Poker is a unique game, in both the way people play it and the way it makes even the world's worst players get lucky, when they shouldn't even be in the pot. When i sit down for a grind session on stars, its maybe 2-4 tables of 1/2 cent PLO/NL hold em but I have learned that deception can both be rewarded and penalized in this game. Tonight, I decided to share one hand with you that has taught me a valuable lesson in poker, slow playing in Omaha never works unless you flop an unbeatable hand. Now, I am not one of these people who believe you need a full buy in to enter a table. Granted, you get paid off more when your hands hit but at 1/2 cent, a dollar still gets you 50 bbs, which is a lot more than you can say about most minimum buy ins at higher levels. Anyways, so I'm playing PLO and had flopped top set earlier in the night on a q73 rainbow board, and was able to double up when 2 low drawers missed. I keep wondering why people chase a low draw if they are only going to get half the pot, but that's just my opinion. So then, this situation comes up...
PokerStars Game #23788181117: Omaha Pot Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2009/01/11 5:33:14 ET
Table 'Santana' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: haribo67 ($3.08 in chips)
Seat 2: HospitalFood ($3.30 in chips)
Seat 3: iluvromeovil ($2.70 in chips)
Seat 4: Saarländer70 ($1.78 in chips)
Seat 5: allyfan ($5.95 in chips)
Seat 6: charg25 ($2.92 in chips)
HospitalFood: posts small blind $0.01
iluvromeovil: posts big blind $0.02
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to iluvromeovil [Th Ks Qs 2d]...

An innocent looking hand to say the least, straight and 2nd nut flush potential only, the 2 is a dead card but still, I get to see it cheap 5 ways. The table had been very loose preflop but tightened as the streets went on.

*** FLOP *** [Ts 3d As]

SB bets out 3/5ths of the pot, I got a potential of 13 outs (9 spades and 4 jacks) plus maybe 3 more if a 10 hits. HospitalFood to this point had been playing very loose, he was one of the people who had earlier called me down with just a2 off, so I put him on a range of maybe a straight draw or 2 pair, cause a set will jam at these stages unless they are being tricky, which i cannot honestly expect. Another thing I have noticed is that the table was willing to call anything on the flop when the pot was this small, because with each call around the table, pot odds alone means you can draw at a lower flush or bottom 2. So not surprisingly, everyone called behind me except one. The pot now stands at 34 cents with 4 opponents still left.

*** TURN *** [Ts 3d As] [Tc]

One of the worst turn cards i could see, even though i had a 10. I mean, with people in the pot, someone has to have a full house. But the fact that its a 10 intrigues me, could it be a cooler situation or not. Hospital bets about half the pot (18 cents) to make it 52 cents. I have to call 18 to win 70, so about 3.3 to 1 but I may have better odds if both players behind me call, putting 36 more cents into the middle giving me potential odds of 5.3 to 1. With only one pure win out, the Jack of Spades, it seems not a good situation to call, but if my opponent bet out with 103 on the flop, or a straight draw, i may be able to freeze the action with a call. As well, if its 103 she has, i still have a K or a Q to beat her, possibly tie. As well, if shes just firing a second bullet, which from my limited omaha experience, people at these stakes like to do, I still have my 9 spades or a 2 for a fullhouse. Therefore, given the way in which my opponent played in previous hands, and the potential for all of those outs, I make the call. Unfortunately, everyone behind me folded leaving me heads up in position to the river.

*** RIVER *** [Ts 3d As Tc] [Js]

Like I said before, poker is an interesting game, because anyone can win. You could be the greatest professional in the world, and yet, you could play against a rank amateur who gets hit by the deck and calls everything because you cannot bluff him, making it the ultimate equalizing tool. The old one-outer, some of us need to get lucky somedays, don't we? Standard play follows, half pot bet by Hospital is repotted by me, who repots me all in and i call instantly.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
HospitalFood: shows [2h Jh Ac Td] (a full house, Tens full of Aces)
iluvromeovil: shows [Th Ks Qs 2d] (a Royal Flush)
iluvromeovil collected $5.33 from pot

Now what can i say, my read was wrong...but everyone cannot always be right, that is what makes us human and that is what allows others to win at poker. I said sorry to this person, but if I have to be honest with myself, I didn't really mean it....lol. This was my first royal flush ever, so it was a moment I will not soon forget.

When I first joined Pocket Fives, I didn't have any money, I was more interested in reading other peoples experiences. After all, play money can still drain you, although, never as much as real money can. Anyways, I had just a question for the general public...should I risk more than 6.5% of my bankroll and play in my first 5.50 in a while, this Tammypoker classic or whatever or should I keep to my current ways. I mean, I am feeling comfortable with my game but at the same time, this challenges the very element of bankroll management, and limiting myself to tournies and sitngos that make financial sense. Any feedback would be appreciated, cause that's just poker, and I am just a 1/2 cent grinder.

Bankroll 80.21
Hands played (total): 32000 approx.