PLO8 200 Games at Party Observations

[Wintermute]

[ QUOTE ]
Then I see them broke, but a lot of the regulars are broke as well, so wheres the cash?

[/ QUOTE ]
I think, unfortunately, that the answer is that the money is going to the best players in the game at the highest levels. Case in point, ZAPPUD. The guy terrorized the $400 tables for a week or so, then dropped around $12k at the $1k and $2k games. He actually made a little back at the high limits games, and happened to lose a bunch back at the $400 level recently, but I imagine this is the way much of the money is leaving the games most of us frequent. Won by players who are not good enough to beat those bigger buyin games, but who play there anyway. I don't doubt that ZAPPUD will destroy the $400 games from time to time, but I do not think he can beat the 1k/2k games, ever.

Ray Zee made a post in a thread a few months back where we were discussing the merits of A3 hands, and at the time I mentioned that according to 80k PTO hands or whatever, A3 was a significant winner. His reply was something to the effect of "can't argue with results, but perhaps this says something about the state of the game currently, and that some of the best players now are in for a shock when the games dry up and the level of play rises". Big Dave D said something to the same effect in his blog at the beginning of the summer.

Anyway, I'm not saying that the sky is falling... but I do believe it would be naive to deny that the games were not extremely juicy back when Party first introduced the higher limit buyin games. As a result of that juicy-period beginning to wane, the games are definitely getting tougher. Much of the easiest money has stopped playing PLO8 as frequently as before, and that as a result of this adjustments should be made (though I'm not sure what they are).

But you can still make a buck in these games. Idiots still drop in, and there are some quasi-good players who play frequently and can be outplayed. If you want proof, just take a look at the call this guy made on the turn in this hand the other day. Based on his other play, I can assure you that this was not a misclick. I'm redacting his alias BTW because he's so bad, I want him all to myself if he ever returns:

$600 Omaha Hi/Lo (PL)
Sat Nov 05 21:18:08 EST 2005
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 2: Ardipithecus ( $1070.40)
Seat 5: X ( $350.70)
X posts small blind (3)
Ardipithecus posts big blind (6)

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ardipithecus [ 5h, 7d, As, 4c ]

X calls (3)
Ardipithecus raises (12) to 18
X calls (12)

** Dealing Flop ** : [ Th, 3h, 3c ]

X checks.
Ardipithecus checks.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3s ]

X checks.
Ardipithecus bets (35)
X calls (35)

** Dealing River ** : [ 9s ]

X checks.
Ardipithecus checks.

** Summary **
Main Pot: $105 | Rake: $1
Board: [ Th 3h 3c 3s 9s ]
Ardipithecus balance $1122.40, bet $53, collected $105, net +$52 [ 5h 7d As 4c ] [ three of a kind, threes with ace kicker -- As,7d,3h,3c,3s ]
X balance $297.70, lost $53 [ 6s 2h 5s Js ] [ three of a kind, threes -- Js,6s,3h,3c,3s ]