My Life

Okay, because I've gotten so many e-mails and IM's, I'll give a little update on what I'm doing.

I'm playing a lot of O8 and PLO8 online. Probably 6-10 hours per day either single or two-tabling.

I'm playing stakes from .01/.02 blind PLO8 up to 3/6 LO8.

I'm playing on Paradise, UB, Stars and ex-Party skins (in order of amount of time played). I haven't found any good games on the ex-Party skins since they divided from Party :( But I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with that, and haven't yet deleted the software.

I'm reading lots of cruise forums as well as 2+2.

I'm preparing for fall and winter in Arizona.

I'm trying to recover a somewhat semblance of health, haha!

Here are some interesting subjects I've been involved in lately at 2+2. Hope they are of help to someone.

--Regarding playing Omaha live:

You should be memorizing your cards and not looking back. You should know what you have.

I forgot who said, "You can tell how good an Omaha player is by how many times he has to look back at his hole cards during the hand."

If you have to look back, you will get outplayed at the higher limits. Memorize them, then don't look again.
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--Regarding tells by arranging cards:

In Chinese I've seen everyone arrange their hands. I think that it can almost be played by rote. Maybe 999 times out of 1000 hands it wouldn't make a difference. There are times when knowing how an opponent sets his hand will make a difference, but that is more of a general knowledge of opposition, rather than watching him set his hand.

In Gin, I think the difference between "good" and "great" has much more disparity than in Poker or Chinese. While I haven't seen "great" players playing Gin, I have heard stories. Stories of almost instant card memorization and not looking back until one is knocking or declaring Gin. Scary.

I highly take advantage of the looky-loo's playing live O8. I don't think they have any idea how much they are giving away.

I also do the reverse tell sometimes if I'm in wise company and know I'm being watched. It only works the first time, but sometimes that is all it takes, especially in a final table tourney situation.
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--Regarding memorizing cards in Poker:

The way I learned to memorize cards was from the top rank down in high games, bottom rank up in split or low.

So in O8, this is how I do it. I peek at each card as I receive it (left corner only, very quickly). I say them in order of rank (ace always low), like this: A24J. I repeat them in my head until they are memorized.

If anything is suited, I say the suit after I say the ranks. So like my A24J hand. If the ace was suited, I'd say: A24J, ace spades. I don't bother with the suited side card unless it could make a straight flush (or blocks one).

If I'm double suited, I'll say: A24J, ace spades, jack hearts.

If I'm rainbow, I'll add nothing at the end. If I have three of one suit, I'll say: A24J, ace...three spades.

I have tried looking and memorizing after watching everyone else looks, as I would in HE, but found that I get little from them during the deal, while I get a much greater advantage having them memorized early, then watching my opponents during the actual play of the hand.

Chanting my hand in my head during the deal is easy and takes very little time. I hope this helps.

Felicia :)