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The story of my twenty-ninth BARGE.
"Speak for yourself."

Note: I posted 16 BARGE photos on Facebook.


Monday, July 15th.
--------------------
Attend the virtual BARGE Board of Directors meeting on Zoom.
Nothing too exciting.

Wednesday, July 17th.
----------------------
Miss the Organizers breakfast.  Sad.

Thursday, July 18th.
-----------------------
Sandi drops me off at SJC about 70 minutes before my flight.
Cutting it close this time.

Sandi made two sandwiches for me.  I eat one pre-flight.

I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane.  We board the plane.
Doors closed.

The pilot comes into the cabin to announce that there's a full
ground stop in Las Vegas due to thunderstorms.   Arrgghh.
Long story short we finally take off about 2.5 hours later.

Check-in.  Ask for a room with a bathtub.  The guy gave a room close
to the elevator with a great view.  Cool.

Half of the second sandwich disappears.

Head downstairs.

First BARGEr sighted is Sue McBride

First hugs goes to Howler and Sue.   So good to see them back at BARGE.

Get my badge and see there is one for GamboMouse next to it.
Thanks to whoever did that.

I was hoping to play the PLO and registration is still open, but I'm
too out of sorts to play.  Walk around the room.  Lots of people calling
out "QB!" and "Where's the mouse?"

Get into a 4-8 HORSE game.
HORSE is a rotation of Hold'em, Omaha-8, Razz (7-stud low), Stud and
7-stud high-low Eight of better.

This trip, Razz could be Razz, Razzdugi or Action Razz.  Don't ask.

Around the table:
Naomi, Michelle, Eli, Heldar, Dan N., Crunch, me, Bowtie.

Oh, later there is a 30-something guy next to Eli in a Bengals cap.
Hours later I figure out it is Arthur Goltz.

Good to see Michelle Ankenman.  George W. Bush was president the last time
she was at BARGE.

Razzdugi.  I catch a perfect river to make A-2-3-5-6.  I check.
Prock bets.  I say "I raise one time."  Scoop a monster pot.

Samarel joins the game.  He had just hit AAAA on video poker to
get even for the trip.

Me: "I've been drinking."
Randal: "I'm proud of you for that."

I have no idea what time it is.  Randal and I decide to bet.
He says something like "Price is Right style.  Closest without going over."
Being an idiot, I agree and say 9:07.  Randal says 9:08.  It's 9:15
so he wins my $1.  If I have to be swindled, good that it was Randal and
for just a buck.

Omaha-8.  235J.  Board is 2-3-6-5-7.  Checked down 4-ways after the flop.
I scoop.  Woo!

---

Razzd Grapes 4 folds.  No idea what that means.

---

Kuntz has an idea for a more crazy version of Razzdugi with four decks.
So a perfect hand would be a wheel with the A-2-3-4 all of different
suits and from different decks!  Oh my goodness.

---

Chris Kuntz is a big pinball guy, so I ask him about my favorite game
from the 1970s called "Triple Action."  Of course he knows it well.

---

Bingo: "I'm running so bad that I'm looking for video poker Razz."

Samarel has the bring in in E with a 3.  He gets a walk!

---

Around here Razz turns into Action Razz.
Good time for me to take a bathroom break.
I come back to find Kevin Un sitting in my seat.  He invented the game!

I decide to let Un play a couple of hands for me.
Of course a huge pot develops.  Un plays the hand fine until the river
as we have outs to scoop.  But we catch bad.  Oh well.

---

That moment at BARGE when you look across the table at Grizz and
get a little choked up realizing how blessed you are to have played
against him (and about 50 others) for over 25 years.

RCD = Random Comment Department.

RCD: "Samarel's a pussy."


Friday, July 19th.
--------------------
Play Wordle right at midnight.  Something like 10 people on Facebook
depend on me to post my Wordle score so they can post theirs as comments
on my post.  Tough one.  Get it in six.

I'm on Wordle Tilt as Kuntz gets it in four.  The word was REFER.

Go up to the room.  Finish the sandwich.  Fall asleep quickly for once.

Cell phone alarm goes off at 6:40 a.m.   Why!?!?


The BARGE Fun Run.

Three Participants:
Runners: Deadhead, Asya and me.  We all have water bottles with us.

It is Asya's "easy" day, so she wants to run about a 14 minutes pace.
That's about my top speed these days, so we should be good.

Asya sets the pace.  I run right with her.  Deadhead stays a few feet
behind as the sidewalk isn't very wide.  At a couple of points, it seems
like Deadhead is having a little trouble keeping up.  More on that later.

