Starstealer's Tournament Report - $10+1 Omaha Hi/Lo on Pokerstars

I've played this tournament so many times now - I'm actually a little disappointed that I don't make the money more often. Still, it is a good size for a field and a reasonable payout schedule. Plus - its my favorite game.

In hand #4, I have 234J suited (4Js) and limp from the cutoff after three others. The button folds and both blinds come in. The flop is - giving me the nut low draw, 2nd nut flush draw, a wheel draw and bottom pair. It checks around to me - so I bet. Only the SB folds - so we see the turn 5 handed. The turn is the - giving me my flush. Again it checks to me - I bet - and everyone but the last limper calls. The river is the unfortunate - pairing the board and now the player to my right leads out. I make a crying call because of the pot size (2 others call as well) and he shows 29TT.

In hand #7, I have A2TK suited (A2Kd) and limp from MP after UTG limps. There are two others behind me, plus the blinds. The flop is TT6 rainbow and it checks to me - so I bet. I get 3 calls (MP, BB and UTG). The turn is the wonderful case ten, and they check to me again - I bet (because checking would look abnormal and I have a feeling they will call anyway...), and get 2 other callers. The river is a four and the two callers get one more bet. They of course muck when I show my quads.

In hand #10, I have A249 suited (A4d) in the BB. There are three limpers plus the SB in, so I check. The flop is 79K with 2 clubs and the SB leads out. I fold.

In hand #18, I have A334 rainbow UTG and limp in. There are four other limpers plus the blinds for the flop. The flop is 224 and the blinds check. I bet, the next player folds and the following player raises. There are 2 callers back to me - so I just call. The turn is a six and I check. The flop raiser bets out and is called by everyone - I just call. The river is another six and I check again. Same player bets out and it is called back to me. There are 5 people in the pot total - so even if I am quartered - I'm making a profit - so I raise. Everyone calls. I take the low half of the pot. The raiser had 44TK for the boat on the flop.

In hand #21, I have A27T suited (A7Td) on the button and limp after UTG+1 and MP both limp. The blinds come in and we see the flop of 336. The SB bets and is called by UTG+1 when it gets back to me. I call. The turn, however is an ace, and I fold to a bet and a raise in front of me.

In hand #26, I have AA55 suited (A5c) in UTG+1. UTG folds, I raise. I get 4 callers (MP, cutoff, SB, and BB). The flop is 67Q - all clubs. The blinds check and I bet. This time I get one caller. The turn is a 4 and he check-calls. The river is a 9 and he check-calls again. I scoop the pot when he mucks .

In hand #28, I have 89JJ double-suited in the SB. UTG raises and the cutoff is the only caller to me. I call and the BB folds. The flop is 489 with 2 diamonds. I lead out, but both players call. The turn is an offsuit ace and I check. UTG calls and the cutoff folds - I call. The river is an offsuit 5 and I check call. UTG shows AA7K suited (AKd) - so I was in real bad shape if my flush did hit.

-- For the record - I don't like my play on this hand. Even calling the UTG raise is marginal - but I already had a beat on this guy - so I suspected he had an AAxx hand from the start. I didn't listen to myself and it cost me some chips.

In hand #30, I ahve A45J suited (A5Js) in the cutoff. UTG limps, MP raises and it folds to me. I call, the button calls. Everyone behind me calls. The flop is 26T with a spade. It checks to the PFR, who bets. I call as does the button and the SB. Now the BB comes out for a raise. UTG folds and the PFR reraises. It calls around the BB caps it. We all call. The turn is a six and I fold to a bet.

-- Not real pleased with how I handled this one either. The BB had TTJJ and hit his set on the flop. The PFR ended up folding on the river and the only player to stay to showdown had A369.

In hand #32, I have A369 suited (36c) in MP. UTG and UTG+1 both limp, so I limp as well. It folds to the blinds who both come in. The flop is A2Q with a club and it checks around to me. I check as well and see the turn pair the board deuce. I fold to a bet from the BB.

