From: Monte Christensen Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2015 00:19:55 -0700 Subject: [BARGE] My 2015 barge trip report part 1 Highlights: Won most ever at BJ, saw old and new friends, 100+cocktails Lowlights: Worst poker results ever, Sunday hangover, broke phone, 2-3 = backoffs (Note: All reporting was done in a fairly unstable state of sobriety) Tuesday night I played a little BJ in Seattle. On the way home at 7 I = blow out a tire on my car. I have to change it and call the wife about = being late. I leave the phone on top of my car and as I am on the = bridge I hear the thud sound of my phone. DOH! I find my old Windows = phone and will use that. I get to LV and it is really hard to find a pay phone that works. It = takes me 30m to find my parents who are picking up my son. I start = thinking if I am with him all week Barge will be much different. I get = a ride to ATT to get my phone working and then dropped of at the LINQ. = I head over to the bar and play some horrible 7/5 video poker and order = 2 beers. I make 2 phone calls and then leave with one beer to the = Palms. Get there and find a seat at their only 3:2 BJ game. 25-1000 = with good rules (H17, DAS, DOA2, and 3:2). Best part is penetration is = 75-85%. I plan to bet 50-400 with some best down to 25 and up to 600 = once in a while. I order a patron/beer. Waitress says I have to drink = the shot while she is there. I am thinking I would drink right out of = the bottle if you bring it over. I slam the shot of patron and get my = chips. I try to order another one right away but she can't do that. I = lose the first 1000 in about 30m. Dealer is making every hand. I get = another 1000 and then the 3rd round of drinks shows up. At that point = the BJ gods take pity on me and bless with me a thunderstorm of a good = streak. I start winning every hand. Chips are piling up. I make a few = 500 bets and win, win, win. When the 5th round of beer/patron shows up = I am getting close to 7000 in chips. I am now making rainbow bets up to = 743 or such. The last 1h there are 2 bosses and maybe the casino = manager watching. The casino manager is surprised I don't have a card. = I tell her they are bad luck and my parole officer can bust me if I am = caught gambling or drinking. LOL. They ask what i do and I mention I = am a jockey. Even more laughs. I order the 6th round. Next good = betting spot at +11 I tell them I am from Seattle so I am going to bet = 777, of course I get BJ and the payout is hard for them. I have been = here 6h when I try to order another round at 7:30. I am informed that I = can't have any more patron. At first when the manager is walking around = the table I think I am getting the back off. Instead they are just = apologizing for their 6 shot limit in a 24h period. She asks if I want = dinner. I tell her no thanks I would take $20 for the food court as I = don't want to wait. At one point the boss picks up the discard tray so = I figure it is a good time to leave. I decide I will give them some = craps action. Betting $50 don't bets isn't much -EV so I play that with = max odds. I win another 2k at dice and leave around 9:00 when Steve and = John call/txt me. They are at venetian. I get some Stromboli and cash = out. Now here comes the casino manager. I figure I am all done but all = they want to say is that I need to sign a IRS form for my 16,500 in = chips. They mention to come back for dinner some time but I tell them I = have to go somewhere that I can drink. I ask her if the Downtown joints = will have any patron. Laughs all around and I leave in a cab. Venetian only has 4/8 LHthe E and some 1-3 NLHE games. I play some 4/8 = with Steve and John. Being 4/8 of course I play lots of hands and = straddle but this game is super tight. We leave after I only have 2 = more beers. We head to the TI so we can play a $10 table. I order = double stoli-cranberry drinks. We are laughing really loud. I am = asking what time the dealer can bust at this casino. The dealer must = think we are total savages. Each time she has 14 we yell for a 7. I = play around 50-75 a hand and wait for a big betting spot. Last barge I = played 45m in their high limit room before I was kicked out. At the = first good spot I tell Steve/John "NOW" and I bet all my remaining chips = of 