Monday, October 4, 2010

Why can't these hands hit when I am playing higher stakes?

When I am playing PLO8 cash I generally play 12-15 tables at a time. Unfortunately, since it is such a niche game there are generally only 3 or 4 tables at .50/1.00 6-max, 5 or 6 .25/.50 6-max and 8-10 at .10/.25 6-max, even less during off hours. I don't play No-Limit Omaha 8 much nor do I play much full ring PLO8 (9 handed). Compare this to No-Limit Holdem and you will find 25-30 tables at a minimum running at any given time on Poker Stars at each level. Even PLO (High only) has many tables to pick from at each level.

Therefore, in order to get all my tables going I play across all of these stakes (with an occasional $1/$2 table thrown in if the table is "good"). Obviously the higher the limits you play the more solid winning players you will bump in to. In addition, since PLO8 is such a specialized game there are more regulars infiltrating the games at .25/.50 and above. Not all are good but are regulars nonetheless. I don't really want to play .10/.25 stakes but they round out my tables and actually the play is so abysmal that a decent win rate at these tables is possible without a lot of effort. I know of one Poker Stars player who makes ~2k a month only playing .10/.25 and .25/.50 PLO8.

So the other evening I was playing my normal number of tables when a big hand popped up for me on the turn:

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - 5 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

BB: $19.04
UTG: $8.75
CO: $10.55
Hero (BTN): $12.53
SB: $14.22

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with A 4 J Q
UTG calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, BB checks

Flop: ($1.00) 2 T 6 (4 players)
SB bets $0.50, BB calls $0.50, UTG raises to $1.50, Hero calls $1.50, SB calls $1, BB calls $1

Turn: ($7.00) K (4 players)
SB bets $6.66, BB calls $6.66, UTG raises to $7 all in, Hero raises to $10.78 all in, SB calls $4.12, BB calls $4.12

River: ($46.34) J (4 players - 2 are all in)
SB bets $1.69 all in, BB folds

Final Pot: $46.34
UTG shows 6 2 J Q (HI: two pair, Jacks and Sixes)
Hero shows A 4 J Q (HI: a flush, Ace high)
SB shows T K 8 A (HI: a flush, King high)
Hero wins $11.07
Hero wins $33.27
(Rake: $2.00)

On the turn I have about 42% equity in a 4 way all in pot. For those non-statisticians out there this is a VERY favorable situation. In layman's terms, if I told you you and 3 others could each put .25c into a hat for a total of $1.00 and that depending on the results of some random event you would receive you would receive .42c of that $1.00 on average if this random event occurred over a significant number of times. Everyone would take that deal every time. Well that is the object of playing poker cash games. Get your money in with favorable odds and see what happens. In this case, I hit a gin card and scooped a nearly 200bb pot. (In case you aren't a poker player, I am assured the high with any diamond, I get the low with any non A or 4 card of 8 or lower, I make the nut str8 with any 9, J, Q or A. So in the PLO8 lingo I have 9 diamonds which are probable scoop cards, 9 cards to scoop with the straight and 12 cards make the best low for me as well for half of the pot. Basically any card in the deck other than a paired board or a 4 and I am dragging at least part of the pot.)

But the question is: why couldn't this have happened at a .50/1.00 table for a ~$200ish pot??? Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

2 comments:

The Poker Meister said...

Brian-

For whatever reason, I cannot seem to subscribe to your blog. It points me to pocketfives' blogs. Can you set up your blog such that I can subscribe in my RSS reader?

Thanks.

The Poker Meister said...

RSS now works with your blog! Thanks!