From: sabyl
Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 20:25:46 -0700
Subject: [BARGE] very long trip report

	Every BARGE feels like the best BARGE ever so I guess it's a
9-way tie for best BARGE ever from 1998-2006.  Next year will mark a
decade of going to BARGE and I am so looking forward to it already.  

	I did not take notes and I don't have the best memory but I
will do my best to hit all the highlights.

Hotel Review:
	We stayed at Ballys for BARGE because when we found out BARGE
would be at Caesars Palace, Harrahs.com gave us a free room at Ballys
but not at Caesars.  But, Ballys is right across the street so no big
deal.  By the time we found out BARGE would be at the Venetian it was
to late to change to Harrahs, which is closer.  

Well a brief review of Ballys for those into that kind of thing.  We
got a room on the 25th floor (I think) that had a partial view of the
Bellagio fountains and the strip.  The room was huge.  The bedding was
standard hotel issue bedding.  All and all we found the room quite
acceptable.  However, the one morning I decided to order room service
I was sorely disappointed.  I ordered a bagel and lox platter and the
lox tasted at a minimum not fresh and perhaps even bad.  So I ended up
not eating all that much.  I would have called to complain but we had
to get to the Venetian for team CHORSE.

Wednesday:
	Steve and I had just decided the day before to head out to the
Egg & I for breakfast with the group.  This was in part because I
shipped something to Adam Bachrach's house since I wasn't going to be
home for a month and it had just got in.  It was the most convenient
place for me to get the package.  But it would also be nice and social
and while I am not a morning person, good breakfasts are my favorite
meals.  Steve and I shared a table with Caryl and David Aronson and
they were delightful to talk to as always.  I can't remember what I
ordered but it was quite good and way too much food.  I was wondering
why we hadn't gotten the check yet when I was informed the tab had
been picked up - Thanks Ice - it was a very nice treat and a pleasant
surprise.

	During the afternoon I had to deal with running some errands,
so off we went errand running.

	Dinner was a Nine.  Excellent steakhouse at the Palms.  I
failed to order the excellent lobster bisque because I thought we
could get our entrees quicker that way so we could make it in time to
the lowball tournament.  Sadly that was not the case, so I got to
watch other people eating bisque and salads while we waited for our
entrée.  Steve and I shared a steak and then each got a baked potato.
Excellent steak - it was a bone-in filet which I had never had before.
The check came and the table wanted to split it evenly.  I know they
thought I was cheap when I objected, but many of them had ordered
alcohol and appetizers and soups/salads and individual entrees.  I had
half an entrée and one side dish, as did Steve, and no alcohol.  So
sorry guys, but it wouldn't be fair.  However, I will sometimes take
the worst of it in credit card roulette :.  Just not when there is a
huge difference.  But the meal was excellent.

Then it was off to the lowball tournament.  I had high hopes for this
one since lowball is a game I actually have played a lot of and
understand how to play pretty well.  But I was no match for Kenny Shei
and his amazing drawing abilities.  I was doing quite well, holding up
against the likes of Gavin and Andy Bloch - but Kenny's luck and
strong play was too much for me and I was crippled at that table.  I
went out shortly before the bubble in an uneventful pot committed sort
of way.

Somehow I decided it would be fun to play Bing-la-ha this year.   Now
last year the blinds were $1-$2 and pots were up to $5k, maybe even
more, at times.  So I passed on playing.  This year the blinds were
$2-$5 and I think this looks like so much fun.  I really want to play
in a game I have no idea how to play for decent amounts of money.  So
what's a girl to do.  Well I ask Bill if he wants to back me in this
game as part of our normal backing arrangement.  He looks at the
line-up and I guess figures I can't be in too bad shape and agrees.
Somehow I manage to break 100% even at the end of the night.  Not sure
how that was possible - but I did not lose or win $1 and I was
officially exhausted when I quit at about 3:00 am.  The two pots I
remember are one where Nolan finally decided he had had enough and
basically puts his money in the pot blind and says he raises the pot
until he is all in no matter what.  I am on the button if I recall. So
Ploink raises in front of me.  I forget my exact hand now but it was
something like A35K or the likes with a suited ace.  If Ploink had
folded I am in no matter what.  But now I go into the tank because I
know I am committing my stack on this hand too.  Terrence decides that
whatever I am thinking about must be playable here and without seeing
my hand says he will take ½ my action on the hand.  OK, with the
variance reduction I call.  Sadly I lose, but am not broke since I get
half my investment back.  The other hand I remember doubled me up.  I
had another A2 s00ted kind of hand and flop the nut flush with the nut
low.  Yes - made on the flop - no draw - I flop the stone cold nuts.
The non-BARGER, Darren (??), thinks a bit when I raise all in and says
out loud "I don't see how I can't have the best hand here" and calls.
Now I think maybe he has a set with the nut low or something.  He asks
if I want to run it three times, and being a fan of variance
reduction, I say yes.  But he doesn't like to turn up his cards until
the hand is over.  So all I am thinking is don't pair the board.  Well
he had the king high flush and was drawing dead as it turned out, so I
sc00p.  He probably didn't put me on the ace high flush because I did
not raise preflop.  Binglaha was fun and I vow to play it some more.
Oh and I also discovered a value in the poker room. For $11 (keep in
mind a hot dog is $10) I got a bagel and lox platter that comes with
two bagels and the works.  It is very shareable and the lox was fresh
unlike the lox at Ballys.

