1500 PLO8 MTT @ Rio

Table 11, Seat 1 (black section of the rio's pavilion section)

starting stack: 1500 with 2 rebuy chips (1500 per rebuy chip)
initially started with 4 players

1 - hero
2 - (did not show up until level 3 or so)
3 - thought you could play PLO + PLO8 hands
4 - "pro" - showed up around level 2 and was only person to use all rebuys immediately
5 - straightforward player
6 - seemed more like a NLHE player; sunglasses and seemed to try take time on decisions
7 - late showed up ~45 min in; seemed somewhat fishy, understood stuff, but maybe not super strong player
8 - "FUIGEA" cap - PLO8 TAG
9 - late reg (did not show up until level 5)

Apparently, at least 2 people had to be there to have cards go in the air.
Hero arrived 4 to start play 4 handed (1, 5, 6, 8). Needless to say, Hero took a couple "free blind hands" when it folded around to me and there were 2 dead stacks in the blinds.
Initially, most of the players were just trying to feel each other out.


3 players

hero dealt [a577 (no suit)]
effective stacks: 1500 (blinds 25-25)
5: limps
8: limps
hero (bb): checks


6s 4c 2h 3s Bs B = T-K

flop: [125 chips, 3 players]
6s 4c 2h

hero checks
5: bets 75
8: calls
hero: calls

6s 4c 2h 3s
checks around on the turn

6s 4c 2h 3s Bs B = T-K
hero leads river
5: folds
8: folds


Analysis:
1. Hero's flop call is kind of loose.
2. Absolute mistake not to bet the turn as wheels are calling (although fold out a3x w/o wheels) and in a huge spot to quarter people.
Hero's intention at the time was to check raise turn, but looking back, if he's betting naked nut low or 2 pair hands, he's not betting turn.
3. River lead is ok after the fact, although can be somewhat thin. Hero doesn’t have a flush, but can still get value out of some naked lows and/or wheels.

-----------------
hero dealt [ad td 4h 2h]

folds to hero UTG+2 (~2.25k)
hero raises to 125
villain (~1.75k) calls in late position
[others fold]

[300 in preflop]
J32 (rainbow)
1: Hero bets 2/3 pot
6: raises all in
Hero thinks for a little bit and calls.

villain shows: ATKK
J3295
hero scoops with wheel

Analysis:
Hero is actually a 60/40 favorite w/ my scoop (wheel), 2 pair outs, and low draw for half. Villain was kind of leaking, IMO. Overpairs are ok to go with in PLO High given short stacks...

---------------
1. level 2 (blinds 25/50)

Hero dealt [As 2s 6c 9c]
folds to hero (UTG+2)
Hero PFR raised with As2s6c9c (125 total)
4: calls

[325 in pot, 2 players]
TA9 rainbow
hero cbet flop (200)
villain - called

TA9K rainbow
(about 725 in pot)
hero bets 2/3 pot (450)
villain - raises
hero - folds

Analysis:
QJ** and AK** are the only hands that overtake me and villain could theoretically have ATK*. At the time, I think it's a standard bet/fold 2 pair spot in either PLO or PLO8.

---------------
just before level 2 break

reads:
Seat 5 had shown down a non-nut naked low to get half earlier in the session.

hero dealt as 2x 6s Bx (B = T, J, or Q)

5 (UTG+1): raises to 150
6: folds
7: calls
8: calls
1 (hero): called in HJ
3: (button): calls

(5 players, 850 in pot)
5KK rainbow
checks around on flop

turn (5 players, 850 in pot)
5KK6 backdoor flush draw (so like 5s Kc Kd 6s)
sb (nlhe player) - leads for 700
7: calls
8: folds
hero: calls
3: folds

river (3 players)
[1.6k in pot, 3 players]
5KK64 (only 2 tone flush, no flush on end - so like 5s Kc Kd 6s 4d)
sb: checks
7: checks
hero: thinks for a while
[20 min. break starts]
Hero bets 1k
2 other players call

hero: shows pair of 6s/nut low
5: mucks
7: shows nut low

hero wins 3/4 pot
7: wins 1/4 pot


Analysis:
Turn:
Hero flats hoping 4th player stays in. if 4th player stays in, hero just gets money back. Sadly, 4th player folds.

