Online Update + Prep for Live MTTs!

Cash Gaming: PLO
1. I'm still bleeding at 25plo...it's really discouraging. Sometimes, I feel like I just "snap make a decision" (ie: usually calling station plays), rather than being methodical, thinking things through, tailoring plans against opponents, and acting accordingly. At least I've cut down on my multi-tabling (4 max) which (I think) helps me to really observe and think through opponents' actions carefully.
2. Other times, I just get into aggro mode and spew chips...
3. I think I need to realize that players just aren't as nitty as their PLO8/NLO8 counterparts.
4. Additionally, I really need to just watch more videos/discuss/post, etc... (~10-15 min/day)
5. One thought on my prolonged PLO downswing: I try to put in ~30 min. a day playing at minimum whether I'm 100% playing A game, B game, C game, etc...to try to continually learn and improve.
I wonder if I'm playing my C game so much that it's causing this downswing...

6. Live PLO has been "normal" for the most part. Rivers Casino has ~20 or so regs and there hasn't been any unusual situations per se. 
7. One of my real life poker "peers" just started out with her online poker journey and it's kinda weird to be sitting at the same online PLO table with her (ok, it was 30 hands and I didn't realize it at the time). We've played live together (recently it's been PLO at Rivers). Like me, we both think 10plo is relatively straight forward, but have had struggles at 25plo. It definitely seems the Merge network's PLO players are PS/FTP 50plo or 100plo "regs" who don't want to deposit huge amounts of money online at the moment (although there are some aggro and passive fish).
She's still learning PLO, so we're sorta of in the same place although she's much "greener" at understanding PLO and (sometimes) the online dynamic in some spots...

Cash Gaming: PLO8/NLO8
1. This is going about par for the course. I'm trying to allocate 30-35% of my time in this domain at the moment.

MTTs:

1. Dear Merge Network -> please remove all antes from PLO8 and PLO MTTs and SNGs! No one in the real world does that and it sucks for practicing for real life MTTs...
2. I was fortunate to get 2nd place again for my 3rd PLO8 MTT (out of 11 PLO8 MTTs) on 11/12 Saturday night (EST) ($11 MTT). I need to work on my heads up skills although I've been at deficits all 3 times and couldn't pull it out :-P
3. It'd be nice if the fields were larger, but alas...
4. The antes make it so much more profitable to 2x/2.25x steal and I think that really propels my stack as many PLO8 players (by default) are nitty. Although, it's tough to get better at short stack math skills...
4. I'm excited for STL's Gateway Poker Classic. http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/65/mttc-live/st-louis-december-classic-dec-1st-11th-lots-plo-plo8-1109368/index2.html
If I had a full week of vacation, I'd like to play the following schedule:

PLO * 3 (including a triple chance!)
PLO8 * 2
LO8
HORSE
[Admittedly, if i was there the whole time, I'd probably play 1 or 2 NLHE, but you get the idea :) ]

Alas, I'll have to settle for PLO & PLO8 on 12/2 and 12/3...

The structures are WSOP quality and good preparation for those tournaments! Blind levels = 25/25, 25/50, 50/75, 50/100, 75/150, etc.

Here's hoping I can get cheap airplane tickets as I just previously missed a sale! I hope to tweet updates @UnknownName3 too.

Variance or Leaks? Maybe/Maybe Not

A week ago, I was this close to being a "rakeback" pro overall at Merge...that was before the last 48 hours where I've put in a massive 6-8 hour session of PLO & PLO8.

1. I'm trying to make a concerted effort to improve my PLO game.
2. My PLO8 game hasn't been too good either...it's been ok.
[At some point, I'd like to play/improve my NLHE game, but that doesn't look that promising at the moment.]

Here's hoping I can fix leaks and can get on the right side of variance soon.

LV Trip 2011 - Summary (tl;dr)

overall:
1. It was great to hang out/meet up with various poker players I've kept in contact and/or met on previous trips (LV 2010, NO/AC 2010, etc...)
2. I met a large number of PLO8 players in both an MTT and cash game setting.
3. I played in my first WSOP event (1.5k PLO8) and felt i was decently +EV.
4. Stud/8 MTTs at the Golden Nugget is about super rare moments. This year: I got all in on 5th street and villain was drawing dead.
5. I didn't really play any mixed games at all :(
6. Odd numbered tourneys on my schedule seemed to do well overall from both a mental and playing perspective. Even numbered tourneys were hit and miss.
7. I have some MTT aspects to work on though especially in PLO8.
8. PLO8 and Big "O" cash games: My first experience playing Big "O" and didn't feel too overmatched. PLO8 was decent play on my part and running well.
9. Roaming photographers seem to float around and take photos at the WSOP. Photos are really expensive ($50 for original, $20 for ~8.5x11).
10. The "WSOP Photostore" (http://www.wsop.com/photostore) has super small tiny thumbnails (96 x 145 pixel) of (almost) every player. If I am adept at decrypting flash, I might be able to snag bigger photos.