We talked about some things.  Asya mentioned some fun run that takes
place all over the country maybe once a month?

Anyway, we finished the 3-mile loop in 41:48.  13:56 per mile.  91 degrees.

Huh, Deadhead had a pack on the whole time.
He tells me to lift it.  I can barely get it off the ground with one hand.
It's a 40 pound pack.  Holy moley.

Deadhead gives me a Perle Haggard beer.  A pilsner.  An easy post-run beer.
We take a photo.  Talk to some cool-looking Air Force guys.

I posted to Poker Peeps that Rich Bremer won the Fun Run and $820.

---

I head up to the room for a much needed shower and breakfast.
Hmm... I have the beer.  I have Pop Tarts.

So I take the beer into the shower because it just makes sense.
Decide to take a bath after the shower.
So I'm soaking in nice hot water eating Pop Tarts and drinking a beer.
I R00L.

---

Do some bathtub laundry.  Take a quick nap.

---

Online Calcutta bidding ends around here.
I did all of the touts/comments for the Calcutta.
If you need any explained, let me know.

I bought one pair for $16, but I don't think either showed up.
Showalter's bidding AI screws up and bids $55 on himself!

Thanks to the people who set this up.

---

Tournament of Champions (TOC) tournament.
Playing hold'em, 7-stud and Omaha-8.


Table:
Joe, me, Russ, Bob J.. Deron, Dave Spencer, Lloyd and Aaron.

---

Russ gives me a couple of cans of Coke Zero Sugars.  Thanks.

---

Russ (to Aaron): "If it were up to you, what would you do?"
Aaron: "Annoy you."

I have a t-shirt for Randal.  All pathways from my spot to his are blocked.
I end up tossing the shirt over the dealer and table to him.

Aaron: "Can I fold more than once?"

---

Say hi to Jeanne.
Notes say: GamboMouse in his happy place.

---

RCD: "Do I want a $10 piece of Sabyl?"

---

RCD in the restroom "Who peed on my feet?"

---

Someone wrote this on my note paper:
"Should I call with the nuts." - Virtual QB

---

New ADB Carol runs around the room giving a $1 toke chip to each ADB.

Later, Carol was leading cheers from table 14.  Calm down, Nolan.

---

Around here Patti introduces me to her long-time hair stylist Chris.
Chris is *so* nice.  Also quite pretty.  From what I could tell,
a good NL hold'em player too.

---

Dean has a package of adult diapers that we pass around and sign.
Oh, the brand is "Presto."  It will be Dean's bust out gift on Saturday.

---

Russ posts my blinds and antes about 20 times.  Thanks Russ.
I post Russ' blind once.  He pats the table three times.

---

Samarel is starving.  I give him a Madeline cookie and later a Pop Tart.

Sell a Canadian $5 bill to Rick Mombourquette for $3.
I've had this thing in my BARGE bag for many years.

I accidentally slam into Russ' leg.
Kuntz: "This is full contact poker."

"Deuce on deuce violence."

"Maple syrup on the line."

I learn that Russ played HS baseball and that he hit a homer!

I learn that Deron's nickname Neon does in fact come from Neon Deion.

---

New table:

Tim, Jeff, Chuck, Jared, Shari, me and Troy (I kept calling him Tray.)
Sorry about that.

---

I really didn't write down any hands?

I went out with a pretty good O8 hand against Jesse's terrific O8 hand.

I get out a shot glass as a bust out gift.  It is wrapped in a paper towel
and it is marked "RG."  Hmm...  Oh, it's for Ron Grossberg!

On Saturday I gave Bex a backup shot glass to give to Jesse.

---

RCD: "You're the third lesbian I've hugged today."

---

Russ offers us a ride to the dinner.  "Lock up a seat for me."

---

Dinner at 7th and Carson.

Around the table: Aaron, Grizz, Regis, Patrick K., Robert, Claudia and me.

I had the jambalaya and two of the house drinks.
Thanks to Sharon for setting this all up.

---

Meeee accidentally smacks me as he walks by.
Meeee: "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have apologized."

---

Speaker is asked "What's your best game?"
Speaker: "Your second best game."
Laughter.

---

Auction of winning cards from Doyle and Johnny Chan.
Raising money for charity.  Very cool.

---

Russ, Grizz, Aaron and I walk back to Russ' car.
Maybe 50 seconds in the 115 degree heat.  Holy smokes.
It felt like standing way too close to a campfire.

