Fluge Global Adventures

WSOP 2011

By Bill L.

Our annual trip to the World Series of Poker was off to a great start even before I got there.  I was flying in separate this year after a trip to NoCal which included a Giants game, a day of small production Zinfandel tasting in Sonoma and the Nascar race at Infineon so The Fluge was on his own for a few hours until my flight landed.

After his casino host pulled him aside in order to skip the long check-in lines The Fluge was escorted into the VIP area for the platinum guest private registration.  Knowing I was a few hours out he decided to hit the blackjack tables for awhile.  Now I know I understand blackjack – I’ve even played in the World Series of Blackjack in my younger days but I truly don’t enjoy it that much so I mainly stick with poker – but Nick LOVES 21 and is AMAZINGLY good at it.  I’ve watched him play many times now and he consistently beats the house.

In the three hours just waiting for me he was betting big and playing multiple hands.  Just the kind of Big Player the house loves and takes very good care of.  The problem is – Fluge WINS.  So not only did his first three hours of play net cash in his pocket and comps galore but the Casino upgraded his VIP status to Diamond level – the highest you can get.  It can take most gamblers years of play to attain this level but in rare occasion you can become “Diamond in a Day.”

I finally arrive, check in, toss my stuff in my room and make my way down to the tables to find The Fluge and try and get his head into poker mode.  He, like most smart players has no problem getting up from the table, so after coloring up, tipping both his dealer and cocktail waitress we head to the WSOP Pavilions.  We barely make it half way and here comes multiple WSOP bracelet winner Scotty Nguyen yelling FLUGE, FLUGE – Everyone remembers the big guy so we catch up for awhile and wish the poker gods to bring good fortune to us before hitting the registration desk for tomorrow’s event.  We find we’re at tables 107 and 17 respectively and chat with a few of the pro’s we’ve met over the years who are in line with us.

Nick and I decide to meet later at Voodoo Steak on the top of The Rio for our usual pre-tourney dinner.  After ordering we both agree we think we’ve had the same dishes for the past ten years only changing the wine selection based on what’s currently on the list.  I have to say this year’s bottle of a Turley Juvenile Zinfandel was outstanding!  We caught up on multiple adventure possibilities and vineyard happenings before getting to business and finalizing our strategies for tomorrow.  By the time the last bite was gone and the only the dregs of Zin were left we were rock solid comfortable with our game plans for the big event.

“Nick with friend and several time WSOP champion Scotty Nguyen”

I could see from the glimmer in his eyes that a little black jack would be on the agenda for the remainder of the evening so I followed the master to his favorite high-limit table for a few hands of 21.   I could only keep up with his pace for a short while basically breaking even and I left him for the night in the good hands of Yasmine the dealer and Brenda the cocktail server.

Finally- Poker Day is here and Nick and I meet for our traditional breakfast and leisurely reconfirm our strategies from the night before.  I can see Fluge is focused.  Normally with an hour to kill he’d get a few hands in at the bj table – but not today.  It’s all business.  We decided to head back to our rooms for a quick freshen-up and gather our gear for what hopefully will be a marathon of poker.  With a few minutes to go before the start  of the event Nick, being Nick, decided he’d like to get the winner’s vibe form the sacred bracelet podium and jumps the velvet rope and heeds to the podium where the winner’s bracelet resides in waiting and the wall of champions is located.  Maybe we’ll see him up there collecting his own bracelet down the road.

We each head to our tables – stand for Ben “Benba” Lamb’s bracelet presentation for winning the previous event – taking place at that podium Nick just left.  We stay standing for the national Anthem then it’s those famous words – “Shuffle Up and Deal.”  Our event has begun.

Nick is way across the huge pavilion of almost 3000 players so I can’t see him but texts are flying back and forth.  Up 2k – down 1k – up 3k.  At the first break after two rounds of one hour each we’ve had no crazy hands just solid poker.  We have 20 minutes to fight the hoard for a bathroom break.  Rounds 3 and 4 – blinds are up and so are we.  Nick about 6k and me right behind at 5k.  Four hours and so far so good.  Rounds 5 and 6 and we’re seeing a large exodus now.  I keep looking around a no Fluge – a good sign.  I get a text and he’s up to 15k.  NICE.  After 6 hours of poker and 40 minutes of breaks it’s dinner break time.  Chip counts are Nick @ 17k and me at @ 16k.  We have 90 minutes for dinner and lines are huge but The Fluge flashes his Diamond VIP card and we walk by the lines right to a table.  That’s how we roll.  Our separate strategies are holding and all is good.  Neither of us has had huge wins or losses – just steady “grinder” poker.

