First Month Summary, Success!

So, my first month experimenting with Omaha h/l shorthanded online is over. I averaged over 2-3bb/h, or $24/100h at limits ranging from 1 2 to 3 6, not a bad start.

I love Absolute poker, it's a great site. I'm getting a good rakeback there and am still working through bonuses, they offer deposit bonuses every weekend it seems. I just wish they had some higher limit games going, it's hard to justify moving to stars at the moment with no rakebacks allowed and no bonuses to clear.

Didn't play much live poker this month, concentrating more on working my way up online at the moment.

On the negative side, I've played on Eurobet for the past 2 days and have yet to win more than 3 hands there, that's not very good in a 3 handed game. I need to start winning there as they offer bigger games on a regular basis.

Blew some money playing games I don't really enjoy much anymore (online sngs), but the main focus is the success at Omaha over the month, so the overall total isn't great but the low limit start has been successful -- will just stick to O8sh cash games online next month and some live cash and tournaments.

Going to play a charity event on Sunday in Markham, should be fun. Being organized by witchdoctorpoker.com and The West Side Poker Club.

Monthly stats from Absolute Poker, where almost 100% of my Omaha was played:

Session Games: 4151
Games Won: 31%
Showdowns Won: 72%
Flops Seen: 57%
Win% if flops seen: 55%
Fold (23.73%), Check (28.92%), Call (27.71%), Raise (2.20%), Reraise (1.49%)
Folding: Preflop (49.14%), Flop (16.63%), Turn (8.19%), River (4.57%), No fold (21.46%)

Not much raising or reraising, but I like to see alot of flops cheap shorthanded and decrease the variance by keeping it cheap preflop and letting people draw to lows and other hands with inappropriate odds. Maybe I'm not maximizing my big hands preflop, but I feel raising with what I consider monsters should only be done in late position to sweeten the pot and keep people in. Despite what I've read about short omaha, I prefer tossing hands like KKxx rather than raising them to shorten the field, or limping on the button with them when I know the blinds are tight to try and flop a monster scooping hand.


Month summary, including rakebacks and bonuses:

Online O8shMTD = + $995US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN
B&M Tournies MTD = -$120CDN
B&M NLHE Cash MTD = +$250CDN
Online MTT MTD = -$22US
Online SNGs MTD = -$164US

Total = + $809 US, - $30 CDN

Sometimes Breaking Even is A Win

Couldn't hit ANYTHING all day...played about 4-5 hours of 2 4 O8 sh. Ended about even, I was amazed.

Started an account on Eurobet and am considering a Pokershare account. I won't play anywhere that I'm not getting a decent rakeback. Unfortunately, it's going to be tough to work up to higher limits without playing on Stars...no rakebacks there. I'll just have to do maximum deposits on their reloads.

Online O8shMTD = + $864US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN
B&M Tournies MTD = -$120CDN
B&M NLHE Cash MTD = +$250CDN
Online MTT MTD = -$22US
Online SNGs MTD = -$164US

Omaha Hi/Lo Shorthanded -- can I lose??

I think since I started playing shorthanded O8 this month online that I've only had 2-3 losing sessions. My losing sessions tend to be heads up due to the increased variance and some awful runs of cards. Played for a few hours yesterday and today, won every session.

Have been playing mostly 2 4 and 3 6 5-6 handed over the past few days. My favourite site by far for these limits is Absolute, they have frequent bonuses (I think every weekend) and on top of that I have my rakeback. There were even a few 5 10 games going lately.

Last week I felt like playing some NLHE after my live 1 2 cash games, so I put some money into Pacific and played the 5 handed sngs -- I don't think I won once while ahead in any game. I used to love playing these sngs, but since starting my O8 cash games, the NL patience isn't there for online play. I played pretty well, didn't enjoy playing them as much as I used to, and lost just about every one despite outplaying people -- just a bad run but I'm not determined to win back this money in sngs, I just don't enjoy them right now.

