So a weak Omaha player sits in a $10/$20 {limit} game and wins (1 Viewer)

[DrStrange]

I am not quite sure this is a strategy topic, but it didn't fit much of anywhere.

So, one of my regulars decides to sit in a $10/$20 {limit} Omaha game at a local casino and ends up winning $2,100. He has some nice live stacks pictures of a mountain of chips.

I'd assess his skill level as "one of several soft spots at our table" - and our table isn't exactly highly skilled. At a $10/$20 he most likely is the worst player at the table or at least in contention for that prize. How bad? I'd think his expected value would be higher playing the table games poorly rather than the poker table.

Once the rest of the home game crew heard about his big win, several of them started planning to drive up to play $10/$20 game because it looks like easy money. The only thing I would say on the spot was "to set hard loss limits because some of those players in the $10/$20 are professional sharks who make a living off of us tourists."

I am torn about saying something more because a) its not really my business, b) most of what I might say is tapping on the glass, c) I am not sure how to tell a player "you suck" and d) no one has forcefully asked my opinion.

Any thoughts?

DrStrange

 

[tigon]

Whoever first called LHE poo flinging never played limit omaha.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

If you feel the need to say something, I might just tell them that it's probably not as easy as that to win, and that there is a lot of variance so expect some big losses too. Other than that, they're grown adults, and can and should be able to figure that out on their own. If it was a really good friend who wouldn't get offended, I might pull him aside and explain to him in more detail my thoughts.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Once the rest of the home game crew heard about his big win, several of them started planning to drive up to play $10/$20 game because it looks like easy money. The only thing I would say on the spot was "to set hard loss limits because some of those players in the $10/$20 are professional sharks who make a living off of us tourists."

I am torn about saying something more because a) its not really my business, b) most of what I might say is tapping on the glass, c) I am not sure how to tell a player "you suck" and d) no one has forcefully asked my opinion.

The correct response was "forget that 10/20 game, I'll host a 20/40 game where you can win some REAL money!"

 

[BGinGA]

Once the rest of the home game crew heard about his big win, several of them started planning to drive up to play $10/$20 game because it looks like easy money.

I am torn about saying something more

The only thing I'd say is, "Hey, I'd love to join you guys when you go!"

 

[DrStrange]

I don't know about that. I consider myself a passable omaha player - profitable in local games, but perhaps easy pickings for the 10/20 regulars. I'd rather not be eaten alive by the sharks.

DrStrange

 

[Gear]

Just curious, what would a typical buy-in be for a $10/$20 game? I would have thought it'd be a bare minimum of 100 BB, meaning your friend only just doubled his buy-in?

 

[Payback]

Just curious, what would a typical buy-in be for a $10/$20 game? I would have thought it'd be a bare minimum of 100 BB, meaning your friend only just doubled his buy-in?

Typically $500-1000. Also BB in limit means Big Bet which would be $20. Although most weaker players I've played with usually buy in for $100-300.

 

[BGinGA]

Fifty big bets ($1000 at 10/20 limit) would be my minimum buy-in.

 

[Gear]

OK, thanks. I can't imagine sitting down at a 10-20 game with less than $500.

Sounds like your friend did pretty well

Would I say anything? No, I don't think I would, other than what's been suggested - "hey, you know variance runs both ways, guys."

 

[MoscowRadio]

The same thing happened at a home game I was attending once. The game was held by a solid NLHE player and the game started as 1/2 NLHE, but two guys who came together kept persisting on turning it into a 2/5 Big O game. There was a kid to my right who isn't even a good HE player and had never encountered Big O. Everyone agreed and the bad player felted the two who were clearly trying to take advantage of everyone several times. If memory serves he began with a stack of around $80 from the 1/2 NLHE game and ran it up to around $1,300 in a very short time. Pretty crazy.

 

[Ben]

A 10/20 limit game is not as big as it sounds - I've played it a number of times, and unless Bergs, Guinness, and HQ are in the game it's roughly equivalent in risk/reward to your average $1/$2 NLH game. A $1300 win at 10/20 O8 is probably a once-a-year event even for a very good player playing once a week; for an allegedly poor player to accomplish that in his LIFETIME has to be pretty unlikely. But by the same token, a loss that big even by a poor player is still fairly unlikely as well.

