From: "Lynne Higgs"
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 20:36:57 -0700
Subject: [BARGE] BARGE Trip Report

BARGE 2009 Trip Report

BARGE begins early. Prior to leaving for BARGE, Leslie and I take =
Chris(tine) shopping for his/her team PMS wardrobe.

After lunch, sans BARGE type beverages as we inexplicably have decided =
to keep sharp for shopping, it's off to the local Goodwill store. We =
find several things for him/her to try on. He/she likes the ill-fitting, =
grandmotherly number. Leslie and I promptly veto as not being snazzy =
enough; we are going to Las Vegas after all. Chris(tine) is a great =
sport and tries on our selections despite stares and whispers by other =
customers. A sales person comes over to me aghast and asks 'why is that =
man trying on women's clothes? I mumble something about a costume party. =
You try explaining BARGE in a suburban Goodwill store. Quickly the =
outfit comes together including purse, pink tights and Leslie even finds =
high heels that sort of fit. We decide we need still more accessories. =
Off to another store where Chris(tine) sees a purse he/she likes better. =
Good grief what have we started. BARGE is going to be great!

Husband Bruce and I drive to Las Vegas happily making the obligatory =
stop at the Mad Greek in Baker. Arrive late Tues. eve., check into Main =
Street Station. Being tired we intend to get some sleep but no, we can't =
resist a quick trip to Binions to get our badges. Suffice it to say it =
wasn't a quick trip.

Despite the air conditioner which sounds like a jet warming up on the =
runway, we get some sleep. Later 'fix' the air conditioner by jamming a =
chair in front of it causing the chair to become a magic fingers =
substitute.=20

Drive to the Egg & I and arrive early. It turns out so did everyone =
else. Luckily find two available seats and good company at a table with =
Asya, Bruce Belman, Ice, and Patti.

Waitresses are working hard but our table and Ice in particular were =
almost the last to be served, much after late comers - you know who you =
are cough - Peter, cough - Rodney. Great breakfast as always. Big TY to =
benefactors.

Met up with Bruce K and wife Shirley for a ride back downtown. Enjoy =
meeting the Kramers and have a great conversation about the joys of =
being married.=20

Bruce is focused on going back to the room for a nap. Instead Patrick =
intercepts and it's off to Fitzgeralds for the noon tournament. Patrick, =
Chris K, both Kluchmans and several other BARGERs are there. I decide to =
donate my money elsewhere. Try to get into a game a Binions.. Podium =
staff is a bit, no, a lot clueless. Lots of BARGERs waiting, seats =
empty, list not being kept, names not being called, etc. I give up and =
go across the street to the GN. Boring 2/4 game. Lose a few bucks. Check =
in with Bruce. He's at the final table with Dave Kluchman, Scott B, and =
two locals. Short-stacked, local (SSL) finally gets blinded off., person =
to the right of SSL aka Bruce, who has SSL way out chipped, inexplicably =
has passed up several chances even in the blinds to put SSL all in. This =
situation was loudly noted in a colorful BARGE way by Kluchman much to =
the amusement of all but Bruce. Game results in a sort of 4 way chop.=20

We go find Leslie for a planned trip to the Gamblers General Store. =
Shop, shop, return to hotel and nap.=20

Try again to get into a game at Binions. No luck. I strike up =
conversation with another waiting BARGER who turns out to be virgin =
Corey Means. We shepherd him over to GN and get into not so boring 2/4 =
game. Very drunk, loud, local (DLL) with huge pile of chips is raking =
pot after pot. He is ordering and drinking continuous rounds of red =
beer, playing any two cards, raising, re-raising, capping with out =
looking etc, etc. and, of course, invariably sucking out on everyone. I =
am directly on his right. He is very chatty and decides I am very =
polished, whatever that means, and must have gone to some eastern =
college specifically Cornell. He announces this to everyone and =
thereafter calls me Cornell. (I actually went to Ohio State and =
regrettably and couldn't even remember where Cornell was - sorry Larry) =
Luckily being on his right and being called Cornell works for me as I am =
the only one at the table he doesn't suck out on. Not so for Corey . He =
and Corey get into it on several hands. Corey is on the losing end. =
Corey is polite, doesn't tap the aquarium but DLL is irked with him any =
way. More suck outs. Welcome to BARGE Corey.

