Hand 1: Omaha is a Game of Scooping

Party Poker: $3/$6 Omaha Hi/Lo - a Thursday in May

 

Seat 9 is the button

Total number of players : 9

Seat 2: Da ( $166.99 )

Seat 7: WhP ( $97.25 )

Seat 8: FA ( $117 )

Seat 9: Ga ( $70.5 )

Seat 6: Our Hero ( $98 )

Seat 10: jos ( $150 )

Seat 4: Mas ( $97.75 )

Seat 3: poke ( $117 )

Seat 5: tiem ( $136.25 )

Da posts small blind [$1].

poke posts big blind [$3].

** Dealing down cards **

Dealt to Our Hero [ A 3 3 A ]

2 folds

Our Hero raises [$6].

The Villain calls [$6].

3 folds

RandomGuy calls [$3].

 

I make the standard raise with a very strong hand. Villain is a big wet fish, so we don't give him much credit.

 

** Dealing Flop ** [ 7, J, 8 ]

RandomGuy checks.

Our Hero bets [$3].

Villain raises [$6].

RandomGuy folds.

Our Hero raises [$6].

Villain calls [$3].

 

I make a standard continuation bet here with a pretty good hand -- my over-pair plus draw to the nutflush and 2nd nut low.  Villain's raise is concerning, but 1) he's a fish -- he could be making this play with hands as weak as bottom two pair, and 2) his raise looks like its trying to knock out the 3rd player, so I don’t give him credit for a true monster.  

 

As it turns out, Villain has a good hand here:  Tc 9c Kh 7h for the current nut straight and a redraw to the 2nd nut flush.  Unfortunately, there are 2 low cards on the board and he doesn’t have any low potential, which means that even though he has quite a strong high position, his overall hand cannot be very strong.  And as it turns out, even with his nut straight here he is underdog!

 

Ad 3d Ah 3h   0.556

Tc 9c Kh 7h    0.444

 

You might say that he’s unlucky I have the nutflush, and you’d be right, but then my having Ax hearts is not exactly unheard of so I’d only say he has mild bad luck that I have Axs with a low chances.

 

So the main point here is that hands with no low draws when two low cards hit on the flop cannot be very strong hands.  They can be above average hands and ones you want to keep playing til the river, but its not possible for them to be very strong hands anymore.

 

** Dealing Turn ** [ 6 ]

Hero bets [$6].

Villain calls [$6].

 

Now my opponent is being freerolled – I win low 100% of the time, and can win high as well if I hit one of my 7 heart outs. 

 

As for why I played my hand this way, at the time I thought it most likely that I was free-rolling him or had better equity.

  –        if he has A2 then I am likely ahead for high

  –        if he has 9T or JJ or some good high, then I am likely ahead for low

–        I’m only in trouble if he has both A2 AND the straight/set/two pair.  But that specific holding is rare and he might have just called on the flop, and if he has that, I still have hearts and 2’s and potentially A’s to help me so I will still have 7-13 outs in any case.

 

** Dealing River ** [ 5 ]

Our Hero bets [$6].

Villain calls [$6].

Hero shows [ A, 3, 3, A ] a pair of aces.

Villain shows [ K, 7, 9, T ] a flush, ten high.

 

Lessons Learned:

 

1. 1.      Even hands that look very strong to a holdem convert -- hands like a straight or a set -- are just not strong hands if there is a good chance they won’t scoop. 

2. 2.      Bet when you think you have good equity.  On the turn I was likely behind for high, but when you look at the total hand, I’m in better shape.

3. 3.      Try to have outs if your read is incorrect.  No matter what, I have a bunch of hearts and 2’s on the turn that will save my hand no matter what he has.

4.   4. Omaha is a Game of Scooping!