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WCOAP Omaha Championship Review

I'd joked to people that the only reason I'd entered all 4 events at the APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was to make a run at Player of the Series. In all honesty, I would be happy with a winning Series after expenses. 70 runners anted up £50 for 7,500 chips at 30 min blinds.

It didn't start too well, failing to win a pot for the first hour and seeing my stack fall to 5k. I thought the tone was set, when I raised the first pot with AKJJss, see a T92 two suit (not one of mine) board. That'll be a check-fold then.

It was slightly awkward with an aggressive and slightly vocal guy to my left, so I was planning on treading carefully. I don't believe LAG is the way to go in Omaha tournaments when so many of these players would be making post-flop mistakes. Add to that I'm just not good enough to play that style and I was intending to play like a rock. So of course an hour in I limp my button with Q992, flop bottom set and take my first pot.

Aside from those two hands, I really do not remember many hands. I didn't hit the nuts until the final table, never saw a wrap (even a 9 card semi-wrap) or a nut flush draw that I remember all tournie. How I chipped up, god knows, but I played a couple of excellent pots, getting maximum value from bottom two pair, and a 9-high flush. It was a confidence boost to know exactly where I was, and still able to bet out on the river into a turn caller with nowhere near the nuts!

It was one of those perfect tournaments. My stack gradually increased. If I did get it in behind, it was for 10% of my stack with KK65ss v AAxx, an 842Kx board sealed that deal. I didn't get all my chips over the line once until the FT, which is pretty amazing. I made moves at the right time, with the right hands, always found the right spots, check-raising pot with A-high against a recent 3rd place GUKPT finisher being a particular favourite. I guess because I failed to flop a single draw of any note I managed to avoid spunking chips all over the place...I'm sure there's a lesson in that somewhere!

People began to drop like flies, many of them on rather tenuous draws, even the players I'd marked out as good, maybe ill-timed moves, but I tried to stay clear of that temptation. I was folding many AKsT7 type hands aside from the occasional steal - have never played that nitty before! I was on the stacked table with around 12 players left, so I was glad to see a quick transition to the final table, where I drew a nice seat, to the left of Jim Lynott who had been quite aggressive once he'd obtained a large stack.

Final Table

Seat 1 - Linda Iwaniak - 130,500
Seat 2 - Rich Stevenons - 53,500
Seat 3 - Thomas Cardoso - 40,000
Seat 4 - Warren Jackman - 29,500
Seat 5 - Richard Bard - 42500
Seat 6 - Tony Ross - 26,500
Seat 7 - James Mitchell - 45,000
Seat 8 - Jim Lynott - 99,000
Seat 9 - Dave Howard - 55,000

It began quite badly, raising Tony Ross' UTG limp with KKTT no suit, to have the BB and UTG move all-in, with 20k to call for an 80-90k pot, I made the call and received no help v two loads of AAxx. Apparently I was a 30% shot to win, even with one of my Tens gone, though still not sure if I should've made the call. One of the marginal spots where a lack of real Omaha experience counted against me.

This left me with just 14k on the bubble. Now I'm not one to wait for the inevitable, so when Tony Ross raised UTG+1 to 12k, I looked down at JJ88ss and moved in for my 14k. The BB called (not sure he saw Tony's raise), as did Tony. A beautiful flop of K8x8x got me right back in it. A rollercoaster ride ensued, with me being the only player giving it a real go.

Winning is everything, second is nothing when it comes to my poker philosophy. I don't think that's a weakness, more a real strength that can give me a massive edge against some players.

I was looking to get in a position to have a shy at the title, so when Lynott limped in UTG+1 (very unusual for him, I definitely read this as weakness), I raised to 16k, with the intention of a go-and-go, with KQ55ss. I carried out my plan on a T96 board. He tanks and calls with QQxx before one of my nine outs, a beautiful Jack, lands on the river. This was definitely my only misstep in the tournament, I needed another 10k behind to really carry this out, but it put me back into a great position.

