Operation: The Action Game

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

sorry, very busy ATM

I am now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Having a great time. Met another really charming local chinese malay who let me stay the night (i botched up my hotel booking and arrived in KL @ 3:30AM with no accomodation until noon the next day) and showed me around in the morning.

Pics will come when I get to a place that lets me upload from my memory card.

More later. I'm starting to get poker withdrawal symptoms. I'm really looking forward to playing some poker again!

Been a while since my last journal entry. I have so much to write about, and so little time to write. I’m not going to have dinner for an hour, and there’s not much poker action happening right now, so I can spare a little time. Poker is always on the forefront of my mind nowadays. It’s my number one hobby, and also my main source of income. This month, I have been relatively unsuccessful. But I’ve been afflicted with more than my share of bad luck. Let’s take the last 24 hours. I’ve been involved in three big pots, where I had 60%, 53% and 72.5% of the pot equity when we went all in. They were basically the only big pots where we went all in before showdown and my opponents were drawng to any more than 2 outs. My expected value from those three pots was $1165, and my actual result was, you guessed it: a round $0.

If I had a normal variance run, I’d be up $335 rather than down $830. But the realization that I’m running pretty bad this month, but I’ve still managed to grind a profit of about $2.5k gives me great satisfaction. I mean, I was running very hot during April and May, so some negative variance is to be expected. I just happen to be good enough that I can beat the game while running bad (and crush the game when running good). I was on holiday for all of July, but my combined result for June and August is +$9071, not including a few hundred dollars of bonuses and rakeback. If I can make another $3k in the next two weeks, I will achieve my goal of a monthly profit of $6000.

I’m aiming to post a hand in every update, and here’s today’s installment, the game is High Only:

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
7 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $1188.20
UTG+1: $428.90
MP1: $96
CO: $517
HERO: $448.70
SB: $492.90
BB: $552.74

Pre-flop: (7 players) HERO is Button with
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, HERO raises to $22, SB calls, BB folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: ($92, 4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, HERO checks.

Turn: ($92, 4 players)
SB bets $89, 2 folds, HERO raises to $356, SB folds.
Uncalled bets: $267 returned to HERO.

Results:
Final pot: $270


On the button with a medium strength AAxx hand, I go for a maximum raise because I’m likely to get called, and I’m happy to play the pot multi-way or heads up. They all check to me on the flop, and I don’t see a reason to bet and get frozen out by a raise that puts me in a reverse-implied-odds situation. My hand is defensive, so checking is optimal.

Here, SB leads out on the turn, and there’s two folds. SB has seen everybody check on the flop, so he doesn’t need the nuts to bet. Against a set, I would have 9 outs (.225 equity). Against most combinations of 2 pairs, I have 15 outs (0.375) and most straight draws would have 9 outs against me (0.775); and a flush draw with a pair has 10 outs (0.75); I think it’s fairly unlikely that he has a set here, and I’m not drawing dead if he does. The other players having folded and never drawing dead, I decide to put him to the test for all the chips.

I’ve been playing a mixture of PLO and PLO8 lately. I’ve broken even (excluding rakeback) at FTP over 3600 hands of PLO8, made $1,100 on Bodog from PLO8 in about 1000 hands, $1,100 in PLO on Party over 1500 hands, and $500 on in Party PLO8 games over 900 hands. I’ve stopped playing on FTP again. Besides one nice upswing, I’ve basically been breaking even. I have 13,700 lifetime hands for $2,350 profit (3BB/100). Rakeback and bonuses brings me up to about $4,000 – so it’s clearly not disastrous; just not the most efficient use of my time. Strangely, I seem to do very well when I’m clearing a bonus, and perform poorly when I don’t. Oh, I wish I had taken advantage and stocked up my bonus account when FTP was offering fortnightly reload bonuses of $500+. But I didn’t have the bankroll to do it at that time (I was busily turning over my bankroll to exploit the now also extinct bottomless bonus at Bodog). I think it’s a combination of a slightly worse player base because of the bonus chasers, and the psychological assurance of clearing bonus money which meant I put less pressure on myself and more patiently. So my new strategy for FTP is to play whenever I’m offered a bonus.

