1500 PLO8 MTT @ Rio

1500 starting stack with 2 rebuys with 25/25 blinds and 60 min. levels

Table Reads:
1
super nitty
saw 1 bet at 1 pot in ~2 levels
2 (gl3 eventually, spewy player first 4 levels)
seemed to be not doing anything too out of the ordinary
does seem to stab some pots sometimes on turn when checked to
3
Unknown to start; eventually dead stack of person in 8 game but has been MIA
4
asian, maybe in late 20s
competent plo8 reg
seems kinda nitty

5 (tom franklin)
asked me which game are we playing?
I explained it's PLO8

5 (unknown, then lee Watkinson)
6 (rocky)
seems to know something
has barrelled once against me
has floated me ip in later rounds
hero didn't bet kjt 2 heart board though)

7 (rob)
does seem to understand short stack plo8 play
very wide jamming range
kind of loose though w/ qqt9 ds
8 (magnus)
very competent reg
can jam with medium hi + low potential
ex) 886 -> villain had a299

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Mistake one at 12:14PM. Folding small blind in limped pot at 25 25...
First time hero is in small blind.
Hero motioned to throw hero’s cards in the muck. Hero realized that it was 25/25 and wanted them back. Dealer was going to call floor, but stopped after hero told them it wasn't worth it to call floor.
Unfortunately, not sure if hero was so focused on action that it was an easy thing to just check in sb in limped pot.

Mistake 2 was around 1:10PM.
I was ghost checked as small blind.
Hero had completed in sb.
On flop, dealer didn't notice hero’s "non-action" and 2 players checked before doing anything. Dealer told me to speak up next time.

***
IIRC, first pot was probably bet by hero on flop and took it down when flopped 2p/set on 2 low board.
The other ones was checked on all streets. Hero showed hand and won.

Capt. Tom Franklin showed up about 25 min. into the first level.
He played almost exactly like in PLO8 MTT in New Orleans.
He waved hi to me, then a little later asked me which game we were playing.
He tried to be aggressive early to build up stack, slowed down for a bit, then got active again before ultimately busting.
He also was toting around an iPad and headphones.

***

It took about 4-5 rotations to win first pot(s).
Unfortunately, there are no notes other than tweets for the 1st 2 won pots by hero.
1:11PM - Shipped first pot. Limped bb special. 100 chips.
1:33PM - 2 for 2 on big blind specials.

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First Break:
1625 with 2 rebuy chips
50/100 blinds

---------------
hero dealt 7753 (7c5c) in bb

3 players limp in
hero checks

(4 players - 400 in pot)
9x Qc 4c
4 checks

(4 players - 400 in pot)
9x Qc 4c Ac
3 checks
button (seat 7): bets 300
hero: calls
2 others fold

(2 players - 1000 in pot)
9x Qc 4c Ac 2y
check
check

Analysis:
Check/call seems like best line with low flush + backdoor low draw.
Without knowing if other players are check calling worse flushes, it seemed like right play.

River seems like it should easily be value bet. Unfortunately, it's really hard to say if villain was going to even call bet (villain mucked).
Villain may have had Q32x (nut low draw + pair)?

---------------
These were dealt hands that hero voluntarily entered into pot (VPIP).
1. limp 6532 rainbow UTG+1, fold when bricked
2. in bb, hero called button raise with 8632 (double suited - cddc), but check/folded on high only flop
3. with 5 other players in pot, hero completed in sb with JJ77 (jc 7c)
This may have been a loose call, tbh even though bb had only raised 1x in 3 hours.

---------------
Hero (875 chips) and button has more chips
hero: dealt AQ52
folds to player 7

button: raises
hero (BB): 3 bets AI
button: calls
button shows: AJJ2

Analysis:
This seemed pretty standard given button/bb dynamics. hero had folded blinds often, although this was first button/bb dynamic.
Often times, hero's nitty image might get villain to fold preflop rarely.

Hero didn’t write down board, but was calling dealer to use a rebuy chip after the hand.

---------------
blinds: 50/100
Limp utg+1 a862. 5 way to flop. Aa8. Pot flop one call. Get in on 9 turn. Villain show a6 4 3. 5 river. A double up plus.

Hero limps with A862 (no suit)

(5 players to flop)
AA8 rainbow
hero bets near pot
seat 2 calls
everyone else folds

AA89
hero is all in
seat 2 calls

2: shows A643
AA895

Hero increases stack from 1500 -> ~3300

Analysis:
Easy jam and really awesome to have huge equity in heads up pot. It's rare to be hugely dominating.
Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
600,000 trials (Randomized)
board: aa8
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
a862 76.64% 319,834 599,867 0 150,739 0
a643 23.36% 133 133 0 280,166 0
Edit · Link · 2+2 · Deuces Cracked · LeggoPoker

board: aa89
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
a862 83.74% 404,904 600,000 0 90,063 0
a643 16.26% 0 0 0 195,096 0

---------------
hero: dealt AQ64 (64)
6 - raised in CO to 375 at 75/150

(3 players - 975 in pot)
AT5 (rainbow; hero has bdfd)
check
6: bets 600
button: folds
hero calls

(2 players - 2175 in pot)
Ax Ty 5c 3c
hero leads 1700 (leaving 800 behind)
6: tanks/folds

Analysis:
Simulation: TP2k + bad low draw + redraw to better 2 pair.
Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
4,136,900 trials (Exhaustive)
board: ac th 5s
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
at 58.16% 1,413,253 3,257,785 65,880 376,224 87,264
ad qs 6c 4c 41.84% 757,652 813,235 65,880 2,202,824 87,264

Hero's equity is ok, but playability could be problematic.

On turn, hero has decently strong 2-way hand + strong draw. Hero lead seems to be ok.
But, there's merit with check/raise AI (which would be small raise for hero) to hopefully get more money in via possible freeroll w/ clubs.
But, not sure how often villain bets low turn where villain could just be hoping to get money back.

Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
320,920 trials (Exhaustive)
board: ac th 5s 3c
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
at, aa, 55 37.72% 14,220 218,099 1,404 16,584 13,440
ad qs 6c 4c 62.28% 94,193 101,417 1,404 290,896 13,440
Edit · Link · 2+2 · Deuces Cracked · LeggoPoker

hero's stack approaches 5300.

---------------
At this point, hero reads that players in seats 5-8 seem to be competent PLO8 players for the most part.

CO raises
button calls
SB: reraises (effectively all in)
CO folds
button calls

SB: AAQ3 (AQ)
Button: AK72 (AK)

Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
600,000 trials (Randomized)
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
A Ad Qd 3 61.23% 259,718 430,771 4,470 82,999 14,123
Ac Kc 7 2 38.77% 124,775 164,759 4,470 217,637 14,123

This illustrates that 3 low cards can help in spots against likely AAW for counterfeit protection (and 3-5% of equity). In game, it’s really hard to fold for sure.

---------------
Side note:
Lots of pairs of events. 2 odd chips. High hand oop. Oop got both odd chips.
This happened in the span of 1 dealer down to boot! Dealer commented that "well, we've just had this happen, so this should be quick."

Both times, it occurred when person was quartered.
Example: 1575 in pot; person wins 3/4 of pot and was OOP
775 - high hand: (775 + 25) -> 800
775 - low chopped
400 - OOP low hand gets odd chip (25): 375 + 25 = 400
375 - IP low hand only gets 375

One of the situations happened in this hand:
Board: 3h Jh 7d 8c 7h
Pot was raised preflop, but unsure of how many players were in pot on flop (it may have been heads up).
flop: check/check
turn: check/check
river: bet/raise/
3b/call

IIRC players
seat 5: raise/call had A432 (Ah 2h)
seat 8: b/3b bet with A752 (5d 2d)

---------------
Other small notes:

1. Hero stole a limped pot on a 4s47s IP when checked to hero as last to act.
2. Hero flatted PFR with AK85 (A5) (don't remember who raised)
Flop (2 players):
Q63 (2 tone; hero has NFD)
Analysis:
Hero deiced to check IP, but there is merit to betting here.
Villain donk led high, offsuit turn card (like T) and hero folded.

---------------
Other players accumulating chips: seats 5 & 8 got into this battle in LP/BB action.

seat 5: in CO and was PFR
seat 8: calls in BB

(flop: 2 players)
886 rainbow board
8: checked
5: bet ~3/4 pot
8: reraised an amount near pot
5: 3bet AI
8: called

8: showed A992
5: showed AAJ7

2. A player (possibly seat 2) got stacked on a Kh 8h 6x 9s 2d board
(seat 5) who won showed: Ah Kx 7h 5y

During level 4 as some more players busted, seat 2 was replaced with George Lind III (of PS Team Online).

---------------
WSOP update 2: 3700 + 1500 = 5200. The table seems really tough and we are probably not breaking tonight. GL3 among others.

I bumped into a friend (Leif) during the break. I asked him if he knew anything about George Lind III's game. He said he didn't think he had much experience at PLO8 (he had played a bunch of NLHE/PLO with him).
This information was useful at the time.

---------------
Twitter notes: 4:52p Comment about aaw continues.

To anyone who hasn't played PLO8 MTTs, it's weird to say squeezes rarely happen...but they sure seem like it because people "wait" AAW in PLO8 just like AA in NLHE. The frequency of being dealt it is the same too (~1:220).

Twitter notes: 4:54p Hero 3b light opener. Fold pre by other player

This goes with statement 1. Since hero's image is nitty, this seems pretty standard. TBH, I think I 3b seat 6.

