Trip Report
by David R. Trinidad
First and foremost, I would like to recognize Jazbo for the success of
ATLARGE II. ATLARGE II gathered all sorts of backgrounds and experiences
together for a brief moment of poker and fellowship. Organizing events this
large is time consuming and stressful. Thanks again Jazbo!!
In describing my experience at ATLARGE II I can only relate to last years
event. I did much better at the Hold'em tournament by not showing up!!
However, I missed the fellowship. So this trip report describes my
experience from a frame of mind that I survived my poker play but got to
meet some really neat people.
"The Smoker"
Though I do not drink anymore and try and cut down on the cigars, I still
find the smoker to be one great event. Great food, great people, and great
stories -- all the right combinations for an evening of fellowship. Tiger
did a great job of organizing this event.
The ADB'ers were in full force. The Darkside (Nolan Dalla), Fold'em, (Peter
Secor), Big Boy (Bruce Krammer), Elrasio (Eric ???), Satan (Jeremy) and the
honorary (Though he did not know it yet) member Bill Alan. The smoker
consumed three full tables and I believe over 20 fine people attended.
A highlight of the evening was executives of the Taj Poker room providing
nice T-shirts, hats, a deck of cards and the book "Caro's Fundamental
Secrets of Poker". As you soon will read, I should have more closely read
the book
In any social event involving 20 or more card players there will be the bad
beat stories. I am the worst at getting the facts right and making the
story interesting. However, there is one redeeming quality of a bad beat
story \u2013 it reflects a part of life. When I arrived in Newark, my wallet
fell out on the airplane. I had a strong hunch the most precious parts of
me were laying on the seat 1B. Like without a picture ID. How do I get back
on the airplane? So anyway, I approach the gate agents who referred me to
security. They referred me to lost and found. Hey! This plane leaves in 15
minutes and my wallet is sitting in seat 1B!! Well I cancelled my cards
when somebody finally went abroad, and found my wallet on seat 1B. Now how
is this different from the story "There I was with A-A and I flopped a full
house A-2-2\u2026." ? You see bad beat stories emulate life. A smoker is a place
to experience some interesting realities life presents us all.
"Taj Poker"
I concluded Thursday's evening with an hour of 15-30 Hold'em. I recognized
"Daveles" and someone I met at Fort McDowell in AZ. The table was not too
friendly with three people on tilt. So I got serious and engaged in only
two hands. Both scored and I left the table with my dinner paid.
"Craps Tournament"
The craps tournament was a free for all. Satan, (Jeremy) played the
"darkside" and layed the back.I played right side most of the way and
busted out. Jeremy won the tournament. There is a lesson to be learned here
but I have not figured it out yet.
As Fold'em and I said, it was fun to work T5000 on a craps table. I do not
think that I will be flinging that much black chips in this lifetime.
Unless of course barring some untoward event against the casino.
"Pot Limit Hold'em"
I entered the Pot Limit Tournament on Friday with the notion that this
would be a $85 poker lesson. I had the right idea. Having never played
Pot-Limit, I experienced a very cheap lesson compared to flinging real
green and black chips.
Actually, I was doing pretty good. Bluffed a couple of nice pots and
engaged in one pot with "Big Boy" (Bruce Krammer). Three sixes flop giving
me an excellent full house. I bet the flop and the turn. Bruce disengages
to fight yet another day.
The hand that did me in was quite interesting to me. A guy who bullies
three pots in a row engages in his fourth. I have A-K suited and the flop
shows A-X-X of diamonds. Everybody checks. On the turn, a rag drops so I
bet. The bully raises. I go all in. He had K-7 of diamonds.
Therefore, I should have taken a lesson from Bruce from the earlier hand.
When we do not have the nuts -- it might not be the time to fully commit
ones bankroll. The lesson was relearned again. You know the adage of all
teachers \u2013" do it over and over again until you do it right."
Bruce has some inspiring words for me at dinner. "The word is that you're
the Stay-Puff softie man..". I can see that my aggressive play will have
no threatening context with this crowd. Second, it will take a big win to
reestablish any honor amongst my peers.
"Passing the Time Away"
I had to work on Friday so I could only play until 12:30 AM on Thursday. I
played short handed 10-20 Hold'em which is my worse game. I just do not
make the right choices between aggression and passivity with less than 5
players. I feel good surviving with all my chips. I flop a full house
against "Bwana", "Elrasio", "Sippy" and Ming. One other person pays me off
until the end.
