Raking it on iPoker

Recent adventures in PLO have been swongy to say the least. Dispite my relatively poor on Full Tilt I worked my balance back to break even, got my $100 bouns for testing the new client and decided to cash out. Now this wasn't a full retreat, but more of a tactical one. The reason being I'd received an email a few days ago from a website I'd signed up with many agos called 'Rakeback Check'.

They kindly informed me that as CelebPoker was moving to the iPoker network (story as featured at UKpokerinfo.co.uk) they would honour any new account sign ups that registered with them on the boss network which allows 30% rakeback and the new account would inherit your rakeback status upon migration. So this was too an opportunity to miss, iPoker doesn't normally allow rakeback and the PLO game is considerably softer on iPoker, so it seemed like a great deal.

So I played a couple of sessions so far on iPoker with CelebPoker and it hasn't really gone to plan, the first night I played I think I churned out about 500 hands just to reaccquaint myself with the software and finished up a couple of buy-ins, but then the following night I played and really didn't do myself any favours. To be honest a couple of times I got the money in very far ahead and got rattled on the river, shit happens. But I think turned me in ultra aggressive mode, something I blame on the new book I'm reading, Jeff Hwang's Advanced Pot Limit Omaha which unlike the Slotboom book focusses more on short handed games but encourages a very aggressive game.

To be fair in the large part his tactics worked, anytime someone doesn't bet pot, call and then pot bet the next street and it's impressive how often they fold. Sadly that I took this a little bit too much to heart and on more than one occassion I bluffed a stuck into the nuts LOL. Oh well, we live and learn and I've got to make further adjustments in my game in order to successfully going from a tighter full ring game style to a loose-aggressive short handed one. But I'm hoping with rakeback as a fall-back if I can survive the short term swongs than the long term looks quite rosey.

Ciao for now.

1st week of Pure PLO

Following on my last blog, I apologise it's been a while since the last update but having recently moved to Isle of Man and all the drama that goes with it took me a while to find the motivation (nevermind 'the time') to play.

I recently managed to get myself fixed up on Full Tilt Poker with a rakeback deal at 27% and the 100% match up bounus, which I plummed in £200 worth so around $325 in USDeeee's. Also FTP have just recently launched a new client which adds some much need game filters amongst other things to the lobby, as such they are offering a free $100 bonus which is released in one go and seems to be accumulating much faster than the normal bouns so that's cool.

Anyways onto the games. Needless to say this has been one of the most fustrating experiences in my days playing Internet Pokers. As followers of my blog will know, I like to employ the Slotboom short stack style in Full Ring PLO games, however this strategy is dependent on being able to trick aggressive players into creating big pots pre-flop versus your premium rundown hands (10,J,Q,K for example) or your strong AAxx combo's. Sadly it seems no one on FTP is willing to play ball. I've never played against such passive opponents before, it's really very confusing as to what they are thinking, never mind what they are holding!

My experience so far has been making small or pot sized raises preflop in order to build a pot, from experience this will result in getting usually 1 maybe 2 callers, however on FTP when someone raises they auto suspect you have AA or KK and you'll get lots and lots of callers. So you'll see the flop and miss with your AA/KK as you often will and they check around to you, you bet like you're supposed to and you'll very often get called and they drop the hammer on you on the turn.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm familiar with floating and do it often, but floating multiway is extremely advanced (if not stupid), so either I'm getting completely gamed or these guys are smoking something exotic. Not to mention I'm getting unlucky, the amount of times I'm getting fucked by gutshots and similarly tiny draws even makes this sensible mind question the integrity of the game on FTP..... well no, not really but I've done some major facepalms this week lol.

So, having played 2100 hands this week I'm $136 down (+$60 in accumulated bonuses) which is really depressing if i'm honest. I'm stuck with FTP at least for the time being whilst I at the very least attempt to nail this free $100 bouns, I'm hoping variance evens out a little or I start to figure out these guys, otherwise maybe I have to admit that I can't beat this game and look elsewhere.

Ciao darlings.