Just sticking to some live play and ONLY O8 ONLINE for now.

Online O8shMTD = + $873US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN
B&M Tournies MTD = -$120CDN
B&M NLHE Cash MTD = +$250CDN
Online MTT MTD = -$22US
Online SNGs MTD = -$164US

Up to 5 10

Decided to move up to 5 10 as 2 4 and 3 6 are now boring me. Was going to play for 1-2 hours on Absolute, but won a huge pot early and decided to rest for the night (felt more like watching poker torrents).

Also played the heads-up 256player on stars earlier...about 15min in realized that I didn't really feel like playing...I got out carded anyhow and lost.

5 10 O8 5-6 handed, 15min +15bb

Online O8shMTD = + $711US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN
B&M Tournies MTD = -$120CDN
B&M NLHE Cash MTD = +$250CDN
Online MTT MTD = -$22US

1 2 NL cash games

Played 1 2 NL after each tourny.

I find full-table (more than 8 players) at this game mind-numbingly dull. You just sit and sit and wait for a hand because people will not let go of cards. The whole idea at a full table is to trap, crack an overpair, etc...but it's very boring.

I was likely behind $100 each night until the games became 4-6 handed, then I took over the tables with aggressive play and ended ahead.

I love short-handed NL tables, you get to isolate players, make moves out of your blinds, etc, etc...

Online O8shMTD = + $588US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN
B&M Tournies MTD = -$120CDN
B&M NLHE Cash MTD = +$250CDN

2 tournies, no cashes

Played a couple of low buyin tournies over the weekend. First one was a $65 buy-in with $5 being a bounty. Run by Westside poker club, well run and good structure. I think I finished 9th. We were down to 5 handed at my table and I had around 2-3k left with the BB around 1/4 my stack. UTG aggressive player raises, I find AJo in the BB and go all in. I want a coinflip to gain some chips, he turns over 66 and I don't improve, out 9th/24 or so.

Last night played a $60 buy-in with around 27 players. Down to 7 handed and I'm short, have 3k with blinds 400 800, pick up AKo on the button. Clueless player limps in EP, huge stack calls in EP, folded to me and I go all in for another 2k or so. I want the clueless player to call. I know he either has a weak ace or any random facecard with no kicker. Him calling is for 2k more is about 1/3 of his stack. He thinks a while and calls...turns over K6s...GREAT! Flops a 6, I don't hit an ace and I'm out. Oh well.

My problem with these tournies is I run into the dilemma of trying not to make moves early as I know that a guy with J5o on a flop of J82 will never let go of top pair as he has no clue what he's doing. I play with the goal of simply hitting a hand and doubling up against a clueless player. But no cards in either game left me wondering if I should have taken a different approach. Either way, I win either all-in and I have a decent stack to play with for a few more rounds.

I'd say I played well, but probably could have run over some of the weaker players as the blinds got up a bit..waited too long to make a hand.

Well...shit

Played a short session of hu O8 2 4 limit. Guy I played hit every flop hard and I missed everything, no fun. I didn't play badly, just didn't hit anything. I think I'll stick to 3-6 handed for a bit.

45min -35BB.

Online O8shMTD = + $588US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN

Good day, a few short sessions

Played a few short sessions yesterday.

O8 3 6 3-5 handed, 30mins +8bb.
O8 2 4 4-6 handed, 30mins +8bb.
O8 1 2 hu-5handed, 15min +14bb.

Online O8shMTD = + $719US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = - $160CDN

Hmmmm. How they do dat?

Somehow my cards followed my from my computer to my Wed. night live O8/Stud 8 game. Played well, had nothing to speak of with respect to starting hands and even less with respect to flops.
So, I lost.
-16bb in 9hours, -1.5bb/h.

On the plus side, I found a 10 20 hi lo and a 15 30/20 40 hi low game in the city to try out later this month. I love finding bigger games when I'm running bad...uh...yay. I may play the 10 20 on Friday night.