It was a nice way to pass the time away. I was listening to Bwana and
Sippy, tell poker stories. The one lesson from this session is that I have
a lot to learn. There are four stages of learning. We all start as
"Blissfully Ignorant". We do not know what we do not know. Then we wake up
and achieve a state known as Knowingly Ignorant. We now know what we do not
know. The next stage makes us an expert in a particular field. We become
Confidently Ignorant. We are confident in what we do not know. The last
stage is becoming Arrogantly Ignorant. We are arrogant about we do not
know. That is where learning stops. I realize do have a long way to go.
Hold'em Tournament.
I placed 22 last year by not showing up. This year, I was the fourth to
bust out. Not understanding the lessons of the previous day-- I engaged
David Croson (2nd place at BARGE). Things went very badly.
I watch David bluff a flush to lay down with 2 pair which set up the ending
hand for me. Here goes ..
I am sitting as the big bling with K-Q Hearts. Four people call, I raise
T50. Everybody calls. The flop comes 9-9-Q. I have two pair with an
excellent kicker. No raises before the flop besides me so I doubt I am
looking at A-Q. The only possibility is 9-9 and or 10-9/J-9. One I have a
Q, two a Q is on the board, and last Q-9 suited is a weak hand for a
tournament. I bet T300. It folds to David who raises T400. He either has
K-Q offsuit (He would have raised with K-Q Suited or a nine. I have T145. I
go all in. He has J-9 suited. Only 2 outs for me. The run actually gives
Dave the flush and I am defeated. It does not help the reputation at all. I
can see my badge for next year, a 6" stay puff marshmallow logo \u2026
"Back to the Taj"
The live game did me well. Finally leaving the 5-10 Hold'em $145 up. Even
with a string of bad beats I was able to get really lucky once. With the
button, I am dealt 7-8 suited. A RGP'er raises with A-9, two drop-in's
call. A manic re-raises with Q-10 suited. I cold call for the flop. The
flop comes 4-5 club's suited and a 2. The A-9 and Q-10 cap the raises in a
bidding war. I call. The 6 shows on the turn. The A-9 and Q-10 war again.
On the river I get one raise in before it is capped. The A-9 paused a bit
thinking something was wrong, but he did not quite understand what. I show
the straight flush. I get one more straight flush this session.
Probably the average reader is thinking how do you get to straight flushes
and not take home the money? I also lost 6 three-of-a-kinds, and two full
houses on the river. Mike Caro so well states, not losing $500 is wining
$500. Another lesson learned.
"Banquet"
The banquet was great. Bill Allen was awarded the "Honorary ADB'er hat and
Jazbo received a freeroll at TARGET. Well deserved awards. I met Fold'ems
wife and talked her ear off about Phoenix and cruising the Caribbean.
Peter came just in time to rescue his wife from the clutches of boredom!
Then Peter and I discussed how the Payouts are adjusted on slot machines. I
good lesson for the both of us. We both walked over to the Taj following
each other. Finally, we ended up at the Resorts poker room.
"A Friendly 5-10 Hold'em Game"
I engaged a table with a beginner, Elrasio, Daveles, PRM, Quie (Tom
McHugh), and Ming to my left. One RGP'er to my right and a drop-in. This is
the definition of a "friendly game."
A dealer from the Trop sits down. We converse \u2013 exchanging small talk. I
bet with Elrasio Quie, and Ming raising. "Gee I was looking for a softer
game" the dealer says and cold calls. I cap the raise. The beauty of this
hand is that Quie takes it with a pair of duce's -- One deuce in his hand
and one on the board. The dealer gets up on leaves quickly.
"ADB' Dice Engagement"
Again the ADB'ers let me tag along for the dice engagement. This is where
we convince "Darkside" to roll them bones with one don't bet for Noaln. We
bet the right side. It ended up with Nolan losing and us losing. However,
it is a lot of fun watching the more emotional patrons get upset at Jeremy
and Jeff exclaiming their exuberance over a 7-out.