River:
There was a huge amount of weakness on the river, which is why hero tanked for a good 3-4 min. thinking about it.

Obviously, hero luckboxed that he actually had the best high hand and quartered a low.
IMO, boats would have bet turn + river (so lows don't just "get there" on turn and to get value from multiple players with low on river).
Given river action, 2nd player may have bet with straights for value b/c of check from initial turn player. There was a lot of weakness shown by both players by river check.
It wasn't meant to be a super-thin value bet for sure :)

Retrospectively, hero was trying to bet to represent a straight (78/73/72) and knock out a high hand (2 pairs, maybe K***) and/or both players. Thus, hero tries to scoop (by getting other players to fold) and/or might be able to get a naked low to call and 3/4 that player.


=======
level 3:
hero's stack: 5.7k with 2 rebuy chips

----------
after level 2's break
2 "bracelet award ceremonies"
Pakistan national anthem (o8/s8)
US Armed Forces Veteran (1.5k nlhe)

It was good to see, but it would have been helpful to get an extra 5-10 min. on break.
---------
=======

level 3:
hero in bb: dealt aa67 no suits calls
folds to seat 6
6: NLHE player raises in late position
Hero: calls

flop: Qx 2h 4h
checks around

flop: Qx 2h 4h lx (low card not a 2/4/6, putting 3 lows on board and giving hero a bad low)
6: bets turn
hero folds

Analysis:
Hero is slight dog to AA-wheel hands and could try to jam here, but decides to play well post-flop. AA67 heads up isn't a horrible hand, but can be tricky if it doesn't flop well.
Hero could have tried to get aggressive pre/post-flop, but decided to play passive here against the straight forward "NLHE" player who could be free-rolling with nut low + hands.

------------
hero dealt [Ah 2h Kc 4c]

Hero
QT6 rainbow
4 checks around on flop

QT6T turn
2 checks to hero
hero bets about 60% pot
everyone folds

Analysis:
Check around flop as it doesn't truly hit hero's range and there's 4 people in the pot.
Paired boards are generally good to bet in PLO8.

----------------
Hero got into a couple pots against the 2 active "PLO" players, mainly seat 4 and 1 spot with "PLO Maniac" (seat 7 after the original seat 7 busted out of the MTT)

Against seat 7 while hero is in BB, i got dealt A2BB suit to ace, but missed flop completely (it was like 2wx and i had only a pair of deuces w/ 3 overs and no low) and had to check/fold.


===============
level 5:
Hero's stack:
Hero's rebuy chips were "auto-cashed" turning 4525 + 2*1500 = 7525.
Blinds 100/200
===============

***hero not involved in hand, but always sick when stacks get in after betting on all 3 streets with essentially identical hands in PLO
board:
69585 (rainbow, no flush draws)

Ah Ks 6x 2y
Ac Kc 5x 2y

pretty sick to hit the 2 outer to 3/4 opponent.


before end of level 6

Player 4 had been steadily gaining chips. He got it all in on a "coin flip flop" and lost and busted out of the MTT. Seat 7 had shown some PLO High characteristics and was now up to 30k or so.

Overall, hero basically had very few playable situations during levels 5 & 6.
A. Either of the PLO maniac(s) (seats 4 or 7) got involved in pfr raised pots.
B. The 1 or 2 times it folded to me, hero didn't even have a raisable (top 30-40%) hand that could even make a low.

