Party Omaha8 SNGs... too tight?

[skaboomizzy]

I've read through Ray Zee's book on Omaha hi-lo about five times now, and have been testing my skills at Party's SNGs. I seem to be playing way too tight, though... Through 6 tries I have a second and five fifths.

Could someone just give some guidelines of "marginal" hands that are playable in these things so I don't blind myself to death every time?

[Fraubump]

I have had the same problem. I've been tracking my win rate and over 60 of them (10+1) I am +90, which makes them not really worth playing. I often get blinded to death, but sometimes I catch a couple of hands and get paid off big: the level of play I've found is generally weak, so when you get a hand, you often get paid off well. The key to these things is knowing how to play once the stakes are high and you are down to 4 or 5 people. Once you get there, aggressive play seems to work: most opponents who last to that point are weak tight and you can do well picking up blinds. Short-handed adjustments: high cards become more important: A hand like A2KQ has good scoop potential as 2 pair becomes a viable hand.

I don't know: I haven't quite figured it out: I try to last until 5 are left by playing formulaic tight, then try to be a better poker player. Once you're passed the first few levels, one hand can make or break you, so I think it's often right not to push a good draw that you would push in limit just to make sure you survive.

[skaboomizzy]

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Once you're passed the first few levels, one hand can make or break you, so I think it's often right not to push a good draw that you would push in limit just to make sure you survive.

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The $10+1s are limit. I guess I'm taking Zee's "the key is nuts with re-draws" advice too literally in these games. I'll play a few more in the coming weeks and see what I can come up with.

On a side note, I love when these get about 15 hands in, and all at once someone flips the Lunatic Switch on one hand and 5 people are capping it on every round. Great amusement.

[TylerD]

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I guess I'm taking Zee's "the key is nuts with re-draws" advice too literally in these games.

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Zee wrote this about cash games, the strategy required for tournaments is quite different. As the blinds put pressure on your stack you need to go with more marginal hands. Stay tight early on and let the loosey-gooseys go to war then take a shot with your good hands and bet them hard.

For more advice on tournament play you might want to check out Tournament Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky.

[skaboomizzy]

Have it already, I'll probably give it a re-read tomorrow and next week.

[crockpot]

if you took a top hold 'em tournament player who had never played omaha, along with a top omaha/8 player who had never played a tournament, and entered them both in the same omaha/8 SNG, the tournament expert would play far better.

the point here is, you have play to win an SNG, not to win at omaha. that means playing very tight at the beginning, stealing a lot of pots in the middle stages, and doing a lot of semi-bluffing and being willing to take big chances towards the end.

[MilesDavis]

I find the Party Omaha SNG to have the "tighest" players early of any of the tournaments. Five seeing the flop is great, but often is more like four, and lately 1 plus the blinds has been frequent. I love O8, but I think the low limit 7S, 7s8B, and holdem tournaments are much easir competition at Party.

[eMarkM]

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if you took a top hold 'em tournament player who had never played omaha, along with a top omaha/8 player who had never played a tournament, and entered them both in the same omaha/8 SNG, the tournament expert would play far better.

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I consider myself a pretty solid HE SNG player. I've played some O8, a handful of MTT in O8, but never an O8 or PLO8 SNG. I've been playing some PLO8 SNGs for the first time and doing surprisingly well for someone who has no clue what a good shorthanded O8 hand really is. Ok, well 6/7 in the money, I know not a great sample. But like you said, just play a good SNG strategy as you describe and the adjustment is pretty easy.

[TylerD]

Good to see you're getting your practice in for the next KoTZ event /images/graemlins/smile.gif. I might have to play in this one, even if it does involve staying up all night.

As for O8 sit and go's they are very soft on Stars, especially the Pot Limit variety.

[eMarkM]

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Good to see you're getting your practice in for the next KoTZ event

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LOL, that's exactly what I'm doing. I need to get my shorthanded O8 game in shape. That, and they're apparently +EV for me. Who knew? So far, so good. Playing $30 PLO8 on Party and they're extremely soft. Guys putting in all their chips drawing for half the pot, very poor play.

For those who don't frequent the Internet Gambling board, we have a series of tournaments called "King of the Zoo" (KotZ). I'm the tourney director this year. Mostly HE, but on 1/29 it will be PLO8. We're sure to have a lot of players who have little experience at this game, let alone in a tourney. So for you regular players of "other" games, this should be definately +EV for you.

[ChipWrecked]

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the point here is, you have play to win an SNG, not to win at omaha. that means playing very tight at the beginning, stealing a lot of pots in the middle stages, and doing a lot of semi-bluffing and being willing to take big chances towards the end.


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I finished in the money three out of six this weekend on $10+1's playing this style. Thanks Crock.