One thing that was puzzling, the Resorts had 12 well-intoxicated
individuals ready to spend money but no dealers to open a craps table. As a
casino operator who could ask for anything more? The locals and the tourist
just would not accommodate the ADB'ers at the craps table. One floorman
said, "Go to the end table." It turns out that another floorman was running
the show down there. Give the problem away is always a good move.
Just to balance this story out I thought it would be nice to mention the
cocktail waitress "Shannon". Though Shannon possesses many redeeming and
attractive features, it was her service attitude that struck me the most. I
was focused on a hand, and Shannon paused until I bet. Then she alerted me
to the drink I ordered. A small gesture, but this is the kinds of things
that I notice and makes me appreciate a casino.
Jim Stydio the winner of the Hold'em tournament offered me a couch to sleep
on before the stud tournament. He was supposed to get me before retiring.
Unfortunately, some bottom feeders had occupied a Hold'em game at the Taj
and so I did not get that nap in until 0600. I am not sure how Bill Lamont
and Jim did in the game.
While waiting, I observed the 10-20-30 Hi-Low game. In one hand Bill Turner
is R00ling against Bozo, Andy, Jazbo and ????. Bill has J-10-9 suited
against Andy's A-A. 3rd street and fourth street cap. Bill makes the flush.
Lesson learned, I am not up to par to play this table!!
"The Stud Tournament"
I was at a table with Sippy, Chuck Wienstock, and others I respect. I was
remarkably unlucky in getting the low card. I did take the last chips from
four players that had been hurt previously and built a fair stack. I also
learned about the "Putnum" puzzle from David Croson who was elaborating
about geometry with Sippy and others. Nothing like a poker game to
fellowship with academia.
I did have a secondary thought on my mind the whole time. Not only
exploring the outer reaches of what is to be discovered, but also after
drinking enormous amounts of coffee waiting for Jim Strydio, I had to use
the bathroom. The urge was unbelievable and a break was not in sight.
Then the engagement\u2026 With the loss of players new players moved to our
table. Bill, who eventually came in second, raised three times and stole
three antes with face cards showing. I had the button (again) and the low
card. Bill raised with an Ace showing, and I called with a two-suited
10-10-3. The next card is a heart and Bill gets a rag. He bets again. I
call. The next card is a rag and I get another heart. I bet a black chip
but forgot to say "raise". There goes that bluff\u2026.The next card is a rag
for the both of us. I get a 3 he gets a jack and gets the higher two pair.
I am now hurt.
Relief comes. Our table breaks up and I have time to use the bathroom.
Modern warfare consists of five steps. Contacting, Tracking, Identifying,
Targeting, and Destroying a hostile target. No honor, no glory \u2013 just
impersonal blips on a radar screen. Somehow, the thought comes to me how
two friends engage each other at Gettysburg. Lowell Armistead for the south
and Winford Hancock for the north faced each other the last and fatal day.
I approach the table after using the bathroom and greet my fellow poker
buddies. "Hi Paul" (PRM). Paul responds with a similar friendly greeting.
"I could not tell if that is a green chip or a black chip on the bottom,
how much do you have?" I have definitely been contacted and identified for
destruction.
I get K-J-10 suited with Paul raising Jim Strydio with a Q showing. Rule
one, don't get in-between a chip war. I call once to see if a get a suited
card. A 7 diamonds show and I drop. Probably bad to engage with the Q's
dead and only a king or a flush out. But I am running out of time.
The second hand at this table gives PRM another Q showing and a raise.
Everybody drops. I have split queens with a A kicker. The A-Q is suited, I
re-raise. PRM looks at my stack and decides to put me all in.
I have PRM out-kicked with the ace and three to a flush. He makes Q-Q-3-3
and I do not improve. Say goodbye Dave. At least this time it was a fight.
Noaln Dalla wins the tournament. I watch systematic engagements between
Bill and Nolan. One thing I noticed was that Nolan was steady in his
mannerisms whether he was raising on a good hand or a bad hand. Rock Solid
all the way. A guy I want on my right for sure\u2026
Conclusion
The fellowship was well worth the trip from Phoenix. As usual I met new
friends, Tiger, Quie, Bill Turner, Andy Heck, and Ming. I got an
opportunity to share a moment of my life with some of those I met at BARGE.
Nolan, Peter, Eric, Jeremy, Bruce and how many others! Jazbo did a great
job of organizing and I will definitely be there at BARGE and next years
ATLARGE.
