's going to bet after the draw, having stood pat, that when she checks I just knock the table in disbelief ... then remember the "must bet a seven" rule. Ah, well, no one bet and my seven won. I didn't last much longer after that, I went out somewhere in the middle, but I sure had a good time in my first BARGE tournament. I'd bought some "cherry buster" card protectors from Tanya, and gave one of the to the player who busted me (sorry, I don't recall the name as I'm writing this). After the tourney I got my first taste of a BARGE mixed game, at the 3-6 limit (about my speed). Had a ball, lost some money. I didn't play well, I was caught up in the BARGE atmosphere and played waaay too many hands and chased too much. Drew one card in 7-2 and thought "Wow, I've got a 64!" (no, that's not a typo -- read on). So I raise and stand pat on the second draw. Then it hits me -- 6432A! Ace is HIGH!! So I toss the Ace and draw one on the final draw. Confused the hell out of people, after raising and standing pat earlier in the hand. Ended up with a 9 low, not good enough. Oh, I looked for the "Virgins" karaoke, but didn't find them. Next day was the CHORSE. Nothing spectacular with my play, lost T13 my first round (Crazy Pineapple), won T20 or so my second round, and won about T50 my last round. At least I left my team a few more chips than I went in with. Again, had a ball. Next, the Stud Shootout. I feel that I'm an "OK" stud player, but I don't play it much, other than in HORSE. At any rate I couldn't seem to put a winning hand together more than once or twice, and my stack slowly dwindled and I went out somewhere in the middle (again). Back to a 3-6 mixed game. My first exposure to Bulagi (sp?). Was having my usual great time, then a controversy erupted. In the 7-2 game two players had to sit out, and there were "reserved" buttons put in front of the two players who sat out (just in front of the blinds). A player left the table and returned, and was told he had to post. He said he hadn't missed his blind. Several players started talking at once, the dealer was confused, and it ended up that the player being told to post picked up his chips and left. Then a couple of his friends left with him. Whereupon a couple of other players said they wouldn't stay now that the others had left. The table broke over a three-dollar blind (I'd have happily paid the blind myself to keep the table going). Ah, well. Too bad the dealer just didn't call the floor. After the table broke, I briefly joined a 1-2 pot limit "Blinglaha" game. What a wild experience that was. I'm just a low-limit recreational player, I don't keep a large bankroll. I sat down with the $75 I had brought over from the 3-6 game; everyone else had at least $500 in front of them. The pots were reaching $1,000. I knew I was in WAAY over my head, but it looked like fun, so I decided I'd play until I lost the $75 or doubled up. I went into "lockdown" mode, played as an absolute rock until I caught a promising hand. Well, it was promising indeed. I played AJ52 and the flop came JJ2. It doesn't get much better than that. I checked, another player bet the pot and I pushed (no need to slowplay, it was already down to heads-up and I didn't have much more than he'd already bet). So I doubled up. I played till my next blind and then left to find a game more within my means (and to free up the seat for a player who could "gamble it up" with the others). Oh, the only reason I got to play at all was that the other players graciously agreed to 1-2 blinds instead of the 2-5 they had been planning on -- one more time, thanks for doing that, I really appreciated it. Next day was the TOC. Tanya was on my left, and we both struggled early. She got all-in during a Hold'em round and flopped 234, to start one of her famous comebacks! I wasn't so lucky when I got on life support; I made my stand in an Omaha hand with A2, another wheel card, and one I forget, with the Ace suited. The flop came with only one low card, but I still had a shot at high and was close to pot-committed, so I saw the turn. The turn was a low card, I now had virtually no chance at high but had outs to a low (with good counterfeit protection). If I folded there I was as good as out anyway, so I called and the river was high. IGHN. So I ended up 0 for 4 in the tournaments. Hey, wait till next year! Because I was entered in the Pikes Peak Marathon Sunday, I had to go home Saturday, and didn't get to play in the final tournament. I did drop by the symposium, but I didn't buy anyone. Friday night I tried a 1-2 no-limit HE game for a while, and lost back what I'd won in the pot-limit. Then I played some 3-6 HE (and lost some more) while looking for a mixed 3-6 (none got started). About 3am I decided to call it a night, when I got cajoled into joining a 6-12 mixed game. I only bought in for $105 (three-dollar chips). I got up for a while, but the cards turned cold again and I dwindled down. When I lost the last of those chips I hung it up for this year's BARGE. Next year I'm bringing more money. ; ^ > Oh, BTW, I forgot to report in my earlier e-mail that I wore my BARGE Pink Hat during the Marathon. I got some, er, interesting comments about it. -- Joe Long