Appreciate the video phil. Being a USA player still, I keep seeing all these videos on pokerstars which I can't play and its nice to see you play on a site that I can actually play on myself. Its also really cool to see how you play with 0 reads and what your standard lines would on a site like bovada where detailed huds aren't available.

More Bovada videos please. And don't bother searching for auto rebuy on Bovada as it doesn't exist. Thanks

On Bovada it's important to keep in mind what time of the week and day you are playing, as to whether more recreational or regulars are playing.
As for trying to figure out how to play against a random unknown, I suppose it's best to play back as if in a vacuum, as we essentially have no history with any players.

I too have trouble deciding if playing on Bovada is viable long-term, since I won't ever be able to save reads against players, as we could do at a Casino (or at PS or FT but it's been ages since I could play on there from US). Some times I think it doesn't matter, then I sometimes toss and turn wondering how I could play back if I moved up to 2/4 or 3/6 PLO on the site..

Perhaps it's best to start out tight, then adjust play accordingly until we can determine average player types at the table.

Hey, wp Phil.

The hand at 10:30 bottom left table caught my eye. You ended up timing out, but said you would have called otherwise, and didn't comment more on it. It appeared to be a very close decision, so I ran it quickly through PJ:

It may be hard to see in the picture, but I'm using an 8% 3-bet range for SB ($3b8o), and the peel&stack-off EV comes out at $2.73. Depending on which range I give the SB, it comes out at +/- 1 big blind just about always. Varying the SB's starting stack size slightly makes more of a difference. In this particular hand he started with $58 (before posting blinds), and that turns out to be the exact sweet spot for hero to actually continue here. And it may even be a close fold if we assume that hero might make the occasional mistake in stacking off. It's essentially impossible for SB to make a mistake on the flop, whereas I'd imagine that hero can.

Anyway, I thought that was a bit interesting since it's a situation that shows up fairly frequently in similar games. No particular question, just sharing.

My latest poker theory article gives an introduction to probability.

Bovada has some of the biggest fish degens in all of USA, it's unbelievable, these guys come over from the sportsbook and they are way too call happy. I think maximum exploit strategy is best for sure. Also, someone wrote a pretty easy software program that shows the player IDs of the players at the table with you, so it shouldn't be too hard to start a database of every player. I have the YouTube link of anyone wants to see. He's not selling the software tho... :(

I would be very curious to see what happens if you get some more hours of play in before the next video. It's interesting to see you finally face the same weirdo lines and players that show up in these games all the time. It can certainly create some headaches, although many spots are fairly clear. Often it means either folding just about always in a spot, or calling just about always in some other spot. I think you nailed it when you said that trying to think about your own range too much here is counterproductive. Few players will be capable of keeping track of both their own cards and range, AND your range, so they generally just play their hand and usually have exactly what they appear to have.

There are some situations in this video that I would play differently because of this. Curious to see if you would come to the same conclusion after a few more hours on the site.

Hi Phil,

Nice video and it's great to see you feel uncertain about the overall player pool and listening you talk through your assumptions of them and how to exploit them is great for mine, and probably lots of lower stakes players' games. It gets you thinking 'what am I actually achieving by doing x, when most of the players down here are y way inclined?'

Also: looking at the 'soccer' betting and seeing the mighty Inverness CT (my hometown team) stealing some screen time is a bonus!

great video as always! would love to see a few videos on Blackchip poker mid stakes PLO and NL as the regs there seem far more competent than the guys on bovado.....the 30 second per action and 4 table cap keeps me off of bovado altho the player pool seems very soft...

Nice video thx.

How did you estimated/calculated how much to reraise, to give the shortstack the opportuninty to reopen the betting action??

Thx in adv.