642. My last bet was 150 that lost. I get BJ and yell out loud = "BLACKJACK". The dealer had yelled checks play on lots of bets. The = boss mentions that was a lucky bet. I told her I have lost at every = casino from Mandalay bay to here and don't want to play the circus so = this is my last hope. I see them watching pretty close now. I lose = some more hands and wait for another good spot. This time I jack my bet = up from $100 to 841. I have to double down on 11 against a 10 so I pull = out another 1k. I lose that and buy in some more chips. On the next = shoe here is the casino manager. She says I can't play and more BJ. I = tell here I don't know how to play baccarat or pai gow but I want some = more drinks (had 2-3 more here). John says I let out a few F bombs = which I don't usually do but I have had a lot to drink by now. I lost = about 2k here. It is 2:30 am and we leave. I decide to go to the = mirage. Steve/john head to bed with no poker game here. =20 I buy in for 1K at the mirage. This game is often called a counter = catcher as it is often the only $25 S17 DD game in all of LV. I figure = have a few more drinks and then head to bed. Maybe just play 25-200 in = a mellow fashion, yeah right!!! I end up playing crazy style. First = good spot I bet 500 and double down. They don't call checks play at MGM = casinos but they watch from the camera. I order a couple manhattans = here. When I win the double down I get crazy and just let all $2k ride. = No call and then I get BJ. I keep ordering a drink and playing. Most = of this play is heads up. I turn 1k into 5.5k. I leave around 6:15 am. = I have no idea what happened next but I do remember knocking over some = stools. I am stumbling across Las Vegas blvd when I drop my phone. = Crack!. Damn. I just go to bed and don't even get my bag. I can't = even find the room. I have the key so I ask security to help me. He = asks how many drinks I have had and I mention 30+. He laughs and helps = me find the room. I guess I am pretty loud and wake Steve up yelling = about blackjacks. I don't even realize I have a $10k of money with a = palms clip on it. First night in Vegas is about par for me. I forget = to drink a lot of water and pass out. I do have a healthy late night = snack of a can of pringles. What a lush I think! Day 2 I wake up around 11:15. Steve has come back from a long walk and = breakfast. I realize I don't have any clothes so I call bell desk to = bring my bag up. There is an envelope or two of money in there so I am = glad they still have it. Steve is really tired as I woke him up. He = mentions that I told him last night the Mirage shift manager remembered = me and used my name when he backed me off. That I can't recall if it is = true or not so I guess that is a 1/2 backoff. Steve is going to play = poker at some dump and then the hard rock. I go run and will cab to = hard rock to meet him for some poker and BJ. I almost get sick running = but I do manager 5m run and back. I shower and head to the hard rock. = No line for 1-3 game but we eat first at the Asian place, which was = pretty good. I agree to pay for lunch. Steve orders a $7 beer and I = drink 5 glasses of water. The 1-3 game is slow. Everyone playing for = high hands and has < 100 in chips. I can't take it so I leave after 90m = down 24. I go play BJ in the high limit area. A bunch of people are = playing Baccarat for $5k a hand. I buy in for $1k and play 100-500. = This is a .19 game so very little house edge and dealt deep. No heat = that i can tell as bosses watch other table. I order a few beers. = Waitress has to be called. Steve comes over after a while and roots for = the dealer to make 21 every hands. She brings a beer for Steve also. = Both dealers are laughing and saying I should bet more. I get another = 1k and play. Never bet more than 500, (ok one time 600) but have one = shoe where I win almost every hand. I leave after about 90m up 300. = Steve walks back to the strip and I cab downtown to play some 4/8 and = maybe evening OFCP tourney. I have a fun time playing 4/8 horse with Bozo, Bob O, and some other = people. Say hi to Peter any others. I am straddling every hand and = playing quite loose. I end up ahead 75. I am also the lucky winner of = the chip that Mav left after getting kicked out. YEAH. I don't cash = that chip and keep it. Drinks are sort of slow here so I go to play = video poker to get a beer. Of course right after I leave she comes by. = Bozo doesn't order for me. We laugh. I play really badly in the OFCP = and I am out at the 2nd or 3rd level. I then head over to the GN and = play some BJ. I am in $2k in less than 15m at the $50 high limit room = table. GN is a nice place with no heat. I spread 50-600 with no = problem. I hit 3 BJs in a row in one shoe and end up $2700 after 3 = hours. The drink service is really fast. I have 3-4 beers, 2 patron = shots, and 2 vodka cranberry drinks in this time. I decide to give the = SLS a shot. I cab to the SLS. This is first time I have been here. I know they are = doing real poorly and have had layoffs already. I find the only 3:2 DD = game that is open. $25 table is empty so I sit down. They have weird = chips that are solid colors and no pictures. Look like kids toys. I = buy in for 800 and play. I lose, lose, lose all small bets the first = chips. I buy in for 700 more and lose, lose, lose. Down to my last 250 = when I get a good +9 count. I get BJ. Table has all small cards and = dealer make 4 card 20. I let it ride and they call checks play. Boss = says OK and I get BJ again with a 625 bet. WOW, this game is easy. I = am ordering double makers manhattans. They bring out this drink in a = 6oz glass that is full. I at least order 4 cherries to get some food! = I think about betting $1k but bet $475 instead on the last hand and get = another BJ. =20 Boss comes over and talks to me about Seattle. I tell him I am a jockey = and he laughs. He said you were very lucky that last shoe. Yeah, lucky = I guess. He says you know there were lots of paint left. I told him I = didn't notice as I was checking out the 2 young girls playing roulette = to handicap the odds of them wanting to have a threesome with a old, = drunk, heavy-set, bald guy. He starts laughing and so does the dealer. = I order what I think is the 4th Manhattan. I am really hammered now but = still counting. There are these 2 younger people from San Diego = playing. They are staying here. She wants to dance and he wants to = gamble. I hear your pain brother. I keep getting BJ every time I bet = more than 300 it seems. I have about $5k in chips . I order the 5th = lucky double drink. (I mean isn't a Manhattan a double to start with?) = When the waitress brings my drink there is another +9 count. I bet 450 = and 2 dollars each for the dealer and waitress. BJ, I stand up on the = chair and yell BJ, BJ, BJ really loud. People are looking at me like I = am some wild crazy man, not a well respected jockey! LOL I am up = almost $9k. I have one horrible hand where I get 3 8s and double on 2 = of them for $500 each and lose all on a dealer 5 card 21. I finish most = of the 6th drink. It is almost 3:00. I cash out up $5.5k I should go = to bed but I cab to Hard Rock. I play 100-600 for 3h. I only have 2 = more drinks as I am really feeling it tonight. I see a really funny = hand. I bet 650 on a +8 count. Player next to me has 1k bet. We lose = when dealer makes 20. Before her last card the cut card comes out. I = realize this and place 150 out for next round. Other player bet 3k in = yellow chips. Dealer gives him a card and then stops. Calls over = floor. Player wants the bet to play as he has a 10. Floor asks me what = I want to do. DAMN I want to bet 800 but I thought asking to do that is = greedy and don't but I do want to play. I get BJ of course and the = other player loses on 15 and busts. He then asks for his bet back. = WOW, what guts. They don't agree to that and he then leaves mad. = Really? I think. I play heads up until 5:20. I win another 6k here. = I was just hot all day again at BJ. I guess I am really, really loud at = 5:40. Steve is pissed but I can't blame him. I do drink a ton of water = but not much food that I remember. =20 Steve and john wake me up at 10:15 or so. No way I can jog today. We = go to check out. I am still buzzed I think as I walk. We get into the = cab line for the 4Q. A couple walking by yells Blackjack, Blackjack. I = look and I vaguely remember them from the SLS. They comment you were = killing it last night at the SLS. I think they must have mistook me for = someone else who was loud and wild. Day 3, 4, 5 