Poker

Why are cash tables to be avoided?

 

Because they'll have your pants down, and empty your wallet quicker than a Tax Inspector!

It's a totally different game to tournament poker, and most definitely NOT for the beginner, nor the faint of heart ....... especially on No Limit tables ....... because there's real money (not chips) at stake ......... thus making it the 'killing ground' for the specialist ..... the CASH PLAYER.

For example; say you waltz in to your local club/casino with £100 ....... change it up for 'cash chips' ..... sit down at a £1/1 or £1/2 table ..... you get your pocket 77 in early position .... raise to £7 ..... (because it's a cash table and hand rankings/normal play won't come into it) you'll often get four or five callers ...... the last guy to act ) may well be a pro, semi pro ..... will see up to £45 already in the pot ...... and may well think, "that'll do me" ...... and raise to £75 or £120 to take down the pot ..... what the phuqq do you do with your pair of 7s?

Because filthy lucre is involved 'normal (tournament) rules' go out the window ...... these guys make/supplement their living from cash poker ...... they take no prisoners ...... and will frequently bully you out of 'decent' cash pots with absolutely no hand using the 'power' of the huge raise to scatter the opposition!

And don't get fooled into thinking Pot Limit games will be cheaper!
Use the above scenario;

SB £1 BB £2 ... You bet £7 ... Five callers at £7 ..... total coming round to The Shark £45 .... he raises "Pot" (his £7 to 'match your bet' plus the 'pot total' of £45) .... the raise coming back to you is £52 more ..... once again - what the phuqq do you do with a pair of 7s?


They are there to make money, pure and simple - you are their source of income ....... AVOID!

 

Haha, another one...



Lucky this time, went into the final table as the lowest stack, had a couple of last gasp all ins with little and people simply folded. Ended up head to head on 4000 chips where the chip leader had 40000! Won all in with a 3 7 unsuited, a 10 5 unsuited and some other cr4p, (I'd already settled for 2nd place). Once I got into a chip lead he/she folded at every raise until I matched their all in with a better hand and got lucky, again. Perhaps the UK gaming commision or whoever decides these things is right and it is indeed a game of luck?

 

I got my online poker career started today. Played 3 sit n go games with 6 players and the top 3 double there money at £5 stake. Won 2 and lost 1. I know its low stakes, and not much winnings, but today is just the start. I use sky poker, as its easy for me to just transfer my winnings from sky bet.

 

I quite often play live poker with the main SkyTV Poker Channel presenter Tony 'Tikay' Kendall ..... very knowledgeable guy, and quite a dab hand when it comes to real poker - he also has this splendid habit of turning up with top totty from the Dirty Digger's Telly Station.

Isn't it 'amazing' that the SKY birds are rather stunning?

They'd never get taken on at the Beeb ...... you've got to be an ugly Lezzie - with a limp and a squint - to get even considered down at Wood Lane!

 

OMR - what would you have done?

Ist place only, prize paid = £500

3 players remain - me on about 14k, chip leader on about 18k, third on 8k - 40k chips in play

Moves made post flop.

Me BB - 800
player calls, SB calls the 400, I check with 3,4 off suit a free flop

Flop 3,4,q rainbow.

player checks
SB goes all in
me - if i call and lose i go out, the other player is still to bet or fold having checked - my thoughts were that the SB had the Q with a k or A as he had announced a couple of hands earlier he is always all in with an ace - ( actually the way the chat had gone over those last few minutes and him looking at his watch i was sure he had only top pair with a high kicker) Paddy calls with his 2 pairs of 3's and 4's -
the last player thought for quite a while and actually stated he thought that SB was on two pairs - Hmmm matey, i got one of the 3 and one of the 4's - kin hope he aint got Q with 3 or 4. The player then folds and states his A, Q ( good, one Q out the way and only have to avoid the overcard with two cards to turn me thinks).


we flipped our cards over - he showed his Q first and oh bollix, a canuting 3, he's winning by miles as i turn my measly 3 and 4 over - stood up put my coat on and composed myself for the well done hand shake and good luck, goodnight departure.

