Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Ding refers to the tuition Simon Trumper gave her on Saturday night, before she entered the £200 Omaha Comp on Sunday. I actually thought it was fascinating to listen to him teaching Ding, who, truth to tell, is a total novice at Omaha.

It amuses me when the smart-arses say you have to be a Champion to teach someone certain aspects of poker, & I get my share of smart-arses telling me "those who can play, play, those who can't, teach". If the Poker Skill Ladder goes ftom Zero to 20, I'm down at 4 or 5, but that does not mean I can't help someone who's barely left Zero. Anyway, my contribution to the session was to do two things, one was to suggest to Tracey that she needed cards that worked together. (Stop giggling at the back, this was for a pure novice). The other I'll show shortly. Plus little odds & ends such as you need a five or a 10 in your hand or on the Board to make a straight, this being particularly important in Omaha.

But Mother Hen absolutely amazed me, with his realisation that most Newbie Omaha players actually play it like 4 card Hold 'Em., & he came up with a Tip that I think really helped Tracey understand the game better. Remember, Mother Hen has a pretty impessive Omaha CV, but more pertinently, he spent 2 hours on a busy night helping Tracey, which I thought was just typical all-things DTD.

Anyway, Simon's Tip, designed purely for Newbies, was this.

In 4 Card Omaha, we have the equivelant of SIX Hold 'Em Hands. (Any two from 4 is six combinations).

So, using those six combos (let's call them, say, A-B, A-C, A-D, B-C, B-D & C-D), how many of those six two card combos would equate to an acceptable Hold 'Em Starting Hand? His criteria was that, for a novice, in the first 5 or 6 Levels of a well-structured Omaha Jobbie, she sould require a minumum of FOUR acceptable "two-card" starting hands hands before considering Posting even a flat call.

And it served her pretty damn well, too, as she breezed into the Final with good chips. 

Finally, I added that Trace had to be especially careful (in Omaha) of "ignorant end" straights, bottom sets, flush draws, & "extensions". We acted out a scenario where, on the Turn, she had the nuts, (against two players) & I then dealt her twelve consecutive Rivers. Her "temporary nuts" were beaten NINE Times!

 

[tikay]

Just continuing with the theme of Newbie Omaha players, what blonde is gonna step forward & do an Omaha Coaching Thread for absolute newbies?

Come on guys, plenty of you understand the game well, & passng on basic skills is a very satisfying experience.

[tikay]

Obituary writing is an art-form, & reading between the lines is a must-have ability. A beaut of an Obit.

The man who essentially invented the modern obituary, (out with the toadying eulogies, in with between-the-lines wry comments), was Hugh Massingberd, who was the Telegraph's Obit editor from the mid 80s to mid 90s.

His most famous piece of understatement was the obituary of Liberace. The piece detailed his career, the many albums, TV shows, sell out shows and his outfits.

The final sentence was 'He was unmarried.'

Andrew, I never knew that, thank you.

I'm a big fan of Obits, & until recently, scoured The Times every day to catch up on them, but of late, I've been using the Daily Telegraph's Obits, & I must say, they are awesome "between-the-line" reads.

I note that they do not have any by-line, or acknowledgement to the Author though.

I'm gonna look up some writings of this Hugh Massingberd fella.

Thanks.

[dino1980]

Hey Tony,

Really interesting reading about the Omaha tuition session at DTD. I recently asked Floppy to write a feature, a top 10 type piece on mistakes hold'em players make when they start playing omaha. Funnily enough the working title of the feature was 2+2=6.

Once it is published if Chris agrees then he can feel free to post it on blonde. I'm a relative newcomer to Omaha and it wasn't until I read a chapter by Chris Ferguson in the Full Tilt book that I really started to appreciate some of the finer basic points of the game. Only trouble is now that i absolutely love the game.

[Karabiner]

TJ and Campo, you never know they could be the next Ant and Dec...

[tikay]

Hey Tony,

Really interesting reading about the Omaha tuition session at dtd. I recently asked Floppy to write a feature, a top 10 type piece on mistakes hold'em players make when they start playing omaha. Funnily enough the working title of the feature was 2+2=6.

Once it is published if Chris agrees then he can feel free to post it on blonde. I'm a relative newcomer to Omaha and it wasn't until I read a chapter by Chris Ferguson in the Full Tilt book that I really started to appreciate some of the finer basic points of the game. Only trouble is now that i absolutely love the game.

I'm quite sure any well-written piece on Omaha basics - I confess it would be beyond my skills - would be eagerly devoured by many Omaha Newbies, because Omaha is such a refreshing, thought-provoking poker variant.

Even at the bigger cash-game levels, Omaha is played, by some, stunningly badly. I recently saw a total of £5k shipped into an Omaha Cash Pot (it was £5 - £10) when one of the protaganists was holding bottom set - threes. And this was a three way Pot - at SIX-CARD.......!

[tikay]

TJ and Campo, you never know they could be the next Ant and Dec...

There's no need for that Ralph. How's the eye?

Karabiner had to miss the DTD 3-2-1 as he was unwell - conjunctivitis - but I think his arthritis was playing up. It does that to the old & frail.

[NoflopsHomer]

Hey Tony,

Really interesting reading about the Omaha tuition session at dtd. I recently asked Floppy to write a feature, a top 10 type piece on mistakes hold'em players make when they start playing omaha. Funnily enough the working title of the feature was 2+2=6.

Once it is published if Chris agrees then he can feel free to post it on blonde. I'm a relative newcomer to Omaha and it wasn't until I read a chapter by Chris Ferguson in the Full Tilt book that I really started to appreciate some of the finer basic points of the game. Only trouble is now that i absolutely love the game.

