Omaha hand at $500 WPF event

We're down to ten players, at $500-1000 blinds, 1000-2000 bets.UTG calls with $2500 in front of him.My hand is: Ah-10c-8s-3h.Player on left has c.14,000, the small blind $500 and the BB, Jay Heimowitz, about $12,000. I decided to go all-in,the player on my left calls,the blinds fold and the original caller puts in a call.


The flop is:Js-9c-7s.UTG puts in his last $500,and is called.The turn brings As,and the river card is a rag.The big stack who stayed in scoops, with two small spades for a flush.


The other player who went broke to this hand wss critical of my play afterwards, though he benefited, as the event paid only nine places.He contended that I should have called,if I played at all,in the hope of getting in cheaply.This doesn't seem good to me-then, even if I'm not raised, I have two larger stacks to contend with.It's obvious that I could have waited for the bilnds to go through me and all the way back to the SB, with his $500 chip,since I'd still have $500 if the SB were eliminated, but I was trying to make a good hand count for something and get a few chips to take a run at a high place, rather than play it safe.After it was done, I asked Jay H whether he'd have played things the way I did; his answer was yes.


I'd welcome any opinions of how this went down.

I'm assuming this is a high-low split event, since you said the big stack "scoops". I don't think this is a playable hand under the circumstances. Playing A-3 suited with two worthless cards at a full omaha hi-lo table is not a winning proposition. But, perhaps more importantly, if there are 10 players left and the tourney pays 9 places and a few players have similar or smaller stacks than you... a little patience may have been in order. If you were really trying to get a few chips and make a run at first place, a call may have been a better play since you may have been able to build a bigger pot with more callers if the flop hit you nicely (which it did, to no avail).


As far as Jay Heimowitz telling you he'd play the same way, I wouldn't put too much stock in that. Experts will usually agree with non-experts when asked their opinions for two reasons: first, it is to their benefit to make other less-skilled players feel good about playing with them, and second, they want to avoid a long conversation about why they would have played differently.


Craig H

Craig,


I agree with your remark re my question after the hand; I neglected to mention that when we had ten, we were at two tables,and I think that changes things; in fact, at a full table,

I'd be more likely to play patiently as you suggest.


perfidious

Yes, 5-handed I think I would consider playing the hand... though perhaps just for a call under the circumstances.


Craig H