BARGE
Trip Report Part 1
Because
most people put their thank you's at the
end (where few are read), I'm going to
put them at the front:
-
To Zimmers & Chuck for running BARGE,
which takes a lot out of you
-
To Binion's, which, for the most part,
did an excellent job with the tourneys
and running all the other BARGE events
(they definitely "get" us)
- To the Orange County/Southern California
poker players who've helped me better
my game to the point where I'm regularly
finishing above par (e.g. at the final
table)
Enough
of that. As most Bargers are aware, I
took copious notes (but I'll try hard
not to bore you).
Jerrod
(Ankenman) and I left John Wayne Tuesday
afternoon. For those who aren't familiar
with Southern California, John Wayne (SNA)
is a wonderfully underutilized airport.
It's pleasant, crowd-free, and, if you
ignore the gliding takeoffs (this is not
a joke), a much better experience than
LAX (if you're heading to Orange County).
And occasionally you can get good fares:
three airlines fly from John Wayne to
Vegas -- fares are now the same from SNA
as from LAX. And when I changed our return
to Monday afternoon we received our first
good beat -- $110 refund! (I was able
to get a $170 fare to Marge out of John
Wayne via Orbitz -- lower than LAX!)
We
picked up the rental car (a Mazda with
a crappy transmission) and headed to Binions.
I think that when archeologists excavate
Binions thousands of years from now, they'll
still find it dark and dingy looking,
with a vague aroma of tobacco.
We
head to the Mirage and play some ring
game action. On the first hand Jerrod
and ~5 others (not me) call one raise
and see a flop like 334. The raiser bets
and 2 call. The Turn is another low card
(say a 2); the raiser bets and Jerrod
pops it. Raiser calls. River pairs one
of the low cards. Raiser checks, Jerrod
bets, and raiser disgustingly mucks his
hand. This was a great move by Jerrod,
who held AQ; a move you can make in Las
Vegas but wouldn't even consider in LA.
One humorous (to me) hand that I held;
I pick up AcAs and raise. I think I got
only 1 caller. Board comes AoKcQc. I bet,
he calls. Turn is Tc; I bet, am raised,
and call. River is Jc. He pays off my
Royal (first one I have ever hit).
I
played the Mirage NL tourney. This is
the only event I **didn't** take notes
in so I can only tell you that I busted
out in the middle; headed back to Binion's,
and went to sleep early (sleep, at Barge?)
Tuesday
I headed to the Orleans and played in
their noon Omaha/8 tourney. This is my
normal ring game, and probably my best
tournament game. I recognize only two
people at my table, Art Santella & a man
who looks vaguely familiar. I finally
realize that it's Henry Nowakowski, the
German businessman who finished 7th in
the Big one. He may play good NLHE, but
he needs a lot of practice in Omaha high/low.
He's eliminated 5 minutes into the second
round.
I
end up finishing 6th, netting $112 including
bounties. I go out with AQT8 vs. QJ97;
board is AQT86. Jim "Bulbert" Bullard
& Scottro cash higher than me (but don't
win). Still, a good showing for Bargers.
I
head to Bellagio, to play some +EV poker.
On the way in I say hello to ADB Bingo
(he's heading to the Las Vegas Club).
The
poker room is sleepy at 7:00 PM. (I was
told that it was like that after I left;
this is not the high season in Vegas).
I play one hand of 6/12 Omaha 8 before
the game breaks; I then sit in 4/8 Hold'em.
I pick up TT in Big blind; I raise & get
2 callers. A23 (2 D) flop; checked around.
Turn is T; I bet, both call. River 4;
I bet, 1 caller (QQ). Next hand I have
KJs. 7 see flop of 973 (2 of my suit);
someone bets and 6 call. Turn is J (offsuit);
bet, all call. River 8 of my suit. I bet,
5 call. I leave +$112 and into 8/16 HE.
Nothing
much happens until I hold AKo. Button
slowly calls and I pop it. Flop KTx, all
D; he calls all my bets and mucks when
I show my hand. Next hand I have QQ. The
gentleman in seat 8 (I'm in seat 4) says,
loudly, "I don't want to have pocket Queens."
Seat 10 and button call; I raise; seat
10 reraises & button folds. Flop of QT6
rainbow. He bets, I call. Turn 2; I check
raise. River 3; he calls and throws his
Aces disgustingly in the muck as the table
breaks out in laughter at my Queens.
I
head back to Binions and play some 4/8
Horse. One interesting hand: In stud eight
I get (22)6. I complete and get 3 callers.
I brick on 4th; Ken Tarvin has (??)8A
and bets; I call. On 5th I catch a 2 and
raise. I river a boat; much saddenz for
Ken. Ken, unfortunately for us in Southern
California, is moving to Colorado; a great
person and a loss for our home games.
One
denizen of the game, the only non-Barger,
needs to be described. To protect the
innocent I'll call her Robin. She had
to be seen to be believed. She was either
drunk (drunker than Jaeger in the NLHE
-- a story I'll get to) or so high you
wouldn't believe it. She hadn't a clue
about some of the games and, to all Bargers
relief, ran out of money Thursday morning
and fell asleep, standing up, watching
my table at the HOP.
Russ Fox
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