OnlineO8shMTD = +$609US
B&M O8/Stud8 MTD = -$160CDN

Well, (#*!@&$(#@*&!!

Played some 2 4 O8 hu to 4/5handed. Played hu against a bad player, but he got hit over the head with the deck and I didn't get a hand. Same thing continued through both my sessions today.

Worst day since starting this shorthanded venture.

2h, -44BB!, -22BB/h....... jesus...worst sessions ever. The variance in shorthanded and heads up is great when youre getting your share of cards, but when you're running cold it's awful.

Possibly stayed in a bit too long on hu hands near the end of that session due to frustration, but overall played my cards well. Didn't get much at all to start with and hit maybe 1-2 flops total in 2 hours.

O8shTD = + $609US after 2 weeks

Short but Sweet

Summary for the past 2 days of play, brief sessions when I had some free time here and there.

O8 1 2 hu to 6 handed 1h +18bb.
O8 2 4 2-4handed 2.5h + 37bb.

O8shTD = +$777USD

Short Session Today

Spent the last few days downloading wpt and wsop torrents, haven't watched much poker on tv lately, there were some pretty good matches -- Doyle vs Lee Watkinson, Jennifer Harmon at a Circuit final table, Phil Ivey at a Circuit final table, Jesus at a Circuit final table...some great tv.

Only played for a short time so far today, not planning on playing anymore today.

HU 1 2 O8 10min -6bb.

HU 2 4 O8 10min + 15bb.

3handed to 5handed O8 2 4 30 min, +23bb.

Forgot to mention last night, I've noticed that heads-up my style is better suited to a 2 4 type structure with bb=2sb, you can play almost every hand for value. Have to start playing tighter in my sb in a 3 6 type structure where bb=3sb. A minoe adjustment that makes a big difference in a short-handed or hu game against certain types of players.

Not much play, but I'll take the chips. I've noticed in my 8-9 days of play that much weaker (if that's wholly possible) players show up starting on Friday. They'll sit with something like 10bb in a shorthanded or hu game, bust and leave...nice.

O8shTD = +$560US

...not bad for roughly 30hours of play at low limits, can it keep running this well?

Bad Day, Bad Cards, A Bit of Bad Play, Bad

Played 2.5 of 2 4 hu to 6handed O8. No cards, no cards, no cards...and then...no flops.

+3bb over 2.5h

Wanted to lose some steam so I played 1 2 hu O8 for 30min...no flops, no flops, then...no flops (and a few rivers for my opponent).

-7bb in 30min.

Played some 3 6 hu against was of the BIGGEST calling stations I've ever seen -- it was incredible, this guy would call a KT6 flop which was 2suited with 522T rainbow or worse and keep catching perfect perfect to scoop my set or top 2. I mean he was doing this more than hald the hands. I was down from $200 to $50 or something and got back to $105 or so then he left. Damn, I wanted him to stay, but that's the nature of online poker.

So, -16bb over 1h...damn i hate that.

Bad play -- perhaps stayed in a bit too long with a few hu hands later on due to frustration, also was raising more preflop than I should have been against this type of player.

Mostly just bad luck though. I'm done for the day.

Results so far in low limit Omaha 8 sh (including absolute sign-up bonus, excluding rakeback),

O8shTD = +410US in a week

Going Well

Played 2h of O8 3 6 tonight ranging from heads up to 5-6 handed. I swear, in the past few days I have seen some of the worst short-handed Omaha h/l players in my life, this game is the most beatable that I've ever seen, at least at these low limits.

There's always one player that I see sitting alone at the 3 6 or 5 10 table, I mean EVERY time I log on he's there. So I figure he's a strong, aggressive heads up player. Sat with him at the 3 6 tonight and he must have folded 50%-70% of his SB to me and folded 50% of the time to a raise out of my SB. It's quite boring winning this way in low limits, but you just can't leave while he's letting you run him over. I figured he'd finally make a stand, but instead he won one pot when he finally bet a flop and then sat out.

