From: "Russell Fox" Subject: Just Slightly Off Target: Russ' Trip Report (long) Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 22:06:30 -0700 This report is not that long -- I didn't take many notes. 1. Getting There Is Half the Fun. Or so the cliche goes. The only notable glitch in my drive (3.6 hours) to Vegas was the road construction in Jean on I-15. Actually, there's almost **always** road construction on I-15 in Nevada.... 2. Yes, Russ, You're in Vegas Now. I head to the Bellagio and start in an 8-16 HE. Rockish, tightish, etc. I get good cards (KK, QQ, AK) -- all of them lose (to, respectively, JJ, AK and 84o). Not a good start. But then I switch to 6/12 Omaha (with a half-kill). The first hand of the game (I have the button) I'm dealt 2236 (the 6 is suited, if it matters). I call, along with 6 others (including both blinds). The flop is Q77 rainbow. Checked around to me, I join in for the free card. Turn is a 9. Checked around to me -- I bet (this is Vegas, not LA, after all). 3 or 4 callers. River is another 9. Checked around to me; I bet, all fold. I lost ~$200 in HE and win ~$175 in O8. 3. Green Bay 2, Irvine 2. After getting my room key at the Stratosphere I head to the Mirage. I find my roomie (Fold'em aka Peter Secor). I had a nice talk with Diane (she's a wonderful person) and then we got in the same 10/20 HE game. Diane is 'slightly' looser than I am (I **may** be understating this...). Anyway, we exchange bad beats on each other (I think two apiece). She cracks my aces with QTo and I offset her AKs with 44 (flopping a set). I think we both had a great time in that game (we were both winning -- and it was a good game). 4. Good Cards Help. I play the Thursday NLHE tourney at the Mirage, the Friday O8 tourney at the Orleans and the Friday NLHE tourney at the Orleans. I don't cash. In fact, I'm out early in all but the Mirage's tourney. Bob Sadowski placed 4th (I think) in the Orleans' tourney. I don't remember any hands but I do remember holding trash for all of these tournies. The Orleans' new poker room (on the south side of their casino) is larger and they don't allow smoking (except during graveyard). Game selection was 3/6 HE with a full kill, 4/8 HE, 6/12 HE, 4/8 & 6/2 O8 (both with kills) and 1/5 stud. 5. The Buttons Don't Work in this Elevator. Paul Phillips invited all of the players attending Target to a party at his condominium. I didn't get their early so I can't make direct observations about the Stirling Club (a private club for residents of his complex) but Peter Secor stated, "...the second ingredient mentioned for one of the appetizers was fois gras...they continually rotated them, never repeating them...." His place is quite nice, with the most comfortable bean-bag chair I've ever seen (and sat in). Besides the Target attendees, lots of poker notables were there (i.e. Erik Seidel, Daniel Negreanu, Kathy Liebert, Melissa Hayden, etc.). Paul treated everyone very well -- thank you for the invite. Paul's complex has valet parking. After giving the attendant my car, she told me to go in and check with the front desk. They directed me to, "...go into the right elevator, I'll open the door for you, and we'll send you up to the right floor." I went into the elevator, the door closed, no lights (on the elevator buttons) lit up but I was deposited on the correct floor. The buttons work, though, going down. On the way out the l o n g e s t stretch limo I've ever seen (a stretch Jeep Cherokee) deposited six wonderful looking young women -- who were apparently going to Paul's party. I knew I left too soon.... 6. Red, Not Gold. That's a reference to archery -- just missing the "bullseye" (what's really the yellow (aka gold) circle). The Target field was tough -- 28 players. At my table were such lightweights as Michael Hall, Johnny Davis, Steve Daniel, Peter Secor, Keith Bronson and Jerrod Ankenman. On about the 3rd hand I'm in the big blind. There's an early position caller, Peter raises to 150, I look down and spot AA. I re-raise to 600; the early caller folds and Peter goes all-in. I call, of course, and double up. That was one of the few premium hands I hold all day (five: AA, QQ twice, AK, and AQ). I do a lot of thievery (only getting caught once -- by Michael Hall). I make the final table in good shape, along with Jerrod (short-stacked) and Steve (perhaps the chip leader). I noticed amost no