Good Play...Bad Play!

I just started playing Omaha High this past week, and it can be a very addicting game to play. The math involved is ridiculous if not overwhelming (especially for me!). I find that the similarities of the games help in simplifying the thought process or "slow down" the Texas Hold'em game for me. This is probably not the case with most players, but I typically look differently at things.

Enough about Omaha for now....


Tuesday Night FreeRoll!!!

So I decide to meetup with a buddy of mine for the FreeRoll at Big Daddy's in Fayetteville. It's a pretty good game with some solid players. You get some odd play sometimes because it is a freeroll.

My buddy Jim (names changed to protect the innocent) shows up and starts playing pretty hard right off the bat. I determine that tonight I am going to work on concentrating on focus and pot to bet ratios. I am fortunately sitting next to an obnoxiously loud female on my right, and a mumbler on my left. I can't hear very well so I don't know which is worse for me. I can tune out loud noises pretty easily, but since I can't hear anything the mumblers require an additional feat of attention which really annoys me - especially in loud places.

OK...so I am setup pretty well for my learning engagement. I determine that I am going to play solid at least for the first hour, and then play silly and loose during the second hour. The reason for it is to have wild swings in my game so I can find my balance.

Within the first 20 minutes, Jim is out. Really bad play on his part...and he was trying! He came in 5th a couple of weeks ago on some pretty crazy races which gave him a misconcieved sense of accomplishment.

Two hands after Jim leaves the table, I catch QQ. I bet hard in LP and SB raises me. I push all-in and SB calls and shows JJ. The board is nice to me and I double up. Two hands later I double up with two pair. Three hands later I double up again with two pair. Next hand I win the pot with ...you guessed it, two pair! After I fold a few hand I get KJ and push all-in against 88. I catch a King on the flop and put him out.

Then comes the break....

Although I would love to keep working on my winning streak, my purpose after the break was to push around the other players with very loose and aggressive play. I find that this is also a very good way to find tells in other players. Doyle Brunson says in his Super System book that you want to always try to get the other player to play for all of his chips. That was my intention.

Blinds are 100/200. I wait a few hands in to start when I finally catch a 9h10d. I push hard with T1000 bet. No one calls and I steal the blinds.

Next hand I get J7 suited in clubs and I bet T1000. Button and BB calls the 1000 chip raise and SB folds. Flop comes 3/10/7. BB checks and I bet T2500. Button folds and BB calls. Turn brings a Jack and BB with about 2000 chips left checks and I bet 1500. He pushes all-in and shows KK. I call and show my two pair and he doesn't get any help on the river. The guy was out and came over and shook my hand and said that this was the best poker he had seen in a while.

No offense, but it must not take much to impress some people.

Next two hands I am dealt 84o. Twice in a row!

Third hand comes J3 in the BB and I raise to T1000. Folds to the dealer and she calls. Flop comes AA3. I bet T2500 and she folds. Seems like an easy hand, but dealer was the aforementioned obnoxious woman and she couldn't make up her mind whether to talk on the phone with her friend or play cards. She was extremely lucky in about 6 hands that kept her in the tourney. Blinds are now 200/400

Once around the table and I am dealt 1010red in the SB. Limpers to me and I raise to T2000. I am watching the reactions at the table and see the frustration. One caller in MP and the dealer calls. Flop comes AKJ rainbow. I bet T2500 and MP folds. Dealer is watching American Idol on the big screen TV 20' away and we have to nudge her to play. She raises to T5000.

I have about 2500 more in chips than she does, so I push all-in knowing that I am way behind in the hand and she shows KJ. See what I mean about lucky? I don't get any love in the turn or river and I lose the hand. No problem.

My concentration is not shaken, nor is my poise. I am trying to focus on the hand and how I could have played it and then focus on the the next hand. AJ and I am the dealer.

Three callers and I push all-in. BB calls with A8. He catches an 8 on the turn and takes the hand. Everyone attributed my loss to Tilt, but I had other aspiriations in mind.

The guy in the BB made a sarcastic statement about my play and I just blew him off.

Since I was in this for the learning opportunity, I feel that I was very successful. I am strategically working toward getting competant with a tight aggressive game.