Turn card was a 9 no good for anyone.

As i prepared for the handshake, shock uckin horror the 'KIN 4 comes out, the only card that could win me the hand - full house 4's and 3's to the Bear, chip leader coat off sat back down.

On my next Bb player folds, the same SB all in with remaining chips, INSTANT call by me - he turns over pockets 8's I show pocket A's - he goes home - 1am i also want to go home and offer the other player a deal - rent paid for the week after earlier losses on Monday and Wednesday and a small cash bonus from my mates game over in Braintree on Tuesday.

OMR - how foolish was my call with the two pairs on the flop with the first player only checking whom had played very tight all night and the SB going all in - My own opinion after the event was that against that same player I would do it every time - what would you have done?

On Wednesday, last 6 i was low stacked - and BB. All fold, SB goes all in ( this player had been the luckiest all night with river cards, flops et al, but was pushing constantly). I had made a point at the break of not getting involved in a hand with this player until i had more chips than he, as such i couldn't pass this occasion with A,K on the BB.

He showed his cards A, 5 - you know the story - 5 comes in and goodnight Paddy. The players groaned at me when i showed the A,K "why it take you so long to call, it's instant!", "my plan was not too play against MR LUCKY i retorted", i came so close to folding the hand, not because I thought Mr Lucky was winning, but because he had his name stamped on first prize - he went on and won it. Had i folded, who knows where it would have left me - i would at least have still been in.

OMR gives uckin good advice on here and full respect to him for doing so - he obviously cares more about good poker than good football.

Thanks for tips and advices OMR - the "aggressive play", on final table has helped the prize fund pool of the bear.

 

Paddy, absolutely the right thing to do with the two pair on the flop ..... usually you'd be so far ahead it's untrue.

Ok you had to then get lucky - but your play was correct ..... and The Poker Gods came to your rescue.

With the AK - again the correct play.

I've also been in that same 'spot' many times, and you can 'feel' the doom coming ..... and this time The Poker Gods said FU Paddy.

You've just got to accept it sometimes .....

I popped in to see my mate at HQ the other week, and he was on the Final Table of a decent comp with a very healthy first prize.

After watching the play for a while, he played his button and said time for a smoke.

Once outside he aked my opinion of the 'table' - so I candidly told him, "they're all playing 'scared poker' ..... and so are you mate! Get in there and shove it up 'em, otherwise you'll be lucky to finish in the top three".

I wandered off to the Cash Tables - but kept an eye on the slowly diminishing field on the Final Table - and eventually James walked over with a big grin, and more importantly the wonga.

He thanked me for rattling him out of the phuqqin Peace Movement he'd so obviously joined, and admitted that without my 'wake up call' he'd have drifted away and become emboiled in the 'general fear' that had gripped the table.

Sometimes those watching can evaluate more lucidly than those in the thick of the 'fray' ......

 

Cheers for the reply OMR - had a night off tonight and went to see Avenue Q at the theatre - bloody funny and good show - £10 restricted view tickets, got there and we were upgraded to better seats. May not be evry ones cup of tea -but made me chuckle.

 

Online;

I came in the other night a bit worse for wear, and decided to wind down with a bit of online cybercrap poker.

Now, having learned a hard lesson before playing online whilst a bit giddy, I looked for something that wasn't going to 'kill a bankroll'.

Aha - there was some 'pointy thing' on offer .....

I've never often bothered playing these Player Points Tournaments ....
1) Cos I can't be arsed.
2) They're usually full of the mugs who've done their money online, and are desperate for a 'fresh start'.
3) I usually save up ooooooooodles of points and exchange them for cash.