I can hardly believe it, but the Australian dollar has basically taken a nosedive and is trading now for only 0.775 USD. I’m pretty upset because I was withdrawing money out of my account when the currency was 6 or 7 points higher. At least I’ll get more when I withdraw now. If I can keep winning money, then it should all average out in the long run. I was actually quite fortunate in the sense that I got an extra 10% on my money when I went overseas, and it’s only gone down when I’m back in Australia, and not going to be travelling for the next few months. Fingers crossed my currency will appreciate again soon and I will be able to take advantage the next time I travel.

There’s so much to write about (like my travels, and some poker insights that I’ve wanted to pen for ages, and those photos that I promised), but it will have to wait until next time.

Sunday morning, Australia time. I just had an excellent night session tonight. But even more imporant than this, I’ve found something that improves my game significantly. It’s a small sample yet, but I seem to play so much better and so much more disciplined when I’m recording myself. Most of the videos I make will never see the light of day. For one thing, the quality isn’t particularly good – in particular I’m having an issue that the sound is lagging behind the picture. Secondly, to post the videos would be to give away too many trade secrets; this sounds slightly arrogant (but I think it’s true) – the videos are just too good for public consumption. At least the PLO8 material; I consider myself proficient at PLO, but extremely strong in PLO8. I got bored and went back to FTP, and proved to myself once more that I can beat the games at FTP.

Summary of today’s results: +$225 at Party, +$595 at bodog, +$1217 at FTP for a grand total of $2037, not including about $60 of bonuses and rakeback that I’ll have picked up. All the profit from PLO8 today, (a small loss on PLO high). It’s the first time in a while I’ve made 2k in a single day, and it feels good. It had been brewing for a while: I’d been playing really great but unrewarded due to bad variance. But today my good hands mostly held up (but still my 2 biggest losses were hands where I had 55-45 equity and got quartered and scooped)… and I pretty much never put my money into the pot (and got called) when a significant dog.


I’m a bit too tired to write much more, so lets let the hands speak for themselves. This first hand is the essence of PLO8: it’s basically the perfect illustration of what you’re trying to do in PLO8.

HAND 1:

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

Stack sizes:
UTG: $95
UTG+1: $262.30
CO: $129.40
Button: $653.40
SB: $362.10
HERO: $400

Pre-flop: (6 players) HERO is BB with 8 3 A 3
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $14, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds, HERO calls.

I've got A3 suited, the pair of threes, and a not worthless 8 (the 8 is useful because if I pair it, it also puts a low on the board).

Flop: K 2 8 ($44, 3 players)
HERO bets $25, UTG+1 calls, Button folds.

I make a strong hand. A pair, nut flush draw, and nut low draw. I'm willing to play for stacks. But I don't like to check raise; why not bet out your strong hands and let them call? Which he does.

Turn: 8 ($94, 2 players)
HERO bets $50, UTG+1 raises all-in $223.3, HERO calls.

Now I spike the 8 on the turn. I make about a half pot bet, and he wants to put all the chips in, and I gladly comply. He turns over A34K, which gives him 4 outs to split the pot, 1 out to scoop, and any of the low cards for one quarter. So he's practically drawing dead; he almost never wins, and if he gets lucky he gets a quarter. He doesn't get lucky.

River: 9 ($540.6, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $540.6)

Results:
Final pot: $540.6

HAND 2:

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

Stack sizes:
UTG: $492.60
UTG+1: $274.90
MP1: $396
MP2: $125.80
MP3: $111.25
CO: $363.90
Button: $829.25
HERO: $415.70
BB: $486.50

Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is SB with Q Q A 2
4 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button calls, HERO raises to $12, BB calls, MP3 calls, Button calls.

A premium hand. Pair of Qs and a suited Q to go with my A2. There's just so many ways to hit a flop. Notice I don't try to blast everyone out of the pot with a maximum raise. I raise 3x pot and let them in.

Flop: A 9 Q ($48, 4 players)
HERO bets $30, 2 folds, Button raises to $100, HERO calls.

One of the ways to hit is QQQ. Note the board is rainbow, and there's only one low on the board. So I make a 60% pot bet, which is usual for me. I get raised, which could be AAA, but I don't think it is, because AAxx would likely raise pre flop, and certainly reraise me when I reopen the betting. But there's no point reraising now. My hand doesn't need protecting; no flush, not too connected, and no low. If I reraise, AAxx calls and pretty much nothing else. So I call.

