From: "Bob Ogus" Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 18:16:28 -0400 Subject: [BARGE] BARGE Trip Report (Long) and the first update This was my 7th BARGE. Last year I tilted Phil Gordon and enjoyed a few minutes of fun in front of 200 plus of my closest poker friends. That was great. This BARGE was even better. Started my annual preparation (reading and studying poker) in March by buying what I thought was the newest book by Russ and Scottro (Mastering No Limit HE) only to find out it was published a few years ago. Review other books on HE and O-8. I arrived a week early and check in at Binions's. Once again, I am on my own as my wife stays home with the Akitas and takes time to attend her annual August excursion - at U of Florida Vet School Symposium on - what else - dogs! I had spent Memorial Day Weekend in Vegas courtesy of my job so was not as surprised at the improvements in the Casino. Hope the sale goes through and the new owners live up to the promise to renovate the rooms - and the AC. BTW, I play mostly at the Venetian and the Orleans (O-8). The staff at the Venetian remembers us with positive feelings - they inquire if we are coming back for BARGE. I plead ignorance. The weekend proves to be a good rehearsal for BARGE as I book my first solid win at NLHE. Back to BARGE and Binions's. My room was clean and had new carpet. AC was effective from late evening through early morning. Fit my schedule. Met up with Adam All Knight and spent time playing NLHE at the Venetian with him and Steve (another LV resident whose last name I continually forget). My apologies. Especially since I crack his Aces with my Kings when I hit a King on the turn. Book the first of five winning sessions at the Venetian. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then Monday. Friday I also play O-8 at the Orleans and meet Randy and Rick (Mambo to Adam). Buy into O-8 Tourney with winnings and fade quickly. Back to the Venetian. Quickly. I win a considerable amount despite having multiple 30 minute chair massages each session. The 1-2 NLHE games are soft. (I won didn't I?) And toking the dealers and floor folks liberally. Floor personnel all help me by sweating the players at each table and alerting me when regulars join my table. Even point out good players. Saturday I join the gang at Big Al's in the Orleans for dinner. This year the group was smaller although the company 0- and conversation - was fantastic. Meet Ron the Virgin Queen. Group will meet another day (who remembers specifics?) at the MGM for NLHE where I lose some. I also play at Caesars where I join the $65 NLHE tourney. First major bust out. First hand. I am in small blind. Look down at pocket 6s. Raise to 4XBB. Big Blind calls as does one other player who had limped. Flop is 2-6-9 rainbow. Bet $500 ($3000 start.) BB calls; player folds. Turn is a Jack off suit. Bet $1000. BB goes all in. I call. He had slow played pocket 9s. Busted. Play 1-3 NLHE. Meet Norwegian Ultimate Fighter (on my left) in town to fight later in August. Interesting guy whose play is maniac. Also present (on my right) is one of many very attractive ladies I see playing poker this trip. When Pussycat Girls walk through Poker Room (a daily event) to get to nightclub, she is more interested in them than the men. Norway makes comment which leads to an interesting discussion. Especially when their girlfriends show up later. Both super attractive. Five way conversation between hands is very interesting. (FYI: My wife and I have many friends with different life styles.) I mention a few places in town and in Miami and NYC where all would be comfortable. TOPS in Miami is one where all of us have had good times in the past. FYI: Parking and poker at Caesars is not easy although I do book a small win. Will not go back. BARGE begins. I play in all but the stud tournament. Actually I contribute. Enough said. Most significant highlight of BARGE occurs during Lowbah tourney when Gavin joins my table. Gavin looks at me and says "Bob O. How are you?" A few hands pass. Gavin says: "Bob O.heard you had some health problems this year. Glad you are okay." A few hands pass. Gavin says: "Bob O - you weigh too much." A few hands pass. Gavin says: "Bob O - what do you weigh?" Answer: "310 +/-" Gavin says: That is too much. A few hands pass. Gavin says: "Bob O - What should you weigh?" After discussion, we agree on 240. A few hands pass. Gavin says: "70 pounds..too much." A few hands pass. Gavin says: "Bob O - I