Let The Games Begin!

The Heads-Up Challenge 2 (HUC2) has officially been set and we are ready to rock and/or roll. We have some of the regular degenerates in the bunch, but there are also some new challengers as well. I, for one, am looking forward to playing a bracket style, though it sux not being able to play everyone in the bunch like we did last time. I understand, however, once you get above 8 players it can get tough (and costly) to schedule everyone playing each other. Therefore, I agree with the commish on this one. I have heard Round 2 might bring with it some changes, but I am sure everything will fall into place just fine.

For my first round, I will be up against cmitch from O-Poker. I linked cmitch a while back and have been reading him ever since. I must say he plays well beyond any limits I am currently comfortable with or could afford. I have been impressed with what I have read so far and I am glad we were able to cross paths. I look forward to our match cmitch! Let me know when you are ready.

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I whored it up at BoDog last night and have found the bonus clearing to be a little more difficult than I expected. That said, I still feel good about the way things are going so far. Me thinks back when my fellow degenerates were clearing this bonus, BoDog gave you credit for the rake as long as you were at the table, whether or not you contributed to the pot. Now you have to contribute to the pot for the rake to count towards your bonus clearing.

Ever the conservative/tight bankroller these days, I tried to think of the best way to clear the bonus with the least amount of risk, and I think I have come up with a plan. I am playing Pot Limit Omaha 8 Or Better at the .10/.25 level. What this allows me to do is see quite a few more flops than I probably would see at Holdem, thus contribute to the pot, for a very cheap price. Making it even better, if you find the right table, you can almost always limp without being raised so I am able to see a flop and hopefully improve. If I improve I will stay in the pot, but if it does not look good I am out having contributed. Usually the pot will get pretty high (relatively speaking here folks) by the time the betting is over, since it is Pot Limit, and I will have earned some pretty good points.

Last night I tested this out and it went strikingly well. I was able to hit a few big hands to keep me up or even and was able to clear 5 times the amount of bonus points that I did the first night. I think I will probably start 2 tabling from here out in order to speed things up. I have never 2 tabled PLO8 so we will see how that goes. As for the actual game, though I feel pretty good about my PLO8 play, I realize I still have more to learn. My biggest problem is realizing quick enough whether my staying in the hand will potentially result in a net negative, even if I win a portion of the pot. I think I need to read a little bit more on the PLO8 subject to feel more comfortable. Any direction towards some good PLO8 material, online or off, would be appreciated.

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I have been meaning to mention the wildest hand I have been involved in lately. It was during my 6-Max SNG Challenge and it left me in a bit of a daze, though I was not mad after seeing our hands. Have you ever had a nice Pocket pair pre flop, become a Full House on the flop, become Quads on the turn, become a loss on the river? We were heads up when the hand started and needless to say we got it all in by the end of the hand. I had less chips so I finished second. Here is how it went down.

Hero: QQ
Zero: AK

Flop: KKQ
Turn: Q
River: K

His Quad Kings took down my Quad Biatches. Ouch!

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That will have to do for now. I may be playing tonight and tomorrow, but I will be at a wedding on Saturday so no weekend poker until I get back on Sunday for the OPBC. I want an iPod damnit, but if I cannot get an iPod I will take a WPT seat as consolation