Pot-limit Omaha can be a complicated game to play, deal, and/or follow. Multi-way action increases the chances for confusion.
Just now we saw a potentially complicated hand over at Scotty Nguyen's table. Nguyen and another player limped in, a third raised to 825, and there were three callers all told including Nguyen. Those four saw a flop of . There was a check, a bet of 2,000 from Nguyen, an all-in raise to about 5,000, and another all-in call for less. The first to act folded, and Nguyen called.
Got all that? Cards on their backs...
Nguyen -- nut flush draw
Player 2 -- top set and made straight
Player 3 -- wrap to lesser straight
An action flop there. The dealer took a moment to sort out the main pot, then said they would handle the rest after the remaining cards were dealt.
The turn was the and river the . Nguyen's hand was best, and there was no longer any need to worry about side pots.
"Send it all over here, baby," smiled Nguyen. He's now up to 38,000.
With 850 in the pot, the under the gun player bet pot on a flop. The player in Seat 1 then reraised to 2,500. Scott Seiver, who was next to act, immediately said, "Pot."
Everyone else folded back to the under the gun player who followed suit and mucked. Seat 1 then put in his remaining 11,000 or so and Seiver said, "Call."
Seiver tabled and was up against Seat 1's . "I like my chances," Seiver said.
The didn't help Seiver, but the on the river gave him a flush and the best hand. He eliminated his opponent on the hand and increased his stack to around 41,000.
With 1,700 already in the middle and a flop showing , the player under the gun checked, Christian Harder checked from middle position, and Tom Dwan bet 1,825. The UTG player called, then Harder made life difficult for everyone by check-raising the pot. Dwan got out, and his opponent called with his remaining 2,500.
Harder showed for top set, while his opponent was in dire straits with . The turn was the and the river the , and another player hits the rail.
A player in the hijack seat raised to 500, and it folded around to Alexander Kostritsyn who called from the small blind. Both checked the flop. The turn was the , Kostritsyn bet 600, and his opponent called.
The river brought the . This time Kostritsyn bet 1,700, and his opponent promptly raised to 5,000. After a minute or so, Kostritsyn let it go.
The Russian is down to 3,750. His fellow countryman Ilya Gorodetsky is playing at the next table, and the two had a word just after that hand. Gorodetsky is also below average right now with about 3,500.
Tom "Durrrr" Dwan raised to 400 under the gun and was called by both the button and the big blind. The flop came down and the big blind checked.
Dwan bet 925 and the button asked how much he had left, which was around 10,800. Dwan, who didn't hear the request, removed his ear bud and the dealer reiterated the request. Dwan responded by moving his hands so the button could get a better look.
"That is fine," the button said as he threw in his cards. The big blind did likewise and Dwan increased his stack to around 13,000.
The player in Seat 8 raised to 250 and Jason Somerville reraised to 900. Everyone else folded and seat 8 made the call.
The two saw a flop of and Seat 8 bet out 1,200. Somerville raised all in for his last 3,800 and Seat 8 made the call.
Somerville:
Seat 8:
Somerville was in the lead with the nut straight but that all changed when the hit the turn, giving Seat 8 a full house. Somerville couldn't improve when the came on the river and he was eliminated from the tournament.
Three players limped, and both blinds, including Scott Seiver in the big blind, made the call. When one of the middle position players had limped, he had tossed the black 100 chip in front of him and it improbably balanced on its side.
"What odds to do that again?" asked Seiver, as the table laughed.
The flop came . The small blind, who was short-stacked, bet the pot, Seiver raised to 2,000, and it folded to the button who called. The small blind reraised all in for just 50 more, and Seiver and the button both called.
The turn was the . Seiver led for 3,500, the button pushed all in, and Seiver quickly called. Seiver showed for the straight. His opponent had -- also a straight, with a decent shot at a better one.
The river was the , and when the all-in player mucked, having been eliminated, they chopped the pot. Seiver has about 15,500 (no add-on chips) as we approach the break.
A number of notables have hit the rail recently. They include Andy Black, Shaun Deeb, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Andrew Lichtenberger, Jason Potter, Eli Elezra, and Fabrice Soulier.
. There was a check, a bet of 2,000 from Nguyen, an all-in raise to about 5,000, and another all-in call for less. The first to act folded, and Nguyen called.
-- nut flush draw
-- top set and made straight
-- wrap to lesser straight
and river the 
. Nguyen's hand was best, and there was no longer any need to worry about side pots.
flop. The player in Seat 1 then reraised to 2,500. Scott Seiver, who was next to act, immediately said, "Pot."
. "I like my chances," Seiver said.
didn't help Seiver, but the 
on the river gave him a flush and the best hand. He eliminated his opponent on the hand and increased his stack to around 41,000.
flop. The turn was the 
and Seat 8 bet out 1,200. Somerville raised all in for his last 3,800 and Seat 8 made the call.
hit the turn, giving Seat 8 a full house. Somerville couldn't improve when the 
. Seiver led for 3,500, the button pushed all in, and Seiver quickly called. Seiver showed 
, and when the all-in player mucked, having been eliminated, they chopped the pot. Seiver has about 15,500 (no add-on chips) as we approach the break.