Mind Games

is worth half the pot
I had to slow down OTT since the nut low was a near certainty, but lots of full house outs for the high half

888Poker, Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 8 players

UTG: $2.17 (43 bb)
UTG+1: $1.72 (34 bb)
MP: $2.86 (57 bb)
MP+1: $2.74 (55 bb)
CO: $16.35 (327 bb)
BU: $9.17 (183 bb)
SB (Hero): $5.30 (106 bb)
BB: $2.33 (47 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is SB with A♥:9♦:Q♣:A♣:
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.05, 1 fold, MP+1 calls $0.05, CO calls $0.05, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.03, BB checks

Flop: ($0.25) A♦:4♥:2♦: (5 players)
Hero bets $0.16, 3 players fold, CO calls $0.16

Turn: ($0.57) 3♣: (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $0.57, Hero calls $0.57

River: ($1.71) A♠: (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

Total pot: $1.71 (Rake: $0.10)

Showdown:
CO shows K♦:5♦:Q♠:3♥: (HI: a straight, Ace to Five; LO: 5-4-3-2-A)
SB (Hero) shows A♥:9♦:Q♣:A♣: (HI: four of a kind, Aces)
CO wins $0.80
SB (Hero) wins $0.81

On the flop, facing an opponent with the best possible hand to pay me off

PokerStars, 5 Card Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.10/$0.25 - 5 players

UTG: $32.71 (131 bb)
CO: $35.17 (141 bb)
BU: $11.39 (46 bb)
SB (Hero): $34.88 (140 bb)
BB: $9.14 (37 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.35) Hero is SB with J♥:J♣:2♣:2♠:3♥:
2 players fold, BTN raises to $0.50, Hero calls $0.40, BB calls $0.25

Flop: ($1.50) J♠:J♦:Q♥: (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, BTN bets $1.04, Hero calls $1.04, BB calls $1.04

Turn: ($4.62) 4♥: (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, BTN checks

River: ($4.62) 9♠: (3 players)
Hero bets $2.30, BB raises to $7.60 (all-in), BU folds, Hero calls $5.30

Total pot: $19.82 (Rake: $0.84)

Showdown:
BB shows A♣:Q♣:K♠:Q♠:A♥: (HI: a full house, Queens full of Jacks)
SB (Hero) shows J♥:J♣:2♣:2♠:3♥: (HI: four of a kind, Jacks)
SB (Hero) wins $18.98

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

Timing is Everything!

Could also be titled "Desperation Equity FTW"
Less than 1 BB and less than 5 players to the money, and UTG + 1
What could possibly go wrong?

888Poker, Hold'em No Limit - 1,000/2,000 (200 ante) - 8 players

UTG: 2,852 (1 bb)
UTG+1 (Hero): 1,524 (1 bb)
MP: 17,287 (9 bb)
MP+1: 6,353 (3 bb)
LP: 7,289 (4 bb)
CO: 12,540 (6 bb)
BU: 22,846 (11 bb)
BB: 4,752 (2 bb)

Pre-Flop: (3,600) Hero is UTG+1 with T♦:T♣:
UTG calls 2,000, Hero calls 1,324 (all-in), 2 players fold, LP calls 2,000, 2 players fold, BB raises to 4,552 (all-in), UTG calls 652 (all-in), 1 fold

Flop: (10,228) 8♥:6♥:7♦: (3 players, 3 all-in)

Turn: (10,228) 8♦: (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: (10,228) 8♠: (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: 10,228

Showdown:
BB shows K♠:T♥: (three of a kind, Eights)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 26%, Flop: 23%, Turn: 12%, River: 0%)

UTG shows 3♥:A♣: (three of a kind, Eights - higher kicker)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 29%, Flop: 12%, Turn: 7%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 (Hero) shows T♦:T♣: (a full house, Eights full of Tens)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 45%, Flop: 64%, Turn: 81%, River: 100%)

UTG wins 3,332
UTG+1 (Hero) wins 6,896

The entire table is extreme shallow. This must be a hyper turbo or something like that, but a nice win

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

The Daily Quads

is worth half the pot
I had to slow down OTT since the nut low was a near certainty, but lots of full house outs for the high half

