Slipping

I don’t mean to complain. Well, I can complain about the confusion, the doubt, perhaps the naiveté as I mull over last night’s PLO game. To say that it was a LAGfest would not do the game justice. Of course, the problem with these games, at least when I get in them, is that one is pushing both draws and made flops. If one misses one’s draws while everyone else seems to make theirs, it makes for a frustrating game. Let’s look at a couple hands together, shall we? (I've returned to my original converter as the other one seems to have a couple glitches.)

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.10 BB (7 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($13.40)
Hero (BB) ($21.10)
UTG ($15.75)
MP1 ($9.85)
MP2 ($36.65)
CO ($7.60)
Button ($22.70)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9, 6, A, 8

2 folds, MP2 calls $0.10, CO (poster) checks, Button bets $0.20, SB calls $0.15, Hero calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, CO (poster) calls $0.10

Flop: ($1) 7, 5, K (5 players)

SB bets $0.95, Hero raises to $1.90, 2 folds, Button raises to $2.85, SB raises to $11.40, Hero raises to $19.95, 1 fold, SB calls $1.80 (All-In)

Turn: ($30.25) 10 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($30.25) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $30.25 | Rake: $1.50

Results:

SB had 5, 2, K, K (three of a kind, Kings).

Hero mucked 9, 6, A, 8 (high card, Ace).

Outcome: SB won $28.75

The Button has been raising every pot, regardless of position. As the night progresses, he is up and down, eventually busting a final time (I took him out) and leaving. In the meantime, the table is putting him on a wide range and playing along.

The Omaha calculator I use has this hand as a race preflop, 46% to 53%. It still is on the flop, only now 50/50. Any 4, 8, 9, 10 and any diamond besides the 7 gives me the hand. 21 outs. Zilch.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.10 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($6.25)
UTG ($10)
UTG+1 ($19.40)
Hero (MP1) ($10)
MP2 ($15.20)
MP3 ($8.65)
CO ($51.70)
Button ($12.60)
SB ($9.60)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 10, 9, Q, J

UTG calls $0.10, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.10, 2 folds, CO calls $0.10, 1 fold, SB bets $0.60, 1 fold, UTG raises to $2.10, Hero calls $2, 1 fold, SB calls $1.50

Flop: ($6.50) 10, K, 8 (3 players)

SB checks, UTG bets $6.20, Hero raises to $7.90 (All-In), 1 fold, UTG calls $1.70 (All-In)

Turn: ($22.30) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($22.30) K (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $22.30 | Rake: $1.10

Results:

UTG had A, 6, J, A (two pair, Aces and Kings).

Hero mucked 10, 9, Q, J (two pair, Kings and tens).

Outcome: UTG won $21.20

I’m a 2:1 dog preflop, yet according to Hwang, my hand is playable. Jezz’s reraise tells me he has Aces, maybe a bigger rundown but my Broadway cards give me protection to see the flop, especially when there is a strong chance that hassan will call. Yet, doesn’t. Oh well. The calculator shows me as still a 2:1 dog on the flop. But what a flop! How do I get away from this?

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.10 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG+1 ($23.80)
MP1 ($22.80)
MP2 ($2.90)
Hero (CO) ($10)
Button ($1.50)
SB ($18.85)
BB ($100.65)
UTG ($12.25)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K, 6, A, 6

UTG bets $0.20, 1 fold, MP1 raises to $0.75, MP2 calls $0.75, Hero calls $0.75, 1 fold, SB calls $0.70, BB calls $0.65, UTG calls $0.55

Flop: ($4.50) 4, 10, 7 (6 players)

SB checks, BB bets $4.10, UTG calls $4.10, 1 fold, MP2 calls $2.15 (All-In), Hero calls $4.10, 1 fold

Turn: ($18.95) 5 (4 players, 1 all-in)

BB bets $15.50, UTG calls $7.40 (All-In), Hero calls $5.15 (All-In)

River: ($38.90) 10 (4 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $38.90 | Rake: $1.90

Results:

BB had 8, 6, 9, 10 (straight, eight high).

UTG mucked 8, 9, Q, 5 (two pair, tens and fives).

MP2 mucked 7, 8, 9, 4 (two pair, tens and sevens).

Hero mucked K, 6, A, 6 (two pair, tens and sixes).

