7 players per table, & each variant (4/5/6) is played for one level at a time, then we move on to the next one.
It began as 4 card, & as there were 4 Levels before the Freezepoot ended, we played 4 card, 5 card, 6 card, then 4 card again.
Personally, I think it may have been better if they ended the re-entry period with 6 card, as that is where all most of action & bust outs occur.
I've previously played 4, 5 & 6 card cash, & 4 & 5 card PLO8 Tourneys, but never a 4,5,6 PLO Tourney.
5 Card PLO8 is very popular in Vegas, where it is known as "Big O", they also have 6 card PLO8, called "Big Squeezy". But not 5 & 6 Card PLO.
The three games - 4, 5 & 6 card - all play VERY differently. I mean, what opening ranges should we consider in 6 card? Many players found it hard to pass ANY hand pre-flop, so it was Limpers City.
I decided that in 5 & 6 card I'd concentrate on run-downs, wraps & nut flush draws. One pair hands like Aces can almost NEVER win at 6 card unless we get it Heads Up & run really good, (it has to improve somehow) so I only played potential "combo hands".
4 card seemed very slow & "flat", but I changed tactics in those & played traditional PLO strategy.
Anyway, I bimbled & bombled my way to the Final.
A very close friend of mined, Ian At-It Bradley also played, & we sat next to each other most of the night, & he sat next to me in the Final, too, so that was great.
He also finalled the UKPC PLO, again sat next to me. I busted him in both too, which was rather bittersweet, especially as he was the best player at both tables.
When he first moved to my table on Friday, I had a short stack, & one eye on the clock, as I wanted to catch the last train home @ 11.36. (I ended up catching the FIRST train home next morning, lol).
It always kicks off with him, & me, as he is very aggro.
So I warned him "don't do it Ian". He did it. Very first hand, & I'm not letting him bully me, & so we got the lot in. I had the best hand pre (just, by one spot), but he flopped two pair & I was in a world of pain. The Board runs out perfect perfect & I 2xUp. Love you Ian.....
So that means I'll miss the last train home, unless I have a big accident, & soon. And I nearly did.....
Next hand I'm dealt good aces, & Ian takes off, as per. I pot it, he calls. Groan.
It comes 3 diamonds. Let's have a peek. I have the bare ace of diamonds, no other diamonds. Hmm.
Check check. Careful, Ian is tricky.
The turn is a blank. Now he bets, & I conceive a plan to get him off with my bare ace, which is the oldest trick in the PLO book. I just flat his bet, as I would with the flopped nuts.
The river pairs the board. Uh-oh.
He bets again. I look at the time. 11.15. I can still catch that train if this goes wrong.....
Here we go.
POT!
Now Ian starts dwelling.
He says "Why did that board have to pair? I have the flush, & I KNOW you don't, but I think you have filled up".
And after what seemed a lifetime, he......folds. BOOMIO!
I had plenty, there were 2 shorties, & no need to get too busy early doors.
Chinese Timmy, a friend from way back, was short, & we could not get rid of him. He keeps raising, everyone keeps folding.
He does it again, on my BB. I have K-Q-J-10-9. I'd prefer to see an ace in my hand, but let's do it Tim, & in it goes, on their backs.
He turns his hand over, & he has me CRUSHED. He has A-K-Q-10-9.
Ship the Q-J-low-low-low Board, & I bust him. Lord knows how many outs he had with his hand when the flop came Q-J-x!
He did not seem best pleased, & flounced off in a sort of flouncy way, but he came back after he had de-steamed & wished me well.
I had an accident 4 handed, left me with 3 Bigs. Oh well, too bad, but I never give up. All 3 limp into my BB, I pot it blind. They all FOLD! What? Are you boys serious?
I start playing loopy, & pot every hand. They all fold every hand. Go figure. I'm soon chip leader, happy days. They limped EVERY hand, I Potted EVERY hand, they folded time after time. Some things cannot be explained or understood.
Eventually I get Heads Up with a nice chap.
