Monday evening, my time

I’m reasonably happy with my play since my last post. Made close to $900 yesterday after a bad start. Early yesterday morning (I refer to all times in Australin time – 12 noon for me is 7pm the previous night Eastern Time), I get AA8J < A3KQ when he spikes two pair to scoop my hand. It was NLO8 400, and he raised pot size to $18 on the button, and I shoved over him for $400 in the blinds, and he called me. I was a 55-45 favourite. That was the cause for the rant a few posts above. The last three times I've had AAxx pre flop all in I've lost. But still, I'm making $50 in the long run every time I do it, so I guess I just have to keep doing it and eventually the variance will catch up.

During April and May, my AAxx was holding up more than they should have (I even had hands where I scooped other AAxx hands)... I don't believe in the Sklansky bux tracking, but if I was bothered to track my all-in variance since the start of the operation, it would be quite close to neutral.

Anyway, that puts me in a hole for -500 early in the day. I claw my way back in the afternoon and evening for about 300 with some good play, excellent value betting and good bluffs. Particularly satisfying was this hand:

(HAND 1)

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $551.70
UTG+1: $164.50
MP1: $662.90
MP2: $160.30
CO: $421.30
Button: $414.40
HERO: $368.50
BB: $194.20

Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is SB with 2 4 K Q
2 folds, MP1 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, HERO calls, BB checks.

Pre flop I have a king suited and a 2-4 for low, and I’m looking at 8-1 direct pot odds, so why not put in $2?

Flop: 8 4 4 ($16, 4 players)
HERO checks, BB checks, MP1 bets $16, Button folds, HERO calls, BB folds.

Low draw on board, no flush draw and a paired 4 which gives me trips. MP1 has been very aggressive and pumping out pot size bets with regularity, and not really showing the nuts. Sometimes he folded when played back at.

Turn: 9 ($48, 2 players)
HERO checks, MP1 bets $48, HERO raises to $192, MP1 calls.

On the turn, I go for the check raise. I have him firmly pegged on A2. Sure, he might has A24, but I think it’s much more likely he has A2 than a 4, and I went with my read. When he calls instead of raising, I’m pretty confident I have the best hand. So I stick it in on the river. If he has a full house or a straight he’s going to bet if I check to him. So why give him the option? Just go all in and get value if he wants to put *me* on a busted low draw.

River: J ($432, 2 players)
HERO is all-in $156.5, MP1 calls.

Results:
Final pot: $745

Last night, I pull off another good session and make slightly more than $1000. Which is really good considering the setback in the morning. Here's the key hand of the day, and I think I played it pretty well:

(HAND 2)

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
HERO: $581.80
UTG+1: $493.40
CO: $887.55
Button: $322
SB: $58.10
BB: $462.50

Pre-flop: (6 players) HERO is UTG with A 2 9 J
HERO raises to $8, 2 folds, Button raises to $12, SB calls, BB calls, HERO calls.

Excellent hand for a 6-max game, double suited A2, and the J9 side cards are weak but not completely worthless. But no point re-reraising pre flop.

Flop: K 6 8 ($48, 4 players)
SB checks, BB bets $48, HERO calls, Button calls, SB folds.

A big flop, with nut flush draw and nut low draw, but no actual high strength yet and no counterfeit protection I decide not to go ape-shit for both offensive and defensive reasons. Offensively, my hand prefers multi-way action. This is not a hand that demands a promotional raise (we’ll look at one of those later). If I had A35K with the king suited, I would certainly raise the pot. But with this hand I’m either going to have nut low, nut flush, both, or nothing… so I don’t want to blast out the potential customers behin. Defensively, the stacks are big enough that 48 dollars is not going to commit me, and I can get away from the hand on an unfavourable turn like an 8; if he bets pot into me again, my hand is suddenly not very good, and I can comfortably fold. If I raise now, I’m committed to calling.

Turn: J ($192, 3 players)
BB checks, HERO bets $150, Button raises all-in $262, BB calls, HERO calls.

This gives me a pair of jacks, which is possibly good. BB now checks, so he could well have an A2. My draws are still very live, and I possibly have the best hand and certainly the best draw, so I have to bet. I think ¾ pot is a nice bet size.

Button goes all in, and I have no choice but to call (I can’t raise).

River: T ($978, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $978)
BB checks, HERO checks.

Whiffed the river. I don’t see a point betting.

Results:
Final pot: $978

My pair of jacks scoops! BB has an A23 with no pair, and button has a low wrap straight with 2457 drawing extremely thin (his only scooping out are the three non spade nines – the other cards give me flush or low or both).

My willingness to bet the turn made me a lot of money.

Here’s another hand I like. I don’t think it needs much commentary; a classic Omaha move, and not limited to 08: reraising with an excellent hand that’s not aces to represent AAxx, and totally confusing your opponents who will either call you on an A45 flop with a six low thinking you have just AAA or folding to your one pair no kicker when an ace flops.

(HAND 3)

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $744.75
UTG+1: $318.35
MP1: $656.60
MP2: $144.20
CO: $134.15
Button: $136
SB: $651.35
HERO: $392

Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is BB with T 2 3 A
UTG raises to $8, 2 folds, MP2 calls, 2 folds, HERO raises to $33, UTG calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: 9 A K ($101, 4 players)
HERO bets $60.
Uncalled bets: $60 returned to HERO.

Now here’s two hands where I think I may have missed value on the river… especially the one with the set, now think was worth betting:

(HAND 4)

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $192.40
UTG+1: $497.65
MP1: $207.50
MP2: $154.16
CO: $226.66
Button: $79.16
SB: $84.55
HERO: $196.14

Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is BB with 6 6 K 4
2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, SB calls, HERO checks.

Flop: K 9 6 ($8, 4 players)
SB checks, HERO bets $5, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, SB folds.

Turn: 2 ($18, 2 players)
HERO bets $12, MP2 calls.

River: T ($42, 2 players)
HERO checks, MP2 checks.

Results:
Final pot: $42

(HAND 5)

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $360.56
UTG+1: $189.76
MP1: $100
HERO: $616.56
CO: $296.74
Button: $269.67
SB: $478.17
BB: $71

Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is MP2 with 8 A 3 A
2 folds, MP1 (poster) checks, HERO raises to $6, CO folds, Button calls, 3 folds.

Flop: 2 5 Q ($17, 2 players)
HERO bets $11, Button calls.

Turn: T ($39, 2 players)
HERO bets $25, Button calls.

River: 2 ($89, 2 players)
HERO checks, Button checks.

Results:
Final pot: $89

What do you think about these rivers?

I’ve just been talking to a couple of my good friends for a sum total of about 2 hours now, and it’s now time for me to hit the poker tables once more. So I’ll update today’s results at the end of this session.