Aussie Trip - 2007/01/08 - Hi Lo Quartered
After my sensational victory in the satellite yesterday I get to play in a proper game. There are 96 runners in this fixed limit Omaha Hi-Lo $1000 buy-in tournament. This is probably the most complicated poker variety you can find. I won't try and explain it here - try this link if you are brave :
http://www.pokersyte.com/omaha_hilo.htm
So Charliefish takes his place at the table with various local sharks. Chief of which is Mel Juda, sat directly opposite me. My table happened to be close to the rail and I was sat nearest to the spectators. Now when it comes to hold'em, I can look at my cards once and then put them down quickly. However for Omaha you get four cards so it is difficult to avoid the railbirds seeing them. I do hope the spectators did not try to learn anything from my play...
We started with 4,000 chips with blinds of 25/50 and since it was fixed limit I was able to avoid doing anything too foolish at the start.
Now for the hard core hi lo players amongst you, it is a well known fact that you want to avoid being "quartered" - that is, sharing the low pot. Well when we got to the first break yours truly had been quartered twice and I was down to 2,500 in chips - confirming my fish status for all to see.
After the break I had the pleasure of playing a pot with Mel Juda. He raised my big blind and I decided to call with JJ56 (sorry Gareth). The flop was Q95 so I bet out and he folded - one for the minnows.
Things were starting to get desperate and I ended up winning one pot with "the worst low I have ever seen" to quote the dealer (my 8764A beating an 8765A). I was down to about 1,500 chips when I picked up A244 and called 2 limpers from the small blind. The flop came 48T rainbow. I bet and got two callers. Turn is Q still rainbow so I am looking good for the scoop I bet again and get 2 callers. Last card is 9, so my low has disappeared - but luckily my trip 4's hold up and I have 4,500 in chips.
I limp along to the next break and shortly after I move tables and my chips start to dwindle away since the blinds are now 200/400. I pick up A398 in the big blind and contemplate calling a raise which had been called by the SB. However I decide not to and am gutted when the flop comes 247 and I have to watch the SB pick up the low without an Ace. The next hand I have A298 with the A2 diamonds. I call from the small blind and the flop comes 35Q with 2 diamonds. I now have a nut flush and nut low draw so I am quite happy to put in all the rest of my chips via a check raise. However the dealer produces J9 of spades and there is no low and I lose everything to a lowly pair of Queens.
I have finished 58 out of 96 which I am pretty happy with given the opposition.
Later on I enter the super satellite for the main event. This is the crazy $200 rebuy, I lose AQ vs 99 early on and rebuy. A few hands later I double up when my TT beats A9. However I then get completely stitched by the dealer. I have T6 in the BB and there are 3 callers. Flop is 59Q and we all check. Turn is T so I bet 200 and the mid position caller goes all in which will only leave me 350 chips if I call. I try to decide whether he has a Q. I decide not and call. Unfortunately he has JK for a straight. Actually on reflection I just played this hand very poorly. A few hands later I go all in with JJ vs A5 and when he hits an A I decide not to rebuy.
I then played a sit and go satellite with Kenna James sat 2 to my right. Unfortunately I did not get to play a hand against him when having called a 200 raise about 5 hands in with QKs. Flop comes K89 - he bets 400 I reraise all-in and of course he flips over AK and I am out.
However I then play a satellite to the next day's tournament. This is cheaper ($130) but only one player goes through. After a few hands we establish that 5 of the players know each other - they have come over from Perth. This makes for a fun friendly game. There is one good local player but luckily he gets knocked out early. We end up 3 way with me versus one of the Perth gang and a girl who I get the impression has been a bit heavy on the gin and tonics earlier for dutch courage.
I think I am finally getting the hand of short handed play and I am afraid I am not very chivalrous to the girl who is on my left - she keeps calling and then folding when I bet the flop. Eventually she is low on chips and when I just call from the button with 22 she decides to raise for about half her remaining stack. I reraise all-in and she calls showing A9. The 2s win and we are heads up.