Anyhow, the top four could nab one of the Guaranteed $109 Tournie tokens which - with 48 runners - presented some 'value' at 12/1 for 500 points (the equivalent exchange rate of $6.25 entry for a $109 prize = 17.44/1 ..... thus giving me odds a 17/1 shot for 12/1 ..... note the Maths all you Poker Newbie/Daft Accumulator Placer Bods!).

Well, I duly 'ground it out' through the haze befuddling my brain - copped one of the winning tickets - and then trundled off to Zedsland.

On Monday I noticed the 'prize' wasn't in my account, and duly fired off a polite email to Support pointing it out.

Today - no reply - no token .... so I fired off yet another - slightly curter - email to their Support requesting it be credited.

Having recieved a reply, I checked to see all was well .... and it most certainly was.

The silly buggers have dropped a boooooooboooooooooo and credited me with THREE tournament entry tokens worth $327 .... happy days!

Now who out there would expect me to be a Fine Upstanding Citizen, do the right thing, and contact them so they can recover their loss?

Well ........ I pondered it for at least 0.1 of a nanosecond and - as most of you have correctly guessed - thought, "Phuqq that for a game of soldiers .... I'm quids in, yipeeeeeeeeeeee".

I suddenly luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve online poker ...... well, not really!

 

Poker Gods - God of luck

Due to some poker thingy going on at the Vic, Edgware Road there was a bigger than usual Wednesday night £30 rebuy - 17 started in pwaed street.

My table was filled by 4 regulars and 4 new faces and having won the first hand played and watched the newbies ( note from OMR re internet and new faces - watch first 10/15 hands) - through on reasonable to good cards i looked at the flops.

Whilst our table was very subdued, all we could hear from the other table was "All in", "Call", "Call", "how can you call with that?", " I won that's how" - so a normal Wednesday night would see maybe two prizes of £360 and £200 say for example. Last night 1st prize £1k, 2nd £600 and 3rd £400.

At the final whistle of the first session i had 2,925 in chips, a loss of 75 from the original 3k - gets me add on and am in for £60 with 5,900 chips for stage two. Our table were all pretty similar stack with one or two approx 10k. We had contributed 18 entries, add ons and rebuys.

Table two - when we looked at chip stacks, one guy had 40k, another similar but less and another maybe 25k+ - we were told that one player had rebought 14 times and another one 9 times with a couple more hitting 4 and 5 rebuys - so with add ons and entry their table was i think 60

Well the half time discussions were that none of our lot would be able to compete with the other stacks if moved when players fall.

Eventually the final table is made and I am still in and take over 16,400 - BB's 800, SB 600 for 3 more minutes then up to 1,200 and 600.

watched the new players not encountered before and saw that the two main chip leaders hardly dabbled at all. One player was playing very aggressive and was what i think OMR refers to as an INTERNET BOZO -he called an all in and met pocket a's, he had 8,6 i think - he won it on the river when a 5 came out and he got the run - adios pocket a's. Now this player was playing every hand, often first to bet with 2,500 to 4,000 chips and most folded, he was picking up a lot of easy chips.

I was SB at 600 and down to 13,300 remaining chips and thought it was time to make a move when i was dealt a,4 spades and this aggressive player had pushed in his 4k, i went all in and all had folded except the 4k man who called after the BB folded. Now my thoughts were that he had nothing beating my ace and was an aggressive chancer, so when he dropped 8,9 unsuited i was reasonably happy - a slighty better than 50/50 chance to double up - ho hum, the canut hits a 9 on the river and I am able to catch the last train home.

Now i thought about the play all the way home as I was happy with my overall nights effort, but was slightly niggled by the thought that I was a bit reckless going all in with a 4 suited kicker to the ace, with prize fund only 3 outs away - my take on the tournie at that stage was that if i could get get a decent shot against this one player i would have a good chance of doubling due to surely leading into the flop - somehow though i couldn't confirm to myself that it was actually the right move at the right time but was just unlucky against a shyte player who shouldn't have called, but I knew he would call and wanted him to. I was out in sixth place 3 away from the dosh, but at that point also about 35k/40k in chips at least short - the need to double up -

was it hasty OMR or the right move at the right time? to get myself a chance of the prize fund

Luck of the Gods - my 4 last week, his 9 yesterday -

OLD MAN RIVER keeps on rolling along.