Turn: 4 ($248, 2 players)
HERO checks, Button bets $200, HERO raises all-in $303.7, Button calls.

I check to him now, and he bets. If he limp-called AA, then that's just too bad. I lose my stack. The point of the game is not to never lose your stack, but to get their stack more often than they get yours. And here, I think I'm good most of the time.

River: 3 ($855.4, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $855.4)

He had a ridiculous 3d Ts Ah Kc and was drawing to 4 outs.

HAND 3:

Results:
Final pot: $855.4

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

Stack sizes:
UTG: $136
UTG+1: $139.10
MP1: $186.95
MP2: $521.50
CO: $996.05
Button: $874.40
HERO: $394.70
BB: $506.65

Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is SB with 4 9 2 A
4 folds, CO raises to $14, Button folds, HERO calls, BB calls.

Very close to premium holding. CO has done the pot building for me, so I just call and see a flop.

Flop: 5 6 9 ($42, 3 players)
HERO bets $25, BB folds, CO calls.

That's a super flop. I have nut low draw, nut flush draw, TPTK, and gutshot straight to non nut straight. The only hand I'm afraid of is A278, but that's a 4 card combination, and you can't live in fear of 4 card combinations. Even then, I have about 40% equity.

Turn: 4 ($92, 2 players)
HERO bets $75, CO raises to $317, HERO raises all-in $355.7, CO calls.

Now I have 2 pair and made low and the NFD is still very live. I continue to bet. He puts it all in, and that's great!

River: A ($803.4, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $803.4)

Villain has 2s 4d 5s Ad, which gave him negligible scooping outs, some splitting opportunities, but basically drawing dead for 1/4. His equity was 29%, and he got 25% of the pot. If I had his hand, I would have flat called the turn and just called the river. His hand is very different to mine, because although both our hands are losing to just A23 once the 4 appears, I have the nut flush to go with my 2 pair, and my 2 pair is also much stronger that his bottom 2 pair. If he had my hand, the turn raise would have been justified. With his own hand, he had to play defensively.

Results:
Final pot: $803.4

nice work salsa, would love to see the vids obv lol

im really enjoying PLO at the moment

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

In hand 2 is villain playing back at you because of your general aggression, or is he just bad?

*rant*

I'm so annoyed!

The last three times I've had AA all in pre flop they've been $800 pots and I had 0.52, 0.55 and 0.60 equity, and not a single cent came back.

So lets write off $1350 to variance. fucking hell.

I'm playing the best I've ever played, and I'd be up a whole lot more this month if I ran only slightly bad. GRRRRR

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Originally Posted by bigspenda73

Awesome, pics of locals plz.

In hand 2 is villain playing back at you because of your general aggression, or is he just bad?

I play a very aggressive smallball style that I've finely developed nowadays. In my videos I actually say stuff like "well, he keeps folding to me, so I'll keep betting at him until he raises me back", and "oops, pot size check raise... oh well there goes my $10. Still it's good for my image, if next time I'm sititng on a monster and he remembers I bet after I raised pre flop and he raised me and I laid it down, my $10 could win me $400 soon", and "cool, I've just taken down two pots... I can bet 2/3s pot three times and get caught three times in a row now... I consider myself free rolling".

Of course, there's a big difference between doing it well and doing it poorly. If you have a hand that's got quite a bit of value but just can't stand a raise, then especially if you're in position take the free card. if you're first to act, then bet bet bet because if you don't bet, they might. Bet your good hands too. The reason why smallish bets work so well in 08 is that most of the hands where you've actually made something are so damn strong they don't need protecting, and for other hands, the small bet size is good for offensive as well as defensive reasons. Take another look at hands 1 and 3 and notice how I'm also making bets the same 1/2 to 2/3s of the pot, and I don't muck around slowplaying and check raising, I just keep jabbing at them.

In this case, I'd been pushing and pushing and pushing into this guy, and once he min raiseed me on the flop and I called him very thinly (I was partially motivated by the fact I didn't want to be seen folding to minraise: image is everything in PLO8), and he pot bet on the turn and I pretty much insta-folded. So perhaps he was thinking about that... but we'll of course never know what made him choose this spot to make a play. Perhaps he put me on A2, or maybe he had a bad beat on another table... the best you can do is make little plays (like minraises pre flop are also a good cheap way of antagonizing opponents) and jabs and pokes and the cumulative effect might just make them implode the time you've actually got a hand.

sorry about the lack of pics too... I'm too preoccupied with poker.