888Poker, Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 8 players

UTG: $2.17 (43 bb)
UTG+1: $1.72 (34 bb)
MP: $2.86 (57 bb)
MP+1: $2.74 (55 bb)
CO: $16.35 (327 bb)
BU: $9.17 (183 bb)
SB (Hero): $5.30 (106 bb)
BB: $2.33 (47 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is SB with A♥:9♦:Q♣:A♣:
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.05, 1 fold, MP+1 calls $0.05, CO calls $0.05, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.03, BB checks

Flop: ($0.25) A♦:4♥:2♦: (5 players)
Hero bets $0.16, 3 players fold, CO calls $0.16

Turn: ($0.57) 3♣: (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $0.57, Hero calls $0.57

River: ($1.71) A♠: (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

Total pot: $1.71 (Rake: $0.10)

Showdown:
CO shows K♦:5♦:Q♠:3♥: (HI: a straight, Ace to Five; LO: 5-4-3-2-A)
SB (Hero) shows A♥:9♦:Q♣:A♣: (HI: four of a kind, Aces)
CO wins $0.80
SB (Hero) wins $0.81

I expect you checked pre-flop, because you don't have low potential. Otherwise I would raise pot for sure.

Originally posted by SDK1987
The entire table is extreme shallow. This must be a hyper turbo or something like that, but a nice win
This is an 888 freeroll.
Nearing the bubble there is a lot of players that hold on for dear life, but since it is all gone when I hit the blinds anyway, I'm always all-in with TT in such a situation.

Originally posted by SDK1987
I expect you checked pre-flop, because you don't have low potential. Otherwise I would raise pot for sure.

Precisely.
Same thing OTT — there is no point inflating the pot — nut low will never ever fold because they might also win the high hand.
If you inflate the pot, you just increase the rake taken.

Today was my day to break an 8-game win streak playing the GGPoker Spin&Gold freebie

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

It was fun while it lasted

Today was my day to break an 8-game win streak playing the GGPoker Spin&Gold freebie

For a moment I was excited about GGPoker introducing 8-Game...

Congrats on the 8-game streak nonetheless.

Originally posted by Harrier88
For a moment I was excited about GGPoker introducing 8-Game...

I doubt GG will ever spread games that aren't among the most popular.

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

Originally posted by SDK1987
The entire table is extreme shallow. This must be a hyper turbo or something like that, but a nice win
This is an 888 freeroll.
Nearing the bubble there is a lot of players that hold on for dear life, but since it is all gone when I hit the blinds anyway, I'm always all-in with TT in such a situation.

Originally posted by SDK1987
I expect you checked pre-flop, because you don't have low potential. Otherwise I would raise pot for sure.

Precisely.
Same thing OTT — there is no point inflating the pot — nut low will never ever fold because they might also win the high hand.
If you inflate the pot, you just increase the rake taken.

That makes sense for sure. It would be bad indeed if you know you can't win the entire pot.

As poker players, we all know that using the Martingale strategy is stupid, right?[1]

I needed to ramp up my PokerStars points for the next chest, so I was going to play $1 Spingoes to get there. I took a bad beat in the $1 and got pissed off, so what-the-hell, I'll play $5 (I don't know why I didn't play the $2). My BR can easily carry up to the the $500[2] so I thought — OK fine.

            Start     Game  Stake   Fee   Type  Winnings 
 2023-10-31 09:54  Hold`em   0.46  0.04  3-max     0.00  
 2023-10-31 11:29  Hold`em   0.92  0.08  3-max    (1.00) 
 2023-10-31 11:32  Hold`em   4.60  0.40  3-max    (5.00) 
 2023-10-31 11:36  Hold`em   9.30  0.70  3-max   (10.00) 
 2023-10-31 11:43  Hold`em  23.50  1.50  3-max   (25.00) 
 2023-10-31 11:43  Hold`em  47.00  3.00  3-max    50.00  
            Total           85.78  5.72             9.00  

[1] Martingale (betting system) if that doesn't work try:   Martingale (betting system)
[2] Actually not true, by the time I had played the $100 I would not even have enough left for the $250. See? I told you it was stupid

At least that is the best explanation I can come up with for this behaviour.

PokerStars, 5 Card Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.10/$0.25 - 5 players

UTG: $25.55 (102 bb)
CO (Hero): $63.35 (253 bb)
BU: $23.92 (96 bb)
SB: $27.02 (108 bb)
BB: $29.49 (118 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.35) Hero is CO with 6♠:A♣:3♦:A♥:3♣:
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.85, 2 players fold, BB 3-bets to $1.45, Hero calls $0.60 <<< this is the move that makes the least sense. Yes, he has a nut low draw, but that at best gives 1/2 the pot.