It was 6 card. Tell me what our opening ranges should be in 6 card Heads Up PLO? There is barely a hand we can pass, so this won't last long.
I double him up first hand, lol.
We then play aggro heads up for THREE LEVELS, & the chips just kept going back & forth. Very little skill in this when it was 6 Card Head Up, as we can barely fold a hand. The key is to see flops & take it from there.
Anyway, eventually he busted me, no complaints.
Taxi to Waterloo, which was pleasantly deserted, got the 6.06, & was home for 7.30am.
Saturday & Sunday I stayed at home, too tired to move but I had 2 good sessions in the PLO8 DYM's & got August off to a flier. Finished early both nights & watched "Wild Russia", which is as good a nature documentary as you'll ever see.
Omaha is the greatest fun ever. I so wish I was a bit younger, & could look foward to 20 more years of it, but I wasted so much time playing NLH, in which I proper suck these days.
Incidentally, here's some more run good. I sold 60% of my Vegas action, so that shared the losses. And except for a 10% swap in two Events, (Chris Cox runs good) I never sold any action in the UK PLO events. Posted by Tikay10
Out of interest, do you think the sale of action had any impact on the way you played the tournaments or is the split of cash/non-cash just pure coincidence?
Great posts about the tournament itself, PLO/PLO8 always sound much fun but there very rarely seems to be (cash) games running that I can afford so have yet to really play much - especially knowing that I'll most likely lose lots in the short term!
Have tried sneaking it in on the rare occasions home games run with friends or family, but there has so far been no way to shift people away from NLH...
Apropos of nothing poker-related, but seeing today is the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of War back in 1914, I recently found out about the concept of "Thankful Villages", settlements from which all the soldiers who went to war all returned alive. There are about 50 of them known, including one in Cornwall (Herodsfoot).
In fact Herodsfoot (along with a dozen others) is termed "Doubly Thankful" as all those who served in the Second World War returned as well.
Apropos of nothing poker-related, but seeing today is the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of War back in 1914, I recently found out about the concept of "Thankful Villages", settlements from which all the soldiers who went to war all returned alive. There are about 50 of them known, including one in Cornwall (Herodsfoot). In fact Herodsfoot (along with a dozen others) is termed "Doubly Thankful" as all those who served in the Second World War returned as well. Information is from http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/thankful.htm Posted by FCHD
That's a great story, thank you.
Quite a remarkable thing that there are "Doubly Thankful" villages, though maybe not quite as remarkable that regular people from different countries were obliged to fight each other to the very death whether they liked it or not.
In Response to Re: Can an old dog learn new tricks? : Out of interest, do you think the sale of action had any impact on the way you played the tournaments or is the split of cash/non-cash just pure coincidence? Great posts about the tournament itself, PLO/PLO8 always sound much fun but there very rarely seems to be (cash) games running that I can afford so have yet to really play much - especially knowing that I'll most likely lose lots in the short term! Have tried sneaking it in on the rare occasions home games run with friends or family, but there has so far been no way to shift people away from NLH... Posted by shakinaces
Thanks, & glad you enjoyed the little stories. Live Poker creates so many little stories.
Did selling action make a difference to my Vegas play this year?
Not one iota, no. I have a little bunch of friends who buy some of my action every year I go to Vegas, for vicarious reasons really, & we all made a bit of money the 3 previous years. I felt really bad about it it this year, but it was not because I sold action. I just ran bad, & in truth, although I tried my best, I was not playing terribly well this year, I seemed to keep making bad decisions at crucial points.
In an early tourney, I made the Final with good chips, went to war with Aces, & busto'd before the money. It happens.
In a $3,000 PLO8 event, I made Day 2 with a bowl, but found A-A-2-7 almost immediately, but they got beat.
In a $600 PLO8 @ Venetian, I had mountains of chips & was set fair for Day Two, with a ton of prize money on offer. I flopped a set of Aces on a Low Board, & could not find the very obvious & standard fold. It's hard to fold a set of Aces when you are running bad!
