OK, So a bit of an update. A couple of nights back I had a shocking multi-table session playing PLO $20 at Cake and PLO50 @ Pacific

At Cake I had 3 rivers which paired the board putting my nut straight or flush in jeopardy. Each time, I had built a huge pot with the best hand and my stack was paltry compared to the pot at the river. When the board paired I checked each time and villain pot bets which is putting me all in. Based on pot odds I called every time and got stacked 3 times. I then went on tilt and lost a table roll at Pacific too after a flopped the nut straight, slow played (dumb) the turn paired the board and I got it all in drawing dead.

Point of this is not about tilt (but it was interesting to examine my emotions after the session to know that’s where I was - its a pretty rare thing for me). There are 2 things I learned from this session.

Firstly, suckouts are possible at PLO, and I’m fine with that, they are rarer than Holdem though in my limited experience.

Secondly (and by far more importantly), the blocking bet has an incredibly important place in Omaha. Since people can be on so many different types of draws, there are quite alot of potential scare cards. You can be sitting on the nut straight and the river can bring that 1 over card which now makes you 2nd to nut. Due to exponential pot growth, mistakes on the river are the ones you really really want to avoid. However the pot is so large by that time, that it can be very tempting to see whether your second to nut hand is good or not for just another $20. Problem is, that that final river bet is maybe 20 to 30 big blinds and mistakes of that order are really really bad for BB/100 WRs.

So my solution has been to throw out a blocking bet on the river when first to act in these situations. If I am popped I am now almost certain 2nd to nuts is a sucker hand that I can fold. When in Position and I am facing a pot sized bet on the river, its a little harder to respond to (ironically), but a full pot bet on the river mostly means the nuts it seems (without profiling to the contrary).

So caution as you go on the river is my new mantra.

One last thing…I have found yet another purpose for Omaha Poker….as a tournament satellite alternative Laughing

I tried to satellite into the $20K guaranteed at Pacific last night, however because I am pretty bad at SNGs, and especially bad at HU, I did not win (I was pretty unlucky actually but that’s another story). Anyhow, I enrolled in the tournament, resigned to paying $66 for my entry instead of $55, and decided to play some PLO100 while I waited. I cashed out with $236 so I paid for 2 buyins in less time than it takes to play a Sit and go satellite… Laughing Laughing

I’m not sure there is all that much logic to that approach, but I am certainly better at PLO than SNGs so I think that is how I will pay for my tournament entries from now on.

Comments are closed.