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MTTs

6/25 230
6/26 350
6/27 560
6/28 200
6/30 1500
7/1 560
total: 3400

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cash games - about 30-40 hours

wednesday
.75 hours @ 5/5 plo8 = -5bb

thursday
.5 hours @ 5/5 plo8 = -50bb

friday
1 hr @ 5/5 plo8 = +60bb
2.5 hrs @ 1/2 big o w/ 5 straddle = -80bb

saturday
2.25 hours @ 1/2 big o w/ 5 straddle = -40bb
2 hours @ 5/5 plo8 = +150bb

sunday
1 hour @ 5/5 plo8 = -20bb
2 hours @ 1/2 big o w/ 5 straddle = -7bb

total
plo8: +135bb
big o: -127bb

7-3-2011 5-5 PLO8 and 1-2 "Big O" Cash Game Session Night 3

7/3/2011 - Sunday Cash Game Session

5-5 PLO8
1 - Lagish - played lots of PLO hands but seemed to understand relative hand value strength for PLO Hi
*2 - Greg T.
3 - hero
4 - at first, guy who just wanted to gamble and leave
5 - (quiet personality, solid 3-6 reg from brazil)
6
7 - talkative guy but not sure of skill set
8 - unknown
9 - tight older person

peeled with a24q (no suit) in bb against a pfr

flop: 532 2 spades
check/check flop
turn: 532 k (2 spades)
check/check turn
river: 532k5 (2 spades)

hero leads kinda smallish (60% pot)

hero scoops with straight

Analysis:
Hero can/probably should lead on turn as a4xx can get value and not necessarily get stacked.
There is some concern hero's in a bad quartering spot so hero did not necessarily want to get stack in against 2 players.
(esp. a4xx with spades and/or a46) are such small parts of range, but are a concern.

Perhaps hero assumed players were somewhat competent and wouldn't be getting it in w/o 46xx+

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multiway w/ seat 7 and seat 5 (seat 6 empty)

I don't remember the exact board, but it was a high board and was devoid of flush/straight draws
ex) K94J9

hero is OOP in sb with awxx (maybe like a3xx no suits)
hero checks
5: checks
9: checks

check/call (3rd player folds - seat 9)
hero: checks
5: bets 2/3 pot
9: folds
hero: calls

hero donk led river, tried to bluff when 9 hits river
hero: bluffs river (80% pot sized bet)
5: calls

hero: shows ace high
5: called with top 2 pair

Analysis: It wasn't the worst play to donk lead a paired river, but there may not have been too many 9s in hero's range. Villain's 2 pair made it an easy call as well.
Hero was obviously trying to fold out a number of better hands.

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1-3 Big "O"
overall game seemed kinda nitty

only hand of significance:

UTG+2 - limps (100bb effective stack)

hero isos limper on the button
AQ853 (2 suit to ace)

flop: ak5 2 diamonds
villain: checks
hero cbet in position
villain calls

turn:
ak5 7? 2 diamonds (it could have been an 8)
villain: check
hero: check

river:
ak5 7 j? 2 diamonds (J was a paint card)
villain: donk bets river
hero: call river bet on end

Analysis:
In a heads up situation, I'm not sure if I can get villain to fold enough.
top and bottom + bad low draw isn't really that strong of a hand especially with everyone with 5 cards. River calls seems ok b/c villain's opponent needs to have

7-2-2011 5-5 PLO8 and 1-2 "Big O" Cash Game Session Night 2

5/5 PLO8
hero was dealt this hand in late position and called another person's pfr
a3tt (2 suit to ace)
t82kt

2 players (seat 2 and 7) - call both streets

11bb on flop
31bb on turn

[hero has 20bb behind]

Analysis:
Hero could have avoided 'balancing' and betted more on the flop/turn.

--------
This hand just shows that "freerolls" are bad. Sometimes, you really need to "fold the nuts"
It's extremely applicable in PLO High as well.

2: [~275bb deep]
6: [~300bb deep]
7: [~230bb deep] - probably inexperienced

J89 rainbow
2: checks
6: bets
7: calls
2: raises
6: calls
7: repots
2: folds

6 - KQT3 rainbow
7 - AQTT

J89xT

Analysis:
With AQ and no redraw, 7 has to slow down and not get his stack in w/ naked nut high and no redraws