Flop: ($3) 9♦:6♦:4♥: (2 players)
BB bets $2.87, Hero calls $2.87 <<< opponent holds overpair, nut flush draw and nut low draw — maybe I'm the donkey here — I'll check[1]

Turn: ($8.74) A♠: (2 players)
BB bets $8.37, Hero calls $8.37 <<< The A♠: counterfeits his low, so at best he has two pair, aces and nines and I guess some flush outs

River: ($25.48) Q♥: (2 players)
BB bets $16.80 (all-in), Hero calls $16.80 <<< I cannot fold, and opponent is counting on that, I suppose, that I will call with worse

Total pot: $59.08 (Rake: $2)

Showdown:
BB shows 2♣:J♣:A♦:J♦:9♥: (HI: two pair, Aces and Nines)
CO (Hero) shows 6♠:A♣:3♦:A♥:3♣: (HI: three of a kind, Aces)
CO (Hero) wins $57.08

[1] I could find no 5-Card PLO8 equity calculator, but since there is no low in this hand, I used a hi-only one.
Pre-flop: I'm ahead 60.3 to 39.7
Flop: I'm behind 47.8 to 52.2 <<< I don't think this is a foldable spot
Turn: Ahead again 81.6 to 18.4

The deuce OTR meant that nobody could have a low hand — and that was more worrisome than the spade draw

888Poker, Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 9 players

UTG: $6.41 (128 bb)
UTG+1 (Hero): $5.54 (111 bb)
MP: $0.50 (10 bb)
MP+1: $2.51 (50 bb)
LP: $2.76 (55 bb)
CO: $3.22 (64 bb)
BU: $10.47 (209 bb)
SB: $1.07 (21 bb)
BB: $4.22 (84 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is UTG+1 with T♦:2♦:3♠:2♠:
UTG raises to $0.17, Hero calls $0.17, 4 players fold, BTN calls $0.17, SB calls $0.15, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.73) K♠:Q♠:2♣: (4 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $0.73, Hero raises to $2.92, BU folds, SB calls $0.90 (all-in), UTG raises to $6.24 (all-in), Hero calls $2.45 (all-in)

Turn: ($12.37) 4♦: (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($12.37) 2♥: (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $12.37 (Rake: $0.73)

Showdown:
UTG shows A♣:A♠:8♠:9♦: (HI: two pair, Aces and Twos)
(Equity - Flop: 21%, Turn: 25%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 (Hero) shows T♦:2♦:3♠:2♠: (HI: four of a kind, Twos)
(Equity - Flop: 56%, Turn: 58%, River: 100%)

SB shows 4♠:J♠:T♠:T♣: (HI: two pair, Tens and Twos)
(Equity - Flop: 23%, Turn: 17%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 (Hero) wins $11.64

for fun and (not very much) profit

888Poker Snap, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players

UTG: $2.06 (103 bb)
MP: $0.98 (49 bb)
CO: $1.06 (53 bb)
BU: $0.68 (34 bb)
SB: $2.46 (123 bb)
BB (Hero): $5.04 (252 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BB with 3♦:7♣:
3 players fold, BTN calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.06) 7♥:3♥:K♣: (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.03, BTN calls $0.03, SB folds

Turn: ($0.12) 4♦: (2 players)
Hero bets $0.07, BTN calls $0.07

River: ($0.26) J♣: (2 players)
Hero bets $0.08, BTN calls $0.08

Total pot: $0.42 (Rake: $0.03)

Showdown:
BB (Hero) shows 3♦:7♣: (two pair, Sevens and Threes)
BU shows A♣:A♥: (a pair of Aces)
BB (Hero) wins $0.39

This refers to the fact that if you have six-high straight and the nut low, you beat all the players with a 5-high straight — which is also the nut low

In today's hand, all the players have six-high straight — but I have a better low.
It is rather rare that the high-side splits an a lone low wins.