Great sessions, made 1-2 mistakes in 5 handed calling on draws against players that only bet the nuts or scooping nut draws, otherwise played very well.

2h, +12bb, +6bb/h

Weak heads-up players...different flavours, same sweet taste

I've always been a very good heads-up player -- from NL sngs or the full NL 128 player tournies on stars (won in once in about 3 trys and have monied in a few subsequent attempts). It's fun to play someone 1 0n 1 and try to take all their chips.

Obviously, heads-up poker gives you opportunities to outplay weak opponents. Weak can mean an opponent who folds every time they don't hit a big flop or an opponent who overplays his hands every time in an attempt to run you over. The latter opponent is more difficult to beat, and causes a lot more variance, but is very beatable all the same. Of course, the toughest opponent is one that varies his play but tends toward the aggressive side...and will read your play and adjust.

Weak players come in different forms.

Meet weak-player #1:

Just played a brief heads-up 2 4 limit O8 session (I couldn't sleep so played for a brief time, now time to go back to bed). Only played for 15-20 minutes. Perhaps the weakest heads-up Omaha8 player I've ever played sat across from me. I sat with $100, he with $40. Within 5-7 mins I was up to $135. This guy would fold roughly 20%-30% of his SB to me -- there is almost no O8 hand not worth getting 3:1 on your money to see a flop. So that was awful trait #1. Awful trait #2 -- he folded to a flop bet 80% of the time. So I win uncontested almost all of the time. He bets into me or calls a flop bet and I'm done with the hand unless I turn a monster.

So, there was weak type #1.

Meet weak player #2:

About 10min in a 3rd player sits to my left. Guy is raising every hand. Not a bad strategy 3-handed against tight-weak players, but I'm not tight-weak. I'm more "do you know that in O8 I'm gonna catch a hand real soon and bust you-strong". So he sits with $40 or $50, gives a bit to the T-W player who catches a hand, and gives the remaining $30 or so to me heads-up in my sb. Flop 445 rainbow I have K-4-x-x where the xs are overs to the 4. Flop is check raised by me and I smooth-call the reraise. Turn K giving me the low nut FH. I bet and get him all-in on the turn with a cap. River 8, I'm thinking great, he just got bailed out with the low and less likely, please don't turn-over 55. He shows a turned nut flush draw or something.

So, there was weak type #2.

Lots of fun for a 15min session, now back to bed.

15min +13bb...fun.

No cards, broke even

Played 1 2, 2 4 and 3 6 sh O8, didn't hit much all day, broke even over 4-5h of play.

Good sessions considering the cards.

Think I'll head over to 5 10 next time on stars of eurobet and see how it goes.

More O8 sh Lowwwww Limits

Played for a few hours today, mostly 1 2. I had $25 sitting in neteller so put it into Stars as Absolute kept disconnecting. So, I sat at a 1 2 6max O8 game, played 3hours and was up18bb.

Tonight played 2 4 on Absolute, the game filled up to 7 then 9 players after 15min so I quit, plus I'm tired. Just sticking to 6handed or less. Up 10bb in 15min. The Absolute games are soft and you face the same players most of the time given that sh O8 isn't the most popular game and the traffic is only average on that site. Unfortunately, only rarely is there a 5 10 and never anything larger, so when I move up I'll have to move out too.

Just sticking to 3 6 or lower for now until I've played this game a couple weeks, then moving up if I'm winning consistantly.

Good sessions, 3h + 9bb/h.

Yippee I'm even now

Quick update, just recouped my $300 5 10 loss.

Have won $300 in about 8-10h of 2 4 O8 sh single table play (well, $60 of it is a sign-up bonus)...but still +$240 in play or roughly 60bb over 10hours (6bb/h) isn't a bad start to my online omaha8 career.

