$2500 Omaha High Low

World Series of Poker 2005

by Shirley Rosario

I left on Monday for the $2500 Omaha Hi Low event at the World Series of Poker. I got there early enough to play a couple of satellites. The buy-in for the first satellite was $275. I am not fond of the small buy-in limit satellites because if you don't go on some kind of a run within the first round or two, you can almost kiss your chances of winning goodbye. I didn't really get many hands and when I finally found one, I knew I was going to have to play for all of my chips regardless of what happened on the flop. Needless to say, I didn't win the first one. They were getting ready to start the next one and I asked the players if they wanted to make it a $325 buy-in. The $325 satellites are so much better because each player starts with $1500 in chips rather than the usual $1000. The casino does not take any extra juice for the $325 satellite so it is a win win situation. The players agreed and so I bought in. I also convinced my friend Steve to play. The players were so bad, but I couldn't get much going on the second satellite either. I got knocked out in 5th place. Steve ended up winning the thing, but at least he wasn't the one to knock me out...

The next morning, I was ready to play the event. I walked to my table with only a minute to spare. There were a few good players at my table (including Scott Fishman), but no player appeared to be an Omaha specialist. I liked my chances. I picked up a few hands in the beginning, but nothing really worked out. If I raised with all high cards, the flop would be low. When I raised with low cards, the flop would be high. I was a little frustrated, but I knew I just needed to win a pot or two to get myself back in the game. During the second round of play, I raised with A367 and was three bet by Scott (he was short chipped). One player in the blind called. The flop was A57. The first player checked, I bet, Scott raised (like I knew he would), the first player called and I reraised. The player called my raise so we had a side pot we were playing for. The turn was a six. It was a horrible card for my hand, but I was still planning on playing it out until the river. My opponent checked and I checked behind him. The river was a queen. My opponent bet and I called. He turned up AQJ3 rainbow and won 3/4 of the pot. I took the other 1/4 and Scott was eliminated. I specifically bet in front of Scott because I figured his raise would protect me from hands like that. We went on break a short time later and I talked to Steve about the hand. He said I should be happy that the guy continued playing the hand because he was drawing slim. I probably would give a friend of mine the same advice, but sometimes when you lose your chips to a fish it is frustrating.

I came back from the break and the same stuff was happening. I raised with AAT5 double suited (diamonds and hearts) and was called by two players. The flop was two high cards and one low card and they were all clubs. I just couldn't hit a flop if my life depended on it. One of the last hands I played, I raised with AJJ5 and the flop was J98 all diamonds. I didn't have the diamonds, but I knew I had to play the hand to hit the full house. The board never paired and I was left with one $25 chip. I told the player, "You are going to be sorry that you didn't take this from me." The next hand was my big blind and I threw my chip into the pot. I played the pot heads up and split the pot with my opponent. I had the high hand, so I got the extra chip. I was up to a whopping $50. I threw those chips in the small blind, but I didn't come out of that alive. The tournament was short and not very sweet. I never felt like I had any control because I couldn't hit a flop.

Steve was still in the tournament, so I decided to play a No Limit satellite. I was at a table full of men and none of them knew me. I think they had the impression that they were going to be able to push me around because they kept throwing their chips at me. On one hand, I flopped top pair and moved all of my chips into the pot. I got called by one player who had second pair. He had more chips than I did, so he was not eliminated. About two hands later, I raised with QT and was called by two players. The flop was jack high and all of us checked. The turn was a queen. The first player checked, I bet the pot, the next player moved all-in and the other guy folded. I thought about it for a minute and I just knew I had the best hand. I called and he showed 94. He had no pair and no draw. I was the chip leader at the table after that hand. Steve busted out of the tournament and came over to check on me. He told me he was ready to drive home whenever I finished and I told him I would call him when I was finished. I won the satellite and went to my room to pack my bags.

I called Steve and told him I was ready to go home too. I looked forward to going home and sleeping for a day and a half. I need all the rest I can get because in a day and a half it is off to Vegas again to play in two more events. I am playing in the $2,500 No Limit Holdem and $1,000 No Limit Ladies event during the next trip.

2005 WSOP reports: $10,000 No Limit Championship
$1000 Ladies World Championship and $2500 No Limit Holdem
$5000 Omaha High Low, $2500 Omaha High Low, $1500 Omaha HiLo Split
$5000 No Limit Hold'em and $1500 No Limit Shootout, WSOP 2005 Parties