My opponent from the Perth gang calls a bit too much and I have about a 4 to 1 advantage, but I lose a race when calling with 99 against his AT. After a few more rounds I steal a few and with blinds 300/600 with 15,000 in play he is down to 3000 chips after he has posted the BB. I pick up TT and decide that he is good enough to raise if I look weak so I just call. He then bets 1,500 which suggests I am well ahead. When I go all-in he is pot commited and so has to call with A6. No Ace comes so I win my seat to tomorrow's tournament and call it a night.
http://www.pokersyte.com/omaha_hilo.htm
So Charliefish takes his place at the table with various local sharks. Chief of which is Mel Juda, sat directly opposite me. My table happened to be close to the rail and I was sat nearest to the spectators. Now when it comes to hold'em, I can look at my cards once and then put them down quickly. However for Omaha you get four cards so it is difficult to avoid the railbirds seeing them. I do hope the spectators did not try to learn anything from my play...
We started with 4,000 chips with blinds of 25/50 and since it was fixed limit I was able to avoid doing anything too foolish at the start.
Now for the hard core hi lo players amongst you, it is a well known fact that you want to avoid being "quartered" - that is, sharing the low pot. Well when we got to the first break yours truly had been quartered twice and I was down to 2,500 in chips - confirming my fish status for all to see.
After the break I had the pleasure of playing a pot with Mel Juda. He raised my big blind and I decided to call with JJ56 (sorry Gareth). The flop was Q95 so I bet out and he folded - one for the minnows.
Things were starting to get desperate and I ended up winning one pot with "the worst low I have ever seen" to quote the dealer (my 8764A beating an 8765A). I was down to about 1,500 chips when I picked up A244 and called 2 limpers from the small blind. The flop came 48T rainbow. I bet and got two callers. Turn is Q still rainbow so I am looking good for the scoop I bet again and get 2 callers. Last card is 9, so my low has disappeared - but luckily my trip 4's hold up and I have 4,500 in chips.
I limp along to the next break and shortly after I move tables and my chips start to dwindle away since the blinds are now 200/400. I pick up A398 in the big blind and contemplate calling a raise which had been called by the SB. However I decide not to and am gutted when the flop comes 247 and I have to watch the SB pick up the low without an Ace. The next hand I have A298 with the A2 diamonds. I call from the small blind and the flop comes 35Q with 2 diamonds. I now have a nut flush and nut low draw so I am quite happy to put in all the rest of my chips via a check raise. However the dealer produces J9 of spades and there is no low and I lose everything to a lowly pair of Queens.
I have finished 58 out of 96 which I am pretty happy with given the opposition.
Later on I enter the super satellite for the main event. This is the crazy $200 rebuy, I lose AQ vs 99 early on and rebuy. A few hands later I double up when my TT beats A9. However I then get completely stitched by the dealer. I have T6 in the BB and there are 3 callers. Flop is 59Q and we all check. Turn is T so I bet 200 and the mid position caller goes all in which will only leave me 350 chips if I call. I try to decide whether he has a Q. I decide not and call. Unfortunately he has JK for a straight. Actually on reflection I just played this hand very poorly. A few hands later I go all in with JJ vs A5 and when he hits an A I decide not to rebuy.
I then played a sit and go satellite with Kenna James sat 2 to my right. Unfortunately I did not get to play a hand against him when having called a 200 raise about 5 hands in with QKs. Flop comes K89 - he bets 400 I reraise all-in and of course he flips over AK and I am out.
However I then play a satellite to the next day's tournament. This is cheaper ($130) but only one player goes through. After a few hands we establish that 5 of the players know each other - they have come over from Perth. This makes for a fun friendly game. There is one good local player but luckily he gets knocked out early. We end up 3 way with me versus one of the Perth gang and a girl who I get the impression has been a bit heavy on the gin and tonics earlier for dutch courage.
I think I am finally getting the hand of short handed play and I am afraid I am not very chivalrous to the girl who is on my left - she keeps calling and then folding when I bet the flop. Eventually she is low on chips and when I just call from the button with 22 she decides to raise for about half her remaining stack. I reraise all-in and she calls showing A9. The 2s win and we are heads up.
My opponent from the Perth gang calls a bit too much and I have about a 4 to 1 advantage, but I lose a race when calling with 99 against his AT. After a few more rounds I steal a few and with blinds 300/600 with 15,000 in play he is down to 3000 chips after he has posted the BB. I pick up TT and decide that he is good enough to raise if I look weak so I just call. He then bets 1,500 which suggests I am well ahead. When I go all-in he is pot commited and so has to call with A6. No Ace comes so I win my seat to tomorrow's tournament and call it a night.
posted by charlie at 5:50 PM
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