 

[DrStrange]

He bought in for $200. Yes, I'd say the Poker Gods were smiling on him - his style works against making a big win since he likes to slow play strong hands and bet medium hands and "good" draws. Good means from a holdem perspective. And he is sticky.

Remember this was limit poker, not pot limit.

DrStrange

 

[jbutler]

A 10/20 limit game is not as big as it sounds...

Agreed with @Ben it really isn't a big game. It was my main game for a long time and I still know all the regs at the Borgata $10/20 O8 game. Many are profitable, but apart from maybe three guys in the 40ish-player pool of regs, no one is making a significant hourly at $10/20. And unless the game is unusually tough, you aren't likely to find more than a couple people whose strategy is any more advanced than "play tight".

 

[moose]

Yeah it's limit poker. I would never buyin for more than a rack. You can add on anytime if you get low. $200 behind would be plenty to see most hands through.

Anyways why say anything? It's not your job to protect other people's bankroll.

 

[jbutler]

Yeah it's limit poker. I would never buyin for more than a rack. You can add on anytime if you get low. $200 behind would be plenty to see most hands through.

Agreed with this as well. There's no reason to buy into any limit game for more than 25 big bets.

 

[Anthony Martino]

The 10/20 O8 at the Tampa Hard Rock has a half-kill to 15/30. Typical buyin is $500. I usually go for $750-1K when I play it. If the game is good and so are you, your hourly should fall within 1-2.5bb/hr in my experience. They do a half-hour time charge rather than straight rake on it

 

[tikipirate]

I've seen crazy stuff happen at limit tables, the craziest being a guy who must have won $500 dollars playing 2/4 in one night. Pretty sure he sold his soul the way he was running. Variance can be a bitch though...

 

[jbutler]

I've seen crazy stuff happen at limit tables, the craziest being a guy who must have won $500 dollars playing 2/4 in one night. Pretty sure he sold his soul the way he was running. Variance can be a bitch though...

The night that Hurricane Irene hit the Jersey Shore we had to find a hotel that accepted dogs and wasn't completely booked. Just so happened the closest one was an hour away in Bensalem, PA. What else happens to be in Bensalem, PA? Parx.

This was when the $4/8 LHE game was still running regularly there. I wasn't really in the mood to think much, but I wanted to have a bunch of drinks and kill about 8 hours. I ended up running one rack (of $2 chips, so $200) into just over $1300. I hit a straight flush and hit quads twice in the same session. One of those was when the betting had been capped preflop and I had capped it with Q3s. Flop: 333.

Anyway, yeah, crazy shit can happen at limit.

 

[tikipirate]

But they were suited!!!

 

[DrStrange]

My views on this issue are shaded by something that happened about five years ago. One of my most solid regulars got on a hot streak here and at casinos. Enough so that he decided he was good enough to try his hand as a pro. So he takes a five day trip to Vegas to check things out {and look for a place to live}. Next week he is back home, down $10,000+ or basically his whole bank roll.

I guess he has played about once a year since that trip. He was total broken by a few bad days playing vs his betters.

DrStrange

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

I feel bad for that guy, but good bankroll management is one essential part of becoming a pro. If he would have taken this into consideration, maybe he would have realized he was in over his head without losing his whole bankroll.

 

[DrStrange]

Sadly no. He lost about $4,000 then decided the players at the $1/$2 tables didn't respect his raises so he bought in at higher stakes and lost the whole bankroll in short order. I don't think he ever figured he was in over his head - just that he doesn't have time for poker any more.

DrStrange

 

[bivey]

Why is it that every player has to go through the "respect raises" phase. Soooooo painful.

 

[inca911]

Ouch. For $10k, he could have tried the WSOP Main Event.

No Limit >> Limit. IMHO

 

[DrStrange]

I greatly appreciate players who don't respect my raises . . .

 

[courage]

It sounds like you've said as much as you need to. I wouldn't address your locals' skill level, just say that you've heard it's a tough game.

 

[detroitdad]

The only way I will make suggestions to someone about their skill level or game play is if I'm directly asked about it. I have been asked before. I give very direct answers. Sometimes they will listen. One guy completely disagreed with me when I suggested that he doesn't need to play every single hand.

 

[BiGGyT]

 

[abby99]

One guy completely disagreed with me when I suggested that he doesn't need to play every single hand.

"You've got to be in it to win it."

There's no such thing as a bad hand, just bad flops.