On to rounds 7 and 8 – blinds are getting big and we now have antes.  We’ve outlasted 1800 losers so far but we need to make some moves and add to our stacks.  Nick’s holding around 17k and I’m up to 19k but there are some big stacks at each of our tables.  We’re still alive after round 8 – down to 800 left.  There will be 2 more rounds tonight before chips are bagged and play resumes tomorrow.  We both agree we’re here for the final table and there’s no reason to go into day 2 with a short stack so we are going to attack and go for greatness tonight.  Round 9 we’re still alive but our stacks are dwindling.  Nick’s text says he’s down to 12k.  I’m at 17k and my table breaks and we each head to a new table.  As my luck would have it I’m assigned a new table and there are four huge stacks.  Matt Jarvis is showing off his bracelet from winning event #40.  There’s Ronny “RoNasty” Bardah who went deep in last year’s main event and Pro Matt Stout who I spent many hours seated next to last year.  He looks at me twice and says “Hey – grape guy.” He remembers me but unfortunately his next line is “too bad you’re short stacked.”

Twenty minutes to go I get a tap on the shoulder and my man The Fluge is out.  He played real well but couldn’t catch the cards near the end.  Mike Stanton from the World Poker Tour is there and tells Nick he watched him for awhile and he played great.  Mike was wondering when we’d try our luck in a WPT event.   Fluge is not down though and says he’s off to kill ‘em at black jack.

15 minutes to go and I get a hand.  This is it.  There’s a raise from under the gun and everyone folds around to me on the button.  I’ve got pocket 10’s and go all in for about 20k but the big blind with the big stack snap calls all in – not good –and the first raiser folds.  I turn over my 10’s and he turns over a wired pair of Kings.  The flop, turn and river are no help and I’m out in 400^th place.  Better than 2600 others but not good enough after almost 13 hours of play.

It turns out this year’s winner from our event was Athy Polychronopoulos.  He was the big blind with the big stack who took me out.

Our 2011 WSOP is over – we didn’t win a bracelet but it was a blast as usual.  We’ll get ‘em next year!

PS.  This year’s WSOP Europe is in Cannes in October.  Will there be an Art/WSOP Poker story from the South of France?  Stay tuned.

“Nick with Mike Sexton, voice of ESPN’s World Series of Poker”

By Bill Lowblad

I thought this was going to be the year as I pulled into the PDX garage and “Lucky Man” by the Verve came on the radio. What better sign to start a trip to Vegas on?

Fluge and Lowblad Prepare to Begin World Series of Poker Play as Early Favorites

We were on the early – real early flight and I arrived at the gate just as the Fluge was leaving the Alaska Board Room where he had been taking advantage of the time zones talking with his peeps in Russia, France and Tasmania working on future Adventures. Does he ever sleep?

A few hours later we arrived at the Rio – home to the WSOP. We dropped off our luggage and with a few hours to kill we headed over to the Venetian our customary lucky starting point. I went straight to the poker room where last trip I took a first and a third place in their Deep Stack tournaments and sat in at a no-limit Texas hold-em game to warm up while Nick went to the high stakes black jack tables to win some cash and play enough to afford us our customary comped lunch. Valentino’s is a Great lunch spot – especially if there’s extra cash in your pockets and when the check comes the waiter says “There’s no charge Mr. Fluge – I hope you enjoyed your meal on the house.” That’s rollin Fluge style again!

Getting back to the Rio we grabbed our bags and checked into our suites – Comped suites that is. Nice to travel with a high roller. Next we wandered back to the WSOP hall to register and pick up our table assignments for Monday’s Event #49 of the 2010 World Series of Poker. We see Jesus (Ferguson that is), Mike Sexton, Phil Ivey and other famous pros. I give a wave to the Unibomber who amazingly remembers us from the two celebrity events he played with us in Portland and I head across the hall to say hello and see if Jennifer Tilley’s playing this year. As soon as I get a couple of steps in I almost get taken out by a scooter . Doyle Brunson flies by, says “Sorry, it’s a rental and I’m not used to it” and keeps on going. With this close call Nick and the Unibomber’s best friend Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari crack up. Maybe staying in one piece is where I used up my luck.

I hung out in the poker area while Nick went to the Rio’s black jack tables. After a few hours I get a call letting me know Nick’s VIP host has made dinner reservations at the Voodoo Lounge on the 50th floor. Sweet!

We meet up at the elevators and I can hear the magical “clinking” sound emanating from Nick’s pockets that only can be made by a large quantity of $1000.00 dollar yellow chips. It has been a short but sweet trip to the tables and dinner is “on the house.” We ride up the glass elevator to the 50th floor at the top of the Rio and there’s our table with a great view of all Las Vegas. Before we can sit down there’s Don Cheadle and Annie Duke at the bar and Cheadle yells out to Nick– “Hey are you playing in the charity event this year?” Nick has to tell him not this year as it conflicts with his next sportscar race – but count him in for 2011. We had an incredible meal and I had the wine honours and matched a great Heitz Marthas Vineyard cab with our prime steaks. Awesome.