 

Oh and big shout and a phuqqin massive come on for James Akenhead today.

He has got to the Final Table of the WSOP(Europe) at the Empire Leicester SQ (currently second chipleader with 1.3 million chips)!

The greedy phuqqer is also one of the November Nine going back to the Final Table of the WSOP(Real one!) in Las Vegas in .... November, obviously!

Without even winning either, now a multi millionaire.

Not bad for a 26 year old former London Underground worker that I used to play £30 tournaments with down The Western, a few years back!

 

Damn - JA out in ninth ..... must be some fine poker being played - the first casualty coming at the Final Table after five phuqqin hours (no doubt the editors for the TV highlights will squeeze 18 odd hours of play into a 40 minute precis)!

Still the 'Booby Prize' of £66,533 should keep him in tacky trainers for a month or two ........

 

Thanks for that lengthy reply - yes, my sense was beaten up by "my need to double up" - what niggled me on the way home you have highlighted why I was niggled - " did you want to gamble aganst a gambler", the answer was YES, rightly or wrongly, i didn't want to play the two non players ( chip leaders), the tight ar$e from my table who only played 3 hands ( pocke ta's twice and a semi bluff after the flop of j,q) and the other player was dangerous for me, i felt he was actually a good player - so the only one i was comfortbale to leave to the gods with me goinginto the flop leading, was this guy.

I learned a lot last night - new faces means new lessons - maybe tonight will be a costly tournie - 50 squid two rebuys.

Thanks again.

 

Errrmm, not so - a 'bad' Ace/high card (one with a low kicker) isn't that far ahead ....... this often comes as a shock to the poker beginner.

The thing is Paddy wasn't a hot favorite when he turned the cards over ...... with only one overcard A 4 of spades against 8 9 unsuited PYA's hand is just under 6/4 favourite pre-flop (actually 57.76% to 42.24%).

Even if the Bear had a decent Ace - say A Q - against 8 9 offsuit his hand is still only just over a 6/4 favourite pre-flop (actually 63.54% to 36.46%).

The amount of times I've heard the, "how can you call me with that s h i t" exclamation over the years at the poker tables when 'decent hands' get turned over by 'crap hands' runs into the thousands.

Many players just do not understand the maths, nor the odds involved.

Take this example;

How would you feel if your allin bet with A K suited was called by someone with the worst possible hand in poker 7 2 off suit?

Happy .... you're miles ahead?

Well no, you're not miles ahead you're only 1/2 fav pre-flop (actually 69.30% to 37.70%).

The trouble with pre-flop odds is there's five cards to come!

If a 2 or a 7 hits the flop with no AK to be seen, the superb pre-flop favourite suddenly becomes a 3/1 against dog.

Then if the turn is a blank, the superb pre-flop favourite now becomes an even worse 8.5/1 against dog to hit on the river!

This is why pairs are so valued by the good players .... you've got a made hand - any non paired hand - be it AK AQ sooooted - has to hit to win!

Now the above number crunching is only a precursor to the 'business end' of why players will often call with 'crap' ........ what's in the pot!

In Paddy's case, as previously commented upon;

Your play wasn't bad - your mistake being ...... after he's already put 4k in, he's more likely to call a pot of 18k for another 9k (he's getting 2/1 on his money)!

If the 'pot odds' are tempting you're likely to get called.

More so if your opponent has demonstrably larger chipstack than yours!

The first 'big tournament' I ever played - the Betfair Asian Poker Tour, out in Singapore (Boggie freerolled to qualify) was a massive eyeopener in how the pros play.

I'd somehow managed to get to the 2nd day, when all around me was total carnage ..... Gus Hansen, Willie Tann and many other 'notables' out on Day 1.

