Omaha is cheating isn't it?

Well I accidentally registered for an Omaha tournament last night which was part of the GUKPT Online League series. Not my preferred choice, just saw it was a league match and signed up without paying too much attention. Only realised my mistake when I got dealt four cards, which whichever way you look at it, just feels like cheating when you are used to Holdem. 33 runners, and managed to luckbox my way to 2nd place for $161.25 and some league points, but should have won if "Mousebob" hadn't decided to make some dubious calls heads up, culminating in his decision that bottom pair (7s) on the flop was good (against my top two pair, AJ) and proceeded to hit trips on the turn.

Can only cite this game as being the reason for playing like a twat in the GUKPT London Super satellite, which started an hour later. The hand that crippled me was AK, naturally enough, with which I raised in mid position. The cutoff went all in, and since he hadnt done anything up until that point to warrant respect, I paused only momentarily when the SB also pushed. I had them both covered but only just, and foolishly made the call only to find the cutoff with TT and the SB also with AK. TT held and I was left with 25 chips which went in with the inglorious exit hand of 9-4 off, drawing pretty thin against 88 and 99. Chose not to rebuy and concentrated on the cheating game.

Not been playing much poker live or online of late as a new lady is in my life and my priorities have changed slightly, but my long range radar may have detected the first potential conflict, as the Irish Open - which was one of the events I wanted to have a pop at qualifying for - clashes with her birthday. Mentioned this to a friend, who had two suggestions, the first of which was "get her interested in the game", and the second was to still try to qualify, and if successful tell her I was already too deep into the qualification process before I met her to be able to get out of it.

I liked the novel approach of the second suggestion – which kind of translates as “lie to her”, always a sound basis for establishing relationships. I think I'll probably skip the qualification satellites as it is the Easter weekend anyway, and aim for the Killarney Festival later in the year. But if I DID try to qualify and succeeded I think honesty is the best policy and I would really need to take her along and try to make a weekend of it. The trouble is I’ve always felt sorry for the poor souls when I I’ve seen girlfriends/partners sitting in casino bars looking bored shitless. And always remembered the one at APAT Edinburgh in 2006, where a young lad had brought a decidedly attractive young blonde with him, and she spent the whole day standing by the cardroom door trying to look in and see him, cos she wasn’t allowed inside. Now that’s devotion. In his position I'm not sure if cards would have been my priority ......