===============
level 7 (dinner break):
5400
Blinds 200/400
===============

against relatively deep stacked player w/ PLO experience (seat 7), two different situations where hero gets chips w/o seeing the flop

(folds to CO)
1. 7 raised in CO
Hero tanks with AQww
Hero 3 bets pot OOP [leaving about < psb left]
7: folds

later on
7: limps in UTG+2
folds to hero
hero raises with AAwx
7: folds

-------
They break the table right next to my starting table (table 12) and even though we lost 1 player (seat 9), they make us keep the seat cards.
Basically, our table is breaking next.
-----
Before the table break, hero missed one possible steal spot against 2 relatively tight players.

Hero dealt [Kd Ks Td Qs - 1 suit to king]

folds to hero
Hero decides to not steal, even though it really appeared that our table was breaking very soon.
There was only about 11 tables left in the "White" section of the room.

==========
30 min into level 7, our table breaks;
stack: 6500 - move to new table 68, seat 9 (by the dealer again)
==========

Table 68:
1 - "John" (Canadian) - seemed to be solid PLO8 MTTer (played cash with him previous year)
2 -
3 -
4 - [super short stack - (he might have been in seat 4)]
5 - TAGgy PLO8 MTTer. Seemed to understand push/fold.
6 - young Asian player, seemed to have some PLO background and hands within range; somewhat loose/aggro
7 - Men Nguyen, then a TAGgy random after Men busted
8 -
9 - hero


new table with Men the Master Nguyen (seat 7), about 30 min. after dinner break

7x Jd Kd 2y Ad
6
9 (hero) [5.9k]

flop:
all players check

[3 players]
turn:
6: checks
9: hero tanks/calls
2: folds

river:
6: pots
9: hero calls all in

villain shows: [Kx Qd 4d 3y] - q high flush + nut low
Hero shows: [ax jx 4x 3x - no suit] - top and 3rd pair + nut low
Hero gets quartered.

Analysis:

Hero actually should fold even with an uncounterfeitable low draw b/c only hope is to get a chop (although an ace might give a better 2 pair and can counterfeit naked low).
Additionally, it's not like there were any wheel cards to give some scoop outs and increase hero's equity.
River sort of played itself out. Rare situation to get quartered here as there are few combos that actually 3/4 hero.

5900 -> 3200

--------------
2 limpers (stack sizes cover hero and leave 1.5-2 psb after flop)
hero - makes exactly pot size raise

jam AKK5 suit to ace (exactly psb)

K8475

2 players in pot who checked it all the way down (seats 6 & 7)

hero gets 1/2 the pot

Hero gets it all in pre-flop with AA42 no suit against AKQ2
Jx 5h 6x 4h 6y

Hero 3/4 villain
hero's stack - 8200

---------------------------

+++++++++++
Aside:

Men was mad at a dealer for an entire down. He had been drinking even before the move to the table. Overall, he was friendly to everyone at the table.
The situation arose where he was asking the dealer (an older person) how much is it to pot it. Dealer never responded for some reason.
Men asked again slightly louder and more irritated before dealer responded.

Men also seemed to like gambling/getting it all in with KK** even w/o a low. He admitted that to so many people at the table, it was absurd.
[As a side note, KKxx has fairly bad equity in aipf situations.]

He eventually got into a huge pot 3 way hoping to gamble and triple up with KK**, but bricked out and was gone from the tournament. Seats 2 & 6 was the main beneficiary of the chips


A Q 5 (2 clubs) low card, big card
6: xx2c3c - gets 1/2 with naked low
2: had aaxx i believe - gets high
Men: out w/ KK** hand (ironically)

hero was able to get a journalist and detailed some of the notes about the hand. hero essentially pulled him over and said "I think Men's going to be all in really soon, he's commmitted 80% of pot in and he's in the tank."

Seat 6 asked me if i wanted to do poker journalism or if I knew media people. I was like "No, it might be cool for a couple days, but not really. Also, i just want to help people who read the live updates too."