---------------
folds to player in seat 4

CO (seat 4, 3k): raises 2x to 400
button (): folds
sb (seat 6, ~10k): calls
bb (seat 7, 4.5k): calls

(1200 in pot; 3 players)
5s ah 4c
3 players check

(1200 in pot; 3 players)
5s ah 4c 9c
sb bets 800
bb calls 800
co - raises AI
sb: tanks, calls
bb: folds

sb: shows 9y 6c 4c 2x (2 pair + flush draw, bad low)
co: shows 2357 (7h5h) (wheel, no redraw)

5s ah 4c 9c Js
co: doubles up

Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
51,840 trials (Exhaustive)
board: 5s ah 4c 9c
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
2357 81.17% 34,182 34,263 0 47,952 3,888
9 4 6c 2c 18.83% 0 17,577 0 0 3,888

Analysis: It felt like sb made a loose call, and if villain has exactly 23, it's a pretty bad call.

---------------
Twitter: 5:04p For the love of 50 chips. [...]

hero's stack: 5500 at 100/200
villain (Lee W.) has ~7k

Hero dealt aa3t (no suit)
hero raises in MP to 500
villain calls in BB.

(2 players - 1100 in pot)
flop: K86 2 hearts
villain checks
hero bets 750
villain raises to 3600
hero jams
villain calls

villain shows: AK75 w/ 2 hearts.
turn/river: K8692 rainbow

Chop pot: Hero gets 50 chips

Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation ?
820 trials (Exhaustive)
board: kh 8h 6s
Hand Equity Scoops Wins Hi Ties Hi Wins Lo Ties Lo
ah ks 7c 5h 55.85% 248 595 0 148 0
ad as 3h td 44.15% 152 225 0 419 0

Analysis:
It seems standard to get it in, but is definitely one of the few hands hero does not want to see. Thankfully hero stays alive...and all for +50 chips!

---------------
At this point, min raises are the standard! It played exactly like a mid-high stakes PLO8 MTT. Min-raises help to encourage post-flop play.

dealt to hero: AAW (I don't remember exact hand, but I think it was in the shape of AA4T (A4 suited))
folds to seat 6
6: min raises to 600
but: folds
sb: folds
hero: 3 bets to 1700
6: calls

(2 players - 3550 in pot)
Q83 (two tone, hero has bdfd)
hero: bets almost AI (3000 of 3550)
6: raises
hero: calls

6: shows AQ2x

Qc 8c 3s Ad 7s
hero ends up chopping

Analysis:
Mistake on 3b bet size. It may have worked out to get call from villain though.

---------------
Dinner/Nap Time:
Hero's stack: 5725 at 200/400.

Overall, hero's image was pretty nitty. There weren't really many showed down pots where hero didn't have a nutty hand.

---------------
Reads after dinner break:

1: super-nitty player (he had sat down in level 4-5, and seemed sick (and was asking for tissues, so actually brought a spare for him)
2: George Lind III: seemed to play nitty, so probably has some PLO8 MTT experience
3: dead stack: eventually found out to be person playing the 50k 8 game and sat down during his dinner break (eventually busted)
4: 20-30 something asian male who seemed to be thinking PLO8 MTTer
5: Lee Watkinson - varies raise sizes PFR
6: Roch Cousineau - I didn't see him do anything really weird per se, but was definitely looser than normal PLO8 player
7: Rob - seemed to at least know what to talk about, seemed to mix it up as stack dwindled
8: Magnus - seemed very bright, PLO8 MTT reg
9: hero

We only lost 1 player through level 5, then 2 more right before dinner.
To be clear, players 6-9 had been at same table all day, while 4 came in around level 3-4.

---------------
200/400 blinds

UTG limped
UTG+1 (hero) limped
sb called
bb checked

(1600 in pot; 4 players)
T92 2 tone
sb/bb/UTG check
hero bet 1100
all players fold

Analysis:
This was an ok place to bet. IMO in general for a limped pot, villains will play more straightforward.
This was a confidence boost given hero's nitty image from prior to dinner break.
Coincidentally, a similar thing happened right after dinner break last year when hero 3b a light opener and villain open folded.

---------------
My guesses that this was an online mid-high stakes PLO8 MTT were confirmed in this hand:
twitter: Confirm internet MTT. Short stack all in. Min raise on button. Solid player pots in small blind.
Pretty much, very tight play by most players and min raises were the standard.

folds to seat 3 in MP
3: raises AI
7 (seemed to have looser PLO8 image): min raises button
8 (solid, thinking PLO8 MTTer who was tight):  repots
7: gets it all in with AK53 (A3)(K5) ds
8: AA4x with suit

5: busts, 8 doubles through 7

---------------
It's always fun to be on a table where you see it actually unfold.
Reporter came to the table to watch the action after noticing Lee was in the hand. Specifically, the reporter asked for person's name who jammed QQxx (Rob).
The funny part: They edited the post once Lee returned.