In hand #34, I have A34T suited (A4Th) UTG and limp in. There are four limpers plus both blinds in for the flop. The flop is A5T - all clubs and it checks around. The turn is an eight and it checks around again. The river is a seven and now the SB leads out and is called by the BB. I call as well - but everyone behind me folds. I take the low half of the pot, and the BB takes the high half. The SB bet out with a set of eights; the BB had a straight.

In hand #36, I have A5QQ rainbow in the SB. MP limps and the cutoff raises. I call, the BB folds and the limper calls. The flop is A4J and I fold to a bet.

The first break hits after hand #41. I'm at 1675 in chips and the limits are increasing to 150/300.

In hand #52, I have A27T suited in the BB. UTG raises and is called twice, and I call. The flop though is 7QK, so I check. It checks around and the turn is another king. Now, I check-fold.

In hand #55, I have AA3J suited (AJc) on the cutoff. There are three limpers before me (one is all-in for 100, instead of the 150 bet), I limp and both blinds come in. The flop is KT6 with 2 spades. The SB bets, the BB raises and the first limper reraises. I fold obviously. (The three-bettor had A5JQ with AQs and hit the straight on the turn, and the royal flush on the river...)

In hand #60, I'm down to 525 and I'm in the BB for 200. I have 24TK suited (2Th). There are two limpers plus the small blind in. We see a flop turn and river ([9s] ) when I finally bet (all-in). Everyone folds.

In hand #62, I have 1025 in chips and am on the button. I have 2349 suited (34h). Everyone limps in front of me, I limp, and both blinds come along. The flop is AA8 and the SB leads out. He gets 3 folds and 2 calls before the player to my right raises. I call, as does the original bettor. The other caller pushes the rest of his stack in (another 56), which we all call. The turn is a 3 and it is bet and raised before me - I call all-in and the SB calls. They have one more bet on the river. Surprisingly, I take all of the low side of the pot for the side pots I'm eligible for and I essentially double up to 2365.

In hand #68, I have 99JK suited (9Jc) in the BB. There are three limpers and the SB in for the flop of KK4. The SB checks, I bet and there's one call. The turn is a 7 and we both check. The river is an ace - and we both check. I take the high with my trip kings.

In hand #73, I have A3KK in MP and limp after one other. The button limps as well and the SB folds. The flop is 2TJ with 2 diamonds. They check to me and I bet. Only the button calls (same player as in the hand before). The turn is the . I have the - so I know he can't have the nut flush, but I also don't have a very good hand here (some might call it CRAP). Regardless, I continue pressing and he calls my bet. The river is the (putting a low out) and I bet once more. He uses up most of his time and then folds.

-- This was a tough hand for me - because, in my opinion, I had no chance of winning the pot except if my opponent folded. I figured he had 2 pair - possible as little as jacks and deuces. Given that, I had to push as hard as I did in order to get him to fold. As it was - my last bet would've left me crippled (and no - if he had raised, I wouldn't have called him). Still, with his fold, I was able to preserve the knowledge of my bluff to myself. Better yet - I was now up to 4615.

In hand #77, I have 25JK suited (2Jd) in the BB. There's only one limper in MP and the SB folds. The flop is KKA with 2 spades and I check. The limper bets - I call. The turn is a five (giving me a boat) and I lead out - he calls. The river is a seven and he calls my bet. He has A38Q with 2 spades. We split.

In hand #80, I have AA66 suited (A6d) in the cutoff. Everyone folds to me, so I raise. Only the SB (2240 - about half my stack) calls. The flop is 689 with 2 diamonds. The SB leads out, I raise and he calls. The turn is a queen and he check-calls my bet (all-in). The river is another queen and I take the pot with my boat. He had 79KK with the king-high flush draw. At this point I'm up to a semi-comfortable chip stack of 7155 (limits were 400/800).

In hand #89, I have A3QQ suited (AQh) in MP. UTG+1 limps in, I raise and only the BB and the limper call. The flop is 58K rainbow (1 heart) and they check to me. I check as well. The turn is the 7h and they check to me again - I bet - and they both call. The river is a queen (giving me 2nd set), they check again and call again. I scoop the pot. One player had 236K, the other had 237K. I'm at 11355 now.