888Poker, Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 8 players

UTG: $3.00 (60 bb)
UTG+1: $2.78 (56 bb)
MP: $6.31 (126 bb)
MP+1: $3.31 (66 bb)
CO: $0.91 (18 bb)
BU (Hero): $8.28 (166 bb)
SB: $1.45 (29 bb)
BB: $6.27 (125 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is BTN with 2♠:4♣:A♥:5♦:
UTG calls $0.05, UTG+1 calls $0.05, 1 fold, MP+1 calls $0.05, CO calls $0.05, Hero calls $0.05, SB calls $0.03, BB checks

Flop: ($0.35) 3♣:9♠:6♠: (7 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP+1 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($0.35) 2♣: (7 players)
SB bets $0.35, 2 players fold, UTG+1 calls $0.35, MP+1 calls $0.35, CO folds, Hero raises to $2.10, SB calls $1.05 (all-in), UTG+1 folds, MP+1 calls $1.75 <<< this is the "gin card" — it gives me the nut low and the six-high straight

River: ($6.30) T♥: (3 players, 1 all-in)
MP+1 bets $1.16 (all-in), Hero calls $1.16

Total pot: $8.62 (Rake: $0.50)

Showdown:
MP+1 shows 5♣:3♦:4♥:J♥: (HI: a straight, Two to Six; LO: 6-5-4-3-2)
SB shows Q♦:K♥:5♠:4♦: (HI: a straight, Two to Six; LO: 6-5-4-3-2)
BU (Hero) shows 2♠:4♣:A♥:5♦: (HI: a straight, Two to Six; LO: 6-4-3-2-A)
MP+1 wins $1.65
SB wins $0.77
BU (Hero) wins $5.70

Some nice hands recently. How are things going overall?

Originally posted by Harrier88
Some nice hands recently. How are things going overall?

Poker is fine
RL has been a bit of a challenge.

My brother is now in hospital permanently, so I take time to visit him and talk with him

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
My brother is now in hospital permanently, so I take time to visit him and talk with him

Very nice of you to keep visiting him. Must be tough times, though.

Remember to take some time for yourself too throughout all of that.

All the best to your brother, Vorpal!

Effective stacks are only 45 BB, but hey — stacks are stacks
There's not a lot else you can do with this hand
PokerStars, 5 Card Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.10/$0.25 - 6 players

UTG: $27.53 (110 bb)
MP: $41.32 (165 bb)
CO: $20.88 (84 bb)
BU (Hero): $26.80 (107 bb)
SB: $11.37 (45 bb)
BB: $20.94 (84 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with J♥:K♦:A♦:Q♣:A♠:
3 players fold, Hero raises to $0.85, SB 3-bets to $2.80, 1 fold, Hero 4-bets to $8.65, SB 5-bets to $11.37 (all-in), Hero calls $2.72

Flop: ($22.99) T♠:T♣:8♣: (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($22.99) Q♦: (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($22.99) 7♦: (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $22.99 (Rake: $0.98)

Showdown:
SB shows J♦:2♣:K♣:Q♥:A♥: (HI: two pair, Queens and Tens)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 50%, Flop: 43%, Turn: 28%, River: 0%)

BU (Hero) shows J♥:K♦:A♦:Q♣:A♠: (HI: two pair, Aces and Tens)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 50%, Flop: 57%, Turn: 72%, River: 100%)

BU (Hero) wins $22.01

Following a stupid call previously, this brought me back to small profit

Check out the lovely progression of equity.

PokerStars, 5 Card Omaha H/L Pot Limit - $0.10/$0.25 - 5 players

UTG: $96.49 (386 bb)
CO: $10.00 (40 bb)
BU (Hero): $25.00 (100 bb)
SB: $34.01 (136 bb)
BB: $6.35 (25 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with 2♣:A♦:8♣:A♣:9♥:
UTG raises to $0.62, CO 3-bets to $2.21, Hero calls $2.21, 2 players fold, UTG 4-bets to $9.19, CO 5-bets to $10 (all-in), Hero 6-bets to $25 (all-in), UTG calls $15.81

Flop: ($60.35) 9♠:3♦:T♠: (3 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($60.35) 7♣: (3 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($60.35) 9♣: (3 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $60.35 (Rake: $2)

Showdown:
BU (Hero) shows 2♣:A♦:8♣:A♣:9♥: (HI: three of a kind, Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 33%, Flop: 39%, Turn: 58%, River: 100%)

CO shows 6♦:K♦:A♠:K♥:2♠: (HI: two pair, Kings and Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 37%, Flop: 48%, Turn: 28%, River: 0%)

UTG shows 2♦:A♥:Q♠:Q♥:4♣: (HI: two pair, Queens and Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 30%, Flop: 13%, Turn: 14%, River: 0%)

BU (Hero) wins $58.35