Posts from August 2009
August
31
This was Omaha Hi Pot Limit Poker tournament. Before I tell you what my cards were and what happened I will tell you that my opponent had fantastic cards and luck on his side. My hole cards in this Omaha Hi Pot Limit Poker hand were 9h-9s-6s-2d. My opponent had much better hole cards As-Ad-Kd-Kc and he raised pre-flop. Off course he raised, why wouldn’t he!? I was the only one who called that raise. I knew he had good cards because he didn’t have a lot of chips.
Flop cards were 7-8-10 which means that I had a straight, Ten high! My opponent raised again and I called his all in.
I was thinking: OMG. What a hole cards he have.
He was probably thinking: Straight! No way I’ll lose with these hole cards!!
Turn card was Seven of Diamonds. With that card my opponent had a chance to catch a full house! OK, so everything will be great if I don’t see Ace, King or Seven on the river!
Is that possible? I mean could he have that much luck? Oh man! Ace! You are one lucky player. He needed two running cards after the flop to beat my straight and he got those two cards! I call that luck no matter how nice hole cards he had. That was nothing more than luck! Anyway nice hand, man!
Incredible Hole Cards and Luck Combined
August
30
This was Omaha Hi Pot Limit Poker tournament. My hole cards were Ah-Kd-9s-8d and I wanted to see the flop. I was thinking - OK, I have lots of chips and if the flop doesn’t work for me I will fold. Flop cards were 8c-Ac-Ks. One player raised a whole pot, two players folded and I called that raise. I couldn’t fold because I had top two pair and if just one of those three cards on the flop shows up again I will have a full house. Ten of Hearts showed on a turn. My opponent raised again. Since he had just a little bit of chips I re-raised and he was all in.
Before the river, since he was all in I saw his cards. I couldn’t believe my eyes. If Queen, Ten, Seven or any of the Clubs shows up I will be defatted. In that moment I realized I shouldn’t play this hand! OMG! Six of Diamonds! Phew! Great! I won this hand with two pair, Aces and Kings. This was close! Phew! I need to admit that I was very lucky this time!
That Was a Pure Luck
August
29
Last week we wrote about the mastery of folding, as well as about tournament strategy. Take a look:
Keep reading, there is more to come!
August
29
Poker is… a fascinating, wonderful, intricate adventure on the high seas of human nature.
David A. Daniel
If you think poker is gambling, you’re deluded. It is a battle of minds and character. If you wish to gamble, throw some dices on the table, and forget about Omaha Poker.
August
28
What a tragic Omaha Hi Pot Limit Poker hand this was. My hole cards were 7d-7h-10s-Qs. Flop brought me a chance for a Straight and a chance for a Flush. I called my opponent’s bet. Off course I made this decision because I had a great chance to won this hand. Turn card was King of spades. That was exactly what I needed! Since I had a flush I raised a whole pot which was in the same time my all in. Two players called my raise.
I was waiting desperately to see a river card. Another Four. OMG. I don’t like that, but what can I do? I was already all in! Both of my opponents had a full house. One opponent had Fours full of Kings and the other had Eights full of Fours. Even that the flop card wasn’t four I would still lose because my opponent had a stronger flush, besides a full house. Well, that day wasn’t my day for poker.
That’s What I Call a Bad Beat
August
27
This was Omaha Hi/Lo Limit poker hand and hole cards were As-2d-6d-7d. Flop brought 9d-4d-Qs and I wasn’t happy at all. I knew that my two diamonds don’t worth a lot and I was sure that my opponent was chasing a diamonds. Since we were the only two players involved in this hand I just couldn’t let him take the pot by folding my cards. So I needed to call all his bets. Card after card bet after bet I wasn’t sure that I could win this hand. After a turn I only had a pair of Sevens.
River card brought me another pair. Now I had two pair, Aces and Sevens. I had low hand too A-2-4-6-7 but I wasn’t convinced that it was worth spending more chips. But, I called my opponent’s bet again.
Unexpectedly I won a whole pot, high and low! As I suspected, my opponent was chasing the diamonds.
