O8 blind play

[Gahnia radula]

Party 1/2 6 max O8

These are a few hands ive called from the SB
Does anyone think im playing to loose

hands with a * next to means i didnt like the hand....but i called anyway, why cause im a moron

1. Kh 3d 4c 5d
2. 5h 2h 3c 3s
3. As 7d Td Qc
4. 7d 7h 6s Qs*
5. Kh 7d Ad Jd
6. 7d Kc 2c Qc*
7. 8h 4s 3s Js
8. 5d Js Jc 4h
9. 2h 8s 4c 3d
10. Ah 6c 6s 4h
11. Ks Kd Kh 9s***** I dont know WTF i was thinking
12. Ac 2s 4d 5c
13.4s Qh Ad 9c
14. Ah 4c Kd Td

Semi-coldcalled
15. Ah 3d Kh 4c

Called raise in BB
16. Qh Jh Kh Jd
17. 5c 3c 2d 4h

Folded in SB
18. Kd Ks 5s 9d
19. Kh 9h 4s Th
20. 7h 3h Th 6d
21. 4d Qh Kc 9d

Thanks in advance

Gahnia radula

[Buzz]

Gahnia - I think whether or not to play a hand from the small blind depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to:
•(1) how much the small blind is in relationship to the big blind (Is it a third, a half, or two thirds?)
•(2) how likely the big blind is to raise (If you've never seen a pre-flop raise from the big blind, then figure a pre-flop raise is not likely),
•(3) how many opponents have already limped,
•(4) how many hands you have been playing and how you want your opponents to perceive your tightness/looseness,
•(5) where the small blind is (At Hollywood Park casino, you post the "jackpot collection" on the button. Since the jackpot collection costs the same as the small blind used to cost and since it replaces the small blind, I think of it as equivalent to the small blind.), and
•(6) your cards.

At any rate, the cards in your own hand are only part of the picture.

You play your cards, but you also play your opponents. In other words, how best to play the same four cards depends on your opponents.

That written, here’s the order in which I like the hands you've listed:

#12>#15>>>>#10>#17,#2>#14>#16>#18>#5.

The rest are garbage, even for a discounted bet - at least to me. In general, I can't think of how to play them profitably. However, I might still play some of them for effect (call it "advertising") - or I might play some of them when posting the equivalent of the small blind from the button. I might also play some of them in the right situation. However, I don't think many right situations arise in the game to which you're referring.

Looks like you have played a bit more than roughly twice the number of hands from the small blind than I would probably have played. (But I'm not implying that my way is the right way).

Buzz

[chaos]

Omaha is a game of the nuts, especially for the low side. In my opinion, a hand that can't flop a draw to the nuts is not worth playing even if you are getting a discount.

Any hand that needs two perfrect cards to flop (like hand #1 where you need both an Ace and a deuce) is too much of a long shot to play.

When your hand needs an Ace to flop you have to consider how many Aces are liekly to be in the deck. If there is only one limper your chances are good. If there is a raise and a few callers it is likely that most of the Aces are already in your opponents hands.

[Buzz]

"When your hand needs an Ace to flop you have to consider how many Aces are liekly to be in the deck."

Hi Chaos - No question about it! (And I agree with what you wrote in your first two paragraphs).

"If there is only one limper your chances are good."

Agreed. Maybe better than good.

"If there is a raise and a few callers it is likely that most of the Aces are already in your opponents hands."

Whoa! I used to think so too. But I'm not so sure any more. Sometimes you'll look down to see an ace in your hand and there will be five opponents who are seeing the flop. Obviously the majority of them don't have an ace.

And sometimes in a low limit game of O-8 everybody sees the flop. Eight or nine opponents can't all have aces. And if at least five or six of them are playing without an ace when there is a family pot, what are some of these people playing at other times?

I think some low limit Omaha-8 players play own cards more than their opponents - and I think some other low limit Omaha-8 players play their opponents more than their own cards. Some balance between the two would seem better than too much of an extreme in either direction - but some players, probably most, are tilted more in one direction than the other.

There seem two groups of players who might tend to play as many (or more) hands without aces as with aces.

Group I: Someone who is playing his/her opponents more than his/her own cards, would tend to play a wider range of hands, perhaps as many without aces as with aces when a number of other players have already limped or are expected to limp.

Group II: Someone who doesn't know any better or who doesn't care. This would include those who simply want to play too many hands because they think it's more fun to play than watch.

Both of these groups would tend to play as many (or more) hands that do not include an ace as those that do.

I remember the last time I didn't play 2c3h4c5h from late position. It was in a nine-handed medium $6-$12 game and six players ahead of me had already limped. By medium, I mean the game was neither particularly loose nor particularly tight - and it was also neither particularly aggressive nor particularly passive. I thought to myself, "Surely all the aces are out, and an abundance of low cards with them." How wrong I was!

(I know I shouldn't leap to conclusions based on the results of a single hand).

But at the same time, the hand illustrates a couple of things. (1) I need to beware of over-inferences. (2) My opponents don't think the same as me.

Nor do your opponents think the same as you. We all probably have some of the same thoughts and feelings, I suppose, but we bring a different set of insights and perceptions, based in part on our past experiences, to the poker table.

Just because you or I will probably not be playing as many hands without aces as with aces doesn't necessarily mean all or even most of our opponents will do the same.

Just my opinion.

Buzz

[Gahnia radula]

[chaos]

Good point Buzz.

I guess it comes down to knowing your opponents. In a low limit game most of them probably do not have very high starting hand requirements. It is important to figure out who does.