Originally Posted by Da GOAT

nice work salsa, would love to see the vids obv lol

im really enjoying PLO at the moment

thanks for the support! I'm glad you're having a good time playing PLO... even if it doesn't become your main game it's still a welcome break from NL when it just becomes too much of a grind

Thanks again for a great reply salsa.

I'll forgive you for the lack of pictures

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.

Caveat, I haven't played O8 yet...

Hand 4 - I easily bet this river at micro stakes. Any 2 pair, and probably AKxx is calling. They're too chicken shit to bet and I don't want them seeing my hand if I can help it (i.e. they fold crap is fine with me).

If villain has shown any tendency to bet into weakness I would check/call. Is this too holdem?

Hand 5 - This seems thinner but ok. I would expect to get raised here (and fold), where in hand 4 I would expect a fold.

Originally Posted by swiggidy

Caveat, I haven't played O8 yet...

Hand 4 - I easily bet this river at micro stakes. Any 2 pair, and probably AKxx is calling. They're too chicken shit to bet and I don't want them seeing my hand if I can help it (i.e. they fold crap is fine with me).

If villain has shown any tendency to bet into weakness I would check/call. Is this too holdem?

Hand 5 - This seems thinner but ok. I would expect to get raised here (and fold), where in hand 4 I would expect a fold.

Making the adjustment today:

(Villain works at an Indian call centre)

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

Stack sizes:
UTG: $157.47
UTG+1: $200.85
MP1: $213.55
MP2: $131.54
HERO: $205.50
CO: $138.30
Button: $486.07
SB: $300.14
BB: $200

Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is MP3 with Q A A 3
2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, HERO raises to $7, CO folds, Button calls, 2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: K T 5 ($31, 4 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 checks, HERO bets $21, Button folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds.

Turn: 6 ($73, 2 players)
MP1 checks, HERO bets $70, MP1 calls.

2nd nut low draw and AA and gutshot straight justifies a large bet against a calling station.

River: T ($213, 2 players)
MP1 checks, HERO bets $50, MP1 calls.

Villain has $101 in his stack. So I give him the opportunity to raise. I will of course call if he raises.

Results:
Final pot: $313
HERO shows Qd Ah Ac 3s
MP1 doesn't show 9c Ks Qc Qh

This seems like a much easier check-behind to me. If he's donk calling top 2 he just filled up, where in the previous hand 5 it would have been counterfeited.

Maybe being concerned with villain calling down light at these stakes isn't an issue?

I the hand 5 with the board pairing the two, I thought my opponent would show me trip 2s. I think the prospect of the trip 2s is so threatening that it's hard to get the opponent to call with a worse hand there. Because we know that people like playing hands like A2xx and 23xx and shitter players will even play stuff like 24xx and 2568

(HAND 5)

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game

Is this not Omaha High?

Originally Posted by swiggidy

(HAND 5)

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game

Is this not Omaha High?

arrgh geez thanks for point that out! The hand converter sux! All the hands are for hi-lo!

This hand shows the power of playing a hyper-LaGG "I wanna play for stacks every fucking hand" approach to PLO high. And also why I don't like PLO any more. It's very, very difficult to punish this type of player in PLO, but easier in PLO8

In this hand, I think my only mistake was not to quit immediately and not even let the blinds come around once I realized I had the worst seat on the table

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
10 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $143
UTG+1: $722.78
UTG+2: $384
HERO: $366
MP2: $1222.25
MP3: $511.10
CO: $78
Button: $320.90
SB: $741
BB: $91.50

Pre-flop: (10 players) HERO is MP1 with Q Q K T
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, HERO calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: Q 5 9 ($24, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+2 bets $16, HERO calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, BB calls.

Turn: 4 ($88, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, MP2 bets $85, BB folds, UTG+2 calls, HERO calls.

River: 2 ($343, 3 players)
UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, MP2 bets $340, UTG+2 folds, HERO calls all-in $261.
Uncalled bets: $79 returned to MP2.