That for the ride, Russ.

---

John Lloyd texts asking about the craps crawl.
Uh... not this year.  Maybe next time.
Oh, also returned a charging cable that John left behind at EMBARGO.

---

Talk to Stephen Markowitz.  Good to see him back.

I saw Martin/Slick from across the room.   You made the report buddy!

---

The later tournament is cancelled.
Okay, I missed PLO.  I had BK backing for the TOC.  Saved Chowaha buy-in
due to cancellation.   About $320?
Texted Sandi that I took 5th in Chowaha for $320.  Shhh!!!

---

Inside Joke Dept. "Thinking of you."   I hope someone gets the joke,
because I don't remember, but I do remember it was hilarious.

---

Sharon and Dan want to buy shots.  Oh, okay.  Twist my arm.

Sheri B., Gerry and I tag along to the bar near Sid's.
We sit at the bar.  25 cent video poker at each spot.

Jameson shots, I believe.

---

Okay, let's play video poker.  I'm playing just one bet per play.

Third hand I'm dealt approx. Ah-As-Qh-Jh-7s.
My first thought is to go for the royal.  Dan says holding AA is the
right play.  I hold AA. Hit trips.  I'm up 25 cents.  I quit to
lock up the win.  Eat it JZK.

---

The bar closes at like 9pm.  What?

We move to the other bar near where the band is playing.
More Jameson.  Thanks to Dan, Sharon and Sheri.

Notes say Sheri out-drinks Sharon.

Oh, Dan is watching the demo mode of a video blackjack table near us.
Almost any terrible play you can think of is shown.

Hitting a 6 against a 5.
Splitting 5s.
Standing on 12 against a 10.

---

RCD: "Dirty Loops."

---

The band is called "Glenn Gallarde Project" and they are awesome.

They play "Brick House," "25 or 6 to 4" and then a modern song by
Dua Lipa.  All three songs done really well.

---

We share dog stories and dog photos.

---

Toast by Sharon: "I Love This BARGE!"

Another toast to: "What the absolute fuck?!"

Oh, Sheri told some hilarious story.
I think it involved Frank and being drunk in a Walmart.

Check that.  "Drunk in a K-Mart."
"Will the girl in the cereal department kindly turn down the music?"

---

I promise to buy a round at BARGE 2025.  I swear.


Saturday, July 20th.
--------------------
Meet Gerry and Gillian for breakfast at Sid's.
Gerry and I pose for a photo with our drinking shirts.
Diana and Rich are in line behind us and join.  Later Heldar and Kevan.
I had the Sid's breakfast.  Good bacon.
Gillian and Gerry showed pics and told stories about one of their
amazing trips.

---

The BARGE NL (No-Limit) event.  99 players.  Up one from 2023.

---

Around the Table:
Un, Claudia, Chuck, me, Aaron, Deitch, Bingo, Rick M. and Bob J.

Raise with Kc8c.  Flop in Ac-Xc-Yc.  No customers.

QB: "I'm not thinking at all."
Aaron: "That's normal."

---

KK and raise.  Bob 3-bets.  It's super early, so I decide to see a flop.

Flop: Q-X-Y.  Bob bets, I call.  Turn, he bets, I call.  River, he makes
an unusually small bet.  I call.  He has AA.
Dodged a couple of bullets there.

---

RCD: "Flushes for Dummies."

Un: "I love cats... medium rare."

Talk of the best movie sequel.

Un: "Hot and Spicy Pizza Girls Two."   Well, obviously.

---

Limped pot.  Flop J-7-7.  Rick bets, Bob raises, Claudia jams!
Rick goes into the tank and is holding his cards up vertically.
It's a bit of a tell that he has a 7 with a bad kicker.

Rick eventually folds (later we hear 87.)
Bob calls with AJ.  Claudia has 74 and is in great shape.
Until the river J that gives Bob jacks full.  Oof.

---

RCD: "You Can't Sit Here!" - Mean Girls

---

Actual interesting hand.

KsJs in the BB and call a raise by Bob.

Flop is 9-8-8, two spades.  Of course it is.

I check and call.
Turn: Jc.  Of course it is.  I check.  Bob checks!!!
Am I ahead?  Does he has JJ?  Weird.

River Qs.  Of course it is.  Pot is about 25,000.  I have about 40,000.
I bet 10,000.  Bob now raises big and has me covered.

I go into the tank.  JJ?  QQ?  AsTs?   Not much else makes sense.
I fold.  We discuss the hand after I'm out and he did have QQ.

