From: Zbigniew Subject: [ESCARGOT] TRIP REPORT: Zbigniew at ESCARGOT 2003 Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 11:09:41 -0800 (PST) Stubing and I had such a great time at our first ARG event (BARGE 2002), that we resolved to attend ESCARGOT 2003. As usual, we tried to convince our fellow MPN'ers to come along, and, as usual, they all had some lame excuses, like glaring wives or newborn children or some such. It was an easy drive from the Bay Area and we checked into the Ramada Limited ("Limited in quality," opined Stubing in the midst of our stay.) late Thursday afternoon. We first thought we'd ease into the scene, spending a little time getting used to the place and maybe going out for some dinner before the first ESCARGOT tourney. Instead, we picked up our ESCARGOT gear and were sitting in an 8-16 holdem game at the Bicycle Casino within half an hour. An hour and a half yielded one big bet and it was time for the first ESCARGOT tournament, half-holdem/half-omaha (high)/ALL-pot-limit. About all I can say about the tourney is that I suxed. I took 99 against KT, probably betting pot preflop. Flop AQJ. I bailed on the flop. For some reason, I decide to take JJxx up against AAxx and a ragged board and lose a bunch of chips. Chuck H. tries to help me out, declaring as I bet pot with a dwindling stack, "I'll make a donation." I end up all in. I have AA87 (with one or two s00ted A's). Chuck has A7xx. Board goes 7xxx7 and we chop. I end up blinding out during the third round. pattib landed at my table during this tournament. It was interesting to watch her play. She does that recommended "watch the player, not the board" thing. She picked off Foldem's TTxx with her JJxx, saying, "I don't think you like your hand." Nice read. I did not take the opportunity to bug Patti restarting IRC poker. Consider it done here. :) Back to the poker room and a 6-12 game. A player has been betting from the flop onward, followed by the typical California callers. River brings the third flush card. Player bets. A late position player raises. Player calls. Late position has a flush. Player mucks. Late position gleefully cries, "Thanks for the donation!" Player steams and leaves table for a while. Another player, a prop, I believe, says to Late Position, "You know, you really shouldn't do that. You're shooting the hand that feeds you." Prop pauses to think and adds, "I should say, 'You're cutting off the hand that feeds you.'" Nice metaphor, sir. Well mangled. Up late on Friday. Breakfast in one of the Bike's restaurants. Five hours of 6-12 holdem. I play OK, but book a loss. Stubing and I have dinner at another of the Bike's restaurants. (The Bike kindly provided rec.gamblers with six six-dollar meal tickets, but these were good only on the poker room floor. After eating one meal the previous night on the poker room floor, I found it awkward and unrelaxing. Stubing felt the same way and we ate in restaurants for most of the trip.) Friday night's tournament is limit holdem. I start off with a bang, QQ on the second hand dealt, and get some action. As is typical, I start dribbling my chip lead away. We started with T1000. I have T975 at the first break (one hour into the tournament). I believe I stole a couple of pots after preflop raises get me heads up. At the two-hour point, I have T1900. The fifth round (blinds 75-150, playing 150-300) is my turning point. Small stacks have to make desperation plays and I manage to get some hands. I have T4200 at the second break, 2.5 hours into the tournament. I manage to stay even for the next two hours. My notes show that I had T4100 at the 3.5 hour mark and T4000 at the 4.5 hour mark. Staying even for those last two hours does not mean that it was a smooth ride. (I believe this is called "aliasing." ;) In the 300-600 round, I raise in early position with QQ. One of the blinds, MrBob, reraises. I call. Flop is three rags. MrBob bets. I call. Turn, a blank. MrBob bets. I call. River, a lovely Q. MrBob bets. I raise. MrBob calls. I drag a big pot. MrBob steams, showing KK. I steam, because I dislike making fundamental theorem errors. I decide to play 55 (Presto!) and, of course, flop a boat (KK5). The situation gets ugly when Russ F. and I cap the betting preflop. My AK makes top pair (K's) on the flop. Russ bets. I call. Turn is no help. Russ bets. I raise. Russ reraises. I call (like a fool). I call Russ's river bet. He shows AA. I started this hand with T10000 and ended up with T4500. I make the final table of ten players. A save for tenth place is agreed upon, giving that finisher his buy-in. I'm the fourth smallest stack and manage to hang on as the smaller stacks bust out. I finish sixth when, in the small blind, I three-bet Russ F.'s button open-raise. The big blind folds. Russ calls. The flop is nine-high. I bet the last of my chips. Russ, with top pair, calls. We turn over our cards. I have KK. Russ has J9. Board comes 9xxJx and I'm out. (KK no g00t again!) Russ played very well and went on to win the tournament. Thanks to mickdog, who was at my starting table and finished ninth overall. He was a particular friend in this tournament. He provided many helpful observations, shared in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, was always upbeat and encouraging, and was a great sport. The next day, the final ESCARGOT tournament, no-limit holdem shootout-to-match play, was scheduled to start at 11:00 AM. Stubing and I got up early, got some breakfast and arrived in time. The tournament started at 11:20. Stubing busted out ten minutes later. "Too many s00ted connectors," was his only explanation. I pick up AA early and make a standard raise in late position. One of the blinds, Sharon, calls. Flop is Txx. Sharon checks. I bet 300. Sharon raises all-in. I call without a second thought. (My first thought being, "Woohoo! She fell into my trap!") Oops. Hoist with my own petard. Sharon flopped a set of tens. I miss my two-outer and am out, four minutes behind Stubing. Sharon went on to tie for fourth in this interesting format. Quickly into an 8-16 holdem game with Stubing. Stubing r00ls the table with some excellent play and really, really, bad opponents. I rarely see a player who is literally feared at the table, but Stubing, through a combination of great hands, great play and a huge stack of chips, is truly feared by some of the players. Stubing limps early. The usual five limp in behind. (I fold.) The blinds come in, so it's eight-handed. I'm the only preflop folder! The flop is 9xx. One of the blinds bets. Stubing raises. Five, count 'em, five cold callers behind Stubing. I smirk. Turn is a rag. One of the blinds, fearless, bets again. Stubing raises. There are four cold callers to Stubing's raise. I giggle. Stubing bets the river. There are three callers. Stubing shows down a set of nines. He drags a monster pot. When we break for the ESCARGOT banquet, Stubing has colored up two racks and has to rack up over four more racks of chips for a net of over five racks. Stubing, "Boy, these chips are heavy!" The banquet was enjoyable. I got to meet PacPalBuzz, one of my favorite RGP posters. Barry T., our post-dinner speaker was informative, amusing and entertaining. I did not realize that Barry cut his chops in the Garden City 20-40 game. I play at Garden City, so his talk about that game had a "home-town hero" quality to me. Barry also graciously answered many of those burning but rarely answered questions that poker players have. After the banquet, on my way to the cardroom, a curious player asked me about the "back-stage pass" badges that we wore. As I explained for the umpteenth time, "We're a bunch of friends that gather to play poker..." he replied, "Oh, that Lou K.'s thing! I screened a movie for you guys a couple of years ago." I had read of "The Big Blind" on RGP. I didn't get all the dope, but it sounds like the movie is completed and looking for a distributor. (But don't quote me.) I went and suxed some more at 6-12 and 8-16 holdem, leaving the game around 2:30 or so. My exit appears to have been well-timed, as it appears that at 45K bad beat jackpot was hit shortly after I left. I must mention HappyRaiser, a denizen of the "Vancouver Home Game." Variance was definitely HappyRaiser's friend, as he stacked a huge number of chips playing what I can only characterize as "some outlandish shit." Crazy or crazy like a fox? I don't think I'm experienced enough to say. In any event, HappyRaiser was a good-natured and amusing guy. Stubing and I ended up playing a lot with him over the weekend. Thanks to the ESCARGOT organizers and Bike staff who made this event go without a hitch. Thanks to Barry T. for speaking to us. I had a great time.