pot limit omaha.

Hello. So today was the $1500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament at the World Series. It was the first event that Andrew, Wes and I played together. I'm happy to say that Andrew did very well and unfortunately just missed the money by a few spots. Wes and I had earlier exits than we both would have liked but it was an extremely fast structure and if you weren't hitting hands early, than you needed to prepare to gamble soon. I eventually got it in bad with double suited JJ vs. KKxx. It was a great field with a punch of dead money but the speed of the tournament forced your hand early. In my opinion, tournament structure is everything. With short term luck being such a big factor in live tournament poker, the structure either exacerbates that fact or minimizes it. Sadly, the world series of poker may have the worst structures of any tournaments I've seen but theres a mystique to these events, the prize pools are large and there is a HUGE overlay caused by the generally weak players. Anyways, so far I am 0-4, I don't think I updated the results for the day 2 of the Omaha Hi Lo split event but I tripled up in the first few orbits and then got it all in with AA27 vs. JJxx, a GREAT spot but he spiked a jack and my hopes of chipping back into contention were over with.

So, the next event on the schedule is the $3000 H.O.R.S.E. event at 5pm tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to this event and I hope I run hot. The way I am has me constantly trying to figure out strategies and improve on old ones so I'm doing my best to figure out what I'm doing either wrong or right in these events. It all comes down to getting all the chips. You some how have to collect all the chips in the tournament to win it. Now, in no limit structures and to a lesser extent, pot limit, you have room to artistically maneuver your chips with or without a hand. In the limit events (the ones I've played mostly), you'll have to show down a lot of hands, especially against weaker players because they just call all day long, hoping they win on showdowns. So unless you're running super hot and making a ton of winners or you're crazy aggressive and spewing and getting to 1. hit hands, 2. force bad players to fold 3. hope your opponents miss. So as good as I've been trying to play, good play needs to be thrown out the window in an attempt to accumulate chips. Who cares if you're looked down upon by the players at your table, get the chips whatever means necessary. It's a sad truth that the players who win these major tournaments, probably aren't the best cash game players and probably don't understand or have the discipline to be winning players under normal circumstances. Anyways, bottom line, have to accumulate somehow, playing winning poker isn't enough so far.

The good news is, I've had a lot of success in the side games. There has been a 20-40 mixed game at the rio the past few days (badugi, 2-7triple draw, omaha8 and stud8) that I've take a whole lot of bets out of, beat the 30-60 omaha8 at the bellagio, the no limit game at the rio and I'm up a few thousand online since I've been here but as I'm writing this blog I've just lost a few flips for stacks in a very aggressive 6max game. I'm looking to play a bit higher but there's a real gap in the limits here, the next largest mix game is the 80-160 game in the bellagio which I'm sure is a might tougher than the 20-40 at the rio and will play huge. It'd be the biggest limit structure game I would have ever played if I decide to sit. If there is a lot of stud and omaha in the mix I'd be more incline. The draw games, badugi and deuce are very swingy in that often times you'll have to see the draws to the end and can't/shouldn't give up like you can in stud8 vs. an opponent's board.

Anyways, I hope cash continues to go well, I hope the tournaments go better for all three of us and mostly I hope to continue to learn. I have made a few higher playing friends here that have offered me a sweat (watching them play and seeing their cards). One of them plays in just about the highest game going so I hope I get that opportunity.

Lastly, the starting table contained Rafi Amit, a two time omaha bracelet winner at the world series of poker and Simpson's co-creator Sam Simon. We all had a pretty good time and Sam drew a picture of bart simpson and signed it (out of his own volition!!). Pretty interesting. Rafi is an avid basketball fan and we argued NBA 'what-if's' for a while before I busted out.

Anyways, cross your fingers! I need the chips!