Thursday
As others have observed, parking at the Venetian was a bit of a pain
and given we were already running late, we got there after the team
CHORSE event started.  Fortunately my game was not the first game or I
guess we would have been doing some swapping of games.  I played the
stud 8 round where I twice failed to realize that bluffing Grizz on
7th is a hopeless cause.  I should have given up on my missed monsters
but I bet anyway - instead I should have checked and basked in the
knowledge that had I got there I would have been paid off.  I won
money for the team the first round, lost some the second round, and
busted the stud component of our team the third round after Bill left
us crippled.  When all was said and done - we sucked.  Two bracelets
on our team, two second place almost bracelet winners on our team, two
women who both cashed in WSOP events this year, and Mr. M - you would
think our team was a lock to win - WRONG!!! But it was fun
none-the-less.

After CHORSE it was off to sushi - yummerz!!!!  While I prefer my
orgasms a bit quieter than the screaming orgasms offered, such
delights as a Cherry Blossom and Japanese Burritos were excellent. And
even though I don't usually like shrimp, I tried one roll with shrimp
that was amazingly good.  The company was great, the food was good,
looking forward to going again next year.

	And then it was the stud shootout.  I thought for sure I would
have an early death this year.  For one I was exhausted and still
recovering from a cold.  Also, my ability to remember live and dead
cards needs work again since I haven't played stud in awhile.  And
third, well let's face it, tournaments take luck as well as skill. And
I had been very lucky in this event the last two years coming in 2nd
and 1st.  I figured there was nowhere to go but down and that down
would mean not beating my table.  Well as fate would have it I won my
table.  I admit that stud games have always been good for me, but I
also feel really lucky to win my first table 3 years running.  I was
up against Don Condit heads up for the 2nd time as well (Our first
match was at ESCARGOT in the no-limit shootout).  He played well, I
just caught cards heads up.  The final table was actually a final two
tables.  I made it to the official final table, still quite exhausted.
Patti and I were informed by Gavin that we were the worst stud players
in the world.  He might have been right about me given my skill level
that night.  But I still outlasted him, which shows it is better to be
lucky than good.  The highlight hand was when Patti, Gavin and I were
in a pot that I had bet strongly the whole way with just a pair of
buried twos.  I picked up some sort of draw so I had to stay in when
Patti got aggressive on 5th I think.  I never improved and took the
whole pot in a three way showdown with just the deuces.  I came in
6th.  So I did go down, but not bad at all.  However I was completely
exhausted and dreaded getting up in the morning for the TOC.  

Friday
Time for the TOC at 11 AM - bleh!  Way too early and I am way too
exhausted.  I am secretly hoping to bust out early because then I can
go take a nap.  Despite the fact that I don't think I played it very
well I kept surviving.  I was still in when it was time for the
symposium.  I had hoped to participate in it this year, but exhaustion
got the best of me (and Steve). So we borrowed Bill's room key and
took an hour nap.  Then we went and grabbed a bite at Café Lux, which
was pretty good.  Then back for the TOC.  I basically busted myself
almost immediately when we switched to no-limit.  Leslie, James
Kittock's very sweet wife, raised under the gun.  At the time I did
not realize she was James' wife so I saw a weak raise earlier under
the gun as a sign she was loose.  Instead I think it meant she wanted
to make a stand before her blinds; had I made the James-Leslie
connection I might have figured out.  So anyway when she raised, I
jammed back with KJo, a hand I would normally fold to the UTG raise.
Doh!  She had AKo and IGHN.  But that meant I could go sleep.  But
wait, tonight's the wedding and craps crawl and all that.  Oh man!!!
But I was really about ready to pass out so Steve went and dropped the
Crosens downtown and came back and got me and off to sleep we went.
But Amy and Chris - I am so very sorry I missed the wedding.  I should
have found a way to bust out early in the day so I could have caught
up on much needed sleep.  Grizz, I would love a copy if you filmed it.
Saturday
	I felt well rested - yay!!!  Given the majority of BARGER's
were out getting drunk until very late I was in good shape for the NL.
I honestly don't remember any key hands, except for one where Foldem
laid down QQ to me preflop.  I won't say what I had, though I did tell
Foldem.  So Peter, shhhhhhh.  It was exciting to make the final table,
as the last time I made the final table in this event was, oh, let me
think - never!!  So Woo-hoo!  Also, getting to play next to Adam when
we were down to two tables was a treat.  He was so excited and I was
so happy for him.  The final table was basically a jam or fold fest,
as others have mentioned.  This was unfortunate.  I lost a big pot to
Andrew where I jammed with AQ and he woke up with KK behind me - I
failed to spike an ace - the site was not rigged - oh well.  I came in
7th and once again was the last woman standing.