Results:
Final pot: $865

This hand shows the power of playing a hyper-LaGG "I wanna play for stacks every fucking hand" approach to PLO high. And also why I don't like PLO any more. It's very, very difficult to punish this type of player in PLO, but easier in PLO8

In this hand, I think my only mistake was not to quit immediately and not even let the blinds come around once I realized I had the worst seat on the table.

It goes without saying that villain is FOS half the time here

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
10 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $143
UTG+1: $722.78
UTG+2: $384
HERO: $366
MP2: $1222.25
MP3: $511.10
CO: $78
Button: $320.90
SB: $741
BB: $91.50

Pre-flop: (10 players) HERO is MP1 with Q Q K T
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, HERO calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: Q 5 9 ($24, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+2 bets $16, HERO calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, BB calls.

Turn: 4 ($88, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, MP2 bets $85, BB folds, UTG+2 calls, HERO calls.

River: 2 ($343, 3 players)
UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, MP2 bets $340, UTG+2 folds, HERO calls all-in $261.
Uncalled bets: $79 returned to MP2.

Results:
Final pot: $865

Here's an example of the lethal combination of hyper aggression and actually catching a card working in my favour this time.

I'd been picking on him all night on two tables, and he quit immediately after this hand.

since march he's lost $2700 over 440 hands I've tracked with him. A significant portion to me.


Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $721.80
HERO: $441
Button: $401.50
SB: $592.65
BB: $189.30

Pre-flop: (5 players) HERO is CO with 9 A 5 9
UTG folds, HERO raises to $14, Button calls, 2 folds.

Flop: 9 T Q ($34, 2 players)
HERO bets $22, Button raises to $44, HERO raises to $164.3, Button calls.

Turn: Q ($362.6, 2 players)
HERO raises all-in $262.7, Button calls all-in $223.2.
Uncalled bets: $39.5 returned to HERO.

River: 8 ($809, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $809)


Results:
Final pot: $809
HERO shows 9h Ah 5c 9d
Button doesn't show Kc Qc As Ks

(Two journal entries in this post. I wrote a blog entry a few days ago, but never got around to posting it)

August 21, 2007

Breathe the air. Doesn’t it feel good to be alive? And young, and intelligent, and with a bankroll that can easiily support the biggest PLO8 on the internet (which is 2000PLO)? If only they were actually people who played in the game. I move freely, I speak freely, I can go on holidays to wherever I want, whenever I want. I get most girls I aim for. I can dance as much as I like with young and pretty and cute girls. I make a lot of money doing something I enjoy. One should never take anything for granted. If you get sucked out, just remember how fortunate you are to even have a computer to play online poker with in the first place. Because less than 10% of the world has a home computer with internet access.

My dance partner, who is mad into dancing, has a deteriorating hip condition that will see her not be able to dance without pain… probably ever. She’ll probably need a hip replacement before age forty. She’s into running and cycling and bike riding as well, but that ain’t going to happen. And she’s not naturally slight in build like me, so I fear that if she can’t keep her exercise regime up, then the combination of forced inactivity and depression over her condition will lead to catastrophic results. Some people just get no luck. So as you read this, please spare a thought for poor M.

I’ve been so preoccupied with poker that I’m losing sight of the bigger picture. Poker as my main source of income is supposed to give me freedom, not make me a captive prisoner to my laptop screen! So I need to give myself more time and more space to go out and just have some fun... I’m going to devote a couple of hours a day, at least, to doing fun things and spending time with the people I love and care about, and working on thing that really matter, like my health and my physique and my dancing. After all if it’s not fun, what’s the point?

In any case, today was a disappointing day in terms of poker. I’ve been wishing for a better run of variance, and today I finally get it… I win share of flips and all-ins, and I end the day up only a little more than a hundred. I made two really bad plays that cost me $400. A river call I shouldn’t have made, and a crappy shove with 6 low and 2 pair when the board was 3 to a wheel and I just didn’t believe him. I have discovered another leak. My last major leak discovery has caused my latest upsurge in results, so I’m hoping this one can do the same. I’ve realized that I lose *so* much money when I get my low or low draw counterfeit on the turn. I’ve lost three huge pots this way *at least*. On the river it seems to be okay; I get counterfeit but still seem to scoop or split a lot of pots, but when I get counterfeit on the turn, I think the reverse implied odds are killing me. So I’m going to make a big point to myself out of letting my hand go if I get counterfeit on the turn.