After building up to 40k (about average) my table was broken and my 'new seat' was next to a loudmouthed (but hilariously entertaining) Aussie.

Well this guy was a revelation - he bullied the table with his cards and, more imporatantly, his mouth .... and I could see the other players didn't have a clue what to do!

The aggressive young Scandies present - with their totally one dimensional poker ability - had only one answer to him ..... to go all in (they were so scared to play a flop with him).

Now I studied this Digger intensely - and whenever a Scandyinternetbozo announced all in, without even looking at his cards, he assessed the size of their stacks first.

If he 'outchipped them' he then perused what he had - cardwise - himself.

It was the chipsizes that he was assessing more than his card strength .... he even called one guy 'blind' (without looking at his cards) because the all in bet would only 'threaten' 20% of his chipstack!

To me it was a real education in how the later stages of a tournament should be played - as I watched what I thought (at first) was a 'reckless' player demolish the opposition (it should be noted that Boggy played like a phuqqin rock and won every hand he played against this demon).

I then began to get it, and realised what was going on (I later 'discovered' the maths and the 'pot odds' that were behind what I thought - at the time - were very questionable decisions).

Anyhow, the (unknown to me, at the time) Aussie went on to win it, and I was totally amazed when he promptly announced that he was donating 50% of the 1st prize - of $458,000 - to Singaporean Children's charities!

I later found out (on return to the UK) who it was that had given me an insight into upper echelons of how to play poker (especially the 'business end' of a tournie) ...... a brash young Aussie - a certain Mr Tony G!

 

Thanks for replying, (quoting), to my earlier post. I'd already removed it as I wanted to compose it a little better than my midnight effort! Saves me the bother.

The above is very enlightening, cheers.

 

And how about this for the final hands on the Final Table of the WSOPE yesterday;

http://blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/26679

It's great to see 'premium hands' actually win a big tournie for a change - especially as £800,000 was the first prize!

Also nice to see a Brit - Praz Bansi - get third.

 

Great reading OMR and fully fits to plays encountered - I am one for the pocket pairs v the high cards and have had debates against players about this.

You mentioned going out on A,J - I had this scenario twice in three hands on wednesday - one i raised a bet of 2k ( i was the big blind and last and everyone had folded) on a player i was 90% sure was stealing the blinds and he folded, i was comfortable with the suited cards ( a,j hearts). Three hands later a player goes all in with his remaining 1k or so chips, the player who i made fold also went all in with his remaning 2.5kish, i folded the same a,q suited,the next player next to me went all in and the very tight only played three hands player went all in. pocket 8's were shown, pocket j's and pocket a's ( the very tight player), the other hand was not paired and can't remember what it was - it is often debated how weak the a,j is by quite a few of the regular players in pwaed stweet who openly fold it on high bets or re raises.

Your tips are giving alot of help in my play ( was really happy with my play and moves last night until, see below) - but i succumbed to a moment of madness last night.:dismay:

last 3 players - 96k chips in play, i had 28k, the balance split equally the other two - 1st £780, 2nd £420 - bad luck and a clap for 3rd place.

I bet first (bb 1,200) 7k (a, q unsuited), SB thinks a short time and goes all in ( bollix, ive been caught me says to meself ) and bb folds. I sat there ready to fold, when one of the good looking horny blonde, nice ti.ts dealer tickles me on me bonce as she walks past - totally lost the moment of concentration and said "uck it - call". He shows pocket K's - a queen flopped but he held on. The BB who is a regular player said " you had to call" - on your guidelines above, it was an instant fold, yes/no?

As i gathered my coat and wished them both good luck the BB fellow ( an old boy) says " Perry, how much you in for tonight?", so i told him and he replied " stay around, " i'll give you £60 and the other player, whom I had chatted with at the last break and asked about splitting it 3 ways £400 each, (said he wanted to win it so i didn't push for the deal), also said he'd give me £60 - so i stayed and watched the heads up ( see I is learneing good).

