The Bat Cave

Wow. I’m already shellshocked. First off, this is only a $175 buy in. I’m not really sure why they would make the Omaha 8 a $230 BI and drop the cost on this one. They are in the same ballpark in my eyes.

Okay, whatever though. That’s not going to dissuade me from playing. But imagine sitting down in level one with 20k and learning that blinds are 200/400! We are starting with 50 big blinds. And they advertised double chips for all their events! What kind of shitty structure did it used to be?

Yesterday, the O8 event starting with 20k chips but blinds started at 100/200. I ended up making a deep run on my second bullet and with 40 players left – and 20 cashing – the average stack was 10 big blinds. Not like doubling the chips did much good there either.

This is going to get really dumb really quick.

My O8 event was a frustrating experience. I went two hours before I got any piece of a pot and I was down half my stack at the first break and I had only played like five hands.

I never got any momentum going and busted at the buzzer before re-entry closed, so I bought back in and sat down with 16 big blinds on my second bullet.

I immediately chipped up and was running good enough that the player on my right kept saying, “how are things going today, Mike?” and I was sitting there thinking, “uhm, well, I’m on my second bullet and we are still super far away from the money so… let’s save the run good needles for when it actually means something?”

Sure enough, I peaked around 60k, which was about double average at the time, and that was the last of any momentum for me.

Several hours later, I’m sitting on a short stack ten spots off the money and get my last 4+ bigs in with AQJ3 with a suited ace against AKJ4 and find no love.

I’ll post stack updates here and maybe some hands on the break. Betting limits are already up to 500/1000 so going to need momentum early to stay relevant in this one.

1:11 PM: Nothing like limit Hold’em to torch my stack. I defend 62hh in a multi-way pot and have to put in three bets on A43hh before calling another bet on 8 turn and bricking out. Then I get limp-raised in the next pot with AKhh in my small blind and check-call a brick flop 3-handed before check-folding turn.

Just like that, half my stack is gone… because this structure is 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

1:33 PM: Sitting on exactly 10k after three levels for half a starting stack. I would hate to give up if I bust out before registration closes but the structure is so bad I’m not sure I can justify it, even at such a low price point.

2:04 PM: Uhm. Can we play Razz all day? I’ve seen three different players limp with a face card up. Not defend their bring in. Voluntarily limp.

2:42 PM: Was down to crumbs and managed to double up a couple times.

Back up to 7600 with limit Hold’em coming up next hand! This is a superficial statement but I think LHE is the worst game to be short in when you are playing HORSE.

2:53 PM: Folds to me on button and I raise with K9 of clubs with less than 4 big blinds.

The big blind defends and I bet the flop without looking at it when he checks to me. He raises to put me all in and I call.

Board is QQT and he has Q8 so that’s not cool.

Turn is a jack!

River is a king!

Double up. Back to 9700, giving me 8 big blinds.

3:22 PM: Registration is closed and I’m still on my first bullet. Unfortunately, I’ll be coming back to 5900 with betting limits at 1500/3000.

3:49 PM: Got moved tables and found myself under the gun playing LHE with just over two big blinds. Fortunately, I picked up 44, but I got two callers and the K65 flop and one of my opponents had 77. The turn gave him a set, which is actually a good card for me, but I bricked the river.

Fun times. Next event is no limit Hold’em on Thursday.