Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em - your stories

The reason I started this thread is the last 2 times I've been to my local casino in Blackhawk, CO is I have defeated the odds. I have been a firm believer that money is won by playing 4x based on the strategy on this site. People look at me like I'm nuts when I play K5 off 4x, but I just say "Wizard of Odds".

Anyway, I've been going up there more often than usual because the royal jackpot is currently sitting at $147k. Yeah you read that right. While I have walked away a winner and other times wondered why the hell I play that game, the last 2 weeks have been ridiculous.

Last week, I hit quads, then a pair, then quads. Yes. In three hands.

Last night, I'm holding a 9D and 2C. Flop comes out with a 5D, 6D, and 2S. Guy next to me has a 4D. He's like "we can get a straight flush". I laugh. And laugh again Next 2 come out. 7D and 8D. In complete disbelief as you could imagine. This was after flopping a boat and another couple quads before.

Never have I gone on such a run in this game before. Thinking about throwing in the towel.. I think I've peaked. Ha.

Any other ridiculous stories?

Congrats on your nice wins! If you decide to keep playing, keep playing Wizard's strategy, bankroll yourself properly, and know your limit.

My only straight flush on UTH was similar to yours. I had 10s-6d. Flop came 10d-9d-something. I thought "Sweet, I have top pair. Maybe I'll get trips." Then it came 8d-7d instead.

Quote: Deucekies

..My only straight flush on UTH was similar to yours. I had 10s-6d. Flop came 10d-9d-something. I thought "Sweet, I have top pair. Maybe I'll get trips." Then it came 8d-7d instead.

Or you flop a monster only to lose to rags. Have 7, 7....flop 8, 7, 8..."awesome I flopped a boat!!!"...turn/river 8, 8... dealer flips 9, 2 offsuit... you lose to 9 high!!! You swear "GD...MF'r...etc..."

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Or you flop a monster only to lose to rags. Have 7, 7....flop 8, 7, 8..."awesome I flopped a boat!!!"...turn/river 8, 8... dealer flips 9, 2 offsuit... you lose to 9 high!!! You swear "GD...MF'r...etc..."

Two things on this:
1. Playing Trips plus would have raked in a profit. I know people say "Arg! the side bet is a bad value at x.xxx%" but such hands are punishment for not playing it.
2. The variation Heads Up Hold 'em has a free bad beat built into the game, where the player wins if he loses with any straight or better, even if the monster hand is only on the board, as in this case; the trade off is that the hole-card raise is limited to 3x.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Or you flop a monster only to lose to rags. Have 7, 7....flop 8, 7, 8..."awesome I flopped a boat!!!"...turn/river 8, 8... dealer flips 9, 2 offsuit... you lose to 9 high!!! You swear "GD...MF'r...etc..."

I don't because I play the trips. Yes, it's a sucker bet, but at 3.50%, it's one of the better "sucker bets" you'll find, and at least for me, what you lose in EV, you make up for in entertainment value. It's nice not having to worry when the board has four diamonds and I've got the deuce-high flush.

Quote: Deucekies

I don't because I play the trips. Yes, it's a sucker bet, but at 3.50%, it's one of the better "sucker bets" you'll find, and at least for me, what you lose in EV, you make up for in entertainment value. It's nice not having to worry when the board has four diamonds and I've got the deuce-high flush.

One hand is meaningless to me. These things happen.

Also, when I play UTH, I'm playing with a 20%+ player advantage. ;-)

Quote: Paigowdan

1. Playing Trips plus would have raked in a profit.

Yay! I get to pounce on PGDan like everybody else!

Dan, that is awfully bone-headed for someone who ought to know better. And the worst kind of argument! I can accept an argument that the increased variance can be worth the price*, but raking in a profit? Come on Dan!

That felt good! I feel normal now. [sorry, Dan - of course this was a little tongue in cheek]

*but I wouldn't agree in this case or almost in any case, but a close call depending on paytable

Quote: odiousgambit

Yay! I get to pounce on PGDan like everybody else!

Dan, that is awfully bone-headed for someone who ought to know better. And the worst kind of argument! I can accept an argument that the increased variance can be worth the price*, but raking in a profit? Come on Dan!

That felt good! I feel normal now. [sorry, Dan - of course this was a little tongue in cheek]

*but I wouldn't agree in this case or almost in any case, but a close call depending on paytable

Notice how I ignored his comment?

Quote: odiousgambit

Yay! I get to pounce on PGDan like everybody else!

Dan, that is awfully bone-headed for someone who ought to know better. And the worst kind of argument! I can accept an argument that the increased variance can be worth the price*, but raking in a profit? Come on Dan!

