.
***** [2] Prayer Meeting (tm). All rights reserved for ATLARGE
***** Tournament. No use without permission. Violators will be
***** laughed at and forced to play $1-$2 Omaha/8 with the Mad
***** Russian.
Now here I am with 9 of the finest. I only know Jeremy (barely),
Scott, and a couple of others whose names I recognize from the 'net.
What the hell, this should be a blast. (David Fruchter has posted a
report on this event.) I was third and Jeremy second, as Jerry won his
own tourney. These guys are tough, so I am pleased with my finish. I
would see most of them at the final table tomorrow.
Stay up late carousing with the Alt.Drunken.Bastards contingent. We
(Beavisbot, Timmy, Bruce, Russell, Jester, and I) go over to TAJ to
attempt a mass barring or some other outrageous behavior. Catch up
with Eric Holtman playing Pai Gow. Find empty (almost, soon will be)
Red Dog table.[3] Aha! Just the kind of depravity I had in mind.
***** [3] A certain party suggested playing the Big Wheel, but there
***** are levels I will not sink to.
We fill all seats but one and have sweaters behind cheering. Dealer
killing our minimum bet, Waitress bring drinks! action. We need
something to change our luck. It comes to me. Eureka! Dealer, please
turn the little dog around so we can kick his ass! Yes! Major Red Dog
recovery. Eric talks us into returning to Pai Gow, where I proceed to
get get loaded to the (yes) gills and unloaded in the (yuch) pocketbook
banking Pai Gow. Didn't I give this game up a couple of years ago?
Sure I did. Blackjack, breakfast. Finally knock off. Unfortunately,
the path to our room is right past the Resorts Crap tables. Cha Ching!
Let the don't shooters influence my thinking. Donald and Merv will
sleep well tonight. Agree to swap 5% with each of Beavisbot, Jaeger
and Timmy. How bad could that be? This is all pretty hazy, but I'm
pretty sure I got some Rumplemintz units in here somewhere. Get to the
room about 6AM -$800. Jeremy is still out carousing somewhere. Fall
into bed and fall into restless sleep. FORGET TO LEAVE WAKE UP CALL!
Saturday:
Awaken to phone ringing.
"Hullo?"
"This is TIGER123. Are you playing in the Tourney?"
OH SHIT! Throw on my clothes and race down...(Nothing like starting on
Vacation). I'm told I won in the blinds with 64 off. Great. Good
start.
Kman quotes me as I try to get my bearings "Yes, dealer, I'm still not
paying attention." Sleep still clogging my brains. I get 55 UTG - make
it T50 to go - win! Presto! Wakes me up. Floor comes by and
threatens dealer with Poker Jail for some infraction. Am playing well,
getting good reads, stealing often, very aggressive with the big
drawing hands. Kman and Sippy go all-in against each other. Whew.
Kman KK, Sippy QQ.
We're down to two tables. This was my goal when I came. Finish
respectably. Cool. Get KQ w/ KQx flop. Go all-in with Alan Aida.
Split it up, as he shows the same. Richard Sooy, the TAJ dealer and
frequent RGP contributor is at our table. He is bullying the table.
Just killing everyone but me. Somehow I have his number. He runs up
the chips, then I take a bunch from him. He's playing everything in
sight and is drawing out on most hands. I have a good stack, about 2/3
of Richard's. I pick up AQs. Richard calls good size raise. Flop
comes Kxx. I read him for another bluff and move all-in. When he
called I figured I was dog meat. Turn: blank River: K. I show and he
mucks! Tiger tells me I am the chip leader.
An interesting hand. Chuck "Conjelco" Weinstock has TT in the T200 Big
Blind. He has T600. There are 12 left, 10 get paid. The big stack
raises all-in from the SB. Do you call?
He decides to fold and try to survive. (I had 22).
My notes end as we move to the final table. My hands are sweaty and
shaking a little with nervousness. I am far to nervous to take notes
[4]. Jeez, I'm in the money and chip leader by at least 2x anyone
else.
***** [4] Tiger123 has already posted as I write this.
***** You can get the final hands from his 4/1/96 Resorts ATLARGE
***** Report. I must say that I don't believe I've ever met a jollier
***** person than Tiger. He sure did a great job with keeping the
***** hands and all.
I've seen these faces before! Half these guys were at the Prayer
Meeting (tm)! I am in trouble.
Richard had made me too many gifts and was first out. We have already
agreed to try rocks & beers later at the TAJ with him dealing. What a
great guy!
Mostly I'm just being bled away, without taking much part in the
action. I don't want to have the middle stacks double through me, so I
try to get involved only with the smaller ones, as best I can. I'm
especially worried about Jerry and JP. Jerry won last night and I know
he's on his game. JP is scary. He is incredibly intense at the table.
It's like an aura. Everyone else I'm comfortable with.
When we're down to 4 or 5, Jazbo brings out the plaques for 1st, 2nd &
3rd and they leave them on the table. Ooh, those look great. I want
one.
Jerry takes out everyone else and builds up to about 2-1 chip lead.
Now we're heads up. Shit. Why didn't I read all those recent posts &
articles on Tourney pot splitting? Whoda thunk it? I ask Jerry if he
wants to deal. I am secretly hoping he'll take it. I figure it should
go about 60-40 for the cash & play for the Plaque. I really don't care
about the cash that much [5], but, man, would I love that Trophy. He
smiles coyly and says "Let's play a little". Frankly I would do the
same in his shoes.
***** [5] The ATLARGE Hold'Em tourney had 54 Entries. First Place paid
***** $1,026. After 5% to the dealers and 15% to my
***** Alt.Drunken.Bastard buddies, less about 1/3 in taxes, I net $500.
***** Second Place paid $400something with no taxes.
I decide to play one-connectors and suited stuff for my junk hands and
throw away most of the rest, more or less maintaining discipline,
unless I get really short-stacked. We trade blinds quite a bit. I
suck out with a straight all-in with T9 vs K7s, and again when T4s
makes 4s and they hold up. We trade blinds back and forth for a while.
I pick up 62o in BB, and Jerry just calls, trying to get action. I was
surprised because I don't remember seeing a free card at this table.
Flop comes 229 and I push all-in and Jerry calls with KQo. He doesn't
help and a 9 rivers me a full house [6].
***** [6] Does this mean 62off can be called a "foldem"? You know like
***** when you have 55 and call "PRESTO!" and the other guy says
***** "Irwin?" You would call "FOLDEM" and the other guy would mutter
***** "shit".
Now I'm leading and feeling confident. A few hands later I go all-in
with 88 and suck-out a runner-runner flush to take an all but
insurmountable lead. I try to win on T2off (doyle brunson) thinking it
would be neat, but Jerry held on. A few hands later I finally beat an
extremely difficult and gracious opponent to become the Hold'Em champ
of ATLARGE!
I would like to take a minute to congratulate and thank the staff and
dealers at Resorts. They don't usually deal no-limit, nor work at that
hour, nor for so little in tips (I'm pretty sure everyone kicked in
5%). They were courteous, efficient, and, sensibly, let us help them
if they needed it. The tourney came off without a hitch (as did 7-card
the next day) and the right guy won !
PART 2: The Dark Side. Coming soon to a newsgroup near you!
Part 2 will include the TOP 10 REASONS FOR ATTENDING BARGE!
foldem