But in the UK this year, I've just run very well indeed, as well as playing better than I did in Vegas.
Thanks again for all your posts and updates Tikay. As others have said it's one of the first things I check each morning before starting work.
I really liked your post showing your tournament buy ins this year. I think we all get given the impression that the top players (and you obviously) just win, win, win when, in reality. the big pay days - excellent and news worthy though they are - are often few and far between.
I had the pleasure of playing at the £3.30 tables a few nights ago (no £5.5 or £11 running). What a laugh they were, the only difficulty was finding time to join in with the banter in between fits of laughter and whilst trying to keep up with the tables! Great fun.
In Response to Re: Can an old dog learn new tricks? : Imber! I'm reminded that I put a horror beat on you a week or so ago. Yikes. How are things with you these days? You coming to UKPC? Posted by Tikay10
i think we are pretty even on horror beats TK - really enjoying the plo8 - used to play them ages ago then got sidetracked but it seems to be building up again nicely! - not qualified for notts but might pop in if i am at a loose end - always good for a laugh
Seems to me it is - or has been - mini-heater time. So far, played 3 sessions in August, & won all three, averaging a profit of over a quid a game, & winning 67% of all games. Won at all three levels again last night, too (£3.30, £5.50 & £11).
Won 12 of the first 15, but then had to attend to some other matters & felt my concentration was waning, so I decided to quit early after 20 games, which was 10 shy of my intended session. Hit & run merchant, me.
Needless to say, I ran pretty well last night.
No poker-playing for me tonight, I have to spend 5 hours cooped up in a windowless room with this individual. How bad do I run?
A chat box convo last night went something like this.....
"Have you seen The Lego Movie?"
"No, I've not been to the cinema for a decade or more" "Typical you, all work & no play"
I did not know where to begin with that.
Just because we like different things does not mean we are weirdos. I just don't have much interest in movies, & if I never saw another one in my life, I'd not be troubled. I'm visiting a wildlife sanctuary next week though, & I'm quite excited about that.
Meanwhile, we had a new player to the PLO8 DYM's last night, but he's not quite got the hang of the game yet. Another player had a ton of chips, so he kept telling her to "raise, go on, you have raising chips". Later he commented, "come on guys, hurry up, I'm bored".
Takes all sorts I suppose.
This whole "hurry up, faster faster" thing is all a bit odd. Poker was never designed as a race against the clock. Enjoy the journey, as the end might not be so good.
Comments
Anyway, back to that thing @ The Vic.
It was 4, 5 & 6 card PLO.
7 players per table, & each variant (4/5/6) is played for one level at a time, then we move on to the next one.
It began as 4 card, & as there were 4 Levels before the Freezepoot ended, we played 4 card, 5 card, 6 card, then 4 card again.
Personally, I think it may have been better if they ended the re-entry period with 6 card, as that is where all most of action & bust outs occur.
I've previously played 4, 5 & 6 card cash, & 4 & 5 card PLO8 Tourneys, but never a 4,5,6 PLO Tourney.
5 Card PLO8 is very popular in Vegas, where it is known as "Big O", they also have 6 card PLO8, called "Big Squeezy". But not 5 & 6 Card PLO.
The three games - 4, 5 & 6 card - all play VERY differently. I mean, what opening ranges should we consider in 6 card? Many players found it hard to pass ANY hand pre-flop, so it was Limpers City.
I decided that in 5 & 6 card I'd concentrate on run-downs, wraps & nut flush draws. One pair hands like Aces can almost NEVER win at 6 card unless we get it Heads Up & run really good, (it has to improve somehow) so I only played potential "combo hands".
4 card seemed very slow & "flat", but I changed tactics in those & played traditional PLO strategy.
Anyway, I bimbled & bombled my way to the Final.
A very close friend of mined, Ian At-It Bradley also played, & we sat next to each other most of the night, & he sat next to me in the Final, too, so that was great.