The "unknown" player is player in seat 4.

http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2012-world-series-of-poker/event-47-pot-limit-omaha-hi-low-split-8-or-better/post.206731.htm

The floor had to do the following when Lee came back (upon realizing he should still be in the MTT):
1. They reviewed the hand and realized Lee should have some chips.
2. They had to fix the ChipTic system and ensure the player that was supposed to get moved went back to their original place.

---------------
Shortly thereafter, hero is dealt AQQ3 (A3).
hero is UTG

Hero minraises to 800
UTG+1 raises pot
folds back to hero
hero tanks for a little bit, then folds.

Analysis:
This player had played ~2 hands in 3 hours. If this isn't AAwx, it would be extremely surprising.
In theory, hero could easily play OOP, but felt the risk wasn't worthwhile to risk 30-40% stack to try to hit few good flops. (There are only a couple flops really would be good for hero...)

---------------
hero in bb: dealt 7532 (753)

villain's stack: around 5k
hero's stack: around ~7k

folds to button (seat 7)
7: raises 2x to 800
8 (sb): folds
9: hero calls

(2 players - 1800 in pot)
flop: 875 (2 tone, hero has no fd)
hero checks
villain bets ~1400
hero: raises to ~7k
villain calls:
Villain shows shows a35t no suit

turn/river: 875 A 6 (no flush)
chop/chop

Analysis:
Defending with 3 wheel cards + suit seems ok. Villain was opening a little bit wider than most.
C/R AI on this flop was the best play.
a. There aren't too many hands where hero is getting scooped (bottom 2 + 3rd nut low)
b. hero may have (very small) fold equity.

---------------
Level change: 300/600 blinds
A rotation (10 hands) pass. Hero still has around 7k in chips.

Hero dealt A255 (A25 suited)
folds to hero in MP
hero (MP): raises 2x
3 (button): calls
6 (BB): calls

(3 players - 3900 in pot)
kqt rainbow (hero has nut bdfd)
6 (BB): checks
hero: bets 2400
3 (button): thinks for a bit, then folds
6: thinks for a little bit as well, then calls

kqt 8 (hero picks up nut flush draw)
6 (BB): checks
hero: tanks for a long time, then checks behind

kqt8 5
6 (BB): checks
hero: tanks for less time, then checks behind

villain shows ktxx (no flush draw)
hero quickly mucks

Analysis:
Not sure if villain calls 2x (hero bets all in) by repping AQxx, J9xx, some KKxx/QQxx.
Villain could have been trapping there, but ...not sure if hero should have fired that AI shell.
Unfortunately, hero forgot the last time where donk led and got villain to fold.
Also, because villain didn't lead turn when flush draw came out, it's less likely villain has nuttish hand like straight to protect.

---------------
After that hand, it was tough and hero reviewed short stack strategy to find spot to get it in.
blinds pass and hero's down to 2300 @ 300/600

Hero: dealt AK64 (a4)(k6)

folds to seat 5 (EP)
EP: raises to 2000
hero: calls AI for 1700
everyone else folds

(2 players, 1 all in)
Lee turns over a7 53 with spades.

Flop: 6s Qs 9s monotone spades
Turn: 6s Qs 9s Jh
Turn: 6s Qs 9s Jh 5c

Hero busts around 280th/978 (117 places paid out).

---------------
Summary:
1. After some early jitters (which was weird b/c this was my 2nd, not first WSOP event) and some overall nittiness, it felt comfortable to be in this MTT.
2. Honestly, it was a pretty tough table draw. Even the "soft spots" weren't that soft. My table draw from last year definitely had a number of soft spots. It felt like mid-high stakes online PLO8 MTT. Min-raising was the standard and decent amounts of pre-flop folds and/or lots of post-flop play. Sadly, sitting at a low table number means being stuck at the same table all day.
3. No one took rebuy chips at my table unless they busted.
4. It was good to really prep by playing multiple $33+ PLO8 MTTs prior to LV, as it provided a lot of experience in mid-stakes MTTs.

5. It was cool to actually be at same table that Lee Watkinson got moved to where he "busted and came back": http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2012-world-series-of-poker/event-47-pot-limit-omaha-hi-low-split-8-or-better/post.206731.htm

6. Unfortunately, declining to double barrel in a spot on a high only board (KQT) as PFR with turned flush draw led to hero’s demise. I twas crippling blow, which forced AI call w/ AK64 ds < A753 ss in level 8 against Lee. Lee flopped nut flush and couldn't backdoor low to stay alive ...
Busted somewhere in the 280 range (117 cash).

Other notes:
Lee Watkinson (who "busted" and came back) ended up getting 25th.
Roch Cousineau ended up getting 3rd in the 1500 PLO8, then 2nd in the 3000 PLO8.