errors at the final table -- one of the toughest tables I've ever been at. The key hands for me at the final table included: we're down to 5 or 6 players. Mark (from Philadelphia) raises from the SB. I see AK and re-raise him all-in. Mark calls with A9, so he's drawing relatively thin. But like the WSOP, A9 wins (with a 9 on the flop). The second key hand was when we were down to 3 (myself, Ming Lee and Steve). Ming raises, Steve re-raises (enough to put Ming all-in), Ming calls with JJ; Steve has AK. I was in 2nd chip position at that time. If Steve wins, I win a seat. But there's no help for his AK and now I'm the short stack. I then go card dead. Really dead. 72, 83, 94, etc. For 15 straight hands. I survive one all-in (doubling up) and then get knocked out when Steve calls my BB (he was SB with T6o). I had K6. I didn't re-raise (a mistake based on the fact that Steve thought I'd reraise with any card above a T). With a 10 on the flop I finish 3rd and pocket $500 -- Steve and Ming got the seats. As I write this I don't know how they did but I sure hope they win! In retrospect, even if I reraise it's correct for Steve to call. He had a huge stack and my getting a few additional chips (given my stack size) wouldn't matter. 7. Good Triumphs Over Evil. After having dinner with Steve & Timmer (at CPK at the Mirage), I play some 10/20 HE doing well. I then head over to Binion's for the mini-craps tour. (Note to John Harkness: John stated, "And frankly, I don't know any poker players who don't do any other gambling, except maybe for Russ Fox." I do gamble on other things every so often.). Chris Colby, myself, Ken, Ray, Jerrod, and Kirsty for the good (passline); and Jaeger and his brother (?) for the evil (don't pass). To make this short, Jerrod rolled the dice for 28 minutes; my stack went from $30 to $330; and good triumphs again! 8. Where There's Smoke.... Sunday I had brunch with Lee Munzer. I like Lee as a person -- he's got great insight into the poker world -- and we talked about a wide range of subjects. We talked so long that I missed the Sunday NLHE tourney at the Orleans. I ended up at Binion's and played 10/20 O8 (with a half kill). The game was good: tight passive and I did fine. I took my comp for dinner and ate with Greatbrit (Paul Westley) and Steve Evans at Binion's new (or old) coffee shop. The food was standard coffee shop (it was apparently much better than the buffet, which I compared (at Barge) negatively too Circus Circus's.). There are three playing areas at Binion's (for Poker): Upstairs (the 'Bingo Parlor') for the tournaments, satellites, and high-limit side games; the super satellite area (beyond the normal poker area); and the poker room. The poker room allows smoking; there's no smoking in either of the other areas. The games are quite good -- I saw several ARGers there including Karma, Ray and ET. I also ran into Razzo who introduced me to Binion's new poker room manger (whose name I've forgotten -- sorry, Razzo). Unfortunately, the smoke got to me. My table (#6) was in the smoking zone and the ventilation at Binion's leaves something to be desired. So I decide to head home Monday morning and play at the MSOP at the Bike. 9. Irvine in Barstow? On my drive home I stop for nutrition (loosely put) at Carl's Jr. in Barstow. I notice that the only two vehicles in the parking lot are two Irvine PD vans. Of course, the Baker to Vegas race was this weekend. I say hello to someone I know and head off to Bell Gardens. 10. The End. At tonight's NLHE tourney I pick up some big hands. First, I gain 500 (we started with T1000) when I make a steal raise with A5s on the button and make a wheel on the river. Then I lose 300 when my AK loses to T4o (he calls my raise; he turns an inside straight draw while I have top pair, best kicker) but he rivers the straight (he shows me his hand). My final hand -- I'm about the 3rd person eliminated -- you have TT on the button. An early position raiser makes it 150 (standard raise would be to 80). I reraise to 400. He calls, we see a flop of 983. He checks, I move in, he calls with QJo. Of course, I turn a set but end up home when he makes his inside straight. Oh well, the operation was successful but the patient died. 11. Thank you: to Ken Kubey, for organizing Target, to the other participants -- like all ARG events, I had a great time and couldn't without you. -- Russ Fox