Think I'll only play live on Wed nights (hi/lo) for a while at the west end club and try to work my way up online for now.

Found an online game/goal

Omaha h/l short handed, I love this game. The amount of poor play out there is astounding -- I think there is a huge gap between good and bad O8 sh players as compared to holdem. You start with 4 cards, you have so much more information on a weak opponent. Even strong full-table players can be picked apart shorthanded when you notice what hands they always showdown. Bluffing is a big part of the sh Omaha game if you pick the right boards against the right players, fun game.

Well, it's just been a day but I'm having fun playing this online compared to my distain of HE cash games online.

Just been playing LOWWWWWWWWW limits, mostly 2 4 and 3 6 hu to 6 handed tables on Absolute, it's been profitable for what it is.

Goal is to move up slowly -- yes, I have the money to jump right into a 10 20 sh game, but I want to slowly build up to it and see if the players are improving with limits -- from what I've seen of the 6max tables on stars, up to 10 20 the play is still pretty poor, although some more aggressive players creep in.

Side note -- saw Raymer playing the 75/150 O8 today.

Haven't exactly been keeping track given how low I've been playing, but up 4-5bb/h (mostly at 2 4), played about 6-8 hours, made back more than 2/3 of my disasterous 5 10 session at absolute.

Great sessions...+4-5bb/h over 6-8h

Finding My Game Online

I can't stand full table ring online, never enjoyed it. I think it is a mistake to try and make money at a game I don't enjoy. This sunk in after my Absolute experience.

Bad run at 6 handed NLHE sngs, losing huge pots 3 handed 3 times today when going all in ahead...oh well, I still love those 6 handed games. Lost 3 $33 buy-ins there. I'm on a terrible run.

Now, short-handed O8 is a game I love, but hardly ever materializes in the real world. I decided to give Absolute 1 more shot after an email from their support. Found a 2 handed O8 table and played for af ew minutes, up a bit and the game broke. Sat in a 3/4 handed 3 6 game and it actually lasted an hour. Up 25bb in an hour...nice I can win online once in a while. Just some awful shorthanded O8 players out there. Problem is, it's tough to find a shorthanded O8 game online that doesn't either fill quickly or break quickly. Have to scout some sites for games. Saw a nice 5 10 6 handed table on stars with $200+ pots...have to try that game soon.

So the plan is to now try playing sh O8 online for a bit and see how it goes. Starting at lower limits (3 6 to 5 10) to see how things go and then hopefully jumping up to 10 20 if I'm winning.

Going to stay away from the undergrounds for a bit, too much smoke and too low limits for me right now...well I did hear about a 10 20/15 30 game close to my home that I may go try out this weekend. I do want to establish a game I like and win at online though.

Have to download a party skin and get a rakeback going.

1h +25bb/h

What to do...

Getting tired of the smoke at the underground games I play, I simply can't play in those conditions any more on a regular basis.

So, either to the casinos or taking a shot at online poker again...casinos are all an hour away from Toronto so I'm giving online a shot again. I'm generally a break-even online ring player, while being a big winning player live. Partly my game being worse online, I'm also much more prone to tilt online for some reason...it almost never enters my live game...hoping to play more solid poker and move up to 10 20 soon.

Scouted a few sites wanting to try something new. Decided on absolute poker as the 5 10 looked very soft with 4-5 per flop. My run of terrible cards continued, only hitting 1-2 flops or draws in a 4h session. I also fell into my online trap of calling with a few hands to the river that I would let go of live...I need to tighten up my ring game online, have to see how the next few sessions go.

On a side note, I will NEVER play this site again. The game itself was great, very sort, people calling raises with J8o etc etc. However, I got disconnected 4 times or more within 4 hours. I NEVER get d/c on any of the major sites, fast computer/cable modem etc. Also, the traffic on this site is less than I would have wished.

Withdrawing the rest and heading to a party skin with a decent rakeback.

-30bb in 4h.