May Update

I apologise that I haven't updated in awhile. I would like to say that I've been busy but the truth is that I just didn't have anything to report. There have been a few changes to my poker game I'll like to report. For example I stopped playing PLO (With the exception of juicy HU PLO games) and I'm playing at 4 different poker sites simultaneously.

Oh I forgot to mention, I'm exclusively playing PLO8 nowadays. Once I feel that I've developed my skills in that game, I'll go back to PLO or another game.

I have a feeling this is going to be a long post so...lets get started:

Titan Poker (iPoker Network)

I already received my poker books from twoplustwo which were High-Low Split Poker by Ray Zee, Heads Up No-Limit Hold 'em by Collin Moshman and Poker Essays 1, 2 and 3 by Mason Malmuth. I've almost cleared the 1st deposit bonus but even after I clear it, I have a feeling I'll still play on this site. For some reason I really like the software and the play has been quite soft.

Here are my results so far from Titan Poker.

Haha! I'm such a luck-box-en, running above EV.

All of these numbers don't add up and I'm really not sure why. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm playing in 3 different currencies (£ Pounds, $ Dollars and € Euros) and as you can see from the above graph, I'm not doing so good in the Euro games but I'm doing ok in the others.

I've been on a downswing at the moment, why you might ask? Its probably because I'm shoving slight edges. I'll post some hand examples.

Titan Poker - Hand 1

Lets see:

I remember at the time I wish I'd raised preflop to knock out such a junky hand. So yeah, I flop top and bottom pairs, the nut flush draw and a mediocre backdoor low draw. Unfortunately my opponent had top 2 + the K flush draw with no possible low draw.

The opponent was pretty aggressive and I had a feeling he might be shipping it with an wrap + a minor flush draw and I was kind of hoping thats what he had. If he did have a hand such as A(JQ)9 then I would've been an almost 70% favourite. But as it turns out I was a 53% favorite but it wasn't enough to secure me the win. I kinda liked the turn as it gave me the low draw but the river counterfeited me, so sick.

Titan Poker - Hand 2

 Ah yes, this was a hand I wanted to get all in on the flop . I flopped a small flush draw + the nut low draw (with counterfeit protection). I think I chose to check raise preflop because this particular opponent was opening alot of pots with such junk (as with this hand (JQ)(3K) isn't such a great hand in PLO8). I think I played it fine up until the turn. Should I have folded the turn? I was getting better than 2:1  so if I thought my hand had better than 33% chance to win then I should've called. As it turned out, it was a borderline decision.

Titan Poker - Hand 3

My opponent made 3 huge mistakes in this hand.
1) Not reraising more preflop. I'll call that min reraise all day every day.
2) Not c-betting on the flop. A pair of Aces + the nut low/wheel draw is an awesome hand.
3) Donk pot betting the turn. really?.....seriously? I really dislike this play. I may have folded if I had for example a naked flush (with no low) or a set or a low draw that just got counterfeited but anything else, he was dead. I would've preferred a smaller bet + fold to a raise on his part.
I really had the feeling that we'll be splitting this pot when he pot bet the turn but I guess we didn't, I'm happy with the result.

Titan Poker - Hand 4

This hand was interesting, I remember that I was on tilt against this particular opponent. I'm not sure what he did but I think he made me fold the nut low on the river in a large multi-way pot where I would've won half.

Back to the hand, as sense came flooding back to me I'd already clicked pot on the river and just said "ah well, if he has me beat then good for him", I did have the jack blockers though which made it less likely he had made the straight. But no, he snap called with a pair of 9s maybe he thought he had the straight? or that I was bluffing such that his 9s were good?

888 Poker (Pacific Poker Network)

To be honest, I don't really like the 888 software. Some of the gimmicks they have for games are interesting until the novelty wears off. As soon as I finish the twoplustwo bonus, I don't think I'll be paying there that often.

Here are my results for 888:

AND.....again running above EV. As Jeff Hwang and Dan Deppen say, the expected values of hands run so closely in omaha that you're never going to be a huge favourite against another hand. So take whatever edges you can. This is especially true in PLO8 where its split between the high and the low.

I didn't realise that I'd been running so hot, Its only been 2 days in June and I've already made double of what I did in May LOL!

I'll put up some hand examples:

888 Poker - Hand 1

I did well to not bet in position on the flop, as I usually would have and thats probably what my opponent was hoping for. I decided to flat call the bet and raise on the turn as I had an open ended straight draw (on a rainbow board) and a good low draw.

PKgrower certainly did make a mistake in slow playing his top set in a multi-way pot. I suppose thats one problem with trying to play tricky.

888 Poker - Hand 2

The extra 3 in my hand pretty much hurts it, I would've preferred a 5 or another low card to protect it against being counterfeited. But I flopped the nut low draw/wheel draw and good flush draw.

Let's calculate my outs.
For Low: (9 cards)
Any of the 9 Low Cards (6c, 6s, 6d, 7c, 7s, 7d, 8c, 8s, 8d)

For High: (3 cards)
Any of the 3 Heart Card (9h, Th, Kh)

For Scoop: (7 cards)
Any 5 or Low Heart: (5h, 6h, 7h, 8h, 5c, 5d, 5s)

I had 19 cards to win at least half of the pot. Even against his set, I was 51% to win and considering how well I've been running, I hit a lovely 8 of hearts on the river to scoop the pot.

I think I'll finish off my post here. Theres only William Hill Poker (iPoker network) to report but that one isn't really that exciting. But for a quick summary, £35 initial deposit -----> £17. I lost half of my bankroll! lol