My relatively lacklustre performance on the poker tables was compensated by an excellent run on the Australian Sharemarket today. I regained most of the ground I lost last week with interest.

M’s misfortunes means I have no dance training tomorrow. I want to wake up before 10AM for the opening of the Australian sharemarkets, and then I intend to play poker until about 12PM (and a little longer if I’m particularly successful) and then go into university, see my friends and attend some classes. If the weather is good, I’ll go to the park before heading home. I’ve decided I’m going to go out with my parents to dinner tomorrow night. It will be nice to spend some quality time with them, and I’ll get to have a nice meal, and the last two times I’ve gone out for dinner and had a few drinks I’ve actually had really successful poker sessions, so I’ll see if the trend continues.


August 23, 2007

I’ve been playing very solid. Been making a little each day; I’d say about $900 over the last three days. Still losing the occasional stack by getting it in with the worst hand, but it doesn’t happen very often. I guess it’s the price you pay when you try to play as aggressive as I play. Whenever I suffer a setback, I just remind myself the goal is not to never lose my stack; but to capture their stack (or half their stack) more often than they can get mine (or half of mine).

This morning, I played really well, and I doubled up off a 55-45 flop all in. I’m finally beginning to win some of these after losing a whole series of flips as a small but clear favourite. Then I had the following hand:

HAND 1:

The key to this hand is to play it fast; putting all the chips in the pot basically at once gives villain the least information about my hand, and the least opportunity to get away. He clearly likes his hand on the flop, so why muck around and give him a chance to slip away? The other thing this hand shows is the power of having other low card to go with an A2 combination. It doesn’t really matter what the cards are. Obviously A234 is the best non-AA hand (and it’s actually better than most AA3 hands) but any 2 sidecards below 8 make for an extremely strong and playable hand. The strength of the hand is that if you make any straight or pair or two pair or trips with your sidecards, that card also doubles up as a low card. You can’t pair a King and have made low on the flop, but you can pair an 8 for TPTK and have nut low made too.

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $400
UTG+1: $376
HERO: $404.70
MP2: $10.47
MP3: $172.55
CO: $400
Button: $403.40
SB: $407.76
BB: $344.90

Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is MP1 with 2 5 7 A
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $18, HERO calls, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB calls, BB folds.

I actually folded A29Q unsuited to a raise not very long before this hand. Here with the A-suited to go with the two useful sidecards, I was intending to raise, but UTG+1 cooperatively built the pot for me.

Flop: 8 9 6 ($76, 4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 bets $77, HERO raises to $308, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls all-in $281, HERO calls.

Bingo. Stack please.

Turn: Q ($792, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $792)


River: 9 ($792, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $792)


Results:
Final pot: $792
HERO shows 2h 5s 7d As
UTG+1 doesn't show 3c Ah Ad Js

HAND 2:

I have a little less than a double stack thanks to the previous hand. UTG+1 was a pretty hopelss player.

Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
10 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $123.70
UTG+1: $227.87
UTG+2: $396
MP1: $358.80
MP2: $343
MP3: $770.08
CO: $369.35
Button: $254.11
SB: $537.95
HERO: $755.93

Pre-flop: (10 players) HERO is BB with 5 A J 4
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, 3 folds, MP3 raises to $12, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, HERO calls, UTG+1 calls.

My requirement for A4 is it must come with either one of these:
JJ, QQ, KK, 56

Or two of these:
Suited Ace, Suited King, 5, low pair

Here my A4 has a 5 and a suited Ace, so I’m willing to call a 3BB raise, especially when I already have $4 in the middle.

Flop: J 8 J ($62, 5 players)
HERO checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.

A rare slowplay for me. Here I had two main reasons for slowplaying. Firstly, if MP3 bets, especially if he bets pot size, then I make an extra $60 when he probably wouldn’t have called. If he shows me A288 or A28J then that’s just a cooler, but having raised it pre flop I don’t think he could have a better hand than me. The worst plausible hand I could see is something like A25J, which gives him a freerolling backdoor low draw. Secondly, if I bet, then there’s nothing anybody can really have. It will be better to let a card fall, and then they might have something to call with (that they shouldn’t), like a low draw or a straight draw or a flush draw.

