You Decide #67
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Well, I guess it is some success.
Last night, I played the 9:15 $26 PL Omaha MTT on Full Tilt and successfully made the money before busting right after the bubble broke. It was nice to cash instead of bubble, especially since I did not whole heartedly tighten up at bubble time. That said, I was the short stack from about 50 players left until about 30 players were left with 27 paying, at which point I was able to pick up some chips lifting me to 20 at my peak, and 23rd or so before this fateful hand occurred.
What I am really curious about is whether I need to slow down my betting in these late stages, near or immediately after the bubble. Did I play this hand correctly or would I have been better off being more conservative when its time to climb that money ladder? I think the money started increasing when we reached 24 players. 27-25th only paid out a little more than $10 above the buy-in.
You Decide #67
The blinds are 600/1200, and there are 27 players left, teh bubble having burst no more than three hands before this altercation. I have 14,612, good for around 23 or 24, I think. The shortest stack at our table has 7,202 and there are two stacks with less than 1k less than me, but everyone else has me covered.
I am in the cutoff (one spot to the right of the button) and am dealt Ah As 8d 4h. A player in middle position, RedDelicious (almost 34k in chips), limps for 1,200. It folds to me and I pot it for 5,400, over 1/3 of my stack. Everyone else folds and RedDelicious calls.
The flop is Th 9c 3h, giving me the nut flush draw and my lonely pair of Aces. Overall though, heads-up, I thought this was a good flop. RedDelicious checked and I pushed all-in. He called with Ad Ks Qs 9s, in other words, middle pair of 9s. The turn was a Jack of spades and the river was a King of diamonds, earning him the turned straight and my stack.
Let's just lay this out there. I got my money in good, and many people say that if you have Aces in PLO High, you should raise big preflop. But do those things matter as much when you are playing a draw-heavy game like tournament PL Omaha Hi (where the play is even looser) and you are climbing the money ladder.
On a related note, Astin played the same tourney and cashed. He was in good shape when I busted, so I hope he ended with a nice score.
Until next time, make mine poker!
posted by Jordan @ 12:19 AM,
5 Comments:
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At 2:22 PM,
SirFWALGMan said...
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Never thought I would say this but I think you played that hand fine. What else can you do. Unfortunately PLO is very streaky and it can be hard to win. Good job cashing.
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At 2:57 PM,
said...
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Looking at either hand, I just can't help but think "Boy, they must have been post-bubble happy".
First, I think the villain was absolutely nuts. Your pre-flop raise screams high pocket pair, and probably 2 pairs. Maybe I call double-suited with a single pocket pair, but with no pocket pairs and a single suit, he should have mucked. At the flop, he's got a gutshot draw, but 1 of his jacks makes the flush so it's a 3-outer. OTOH, your hand could have made the trips, or a TT or higher, which takes more of his outs. AAJJ in your hand is a real possibility, which leaves him practically dead. He should have folded your all-in.
That said, I think you overbet this hand a bit. You are single-suited and single-paired with low undercards. The pot bet isn't high enough to force him all-in, but it makes you nearly pot-committed on the flop. Since he's covering you, he's almost priced into a call with any hand strong enough to make the limp-in in the first place. I would have flat called the limp.
(I think if he raises pre-flop, then you can re-raise. His raise gives you a big enough pot so that you can generate fold equity with a pot re-raise. I don't think RedDelicious will take the equity and run, but most other villians would.)
Post-flop, you could face a lot of problems. He could have the T, 9, or 3 set, and you're 30%. xxT9, xx93, or xxT3, and you're only 50/50. I don't see the check-call coming at all, but instead a check-fold or check-raise. I would be tempted to flat call and hope for some improvement, but a min-raise would have also worked to test the waters without pot-committing you.
Fundamentally, you've got 1 pair and a flush draw. You don't have much strength, and most draws don't improve your hand. In this case, you just happened across a villain with a weaker hand who then luckboxed his 3 outer into a straight.
I think you had enough M to wait for a stronger place to fight. -
At 3:24 PM,
Mike Heffner said...
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This is a level, right?
Big stack limps, you only have 10BB, no way are you limping behind with AA single suited and let the three guys behind you get in cheap for a multiway pot.
You have position to isolate and take a flop heads up against a big stack who has to hit reasonably hard to continue postflop.
Yeah, he knows you probably have AAxx. But you know he probably has jackshit, wants to see a cheap flop and spike a draw or two pair.
I can see overlimping only if you are sure some aggro behind you is going to pop it so you can backraise/shove when it comes back around to you.
If I'm 23 of 27, I'm looking to double through and really do some damage or bounce, not cockroach up one more pay slot. -
At 3:37 PM,
Astin said...
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I finished 10th for a whopping $75 cash. Money, as usual, jumped at the final table.
Got my money in good on the flop, and of course the uber-LAG chipleader at the table gets his card on the river. I had no regrets.
And neither should you. That game has absolutely TERRIBLE play, and with the nut flush draw and overpair to the board HU after the bubble, you have to commit. I find in a game as draw and donkey heavy as the 5k, that trick plays will just get you knocked out because you can't bluff calling stations. -
At 1:22 PM,
Pokerwolf said...
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I'm with Heffmike and Astin. Get your chips in as fast as possible. You have the best pair and the nut flush draw. Based on the money ladder, the only way you're getting more cash is to get more chips. You did fine.
I agree with Kentucky Packrat about the Villians' play, but I can't see folding and waiting for a "better spot" with this payout structure and your stack.
