Bubble, Bubble, O8 Trouble

It was Pot Limit O8B Friday night (yes, I know that is normally a limit game). In order to play correctly, you could only limp for the first 2-3 levels, but after that you would have to commit to a hand with a raise coming in. I make it to the final table by playing only 4 hand to the turn.

With 8 left, I come in with 4567 for a raise, trying to isolate an EP limper from early-mid position. I get 2 callers. The flop is 778. I bet pot. The MP player comes over the top for pot and the LP players gets all in. WTF? But after stopping to think, this was east to figure out. I have top set and I am against an A2 for low and the flush draw (two clubs on the board) for high. I am currently the best hand and I have 1/3 of my chips in there already. I figure I am stuck calling. In retrospect, I think I would incorrectly fold here many times... The turn and river came to high spade cards and I scooped the pot. I was finally an average stack size at about 40k,

With 6 left, I have 2355 and get in cheap from the BB. But when the flop comes down A38 I am thinking I might be able to just take this one. I raise it POT, or 9k and this is a 1/4 of my stack. The opponent in the middle position (the MP from the above hand), re-raises pot. I got big problems now. I have the SECOND nut low and a measly 55 for high. Its unlikely my high hand will improve. I spend a long minute thinking about this. I look over and my opponent's pulse is so high, I can see it in his neck. I RARELY make reads on phyisical reactions, but since I thought I needed to fold anyway, that clinched it.

After that, I got brutally cold decked. So much more painful in O8B than in hold-em. Everytime I would come in for a raise, I would get a couple of callers and the flop would hit them like it was everyone's birthday but mine. I lost 4 hands this way, and eventually went out as the bubble boy in 5th.