It's the 2017 LAPC, and that means that Tony Merksick is due to win an Omaha 8-or-Better tournament. Merksick won the $570 buy-in Omaha 8-or-Better Event in 2014, and defended his title in 2015. He wasn't able to make it out last year, and he didn't take down the $570 installment last week, so Merksick mixed it up and played some No-Limit O8. Two days later, Merksick is taking home another Remington Trophy.
"You know in the past I've always said I prefer to play Limit I have a limit mentality. Obviously I play a lot of Omaha Hi-Lo so this is quite different. You can protect your hands differently here. I kind of had to get away from the drawing hands you would normally have in Limit."
Merksick went on to discuss some of his strategy in the tournament, saying that there are a few major differences between Limit, and No-Limit O8.
"I played more of the high hands and less of the low hands. Obviously in a Limit tournament I often raise when I get Ace-Deuce in this tournament I waited and just called. I was must more passive I didn't put myself in alot of tough spots and fortunately the last hand came down to I had quads against a full house it was pretty easy."
This is Merksick's 12th registered cash, and all but one of them came in Omaha 8-or-Better. Amazingly, of his 11 O8 cashes, four of them are now victories. Merksick told us that while most of the poker world has moved to No-Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8-or-Better is still his bread and butter.
"I mostly play just O8. When I was cutting my teeth that was the game being played. I honed my skills in that game. Obviously as Moneymaker won the World Series he ended up changing the whole identity of poker and everything went to No-Limit. I stuck to O8 but there's not that much games of Limit O8 that's why I have to travel a lot that's why I'm here in California."
Merksick has been dominating Omaha 8-or-Better cash games for years now, but only in the past decade has Merksick dove into tournaments. Merksick was upfront about his reasons for playing more tournaments these days.
"Honestly I started playing tournaments so that I could be recognized as an excellent player. You can win all the money you want downstairs and no one will know it. So I transitioned to tournaments and unfortunately I didn't make it out here last year. So this is the 3rd year in a row I've won a Remington."
Merksick doesn't live in the Los Angeles area, and usually only comes out here for the LA Poker Classic. While Merksick was supposed to already be home, he changed his mind to play this event, and has yet to make up his mind on the rest of the series.
"I played last week fell a little short in the $570. It would have been quite an experience but it didn't happen. I was supposed to leave Sunday. I ended up cancelling my flight I don't have a return flight so I might go home might stay and play the $1,100 O8 and kind of go from there.
Congratulations again to Tony Merksick on yet another incredible Omaha 8-or-Better victory here at the Commerce Casino. Good luck in the $1,100 version Tony!
