Good Call at $100 PLO Stars Jan. 30
As I ponder my Pot Limit Omaha cash-game results, two things come to mind. The first is that even though the accountant in me hates the move to 6-max tables, the poker player in me prefers them - because I just love to pound.
You see, it costs much more to play at 6-max tables from both a blind pressure and rake perspective. You are forced to play more hands as a result, and you can’t make as much either. The accountant in me hates that. And since aggressive play is what gives you an edge, you need to be in there raising and betting if you are playing. The poker player in me loves that!
The second thing? Oh yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, I owe much of my PLO cash-game results to making good calls. This is a tricky thing that requires good judgment. Here is an example from a .50/1.00 game ($100 Max) at Poker Stars that I was in last night.
My Hand:
One caller in front of me in middle position. I decide to play this hand, so I make my standard entering the pot play of mini-raising to $2. The late players fold, but both blinds and the limper call so we take it 4-handed with me in position.
Flop:
The blinds check, the preflop limper bets $5 (the pot) and I make a mini-raise to $10. The blinds fold and the original bettor re-pops it to $30, a $20 raise. I call.
Turn:
My opponent bets $65, a few chips shy of the pot. I call. (Should I have? I didn’t think that 6 hit him for some reason. This guy seemed to be steaming a little.)
River:
Now that river is trouble. About 300 straights are now possible. But my opponent certainly could have been pushing a flush draw, especially if he had two pair plus a flush draw, don’t you think? And if that is his hand, it would be a miracle if he had a straight now also.
Anyway he bets all-in $65.50, well short of the pot size. Given my reasoning above and the odds that the pot was laying me on that bet (which I had covered) I called.
His Hand:
So it would seem that my judgment in regards to my opponent steaming was accurate, and that’s what won it for me. He was pushing a pure nut flush draw, and a weak one at that - being as he was blocking one of his own suits. I mean, what was he going nuts on the flop for? His hand is a decided dog against anyone committed to giving him action, as it must have certainly seemed that I was.
I consider his starting hand borderline at best. Yeah I know mine isn’t winning any prizes either, but I like it a lot better. It’s the kind of hand I like to try and run down aces with when the money is deep. I would have to be in a pretty fast mode to even play his hand, especially under the gun like that.
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