This was an early night as we wanted to be sharp for the WSOP tomorrow so our only gambling the rest of the evening was $100.00 each in the Megabucks slots. No luck there but you have to go for it when in Vegas. One of Nick’s fellow high stakes black jack players tries to lure him back to the tables and bring his luck with him but the WSOP is priority and we’re done for the day.

Monday starts with a team breakfast – we have one more of the FGA poker series regulars with us for the first time – Jon “OSU Playboy All American Football player” Sandstrom. I pass out the black FGA – WSOP 2010 team polo shirts (Great Job Randy) and we go over the rules while we eat our pre game breakfast.

We meet back in the Amazon room for team photos and get to our tables for the 12:00 start. Nick draws table 6, Jon table 41 and I’m at 203 which means I’m going to move around a lot as they break the higher tables first when people drop out. There are over 2600 entrants for today tournament and pros are being followed by the press as they sit in with the amateurs. I’ve got a Dane and a Swede at my table and press is standing around ready to record great plays. We stand for the national anthem and then it’s shuffle up and deal. I’m up a little at the first break after 2 hours and look around for the rest of team FGA. Jon’s up a little but Nick is nowhere to be found until you see Shannon Elizabeth talking to him in the corner. I wander up to hear how she hardly recognized him with the facial hair but she “loves it.” Nick has been hit hard in the chip stacks when a lucky player catches an inside straight and Shannon is telling him to put it all on the line. If you’re out early you gave it a great shot but if you double up a few times you’re right back on target. When we get back to playing I see the big man walk by as he’s done (how can you not listen to Shannon Elizabeth?) But that’s OK – his black jack friends need his luck back in the high stakes area.

I’m still doing well when they break our table and send me to table 197. That stinks as now I’ve got to learn each new players ability but since it’s still a high number I’ll move again real soon. Yes a few minutes later this table breaks and I’m sent to another new table 26. If I do well here I can stay for awhile. No big hands but I do add to my stack and make it to the next break. Jon’s doing well and has a little more than me. We talk about our hands and text the Fluge to see how he’s doing. Killing them for cash at black jack as usual.

The next hour and 55 minutes are uneventful. I make a few plays but nothing exciting and it’s 5 minutes to the dinner break. I think I’ll play it cautious and only play a great hand and of course I get a great hand (KJ suited on the button) I’ll be happy with the antes and blinds and raise. I get a call from the big blind and we see the flop. KJ and a rag. I LOVE it. The big blind checks and I make a big bet. He calls. Now I’m wondering what he has? The turn brings a 7 of clubs with the rag being a 4 of clubs puts 2 clubs on the board and I get a little nervous of a big blind special. He checks and I go all in. He thinks for a moment and calls and turns over AQ but not clubs. His only way to beat me is with a 10 for a straight. Single digit odds but that’s how things go and a 10 hits the river and my tournament is OVER just as we break for dinner. There are only around 800 left so I at least beat 1800 others.

I find Jon and he’s doing well as our last hope. We call the Fluge and meet him for a quick dinner as Jon has 45 minutes until the next round. We have a quick meal and discuss our hands and listen to some great stories of black jack until it’s time for Jon to head back to the WSOP. Nick heads back to his spot in the high stakes area where his new “Entourage” is waiting for him. It’s simply amazing how he builds a following. I grab a quick shower and head back down to catch the action with the Fluge and can hear the roars from across the crowded casino and know immediately where to go. Blackjacks are flying out of the deck and Fluge is collecting more and more big chips to add to his stack. Of course the dealers and cocktail waitresses are getting huge tips and everyone is Happy. I watch for awhile, play a little cash game poker then call it a night.

I get the call that Jon is out at 11:30 after 11 and a half hours of play with the field down to 400 players. Great Job! He gives me the update that Nick is still rollin hot and Jon’s off to the dice table.

Next a.m. Nick is at my door with a goodie bag of WSOP gear. How nice. It’s amazing how cool he looks after what I’m sure is a long night. He’s a big winner at black jack and gave it a great shot at poker but he’s catching the next flight back to Portland as there’s some new Adventure waiting.

Jon and I catch later flights and this year’s WSOP is over. We’ve had a blast even though we’re not wearing a bracelet. We had great meals, met up with friends from the poker world and in Nick’s case met a whole new following of FGA fans.

Next year could be our year! I’m already excited to return. I’m sure Don Cheadle is looking forward to next year’s Ante up for Africa event and Shannon Elizabeth can catch up on Fluges adventures.