10:40 pm — So I\’m sitting here at Danang, stuck a little less than $200 in what started as a $.50/$1 NLH game … and has since turned into some very drinky $.50/$.50 PLO. While Omaha first revealed to us that one of our decks on the table was four cards short for at least two hours, it also revealed that the Batfaces are pretty much beginners when it comes to the Cornhusker variety of the game.
So here\’s the question(s): First situation involved Sang\’s flopping the \”nut\” straight. He bets it pretty big, and the other guy(s) gets there. \”What can I do?\” he asked. I (intelligently?) espoused the theory that the nut straight without a redraw ain\’t much … so you want to see the turn as cheaply as possible. If the board pairs or the flush card comes … great, you get away from the hand cheap. If it doesn\’t come on the turn, then you can bet, because the various drawers won\’t have the odds they woulda had to call with two cards to come.
However, TBR — who has undoubtedly lost more money in Omaha than all other Batfaces combined — insists that this philosophy is idiotic. \”When you have the nuts you have to [hiccup] bet it!\” he said. \”You have to make it too expensive for them to draw if you have the fucking nuts, you idiot.\”
Ehh, I kinda agree … but not if the nuts aren\’t great. Omaha\’s a drawing game, right? People with no hand can still be the favorite to win with two cards to come, right?
The hand that really brought this strategic issue to light was actually a different one. Thum flopped the nut flush in that case, and didn\’t bet but didn\’t re-raise, or something like that … sure enough, someone else got there … and he knew it. TBR still insists that in Omaha if you flop the nuts, you bet, no matter what (\”because your hand can\’t get any better, goddammit!\” Randy says). I know he\’s not nearly as good at anything as he thinks he is, but I also know I don\’t really know Omaha.
Discuss …
11:05 pm — Robert is screaming, head-vein pulsing, because his cards were mucked while he looked away. (Apparently the flop really hit him.) I am screaming back, insisting that they are nowhere visible, and it\’s the most basic of friggin\’ rules that you gotta protect your own hand. Jesus, with Sang going all-in with nothing and turning over his cards before TBR has acted … and that being good enough to take down the $100+ pot … this game may officially be out of control.
11:07 pm — Tagg says, \”And gee, you wonder why you\’re no longer throwing tournaments at the Lodge?\”
CORRECTION: Tagg did indeed say the above line closer to 9:07 pm. I am not good at time, which is probably why I leave the semi-live blogging to CardPlayer and Pauly.
UPDATE: Finished the game …
Buy-in(s): $400 (2)
Cash out: $383
Net: -$17
Then played some heads-up with Thum …
Buy-in: $100
Cash out: $0
Net: -$100
Then again in a cash-game-cum-heads-up-tourney with Thum and Sang and eventually just Thum …
Buy-in: $100
Cash out: $400
Net: +$300
Overall: +$183
Ask Thum about how he had a 9-1 chip advantage on me and I turned a single suckout (hey, I had lots of outs … just got there with a runner-runner variety) into victory.