Now a point you have raised in the previous long tip packed article to admin, you discuss chip stacks and percentages there of. Now the old boy was behind on the chip stack 2/1 by now - it was a freindly game by that time and they were not really doing much, then the old un says, 10k blind before the cards are dealt - the other lad looks at his cards, makes a few facial gestures and calls -no further betting and the old fella wins the hand showing an ace - (opposite to your big stack, calling small all ins, it seemed a good tactic, was it a good tactic? -making this player make a decision on a picture card with low kicker.

They rallied a while and the all in and call was made and the old wry fella won. Was very interesting sitting and watching the heads up rather than being in it ( another point you made a few freds up, about advising yur mate, to be agreesive or go home losing his blinds). Another good lesson and thakfuly the generosity of the prize guys left me none the worse for financial wear - got home at bloody 4.30am though.

 

I really liking this thread. Its good to read all the advice. I only get to poker online whats a shame as i much prefer playing poker live. I dont really know how to tell online if some is bluffing or not. Whenever i try to be agressive with a big hand others fold, and when i go agressive with an ok hand they call and i lose. I'm doing ok at the mo, but im not the type of player who is ever going to be chip leader during a game, but i will fancy my chances of getting into the money when i play online.

 

Keep going .... you'll learn.

You might want to look back through my posts and read the ones about 'bet sizes' and when, and where, to be 'aggressive' - it appears you're scaring them away when you got the 'goods' (you might be 'overbetting' your hand), and inviting them in when you haven't (you could be 'underbetting' your hand) ..... it's a very fine line between the two, and getting it 'right' is difficult.

 

Good post PYA - I'll recount my tale of an acceptably successful time in last night's £75 F/O at Headquarters when I've got time.

 

A good example of this was me on Friday night!

Chip leader, going all in with what I thought was an 'Ace flush of Diamonds'.

It turns out that I mistook a 'heart' for a diamond, and ended up with f**k all!! Luckily for me, everyone else folded!

I was sh*t faced though! I shan't be drinking again whilst playing Poker.

 

Very lucky Bubble!

I now always slightly 'space' my hole cards out before I look at them.

Recently, after a substantial raise, I quickly 'double flicked' my cards - sitting squarely on top of each other - and 'saw' two black Kings.

In went my whole stack, and I was relishing the possibility of the double up.

After a dwell up the original raiser chose to fold and, deciding to 'sell the story' to the rest of the table that I was a Rock, I announced "Good fold sir", and flipped over my 'pair'.

The rest of the table laughed at the very red faced initial raiser as K phuqqin 5 appeared!

I smiled quickly at the 'bluff' that I'd shown and, with heart thumping, decided that the 'professional' double flick of the cards wasn't such a good idea!

 

I went the other night too.

Have been humming "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet is for Porn" ever since.

 

Entered a tournament on Poker Stars last night without looking too closely and after a few hands of Texas I suddenly received a hand with 4 cards. WTF? It seems this tourny switched between texas and Omaha?? Well that thoroughly confused me. Is a pair in your pre flop hand good or not?

Anyway, I sat out most of the Omaha hands and played mainly the Texas hands and got into the top 50, (no prize money), but it seemed to me that nobody really had much clue in Omaha.

Any tips gents?

 

You had inadvertently entered a ROE tournie .... a 'round of each' - one orbit of NLHE, followed by a round of Omaha.

Omaha is a very specialist game where the complexion of the hand can change uberdramatically at every stage.

Obviously the best starting in Omaha is AA KK - preferably double suited (so that you have two nut flush draws as well, if the flop obliges).

However straight draw hands A K Q 10, 6 7 8 9, A 2 4 5 (again preferably double suited), big pairs with straight/or flush possibilities K K Q J, J J 10 9, are hands to see a flop with (many players actually go for the low/middle straight draws pre-flop, guessing - often correctly - that the others betting all have the high cards, thus counterfeiting each other's chances of improving when the 'community cards are dealt).

