Pot-Limit Omaha

For some reason i havent played an omaha tournament in a long time. I'm not sure why this was, but in the coming weeks im going to try and play more. I've had much more success with this type of game in such a short period of time. I think Josh Arieh was correct in stating that with WSOP fields being so large, you have to focus on more than just hold'em if you're really in the hunt for a bracelet. Playing online especially, people dont really know what they're doing. In the early going you get a lot of people who go all in with AA49, etc etc and either suck out on ya or lose. You want to take advantage of those people with the hands like AKQT, double suited connectors, hands like those. Here are some of my stats on PL-Omaha from thepokerdb.com

12/7/2005 - $10 Omaha Pot-Limit - Rank 2(chopped 1st and 2nd) - $390
1/11/2006 - $20 Omaha Hi/Lo-Limit - Rank 1 - $743
2/6/2006 - $10 Omaha Pot Limit - Rank 3 - $281

I have tons more in the top 18 range but those are my bigger finishes. This leads me into the tournament i played last night. We started with 166 people and top 18 getting money. At one point i was chip leader but played a hand and a guy hit his set on the river. I should have played the hand way different. Then another hand came up, which i will illustrate now.

I was dealt Kc Qh Jd Jh in the cutoff and with blinds at 100/200 i made it 600 to go. This is a decent hand, but it needs help to win, if someone calls with an ace and one comes on the board and i dont get a flush or straight draw, i have to dump if re raised. The flop comes Js 5h As. Giving me 2nd set and a straight draw. I know this guy doesnt have Aces in the hole so my set is looking ok. Unlike hold em when you get a hand here you really cant slow play because there is always a drawing hand around the corner usually. Before the hand started i had 7785 in chips and my opponent had 5542 in chips. I bet the pot, which was $1300, the guy thinks and uses his time bank for a little bit then re raises and goes all in. The only thing i can comprehend him having is a spade draw and i make the call. He flips over Ad 9s 8d Qc. At this point im actually laughing to myself wondering how this guy makes the call pre flop and how he thinks his Ace is good. Even if he thinks im on a flush draw, his hand is to susceptible.

Now remember in Omaha you have to play 2 and only 2 cards in your pocket. He has a pair of aces and no re-draw at all. I'm feelin great about havin 14k and gettin to the FT. I forgot i was playing on pokerstars though. The turn comes a 10d. This is the 2nd worst card i would have saw in the deck. I cant lose the hand at this point. But i can tie it. And of course the river brings the Kh, giving us each broadway and we split the pot.

This was just me being unlucky at that point. This hand happened on the bubble and it would have put me in the top 10 in chips with about 15k. I ran the numbers on cardplayer and pre flop i was a 60-40 fav. On the flop i was 95-5. On the turn it went to me being a 92 percent fav and him drawing dead and only being able to tie at 7 percent. I eventually went out 13th when i failed to improve on a hand.

Hopefully i have some better luck in my next tournament.