Phil, your talk at the banquet was hilarious, though the info on
getting published and handling Mason was more than I needed to know.
Oz, it was great talking to you at dinner.  

	After the banquet, I decided to play Bing-la-ha in the
reindeer games.  I drooled when I saw Chic on the list for the game.
But Chic actually played tight for Chic.  I think Chic is improving.
Wait, did I just say that.  And the universe is not collapsing.
Seriously Chic, I heard from others you had improved as well.  But the
game was fun.  I lost my first buy-in right away with a nut flush draw
and a super-straight draw to Michael Hunter's nut(?) straight.  We ran
it three times, but no help for me.  Bought in again.  Chatted with
Sharon and Amy quite a bit.  Wish I had gotten to know Amy before this
BARGE as she is a true sweetheart.  I wish Amy and Chris many happy
years together.  I won some more pots along the way but I was too
drunk and tired to remember how.  I just know I was up $800 at the end
of the night.  Bill reluctantly backed me again (he knows I don't
usually do well Saturday night because I drink and I play tired and I
want to have fun, etc, etc.  Oh, Foldem came and played Sharon's chips
for awhile. Even though he knew how she would play, he wouldn't play
that way.  We are not sure what the end result would have been but she
would have won more on some hands and lost more on others.  But later
I realized I screwed up.  I should have had Peter play my hands and I
should have played Sharon's.  It would have been more fun for me to
get to play Sharon style.  And now I get to say what will get howls of
laughter from many reading this - but, Sharon is underrated.  I heard
her reasoning on some of her hands.  While she may be having fun, she
does get most of the concepts.  So there!!  I said it and I stand by
what I said.

Conclusion
	BARGE was a blast.  Thank you Peter and Chuck for all your
hard work in pulling this off.  I loved playing at the Venetian.
Thanks to Kathy and Tom and all the others at the Venetian, including
all the dealers who got us.  My only regret is not getting to talk to
more people.  I always feel there are so many BARGERS I wanted to chat
with and didn't.  Frank, I know you said you wanted to talk to me, and
I am sorry we didn't talk.  The new group of ARGERS were great and I
had fun playing with many of them.  Jeff Landgraf and Daniel Lykins
who came in 1st and 2nd in the stud shootout played a good game.  So
did many others I forget.  Only 11 more months until BARGE 2007 -
woohoo!!


From: sabyl
Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2006 01:01:01 -0700
Subject: [BARGE] St. Bling Bling makes a dare

I did leave something out of my trip report that I hinted at in an
earlier live journal, so I thought I would share. . .

In the lowball tournament, Bill came up to me and said he would give
me $20 bucks for raising under the gun in the dark.  So I did.  It was
three bet and I called that too.  I then proceeded to draw 5.  Now in
a movie or a good story, I would have made a hand and won.  But
instead, despite ditching 5 cards 10 or higher I caught a pair of
kings and lost.  But I did make $20 bucks and it was early enough in
the tournament that it didn't hurt me much.

So fast forward to the TOC.  I am UTG with Steve Nissman in the BB.  I
ask Bill if I raise dark UTG if he will give me $20.  This time he
says he will give me $10.  But the guy next to Bill (I forget who???)
offered another $10.  So I did and to make a bad story I completely
don't remember what happened though I suspect Nissman won.  Any help
on this story is good.

What makes the dares so good is I got $40 bucks and lost a fraction of
that in tournament EV because the buy-ins were so small.  I am pretty
sure I got the best of it. 

Thanks St. Bling Bling!