You can have a fantastic pre-flop hand - as above - that is already 'dead' by the flop ...... in other scenarios you might flop the nuts, and be dead by the turn, but re-emerge as the winner by the river.

Two of the four cards in your hand 'count' in any combination, at any time.

For example;

You hold .... As Ah Jc 8d (before pre-flop betting).

The flop .... Ad 8c 3h 4c (looks massive to a NLHE player - trip Aces ..... you could already be losing to the low nut straight A2345, another player might be drawing and have the 'wrap' 2 5 6 7 or 5 6 7 8 , another player could now be trying to hit the flush).

The turn .... 5c (let's hope an oppo has hit the flush, and another has hit the low straight, all you need is for the board to pair and you have the nut full house).

The river .... 5h (even more hoorays, a superb card for those with trips, giving them a low full house .... you now dominate the straights/flushes, any f/house to the board).

Quids in?

Nope - you're only holding the third highest hand!

one opponent shows ..... 5s 6s 4h 5d ...... quads

the other shows ..... 6c 8d 7c 9s ...... straight flush

The skill in Omaha is being aware of roughly where you are in the hand at all times - the card variance is so great, the draws so plentiful, the betting patterns so immense .... that if you don't concentrate you chipstack will be crippled, or gone!

No Limit Hold 'Em is often referred to as the 'idiot's game' in poker circles - it's (relatively) easy to pick up, and any fool can play it ..... hence it's popularity!

It was specifically 'invented' by the Texas Road Gamblers (Doyle Brunson/Amarillo Slim etc) to fleece clueless rich Oil Barons of that US State of their dollars, even more quickly than they could playing Stud, and Draw, Poker.

Everyone's heard of the World Series of Poker NLHE Main Event, mainly due to it's first place prize of between $7 and 9 million dollars.

However, amongst the top players an equally, if not more, coveted title is the WSOP bracelet for the HORSE tournament during the same Poker Fest.

Because you have to be s h i t hot at the five 'disciplines' required it is regarded as the 'true' championship title of the WSOP.

You need to have mastered five versions of poker .... H (holdem) .... O (omaha) .... R (razz - lowball) .... S (stud) .... E (eights or better) .... to have any hope of even competing!

(And to confuse you even further there are tournaments with eight and even ten different forms of poker in them)

If you ask the average mouthy NLHE 'expert' if he fancies changing a cash game to Dealer's Choice (when it's your 'button', you can declare which game shall be played that hand) they usually run a mile when confronted with the following ..... Omaha hi, Stud, Pineapple, Razz, 3 card Irish, Superstud, Omaha hi-lo, 5 card draw, 6 card Omaha hi, Padooki, 4 card Irish.

Many NLHE players can hardly play holdem - that's why at Major Festivals the entry numbers for anything other than the 'Idiot's Game' are a lot lower and those that do compete tend to be the creme (in the UK most have worked their way up from a game far older than poker .... three card brag).

To conclude .... Omaha is not for the beginner!

 

Excellent advice.

Last night I entered an Omaha tournament and a NLTH torunament running simultaneously. Straight away it was clear that the betting on Omaha after the flop is much higher, I'm guessing that people with good hands are trying to remove anyone who might get a better hand with the last 2 cards as it's much more likely. All in on a straight from the flop was commonplace, (from the hands that were shown). I also noticed that there appeared to be less bluffing in the Omaha games compared to NLTH, but again it was just the one tournament so a small sample.

I did much better in the omaha toruny than in the TH one, but that could have been because I was a lot more wary and such played very tight. Would it be true to say that to learn omaha would prepare you better for TH?

 

The very basic Omaha strategy for success is to play good hands hard (esp post flop) and be prepared to bin a straight as soon as a third suited card hits the board (flush draw danger), or the board pairs (full house/quads danger)

Omaha is the preferred cash game for a lot of the 'online specialists' as there is more scope for bigger pots, thus bigger cash returns.