I don't have a problem with putting it up. I keep thinking of things that need to be added but I couldn't fit in, it's very much full-ring based whereas much Omaha cash is now 6-max where people really gamble, so nitting up is still the right way to go. I believe Rolf Slotboom is writing another book mainly on 6-max, which I'm looking forward to. My article though is just the basics though, nothing too advanced.

[ripple11]

TJ and Campo, you never know they could be the next Ant and Dec...

How could you mention one of the greatest duo TV acts of our generation,.... funny,talented,sort after,highly paid, award winning, cheeky chappies.......

.....................................................in the same sentence as Ant and Dec.

[Karabiner]

TJ and Campo, you never know they could be the next Ant and Dec...

There's no need for that Ralph. How's the eye?

Karabiner had to miss the dtd 3-2-1 as he was unwell - conjunctivitis - but I think his arthritis was playing up. It does that to the old & frail.

I'm still doing a pretty good cyclops impression but at least it has not yet afflicted the other eye.

TBH it is a right old pain in the arse, but thank you for asking xx

[tikay]

When we are in the presence of sporting or professional greatness - true greatness - we tend to take it for granted, until, that is, they have gone, & then we wish we'd been more appreciative of a great talent. Think Lester Piggott, for example, & when he returned to the Saddle, he was but a shadow of the real Lester, or George Best, Bobby Moore, Johnny Giles, & so on.

Last Saturday was the 90th Birthday of one of THE great heroes of my life - Sir Peter O'Sullevan. Now, he WAS a Legend. He still lives with his wife of over 60 years in Chelsea, & his mind remains sharp & alert.

Sir Peter commentated on over 50 - FIFTY - Grand Nationals, & rarely made a mistake. Back in the day, horse racing was mainly shown on Telly on Saturday's, & PO'S stayed at home every Friday night memorising the colours of the jockeys. In those days, there was no internet, & no colour printing, so he coloured in the Black & White pictures of jockeys silks in the Racecards by hand, laboriously. He knew all the owners, trainers & jockeys, but still had to memorise the draw, weights, recent form, last win, over what distances, where, C & D winners, so much.

Poker Analysts & Commentators get it in the eye when they call a hand wrong, but imagine Sir Pete's task in a 38 runner Royal Hunt Cup, or a 35 runner Kings Stand Stakes - remember, a 5 furlong dash takes but 60 seconds on a fast track. And the horses often split into 2 or even 3 groups, & it's tough to tell what group is leading sometimes, when they are 30 yards apart, & 4 furlongs away. The man is a true Legend.

Many think his best ever commentary was when his own horse - Attivo - won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in the 70's, but he finished the role of honour as the horses eased down exactly as normal -  "and the winner, returned at 4/5, & carrying 11 stone, was Attivo, trained by Cyril Mitchell, ridden by Robert Hughes, & owned by Peter O'Sullevan". In fact, it gets better, because he actually - technically - bred Attivo, having - see reference to Red's Diary here - purchased Attivo "in the belly". 

"He was as narrow as a plank with his feet turned out like Charlie Chaplin and the trainer said: 'You'll be lucky enough to run this one at White City.'" said the great man recently".

What a thrill that must have been for him, yet he commentated exactly as he always did, & never betrayed his special interest. It was reported in the DT recently......

"Even the most sturdy of characters might have lapsed into a shriek of "Go on, my son!" at that point but Sir Peter looks positively horrified by the thought. "No, no, there's absolutely no excuse for partiality because money's involved in horse racing".

Sir Peter owned 15 racehorses for 16 years, & never had so much as a placing in the first three - in fact, that's not unusual in racehorse ownership.

And then along came a very special animal, in "Be Friendly", who aside from winning the Vernon's Spring Cup at Haydock in successive years, took down the Kings Stand Stakes (Royal Ascot) & Prix de'l Abbaye (Lonchhamp) in '66. But that''s another story.......

Happy 90th Sir Peter. And beware, I'm catching you up.

 

[turny]

a true legend of horseracing and what a fantastically distintive voice

[Karabiner]

I remember one commentary many years ago, where Be Friendly just squeaked home in a very big(group one) race, and there was no hint of any bias in his voice, quite amazing.

[Royal Flush]

Just continuing with the theme of Newbie Omaha players, what blonde is gonna step forward & do an Omaha Coaching Thread for absolute newbies?

Come on guys, plenty of you understand the game well, & passng on basic skills is a very satisfying experience.

I think most are still struggling with holdem!

Hey Tony,

Really interesting reading about the Omaha tuition session at dtd. I recently asked Floppy to write a feature, a top 10 type piece on mistakes hold'em players make when they start playing omaha. Funnily enough the working title of the feature was 2+2=6.

Once it is published if Chris agrees then he can feel free to post it on blonde. I'm a relative newcomer to Omaha and it wasn't until I read a chapter by Chris Ferguson in the Full Tilt book that I really started to appreciate some of the finer basic points of the game. Only trouble is now that i absolutely love the game.

I'm quite sure any well-written piece on Omaha basics - I confess it would be beyond my skills - would be eagerly devoured by many Omaha Newbies, because Omaha is such a refreshing, thought-provoking poker variant.

Even at the bigger cash-game levels, Omaha is played, by some, stunningly badly. I recently saw a total of £5k shipped into an Omaha Cash Pot (it was £5 - £10) when one of the protaganists was holding bottom set - threes. And this was a three way Pot - at SIX-CARD.......!

lol mccoolaments?

[Bainn]

Jim for mod ! ! !

It's Bainn Jim, but not as we know him.

He's dead Jim....