Can you do some 5/10 - 10/20 Bovada plo vids please!!! It'd be greatly appreciated :)

Hi Phil. In case you didn't know, there is a HUD called Omaha Indicator that works on Bovada if you're going to play there some. One time purchase so very inexpensive. I've not used it (since I play NLHE) but I do use Holdem Indicator. Rudimentary but certainly more useful than no HUD at all.

Also, just in case there are those who play both PLO and NLHE on Bovada, I contacted the company not long ago and there's a discount on Omaha Indicator if you already own Holdem Indicator.

There are multiple games of 24 every night and occasionally 36 and 510 but it is sporadic...... hey congrats btw getting hitched!!!

Thanks so much for making this video Phil. I think there a lot more RIO subscribers than you would think that are regs on BV. We all really appreciate it! I would love to see you play in the 2/4+ PLO games as I really think there is a significant difference in the player pool starting at 2/4 and going up. I understand it is hard to deposit enough money on there to play higher but thanks again and I look forward to more Bovada videos in the future from you and others!

Phil, at 21:12 you fold JT87 utg 1 after utg limps... Is this standard for you or were you just not really paying attention?

Half of his remaining stack + the $9 in front of him is the maximum I can raise while still letting him reopen the action.
23/2= 11.5
11.5+9 = $20.5

Thx

That "want and/or like" blabla rambling at then end...
that's the reason why I love watching your videos.
You've got the same kind of idiotic brain like me. :D

Hey Phil, at 30:00 in on bottom left you have A4hhQTss that you flat on the button. KsQh7s gets checked around 3 way and then on the turn 6h you choose to re-pot the BBs pot sized bet and call when he 3 bets pot. I really like this play, but I noticed you made a comment that you would definitely be calling off with a Q and possibly a 4 on rivers. I know the odds you get to make this call are pretty good, but in this level of PLO, do you ever envision a player betting pot and 3 betting pot with anything besides sets? Im not even sure a hand like KQJT would repot at the 1/2 level and even against that range a 4 or Q would not improve your hand to call off river.

Just curious, because at the stakes you are more used to playing, I know players 3 bet bluff ranges go up quite a bit. Was wondering if after playing a little more at this level that basically all river non J, Heart, and Spades become a fold.

Thanks,
Gajan

Is Bovada for americans only?

Fwiw, to help follow action, I've found that the green background and black cards are miserable. Purple felt with white cards ftw!

Hi Phill, first time caller. Love the show.

At 46:11 you are reviewing a hand where you had raised preflop with 10436ds to isolate the cutoff and got cold called from the little blind (cutoff folds) who ended up having A997 with a suited ace. At this point, you make the comment that this is horrible hand selection on his part. Is it really? If I was the little blind in this situation, I would put you on an exceptionally wide range here because its obvious that you have been playing aggressively and using position. Given this read, is the villlian's hand more playable than you are assuming? Or, is this still a no go.

Great video, glad you are doing this. Regarding the hand where you use T-diamond blocker and run into a set of 7s. Isn't this play contrary to our "maximally exploit" strategy whereby the Bovada population calls way too much? I definitely understand your play but not sure if blocker bluffs work well against this player pool.

Had to pause and LOL @ the idea of a curious, contemplative Phil Galfond sitting 1/2 Bovada for the first time taking bet chk bet line vs some guy calling utg raises with 8643r refusing to fold on a 4 str8 board and remarking, "well we learned a few things there". <3 Bovada... makes for a great video. Hope you run it up, as there's plenty of 5/10, 10/20 action.

Grt vid Phil .. Did look like you needed some coffee :)

On the hand 34:50 i was keen to know what are you really trying to rep once you check twice to him .. I understand the thought behind him not having a very strong range, but dont we need to be certain of some hands that we represent in that spot. He ended up having a set, but even a small flush, is never folding to that action i feel.

Also i noticed you opening a lot more hands towards the end .. Wanted to understand if that is standard or against unknown opponents we need to narrow down our range.

I'm very happy that you are doing Bovada videos, as that is the only place I play online! Please make more!