Bruce and I leave for Shake you Bootey. Leslie has scored the best table =
at Gold Diggers and the best waitress. See You Tube video. Tanya, Asya, =
Leslie, Bruce and I get the party started. James and Patrick join us. =
Aronsons, Chic, Goldie, Charles, and other BARGERs drop by but =
regrettably no one else dances. A great time was had. See You Tube =
video. Expect to see more BARGERs there next year. See You Tube video. =
Kudos to Leslie for arranging.

CHORSE is great fun. Chris(tine) makes quite an entrance and collects =
many requests for 'her' phone number much to the chagrin of Tim (ts4z) =
who has $5 bucks on the line for every number request. Team PMS plays =
well ultimately coming with in one bet of toppling the Math is Hard =
Five, So much for ignoring the chics, eh Marlin? A big thank you to =
Mickdog for being so calm midst chaos, unbelievably keeping the $ =
balanced, and holding the door open numerous times.

Binions seems to get in the groove so I manage to get into a few =
dealer's choice games. Highlights include helping Bob O scope out the =
bling adorning the local, listening to him recounting his 'after hours' =
encounter, meeting another Stine who was incredibly nice to give me a =
chip committee chip I really wanted, smoozing in a game with Timmer, =
Pickles and Dan, and hearing a Binions' dealer politely tell a =
disgruntled local that if he didn't like the rules which were decided on =
when the game was started by the first players at the table (all =
BARGERs), well then, he should ask for a table change. Binions rocks.=20


The rest of BARGE passes in a bit of a blur as I am starting to feel a =
bit under the weather. Do manage to go farther in the TOC than last year =
which is an accomplishment for me. Thanks Ron G.=20

Make it to the symposium in time for the pink hat auction(s). Much =
credit to Steve Evans for the idea of auctioning off the Party Poker =
hat. In the middle of packing and moving, he was kind enough to locate =
Susan's team PMS hat and to figure out a way to get it to me. Thanks, =
Randy.  Anyway, he also found the Party Poker hat, and decided to send =
it along for Peter to auction. Great job by Peter as usual, but =
especially under the circumstances.  What a trooper!  Thanks, Peter.  =
Hope you are feeling better.

Helped our syndicate at the auction. A great deal of hard work by Tim =
resulted in a very nice pay off . Thanks Tim.=20

NLHE starts with a great table. Have forgot several names or may have =
mixed them up however, IIRC enjoyed needling Bob J. about his =
unbelievable early run of cards, listening in on Len's music commentary, =
chatting with a fellow Clevelander, and watching Michael M create his =
ingenious, corkscrew holder thingy. The game turns into somewhat of a =
nightmare beginning with my carefully transported Jolt cola exploding =
upon opening; losing my glasses and sweater (found later); having been =
dealt presto twice that were re-raised each time by Chuck W., shame, =
shame on you; and ending with my AJ s falling to Chuck Humphrey's K10 o. =
I can't be too mad at Chuck though as he was more than generous =
answering my questions at the symposium. Thank you, Chuck.=20


Needless to say the banquet was super. Nick did a terrific job as MC. A =
big thank you to Nolan for arranging for Doyle to be the speaker and =
effortlessly interviewing him. Mr. Brunson was very gracious and =
entertaining. It was very nice to see Linda Johnson and Carol also.=20

Planned to skip the reindeer games but Kluchman sees me checking out the =
sign up list and insists we play. Bruce & I get to Binions just in time =
to take a seat with Asya, Ron G, Claudia, Regis, the Kluchmans, and =
virgin Matt . Kluchman had chips and offered to serve as chip runner so =
we can start playing. First hand is straddled around before the flop and =
capped after the flop, and so on. I don't even know what game we're =
playing. Learn new game, Donkaha. I am the donk, lose much. Game turns =
to Oklahoma, on the rivers we chant for the same low card to come so the =
dealer can scoop. Saddenz, doesn't happen but Dan comes over and dumps =
chips into dealer's bucket; Nick dumps shirts on the table; Bruce wins =
one. Hours pass, eyes are closing. Unbelievably I still have chips in =
front of me. The spirit is willing but the motor coordination says no so =
we leave to get some sleep.

Sunday morning is one last trip to Binions for breakfast before leaving. =
Have the good fortune of finding Peter, still smiling, and Nick, still =
in high gear, in line in front of us at the coffee shop. They graciously =
ask us to join them. We happily accept and have a delightful breakfast =
listening to Peter and Nick recount all sorts of BARGE lore. What a =
special way to end BARGE, almost makes leaving tolerable. Can't wait =
until next year. Thanks to the organizers, picture-taker extraordinaire, =
Rodney, all the BARGERs who didn't take my chips and even those who did =
for making it --- The Best Barge Ever!

Lynsy