Turn: 5 ($62, 5 players)
HERO bets $60, UTG+1 calls, 3 folds.

A beautiful card. Makes me a full house, and puts a low on the board. My A4 is not worthless for low. Betting out now is also great for deception; it looks very much like I have a low draw and I’m trying to steal the pot. If I was in late position, the deception value would be even greater. So I might as well bet it out and see if low draws will come along for the ride.

River: 6 ($182, 2 players)
HERO bets $150, UTG+1 raises all-in $151.87, HERO calls.

Here villain tanked and finally called. His all-in for an extra $2 is obviously meaningless. I’m not sure whether I would have called as villain; it’s hard for him to fold because I *could* have low only, and I *might* have a jack only. But he’s practically calling for half the pot. I guess I would never have touched this hand in UTG+1, so neither should you.

Results:
Final pot: $485.74
HERO shows 5h Ad Jd 4d
UTG+1 doesn't show 9d 7c Jc Qd

As I’ve resolved, I’m taking more time out for myself and ceasing to play poker once I feel tired or sick of playing. So I went out during the afternoon to eat some yummy Japanese food and buy some live seafood for dinner and went home and had a nap before dinner because I was just tired. Dinner with my family was great; nice to spend some quality time with my parents. I really do feel very lucky that I can actually be friends with my parents and we can share such happy times together. Not a lot of people I know have this luxury. Especially from in our Asian culture, a lot of people can’t let go of the whole Confucian idea of respecting your elders. For me, I respect my parents because although nobody is perfect, their actions over the last 20 years (I can’t remember my first two) have gained my full respect. I couldn’t give a shit that they’re my parents, and if my dad was a drunken criminal alcoholic (which he isn’t), I’d be the first to see to it he was locked up in jail. I don’t think there’s been a single non-religious philosopher who has adversely affected the lives of so many people (Marx, perhaps? And I don’t consider Hitler a ‘philosopher’) as our so-called “hero” Confucius. Anyway, the point is I love my family, not because they’re my family, but because of who they are.

During my night session, I had the early setback calling down with the set of queens against the made flush, but I managed to make back my money plus a little interest when villain called my selective aggression caused villain to call my full house with just an overpair. I’ve noticed that I’m running at +$170/100 hands over 1300+ hands when I filter my 08 stats this month to shorthanded games (6 players or less). My fuller understanding of the game shows a lot clearer when shorthanded, and most players make the totally wrong adjustments. Perhaps I’ll write more on shorthanded PLO8 when I have time. But for now, I’m going to stick with tables for longer when they’re beginning to break up, and actively seek out the 6-max tables on FTP.

Great news! My Omaha winnings on my three main sites (Party, FTP and Bodog) since the inception of this thread has now reached $28,340. Over 20k of it made on Party. I’ve made a little on Stars, but not significant.

My most conservative estimate of bonuses and rakeback earned is *at least* $1700 (it’s more than that but I can’t be bothered to work it all out), which means that my total profit since April 01 has passed 30k. I’ve been playing for 3 months and 23 days, having spent all of July overseas. Now I just have to keep up the good work, and I anticipate my results are likely to get even better in the future because my game has improved out of sight in these few months, and I have less study, therefore more time set out for poker.

sweet

ARRGH!

I'm so disspointed with myself. I just played the single worst hand I've done for like 3 months.

I have AA57 with one ace suited and minraise from UTG. Flop is like AQ8 and I pretty much auto check I don't even realize I have the nuts. On the turn it comes an 9 and someone bets and I look at my hand and realize I have AAA, so I raise the max, get reraised back and I call, still thinking I have the nuts and I have him drawing dead to half the pot.

That is until he shows me JT for the nut straight. Ever just totally lost concentration like that?

Damn that obliterates what would have been a marginal winning session and now I break even. GRRR

Congrats salsa. I wonder how many players here can claim such an accomplishment (at any kind of poker). First thing I thought of...
http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...oker-28841.htm

I've been playing bad and running worse. An insane series of coolers and just weird shit happening to me.

I've temporarily stopped the bleeding; I've gone down 2k then up 1.5k and down another 1k and back up .6k so I'm probably down somewhere in the vicinity of $700 for the last 3 days. I've certainly had worse runs, but I feel like I'm a bit tilt prone. I'm not sure what's done this to me... I've had bigger upswings and bigger downswings. I feel like I'm oscillating from being too weak tight to being too reckless. A cold run of cards doesn't help, but if I want to become a pro I need to find a way through it. Just like I've found a way through all the other ups and downs I've gone through.

