Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:34:26 -0500 (CDT)
From: Larry Stone
Subject: [BARGE] BARGE trip report (flight gambling)

Those of you who know me know I work for an airline so, flying employee
standby, even the flights are gambles for me. This year's plan was to
first visit my parent's new home northwest of L.A. to help them with some
lingering technology setup as well as deliver their grandson (my son)
although he could get around just fine on his own. Up at 3am on Tuesday
7/31 planning the 6:00am flight to LAX and then a 9:15 flight for the 49
miles of Oxnard, CA. The flight was looking OK on Monday but then fell
apart overnight. In the end, no non-revenue passengers got on. It was time
to pull out the laptop and research plan B. It was came down to trying the
next LAX flight at 8:00 or a San Diego flight at 8:00 (with good flights
available from SAN to LAX). In the end, the LAX looked a seat or two
better. We go by seniority for boarding and at 17 years, I usually near
the top of the list so I was getting concerned as a number were called.
But eventually, we got on but as my co-workers later told me (since they
could see the flight seniority list), only one person made it after us.
Arriving at LAX and of course having missed the planned connection, I
switched us to the next flight to Oxnard which was wide-open (of course
that close, there's plenty of ground options as well - but the next flight
was soon enough to still be fastest).

The plan for Wednesday was an 5:30am flight from Oxnard back to LAX and a
6:58am flight to LAS putting me in about 8:00 with just enough time to get
the car and drive to Egg and I. But when I got up, I made a last flight
check and found the 6:58 flight was cancelled. Well, I was already up so I
might as well get to LAX where other options might be available (due to
scheduling of the commuter flights, there are connecting options to LAS
via Fresno and Palm Springs - and I have gone via Fresno to get to BARGE).

On the flight to Oxnard, I had been talking to the flight attendant who
had mentioned her day ended in Oxnard. It didn't occur to me until after I
was off the plane that that almost certainly meant she'd be working the
5:30am flight. And she was which at least provded something good for the
morning.

Arriving at LAX, I pulled out the laptop to check options. Hmmm, Southwest
has flights every hour in the morning and all showed at least one seat for
sale. I had had the foresight to prepare an eligibility letter for
purchasing "interline" non-revenue tickets on Southwest ($25 plus
taxes/fees) so I walked over to Southwest's terminal where in short order
I had a ticket and a listing on their 7:45 flight. I thought that was too
soon given the reputation of the morning security line at Southwest's
terminal but there was no line! By 7:15 (about an hour after arriving at
another terminal), I was out at the gate and in possession of a C boarding
pass (when you travel my way, any boarding pass is good!). I was 4th in
the C line which still got me a window or aisle in the back. 45 minutes
later than planned, I was in Las Vegas but just a little too late for the
Egg and I.

Poker content:
Wed. - ring games - small lost
Thu. - played the Bionion's 10am. Made the final table but only paying 6.
With eight left, blinds 800/1600 and a stack of 12,000, an early big stack
made it 5,000 to go. I found QQ, pushed, and he insta-called with ATs. I
dodged the flop but the turn was an Ace and IGHN. Went out to Wynn, played
8-16 where I got my head handed to me for my only big loss of the weekend.
Fri. - TOC - nothing special. After an initial small stack build, I went
card dead. Down to not much in an Omaha round, I was pretty much committed
to having to call with anything on the big blind when miracle of miracles,
I caught AA2x on that big blind. But was called by AAJx and when the board
had JJ on it and no low, IGHN.
Sat. - NLHE - nothing special here as well. After busting, went out to
Bellagio, played more 8-16 and booked a miniscule win. Caught my third
quads of BARGE (all in ring games)! First two were at Binion's and were
both Aces (first- pocket pair, flopped set, turned quads at which point
Foldem to my right bet into me trying to represent trip aces!;
second - naked ace, flopped pair, turned trips, rivered quads). This time,
pocket deuces on the button and flopped the quads with some decent action
after the flop.

Saturday evening, I watched the end of the NLHE and then not being one to
play the crazy games, was getting ready to leave when they called a
Chowaha SNG. Hmmm, with my lost limited to $25, why not have some fun!
Even better, I finished second!

Sunday - back at Binions's, I played to the 10am tournament but again,
nothing special. Then played 4-8 long enough and well enough to win back
the buy-in plus cover the 2pm tournament. At the 2pm, my luck changed. In
less than the first orbit, I busted (pending their one rebuy) two players
to go from T2000 to T8000. That gave me enough to ride out the bad spots
for a while. And of course, there was some luck too as an emergency
straight and emergency flush let me take pots I was looking to lose.
Getting close to the money, I was able to get all in with AA against JJ
and actually have it hold up to put me in good shape for a while. Finally,
paying 14 and with 11 left (five at my table), antes/blinds 400/2000/4000,
about T20,000 in my stack, and UTG, I pushed with KJ only to run into AA
and IGHN. I'm considering it a tie for 10th - we were hand-for-hand and
the other table busted one on the same hand although they took so long
with the hand, I had already been paid as 11th but since 10th and 11th
paid the same, it really didn't matter.

Monday - the last gamble was getting home. Up about 3:30 for a 6:25
flight. Getting in the security line, I had my badge on and was
immediately told to use the "elite and airport employee" line. I'm not
flight crew or based there so we're really not supposed to use that line
but I've also learned you never, ever argue with a line-minder at LAS so
of course I went to that line! This time, the flight worked with no
problems and it was back to the real world.

-- Larry Stone