Outcome: BB won $37

Well, I’m ahead preflop 2:1:1:1, and it’s a race on the flop against MP2’s flopped two pair. A player was giving me grief the other night about staying in a hand when up against so many players. When it is clear that I now only have the nut flush draw going for me, perhaps I should of gotten out. So, this one was a mistake. Yet, it is wild that the other three players were basically drawing to a similar straight. But the BB was hitting everything, so…

This next one needs no analysis:

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.10 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG+1 ($6.60)
MP1 ($4.80)
MP2 ($5.65)
Hero (MP3) ($20.55)
CO ($13.80)
Button ($12.75)
SB ($26)
BB ($6)
UTG ($2.40)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with J, Q, 10, Q

UTG calls $0.10, UTG+1 calls $0.10, MP1 calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, Hero calls $0.10, CO bets $0.30, 1 fold, SB calls $0.25, BB calls $0.20, UTG calls $0.20, UTG+1 calls $0.20, MP1 calls $0.20, MP2 calls $0.20, Hero calls $0.20

Flop: ($2.40) 4, Q, 5 (8 players)

SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 bets $2.30, 1 fold, Hero raises to $9.20, 2 folds, BB calls $5.70 (All-In), UTG calls $2.10 (All-In), 1 fold, MP1 calls $2.20 (All-In)

Turn: ($20.40) A (4 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($20.40) 6 (4 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $20.40 | Rake: $1

Results:

BB had 4, 8, 4, 8 (flush, Ace high).

UTG mucked 5, 6, 4, 7 (two pair, sixes and fives).

MP1 mucked 3, 5, Q, A (two pair, Aces and Queens).

Hero mucked J, Q, 10, Q (three of a kind, Queens).

Outcome: BB won $19.40

bastinptc said, "how you doing, mack?"
mackattacker said, "pretty good thanks and you?"
bastinptc said, "spinning my wheels, but otherwise OK."
ZorlacMC said, "spinning aint so bad"
mackattacker said, "looks like you're pretty cruisy at this table"
bastinptc said, "actually down 3 buy-ins lol"
mackattacker said, "oh oh"
mackattacker said, "sounds like me and my nlhe tournies today one min cash and the rest out the door"
bastinptc said, "17 card wraps plus nut flush draw all night and nothing"
Forrest Gump said, "dang this guy always chase me"
mackattacker said, "it's so bloody frustrating when you just can't hit the side of a barn from 3 feet"
Forrest Gump said, "how botu some respect"
Forrest Gump said, "fold once dude"
mackattacker said, "no respect but you get the cash lol"
Forrest Gump said, "neh, im down a bunch"
mackattacker said, "i'm sure there's some sort of poker god out there in Omaha somewhere saying " OK you catch the cards today but you over there aint getting nothing today""
bastinptc said, "there are poker gods. they just don't give a crap, that's all"
mackattacker said, "lol"
mackattacker said, "they live in poker sites by any chance?"
bastinptc said, "in a trailer"
bastinptc said, "they drink 3.2 beer"
bastinptc said, "and tweak"
mackattacker said, "bugger nice hand"
mackattacker said, "hey bastin can you direct me to that trailer park i need to do a little sucking up"
bastinptc said, "I've just heard tell of it"
bastinptc said, "kind of like a redneck Valhalla"
bastinptc said, "lots of over-compensators"
mackattacker said, "i could do with some compensation at the moment"
mackattacker said (after the hand immediately above), "it's those reprebates out in that trailer park"
bastinptc said, "bottom set calls and hits backdoor flush"
bastinptc said "septic must need an overhaul"

And the final straw in which the hero decides to get fancy:

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.10 BB (7 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP1 ($10.80)
Hero (MP2) ($14.05)
CO ($14.55)
Button ($13.40)
SB ($10)
BB ($16)
UTG ($5.80)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 5, Q, 7, K

2 folds, Hero calls $0.10, CO calls $0.10, 2 folds, BB checks

Flop: ($0.35) K, Q, Q (3 players)

BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks

Turn: ($0.35) 9 (3 players)

BB bets $0.30, Hero raises to $0.60, CO calls $0.60, 1 fold

River: ($1.85) A (2 players)

Hero bets $0.50, CO raises to $2, Hero calls $1.50

Total pot: $5.85 | Rake: $0.25

Results:

Hero mucked 5, Q, 7, K (full house, Queens over Kings).

CO had 10, 5, A, A (full house, Aces over Queens).

Outcome: CO won $5.60

Like he was going to fold anyway… I probably saved money on this one.

Do I have any final thoughts? Just one. Maybe I make this game tougher for myself than I should. Maybe. Every hand above is an acceptable hand to play, at least according to Hwang. Maybe the poker gods don’t live in a trailer park and resent me talking smack about them. Maybe. I’m going to run a couple of these hands by the folks on 2+2 and try to get some perspective.