Top Pair Podcast 334: Big O, the Biggest of All the O's!
In episode 334, Bruce Briggs and Robbie Strazynski discuss a great article by Omaha creator Robert Turner about Big O. The game has so much more to it than “just adding” a fifth card to what would otherwise be Omaha 8 or Better.
Robbie attended a gala charity poker tournament in Israel in which the player list included the likes of Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi, Melanie Weisner, and Patrik Antonius. He gives us the skinny on what went down in Tel Aviv. In addition, the show introduces two brand new segments called “It’s in the Cards” and “Table Talk” plus you’ll hear all about our hosts’ latest home game adventures, the highs and the lows.
Finally, we leave you with a One Outer that might provide more questions than answers.
Top Pair thanks their sponsor, the Poker Notes Live mobile app, for their support. Be sure to check it out!
Show Time Stamps
| 00:24 | Synopsis |
| 1:06–28:43 | How Ya Runnin? |
| 1:26 | Robbie: The home game that ALMOST happened and the home game that did happen (and at which there was plenty of rungood to be had). |
| 6:50 | Recapping a gala charity poker tournament in Israel, attended by the likes of Patrik Antonius, Melanie Weisner, and Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi, which raised $300,000 for special needs children through the Variety Fund. |
| 14:46 | Eli Elezra speaking engagement and book signing in Las Vegas at 3:00 p.m. on May 29 during the Wednesday Poker Discussion Group gathering at Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant, 4930 W. Flamingo Rd. |
| 16:27 | Bruce: Recouping losses in Short Deck at the weekly home game; flushes are rare, but great when they happen for the right guy. Poker talk/strategy during professional sport gambler James Holzhauer’s incredible Jeopardy run. Listener email from Cody in Tennessee. |
| 29:28–30:48 | Introducing two brand new segments, for Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast listeners. |
| 30:48 | It’s in the Cards with Tom Wheaton of Faded Spade Playing Cards: Playing card sizes – Poker size (wide) vs. Bridge size (narrow). Why do many poker rooms use bridge-size cards? Which size is best for the home game? |
| 36:05 | Table Talk with George Chao of BBOPokerTables: Different sizes and styles of poker tables for different home game hosts, and the factors that govern what type of table works best for your group. Don’t forget to use the coupon code “TOPPAIR” for a discount and free upgrades when ordering your poker table products. |
| 40:54-52:35 | Dealer’s Choice (A detailed look at non-hold’em poker games) |
| 42:30 | Great article about Big O by the creator of Omaha, Robert Turner, who was a guest on episode 242 of the podcast. |
| 44:05 | Having five cards rather than four really creates a lot more action; it’s like Omaha on steroids. |
| 45:00 | The author lists 10 tips to give players more confidence playing Big O. The nut low and backup low cards are critical - the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. |
| 46:50 | The hand is won on the river; the nuts on the turn aren’t too powerful. |
| 49:09 | Your swings are greater than in most poker games, so when your rush happens be sure to manage your money. Ride the wave, but beware that a big downturn in your fortune could be on the horizon as well. |
| 50:05 | Details of and experiences playing a Big O variant, Courchevel, where the first card is exposed before you bet the flop. |
| 51:20 | It happens SO much more often that at least one player has the nuts, whether the high or the low nuts. |
| 52:38 | One Outer – Bruce channels his inner Alex Trebek to prove that he, too, “knows all the answers” on Jeopardy!… sorta. |
You can subscribe to PokerNews’ Top Pair Home Game Poker podcast on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here.
Follow hosts Bruce Briggs @toppair and Robbie Strazynski @cardplayerlife, also available via email: [email protected]
Lead image courtesy of Allen Rash/Seminole Hard Rock
