Monsterpotten

Got to squeeze in some Saturday night live Holdem/Omaha, with an affordable .25/.25 blind structure. Time to try out a few things, maybe ramp up the aggression against some players who don't know my game.

Things went well, except one player on my left got the better of me a couple times. I went for the accidental 3bet bluff from an early position raiser (because I threw the wrong color chips out, lol), but it looked like it was going to work for a second, until the big blind cold-4 bet me. He was kind enough to show aces as I folded. Later, I raised from late position with KQ, he defended with JT, then runner-runner boated me after I checked top pair to get value from a good player later. Whoopsie.

This was all made up for with a monster Omaha pot. I limped with Js Tc 8c 6s - a nice structured wrap and double suited to boot. Board comes 7c 8s 9c, I've got the current nuts and a pretty little straight flush redraw. I bet pot and get re-potted, something pretty rare in this game. The joy of Omaha, he might have the same current hand, with a higher (even nut) flush redraw. My monster hand suddenly looks more like showdown value - can I get to the river without a club coming or the board pairing. I call the bet, the pot is getting big, and life is not great.

Then, fortunes change again, the most beautiful 6c comes on the turn, and I have the straight-flushin-mother-humpin-stone-cold-lead-pipe-immortal nuts. Furthermore, I think it's likely that my opponent now has the ace-high flush on a non-paired board. I'm out of position, so I check and let him bet. I take a bit of time to Hollywood a little, make a little sigh, pretend like I've got top set and need to call this bet to try and boat up to catch the flush. After the appropriate time, I toss the chips in, praying that the board doesn't pair up. His flush needs to remain best.

A red four comes. No board pairing. I think the villain has the ace high flush, which I'm sure he can see is the third nuts (5c 8c also makes a straight flush), but I don't think he's going to check behind. If he does, he's a damn fine Omaha player. I check. He bets $15. I check my stack quickly, I've got $45 left, a great amount. I announce that I'm all in. He's got to call $30 to win like $90.

He lets out a groan and a little laugh. "Shoulda seen that coming" he bemoans. "Sooo sick, I've got the third nuts here, and I think I have to fold". I'm trying very hard not to give anything away, but it looks like he already knows what I've got. My only hope is a desperation/frustration call, or perhaps some notion in his head that I'm bluffing or am not a good enough Omaha player that I would checkraise a king-high flush all-in

He takes a good 90 seconds to make his decision, then throws a pile of red chips in as he turns his cards over. Ace and three of clubs as I suspected, along with a 7 and 9 for two pair on the flop. "You were never ahead, my friend", I tried to say nicely and not-condescendingly, as I turned over the bad news.

A brutal, brutal Omaha hand for him, ending in a 400 big blind pot for me.