That felt good! I feel normal now. [sorry, Dan - of course this was a little tongue in cheek]

*but I wouldn't agree in this case or almost in any case, but a close call depending on paytable

Pounce? That's all right.
But.....3.5% on a side bet is too much? Then when you don't play it and there's a four of a kind on the board it's palm slap city.

I spend the nickel for Trips Plus and pair plus and have fun with it, as it hits once in 5 hands or so, so I see it.
Plus, it gives me "ploppy cover."

Quote: Paigowdan

3.5% on a side bet is too much?

compared to what you usually see, not bad, I'll give you that.

The variance is already high in UTH, so I just don't see it as needed

I wonder what the thinking is, to offer a side bet with a not-so-bad HE? Is it essentially just that, the variance high already, so it needs to be attractive or players won't bet it? It does seem as though there is such a thing as a sidebet that gets little action, comparatively. That has been my observation with Mississippi Stud. Players just mostly seem happy without playing that sidebet. Of course another observer might have seen it get plenty of action, my time playing MS is limited.

In Atlantis a couple years ago, I played UTH for all 6 days, $15 minimum, alternating between that and some time at the slots with Mrs.

After 5 1/2 days of play, I was within $50 of dead even for the vacation. I don't remember if it was up or down, I just remember thinking that I was going to go home pretty much intact, gambling-wise.

In the next 45 minutes I lost almost $1000. It didn't matter what I got, it lost. Pocket kings? No improvement, dealer tripped the board. Flush? Dealer got higher flush. And of course all the usual 1x stay-to-the-end stuff like J-7, pair the 7, get beat. It was so bad that the guy next to me went to the bathroom, came back, and asked, "What happened to all your chips? Did you color up and pocket them? I do that, too!" I looked at him.

If there was no risk, it wouldn't be fun. But still.

I just checked, I'd written it up as a blog post. My memory was pretty close. It was $900, and it took two hours.

Atlantis Day 6

I could tell you 100 stories of playing UTH all over the world. I have seen 18 Royal flushes but only two were mine. I have had 55 straight flushes that were mine. One of my more interesting hands just happened recently. I had 5,2. Flop comes up 4,4,2 so I bet 2 times. Turn and the river were both 7's so my 2's are counterfeited. Dealer has a 3,2 and my 5 is a winner.

Quote: Commish

I could tell you 100 stories of playing UTH all over the world. I have seen 18 Royal flushes but only two were mine. I have had 55 straight flushes that were mine. One of my more interesting hands just happened recently. I had 5,2. Flop comes up 4,4,2 so I bet 2 times. Turn and the river were both 7's so my 2's are counterfeited. Dealer has a 3,2 and my 5 is a winner.

Sweet!

I think they can offer a relatively low he sidebet because the strategy is so difficult and people under bet so severely. The error rate on the main game has to be 5% or more he for most folks. So many people wait for a pair to bet their aces, bet 3x instead of 4x, won't bet kickers, on and on.

I don't get to play as much as I'd like to, but I have played a bunch of cardroom hold'em. This is the first time I've seen this happen:

I 4x TT, flop is TT-something :-) bets are paid off, etc etc

Next hand, I get 4h2h, flop contains Ah 3h, I show and check.

Turn-River 7h 7x

Dealer has 77 for quads on consecutive hands

I played 8 or 10 years of UTH many hours every time. Only saw 2 royal flush on my table. Never mine.

When I decided to learn how to play UTH last year, I quickly lost interest because the dealer never folds and constantly "sucks out" with crappy hands. Having played real poker for years, I couldn't fathom how this game could be called "Ultimate".

However, not long ago, I saw a dealer acquaintance at UTH all by herself, so I decided to sit down and chat with her. I couldn't remember the strategy, so she assisted me in playing. She tried to get me to bet Trips, but I wasn't interested. By the fifth hand, I hit a Royal Flush. Regardless, I don't feel bad for not making the Trips bet.

Quote: BlueEagle

When I decided to learn how to play UTH last year, I quickly lost interest because the dealer never folds and constantly "sucks out" with crappy hands. Having played real poker for years, I couldn't fathom how this game could be called "Ultimate".

However, not long ago, I saw a dealer acquaintance at UTH all by herself, so I decided to sit down and chat with her. I couldn't remember the strategy, so she assisted me in playing. She tried to get me to bet Trips, but I wasn't interested. By the fifth hand, I hit a Royal Flush. Regardless, I don't feel bad for not making the Trips bet.

Funny...this is WHY I play when I do. I've also played a lot of cardroom poker and this game gives ME the opportunity to suck out more often.

My total of royal flushes while playing regular hold'em now stands at 5 compared to 0 for UTH. The most recent one was on the flop (100% of a progressive, if that were the game) but in this particular place, it got me the pot with no high hand bonus.