Sadly, it doesn't look like his update made the feed(s) anywhere. This was a first: Actually seeing and getting a journalist to take notes or live updates for a hand at my table.

+++++++++++

-------------------
hero in BB: [qjj3 suit to one j]

hero checks in bb and gets free play in 4 way limped pot

(4 players to flop)

KT9 rainbow
[4 checks]

KT9T backdoor flush draw
sb: checks
hero: bets 1/2 psb
[3 folds]
hero wins pot

Analysis:
Hero can sometimes slow play this flop as it's rainbow and an A doesn't change the nuts, although value can be acquired from sets, etc... by betting.
Hero bets on turn to hope that naked txxx calls.

---------------
hero dealt AK32 no suit in HJ (hero's stack about 8k)
folds to 6: raises to 3x (6 has hero covered)
hero flat calls in HJ w/ AK32 no suit (hero's stack about 8k)
everyone else folds

[2 players - 4.5k preflop]
Ad 3d Qd
6: check
hero: check

Ad 3d Qd 8c
6: check
hero: check

Ad 3d Qd 8c Kd
6: leads 2k
hero: tanks, then folds

Analysis:
Hero has to be right 60% of the time to get 1/2 the pot back. W/o a low, how often is hero calling with top 2 against a low?
Villain was sort of aggressive and had shown down some weird PLO high hands too.

Hero thinks range is geared more toward non-nut flushes w/ no lows (or bad lows) and folds.


---------------
hero: pfr with [AA5Q, no suit]
folds to hero in HJ

5: straightforward player leads flop of Js Ts 6x
hero tanks/folds

-----
4: as UTG, calls 500 (at 300/600) after losing huge pot
3 limpers in front
hero repots with AA2x on the button (hero's stack - about 6k and villains range from 9k-20k+)
everyone folds

board runs: KQ25J

villain "5x ups" w/ 2 pair on the end? (kjxx?)
hero loses about 200 overall


===============
level 9:
Hero's stack: 5500
Blinds 400/800

Hero is not really that super short. Since this is a PLO8 MTT, Harrington "M" zones are effectively larger b/c of the split pot nature of the game.
===============

---------------------------
folds to hero in SB
hero has approximately ~5000 @ 400/800
hero folds KQQ5
seat 1 takes pot down uncontested
hero's stack shrinks some more

It's kind of standard to sometimes see table tighten up in a PLO8 MTT as people don't necessarily want to play out of position.
----------------------

hero dealt: [ah 3h 5x 9y] (2 suit to ace)

2 folds
UTG+2: limps
folds to button (hero)
hero: pots
sb/bb: fold
UTG+2: thought about it for a while, then asked for my chip count.
When he saw i was short (1k behind), he said "i'll gamble" and jammed.
Hero called instantly.

villain (UTG+2) shows A2T9 suited to ace.

board: 48qj5 (2 flush on flop only, but not to either of players' suits.)

Analysis:
At the time, I kind of defaulted into cash game mode, where I'm definitely isolating limper all day.

Because of awkward stack sizes, I should have thought about it more and just limped behind and played a flop.
Looking back:
1. Even if I don't make a hand, I could try to barrel various scary turn/river cards to get straightforward PLO8 TAG to fold.
2. Check/Folding isn't the worse play either. Hero's stack isn't super short and I can definitely take a flop here and sometimes play fit/fold too.
3. I also don't have to risk my tournament life on the ~35% chance I could get scooped here.
4. I'm also done some looking around MTT forums and realize that the high portion/strength of my hand is rather mediocre. If it was AJ/AQ/AK, it's better to ship here.

5. I polled many various people from all walks of life....here's the consensus thus far:
a. PLO8 Cash game pros: limp behind and use post-flop skill
b. PLO8 MTT pro - raise/get it in w/ fold equity
c. other NLHE/PLO/mixed game MTT pros - raise/get it in and flip coins


-------------
hero busts around 190-200th (90 pay)/946