Omahart loose players

(a long one)

I went to Stars the night before last and was sidetracked briefly from playing when I found my “buddy”, the sociopath Stan, playing a couple micro tourneys. I watched him for a while, and when Stan was knocked out of one and started to climb in the other, I made my way over to Omaha. Stan is playing in the ME of the Aussies Millions this month, and as a member of the Poker Academy family, I wish him good luck. As the sometimes spoiler in my Omaha games, he can go to hell.

There were just a few rooms of short-handed games going, and it was apparent that the one I had walked into was already a wild game with a lot of preflop raises and re-raises. A good time to sit back and wait for the right opportunity. It only took a few hands until I chose to limp on the button with a fairly good hand.

Omaha Pot Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2009/01/11 23:07:53 ET
Table 'Rezia II' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: refreese ($10.79 in chips)
Seat 2: VoJoRo ($0.87 in chips)
Seat 3: ryder6s ($2.87 in chips)
Seat 5: ap77MN ($1.42 in chips)
Seat 6: bastinptc ($4.97 in chips)
refreese: posts small blind $0.01
VoJoRo: posts big blind $0.02
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bastinptc [Ks Ts Qc Kc]
ryder6s: calls $0.02
ap77MN: calls $0.02
bastinptc: calls $0.02

I prefer to limp/call with such a hand, even in position, primarily because I consider myself new to this game and have not acquired enough tactical knowledge, even in these micros, to really outplay anyone more experienced. Instead, I rely on post flop reads of betting and board possibilities/probabilities to inform my next moves.

refreese: calls $0.01
VoJoRo: checks
*** FLOP *** [Jc 4h Ac]
punicher62 leaves the table
refreese: bets $0.10
VoJoRo: calls $0.10
ryder6s: folds
ap77MN: folds
bastinptc: calls $0.10

So many possibilities with that flop. 11 solid outs. Perhaps with such a flop I should be raising it up, but as my friend Akileos says, I do tend to prefer the sure thing.
*** TURN *** [Jc 4h Ac] [Kh]
refreese: bets $0.10
VoJoRo: calls $0.10

With a set (full house draw), the nut (royal) flush draw, and the made Broadway, I figured I could turn up the heat for some value in case I hit one of the two former hands.

bastinptc: raises $0.70 to $0.80
juvenilew joins the table at seat #4
refreese: calls $0.70
VoJoRo: calls $0.65 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [Jc 4h Ac Kh] [5c]
refreese: checks
bastinptc: bets $1.08
refreese: folds
Uncalled bet ($1.08) returned to bastinptc
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bastinptc: shows [Ks Ts Qc Kc] (a flush, Ace high)
bastinptc collected $0.10 from side pot
VoJoRo: mucks hand
bastinptc collected $2.55 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $2.75 Main pot $2.55. Side pot $0.10. | Rake $0.10
Board [Jc 4h Ac Kh 5c]
Seat 1: refreese (small blind) folded on the River
Seat 2: VoJoRo (big blind) mucked [3c 2h 5s Th] – Short-stacked crying call.
Seat 3: ryder6s folded on the Flop
Seat 5: ap77MN folded on the Flop
Seat 6: bastinptc (button) showed [Ks Ts Qc Kc] and won ($2.65) with a flush, Ace high

As one might surmise from the stacks for the previous hand, the table was refreese’s up to this point. In fact, when I first came in the room, I had caught the last of his tirade against another player. I didn’t know which one; yet, as the game progressed, I could tell that the rest of the table was pretty soft, and he was hitting some cards. And if it had been his room, I had just thrown down a gauntlet. So be it…for naught, as he soon left.

It wasn’t now my table, that’s for certain. I was chased down, even with pot-sized bets, or missed my draws, and was again down to about even. It was a bit frustrating, to be sure, but I was determined to remain patient and wait for the few and far between but so readily recognizable perfect hands. In the meantime, we had acquired a new table captain, rounder3030.

Table 'Galene II' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: rounder3030 ($6.06 in chips)
Seat 2: mizmarlboro ($2.34 in chips)
Seat 3: teoas ($3.65 in chips)
Seat 4: 88cattledog ($2.83 in chips)
Seat 5: bastinptc ($4.96 in chips)
Seat 6: KGB JAY ($3.68 in chips)
bastinptc: posts small blind $0.01
KGB JAY: posts big blind $0.02
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bastinptc [Kh As Jd Jc]
rounder3030: calls $0.02
mizmarlboro: folds
teoas: calls $0.02
88cattledog: calls $0.02
bastinptc: calls $0.01
KGB JAY: checks
*** FLOP *** [Ts 2h Qd]

Another flop with potential, albeit less that the previous one outlined. I have a gutshot, but it’s one of those beautiful Omaha gut Broadways that merely requires any paint to fill. Still, out of position as I am,

bastinptc: checks
KGB JAY: bets $0.10
rounder3030: calls $0.10
teoas: folds
88cattledog: folds
bastinptc: calls $0.10
*** TURN *** [Ts 2h Qd] [7d]
bastinptc: checks
KGB JAY: bets $0.40
rounder3030: calls $0.40
bastinptc: calls $0.40

It is rounder3030 whose calls are keeping me in the hand. Someone has a set or two pair.

