JJ Hazan Gives Masterclasses
The Festival is really excited to announce a new partnership with JJ ‘LuckyJJ’ Hazan. JJ will be offering 3 PLO Masterclasses from 11 am - 1 pm for a maximum of 6 participants prior to our PLO Tournaments on the 11/13/15th October at The Festival in Bratislava. The classes are aimed at newbies and intermediate Omaha players and are limited to 6 as the style is collaborative, inclusive and practical.
Participants will face different situations and play their hand as well as they can. The Group will then analyse each hand and each player’s choices. This process means that everyone learns from each other and maximises the learning process.
Key Differences
PLO isn’t just NLHE with 2 extra cards! It is often a drawing game and the basic rules are you MUST use 2 cards from your own hand and 3 cards from the Board, unlike NLHE, where you could use just one of your cards. The other key difference is that the maximum bet or raise at any one time is the value of the Pot. So, bettings amounts and raises play a key role in exacting value or pushing someone off a draw, when you have the Nuts. 4/5/6 card PLO is the same game, except you play a level with 4 cards, then 5 and then 6 and back to 4.
In this game, it’s all about understanding your range at each level. For example, a set on the flop in 4 card PLO is often a winning hand, depending on the flop but in 6 card PLO, there will be other players with nut straight and/or flush draws who may not want to fold. There is a €250 4/5/6 Omaha on 13/10/22 for the more adventurous PLO player. This is now the main PLO variant in the UK and is catching on in Europe.
Who Is JJ?
JJ has amassed more than €700k in Live Tournament winnings and has more than 5 PLO Trophies to his name, including 4,5,6 and HiLo. He may well be heard commentating on the late night streamed PLO Cash tables over the week. He has been a strong supporter of The Festival and hasn’t missed a day so far!
Last year, he won the PokerListings NLHE side event in Bratislava but will be playing PLO/HORSE/8-Game as well the Main Event this year. Recent results include 3rd in the Kings of Tallin HORSE and 4th in the London EPT 8-Game. He also won the Irish Open Seniors Trophy in 2019, beating up 150 other ole guys!
JJ commented ‘The Festival is the only Week outside of the WSOP in Vegas that offers such a fantastic range of Mixed Poker games. It is an absolute priority to make sure I can attend this amazing week. Plus it’s loads of fun and I enjoy the mix of European players from many different countries. In the UK, we are lucky to have just 1 PLO tournament in a Festival week. Here, I can play 4 as well as other mixed events. Poker Heaven!’
Better Understanding in Only Two Hours
A small trial session was held in Tallin and one participant, Olivia Lindquist, finished an impressive 4/197 in her very first PLO Tournament, which was fabulous. She stated ‘The session gave me a much better understanding of Omaha and developed me as a player in only 2 hours! I didn’t know how much you can actually learn in such a short time, I really didn’t! I learned how I should play in different situations and applied that learning in my first ever PLO Tournament that very night.’
JJ would also encourage anyone interested in Omaha to play the Half n Half event at 5 pm on 13/10/22. This will be a level of each game (NLHE/PLO) and is only €125 to enter. The only way to learn, apart from the PLO Masterclasses (!), is to play and give it a go.
Six Seats Only
The cost will be only €50 per session and is payable in cash to JJ, prior to the session. The places are strictly limited to 6 and will be on a first come, first served basis. Please email [email protected] to book your place. Alternatively, you can send us a pm on https://www.facebook.com/ThefestivalOG As an introductory bonus, The Festival is also offering ALL participants their Tournament Fee back for the PLO Tournament of that day. So, if you attend the class on 11th October and then play the PLO Masters at 5 pm, JJ will give you back the €25 Fee (on production of proof!), which is 50% of the cost of the Class. We are just so nice!
