11/19/2008

Just call me..... Quadzilla....

I made mention of a few monster hands I'd been dealt of late and I have to tell you, they just keep on coming! My chubby little digits are actually a little tender from all the work involved in getting screen captures from the last few days. I've got enough material right now I think, to cover this little corner of the Blogoshpere for the rest of the year.

Today I thought I'd go with your opinions regarding Omahahaha starting hands. Of course this is open to anyone and everyone, but as I know a few of you personally and I know what kind of Omahaulics you can be, I'd really like to hear from YOU, YOU, YOU and YOU.

In my only Omaha game ever on line, (PLO/8) I ended up in the cash with a third place finish. Considering my lack of knowledge for the game and the fact that this leads me to play like an anal retentive nit, I'll take the result. But I constantly found myself crushed by the flops that came down, a large portion of the times that I'd folded. So here's a few hands and what I was tinking when I folded them. Please feel free to critique at will.

So here's the first one. It's the 29th. hand into the game and I'm in MP. We're 6 handed and there have been two limpers ahead of me. I look down at 9d-10d-Jh-4s and although I guess there is straight potential in the hand, I see no low potential at all and let it go. We'll never know if my Quad's were good here, but I woudn't have gone anywhere after that flop.


Next on the 43 hand of the game and in the SB, we're down to 5 handed. Again there have been two limpers ahead of me and I look down at Qh-2h-3s-3c. I personally don't like that Queen sitting out there all by herself, and I let the hand go. Had I limped in, I think the flop might have kept me interested for sure. The turn would've sealed two players fate, IMHO.


Around the 10th. hand of the final table, we'd gotten down to 8 handed poker. I'm on the button and have had a limper and a pot sized bet ahead of me. I hold Ah-Ad-As-9s. Now call me crazy perhaps, but I actually took some time to consider making a call here for three reasons. The player that potted has been really ultra-aggresive with his stack. I can fairly safely say his low draw is only to the 2 and if the flop comes low, maybe I can yank it in. Lastly, I think I can also eliminate his high hand outs because of all of my Aces as well. My gut told me to forget the call as it was really a weak play. That meant fold or pot and I took one more look at my hand. I decided on fold and immediately felt gratification from doing so, as both players behind decided to stay in and check out the flop.

Down to 5 handed at final table now and I'm UTG. The blinds had escalated and I was sitting on about 20 to 25 BB's. I am dealt 2s-3s-2c-Jd. I still don't love that one misfit card and I let the same type of hand as earlier in the game go into the muck. It is down to 5-handed, is this a leak or strength? I'm lost!


So there you have it! Quad Quad's in one game and I didn't play any of the four of them. Talk about messing with your head, when it comes to starting hand selection the entire game!

Now in typical Bam-Bam'ion fashion, I'd like to leave you with one of the hands that I personally thought I played very well. Just to give you a chance to tell me what a real donk I am at this game! For certainly if I thought I played it OK, I must have made many, many mistakes along the way.

It was way back in the 35 hand of the game. I was UTG at the 6-handed table and see that I hold 3s-4d-5c-6s. Now for me, this is a hand that I see some potential in. There is also potential for a few callers based on the play so far, if I make a pot sized bet. The blinds are obviously not that big as of yet and if I actualy hit the potential of this hand on the flop, I will be getting paid a much larger pot in the end. Only the BB was interested in the hand and off we go. A damn near perfect flop hits me for the 3-7 straight. In my mind, I currently have Bingo! More chips go into the pot and we see the 3c on the turn. this dissapoints me just a tick, as it opens up a second flush possibility and of course, the wheel is there as well. Once again the chips just slide into the pot with absoloutely no effort. As soon as I saw the way that it played out on that turn, I figured a split pot for certain. When what I considered to be the miracle 5d came on the River to improve my straight to a boat, I figured since the chop was a strong possibility, I might as well get a few more chips into the middle. As it turns out after the call, I was actually ahead the entire time. I ended up scooping the fairly hefty pot.


So considering that I thought I was sitting down to play in our regular Monday night HORSE game, I think I'll take a small amount of pride in finishing third.

It was after all, not just a surprise to me that the game had changed. But my first ever PLO/8 tournament.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

5 comments:

KenP said...

I hate to be the one -- who am I kidding? -- to burst your bubble. But, Two and definately two cards play from each Omaha hand.

Other than the satisfaction of the case ace magically appearing in the luckbox...

:)

BamBam said...

No bubble bursting involved KP. I just thought it was amazing that the case Ace came right out off the bat like that.

(but thanks for thinking of taking it so easy on me just the same)

:)

Unknown said...

Fold all.

Feel good about it.

Have another scotch.

Baywolfe said...

Don't play Omaha. That's my new motto for the new millennium!

BWoP said...

I would have folded each and every one of those hands preflop. 9d-10d-Jh-4s gives you some mediocre straight possibilities and no low draw. I hate playing middle cards because you are often up against a low/low draw or a higher straight. Qh-2h-3s-3c is also meh because it's one of those hands where you can get yourself into trouble with a mediocre low draw and a mediocre flush draw. Ah-Ad-As-9s is really tough to play because at best you are looking for the case ace and the board to pair - or the spade flush. With no low going on, it makes this hand even worse. 2s-3s-2c-Jd - see above comment, but now you don't even have a flush draw. Remember - only one dangler takes away half of your starting hand possibilities :-)