From: Keith Subject: [BARGE] Y. A. trip report Monday I check into my room and for the first time I see why there are many complaints about the accommodations at Binion's. Mine is small and smelly. It features a view of the Lady Luck, now defunct. I worry about the Lady Luck -- it seems so forlorn -- its darkened windows proof that it is empty and unloved, but still gamely flashing its red roof lights to warn off low-flying aircraft. I try to think of something to cheer it up, but nothing comes to mind. (By the end if my stay, I am happy with my room, finding it spacious and pleasant. Must be all about my frame of mind.) Hungry, it's down to the deli for eats. Today's soup is cream of broccoli. I order it with cornbread, and when it arrives, I remember why I love Binion's. The whole purpose of BARGE, I sometimes think, is to offer me a choice between the soup of the day and the bean of the day. The cream of broccoli is grand indeed, but for those of you rushing off to check flickr, I forgot to photograph it. (While I love the Deli, after many years, actually decades, I am breaking up with the Binion's coffee shop. Can't stand it any more. Bad food and bad service. And when is it ever open?) A post-prandial stroll through the casino allows me to espy JP playing Switcheroo Blackjack (or something with a similar name). Not having played blackjack in this century, I'm not _au_courant_ with recent developments in the field. Apparently here the player is allowed to play two hands and to switch the 2nd card of the two hands. JP occasionally solicits my opinion on strategy decisions, which I, knowing nothing of the subject, give freely. And, as it turns out, am always wrong. This may explain why I never felt much affinity for the game. Anyway, I seem to be jinxing JP, as he appears stuck, so I wander off to the California. The California excursion will complete my Arrival-to-Downtown ritual by providing me with Lappert's ice cream. I go with a scoop of Kona Coffee and a scoop of Mint Chip in a cup, and wander back downstairs to see if there are any Hawaiians playing craps. Fun to watch if somebody gets on a hot streak, but not much going on this Monday. Full of soup and ice cream (sounds like a Sven and Ole joke), it's back to Binion's p0cker room where I find a CP game in progress. Originally it's JP giving lessons to the table for a modest fee. Jimmy splits and I'm sweating JP, Tom Bayes, HoseR and Marlin when I observe the first BARGE twist of the night: They decide to roll a die to determine whether it will be a high hand or 2-7 in the middle. Then I believe it is JP who suggests that they set their hands first, *then* roll the die. The game eventually evolves to making it A-5 in the middle when low, with no penalty for not having the middle hand beat the front hand when the middle is high. I don't think the game was quite perfected, but nevertheless it was interesting. Tuesday It's up and off to the new Gambler's Book Club location. GBC seems to be fine in its new digs, and is full of BARGErs too onerous to mention. (One of whom tries to sell me _Why You lose At Poker_ but I don't fall for it because I can eyeball it and tell that it's not *long* enough to do the job.) There continues a conversation I had with Jazzlover over breakfast as to how I can best begin my career as a Video P0cker pro, and I eventually select a Dancer book and tootle over the the Bell. The Bellagio is a sad sad sight. I've never really enjoyed playing there, but I used to make money. My ex-wife deals there, so I usually drop in and try to borrow some money. I get there about 2PM, and I think there 4 or 5 games going. Nothing in Bobby's room; one game in the upper level; what looks like a 15-30 game; a 2-5 NL populated by old 10-20 players; and, maybe one or two other games. Depressed, I head over to the Gold Coast for a couple of $1.25 hot dogs (con kraut) at their sports book. The same three idiots from Terrible's are there playing the horses, and, of course, losing, and, of course, explaining to no one in particular why they are losing. The sight of them cheers me up immensely. I wander by the cardroom to see if the limit omaha high is going, and am told that it is OPD. Ah well, it's nap time so I head downtown to snooze in preparation for my total domination of the PL Couchevel tourney. Regrettably, my courchevel opponents don't seem to realize that two wrongs do not make a right. Just because you misplay your hand initially, you don't prove anything by sucking out. In the long run, you are only hurting yourself. You know who you are. I start out OK when some flipped sets hold up, but about half way through I go on stone-cold monkey tilt, and start spewing chips. JP finally knocks me out when he flips a better ace, and we get it all in before the flop. Wednesday offers a new day, and Jazzlover gives me a ride to the Egg & I. It seems that Patrick is always giving me rides when I am at BARGE. Thank you, Patrick. There I meet Sharkbait and David Kluchman. David has an encyclopedic knowledge of poker chips, and I enjoy listening to him talk w/ Patrick. Back to Binion's for an orgy of dealer's choice games. Scooch: omaha; best high hand and best 3- 4- or 5-card straight flush split the pot. Check it out. Ethiopian Food: Sorry, you just take too long. Lobah players: If you aren't bringing in pat 9s for a raise UTG, you are playing too tight. You are only hurting yourself. You know who you are. Thursday CHORSE dealers: learn the rules for crazy pineapple. CHORSE players: learn the rules for crazy pineapple. FRIDAY I start out the TOC card dead. Then, a couple of hours in, I catch a rush during the HE round and am able to build my stack up. I'm at the same table as Nolan and am interested to learn that his grandmother was a teacher at the Texas School for the Deaf, where I worked for years. Small world. I don't know when he last visited the area, but I doubt if he would recognize the place. (TOC players: bring a sack lunch. If you try to get near the pizza or BBQ, you will get hurt.) When we are playing down to the final table I bust out ts4z, he has 55 but I catch a miracle board with QQ and suck out for the win. As a bust-out prize, he gives me a chip from his home game. It has the "Impatience Hubris Laziness" motto of the perl guy inscribed on it. Plus it's a $5 chip and in a mustardy brown-yellow color with blue edge spots. Plus it's an "A" ASM chip -- my favorite kind. Perfect gift for a poker dork like me. I've got it in a plastic case on my desk as I write this. As strange as it sounds, this is one of the highlights of my BARGE, and I attribute my cash in the TOC to my possession of this chip. TOC players, you may think Russ Fox is tight. You are wrong... An example: Russ has ~1 million, I barely have him covered. Blinds are 1-2. I make a modest raise with AA. Russ calls. Flop is AT7. Russ shoves all in for 100,000x pot, screaming "MESSENGER OF DOOM, BABY!!!!" I don't like my situation, but I call w/ top set. Russ turns over 6-8. Turn is a 9. I am crippled, but through brilliant play come back and take 5th. Saturday I am on Team Sleep In for NLHE, but enjoy arriving late and snapping a few photos. Really enjoyed Doyle. I thought the concept, and Nolan's handling of it, was masterful. Many people don't make themselves available for public speaking, but with a little ingenuity they can make a wonderful presentation. Doyle was a great sport in doing this, as well as donating the books and making himself available for photographs and autographs. Well done! During reindeer games, I check out Rodney's photos. Rodney, you are the nuts. Rodney wins $10 from me playing liar's poker. I pretend it's his toke. Sunday, I look for a mix game in the afternoon, but don't find one. I lose 60 playing 2-4 (I can say in all honesty that I have never booked a win in 2-4 (how can I fold for $2?)), then switch to 1-2 nl and win it back. Monday I leave Binion's at 6:40 AM, walk to the rail cars on Main St., catch the 108 bus to mccarren, and clear security by 7:30. On monday morning. Vegas, you are in trouble and have my complete sympathy. Thanks all you BARGE organizers! See ya next year. A++ G++ PKR+ !PEG- B++ TB ADB- M+++ CHOW++ http://zbigniew.pyrzqxgl.com/bargegeek.html