HORSE, Back in Vegas, PLO

I've been playing a lot more PLO since I've been in Ohio (Pot Limit Omaha) for those of you that don't know. I've actually noticed a huge disparity as well between my success at 3/6 PLO vs 2/4 PLO. I think this is simply a game of knowing when to put all your money in the middle and knowing when to shut it down. On top of that very simple statement, there are much more complicated bluffing scenarios because for the most part at these limits the play is straightforward. I've had some success and plan on playing a lot more in the cash games. If I do well over the next few weeks, I'm planning on playing at least one PLO event at the WSOP. I said I would never play an event like this again because the game is just too crazy and wild, but after considering my record in PLO events which includes a deep finish despite a nasty 5 outer in the WCOOP on Stars and a deep finish in the FTOPS shorthanded despite a nasty 2 outer, I can't imagine I'm that far behind the average player. On top of that, if you watch WSOP episodes of PLO, you see some outrageously bad plays that I know I would never ever make in a million years.

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to win the HORSE tournament on Full Tilt. I ended up 5th last night, my second best finish of the year behind a 3rd place finish. I played as a short stack from 30 players to the final table and am quite proud I hung in there as long as I did. I always seem to lose in Hold Em. I need to rethink my strategy in this game because I think my experience playing in 6 max limit hold em ring games is ruining my tournament strategy. Also, I know I don't have a big edge in limit hold em, but still want to battle it out. Furthermore, sometimes it's better to be crazier in the split pot games because there is no definite one winner huge pot that will always happen like in Stud Hi and Hold em. Blind stealing is much less defended in other games. Hold 'em is almost always like that. Last night, I reraised with A5 off against the button raiser. Flop comes Kc3c3 and with my chip stack, it's 4 small bets and some change and we are in. So I have no way to get a lot of information about my opponent's hand. I think he's raising the button with the top 80% of hands from my previous encounters with him and I'm going to bet 100% of the time here. If he raises, he either has a K or club draw or maybe even a pocket pair, but I highly doubt that as I think 4 bets are in order for everything besides maybe 66 and down. He has K 7 off and I fail to improve. Do I bet and fold to a raise? I don't know maybe.


I'm back in Vegas for the next two months for sure aside from a Chicago trip right at the beginning of the WSOP because my girlfriend is more important than any tournament crapshoot. My first event will be the 2,000 event on the Thursday or Friday maybe June 4 or 5th. After that, I'm just going to base my play on how I feel and my overall success. I'll be trying hard to win a main event seat online and plan on doing that for sure.

Bad Poker

I'm in poker frustration mode. I was set and ready to go for the Bellagio first event and I was gone right before the first break. Starting with 4k chips, I was down to 2800 after really nothing eventful and just making a few raises with marginal hands and trying to continuation bet my way out of it. I was involved in no pots where I lost more than 500 chips. Then this hand came up. I was in the SB at 50/100 levels with around 2800 maybe 2850. I had AQ. UTG limped, 2 more from UTG limped, another limp, then the button makes it 450. I look down at AQ and see a lot of dead money in the pot and a lot of people that were playing loosely limping, so I just pushed because I had a pretty tight image. The second limper had QQ and the initial raiser had AK gg. I still don't understand why the second limper would not raise with QQ. If he does, AK reraises and I easily fold, but that's part of the luck involved. I'm not crazy about my play, but with blinds going up to 100/200, I was trying to pick up some easy chips. Not so easy.

Yesterday online, I felt pretty good, but only ended up with a 19th place finish in the 100 freezeout on Stars. 6 handed with 3 tables left, I had AA utg with 45k in chips. I limp under the gun for 4k. Next guy pushes and has me covered. Another shortstack is all in, so if I beat the first pusher I at least make a few chips. 88 KK and the board runs out 10 9 8 J K GG.


I also grinded my way up to a step 6 for the WSOP today and played AK super weak and I allowed AQ to push me around preflop and then after the AQ9 flop I played extremely soft and lost a lot of my chips check calling the whole way. I probably should have been better in this hand. Then I eventually got back up after an AK vs 6s7s. I won a race with AJ vs 88. Then I raised to 450 from the SB with 75/150 blinds and I got pushed by the BB who had J10. Oh great and he hit a 10. Then I built it back up again only to be knocked out in the bubble 7th (where you get absolutely nothing) 6th at least gets 500. A10 vs A9. I hate poker.


