Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:27:53 -0600
From: Joe Long
Subject: [BARGE] Fantastic BARGE trip

Arrived Tuesday, checked into Binions. Great fun seeing folks I hadn't 
seen since last year.  Mediocre performance in Stud 8 tourney.  Modest 
win in ring games, enough to cover tournament buy, great fun.

Wednesday, enjoyed the breakfast -- thanks, Ice! -- played lowball for 
the first time since last year, did OK for a while, didn't cash.  Again 
won enough in side action to cover tournament.  Loving all the different 
games, loving even more the camaraderie at the tables.  Where else do I 
get to play with so many players who REALLY know what they're doing, for 
low stakes -- and then to win a bit is icing on the cake.

Thursday, CHORSE.  I played the Crazy Pineapple round, I enjoy the game 
but don't have much opportunity to play it.  Increase my stack each 
round, but not by much.  Team results not what we'd hoped.

Then the Stud Shootout.  Oh, my!  My stack shrinks early and I finally 
end up all-in as the short stack at my table, but survive to come back 
to have 70% of the chips when we're down to three.  I try to take out 
the short stacks, double them both up instead, now I'm at 40%.  So when 
one takes out the other I'm going into heads-up as a 40/60 deficit.

I've never played heads-up stud before, but I figure "well-timed 
aggression" is still the key.  I get the lead, and my opponent is all-in 
and covered when I'm ahead on 6th st.  Yep, he catches on 7th and now 
I'm behind again.  He wins some more hands and takes me down to 600 in 
chips (he's over 10,000).

Then comes "The Hand."  I have a deuce up and down, so with my pair of 
deuces I complete the bring-in (which takes all of my chips).  Opponent 
makes a full house.  But I make quad deuces!!  Still alive!!!

Well, I come back to win my table, my first cash in a Barge tournament. 
  I went card dead in the final round and didn't last long there, but 
wow, what a fantastic high from the heads-up battle!!!

Next day the TOC.  I never get any cards, just bleed slowly down.  As  I 
approach the felt I compose a haiku:

	My cards have gone dead
	The bagpipe dirge plays softly
	Across the green vale

And I'm soon out.

Friday night I go to the strip to use my comps from the Venetian from 
last year.  I play some 1-2 NL, and find myself at a really soft table. 
  But I'm in a gold mine and I can't find a pick.  My hands don't hold 
up and I leave down $300.

NL Tournament:  I get off to a good start, but AK goes down two hands in 
a row and a few hands later I get my short stack all-in with KQ on a 
Queen-high flop, and lose.  So I'm out early.

Banquet was fun, of course.  Others have described it.

Get a MAJOR disappointment when the reindeer games begin.  I was at the 
"wrong end of the room" and didn't get the list until late, so I don't 
get to play  -- I'm three down the list after the table is filled. 
Luckily, our organizers and Binion's jumped into the breach and set up 
CHOWAHA SnG's for us, and that was a blast.  Then Gavin -- a great guy 
-- gives up his game and comes and plays with us donkeys in the SnG's. 
He ends up playing three tables at one time -- what a gas!

I finally got into my 4-8 Dealer's Choice game around 3am, and get to 
play for an hour before leaving for the airport.

Thank you, THANK you, Thank YOU to the organizers for a terrific event!


-- 
Joe Long  aka ChipRider