Las Vegas Trip Report Part 4

by Nolan Dalla

This page is part of Ken's Poker Page

On 22 Oct 1998 06:24:49 GMT, in rec.gambling.poker nolandalla@aol.com
(NolanDalla) wrote:

After four hours of sleep the phone rings and, again, it's STU UNGAR. He
wants me to come over so we can talk before I fly back to Los Angeles.

I could insert some stories here, but I'm getting to the point where I'm
"trip report tired" and getting weary at this point.

I'll skip the stories but say that MR. UNGAR and I had another good day
together and we were able to accomplish a good deal. I'm going to be very
eager to see how he does when he gets back into action. However, as
previously stated I cannot report on any of this situation without
betraying some trust so I hope the RGP community will forgive my decision
not to discuss this matter.

Since UNGAR will be back in action soon, I give him my gold Ray-Ban
sunglasses. These were my pride and joy as I have worn them at the poker
table and during BARGE events. They were really special because they were
a limited edition and cost about $200. But something told me that UNGAR
should have them. I hope when he wins his next WSOP, he's wearing those
gold glasses. That would really be a thrill.

I'm back in Los Angeles at 7:00 p.m. and go to the Sunglass Hut to buy a
pair of Sarenghetti's. These are the glasses that change in the sunlight
versus indoor and for lack of a better description they are the
glasses of choice of Jack Nicholson. I've been needing a new pair for
some time as my eyes get very fatigued and are sensitive to light -- So I
buy a pair for myself and a pair for MARIETTA setting me back about $260
(Like I said kids, please don't try this at home). I head straight to
HOLLYWOOD PARK. I run into MEN "THE MASTER" NGUYEN, who
I had talked to and visited with a few days ago (forgot to report the incident
earlier). He wants to have a drink together, but a bar is not the place I want to be
when I'm playing serious poker. I can put away some booze, but I'm also
not going to get into a beer guzzling contest with the Master. Sounds like
a lose-lose proposition. One side note: I still question the integrity
of some of the activities he does in tournaments and am prepared to go on
record with a protest of some of these actions. However, to his credit
MEN seems to have shaped-up his behavior since the McEVOY incident that
was reported in CARD PLAYER. I will also report that he treated me very
courteously in my conversations with him, insisting on having a drink
together. I told him I would take him up on the offer if he attended the
USPC at the TAJ in December. He said he would. Trip report to follow.
Transcripts of THAT conversation to go on sale immediately afterward.

In a $10-20 game I make $75 and decide to call it a day. The lack of
sleep is really catching up with me now. I find a dive motel in Inglewood
near the airport and crash for ten hours.

The next morning, I taxi back to CRYSTAL PARK and it's very quiet. Since
the tournament ended, there isn't much activity. I sit in a $6-12 game
and eat another delicious meal.

A taxi back to the airport puts me on a plane back to Washington on the
red-eye flight. A true RGP trip report would not be complete with at
least one minor caveat from the airplane ride. Now, mind you -- I have
had about 35 hours of sleep in the past 9 days. I have had an extreme
amount of pressure and have met with some of the most important people I
have ever been involved with. From what I can tell, the rest of the
passengers look tired, as well and just want to get some rest. So, the
announcement goes like this:

STEWARDESS: On tonight's flight we will be showing the movie GODZILLA.
You may purchase this movie for $4. NOLAN (shouting to the Stewardess in
full view of passengers): How much will it cost us for you NOT to show
GODZILLA? (laughter).

The Poker Road Trip was a success: My total poker profit was ~$3,500.
Expenses came to $900. I also bought gifts which amounted to $400. With
a $500 loss on the football game (dumb!), I ended up with just over $1700
for the trip.

I attribute the majority of success I had on this trip to the following:

(1) Good planning: This is where members of the RGP community helped me
immensely. LOU KRIEGER and LARRY PETERS gave me excellent advice.
I also read many posts of interest on RGP about game conditions in Los Angeles,
including one thread which was titled something like "Where are the Best
$10-20 game in LA?" This goes to show what an important asset RGP can be
to anyone who is planning such an endeavor.

(2) Generally good discipline: I picked my spots wisely. When I was
taking the worst of it, I picked-up and moved on to a better table. When
I found a good spot I stayed there and played until I had the money or the
game conditions changed.

(3) A Poker Face: After a few days of playing full-time, I think most of
us become better players. We are thinking like professionals and do not
have the distractions of personal problems, or other annoyances that cause
us not to focus on the game. When you play poker 16 hours a days for a
week, one of two things happens -- you get burned out, or you refine your
game and become focused. Like I said, I didn't read a newspaper the
entire time I was in LV or LA. As an avid reader of newspapers and
magazines I can tell you that this was a major break from my routine.

(4) A little luck at the right moments: It would be absurd for me to
announce that I can easily make $3,000 a week playing the cardrooms of
California. However, with a few breaks and a nice run of cards it's
certainly possible. My goal was more modest -- hoping that I could win
about 1.5 BB/hour on average for a total of 80 hours played. This gave me
a mean expectation of around $1200 after expenses, depending on the limit
I choose to play. However, the major thing I accomplished was that I was
successful at getting my mind back on poker and came to the realization
that if I continue to improve as a player and exercise good judgment I
will succeed as a poker player.

(5) And finally, I must say in all honesty that playing AWAY from the RGP
community during this entire time proved just how far behind the times the
NON-RGP people out there really are (I'm not talking pro's, but players in
general). Playing with RGP players is a much more challenging ordeal than
playing against players who just seem to have a concept of even the bare
basics. During my time in LV and LA, I only saw ONE SINGLE RGP player
that I recognized, and I never actually played at his table. It was JACK, from
NJ, who is known as a rather large man who routinely wears a baseball cap
and state trooper shades. He's a very nice man and we did share a few
laughs. But it goes to show what an awesome force RGP really is.
One person who just sent me an email may have said it best. and my dear
friends, in conclusion -- I'd like to leave you with his words:

"I am really sorry we missed you at FARGO and in ATLANTIC CITY recently.
I guess that by you opted to go out West to make money out there instead
of playing with us, what you are really doing is paying RGP the supreme
compliment."

Now, could I have possibly said it any better than that?

Hope you enjoyed,

Sincerely,

NOLAN DALLA
Washington , DC
October 22, 1998
2:00 p.m. EST

Continue to Los Angeles Part 1

Return to Poker Trip Reports Page

Published with the permission of the author.
Reproduction without the author's permission prohibited.

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