---

Chuck and Bingo are heads up pre-flop.

Bingo: "Two of the best."
Chuck: "Speak for yourself."

Much laughter.  Chuck's timing saying this line was incredible.
Like it was in the script or something.

---

BARGE group photo around here.  Rodney did a great job as usual.
We recorded a short video too.

---

RCD: "BremerGate."

---

Kevan: "It's a profit thing."  I think we were talking about "The Jerk."

---

2nd Ring alert on my phone in about three minutes.  I decide to
look at the what is going on.  I see Sandi outside brushing Taylor the dog.
After a couple of minutes, she has to get Taylor up the four cement stairs.
This was one of my biggest worries while at BARGE.  Taylor is about 80 lbs.
I can lift her, but Sandi has trouble.  I see Sandi holding under and
Taylor struggling up one stair at a time.  They make it!  Yay!

More on this later.

---

Last hand before a break.

Folded to Nancy on the button.  Maybe I'll get a walk.
No, Nancy raises.  Chuck mucks.  I find 88.
I mull over the decision a few seconds too long before I jam.
Nancy is on the fence, but my delay pushes her into a call with AQs.
I'm fine with a coin flip as my stack is half of average.

Flop Q-X-Y, two diamonds.  I pick up a flush draw on the turn, but
I miss the river and Nancy busts me.

Nancy gets a signed copy of my cartoon trivia book.
She is excited about that.

---

I later make the walk of shame to pay off my Go4Goldie bet.

Dietch wants my $10 ADB last-longer money.
I give my $10 straight to Bremer.  "I want to cut out the middleman."

---

Caryl goes out.  Crowd claps.

Nolan from two tables away: "Caryl, you out?"
Caryl: "Yeah."
Nolan: "Can you get me a sandwich?"

Roars of laughter.

---

I go upstairs to take a much needed nap.

---

Okay, notes start getting squirrelly at this point.

---

Randal and I get a nice photo of us wearing our matching shirts.
Slogan: "I'm here to drink and have fun."  Murph probably just felt a
disturbance in the force.

---

Ring game.

Goldie, Kyle, Grizz, Sheri, Eileen, Deej, me, Kevan.
Later Bex, Harker, Patrick.

10-4 10-4.

Kevan: "Don't mock me.  I won in the big blind."
QB: "I can still mock you."

Kevan I discuss some goofy hands from over the decades.
Make plans to bet the yo-11 in 2027 and boxcars in 2028.

---

Someone orders a Captain and Coke.  I order a Captain and Diet Coke.
Remind me to do this next year.

RCD: "That's a lot of Scotts."  I think Byron, Harker and Samarel were
all in the same area.

Lengthy discussion about the Rich Little Piggies slot machines.

---

Around here Tim Showalter wins the NL.  Congrats!
I shook his hand and also Ben's who came in 2nd.
Len 3rd.  Sam 4th.  Good year for 3-letter names!
Connie, Aaron, Terry J., Crunch, Doug and Gillian rounding out the top 10.
Hack, Low, Christin M., Jeanne, Gerry and Samarel 11-16.



Sunday, July 23rd.
-------------------

Still in the same game.  No sleeping this day.

Samarel: "What you failed to consider Ken, is that you're drunk at
this table."  Can't you just hear him saying that?

---

Christian is next to me.  His shirt says "SHIRT" in green.  Ha!
Then I notice his cap says "CAP" in big letters too.  Nice!

---

Around here Randal says we should get a photo.  I remind him that we did
that about an hour earlier.  There's some talk of us getting married.

---

Someone says they are the table captain.

"You're no Lee Jones."

---

RCD: "I've been drinking too much for this hand."

A monster pot develops in razzdugi.  I'm quite sure I have the badugi
with a 7 as others are showing lots of 8s and 9s, pairs and flushes.
I bet the river blind.  Samarel calls.  Ugh.  I only have a J-7-5-4-2
for the low.   Scott is studying his hand and studying some more.
I only have $13 left and hold the chips between my thumb and finger.
I tell the dealer you get this if I scoop.
Scott is still looking.  Finally mucks.  I tip the $13.
Silly of me, but I was in flow at that moment and it felt right.
I think the pot was about $120.

---

Patrick says something naughty.
"What did you say Patrick?"
Patrick K.: "I forget."

---

Someone tells Grizz that he forgot to straddle.
Grizz: "Give me the "Missed Straddle" button."