He also finalled the UKPC PLO, again sat next to me. I busted him in both too, which was rather bittersweet, especially as he was the best player at both tables.
When he first moved to my table on Friday, I had a short stack, & one eye on the clock, as I wanted to catch the last train home @ 11.36. (I ended up catching the FIRST train home next morning, lol).
It always kicks off with him, & me, as he is very aggro.
So I warned him "don't do it Ian". He did it. Very first hand, & I'm not letting him bully me, & so we got the lot in. I had the best hand pre (just, by one spot), but he flopped two pair & I was in a world of pain. The Board runs out perfect perfect & I 2xUp. Love you Ian.....
So that means I'll miss the last train home, unless I have a big accident, & soon. And I nearly did.....
Next hand I'm dealt good aces, & Ian takes off, as per. I pot it, he calls. Groan.
It comes 3 diamonds. Let's have a peek. I have the bare ace of diamonds, no other diamonds. Hmm.
Check check. Careful, Ian is tricky.
The turn is a blank. Now he bets, & I conceive a plan to get him off with my bare ace, which is the oldest trick in the PLO book. I just flat his bet, as I would with the flopped nuts.
The river pairs the board. Uh-oh.
He bets again. I look at the time. 11.15. I can still catch that train if this goes wrong.....
Here we go.
POT!
Now Ian starts dwelling.
He says "Why did that board have to pair? I have the flush, & I KNOW you don't, but I think you have filled up".
And after what seemed a lifetime, he......folds. BOOMIO!
Eventually we make the Final, 7 handed, 6 paid.
I had plenty, there were 2 shorties, & no need to get too busy early doors.
Chinese Timmy, a friend from way back, was short, & we could not get rid of him. He keeps raising, everyone keeps folding.
He does it again, on my BB. I have K-Q-J-10-9. I'd prefer to see an ace in my hand, but let's do it Tim, & in it goes, on their backs.
He turns his hand over, & he has me CRUSHED. He has A-K-Q-10-9.
Ship the Q-J-low-low-low Board, & I bust him. Lord knows how many outs he had with his hand when the flop came Q-J-x!
He did not seem best pleased, & flounced off in a sort of flouncy way, but he came back after he had de-steamed & wished me well.
I had an accident 4 handed, left me with 3 Bigs. Oh well, too bad, but I never give up. All 3 limp into my BB, I pot it blind. They all FOLD! What? Are you boys serious?
I start playing loopy, & pot every hand. They all fold every hand. Go figure. I'm soon chip leader, happy days. They limped EVERY hand, I Potted EVERY hand, they folded time after time. Some things cannot be explained or understood.
Eventually I get Heads Up with a nice chap.
It was 6 card. Tell me what our opening ranges should be in 6 card Heads Up PLO? There is barely a hand we can pass, so this won't last long.
I double him up first hand, lol.
We then play aggro heads up for THREE LEVELS, & the chips just kept going back & forth. Very little skill in this when it was 6 Card Head Up, as we can barely fold a hand. The key is to see flops & take it from there.
Anyway, eventually he busted me, no complaints.
Taxi to Waterloo, which was pleasantly deserted, got the 6.06, & was home for 7.30am.
Saturday & Sunday I stayed at home, too tired to move but I had 2 good sessions in the PLO8 DYM's & got August off to a flier. Finished early both nights & watched "Wild Russia", which is as good a nature documentary as you'll ever see.
Omaha is the greatest fun ever. I so wish I was a bit younger, & could look foward to 20 more years of it, but I wasted so much time playing NLH, in which I proper suck these days.
Anyway, thats it, back to the PLO8 DYM's.
See you tonight.
Normal service now resumed
I've replied, Simon.
Anyway, thank you for organising it again.
Great posts about the tournament itself, PLO/PLO8 always sound much fun but there very rarely seems to be (cash) games running that I can afford so have yet to really play much - especially knowing that I'll most likely lose lots in the short term!
Have tried sneaking it in on the rare occasions home games run with friends or family, but there has so far been no way to shift people away from NLH...
