Subject: Re: A few more BARGE memories to share
From: Michael Zimmers <mzimmers@pacbell.net>
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 14:23:53 -0700
To: Donald Rieck <drieck@enteract.com>, barge@barge.org

> 3.  Rocks & Beers in general.
>  > As I recall, this started as a way to 'penalize' the stud game at some
> casino (Harrahs ?) that had a 'token' that was passed around as the
> bring-in in a no-ante stud game.  The implications were that you could
> literally play in this game ALL NIGHT long waiting for rolled up aces and
> drinking free cocktails.   Some BARGERS, largely of the ADB persuasion,
> decided that this would present a great opportunity to literally take over
> a game, drink entirely for free, and drop NOTHING for the house.  In order
> not to punish the dealers, lavish tokes were piled on them.

 This actually was engendered at BARGE IV at the host casine, the Luxor. The
game was 7/8 with NO antes, NO forced bring-in, and the ONLY dead money was
this clump of four $1 chips that had been taped together (the "stone"). When
you won a pot, you also "won" the stone, except that you had to leave it out
there for the next hand. The only way to actually win the stone was to get
up and cash out after winning a hand.

I remember sitting down at this game, which was about half BARGErs
(including Roy Hashimoto) and half local hard rocks. Once I realized how
this game was oriented to the seat plugs who were just sitting there waiting
for midnight to collect their coupons (get enough and you get a free Luxor
cap, ooh ahh) I blew a gasket and went on ultra-hyper-s00per-aggressive
mode, doing my best to pound on the locals whenever they entered a pot.
After I made something like $30, I got up in disgust. As I was talking about
the ridiculous format of the game with someone, they pointed out what a
great way to get free cocktails it was. The next year, a few BARGErs began
the search and destroy mission that became Rocks N Beer. (And damn, that was
the year I quit drinking.)

mz