Score another one for non-hold'em games
Got my pretty Wynn Classic flier in the mail this week, and I found this note in it promising for those of us hungry to see tournament versions of any game other than no-limit hold'em:
"Last year we received so much positive feedback about offering a variety of games that we decided to bring them back!"
This year's Classic, which runs from Feb. 26 to March 19 at the Wynn in Las Vegas, includes events for Omaha Hi/Lo, HOSE and Pot-Limit Omaha with rebuys.
The variety isn't as vast as the much larger World Series of Poker, but the "we received so much positive feedback" comment is good sign that players are demanding options in tournaments these days - and some directors are listening.
- SCOTT
Christopher Cosenza is co-host of the longest running poker podcast on the planet, Ante Up! He started playing poker seriously in 2003 and his favorite players are Phil Ivey and Kenna James, though he tends to act like Phil Hellmuth if you make a bad play against him.
Scott Long, Ante Up!'s other co-host, is the author of the monthly Bet on It column in tbt*. He began gambling way too young (don't tell the fuzz!) and in the seventh grade, named his state "Gambleland" for a school project (State Animal? Loan shark, of course).
I hope the Packers kick the $hit out of everyone
Posted by: Sharkey | January 15, 2008 at 09:59 PM
Off topic: could you guys toss up a link to the AIPS 2008 info somewhere on the front page? Perhaps under "Links of Interest."
Posted by: Skittish | January 15, 2008 at 11:04 PM
greetings...So, you push the idea of trying new games...I have had moderate success at learning Razz, but have not tried my hand at the others...What games would you recommend to expand our skills...draw, stud, Omaha, split pots, limit, pot or no limit????
also, I play about 10-15 hours a week. Should I immerse myself for the entire week, month, six months, decade before moving on to a different new game???
Posted by: aces88ss | January 15, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Hey Skittish--click my Name link for the AIPS III/2008 tourney info. If you scroll down the blog and wade through some posts, you'll find the tourney info there as well. :p
See ya Thursday!
Michelle aka boofdah
Posted by: Michelle from Tampa | January 16, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Thanks! Mostly I wanted to make sure that the first event was Thursday rather than Wednesday since I have plans tomorrow (or today I guess, since the timestamp on the blog is EST).
Posted by: Skittish | January 16, 2008 at 01:46 AM
NL ONLY.
Posted by: Donk | January 16, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Aces, if you've already attempted Razz, then the other stud versions are a next logical step - stud hi and then, our favorite, stud 8.
But Omaha is a natural progression from hold'em, too.
Posted by: Scott Long | January 16, 2008 at 09:22 AM
I updated the link in our sidebar on the right to include the 2008 AIPS info and the 2008 points leaders, provided that will be the same site that hosts the results for Gambit.
Posted by: Chris Cosenza | January 16, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Aces, I say play the play money games in Stud, Stud8, Omaha, etc before you try to play for any real money.
Posted by: Erik | January 16, 2008 at 01:51 PM
"NL ONLY"
Pot limit is the way to go because it puts a little extra complexity to the betting that you don't get from FL or NL.
Posted by: Erwin Blonk | January 16, 2008 at 02:43 PM
Scott/Chris--do you mean HOSE or HORSE? ;)
Posted by: Michelle from Tampa | January 16, 2008 at 04:18 PM
HOSE is the preferred game of a lot of pros because they hate Razz so much. I remember they were playing HOE at Foxwoods last time I was there. But it was $20-$40, otherwise I might have sat down to play. 8-)
Posted by: Chris Cosenza | January 16, 2008 at 07:26 PM
PLO translates very poorly into a tourney format (great cash game tho). I can't imagine a PLO tourney with rebuys, that would be insane with respect to variance. Fasso would be on tilt for a month after playing that tourney.
Posted by: daedalus | January 17, 2008 at 12:05 AM
"that would be insane"
Yeah, it would :D
Actually I prefer rebuy for a PLO tourney (and not for others) because you have a bit more flexibility. I agree there can be made a case for fixed limit Omaha in tourneys, especially when you don't have rebuys. But I'm just very, very biased towards PLO, beyond reason even.
Posted by: Erwin Blonk | January 17, 2008 at 08:23 AM
PLO is a great tournament game. The re-buy ones during the WSOP are great. And they make for great TV.
Posted by: Erik | January 17, 2008 at 08:25 AM
OK, thanks for clarifying. :) Dumb question but what does the E stand for in HOSE/HORSE?
Posted by: Michelle from Tampa | January 17, 2008 at 09:14 AM
The "E" stands for the 8 is stud 8 or better. A stretch no doubt.....
BRF
Posted by: Chi-Guy | January 17, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Agree PLO tourneys (including rebuys) make for great TV......kinda like Mike Matusow off his meds makes for good TV. But it's not good poker.
PLO Cash...pure poker. PLO tourny...pure crapshoot.
To play PLO proper you need to pot with marginal advantages, knowing the likelihood of being drawn out on. In a tourney that aspect is totally removed since elimination is always at play. Rebuys eleviate some of that but also incentivize hyperaggression.
Would be an interesting discussion to see which games are better tourney games and which are better cash, and which aspects of the game make it that way.
Posted by: daedalus | January 17, 2008 at 07:38 PM