In fact Herodsfoot (along with a dozen others) is termed "Doubly Thankful" as all those who served in the Second World War returned as well.
Information is from http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/thankful.htm
Quite a remarkable thing that there are "Doubly Thankful" villages, though maybe not quite as remarkable that regular people from different countries were obliged to fight each other to the very death whether they liked it or not.
Did selling action make a difference to my Vegas play this year?
Not one iota, no. I have a little bunch of friends who buy some of my action every year I go to Vegas, for vicarious reasons really, & we all made a bit of money the 3 previous years. I felt really bad about it it this year, but it was not because I sold action. I just ran bad, & in truth, although I tried my best, I was not playing terribly well this year, I seemed to keep making bad decisions at crucial points.
In an early tourney, I made the Final with good chips, went to war with Aces, & busto'd before the money. It happens.
In a $3,000 PLO8 event, I made Day 2 with a bowl, but found A-A-2-7 almost immediately, but they got beat.
In a $600 PLO8 @ Venetian, I had mountains of chips & was set fair for Day Two, with a ton of prize money on offer. I flopped a set of Aces on a Low Board, & could not find the very obvious & standard fold. It's hard to fold a set of Aces when you are running bad!
But in the UK this year, I've just run very well indeed, as well as playing better than I did in Vegas.
Mostly, its just variance I think.
I really liked your post showing your tournament buy ins this year. I think we all get given the impression that the top players (and you obviously) just win, win, win when, in reality. the big pay days - excellent and news worthy though they are - are often few and far between.
I had the pleasure of playing at the £3.30 tables a few nights ago (no £5.5 or £11 running). What a laugh they were, the only difficulty was finding time to join in with the banter in between fits of laughter and whilst trying to keep up with the tables! Great fun.
4th August Daily Numbery things
Played 20
Won 14
Lost 6
£3.30, P 13, W 9, L 4
£5.50, P 6, W 4 L 2
£11, P 1, W 1, L 0
Opening Balance - £1,399.43
Closing Balance = £1,426.53
Profit/Loss on Night - £27.10
Profit/Loss on Month = £70.30
REWARD POINTS on night = 79
REWARD POINTS IN MONTH = 247 (= £2.47)
GAMES PLAYED IN MONTH = 65
GAMES WON IN MONTH = 44
JULY WIN % = 67.7%
August Profit/Loss per game = £1.08
Seems to me it is - or has been - mini-heater time. So far, played 3 sessions in August, & won all three, averaging a profit of over a quid a game, & winning 67% of all games. Won at all three levels again last night, too (£3.30, £5.50 & £11).
Won 12 of the first 15, but then had to attend to some other matters & felt my concentration was waning, so I decided to quit early after 20 games, which was 10 shy of my intended session. Hit & run merchant, me.
Needless to say, I ran pretty well last night.
No poker-playing for me tonight, I have to spend 5 hours cooped up in a windowless room with this individual. How bad do I run?
I mean, the mere SIGHT of him irritates me.
Think it's nearly time we did this again, & I put him in his place.
Was the photo of Orford photoshopped or staged? It appears he still has cards and chips and this is obviously quite unusual.
A chat box convo last night went something like this.....
"Have you seen The Lego Movie?"
"No, I've not been to the cinema for a decade or more"
"Typical you, all work & no play"
I did not know where to begin with that.
Just because we like different things does not mean we are weirdos. I just don't have much interest in movies, & if I never saw another one in my life, I'd not be troubled. I'm visiting a wildlife sanctuary next week though, & I'm quite excited about that.
Meanwhile, we had a new player to the PLO8 DYM's last night, but he's not quite got the hang of the game yet. Another player had a ton of chips, so he kept telling her to "raise, go on, you have raising chips". Later he commented, "come on guys, hurry up, I'm bored".
Takes all sorts I suppose.
This whole "hurry up, faster faster" thing is all a bit odd. Poker was never designed as a race against the clock. Enjoy the journey, as the end might not be so good.
Well spotted Tuney.