I have watched Dave Penly (a very accomplished UK pro with an excellent record in tournies too) 'spin up' $200 to over $10k in a matter of hours playing Omaha cash tables on Full Tilt ..... and it has been known for him to 'superspin' to over SIX figures in a weekend!

 

Free Poker;

Off to The Sportsman Casino - nr Marble Arch - tomorrow for a night of poker, with a guaranteed prizepool of £8,000 minimum ..... and not a hint of a buy in, for dear old Boggy.

How?

Well, the poker community has websites/forums, just like football.

The 'emerging' Poker Circuit Operators often offer free seats for tounaments to the sites in return for a bit of free publicity, and to engender goodwill.

A free draw was held for any members available, wahey Robert's your mother's bruv, and I'm off to Lunun on a freebie, with a night at a plush hotel in Kensington thrown in for good measure ...... unlike football.

The only thing that worries me ..... the venue is within waddling distance of the tatty dump that a certain Bear plays at, on the scruffy side of the Edgware Road.

The Casino has assured me that their resident Big Game Hunter will deal with said miscreant should he attempt to enter their plush establishment.

Standards must be maintained ..........

 

good luck omr, will be moving on from Paddington next year - I understand the Mint (Cromwell Rd?) is a good venue.

May pop down tonight to watch the experts - how many players?

 

They had 90 odd last week creating a prizepool of £9,250 .... yum phuqqin yum!

This week they're putting in extra tables to accomodate up to 110 players( plus alternates).

It's a £50 entry with one £50 rebuy and add on, or two £50 rebuys .... if required/wanted.

5,000 chips a go, so up to 15k per person.

Reportedly the standard ain't that high (famous last words), which might be helpful .....

I dread to think what time it may go on to with (potentially) up to 1.6 million odd chips in play.

If you fancy a change from 'Old Maida Vale', get down there by 7.00 pm to register ..... no membership req at The Sportsman .... just ask for the LPC Event .... kick off 7.30 .... they expecting a full(ish) house.

If you wanna go PM me ... I'll give you my mobile no ..... and we'll try and smash a few Lunun Boys about!

 

just saw this reply and have pm'd you - quite fancy the idea of wining a few K.

 

CANUTING RIVER CARD!

good night in the poker last night, got knocked out by a river card making a move on the BB - ho hum.

OMR - trust you got back to Kensington ok and stayed away from Sussex Gardens ladies of the night. Mind you i thought you had pulled that Romanian bird outside the sportsman.

 

Just my sort of girl - a row of gold teeth and begging for it (literally)!

 

The WSOP Final Table is under way, and 1st out is ..... our very own James Akenhead!

After tripling up, he lost a race and had to settle for the paltry sum of $1,203,602!

The Bookies are happy though ..... the dopey American public 'lamped on like lemmongs' that - Tiger Woods lookalike - Phil Ivey would take it down.

They backed him in to 7/2 favouite ..... even though he was one of the shortstacks in the November Nine!

A short while ago the tills were jangling at Theft HQ with mug punters dollars, as Ivey went out in 7th.

Stupid Gamblers never learn ...... I know a few 'professional layers' who were very busy laying the Yank for all they'd got in such a 'dream market' (the odds/variance were so heavily stacked against the fools betting on a total outsider who had become the 'favourite!').

 

After fourteen and a half hours play the 2009 WSOP Main Event is down to the last two.

Play resumes tomorrow with the amateur from the backwoods Darvin Moon going back with the lower stack (58.5 million chips) against Joe Cada - a good young pro - (136 million chips) to scrap for a 1st prize of $8.6 million .... the fellah that comes 2nd will have to put up with a 'booby prize' of a mere $5.1 million.

The guy in 3rd place binned $3.5 million .... he qualified through a $50 satellite ......... not a bad return on his money!