offer you a free roll. If you weigh 255 on the first day of BARGE next year, I give you $10,000." I am stunned. I have known Gavin as a fellow BARGer but not being an ABD we have not been close. He has always struck me as a good guy but this is unreal. This really moves me. He obviously is doing this to help motivate me and can only be doing this out of friendship. BARGE RULES!!!! We shake hands. I bust out 11th. It does not matter. I have been handed a golden opportunity. This is far better than my 15 minutes with Gordon - and the gift Gavin offers is far greater than the watch I got from Phil. Thank you Gavin. (FYI: I called the real Betty Ann the next morning. She told me to thank Gavin which I did. We made plans to start Monday the 6ht of August. First thing I did after coming home was weigh in - 310 on the nose. 55 pounds to go.) Back to BARGE. Went to Smoker at the Goldman's. Lucked out. Bought a bottle of Merlot to contribute. Chose Sharon's favorite - an Australian wine the name of which is lost in the fog of the great drinks and cigars they served. (Dan - can you please help me?) Fantastic evening. News of the free roll had spread and offers of encouragement - and help - come from friends. Thanks to all. Poker at the Shoe was great. Not as good for me as NLHE at the Venetian but good. The staff was great especially Carol. All of the tournaments were well run as was the ring games. My CHORSE team made some money. The Repeat Offenders will return to rule! The symposium was fine - seemed to last as long as in the past despite efforts by Peter and his gang to move things along. My consortium (led by Bill and Un) bought a large field and wound up losing half of our investment. Ugh. Saturday I had a super time playing O-8 with five BARGErs including three wild and crazy guys from Chicago. We tilted numerous locals especially with capped $20 bet preflop bets. Actually survived with a small win. I slow played a great hand and sucked in a bearded local of middle age for a big pot. He went on tilt and became a calling station who contributed much to the other BARGErs - they made off with $500 - $800 of the table's money before the banquet. Banquet was really good. Gavin was a fine speaker. He ruled. The food was excellent. The roast was a bit too personal for everyone to enjoy but Dan is truly a great guy who supports BARGE and deserved his time in the spotlight. (A special thanks to Nuts-z for his comment to Gavin.) The poker room had requested extra tables for us but upper Manama gent (I are one) failed to get it done so the start of the traditional post banquet games was rough and there were never enough tables. Some BARGErs chose to take their frustrations out on the staff. I did not appreciate that so I took time to make the rounds collecting tokes for them. Most of you contributed. Gavin was ewe specially generous. We gave Carol over $450 to distribute to the floor personnel. Carol went around and thanked each table with BARGErs present. If you missed that, I apologize. Sunday I met up with Ron the Virgin Queen and went to the Venetian for one last session. During which I had (of course) another chair massage. Unfortunately I gave back some of my winnings and had my first losing session there this trip. George, the floorman, announced that "Bob O, the famous Florida player, was in the room" as a joke and then announced my departure too. Ron and I shared a laugh about that. Later we made my traditional stop at a Barnes and Noble and then ate "lunner" (between lunch and dinner) before going to the airport for a Chinese poker session in the D gate area before we all caught flights home. BARGE was everything I have grown to expect and treasure. I probably have left out some things but details are not as important as the friendship and fun I enjoyed. Oops - I should mention the offer to watch that couple have sex in the elevator. Way cool. Too bad they got off before they got off. No way I am going to end without thanking Peter, Chuck, and Mick for everything they did and do to make BARGE a success. If there is anything I can ever do to help, please ask. And thanks to all of my fellow BARGErs for helping me enjoy your company. And now for that first update. The diet has begun. I have lost two pounds this week already. And I just had today some oral surgery and will not be eating solid foods for 3 or more days. As soon as the hole in the mouth heals, I will start exercising. Next update in a few weeks. See you at BARGE 2008.