From: bob ogus Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 23:31:37 -0400 Subject: [BARGE] BARGE Trip Report - LONG (Part One) Thanks to Chuck, Foldem, Nick, Mickdog, and everyone else who helped make Barge 2008 such a great event for all of us. I would also like to thank the staff at Binion's poker room who really went out of there way to ensure we had fun. Tournaments were well run and the reindeer games were great. And the GN did a decent job supporting the rest of the events. Here is my trip report. Memory is bad due to injuries so please forgive errors in advance. Wed 7/23: Depart home at 5:30 to catch plane at 8:30. Seat mate is a guy who amongst other things - collects watches. Shows me a Sector Poker watch he bought the week before. Ta Da - it is Phil Gordon's watch from the BARGE banquet in '06! Cost the guy $550.after I tell my story (Jack 8 Diamonds) he says the watch could be worth $2,000! Look out Ebay! Arrive LAS 1030 US Air direct flight - on time! Woo woo! Pick up the rental car, check in at Golden Nugget. Joined Private Accommodations - if you stay at the GN suggest you hook up with this program. I got 2 free nights plus other comps first time there! Also points for future free stuff. Get a fridge in room; make up some of my magic potions (frozen drinks) and give the GN poker room some play. Must of hit the mother lode of tourists who watch TV poker - $1-2 NLHE and table establishes $7 - $10 as bring in. I hit great hands, including a bonus hand (straight flush to the Jack) and cash out major win. Walk over to Binions and say hello to folks. Get badge from Patrick and say hello to dealers plus brush.get teased about reaching into box last visit (Nov 07) to grab their (then) new $4 box chips. Thur 7/24: Work out at 0800, massage at 0900, then 20 minute steam room. Make drinks and go to Venetian. Play $1-2 NLHE and lose $300 with some bad play. Over confident and get caught too many times overplaying poor hand selection. Return to GN poker room where I book a $70 win. Friday 7/25 I decide to head over to the Wynn for the O8 game - Adam calls me as I sit down and warns me - game is tight and unfriendly. He is right. I play for $100 then the offer.repeated by 5th place. Offer another deal as I have table at 2:1 in chips. I AM SO FREAKIN TIRED. Rebuffed again.now I go donkey and lose big hand (trips to flush I should have seen). Grizz takes the lead to win. I place 3rd. Jetsonian is second after winning showdown HE hand. (I will have my revenge on Jet when I river a straight flush to beat his four Kings in later cash game!) From: bob ogus Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 23:49:36 -0400 Subject: Re: [BARGE] BARGE Trip Report - LONG (Part Two) As I begin this part of my trip report I want to say one thing: it was sooo much fun watching the locals faces when I carried my lunch pail in to the various card rooms - and sucked down my "shakes". And it was real nice of everyone (Binion's, GN, Venetian, and even the Bellagio -and the Wynn) to help me put the pail someplace and give me access to it when I needed it. I LOST THREE POUNDS DURING BARGE! Wednesday 7/30 I arrive at the Egg & I parking lot at 7:45 a.m. with a few others.Merlyn (will I ever spell her name correctly), her better half, and mistress D. Make another bad decision and sit with Ice and a bunch of roolers who then talk politics (and I fall into the trap). Good breakfast, good arguments, good friends still Thanks Ice Then off to the Karaoke. my first time at this event. It was great fun. I even sang (?) and danced - or so I am told. The real highlight of the evening was Kevin Un's rendition of "I Love This BARGE", which he did an encore of during the Symposium. Wow. Stone sober so I may have missed something. Thursday 7/31 Started off with breakfast at the Binion's coffee Shop with my Team CHORSE - The Repeat Offenders. This may be why my team lost $8/person plus$10 in tokes.not sure if there is a connection BUT how did we lose and toke so much? Then back to Binion's for some poker.mostly O8 and some Bargers help make the game better than it was. Try to get TITS I going; we went to the OG and it was soooo different.less than 30 minutes later am on the way to pick up others and go to the smoker at Dan's. Good food.ate way too much.great conversation.no politics.some sports, even a conversation about science fiction! Great company including friend of Brie's (sp?) roommate who brought a smile to all. Smoked a cigar; tasted the better bourbons, including a few new ones. My new favorite is Jefferson, which I hadn't tried until then. Unfortunately I will not be drinking again for a while (see last part of report). Friday 8/1 Once again I am up early for my work out, massage, and steam. What a great feeling. Then I am out of the tourney early and am adrift. This was followed by a short run at the $2-5 at the Bellagio.where I actually booked a win with the help of a mysterious suit who pushed me all in whereupon I won a bit of money. That was the good; the bad was the lunch we had at the buffet. I think I ate more there then I did the month previous. Back to the Shoe for more poker.then the Calcutta. Enjoyed seeing and talking to friends who I had yet to spend time with. then TITS II - far better than the first one.SCORES and then L'il Darlings.the first was impressive but way to expensive. The second was staffed by hard bodies whose youth scared even this dirty old man.way to young. Called it early and returned to the Shoe for great poker with Bargers.dealer's choice. Thanks to those who taught me the new games and reinforced my skills at losing with grace. Decided to call it a night at about 12:30 AM. Sat 8/2 Wake up at 6:00 for the spa.feel much better after the massage and steam. Proceeded to Binion's. I stop for coffee with BARGERs and make it to the room on time. Needless to say, I was out somewhere close to 150th. Take a break from poker to meet with some old friends.there are only a few of the "men" who I knew still around. All (except for a few who I think advise the mayor) are retired :-) - or dead. Somewhat depressing but then these guys never were known for their friendly demeanor. Lunch at an old Italian eatery was good.ate more than I should but no wine. Stop at a bookstore to buy books for trip home and take a short nap before more poker and the banquet. Sit with fine group of Denverites. I thought Tom Schneider did all right as speaker. His humor may not have appealed to everyone and then he got around to some poker - but not much. After the Banquet I went to Binion's for the reindeer games. Congrats to the organizers for getting things better than ever before. Binion's spread games in the main room and set up extra cash games in their tourney section this year which enabled them to accommodate all of our games. This worked well; thanks again to the staff there. I get a seat in the dealer's choice game and actually book a respectable win for the last night of BARGE. Shortly before 2 AM I pick up to say good bye. So hard to do.Stopped at most tables to say thanks and make sure all knew that Gavin was a stand up guy and would pay off the Free Roll. I cannot tell you how much the emails and calls I got starting when I got hit by the car right up to the last days before BARGE helped me stay focused and on the road to losing 70+ pounds. Thank you all. Head back to the Nugget to pack and then sleep a bit before the drive to the airport for the 11:40 flight home (which arrived on time - thanks was USAir). Wife picks me up and that was another free roll. So that was my Barge 2008 experience. It came and went far too quickly but it was the nuts while it lasted. To the Barge organizers and my friends both old and new, thank you again for making Barge such a great time for me. I can't wait until next year. Thank you to Peter, Mick, Nick and Chuck for making this all look so easy. I know its not. Special thanks to Chuck as he steps aside but not away from the tables. One final note: I am back on my diet and planning on losing another 45 pounds.anybody want to offer me a freeroll? See you next year!