Dreamcrusher?

 Of late it has been me getting my dreams crushed both in omaha cash games and hold em tournaments.  That changed dramatically on Tuesday.  I signed up online for 4/8 hi low half kill omaha at the local casino, snagging the last available seat for the 10 a.m game when they opened. Been having trouble with the app, signing up early only to find my name removed later. Got the info on how to prevent that for the future.  

So, seated early in seat 1, my second favorite, and usually occupied by "Doc", a regular among the other old guy mostly Asian regulars, I bought in for $120. That "investment" lasted over an hour until I had to reload with another hundred. When that was gone, did my last rebuy. No memorable bad beats, just a steady stream of 2nd best hands and big pots lost to the river. Suddenly my fortunes shifted with hands holding up and big pots scooped or split. With a couple of aggressive prefop raisers, most pots were over $100. Honestly, I won virtually none with miracle rivers, losing several flopped sets to runners. But, I became the champion of the big hogged pots, at one time winning back to back monsters and unable to keep up with stacking chips. Felt awesome. 

After 5 hours of play, cashed out for $817, for a $100 an hour win rate. Would have stayed longer, but no lunch and table getting short of players. Like they say, you never leave the table on a heater, but short handed omaha is not a good game with a big rake. 

Uh

Snakebit?

 Feeling rather snakebit of late as my poker journey begins again after a long hiatus.  Playing in the 4/8 high low omaha games at the Jamestown Cardroom in Arlington, WA, just could not win. Besides being too long a drive, 30+ minutes each way, it also featured a huge rake with an added player supported jackpot drop. The payout was just $50 an hour for high hand, so little chance to recover the $2/hand drop. After a few weeks of losses I switched to the Caribbean Casino 10 minutes from home.  The oh8 game had no jackpot and a half kill featured. Same results there and even worse as a regular maniac would straddle both utg and on the button.  In other positions he would raise preflop,  so it becomes a very high variance game.  Add to that the loose players who chase to the river and you have a wild game.  My back was broken one hand flopping queens full (playing Q/Q, flop was Q/9/9) and the maniac jamming on my raises with another player calling to river which was an ace. 3rd player had A/A and took the $250 pot. I ended up stuck that amount.

So, switching gears, started signing up for the $50 morning tournament instead of cash game.  It is a turbo, with 15 minute blinds, 10k starting chips, blinds at 100/200, but big blind ante kicking in round 2.  Usually runs about 3 1/2 hours, and enough players for a $1000+ first place, 5 or 6 places paid.  I have final tabled all but twice, but not making any money. Worst one was 6 handed we discussed a $250 each chop but one newby college kid would not agree, he didn't understand the randomness of ginormous antes. Sure enough, I was next out for a $75 prize.

Last tournament on Tuesday,  I had unbelievable bad luck. Raising preflop with 10/10, I am called by A/6 . Flop is 10 high with a 6, I shove, he calls, and rivers an ace. Undeterred as it was before break, I re-entered.   Just after break I have A/10 in small blind which is 400...big is 800/800 ante. I have 4300 behind and with folds to me, I shove. Big blind calls with.....ready for this?  A/6.  Flop harmless, turn no problem, river......6.  I am busted out again by same weak ace hand. If memory serves this hand also got me a couple of weeks ago vs. my Q/Q.  Sigh.

So, back in the saddle tomorrow,  trying to solve this puzzle and win some money. Will try to get back in the saddle on blogging too.

Another Royal, ho hum.

 Had a royal flush in hearts today playing PLO.  Big deal, see them fairly often.  No big pot as 9 high flush on that board tough to call.  But did get two despite no paired board for a boat.  There are often huge multiway draws with your 4 cards.  Had a straight draw, flush draw, 2 pair draw.  Hard to miss those, but always prepare for the miss or a loss even when you hit.  I have stopped putting much money in on bottom 2 pair on the flop, and even folding top when lots of action.   Usually you are up against a set and maybe drawing dead.

Two Best Omaha Pot Limit Hands

 The second hand I was dealt on a new table, I have Q/J/x/x suited spades under the gun. Easy fold.  Flop comes A/K/x spades.  Rutrow.  Betting, calling multiple players.  Turn, brick.  More betting and calling. River, you guessed it,  10 of spades.   Folded the royal in a large pot.

Later, playing small suited cards I river the 5 high straight flush, steel wheel.  River bet small, no callers.