I don't really know whether this is normal. I mean, come on! I'm down 0.7k in 3 days, and I'm up 6k for the month and 30k for the 3.75 months of this shit... WHAT CAN I COMPLAIN ABOUT!?!? FUCKING HELL... I think I'm developing an obsession with poker. I only feel happy when I'm winning, and I'm spending my days aimlessly when I don't. I have an unhealthy habit of playing video games after a losing session to console myself. I need to get away from that fucking computer! Do exercise! Dance! Go for a run! Ride the bike! GRRRR... I've resolved again and again and again to find some balance in my life and now let the ups and downs of poker get to me.

It's completely irrational. I've made $30k in 15 weeks, and in that time I've had a few downswings of 3k+, which isn't even that much considering my buyin. My bankroll is huge for the stakes I play... so I speculate the only reason I go through this shit is:

1. I feel guilty about playing so much poker and being so obsessed and doing little else, and I need to be constantly winning to feel like I can justify spending all this time

2. I'm excessively demanding on myself. I get upset when I make a bad play, make a bad call, get the money in with the worst of it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Not in all things, but certainly in the things I care about.

3. I am full of myself. Most people dont even realize they are, but I am so full of myself I can even see it. I have IQ of 148. I was dux of my school. I study law and teach economics at the top uni in Australia. I win the dance competitions. I get the girls. My wealth is moderate, but at least 3 std dev. above the average for my age. I think I am just so convinced that I'm so damn good I feel entitled to win. I mean these inferior fish with mediocre intellect and dedication and intelligence should lose to me EVERY FUCKING TIME! On an intellectual level I know this is not how the game works, and they DO lose to me, and that if they lost every time they wouldn't play I couldn't make money. But I hardly ever lose in life, and for me it's a tough pill to swallow.

Anyway, I'm asking for whatever advice or suggestions or just share your own struggles with your inner self.

Donate some winnings to charity?

Originally Posted by salsa4ever

3. I am full of myself. Most people dont even realize they are, but I am so full of myself I can even see it. I have IQ of 148. I was dux of my school. I study law and teach economics at the top uni in Australia. I win the dance competitions. I get the girls. My wealth is moderate, but at least 3 std dev. above the average for my age. I think I am just so convinced that I'm so damn good I feel entitled to win. I mean these inferior fish with mediocre intellect and dedication and intelligence should lose to me EVERY FUCKING TIME! On an intellectual level I know this is not how the game works, and they DO lose to me, and that if they lost every time they wouldn't play I couldn't make money. But I hardly ever lose in life, and for me it's a tough pill to swallow.

Did you see my last post?

to my loyal fans: thanks for the support over the last few months.

I'm now calling this operation to an end.

I'll be taking at least a few days off. Relax, nobody has died, and I haven't donked off my BR. Only down $900 for the last 5 days or so which is really nothing.

My August result is +$5,000 and my result since the beginning of the operation is about 80,000 hands over 4 months for $30,000 profit including all bonuses and rakeback.

It's just becoming a grind and I'm feeling burnt out. So I'll stop playing any poker for as long as it takes to get the feeling of wanting to play and making it fun again. I will set new goals and do a new operation when that time comes. I'll still answer questions addressed to me in this thread and if I see them, elsewhere in the blog.

Until next time, thanks for reading and posting and good luck!

P.S. I'm now concentrating my energies on a three-pronged attack on the fianancial markets, increasing my fitness, and actually doing some study (I have some assessments to do by mid September). Especially in re the first, I'm so excited again. Sigh, looks like I just don't like to do one thing for too long a time. Oh well, that's just the way I am I guess

Wow, that's fast. Honestly I'm disappointed in you decision. If you comeback to tackle Stud Hi/Lo maybe it will be worth it.

Have you considered just dropping stakes and making money? Playing to make the most money is ideal, but you will eventually run into a wall in any game (or anything).

If you have any fitness questions I may be able to help. If you find yourself headed towards the midwest U.S. let me know. Good luck with your en devours.

Good luck then man

did you snap out of it yet?