question to buzz

Hi I enjoy reading your posts and I am also a highlow omaha fan. Now I just wonder if you play at any on-line site or if you are a bm player.

and also what level you prefer/play.

ty

Ty - Thanks for the kind words.


I am just a student of the game, not a poker expert or professional. By reading, posting, and getting feed-back here, I focus my concentration, learn, and improve my game.


I have not yet played on-line and have no plans to do so, but it's not out of the question either. I am fortunate to live in an area (Los Angeles) where there are a number of casinos - and something about just being in a casino is appealing to me.


I love being in Las Vegas, Reno, or Laughlin - staying at one of the casino hotels there, waking up in the middle of the night, getting up, hearing the clangor of the slot machines as I walk through the casino on my way to the poker room - and then being in the game for a while.


Since I live in the Los Angeles area, I commute to the various casinos here, playing mostly Omaha-8 at low limits. Mid-limit Omaha-8 games do not seem to be offered in this area, or if they are, I haven't yet run across any. There usually are several tables of $3-$6 Omaha-8 games going at Hollywood Park Casino, which is the closest casino to where I live. Sometimes they also have $4-$8 or $6-$12 games. I also play in various tournaments.


I feel as though I can hold my own playing Omaha-8, but rather than grinding out profits by sticking to what I know is profitable, I continue to experiment with new strategies and tactics. The money simply does not matter as much to me as improving my game, and I do feel that I am getting better and better - but I have a long way to go.


It's like going to school; to be successful you study, study, study. There is no way around it. You simply can't beat someone in school who is as smart as you are and who studies twice as much.


By continually practicing my game at home, by reading new materials and ideas, by re-reading old materials, then going out and trying my luck - and by repeating the process over and over, my game seems to be improving. Somehow that continual improvement is satisfying. But it's a full time effort for me. By full time, I mean 80-90 hours a week playing or thinking about poker, mostly Omaha-8.


When I finally got wise, I put the same effort into my studies, and that effort paid off for me (with good grades and subsequent good job offers). Then on the job I put in that same effort and again it paid off for me (satisfaction and advancements).


Now I'm playing poker, mostly Omaha-8, and the effort seems to be paying off.


Just my opinion.


Buzz

"But it's a full time effort for me. By full time, I mean 80-90 hours a week playing or thinking about poker, mostly Omaha-8."


Buzz, are you serious about this? Do you have an outside job and/or a family?

Steady - You wrote, "Buzz, are you serious about this?"


Sound like I'm spending too much time on the game?


/images/smile.gif


Yes, I'm serious. Playing poker well is what I want to do, so that it's no effort for me to spend a lot of time working on my game.


"Do you have an outside job and/or a family?"


I'm retired. Yes I have a family, but my kids are grown and self sufficient now.


I never played poker in a casino until I was retired. When I was working (and raising my family) I figured casino players would just take my money because they would know more about the game than me. Since there was no doubt in my mind that I knew more about what I did for a living than them, I reasoned that they must know more about what they spent their time doing than me.


I learned a long time ago that someone who is just as talented/intelligent as I am - and who spends twice as much time preparing will best me. It's just that simple and logical.


I am not without confidence in my own ability, but I acknowledge there are others with more natural talent for the game than me. I can't do much about them - except recognize who they are and stay out of their way (unless we're playing Omaha-8 and I have the nuts or favorable odds to draw for the nuts).


Omaha-8 is clearly the game for someone like me.


Buzz

It was interesting.

I also find that I have found "my" game in o8.

It has such a simpel base structure, and yet within this you are able to(with study)read the subtilities, and beat the game if you have the interest and patiance.

I myself only once travelled to LA in order to play against live players.

It was a very rewarding trip. Nice to see others while playing- being served food from all over the world( I went to The Commerse Club) and I also got my expences payed- hotel-flight- and an extra 3000$ to bring back to Europe. But it is not the kind of trip you find time to do so often therefor I am happy that the internet is offering this game( well, thats where I learned it).

Good luck

Hi8Holland