Triple Gutter

 My first poker post in a very long time.  Don't feel the love with play money onl,ine stuff, but a hand came up the other day that made me think nostalgically about my old poker friend "Triple Gutter".  He was a Crazy Moose casino regular, a good guy and fun to play with.  He was a trucker so not always in town.  He got his nickname while drinking once during a game and swore that he had to draw because he had a triple gutshot straight draw.  In other words, 3 cards would give him a straight.  This is not possible in hold em, so very funny.  He had a jacket embroidered with the name.  Sadly, he passed away a few years ago after a short illness.

So, playing some omaha this week, this hand came up.  I am playing a 4/7/10/J when the board of 3/6/9 turns a king.  So, a 5 gives me a straight to the 7.  An 8 gives me a 10 high straight, while a queen makes the king high straight.  In other words, a triple gunshot draw.  RIP, Triple Gutter.

No poker

I am saving a fortune by not plaing poker!!!   May never play again.  Except online of course.

Jamestown Saloon Poker

Last Saturday I journeyed up to Arlington to try the new poker room which had opened the day before.  Started by James, a fellow omaha devotee from the Tulalip game, he had worked for 3 months to get it going.  Unimpressive from the outside, it looked like a biker bar so i entered with some trepidation.   It was attractive inside with cowboy decorations and i was treated to a quick tour by James.  You entered the separate poker room through swinging saloon doors and it was as nice as any i have seen, with new tables and comfortable office type chairs.  I was warmly greeted by the familiar faces of the old Tulalip dealers.  An Omaha game started quickly afterwards, and by the time I left 3 hours later, 3 games were going. 

It was the usual suspects in my game.  I had forgotten how bad some of them played.  There were the people who never met a hand they didn't like, the donk bettors who bet their straights on flush boards, called with small flushes, chased lows with only one low on flop, etc.  I left with only $7 in sugar but several were down $200 or so.  The rake is so hard to beat in this game, with also a player supported jackpot, so $7 was leaving almost every hand.

You win with your crap

Yesterday was a monumentally bad poker day.  Sitting next to Tom, a friendly regular we commiserated that we had to lose a rack just to warm up.  We were both quickly rebuying.  Things got much worse as i got involved in big pots only to lose to long shots on the river.  Twice i flopped top set (aces) but lost to straights.  Got a big pot going with set over set, he had jacks, vs. my queens.  Aces hung in to the river where he hit his two outer.

Two memorable losses were a flop of 5/5/A, me playing A/2/4/5 which incidentally is one of the very best starting hands in OH8.  With 3 of us in the hand, the turn brought an 8, giving me the flopped boat full house plus 2nd nut low.  Betting was capped.  River didnt change anything and i lost both high and low.  One player had A/A for the Big full house, while the other had 2/3 nut low.  Unbelievable, but not as much as another big pot where I have A/A/2/x, and 4 way action with capped streets, I fully expect a possible "quartering" where I split the low with improbably another hand of A/2, but did not expect this showdown.  One player with A/2/2, another with The case ace and case 2!!!!  WTF!!!!  We chop low 3 ways, losing big to the high hand.  I have only seen this once before.

So, back to the title of this blog.  Brett, a very savvy player who has become a new poker buddy told me from across the table, " I see how you roll, Phil, you lose with your great hands and win with your crap".  Guess I should have played more crap as my premium hands cost me dearly.  Problem is, I usually only play good starting hands.

Take one off dammit!

Playing Omaha Monday I was in a hand with K/J of clubs.  The flop was not connected, one club, the ace, a 9 and maybe a 3.  I had no low draw so I folded to a bet.  The turn was the queen of clubs, then the river 10 of clubs.  Oh no, I folded a royal flush during the Monte Carlo time.  It paid $499.  What was crazier was a royal earlier during $50 High hands, and a queen high straight flush next to me worth $100.  Big hands.

On a sad note, a 95 year old regular had a stroke at our game the day before.  No information on his condition.  I wish him well but don't think we will see him again.

A new poker room will be opening this month, Jamestown Saloon.  It was started by one of the regulars in my old Tulalip game after they closed.  It is located just off I-5 in Arlington, about a 40 minute drive for me.  I don't anticipate playing there much, but will definitely try it out and reconnect with some of the guys.  If you are around here, check it out.  www.Jamestownsaloon.com.