continued in part = 2..... Monte =E2=80=9CAKA The Hodger=E2=80=9D From: Monte Christensen Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2015 13:25:53 -0700 Subject: [BARGE] 2015 Barge Trip report, part 2 Day 3 =0A= =0A= After laughing all the way in the cab from LINQ to the 4Q=0A= about the people yelling BJ=2C BJ=2C BJ we get to the 4Q. We leave our bag= s and head over to the=0A= tourney area. I have a last longer bet=0A= with Steve=2C John=2C and Oliver. I have=0A= known Steve and Oliver for over 25y and we played poker at GC back in San J= ose=0A= and Reno trips=2C john maybe the last 15y. =0A= This should be the tourney that I do the best in or HORSE as I mostly=0A= play LHE=2C O8=2C and PLO. I play horse some=0A= so I think this is a good spot for me. =20 =0A= =0A= I win almost no hands. I can=92t even=0A= remember much of what happened. I know I=0A= had lots of draws that didn=92t get there. =0A= I bust out around 2:30 so I maybe beat 10 people in this tourney. I know o= we these guys dinner. I go have some lunch and wait to see when=0A= they will bust out. I had 3-4 beers=0A= during the tournament. I should have had=0A= more to lower my entry cost/beer ratio. =0A= I had 2 steel wheel draws that don=92t get a single chip returned in=0A= o8. I have now not cashed in this=0A= tournament in last 10y=2C though I have one 5th place finish a while=0A= back. I also had a rolled up set of 2s=0A= that loses to a flush in 7stud. BJ I can=92t=0A= lose poker I can=92t win. One thing I=0A= definitely remember is that I went to Starbucks before the tourney. I see = that a bagel is $3.75. I am from Seattle where there are 250+=0A= stores. I know the bagel is $1.35 so I=0A= say =93Hell NO=94 and skip it. Really funny=0A= how betting $777 seems logical and tipping dealers but an extra $2.40 for a= =0A= bagel I draw a hard line. =0A= =0A= Steve=2C John=2C and I head down to the El Cortez for some=0A= BJ. Now this is a total dump. They calls checks play at $75 and up. But = the game is very good. Almost the same game as the Palms. I plan on 25-40= 0 in here. Last Barge I lost $9.8k on a trip. It must have been a record.= But I had no heat. On the BJ forums this place is rated the #1=0A= sweat joint. We sit down at the table=0A= and I get out $700. The dealer is on fire. She calls checks play about ev= ery other=0A= hand. We order drinks. You have to ask for special pit approval to=0A= get patron. I order a house tequila. We are yelling for each other to los= e. Oliver joins at some point. The pit boss is laughing. I mention that = the dealers never bust here=0A= and I think the cashier is closed. I am=0A= in for my 3rd buy in within 60m. =0A= I bet $300 one time as there were not many high counts. I notice some casi= no personnel standing=0A= behind the table. I ask them if they can=0A= get me a drink. I am sure this is the=0A= casino manager but I thought it was funny. =0A= I had 2-3 drinks here and a patron shot. =0A= I am down about $2k when we head to dinner. They use to have a great steak= house here but=0A= it has been replaced with a combo diner/steakhouse. It looks like your bas= ic Dennys now. We get some drinks in the bar and=0A= appetizer. I am paying for it all as I=0A= suck at poker today. Dinner is actually=0A= pretty good and not expensive=2C but it is the El Cortez. Total check is $= 100 and $25 for drinks. Some of us are still in so they head back to=0A= tourney and I sit back down at Blackjack. =0A= Now the casino manager comes and talks to me. How come I don=92t have a ca= rd? I tell him they are bad luck. He says I have seen you before and we a= re=0A= glad you are here. He sits down in the chair=0A= close by at the other table. I notice=0A= heat everywhere. I order a beer/patron=0A= which he quickly allows. He may not=0A= remember but 2y ago at Barge we had 5-6 patron shots. We came back after d= inner and wanted=0A= more. He told the waitress they already=0A= had 6 today why would I care now give them whatever they want. =20 =0A= =0A= When I lost $10k last summer the situation was different. I play $50 bets = to start. I raise to $75 and checks play is yelled=0A= out. I do it one time in a negative=0A= count and checks play is called. I get=0A= some red chips. The phone is=0A= ringing. I bet $125 and the boss says=0A= you should have