Trip Report
by BobbyD
ATLARGE 2K was my second ARG event, and it was great! I have nothing
but good things to say about all the fine people I met at ATLARGE.
Still, not knowing who does or doesn't want their name appearing on
the net, I'll stick to using people's nicknames or first names only.
You know who you are. I scratched a few notes, but this is 99% from
memory. I'll apologize in advance for any errors, exclusions, etc. I
also chose to get this report out the door unpolished, before memories
fade, so it's a little rough around the edges. Sorry about that.
First, many thanks to:
Rob "Action Bob" H - Scored me a room in the Trop so I didn't have to
shuttle 6 miles to the Sheraton West. With my parents along, this was
a double help. Can't thank you enough Rob! And, as promised, I
managed to prevent my mom from trashing the room rock-star style, so
your good name and credit rating are safe!
Tiger and Foldem - Made ATLARGE happen in short order and did all the
work so we could do all the play. Danke schoen! I only got to talk
to Tiger for a minute or so. I don't think I got to express my thanks
for all he has done for ATLARGE and RGP, so I'll do it now.
Patrice, TK and Kate - Hosted our group again, and treated us
fantastically! So nice to everyone, and nothing was ever a problem.
Thanks!
PRM - who I once again played many hands with, who once again confused
me to high heaven, and who once again proved what a great guy he is
through several nice gestures. Once I locate a suitable white chip,
it will be on its way to you!
RGP note: I didn't realize how many people read the group
consistently, and remember what they have read! At least five people
who I met for the first time said something like, "Oh, you're the
trip-report-template guy," referring to a trip report spoof post I
posted 7 months ago. Be careful what you write, people do read this
stuff!
Pretrip: I know you want to know this stuff so here goes. I'm
planning to head to ATLARGE early Saturday morning. I work 4x10, so
Friday afternoon - as I am anticipating ATLARGE - confirms Einstein's
theory that time is indeed relative. Friday afternoon lasts, by my
watch, a little longer than grad school.
From work I zing out to Toys R Us, because I wouldn't come *back* from
a trip without something for my little girls, ages 5 and 2, and I
don't think a felt roulette surface will go over well. Now I head
straight to some volunteer work - by which I mean work I have been
volunteered for :-). No, actually it is for a school library, so it
is a good cause. 2.5 hours there. Home, family, pack. Put the girls
to bed. They don't want Daddy to go tomorrow, because they will miss
him. They're breaking my heart here! We negotiate a settlement. It
is now very late. I jam in 15 minutes of exercise anyway, because I
know Saturday and Sunday will have none. Shower. Quick review of
Cloutier's excellent Championship No Limit and Pot Limit Hold Em. A
few concepts stick: AQ is trouble up front. If you have KK and an
Ace flops no more money goes in, etc. BTW, I love TJ's road stories.
They are too few and too brief. I'd like to see a book from him just
about what it's like to live a life fading the white line. Sleep.
Four short hours later the alarm goes off. Tired? No way! It's time
for ATLARGE! We're on the road by 6 and make excellent time, even
through Philadelphia (1.7 million people, 2 lanes).
I'm very happy to be bringing my parents. My dad had bypass surgery
less than a month ago. The morning after the operation I go in for
the 11am visit. He is sitting up, reading the paper, looking for all
the world like he is ready to go home. "You've got 4 weeks," I tell
him, "To get well enough to go to play some poker with me." He smiles
and says, "I know. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be ready." There
was never any doubt.
Got there just past 8am. Put my name down on some lists. Any games
5/10 or below open? Just 2/4. OK, what else am I going to do at this
hour?
Take a 2/4 seat and immediately see why it was vacant. The persons on
either side of me are having an ongoing verbal dispute, including
threats of physical interaction. I play my usual properly tight
starting requirements. When I finally enter a pot with a raise and
win with an overpair, the guy on my right informs me that "even a
blind squirrel finds a walnut once in a while." "Acorn," I tell him,
"even a blind squirrel\u2026you know what, never mind, walnut." He keeps
taunting the guy on my left, suggesting he is cheating with his
"cousin" down the table. The guy keeps saying "those Greeks are
cheating\u2026." To which the guy on my left yells "WE'RE NOT GREEK! I
KEEP TELLING YOU!" Colorful words are exchanged, floor is called,
etc. I know if I stick around these guys will produce some golden
trip report material, but I can't handle sitting right between them,
so I retire to the bar to slam a few cups of coffee.