Chasing the Diamonds
August
26
It was very early in the morning when I started playing this Omaha Hi/Lo Limit poker tournament. While I was drinking my coffee I almost threw away my hold cars 10c-9d-9s-8h. Thanks to the coffee taste I was awake enough to realize that I need to see a flop. Flop was like a dream. Am I awake for real or still dreaming? I got Quads!! What a nice morning.
Off course, I was pretending like I’m not happy with a flop by checking. My goal was to let other players lead this hand. Player with pocket Aces probably thought: Oh well my Aces rock! Only after the turn I started with re-raising. Till the end of this hand I doubled up my chips by winning a whole pot. Nobody could win low hand because community cards were too high.
I understand that player with two Aces thought that he can win with two pair. But… take a look at the other player’s cards! His hole cards were 2-3-5-6, community cards were 9-K-9-4-4. He had nothing and he was calling every bet! What was he thinking? That he can use all four hole cards? That’s weird.
Flop Nuts and Weird Player
August
25
This is one of the Omaha Hi Pot Limit tournaments I’ll never forget. Not just because I ended as a runner up - it’s fair to say I doubled up my Omaha experience and knowledge.
There is always a person (or even persons) blabbing and blabbing throughout the tournament. Not sure if they’re trying to distract other players, or are just chatty by nature. This is the hand where I finally eliminated one of them. This guy, for the entire time was amplifying my luck with something like:
- Can’t believe how lucky you are. OMG!
- Again? You again!
- Why this guy always wins?
- etc.
I’ve tried to explain it’s not luck, but a betting style, but without any success. He decided I am lucky. Period.
Take a look at this hand for example. I had a flush potential in my hole cards (A-9), King and a Five. For me, this hand is worth of limp in. My opponent raised minimum pre-flop and I called.
Flop brought me a flush draw to hope for. He just checked, and I did too. On the turn, my flush is completed, and my opponent pot-raised. Without a pair on the table, I had nuts, so I re-raised whole pot. He, probably frustrated, re-raised until his all in. I re-raised and called till the end - again - I had nuts mate! This has nothing to do with a luck! If the Queen was of Spades, I would fold and you would take a pot.
The cards were shown and I saw his two Queens. Only thing that could save him was another Queen, and that simply didn’t happen. My opponent was swept from the table, and we all finally had some silence to enjoy.
It’s not Luck!
August
24
Poker professionals use every chance to underline the fact that you have to modify and fine tune your game style during the tournament. In this case I was one step away from the final table of Omaha Hi Pot Limit poker tournament and it was my turn to adjust my ways in order to see the spotlights behind me.
For most or the tournament I was among the chip leaders, but two irrational hands lowered me down to a short stack - and I was the only person to be blamed. With roaring blinds on shorthanded table I waited for the opportunity to double up or to go away. With respectable hole cards A-J suited and a pair of Eights I limped in from the small blind, hoping for the best.
When I saw an Eight on the flop, I was all in almost instantly. I also had an ace and a long shot running flush. My opponent, also short-stacked, had a two pair at the moment and called. I was quite happy and very silent when I saw his hand. Then came the moment of truth - Queen on the turn and Three on the River.
Yup, my set of Eights was enough for the ticket for the final table. But, I want to point out that as a large stack, or in the earlier stages of the tournament I would never be all in with just a set.
Short Stack Struggle
August
23
My hole cards in this Omaha Hi/Lo Limit poker hand were Ad-3h-6h-7s. I was hoping for a nice flop with low cards. Actually, flop was Ac-8s-9h and I wasn’t happy because of an Ace on the board. I already had an Ace in my hand so Ace on the flop doesn’t suite me at all. But, I stayed in this hand because I had a chance for a straight. Turn card brought another Eight in community cards. Too much re-raising around me brought a suspicion that one player probably had a full house. Even though I knew I still had a chance for a straight I decided to fold.
That was a great decision because my opponent got a full house on the river and if I didn’t fold I would have only a straight. I followed my instinct and at the end it showed up like a right decision. Other opponent won low with a A-2-3-5-8.
Fold Before Disaster Strikes
