Here is the first hand for discussion from yesterdays private PLO tournament - here I came from behind to bust CptnMik at the bubble... but was it bad play??

(will paste the text history first, then talk about each street below it)

Full Tilt Poker Game #6199933629: Omaha Planet Overlay #1 (45911861), Table 1 - 150/300 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 16:49:39 ET - 2008/04/27
Seat 2: davodd (2,578)
Seat 4: kittyxxkat (3,542)
Seat 5: CptnMik (1,375)
Seat 9: Grabovsky (6,005)
CptnMik posts the small blind of 150
Grabovsky posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Grabovsky [6c Td 8c 6h]
davodd folds
kittyxxkat folds
CptnMik calls 150
Grabovsky checks
*** FLOP *** [7c 9d Ac]
CptnMik bets 600
Grabovsky raises to 1,200
CptnMik calls 475, and is all in
Grabovsky shows [6c Td 8c 6h]
CptnMik shows [7h Th As Ad]
Uncalled bet of 125 returned to Grabovsky
*** TURN *** [7c 9d Ac] [5h]
*** RIVER *** [7c 9d Ac 5h] [Tc]
Grabovsky shows a flush, Ace high
CptnMik shows three of a kind, Aces
Grabovsky wins the pot (2,750) with a flush, Ace high
CptnMik stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,750 | Rake 0
Board: [7c 9d Ac 5h Tc]
Seat 2: davodd didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: kittyxxkat (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: CptnMik (small blind) showed [7h Th As Ad] and lost with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 9: Grabovsky (big blind) showed [6c Td 8c 6h] and won (2,750) with a flush, Ace high


Pre-Flop:

CptnMik has a small blind monster with A-A-10-7 while I have the rather poor 6-6-8-10 (both are single suited) FYI, here is how these hands do if all-in pre flop:

CptnMik: 64%
Grabovsky: 35%
Tie: 1%

So, Mik a solid favorite - but nowhere near as strong as in Holdem with aces... it is very difficult to be more than a 2/1 favorite in Omaha before the flop.

Action: Mik limps and Grab completes.

Here is a somewhat suprizing factor... with 600 now in the pot and Mik having only 1200 behind I could have pushed against his expected completing range here! (obviously not expecting aces)... for example I would win 45% against a high-card unpaired hand and with 600 in the pot this would give the pre-flop push a positive expectation over time....

The Flop

7c 9d Ac

CptnMik hits top set! His hand is disguised by limping before the flop too... time to work out the best way to double up.

At this point I thought this was an excellent flop too, even as far as a fantastic flop! Against the kind of hands I put CptnMik on there was 0% chance of not getting the chips in here...

I have a small wrap... any 5, 6, 8, 10 or J gives me a straight plus a small flush draw with any club. That, as they say, is a lot of outs:

4*5's, 2*6's, 3*8's, 3*10's, 4*J's = 16 Straight Cards

Plus: 5 more clubs that we did not already see or count (2-3-4-Q-K)

Not all my outs are to the nuts... but with 21 possible outs and probably 15 solid wins plus dead money in the pot I actually expected to have the best of it when the money went in on the flop....

Action: CptnMik Bets 600, Grab puts him all in by raising the additional 600 chips.

So, it turns out that Mik was slowplaying a monster (well played sir!)... but hang on - my monster draw is actually a favorite here!!

The trip aces mean that Mik has 7 outs on the turn and 10 on the river to hit either a full house or quad-aces... the flop win percentages were actually:

Mik: 44%
Grab: 54%
Tie: 2%

Does this suprise you??

Even against trip aces I'm favorite to win here... and by the time the flop action comes to me getting 2/1 on my money.... in fact on the flop I only need 33% winning chances to break even (remember I have not seen the aces at the decision point and do not suspect them)

So, an interesting hand and a couple of the differences between holdem and Omaha highlighted here... namely the power of a multi-way draw

As you will see I got there with a club on the river this time!

Comments welcome (should CptnMik have raised pot pre-flop to take the 450 chips in the middle??)

Have several more interesting hands... but also a busy schedule today - will do one more this afternoon and (depending on response) maybe another one tomorrow!

Cheers, Mark

Yep, Mark - of course that was my question, too.

I had decided to limp in, because -
as my fold equity was next to nothing,
I was quite sure you were not afraid to put me all in pre- or postflop,
for even if you doubled me up, you would still be the chip leader,
and as far as I could see you are not of the timid kind.

But as I was prepared to go all in, I thought I might as well try
to throw a cheaper glance at the flop by limping in.
Maybe if I hit nothing, I might have the chance of seeing one or two other flops ...

But when the third ace showed up on the flop,
I definitely had to bring all my chips in, didn't I -

Imho, the crucial point was not that much how I played this special hand,
but that my stack had become toooooo small to frighten the chipleader.
So the mistake(s) had been made earlier in the tourney,
I had not been able to cope with a long long run of bad cards.
(Any advice what to do if you are carddead for quite a long time when the bubble is approaching?)

Cheers, Michaela

You are right Micheala - stack sizes were a big consideration here... no, I am not timid playing poker, especially short handed (in the early stages I will often deliberately employ a tight / passive pre-flop style and hope to hit a monster hand / draw / both though)

Here I probably fold to a pot-raise preflop though... my hand is ragged for sure, but does have a chance to bust you - but the main factor is that by keeping the small stack alive in the hand I can (continue) to raise the blinds of the other players and grow my stack! This plan was increased by the fact that (davodd especially) was not putting up resistance without a hand (could have been card dead / or maybe waiting for you to bust!!).

Anyway, think you played the hand fine - why not 'gamble' by calling and hope to double rather than just taking the blinds!

Cheers, Mark

I don't see anything wrong with either play (although I would probably have raised preflop and hoped to pick up all the chips in the center, but both plays have there merit). Going all in with top set is a no brainer in this spot, and Mark's hand is also a no brainer, huge wrap with lots of outs (assuming the clubs are good also).

This is a classic example of a Omaha confrontation wher the edges are typically smaller than hold'em and you are forced to gamble a little more.

Jason

__________________
I'm Not Lucky, I Have Good Karma !

What I especially like is the idea of "keeping the short stack alive"
in order to be able to continue bullying the other players.
Had I taken this into account, I'd maybe raised my (unsuited) aces ...
At least I'd have thought it over once again.

Thank you for posting this hand, (I'd have answered yesterday,
but besides a brief look at the forum didn't have the opportunity
to do this, three days almost without poker OMG!).

See you -
Michaela