Big crowd around one table, so I drift over. It is the 2/5 PL game.
I had expressed interest in the baby PL game (1/2/5 to go). I don't
think it went anytime Saturday, although I got on a list. Let's take
a peek at 2/5/20 to go. The first player I see is Jedi, a young guy
whose real name I remember from the USPC results in Poker Digest. Oh,
and he's got something like 15K in wrapped bundles of hundreds in
front of him. I guess this is not the learner game :-). I watch a
hand. Decent pot building. Flop is Q high, No ace or K appear on
the board. On the river, one player raises the pot, another calls all
in after a long, long hesitation. Pot is about 2K. First guy has KK.
Other guy shows AQ. AQ no goot, Cloutier correct.
Somewhere in here I met two nice guys I've traded some Email with, BPK
and Jim "Yellow Fin" K. I eventually played a little with Yellow Fin,
but I don't think I sat with BPK.
NL Tourney time. Allow me if you will to complain about my table
assignment. The lineup included Mordecai, whom I knew to be a good
ring game player, and who I started the NL tourney with last year (he
made the final table) and I knew he was aggressive; Tom, who was new
to me; Tray Racer who has probably made more RGE final tables than
anyone else; George W, a good guy who I had not played NL against yet;
a guy who sits on my left who looks like a muscular Gary Sinise (the
guy from "The Stand," among other features) who turns out to be Pain -
who I understand is a good player; ADB Bigboy who sits down with a
rack of Oreos (funny!); Mitch BFB who would go on to eliminate me;
Nolan two to my right which is horrible because I know he will is
aggressive; myself, and\u2026.and\u2026..and\u2026.I must be forgetting someone.
Doh!
Before we start playing I get to meet Nolan. If poker ever needs an
ambassador, here is my nomination. What a congenial person. He makes
sure everyone at the table gets included in the conversation. It was
a pleasure playing at the same table. This is the guy who should be
pumping out books. I remain hopeful.
NL Tourney: Or, "You Should Have At Least Played a Few IRC Tournies"
This is my second lifetime NL game. It shows.
I mentioned I have Nolan two to my right. That's bad, m'k? From
reading his stuff, I know Nolan is aggressive. I also know is capable
of betting at a flop with nothing. I'm also sure he is observant.
So, he steals some blinds from me. I have absolutely nothing,
however, and muck my hands (which include 72o and other such gems)
face up. Anyway, I think we both know he is going to put pressure on
me. So I decide my only hope is to wait for a good hand, and then
slowplay it. Eventually, I get AKo in one of the blinds. Nolan
makes about a pot sized raise, right on schedule. I smooth call.
Good flop, please!
I like the flop: KXX two suits. I check, Nolan makes a pot sized
bet. I might have smooth called, but I didn't want to give up a
chance to make three of a suit on board, because I know Nolan will
represent that, and I don't know what I will do then. I'm all excited
that my plan has come together, so I put together a pot sized reraise.
Well, my excitement and 10 cups of coffee (no exaggeration, maybe
more) show as I make a shaky bet. Doh! Even I know about that tell!
Argh! Nolan definitely sees it, because he mucks immediately and says
"Nice hand," as in I don't mean nice bet I mean nice hand, as in that
ace-king you had there, as in they might as well deal your cards face
up if you're going to play like that. Oh well, that's why I am here,
for experience, so that these things don't happen when I'm at the
final table at the WSOP, which I plan to be one day.
Pain departs when his AA is cracked by Jerry's 74 which flopped a
straight.
What would you do: A little later, I get AKo and raise. Nolan calls.
Flop QcTcX - I have no club. Check, Nolan bets the pot. I think,
think, think, fold. What would you have done?
I do nothing for a while, and soon I am shortstacked relative to the
blinds. I get AKs. Someone makes a pot sized bet. Mitch who has
chips to spare calls, I call all in. The flop is low rags. I show my
hand to my neighbors and they like my chances when it gets checked
around. Turn brings a J, which Mitch bets. That's not a good sign.
