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Posted by on Aug 4, 2019 in Blog, General Poker, Personal | 0 comments

My BARGE 2019 Trip Report [Chapter 2/6]

 

DAY TWO REPORT

[13]  Wednesday is a complete disaster. There’s a day tournament and a night tournament.  So, I go zero for 2 in tournaments. My investment fund is now -$225 in the red. The first tournament was uneventful, Busted about midway through. The second tournament was frustrating because I had a chip lead at one point and then played poorly, making several risky decisions that were totally unnecessary. So, it was a long painful unprofitable drive home and a moment of reflection. Nonetheless, BARGE continued to be a blast! How often can you say in poker, “I lost, but I had a great time!” Well, that’s BARGE.

So, I guess it wasn’t a “disaster” after all.

[14]  The day began with me writing my (Part 1/6) report, posted to Facebook at 10:28 am. Somehow, I dressed and showered (not necessarily in that order), hit the highway, and was in my tournament seat by 11;13 with a fresh cocktail in my hand. Chris Mecklin — a.k.a. Tom Bayes — ordered a greyhound….err. the drink, not the dog……in remembrance of the late great Gavin Smith, and I had to join the tribute. Gavin was the BARGE champion in 2003. He also did a fabulous job as BARGE banquet speaker, a few years later. It was nice to remember Gavin as one of our own. BARGE history is rich in characters and memories, my friends. Funny line from Chris as he chugged Gavin’s fave drink: “I don’t even like these, but it seems kinda’ breakfast-y.”

[15]  The day tournament was PL-HORSE, which means the rotation of games normally played in a limit format, juiced up to pot-limit. Although I didn’t fare well, I REALLY liked this tournament. Every decision became really consequential. Cool thing about the BARGE events is the wide variety of games on the menu. Sick of the same ole’ NLHE games with boring people? I have just the remedy for you.  Come.  Join us.  We don’t know how to play them either!

[16]  A Cool moment: Gerald Peterson and I were talking during the tournament. Learned this marks his 25th straight year. Not sure who holds the record, but that’s certainly up there.  John Reed — are you the all-time Lou Gehrig of our group?

[17]  Don’t try this at home. Most everyone talks at the table. That’s the way we roll. Problem is, sometimes that can lead to a mistake. Since the games rotate, you have to pay attention to the placard, with the game displayed. About an hour into the tournament, one of the players at our table misread the game. It had just changed over from Stud-High to Razz, which means instead of highest hand winning, making the lowest hand was the goal. The player got to fourth street and fumbled in a pot-sized bet, before realizing his trip tens in Razz wasn’t a very good hand. What an idiot that player was. Oh, the name of the player won’t be disclosed to protect his identity. However, his initials were N.D. and he was drinking a greyhound as the insistence of Chris Mecklin.

[18]  I love talking to BARGE people. Sabyl Cohen Landrum comes in late to our table. She’s an attorney practicing for a non-profit who does lots of amazing work for economically disadvantaged people in the Bay area — poor people getting screwed by landlords, and lawsuits like that. I ask Sabyl more about her work and she shares how tough it can sometimes be, but also reveals that it has its rewards. This is but one of more than a few conversations daily that make the group so interesting.

[19]  Patti Beadles hosts and amazing “Gin Tasting” party and seminar in a huge hotel suite, with food, and top-flight gins. On our tournament break, I grab a few BARGErs and we run-up to the suite, raid the food, enjoy Patti’s gin, and then storm out the door and back downstairs to get back to our seats within 10 minutes. Funny thing was, we were rude as fuck to do that (crashing the party) but everyone totally understood. Hell, they would have done the same thing!

More to come later about Patti, and her ‘mazin’ gin collection!

[20]  After busting about four hours in, I head over to my favorite Las Vegas seafood place, King’s Fish House, which is walking distance from the casino.  Our party of four explodes like a refugee camp on the Chad border and we eventually top out with Kevin Un, Eric Schneller, Michael Brennan, (his wife Courtney), Caryl Aronson, and David Aronson. The Trout Almondine is every bit as good as I remember. Thanks Eric, for picking up my portion of the tab!

[21]  At our late lunch-early dunner, Kevin shares some worrisome news concerning one of the great BARGE people. Monte Christensen didn’t make this year’s BARGE. He was diagnosed with tongue cancer nearly a year ago and is undergoing treatment. Monte has had a profound influence on my life (I’ve written about this in the past and will relate more about this another time). Monte is just one of those larger than life personalities, almost too big to absorb. His stories of high-stakes gambling, and getting thrown out of casinos are legendary. I know all BARGErs are thinking of Monte. He’s been one of us for more than 20 years. Fortunately, Monte is one of the toughest fuckers I’ve ever met. Cancer is gonna’ lose this one, if Monte plays his A-game. And Monte ALWAYS plays his A-game — in blackjack, in poker, and in life. Man, fuck cancer. We love you, Monte Christensen.

