Laying the Omaha Smack Down!

I have been playing some great Omaha!...I think. While I've played a reasonable amount of limit Omaha Hi-Lo Split, today might mark the first time that I've ever played pot limit Omaha 6 handed. I feel pretty comfortable which is a sign that I know what I'm doing, but there is some chance that I've just been running crazy hot.

The first key hand came with blinds of 40/80. I got dealt AJT3 with the JT of clubs and I raised to 240 from the button. The big blind called and the flop came down 5 8 9 with two clubs. I had an open ended straight draw and a flush draw. The big blind had flopped top set and had a smaller flush draw, and a worse straight draw with 9966 (crazy how much you can have going on when you have 4 cards huh?). He checked and I bet the pot which was 520, and he raised the pot making it a little over 2,000 to go. I moved all in for about 3,500 and he called. The turn was a 7 the river was a 3 and I was in business.

The next big hand came when I got dealt. AJT7 with the A7 of clubs and the JT of spades. The blinds were 50/100, I raised to 300 from the cutoff and got called by the button. The flop came down K J 8 with two spades and one club giving me all kinds of marginal shit, but no real monster draws. I checked and my opponent bet the pot which was 750. On the turn I made my flush when the 7 of spades dropped, but I wasn't sure it was the best hand and I didn't want to get all of my chips in the pot if I could avoid it. We both checked the turn which I thought meant my hand was good for sure. But the river paired the king which was about the worst card in the world. Now if my opponent had a set or kings up he just made a full house and if I did have him beat I couldn't bet and get paid off. I checked and my opponent immediately bet the pot. The bullshit alarm starting ringing at maximum volume in my head. I thought there was no way he'd bet the whole pot (which was now over 2,000) with a full house so I instantly called. He turned over A993 (a real garbage hand) and showed that he's also made a flush on the turn but his was with the 93 of spades.

After that hand I was up to over 15,000 (I'd won a few mid sized pots between the hands I mentioned. but I faded back down to about 11,000 by the time the next big hand came up. With blinds at 100/200 I raised with AKT3 with the AK of spades to 600. I got called by the button and the big blind and got one of the best possible flops QJ9 with three different suits (one being a spade)! I had the nuts and barring a board pair or two running cards of the same suit I'd have the nuts on the turn and the river. I bet out 2/3 of the pot and got called by the big blind. The turn was another beauty - the 2 of spades! Now I had a flush draw too. Again I bet 2/3 of the pot and got called. The river was the ace of clubs and and I bet all of my remaining chips (about 6,700) into the 16,000 chip pot. My opponent thought for a long time and finally called me with T874 for a lower straight! BOOM!

I've dropped back 1,000 chips, but I'm at 21,700 and in 114th place with 459 players left. 360 is the money and pays $343. I'll post more about the prizes when I make the money.