His AJ sends me to the rail, just about in the dead center of the
pack. AJ would prove to be my NL tournament nemesis. I realize, a
little too late, that with this sort of structure one has to play a
little faster than the style CLoutier writes about.
On to some 5/10 HE where I booked a nice little profit while waiting,
and waiting, and waiting to get called for the pink game.
The pink game was cool. I decided I wanted to try it, even though I
generally play 5/10. I got in (eventually) on Saturday afternoon.
Met Tom H here, a young guy, very nice, and a tough player. I showed
my inexperience on this hand, which I played terribly, but at least I
managed to confuse Nolan (-:
I limped in with 66. Nolan raised behind me, possibly on the button.
I called. Flop came none too threatening with a 6. Something like
962. I check raised Nolan and he called.
On the turn the board was 962K. Now, again showing my inexperience my
immediate thought was, "what if he was on KK?" I should have bet it
anyway, of course. I _absolutely_ know this, all I can say is that my
brain froze. I checked. Nolan bet, giving me a chance to put in
another check raise, which would have been a very nice play, but I
called.
The river hits something like 962KT. By the river card my brain has
thawed, so I bet out. Nolan pauses, wonders out loud what hand could
possibly justify my betting pattern (heh, your logic cannot help
you!). He calls. 666 goot, and of course draws remarks from ADB
Satan, who was chatting it up and making the table a lot of fun to be
at. I'd like to get in a -EV game run with him someday, I bet it is a
blast. The dealer gets double toked for the hand of the beast and we
carry on.
Another botched hand from the pink game:
Mordecai, a very friendly guy and tough player who I got to play
against for a few hours, raised from early position. He had been
playing solidly, so I put him on AKo, minimum, and more likely a big
pair. There were 2 callers to me on the BB. I had 4c2c and decided
to call, figuring if the flop didn't slam into me I would fold.
Flop: 8x4h2h. I check raise. Mordecai reraises. I call. I still
put him on a big pair. AhKh is possible. A set of 8s is pretty
unlikely, but not impossible. Turn is a blank non-heart. In my worst
play of the day I check and then call, deciding I will try to check
raise on the river if it is not a heart. I know that was a very bad
idea for several reasons. No excuse other than stupidity. The river
pairs the 8, which I don't like at all. I check to Mordecai. He
pauses, I know he's wondering if I could have an 8. He puts me on a
heart draw and bets. I half ask, half state "Overpair ?/." as I call.
Yep, KK. My dumb move saved me a bet, as it happens. Mordecai was
playing great, and killing the pink game both days.
Despite these and other boneheaded plays, my overall game was
reasonable and I took about 400 out of the pink game Saturday.
Banquet: I sat with Joan, Rebuy, Tray Racer, Yellow Fin, PRM, Davles,
and ADB Iceman. Great time. Nice meeting Joan who I had exchanged
some Email with. She's not only a fun person, but is very committed
to improving her game. Watch out for her down the road! We discuss
the influence of a woman at the poker table, which got pretty
interesting. Davles has some funny comments about on-line poker and
why he doesn't play it :-). Tiger, Nolan, and Arti each said a few
words and awarded some awards. All very nice, and yes, Tiger did
limit his talk to less than 38 pages (-:. Dinner itself was
excellent. I had neglected to eat up until then, so I was starved.
The Trop put on a very nice banquet for us, many thanks! Everyone got
a prize for attending - whatever was written on a slip of paper in a
little bag at each seat. I scooped one of the top items, a Trop
jacket, making this a +EV event. Woohoo! I go to the office to get
the jacket; I thank Patrice for the banquet and she remarks how much
she enjoys ATLARGE weekend. Also, this merits pointing out: She gave
me a size L jacket, which I tried on. It fit well, I thought.
Patrice thought it could have been a teensy bit bigger. There was no
XL on hand in the office. I was perfectly happy with it as was, and
said so. The easy thing to do would be to say 'OK.' But Patrice went
out of her way and insisted on running upstairs to get an XL to try.
The XL turned out to be a better fit. That's *really* going the extra
distance. Thanks Patrice!
MATS. The lineup was myself, Jerry, Jester, Rebuy, Ross, Russell,
Joan, Tom, Davles, and Kevin. After my NL tourney debacle, I resolve
to play better here. I feel like I did play a little better here, but
did not get a lot by way of cards. Thanks to Llew for dealing!