---

Hold'em hand.  I raise with AJo.  Bowtie (who is somehow always
on my left) calls.

Flop K-8-4.  I check and fold.  He shows Ah4h.

QB: "A4 suited?  What were you thinking?"
Sabyl: "What were you thinking?"
All three of us were cracking up.

---

My alarm goes off at about 3:30 a.m.  I have to quit the game, pack up
and Uber to the airport for my 6:25 a.m. flight.

Sabyl says she has a car and can give me a ride to the airport!
Sabyl R00LZ!

---

Pack up quickly.  We meet downstairs.  Away we go.
We get a little lost, but I'm at the airport way early.
Thanks Sabyl.

---

It is like 4:50 a.m. and there is a ridiculous Disneyland line to get to
the Southwest self check machines.  I'm plenty early, so I don't sweat it.

Get to a machine.  Do all my stuff.  Now I look around and there are
30 empty machines.  30.  The Nazi Southwest lady is holding up the whole
stupid line for absolutely no reason.  I walk back to tell her "Let the
people go to the machines."  She just says something like "Sir, the exit
is the other way."  I gave up right there.
I'm not making a scene at an airport.

---

Uneventful flight home.  Yay.

---

Sandi picks me up at SJC and we pick up some 2-for-1 breakfast deal at BK
on the way home.

---

Taylor the dog is pleased to see me.

---

This was my shortest BARGE ever.  About 62 hours in Vegas.
I just hated to leave Sandi for more days with our poor 14-year-old dog.
Taylor is just the sweetest old dog.  We'll keep her going as long as
she is still a happy dog.


---

Gambling...

craps:        DNP
big 6 wheel:  DNP
blackjack:    DNP
live poker:   lost.  Neighborhood of $200.
slots:        Won 25 cents.
tournaments:  lost, lost
last-longers: lost
roshambo:     DNP.

Hugs: Sue, Nancy, Sabyl, Bex, Michelle, Connie, Gillian, Jeanne, Claudia,
Regis, Sassy, Lynsy, Caryl, Carol, Chris, Katie, Kelly, Sharon, Sheri, Shari,
Patti, Asya, Diana, Eileen, Betty and Chris.

Manly hugs: Howler, Hack, Bingo, Rich S., Rich B., Adam, Nolan, Dan, Mike,
Larry B., Bruce, Jeff, Gerdog, Chuck, Deron, Kevan, Randal, Goldie, Samarel,
Dean and Un.
Men, men, men, men.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple and/or making up a couple.

---

Missed all of my friends who didn't make it this time.

Peter Secor, Bob O., Bozo, George, JP, Siegal, Tanya, Jordan, Brenda, Jepsen,
Derek, Mecklin, Joe, Ed, Tina, North Shore, MPH, JD, Veach, Barry, Erin,
Moser, Rob, Bart, Bill, Rafn, Lee J., Tracy, Alex, Murray, Pickels, Oz, Ross,
Susan, O'Grady, Tom, Andreas, Oscar, Pete, Masa, John, Mary, Charles, Janie,
Barbara, Hammer, Jodi, Andy, Mark, Steve, Stephen, Dave and David.
There are many, many more.

Everyone please make an effort to come to BARGE 2025.
It is the best week of the year.

Seriously.  I caught COVID-19 this year at BARGE...
AND IT WAS STILL WORTH IT!


Thanks to the Westgate.  The home of BARGE.

The dealers, waitresses and poker staff all did good jobs.

---

Kubey's 2024 MVB (Most Valuable BARGEr) Award:

Tim Showalter.  Wins the main event and had at least one other top finish.
Also his bot R00LED us in the bidding.  Even when it was wrong it was right.

Honorable mentions to Russ Fox and Rich Bremer.

Also an honorable mention to Ice for staying away due to his being sick.

Thanks to the board: Christian, Deron, Bruce, Bingo and me!  Welcome Bex!
Thanks to the organizers: Russ, Bremer, Deitch, Sharon and Goldie.

Thanks to the Tech Crew: Doug, David Low and Barry.  Wait, where was Barry?

The BARGE Chip Committee.  Talks are going.

Rodney with the fantastic photos and printing them all out for us.
I don't know how you make us look so good.

Peter and Chuck just plain R00L.

All the other folks who ran or sponsored events with their own cash.
Asya, Kevan, Ben, Sharon, Dan, Cliff, etc.

Thanks also to all the other people who make BARGE go.

---

Can I sign up for BARGE 2025 now?


--

Ken Kubey    [email removed]