I stole my way up to around 90k when an irritating blind on blind hand ensued. Jim Lynott limped in on my BB, and I raised pot with KK95ss. The board comes A high and he check raises all in, back down to the 30k area, but at least by now we're in the money after James 'Worzel' Mitchell exits on the bubble. You'd usually feel sorry for the bubble boy, but he's just won 40 grand, so he can do with the extra 200 smackers I reckon.

After a good hour of 7-handed play - AFTER the bubble's burst - we lost the next 4 in quick succession, and I went to 3 handed play as the short stack with around 100k of the 520k in play. This was soon to change.

I raise the button with AAxx, Jim Lynott defends his BB and we see an AA6 flop. It's a bit too good for me to get paid! The flop is checked, and the turn is a 2. Lynott bets 30k, I smooth call with 76k behind. The river is another 6, Lynott value-bets his 22xx for 60k and is forced to call for the extra 17k. I am now chipleader and we are soon heads up when Lynott stakes his tournament life on a straight draw that cripples him when it fails to come in, as Linda Iwaniuk's pair of 5s hold up. He exits soon after, leaving myself heads up with Linda, approximately even in chips.

Linda has been playing her button very aggressively and often c-betting whilst the game has been shorthanded, so I'm looking for a spot to commit post flop if possible. I don't really want a £600 flip. I don't have to wait long, when my Ac4c smashes the KcTc8cXQc board against Linda's Jx clubs, giving me a 3 to 1 chip lead. I get my chance to knock her out with AK83 v 9986 but the 9s hold up to return us to even, when we agree to split the prize money equally. I do believe I had a decent edge, but I could not afford a 60-40 flip at best for £600, given her willingness to be aggressive pre-flop with medium pair holdings, so I'm still happy with this deal.

Linda ekes out a 2 to 1 chiplead, and we spin it up pre-flop with her AQT6 v my AJ98 opening up a myriad of possibilies on a QJ4 board, but the 9 on the turn puts me back in pole position. The final hand is soon after, as Linda raises to 30k again on her button, I smooth call with KQ52ss and check-raise pot against her c-bet on a Q96 2 spade board. I guess she feels priced in to call with JJ93 and the 10s falls on the turn to give me the pot, the win, and the title of World Amateur Omaha Champion!



UK Sharks Review can be found here.

APAT Live updates are here.

And my too-cockney/Essex-sounding interview!

WCOAP

Am running rather good. I think I'm on around a 60-70% final table rate in tournaments atm, including at least 5 wins (or chops) from 15 or so.

The APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was held in London from Wed 27th Aug to Sunday 31st. Running tournies with no juice, deep-stack, Omaha, Razz and Stud one day events, and a two day NLHE Main Event.

A quick summary:

Wed 27th. Omaha. 7,500 starting stack, 30 min blinds, 70 runners.

Finish - 1st. Dealt Heads Up for £1100 each and took the gold medal. 20 Player of the Series points.

Thur 28th. Razz. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increases, 48 runners.

Finish - 39th. Nearly first out. Shame really, never got above starting stack.

Fri 29th. Stud. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increaes, 32 runners.

Finish - 2nd. Took £500, unlucky not to win, but a silver medal as consolation with 17 POTS points.

Sat 30th. Hold Em. 10,000 starting stack, 40 min blinds, 206 runners.

Finish - 142nd. Was in a slightly gambley move, but ended up in two spots in consecutive hands where I couldn't do much bar lose my chips.

So I decided to head back on Sunday with the guys, no watching the final for me. After 5 days in Newcastle and another 5 in London with minimal sleep, I wisely chose to play the £150 Big One at Grosvenor Southampton after just a couple of hours relaxation. 7 hours later, a four-way chop and I'm £600 richer.

Anyway, just a small blog of updateness, will have a fuller report when I can be arsed - but hopefully before I forget key hands.