bet more. I flat bet $75=0A= through a rising count and he mentions that I should have raised by a few= =0A= chips. I tell him I am almost broke and=0A= playing what I can afford. After about=0A= 40m he walks over and says we are going to have to flat bet you. I tell hi= m the sign says 10-500 and what is=0A= he talking about. He says I think you=0A= understand. I have only won $300 after=0A= dinner and down $1700 for the day. I get=0A= my chips and leave with the weird feeling that my $10k will never be rescue= d=0A= from this dump. Amazingly this is first time I was backed off here. =0A= =0A= I get back in time for the High Roller HOSER game. I have come in 2nd and = 3rd=0A= the first 2 years of this tourney. I=0A= really like it and the play is generally very high. I have a tough table a= s both are fairly=0A= tough. ICE=2C Kluchman(later)=2C Grapes=2C and=0A= a few others. I run really hot early and=0A= flop 4 Qs in O8. I also do well in Razz=0A= hands and 7stud. I am probably the chip=0A= leader after the first 90m. Then I catch=0A= cold cards. I am playing fairly tight=0A= and win I raise I win the blinds/antes a few times. I get AA beat in HE on= an 8-9-10 flop that I=0A= can=92t even call on the turn when the J comes out. I am not winning any c= hips as the blinds get=0A= bigger. Pretty soon we are down to=0A= almost being all in every hand. My K9=0A= loses to ICE who has Q8 in HIM for about 3 BBs when an 8 hits the flop. I = end up about 7th of the 17=0A= places. Heh=2C my poker is improving in=0A= terms of percentile. I manage to drink 4=0A= more beers. =20 =0A= =0A= I call Steve and he is at the Main Street playing crappy BJ with good pint= =0A= draft beer. The game is DD dealt about=0A= 50% with no Double After splits and no presplit Aces. The game is .53 and = dealt poorly. I will play but this is a waste your time=0A= game. I decide that 25-200 is=0A= reasonable. When I get there everyone is=0A= talking and laughing. The pit boss is=0A= asking Steve and John questions. After the=0A= 3rd or 4th time they yell =93checks play=94 the game is a=0A= little more sour faced. I decide to play=0A= 10-200 and get some red chips also. I=0A= don=92t win much here. They do have a=0A= really good RED and IPA beer on tap. I=0A= lose $350 in this crappy game but have fun playing with Steve and John. I = must have heard checks play 50 times. We decide around 1:00 to go to bed. = I think Steve just doesn=92t want me to wake=0A= him up at 6:00 am again. I am really=0A= beat so to bed early I go. =20 =0A= =0A= Day 4=0A= =0A= I get up around 8:00 and Steve has been up for a while. I decide to go run= around 9:30. The 6m jog is really tough on me. I have been running less = than usual but I do=0A= make the trip. I jog down past the SLS=0A= and think about going inside for a Manhattan. =0A= On the way back I pass the Stratosphere. =0A= I am really thirst and need to use the bathroom. I go inside and as I am w= alking out security=0A= tells me I can=92t come in here just to use the bathroom. I am thinking=2C= =93Really=94? I am already done and got a drink from the fountain=0A= what are you going to do. I just laugh=0A= and walk out and then start jogging back downtown. =20 =0A= =0A= The main event is something I look forward to each year. I had my best fin= ish ever last year in 13th=0A= and hope to improve. This year I barely=0A= win a hand. I think it is true other=0A= than one blind rounded folded to me I only win one small pot with a re-rais= e=0A= before the flop with AK against QB. I am=0A= out around 140th and my poker tourney week is a total bust. I did sit next= to the final champion and she played=0A= good and was fun to talk with. At least=0A= I lowered my entry fee by having 5 beers. =0A= =0A= =0A= I go eat lunch and take a short nap. I=0A= am really getting old these days. Steve=0A= calls about playing some BJ at the Main Street. =0A= Same thing as the day before. The=0A= friendly pit boss is all the sudden camped out watching my game. I hear t= hem on the phone talking about BJ=0A= 7. Wait I am playing BJ7. I start betting red and plan on playing=0A= 5-200. I go from 10-25 and they yell=0A= green action. Almost every bet the=0A= dealer is saying something. I win 450=0A= with my spread and act. The floor man=0A= picks up the cards after I go from 