First hand Davles pushes all in from middle position. The hand opens
up a discussion: If you were in the WSOP with KK and someone jammed
the first pot, what would you do? The consensus said fold.
I lose a few chips early when I try to steal with ATo and someone,
Joan I think, puts in a big raise. Joan played a very good game, and
repeatedly showed she was not afraid to commit all her chips. My best
hand came pretty early. I was second to act and raised 2X pot with
KK. All fold to Jester who jams. I call all-in (he has a few more
chips). Board comes JxTTx. He has AJs, so I double through. That
left Jester crippled.
I didn't play any big hands against Rebuy, but I was impressed with
his aggressiveness and poker face. A few times he slid all in. I
watched him. Eyes down to the pot, not even a blink. I think he sort
of slips into a state of suspended animation or something.
I get a long run of unplayable cards. People start to drop. We're
down to four players but I start to get relatively short stacked as
the limits rise. Soon I need a hand to make a stand with. I almost
go all in when Llew deals me the 3c and Rules for Draw Poker, because
it's the best hand I've held in 20 minutes, but I lay it down. People
are raising my blinds, but I have things like 63o, and cannot pull the
trigger. Finally I catch AQo, which looks like gold at this point. I
slide all-in. Ross, with the big stack, has already told me that when
I make my move he will have to call blind. He calls. He has AJ. So
does the final board, and that's all for me. I leave Ross, Jerry and
Tom to duel it out. A great time with some very friendly people.
Congrats to Ross who played outstanding poker and went on to win.
Back to the poker room. I bounce through a few games, pick up a few
chips. Watch the white game a bit. You have to see this game to
appreciate it. The table looks just like an architectural model of a
city! Even the jaded locals were coming by to see what was going on.
I wish I had gotten in on that, maybe next year. I get back into the
pink game fairly late. Briefly meet Jaeger, whose posts I never skip,
and who kicked butt all weekend.
Foldem dropped in, primarily for a massage but to play a little as
well. Finally met him in person (Actually, I met him for 2 seconds
last year, just enough to say 'hi.'). All the good things people say
about him are true and yes, he does embody the ARG spirit. He is
another person who is a pleasure to have at the table. Best wishes to
him as he takes his good spirits westward.
Bill (ADB VC61) took the seat to my left. We had never met. We talk
a bit about sports betting scandals. Interesting stories, I could
listen to this all night. Bill played basketball against Bob Cousy in
college.
Somewhere around 2-2:30am Foldem, Carl, Pete C, Yellow Fin, Bill,
Jester, and a few others were pulling up to head to the dice tables.
I asked if I might tag along, having never played before. I received
a gracious invite and off we went. I have to thank Bill, who was
above-and-beyond kind. He treated me like a nephew, and I really mean
that. Bill stood next to me at the craps table and helped me out,
telling me about the good bets and placing odds, and which bets were
lousy. What a fine gentleman and class act.
We started off pretty cold. Foldem lacked the faith, and bailed out
to go defy all known laws of probability at the Let It Ride tables. I
dropped 160 pretty fast at a 10 dollar table, but I kept the faith.
It took about an hour, but we started to dig out. Still down some, we
were ready to pull up but decided to wait out one more ATLARGE
Shooter, Pete C. Good choice! He made 4 or 5 points which, combined
with odds, "made me well," as we craps shooters like to say :-).
By 3:30 I felt OK but I knew I had better get a little sleep. I'm the
first of the ATLARGErs to wuss out. I wandered toward the North tower
elevators and noticed a young lady loitering there. Asian, and very
pretty. She was wearing knee high boots and not a lot else. Like a
dope, I make eye contact. She starts talking to me. Seemingly an
hour later, the elevator arrives. She gets in with me. I push he
button for floor 7. "What floor?" I ask. She glances at the lighted
display. "Seven is good." I smile and say "What a co-inky dink."
(I really said this) She smiles and says, "Yes, isn't it?" Aiyah.
"What's in there?" she asks - gesturing toward the fanny pack around
my waist. Not too worried that she's going to overpower me, I say
"Chips!" and open it up. It's stuffed with mostly pink chips. "Wow,"
she says, "You must be really lucky!" "Uh, yes." "You want another
chip?" she asks me. I search for meaning in that statement and say
something like, "Duh?" "Here," she says, and hands me a red $5 chip.