Subbing

When my wife substitute teaches it is poker time for me.  So, with 2 subs lined up this week, game on.  Except felt lousy Monday so no go.  Tuesday played for 3 hours with an $85. win.  Great.  Then another sub called for Wednesday.  Awesome.  But granddaughter sick, I am the caregiver.  Oh well.  So as a make up I play today.  Good luck prevails, I crush the game and win $274 in 4 hours, wisely leaving at the end of my heater.

I enjoyed sitting next to a guy that I have been next to several times before.  We talk some poker, share hands that the other isn't in and commiserate on the many bad beats.  Trust me, there are many in Omaha.  I won a big pot today where he claimed 30 outs with 2 flush draws,  straight draws and nut low draw.  Probably caught the only card in the deck that wouldn't help him.  But that is the nature of the beast.

My most frustrating hand came on Tuesday when the button on my immediate right uncharacteristically for him raised preflop.  He is a super tight regular who always shows the nuts on the river, so I immediately knew he had AA23, probably double suited.  I threw away my small blind of Q986 double suited, a hand I will always complete with for $2.  The half hour high hand was in play for $50, and with 2 callers the flop came out QQQ.  Check to raiser, bet, folds, high hand QQQAA.  Double shit.  As luck would have it, didn't hold up, but my quads sure would have.

A quick observation.  It is weird how 2nd nut flushes and 2nd nut lows often lose, while bad flushes and ragged lows win fairly often.  I make a real effort to only chase the nuts but sometimes you get sucked in by sheer pot odds.  My experience tells me that it is usually better to pay off a river bet and lose $8 rather than forfeit an entire pot.  The key is correctly guessing whether the bettor is going high or low, even then it his pot luck and you can often be tricked by the player betting draws.

Rookies

Omaha hi low is not a game for rookies.  Today we had two at our table.  They literally did not know how to play.  For example, the worst one was calling a hi low board with no low and a small pair, or later thinking he had a flush because there were 4 of a suit on the board and he had one in his hand.  He was bleeding money mostly to one expert regular.  He must have lost $700 plus.  Unfortunately i could not connect with the board even with super premium hands so no chips for me.  After making a grand total of $5 in 5 hours of play yesrerday, lost $170. Today.  Sigh.  

Two Days Two Dollars

It is sometimes very tough to win money playing Omaha hi low due to the many split pots.   Monday in a 4 hour session won $52.  Today, lost $50 despite collecting two $50 high hands (quad 8s and queen high straight flush).  Won a few giant pots but lost several with lots of bets invested.  In the half kill 4/8, it is possible to lose 24 + 24 + 48 +48 for a total of $144 on a single hand, even 6 more if straddled.  Of course, i have seldom been in a maxed pot to the river, and if so usually claim some of it.  If my monster draw or big made hand had held up on a couple of pots today would have been a big winner.  Alas.  My last hand had a preflop monster of A/K/K/Q double suited in a jammed pot with the flush draw and overpair.  A small flop and river 4 which missed me brought a straight and a low.  Left with my 2nd high hand $50 in my pocket for a 2 day net win of $2.

Steel Wheel? Monte Carlo bonus denied.

Playing in the Red Dragon 4/8 Omaha game this week, an old gent turned over the holy grail of Omaha, the "Steel wheel", A/2/3/4/5 of spades to evidently scoop the pot.  But wait, he is playing 5 cards!  The floor is called, rules a misdeal, all money is refunded to all players in the pot, which also requires the retrieval of the rake.  Took a few minutes to sort it out.  I have only seen a few steel wheels, and never had one, even in thousands of online games.  My royal flush results much better, usually one or 2 every year.  I don't really understand why, as normally any suited cards 5 and under are usually playable, with of course A/2 and A/3 nearly always played.

Had two high hands on the board which pay $75, but both knocked off with minutes to go.  It would have changed a slight loss to a break even or win day if they held up.  As it was, turned around a 3.5x buy in loss day to just a 3/4 buy in loss.  I can live with it.  Still adjusting to the new venue and players.  A reasonable game, sometimes wild but generally not.  

Catching Up

So, long time no posts.  What gives?  After my go-to casino closed it's poker room I quit playing until Pendleton.  It was a good trip for me, with a couple of winning cash sessions, a turbo win, and 25th out of 370 in the seniors.  Not super profitable but o.k. 

Back in the Omaha high low saddle trying Fortune poker room in Renton with one good win, one small loss and one medium loss,  overall a break even.  The drive is long, around 40 minutes each way down the dreaded 405, so may not be back soon.  Tried the Red Dragon, much closer and had a great day, about $300 profit in 4 hours.  Will probably call that home.