*** RIVER *** [Ts 2h Qd 7d] [Js]

My hand is made. I may split the pot with another AK, yet I’m going to let the betting momentum of the other two players help me out here.

bastinptc: checks
KGB JAY: bets $1.55
rounder3030: calls $1.55
bastinptc: raises $2.89 to $4.44 and is all-in
KGB JAY: calls $1.61 and is all-in
rounder3030: folds

Maybe it was set vs set or vs two pair. I was a bit surprised that rounder folded, but then again, my check-raise said “the nuts”.

Uncalled bet ($1.28) returned to bastinptc
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bastinptc: shows [Kh As Jd Jc] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
KGB JAY: mucks hand
bastinptc collected $9.02 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $9.47 | Rake $0.45
Board [Ts 2h Qd 7d Js]
Seat 1: rounder3030 folded on the River
Seat 2: mizmarlboro folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: teoas folded on the Flop
Seat 4: 88cattledog (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: bastinptc (small blind) showed [Kh As Jd Jc] and won ($9.02) with a straight,
Ten to Ace
Seat 6: KGB JAY (big blind) mucked [Qh 3h Td 8s]

rounder3030 said, "call for a gut shot.....NICE"
bastinptc said, "Look again, Chief"
rounder3030 said, "your right... sorry"
rounder3030 said, "just used to being done like that on this site"
bastinptc said, "then you should be happy"

I was happy that several of the bad players had stuck around during this session, rebuying, or if getting lucky, not getting lucky to a greater degree. I have a hard time figuring out how players can get all of their money into the middle with a draw or something short of the immortal nuts in this game, but as I pointed out to rounder, I am happy they are here.

There was still money to be made at this table, even if for the next 25 hands or so I was bouncing around within a 40-cent range (a bit frustrating), and even if Stan had found his way to the room. (Stan, shouldn’t you be concentrating on your tourney strategy instead of bothering me in my game? The sociopath that he is, he doesn’t see it that way: More fun to bug bastin than to win my tourney, but all that much better if I can do both. Which he may have, I don’t know.) Truth be told about Stan, he’s a damn good poker player with about 40 years of experience on me, and he shares his knowledge, so playing with him, albeit frustrating, can be illuminating as well. Right now I was letting the mounting frustration of not being able to finish off a couple more donks without the competition was getting to me.

PokerStars Game #23822117616: Omaha Pot Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2009/01/12 4:48:48 ET
Table 'Galene II' 6-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Sakarr ($3.01 in chips)
Seat 2: mizmarlboro ($2.77 in chips)
Seat 3: XstanlevX ($2.82 in chips)
Seat 4: ebbelibelab ($1.76 in chips)
Seat 5: bastinptc ($10.47 in chips)
Seat 6: thizzelleW ($2.77 in chips)
ebbelibelab: posts small blind $0.01
bastinptc: posts big blind $0.02
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bastinptc [7s 8s 6h Ks]
thizzelleW: folds
Sakarr: calls $0.02
mizmarlboro: calls $0.02
XstanlevX: calls $0.02
ebbelibelab: calls $0.01
bastinptc: checks
*** FLOP *** [9s 6c Ts]
ebbelibelab: bets $0.08
bastinptc: calls $0.08
Sakarr: calls $0.08
mizmarlboro: folds
XstanlevX: folds
*** TURN *** [9s 6c Ts] [5c]
ebbelibelab: bets $0.10
bastinptc: raises $0.22 to $0.32
Sakarr: folds
ebbelibelab: calls $0.22
*** RIVER *** [9s 6c Ts 5c] [Th]
ebbelibelab: bets $0.50
bastinptc: folds
Uncalled bet ($0.50) returned to ebbelibelab
ebbelibelab collected $0.98 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $0.98 | Rake $0
Board [9s 6c Ts 5c Th]
Seat 1: Sakarr folded on the Turn
Seat 2: mizmarlboro folded on the Flop
Seat 3: XstanlevX (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: ebbelibelab (small blind) collected ($0.98)
Seat 5: bastinptc (big blind) folded on the River
Seat 6: thizzelleW folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I felt the ten one the river sealed the deal, that my beautiful nut straight had been crushed by a rivered boat or even quads. I was pissed. The little speech I had given to rounder3030 several hands prior had been forgotten and something snapped. My chest started to tighten with the fight or flight adrenaline rush of combat. I broke out in a sweat. It was a feeling I had experienced before and I knew I had to call it a night. One hand too late.

What happened next is another story.