A rare situation

Around June of 2006, I found myself in a mixed game of $1/$2 pot limit omaha and $1/$2 no limit hold 'em. We were playing an orbit of each game before switching to the other. Since the table was half no limit, the usual maximum buy in of $300 was enforced. After a few people reloading, if you were to buy in for the maximum, you would be the short stack. I started with $200 and quickly ran it up to about $500 after catching some good cards in hold 'em and some good flops in omaha. The hold 'em play was pretty standard and few people went to the flop. Omaha, on the other hand, had almost every single player going to the flop. Usually, there was one preflop raise to around $15 or so. This made the omaha pots very large as they usually tend to get. I was making my draws at the right times, getting away from hands with no redraws, and betting my two pairs and sets strong enough to win the hand before any more cards came off. In other words, I was playing my A game and was getting some decent cards too.

One interesting hand came up while I was playing pot limit omaha. I held Q-Q-x-x and called a $15 raise preflop along with 6 others. This put $75 in the pot. I flopped top set. I don't remember the rest of the flop other than it was very uncoordinated. Normally, in omaha I'll bet top set strong. However, with this unique flop, I checked. One player made a small bet of about $30 into the pot and got one caller before I also called. My plan was to put in a big bet on the turn if a scary draw card hit. It didn't. The turn was another blank. The only legitimate draw was a gut shot straight. I felt like my best move was to check again. I was hoping that someone had made two pair and was going to bet again. There was a bet of $50 and again one more caller before it got to me and I called. The river was a harmless 6. Everything missed. Based on the board, I knew I held the nuts. Knowing you have the nuts with a set doesn't happen too often in flop games. I led out with a value bet of $150. I wanted it to seem like I was trying to steal with a busted draw. The player who was doing the initial betting folded to my bet, but then I was surprisingly called by the other player. He made his set on the river and had to pay me off. I took in a huge pot and ended my session about a $750 winner--my largest single session win to date.