Not knowing what to do, I take it. "Thanks." I'll leave out the rest
of the conversation and just state, unequivocally, that no further
business transactions took place. Thus, I am career +EV in dealings
of that nature, a claim I suspect few can match!
I get to the room and sneak in. Last year, I hit the hay around 4am.
I had snuck into the room all quiet, only to find it empty! My
parents came in later than me! This year, at least, my parents called
it quits around 2, which was good. I hate it when my mom calls me a
lightweight ;-).
Just about 4am I'm tired but my head is spinning from the cigar I had
shooting dice. I eventually doze off, but don't sleep very well.
7:30 my mom wakes me. They are both all showered, dressed, and eager
to go. Geez, I can barely hang with my parents! I shower and shave
quickly, and we go to breakfast. It's not quite 8am yet and I'm
wondering if I am the only ATLARGER awake at this hour (except maybe
for those who never went to sleep). Nope, I spot Bill and Arti going
for breakfast too. How do they do it? When I left the craps table
Bill was still there. I think maybe the ADBs have learned how to
function without sleep.
Stud tournament. My table, from the 1 seat: Bwana (doh!), Jim "JT"
T, Bruce "ADB Bigboy", Nolan, someone I did not know or meet, Robert
J, Me, PRM. At least I got to meet Bwana briefly, which is
appropriate since I have often used his name in posts as the
prototypical tough tournament player. He assures me that he is not so
good at stud. Sure. He also confirms for me, firsthand, the
reputation he has for leaving tournament tables for prolonged periods
while still doing well!
I didn't last too long. I had been hovering about at the buyin stack
size (T300). I'd played only a few hands, and none of them very big,
winning one or two and losing one or two. We had just gone to T5 ante
(all players), T25/50 bets, forced bring in of T15. I had a little
less than the initial T300. I was dealt (QdXd)Ad and raised the bring
in, which was a 2 sitting in front of ADB Bigboy. JT called behind me
with a low card, and Bigboy called too. I thought maybe JT had a big
pair in the hole, and I wasn't sure about Bigboy.
I caught a K, but not the Kd on fourth street. JT got another small
card and Bigboy caught a Q to have Q2 showing. I bet out again. JT
called, and Bigboy raised. We both called.
Fifth street brought a diamond, I check-called Bigboys bet and JT
folded. Sixth street I caught the Kd, making my flush and a pair of
Kings showing. The boards were:
Me: (Qd Xd) Ad Kx Xd Kd
Bigboy: ( ) 2x Qx Xx Xx
I bet out all in (T40). Bigboy called. The river cards were dealt.
Bigboy said "I need a Q or a 2." He got it, making Qs full of 2s or
2s full of Qs. I forget, but either was more than enough. I was
happy enough with my play of the hand. Some nice words were said and
it was back to the ring action for me.
I played a little in a 5/10 stud game with Llew and Mordecai (I played
a lot with Mordecai - either a coincidence, or more likely he liked my
action :-). No hands here. The only decent cards I catch are a pair
of Queens, but the other two queens are already showing. They call
down the pink game again and I depart.
Funny story: Jazbo raises in the pink game from early position.
Folded to Nolan in the BB. Nolan says "I know I'm behind so I'm going
to lay this down," flipping down AJo. Jazbo incites tilt by rolling
over JTs! Nolan carries on at length. So funny!
Funny remark: At the pink game, well known tournament player Greg P
is walking by. Someone asks how he is doing in the stud tournament.
"Well, there's this guy at my table," he says, "who has a huge pile of
chips, and he's a real a.h." Pause as everyone at the pink game
looks up for the answer. "It's me!"
Midafternoon I call it a wrap. No cash from the tournies but the ring
games were good to me, despite all my errors.
Monday my coworkers ask me about my weekend. I explain I was in
Atlantic City. The following true dialog represents the difference
between RGPers and normal people:
Coworker: "Atlantic City? How is the ocean there?"
Me: "Ocean? Oh, yeah! I, uh, I didn't get to the ocean this time."
:-)
It was a pleasure gang, hope to see you all again soon!
Bob "BobbyD" Dainauski
Allentown, PA