25-125. =0A= This is very small action but all Boyd casinos are a dump IMHO. They are p= robably glad when I leave. We play some dice and I win another 450=0A= betting dark side. I had 3-4 more beers=0A= in here but what a dump. =0A= =0A= Steve and I do some random gambling at the Californian. John goes for banq= uet. We play $100 each at roulette and we both=0A= win. Then play a few hands of Pai=0A= Gow. I want to bank and the dealer says=0A= you can bank next hand. I bet $100 and=0A= get a Q paigow and lose. Now new dealer=0A= is there. I tell her I want to=0A= bank. She says bank option was last hand=0A= now you have to wait 13 hands. This is=0A= wrong as you can only bet your last bet and last bet I didn=92t have enough= to=0A= cover other bets. She is rude about=0A= it. The pit boss is even ruder and says=0A= just let him bank if he wants to be that cocky. =0A= We tell her what a dump this place is and no wonder she is so=0A= grumpy. I of course get Jh paigow and=0A= lose again. =20 =0A= =0A= Banquet was fun and the speech I really liked. =0A= I asked her how to get kids interested in Chess instead of just=0A= XBOX. =20 =0A= =0A= The last night I decide to play 4/8 reindeer horse. I am basically playing= like a total=0A= donkey. I straddle every hand often=0A= blind raise. JP and I play like this and=0A= others play a NIT 4/8 game. I win a huge=0A= pot with QD9D on a straddle that I cap the pot. =0A= Flop: =0A= =0A= AQ9 with 2 diamonds. =20 =0A= =0A= 3 players cap it on the flop. Carol=92s=0A= husband is sitting next to me (name escapes me). Turn is a=0A= J and it is capped again 3 way. River=0A= card is a diamond and checked to me and I bet=2C fold=2C and call. I hear = that a diamond came and I will still=0A= lose. He turns over 10d-8d and I lucked=0A= into a big 4/8 pot. At some point I have=0A= to go call my wife and Peter plays my chips. =0A= He wins another 100 playing tight even though I told him to play fast=0A= with straddles. I talk to Redbird who is moving to Seattle and she asks ab= out a BJ lesson. I tell her you can learn BJ in about 4h how about some po= ker lessons. We laugh. She mentions some story about seeing me the first = time at the Venetian during Embargo and drinking 18 Newcastle beers. I bel= ieve that is the only Barge tourney I won (PL O8)=2C though I am sure it wa= s only 15 beers! =0A= =0A= I don=92t win many more but that pot may have been 300. I keep the gambol = up and order 4-5=0A= drinks. When a 3/6 seat opens up I move=0A= there to play with Steve. We blind raise=0A= all of the time. Every time I see Murray=0A= in the pot I raise saying I see some easy Canadian money=2C of course he be= ats me=0A= most pots. One crazy o8 pot he raises me=0A= and then I check to him. He turns over a=0A= pair of 2s that I can=92t beat. We=0A= laugh. Table is fun but I am giving back=0A= chips very fast now. Patti turns over a=0A= few nut hands when I barely have anything. =0A= Steve has figured out you can order 2 drinks at a time. His Gin and Tonic = is house Gin and is really=0A= bad. I order 2 drinks also. Great Idea!=0A= =0A= I even win a can of Bacon Jams that Steve leaves=0A= behind. I cash out down only $140 which=0A= is not much for gambling like that style for 6h of poker. Day 5=0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= I wake up when Steve is getting ready to leave for the=0A= airport. I decide to play 3 hours of BJ=0A= at the GN before my ride to the airport comes. =0A= In that time I am able to get 7 bloody mary drinks. I win $2k playing BJ w= ith only a few really=0A= good spots to bet. I leave the last hand=0A= with a 575 bet out there and I bust out=2C much like my poker this trip. I= ask if the cashier is open on Sundays at=0A= the GN and the boss says no not until Monday morning. I laugh. =0A= I am so tired I have little energy today. My son looks and me in the lobby= when I meet=0A= them and asks did I have fun at Barge. =0A= Does someone in this physical shape in Vegas not have fun? I sleep almost = the entire flight back to=0A= Seattle. I am trying to go on a 30 day no=0A= drinking plan after Barge. My poker friends=0A= set the line at 10-1 against though I am good as of 8/5/2015. Monte=0A= =0A= PS - Thanks to everyone who puts in time to make Barge happen. It is a to= n of fun each year. =0A=