H-bomb exPLOdes - part1

I was out so early from the tournament on Saturday night that I actually could have travelled back to Bedford on the same night. An unusual predicament.

I did what I had to do, and ordered the excellent sausage and mash whilst I waited for a seat to open up at the PLO £1-2 game. Allegedly it had been in continuous action for 4 days. This was plainly impossible since the club was not open on 1st January, but I didn't like to point out this obvious falsehood because those who had been playing it probably earnestly believed it HAD been 4 days. Poker and time operate in a very strange way at the best of times.

It's funny to think that this time last year, or even 6 months ago, it would have taken some arm-twisting to get me in a PLO game. I was always open to a bit of cajoling, but PLO was solidly my second choice.

Now, my conversion to the 4-card madness is pretty much total. I scarcely play Hold'em online or live (except in tournaments of course - I doubt PLO will make much inroads there).

The improvement in my PLO game in the last 3 months far exceeds my total improvement in NLH since I started playing in 2004. I would not say I was a good player, but I am dramatically less horrendous than I was !

I now expect to win when I sit down. This doesn't mean I will, of course, and I am certainly still a net loser since I started (albeit my recent live record is not bad). But whereas when I used to play I knew it was a matter of time before I lost the lot, now I see a big loss as an interim position to an ultimate positive score. Again, I don't claim this perception is matched by reality !

I had a quick look at the table whilst I was waiting. Some of the stacks very pretty deep - £1,000+ in chips. Scottish Rob's stack was deep AND wide - he had it laid out in a very long line from his extreme left to his extreme right. Obviously this meant something.

As is often the case, no one professed to be winning (but all hoped to be on the way back). There does seem to be some inverse correlation between the amount won and the amount of time spent in the game.

I pulled up £300 - I started the night with an even £1k so after the FO, I had about £900 in mind as my ammo. I am never sure what the best approach is - £50 is the minimum buy in (theoretically) but that is plainly too little. To bring the full £900 into play would not have been crazy given some of the other stacks, but the possibility of disappearing the whole lot in one monster pot did not appeal.

£300 seemed about right. I agreed with myself to play pretty tight to be begin with, and so it began as I got a feel for the game. I was laying down for only £20 pre-flop for goodness sake !

So, I laid down 552K preflop to only a £23 re-pot of the straddle, only to see the flop come 522 and action kick off. Then I laid down 9963ss to the same pre-flop action. The flop was 977 and JJ Hazan came out firing. Two double-ups passed me by right there...

So, when I picked up a pretty pocket Queens hand (KQQ8 with diamonds), I had a plan. There were like 4 limpers to me. I made it £6. This was called everywhere until it came back to Jude on my immediate right. He now made it £54.

Well, limp-repot almost announces Aces you may say. I agree, but (i) I have a nice hand (ii) I don't have an Ace in my hand and (iii) it was Jude fgs. Only one move imo. Upstairs. £200 to go. This should shake'em out and get my KQQ8 headsup against his obvious 7653.

Nope. Siddiq moved all in behind me (for £268 total). JJ and Anton (both £500 deep behind) called and so did Jude (all in). I put in the extra chips (it's an under-raise by Siddiq so I have £38 left).

So - £6 becomes like £1,300+

I put in my last £38 blind, and on the KT7 board, JJ raises Anton out.

I have top pair with a backdoor straight and flush. However, I am in bad shape as JJ has the other two Kings for top set. Siddiq also has a set (of Tens). Jude had Aces (after all). So, just a small matter of Aces vs kings vs Queens and the rest ...

JJ scoops (I made a four flush, but no further). Then, he picked up his stack and called it a night ! I would never do that, but guess who is actually a profitable player !?

Hmm .... well, you never expect the first buy-in to do the trick do you ?