Wanted to reflect on yesterday's bad game for a moment.  A super loose and aggressive player raised every hand.  He caused a lot of variance and naturally left stuck $500 or so.  These players a.k.a. maniacs are tough.   They create giant protected pots in limit games (this one was 4/8 Full kill, so often it was 8/16).  If you call the initial raise with multiple players the pot becomes so huge you cannot fold draws or marginal made hands like 2nd nut low, 2 pair, weak flushes, sucker straights,etc.  Very expensive when you miss but big payoff when you hit.  I won a  big pot with ace high when we got heads up one time!!! Despite my reasonably tight play couldn't catch a break often even with super premium hands.  Some days are like that.  When faced with a maniac best to tighten up and ramp up your own aggression, re-raising to hopefully isolate.

Sometimes you should hold your nose and pay them off

After a great winning session on Sunday, hitting three high hands in a row (quad 8's, quad 10's, aces full), worth $150 each, I played Tuesday and frankly played horrible.  Getting there late was on the 2nd table and it was pretty miserable.  A gambler raised and straddled every pot, creating some big ones, but couldn't win many.  I kind of pride myself on good big laydowns as when I flopped quads and folded (correctly) on the river.  That, unfortunately came back to bite me when a similar situation happened.  It was in a big preflop pot playing K/K.  Flop came down J/4/K with 2 clubs.  It was bet and called in several spots.  Turn was another 4.  With the nut full house, when it was bet, I raised, and 2 people called, including my quad nemesis, 90 year old Dick.  The river was another 4.  First action checked, i checked, Dick bet, 1st player called, I folded saying, "did it to me again, Dick" .  He surprisingly turns over 10/10 for 4's full of 10's.  The other player turns over A/A for the win with the bigger underfull.  If that wasn't bad enough, my hand would have taken the $100 high hand as well.

So, by folding on the river in a big pot, I leave myself vulnerable to bluffs as well as donk bets.  Failing to pay $8 cost me over $200.  Sometimes you just have to make a bad call.  I could cite other poorly played hands but overall a $100 loss and lesson learned.

The poker room closes forever today at Tulalip.  I will miss it but expect to run into a few of the other players at various locations.   One of the guys wants to open a poker room up North but even if it happens not sure I would want to play there.  

Last Tulalip Tournament

As the poker room prepares to close forever I used my $20 free play to enter one last tournament.   I added on $5 to get the extra chips and sat down at seat 8 table 12 to play.  A lady at the table began talking about a bounty on one of the regulars but I didn't really listen closely.  He is a wild man and started winning immediately, showing one huge bluff and winning with random unsuited or unconnected cards.  He got hit hard by the guy next to me then I got him all in with his KQ vs my AK.  A few minutes later I am passed $10 by the lady.  I had to ask what it was for.  Probably would have returned it but she got sticky with A9 vs my K10 on a K/9/x flop.  The turn was a 10 giving me 2 pair and she called my large bet.  River? Ace of course.  I went from 2nd chip leader to starting stack. 

My cards ran hot with aces and kings, also folding several hands that would have eliminated multiple players.  As it was I stacked at least 4.   Like I say running good until a table change and the dealer who dealt me quads only to lose to bigger quads.  I joked with Mark, who really is a good guy and a friend and said I should sit out during his deal.  If only I had.  A few hands into it, I get A/A.  With several limpers I raised the 600 big blind to 2,000.  One caller.  Flop comes K/9/x with 2 diamonds, I have the ace of diamonds.  He bets enough to put me all in, I call.  He has pocket 9's for a set, thanks again Mark, I go out in 16th place.

So, I end up with a $5 profit and head to the lunch buffet to use some comp money.  

Card Protectors

I want to share with you my favorite card protectors.  While I usually don't use these, preferring to just throw a chip on my cards, I have used all of these and have a story behind each of them.

This was one of my first ones.  I like it for the message, energized! Plus it can move on its own, entertaining!!!!

This is Ganesh, the Hindu god of removing obstacles and deva of intellect and wisdom, something's needed in your poker game. I bought this from a roadside vendor in India 8 years ago, probably overpaid.

This is my sentimental favorite.  It is actually the second one given to me by my poker buddy and most loyal blog follower, Lynne (seven dewey).  She gave me the first a few weeks after I checked my straight to her on the turn then she bet into me heads up on the river when she improved.  Bad girl, lol.  It has 2 queens on it, my particular problem hand, more on that later.