Then I played tonight.

Full Tilt Poker Game #5898052092: Table Cranwood (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:10:07 ET - 2008/04/03
Seat 1: JoRDANe ($480.60)
Seat 2: FastEddie267 ($400)
Seat 3: JIMMY BLUFF1TT ($410)
Seat 4: kice32 ($451.60)
Seat 5: thelilbearbeeny ($583.20)
Seat 6: PlzFoldxX ($400)
JIMMY BLUFF1TT posts the small blind of $2
kice32 posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to kice32 [As Ah]
thelilbearbeeny raises to $14
PlzFoldxX folds
JoRDANe raises to $44
FastEddie267 folds
JIMMY BLUFF1TT folds
kice32 has 15 seconds left to act
kice32 raises to $148
thelilbearbeeny folds
JoRDANe has 15 seconds left to act
JoRDANe has requested TIME
JoRDANe raises to $480.60, and is all in
kice32 calls $303.60, and is all in
JoRDANe shows [Kh Ks]
kice32 shows [As Ah]
Uncalled bet of $29 returned to JoRDANe
*** FLOP *** [7c 3d Kd]
*** TURN *** [7c 3d Kd] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [7c 3d Kd Js] [6s]
JoRDANe shows three of a kind, Kings
kice32 shows a pair of Aces
JoRDANe wins the pot ($916.20) with three of a kind, Kings
kice32 is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $919.20 | Rake $3
Board: [7c 3d Kd Js 6s]
Seat 1: JoRDANe showed [Kh Ks] and won ($916.20) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 2: FastEddie267 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: JIMMY BLUFF1TT (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: kice32 (big blind) showed [As Ah] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 5: thelilbearbeeny folded before the Flop
Seat 6: PlzFoldxX didn't bet (folded)


That will sum up the night.

Question from David123

While playing PLO – I often jam the money in on the flop with +ev but without having made a single hand since my 4 cards are often connectors/suits that leave me with lots of outs but cant beat a pair at the time the money goes in. I know that getting the money in while ahead – 60/40 – will prove to be successful in the long run. However, would it be wise to check-call when I’m merely drawing half flush/straights so I leave myself some fold equity when I don’t hit, or should I just jam the money and sit back?

I think you have to jam because people can get away from hands in PLO like sets when that straight comes up or flush finally hits. If it's positive EV, you should probably be doing it. Not to mention the amount of times when that guy has such a weaker hand (a 2 pair type hand).

Also, when opening early with 4 connecting cards then getting reraised pre by someone who is polarizing his hand to AAxx, is betting pot on a low flop going to scare the villain with the overpair away and fold his high pair frequently enough to be +ev. What about check-raising when he bets pot with his overpair? Or check/calling then betting pot if the turn brings another low card- a possible straight?

This question is loaded to me with the essence of PLO. It all depends on the player. If you know the guy isn't getting away from AAxx on any board, then calling with almost anything to me preflop is the way to go. So many times, it's not an easy call in PLO unless you know the guy, so what I try to do is err on the side of caution until you have an idea of how the player plays. Then attack with all the moves in your book that you think will work.


Lastly, how should AAxx best be played post flop when all you have is your overpair? (OOP, and in position). How does it affect you when there are 2 guys post flop?

Two parts to my answer here. If it's a scary board, just shut down. More often than not, it's really just costly to get involved in a big pot. Remember also that you don't have to always bet the pot. Controlling the pot is probably the biggest lesson that no one seems to learn in this game. Size your bets throughout your session as standard 1/2 pot, 3/4 pot, 1/3 the pot to mix it up. I say this because sometimes people think if you don't bet the pot you don't have it. So make those bets when you have something strong. This will disguise your fear when you have AAxx and will cost you less than having to bet the pot and fold when someone plays back at you with an obvious set, better draw, etc.

In general with AAxx, my theory is that I would rather be the one capitalizing on the AAxx mistakes of my opponents than the one with AAxx making those same mistakes. AA is good in hold em and really when you look at it against most hands, it's about as good as an AK vs 89 in hold em.