PLO - cash games, theory and general banter (oh and 20BI swings)

General Ramblings
So for a £230 deposit I can volunteer at Leeds! May just do it for the summer before I start University.

Oh and I got in to University today! :appl::truestory: Absolutely ecstatic.

Congrats

Poker Progress

Session Results

The weekends results have been somewhat stale, running below EV but at least I know my play is good. It just happens sometimes where the Nutflush gets cracked on the river by someone boating up on both runs. Nightmare. Onwards and upwards though.

Bankroll Management
From now on I am going to be considering everything in terms of big blinds and focusing on my play in general. If my play is successful then my bankroll will follow ($$$) so all I have to worry about is making the correct decisions in my play.

My current BRM is to have 60BI at one level and shot take with 5BI at the level above, so for example; at 5PLO I must have $300 + $50 in order to take shots at 10PLO. This $50 will be segregated and will have the sole purpose of getting my stuck at 10PLO until I can move up. I have spoke to a couple of people and I am going to consider changing this to 40BI with 10BI shots, this is very aggressive for plo considering I have 5-10BI swings on a regular basis but it was definitely worth it for those I have spoke to.

Poker Progress

Play for this weeks Get Rich or Die Tryin' has been great, from the 10-16th of August my downswing was over. Game was good but stagnated a little over the end of the week. I managed to put in 12,816 hands and ran around 14.67BB/100 EV All in Adjusted.

Something I have been focusing on has been increasing my aggression in the games, it is on its way up from a relatively passive style ~2AF so I am pleased with that and it is making my non showdown winnings break-even, i believe.

Short Term Goals:
- 2x6 Series with Whitelime and Selbts: 7/8
- Bankroll: $321.77/500

Poker Progress

This opponent runs rediculously well against me and is the reason I am losing at deep ante games this month despite my EV being in profit. I get in these awkward spots but spots I am confident I am ahead of his range.

Villains stats: 75/42 with AF of 3 but his c-bet is about 50/50/65 over 400 hands.

I had an awkward river spot but it is one I think I am good enough, the issue is the turn sizing from villain and then the river sizing is awkward. These spots often only come up when out of position but I don't think I can fold 100% in this spot preflop and or on the flop as that would just be too exploitable.

What are your thoughts on this hand?

Game Development

So this month I have been playing longer sessions and at times I should be asleep. My sleep schedule is a little messed up considering I work at a Casino so when I am off work for a couple of days I am just playing later than I should and not concentrating on sleep/ focusing on my game at that time. I have been sitting in a relaxed environment auto-piloting so I am going to make some adjustments to my schedule/game itself:

[*] Sessions must be no longer than 2 hours at whcih point there will be a 10-15 minute break
[*] I will not be playing after work as I am not in the frame of mind to playing having been up for 18 or so hours.
[*] Sleep will come before play, I will play in the morning/afternoon more from now on.

I think these changes will help me a lot more, especially considering I will be starting University in September so it should benefit me in the long run.

Nice blog! Good idea about playing at the right times and not autopiloting. I can understand the sleep schedule issues and playing pattern time issues you've mentioned. Having decided to pretty much focus on poker now, I can choose when I sleep and wake, a little different from you at Uni I guess - but I find I prefer sleeping in the day and playing in the evening! I am turning into a night owl

Good luck with your blog will follow your progress.

Originally posted by iSoOwnYou
I find I prefer sleeping in the day and playing in the evening! I am turning into a night owl

Good luck with your blog will follow your progress.

Thanks iSoOwnYou, yeh sleeping during the day is likely better for volume vs a softer field but currently at my stakes there are fish on 24/7 so I don't think that really applies to me. But working in a casino I totally understand the sleeping aspect, I work 4days a week, and then on the 4th day just stay up for something like 28 hours in order to re-affirm my normal sleeping pattern, it is tough but its something I just gotta do.

Game Development

Plugging Leaks

So I was just talking to a few peers about some spots I am not sure whether to squeeze from when OOP or just flat and was referred to the great series PLO from Scratch to cover the topic. The topic was as follows:

How should I play small run downs out of position in a multi-way pot.

The answer was surprising, fold was the general consensus. This just links to playing nutted hands OOP, when I flop well I am often going to find it hard to be drawing to the nuts and getting paid off will be particular difficult out of position especially against loose passive opponents who tend not to bet unless they are strong, as a result x/raising isn't viable in these spots against the general player pool at micros because aggression is lacking and I cannot build the pot this way.

It was just something I wanted to share and a spot I was finding difficult and even 3-betting in some cases which was just not +EV.

Calvin Harris just doesn't stop making tune after tune. Focusing to this during my sessions at the moment.

General Ramblings

Getting FPP Rewards be like:

Originally posted by WhiteWalker

Bluff - using blockers.
I have began using blockers in my bluffs much more, for example when a flat a hand like JJ89 in SB or BB and board is QTx, I call and a K comes. I can often use blockers to my advantage, donking turn or raising turn depending on player and stack sizes.

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 PL Hi FAST (6 max) - Omaha Hi - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 100 BB (VPIP: 15.38, PFR: 7.69, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 13)
SB: 71.8 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 22.86, 3Bet Preflop: 1.82, Hands: 141)
Hero (BB): 100 BB
UTG: 142 BB (VPIP: 19.02, PFR: 11.05, 3Bet Preflop: 1.46, Hands: 396)
MP: 87.4 BB (VPIP: 28.33, PFR: 17.50, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 125)
CO: 104.8 BB (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 11.43, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 109)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has J♠ J♥ 3♠ 5♣

fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 3.4 BB, fold, Hero calls 2.4 BB

Flop: (7.2 BB, 2 players) A♠ K♦ 2♠
Hero checks, BTN bets 6 BB, Hero calls 6 BB

Turn: (19.2 BB, 2 players) T♣
Hero checks, BTN bets 14 BB, Hero raises to 31.6 BB, BTN calls 17.6 BB

River: (82.4 BB, 2 players) 3♥
Hero bets 59 BB and is all-in, fold

Spoiler

Hero wins 79.2 BB

Problem here is your betsizing. If your opponent has a flush draw or a set, you give him the odds to call. So therefore your opponent doesn't make a mistake. And if he doesn't make a mistake, you don't win any money in the long run.