The 2nd break happens after hand #91. I'm still at 11355, and the limits are headed to 600/1200.

By the time #102 comes around, I'm down to 8955 and on the button. It folds to me and I've got A9TK suited (A9Kh). I call and both blinds come in. The flop is 3TK and the SB checks. The BB bets and I raise with top two. The SB folds and the BB calls. The turn is an eight and the BB checks. I bet again - he calls. The river is a five and we both check. He shows 3346 and scoops. I'm down to 5955.

In hand #106, I'm in the BB with A8TJ. It folds to the SB who raises (I have him covered). I reraise him all-in, he calls. He has 3677. I catch an ace and no low comes - so he's knocked out. I'm up to 8260.

In hand #108, I have A3KK suited (3Kd) on the cutoff and open limp. The button calls, the SB folds and the BB checks. The flop is 589 with 2 spades and the BB checks. I bet and both players call. The turn is another 5 and the BB checks again. I bet again and now, only the button calls. The river is a ten and I bet out once more - he folds. That brings me up to 13460.

In hand #112, I have 356T suited (56Tc) in the BB. There are 2 limpers, and I check to see the flop. The flop is - giving me bottom pair, a poor flush draw and a non-nut low draw. I check, the first limper bets, the second limper folds and I call. The turn is a 3 and I bet out (the other player was short stacked - so I wanted some fold equity) - unfortunately he raises all-in for another 250 or so - so I call. He has AA49. The river is an eight and he scoops the pot. I'm down to 9973.

In hand #116, I have A22T double suited (A2d, 2Ts) in MP. Everyone folds to me, so I raise. Only the BB calls. The flop is 59K with 2 hearts, and we both check. The turn is another 5 and he checks again. I bet - he folds. I'm at 11573.

In hand #117, I have A366 suited (A3h) in MP. UTG+1 limps, I limp and the blinds come in. No one bets on the flop turn or river, so the final board is: . The BB takes the pot with 246T.

In hand #127, I have 679T double suited (6Th, 79s) in the BB. UTG+1 is the only limper, and the SB completes. The flop is JTJ with 2 spades. SB checks, I check and the limper checks. The turn is a six and it checks around again. On the river, the SB bets out. I make the call and the limper folds. The SB had the flopped boat to crush my rivered straight. I'm now down to 5373.

In hand #132, I have A45J suited (4Jc) and open raise from MP. Only the BB calls. The flop is 467 with two hearts and the SB bets out. I raise all-in (because I was pretty committed anyway). Much to my dismay - he has the 3-7 straight and a better low than me. Luckily a 3 comes on the turn and we split both the high and low.

In hand #133, I have A267 suited (A7s) and open raise from MP again. The same player (now in the SB) calls. The flop is A46 with 2 diamonds. He checks - I bet - he calls. The turn is the and he checks, I bet all-in - he calls. He has a better two pair - but I've got the low - so we split again.

In hand #134, I have AA26 suited (A2c) and open raise from UTG+1. A MP reraises, and I cap. The flop is 7JK and I push the rest of my chips in. He calls and shows A24T. No low hits and I scoop. I'm at 13144.

In hand #135, I have A4TK suited (A4s) in UTG. I fold.

-- I was on such a run, I almost raised here again. However, with my new stack, plus the limits just increased to 2k/4k - I wanted to slow down a bit. I wonder if anyone would've continued with a raise here (or even a limp). If it makes a difference to some - we're down to 38 players and 36 make the money.

In hand #136, I have A349 suited (A3s) in the BB. It folds to the button, who raises (I have him covered). I call. The flop is 59K with 2 diamonds and I check-fold.

In hand #138, I have 35TT on the button. UTG (4.5k) raises and it folds to me. I reraise - he is the only caller. He has A259. He hits a deuce and nine on the flop and then another deuce on the river and doubles up. I'm down to 2560.

In hand #139, I have 239T double-suited (3Tc, 29d) and push all-in from the cutoff after one limper. The SB, BB and the limper all call. The final board is 94766 and I am out. I finished 30th out of 396 - just inside the money.

I like your reports, they remind me of playing when I can't, atwork or bedtime, etc.
Congrats on the money finish.