So, this is the reverse side of the coin, which I see is hard to read.  It says, "To Dr Phil Do Not Lose This From 7Dewey ".  I lost the first one in Vegas and had to admit that when she asked why I wasn't using it.  The first time I used the new one, I added it to my cards after they had been dealt as an afterthought.  When I looked at them, unbelievably it was pocket queens.  As if that wasn't enough,  made quads on the hand.  Wow!  Thanks again Dewey.

This is a recent one from the soon to be closed Tulalip poker room.  It is a spinner and got it for hitting a royal flush.

Sorry about the photo angles, but this one is from a poker friend's birthday party.  Scott's sister had a bunch of these poker chips made as favors at the party/poker tournament at the Tsunami Restaurant in Wheeler, Oregon.  I was overserved before the game at the open bar and went all in without looking at my cards but lost to pocket  kings that got stubborn.  I then suggested we allow rebuys which was agreed to.  Ended up cashing, sweet.  Was a great theme party.

I picked up this one at the first World Series I attended, well, really just visited.  Was in Vegas with my old friend Bob Pischel who had scored some free nights at Caesars Palace.  I could see the Rio from our room so decided to walk there in 110 degree heat, nearly passing out.  Scored the protector from a vendor table.

This is from my most recent trip to Vegas.   It is a foil covered chocolate candy given to me by my 7 year old granddaughter.  She saw this box of them and talked her mom into buying them.  I passed out most of them at the poker games I played.

I have many more, sort of a collection.  Would like to say some are lucky, but have not found that to be the case.  We are all a little superstitious so maybe they can bring luck but at least prevent accidental mucking.

Mini Heater

On somewhat of a heater in omaha8.  Also small, $100, win in 3-300 game.  4 winning sessions in a row, including a couple of high hand bonuses.  Sadly, my favorite poker room is closing at end of month.   They are spicing up Monte Carlos to give away all the player supported jackpot money .  There is a 250 hot seat every half hour on sunday and Tuesday.   Managed to luck out on one.  Will miss Tulalip games and people there but some will transition to Red Dragon which i m not that happy to play at.

Looking at schedule for Pendleton next month.  Gotta commit soon.  Lots of Oregon poker buddies going plus get to see tri city friends as well.

No Love

Continuing my tournament cold streak today was seated at a particularly bad table.  Small turnout, around 30 players with 3 empty seats on my table.  I was dismayed to see a late arrival of a guy who I particularly dislike.  He is a very good tournament player who has won the Wildhorse main event fairly recently, maybe 2018.  He knocked me out of a tournament last year after I failed to call his big bluff (which he showed), losing a bunch of chips, but then losing the rest of them to a real hand.  Also played omaha8 tournament and cash games where be is unpredictable, aggressive.  Two other aggressive young guns were seated to my left, and another to my right.  Yikes.  If I limped small blind, they raised , if I raised in position on button or cutoff, they called then bet big after the flop.  I was definitely between a rock and a hard place and relieved when I got sent to another table with a short stack.  The other table was better, and I got it in bad with A/K suited and called by a shorter stack with K/K.  It is true that they are ace magnets as I hit one to almost double up.  Down to 11 players on the final table bubble I shoved 4 big blinds with K/6 suited on the button.  Called from big blind by A/9 off, I hit a king on the flop.  However an ace on the turn sent me home empty handed.

Lesson learned? I dunno,  maybe I need to be either more or less patient.  In a turbo, there is little reward for waiting and more benefit from aggression.  Also I need to listen to my gut sometimes as I folded 2 hands that I wanted to play hard but folded.  Would have tripled up on both.  Sometimes that instinct is vital.

Snatching Defeat

After a nice run for several hours in the oh8 game, up a couple of hundred and one high hand money, disaster struck when new aggressive players sat down, raising often and getting lucky.  Finally escaped with small (one pot) loss.

Playing a couple of Turbosthis week, no luck there, losing my $20 bounty chips in 2 hands, the first calling a shove from small blind into my big blind with K/6 suited.  He had been raising light a lot so called with A/2. He hit a 6 to double up.  6's were my downfall as I shoved next hand with Q/J suited and called by big blind with 6/6.  Flop came down J/10/9 for top pair plus open end straight draw.  The turn a brick and he hits his 2 outer 6 on the river.  Ouch.  Went out in 16th place out of 35 players.

Cash game o.k., stuck to 3/6 limit and made $8 plus a free lunch.  Really need to play the 3/300 spread to make any money, mostly play the little game for the juicy Monte carlos.