[22]  Bob Ogus just has a way about him that makes you want to strangle the man. He drew out on Rich Bremer on some big hands, where Bremer practically stomped out of the room like a wild stallion. I recall Bremer has a MONSTER BARGE last year (I think) where he won a few events and cashed like 3-4 times. So, Bremer was on his way to immortality before Ogus played the Ogus card. Funny thing about Ogus is, when he drags that huge pot, he kinda’ looks at you like “what the hell were you doing in the hand?” when he was 10-1 dog and hit the four-outer. A word of advice: Do not ever try to bluff this man!

[23]  Question: How many BARGErs does it take to change a _____________? I haven’t figured out a punch line, yet. So, I’m putting that out there. Our night tournament starts at 7 pm and I’m seated at a rule-sticky nit table. Cards barely flow. We can’t see the board (bad table location). Everyone is arguing. Stoppage. We even had to call the floor a few times. This disaster is a precursor of what’s to come.

[24]  The tournament is a rotation of limit poker games. I run good for about three hours. In fact, I get up near the chip lead with about half the field of 80+ eliminated. I’m in a perfect spot, it seems. Then, I turn into an idiot. BADACY is a game I’ve covered when I worked at the WSOP, but I don’t know the game particularly well. I’m dealt a pat 8-X four-card Badaci one three straight hands. Seriously.  Three times in a row, a marginal “pat” hand.  What do I win for finishing second three straight times?  Well, I manage to go from chip leader to the felt in like 12 excruciating minutes of hell. What to I do with the dumbass game — pitch the Badaci? Should I draw to an 8? I could have nested on my 50K in chips with blinds at $3K per round and waited for a game I knew btter, but I get fish hooked into disaster with these morsels of shit, better known as the 8-X Badaci. My chips get ripped up like red meat in a wolves den. Final hand, I’m sitting on A-2-4 Badaci, with THREE draws. All my chips are in the pot in a possible triple up hand with Kenny Shei and Peter Caldes — aka Taki.

First Draw–Paint.Paint. 

Second Draw–Paint.Paint. 

Third Draw–Four.Four (for trip fours in a lowball game)

Andres, the Austrian BARGEr from NC is laughing his ass off and I blow up and spill my Perrier in frustration. I stomp out of the room like a wild stallion. Hey, where the fuck is Rich Bremer?  I have a story to tell him!

[25]  David Croson is an economics professor at Michigan State. I think that’s a university.  Could be in Chicigan somewhere.  He came into BARGE about the same time as I did, back in 1996. Croson is so much fun but also so interesting. I always perk up in my seat when Croson makes a post because I’ll probably learn something and he might be correcting one of my errors. Anyway, Croson has just arrived in the room and brings me a bag. He has smuggled contraband into the poker room. Croson read my earlier report about CVR serving shit wine, and my desire to work around the restrictions with, let’s just say a “little creativity.” Croson has bought me a stainless steel flask and a beautiful bottle of Guy Mousset Cotes du Rhone. Cotes do Rhones are my favorite wines, do Croson has clearly done his homework. In the coming days, if you see me with a large flask, you won’t get a taste of my “Diet Coke.” I’m not sharing. Except with Croson. Simple economics — keep your friends close and your gift-master closer. Thanks, Dave. Really cool gesture. I will enjoy the shit out of that wine.

Postscript:  I’m about to open it now, writing these reports.  Thanks again, professor!  

[26]  Grizz and I make an iron-clad man-pact. If one of us wins BARGE 2019 Main Event, we are ordering top-flight champagne. Mark it down. Hell, order it! I have faith in Grizz’s poker game, more than my own.

Postscript:  I made the Main Event final table.  Grizz welched!  I never got my champagne!  Well, actually I did come to think about it.  Story pending.  See Part 6.

[27]  Jeff Deitch didn’t bother to show up for the Tuesday night tourney, and got blinded off but then played in the Wednesday “Oklahoma” tournament, and managed to win it! Apparently, he took a break from the dope-smoking for a few hours enough to waltz in, play, and win a trophy. Afterward, I asked Jeff if I could mention his affection for the natural herb. “Yeah no problem, go ahead — it’s kinda’ already out there,” Deitch snapped as he hoisted his trophy and then mysteriously headed out into a dark corner of the East parking garage for some reason.

Okay, so he didn’t really head to the parking garage.  That would have been a violation of Green Valley Ranch policy.  Wink.  Wink.

[28]  One of these times, I’m going to stick my hand under the faucet in the public restroom and the automatic “eye” will actually fucking work and I’ll get WATER on the first attempt. I have faith. It *has* to happen. It’s just pure odds. One time! One time!

After a good day on Tuesday and a bad day on Wednesday, the BIG FISHH investment fund is stuck.  My updated results were:

Day 2 — Expenses:

— Tokes (to dealers) — $35

— Tokes (for cocktails) — $15

— Tournament Entry Fee — $280

NET DAILY RESULT: – $330.

PREVIOUS FUND STATUS:  +105.

NET OVERALL RESULT:  – $225

Finally, in tribute to organizer emeritus Peter Secor (shown in the heading photo). He’s the best of the best, folks.

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