Judo versus Karate:

I've been at the table for about 4 rounds when this hand comes up. SB has been playing solidly and very aggressively.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha/8, $4 BB (8 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($160)
UTG+1 ($140.60)
[b]Hero ($498.80)
MP2 ($144.50)
CO ($310.20)
Button ($140)
[b]SB ($566.05)
BB ($347.90)

[b]Preflop: Hero is MP1 with [7d], [2h], [Qs], [Ah].
2 folds, Hero calls $16, CO folds.

Flop: ($48) [5h], [6h], [Kh] (2 players)
SB bets $45.6,

HOW MANY PEOPLE PUSH BACK HERE?





Hero calls $45.60.

Turn: ($139.20) [3c] (2 players)
SB bets $136.2, Hero calls $160.80 (All-In).

River: ($1016.40) [Qc] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $1016.40

Results below:
Hero has 7d 2h Qs Ah (Low: 6, 5, 3, 2, A | High: flush, ace high).
SB has 3h 9h 2c Ac (Low: 6, 5, 3, 2, A | High: flush, king high).
Outcome: Hero wins $754.20. SB wins $262.20. [/color]

IF YOU HAD SB'S HAND, COULD YOU GET AWAY FROM IT ON THE TURN?

If you were SB, how do you play this hand (if you check the turn to me I pot it).

Wow, nice score. Too bad you split the low, but whatever.

Me being SB:

Raise pre-flop.
Check/call the flop. Maybe check/raise (depends on opponent)
Bet/call the turn (should be all-in I think).

Tough hand.

SB must be thinking he had the well-above average hand and pushing for the edge.

NH, WP.

Was SB Joey Knish?

No: Beachlasse

If I am in your shoes I play the same way. (correctly)

If I am in SB's shoes, I check call it down on the turn.
The most probable outcome at that point seems to be the split, with you having the suited ace. I also would think (unless he knows you are a very good player) that getting 3/4s for him seems much more likely than getting 1/4d, but there isn't much reason to roll the dice for his stack in that situation when he is probably splitting (and could be counterfitted).

If I'm SB I call PF and I check the flop (I'd probably end up folding on the flop, depending on how the action would go).

But having played as he did, and having been called on the flop, I think I check/fold the turn (made slightly easier by the fact that my counterfeit protection on my low is gone.) But it depends on my read on you - If I felt you were a donk who would be willing to get all-in here with a nut low and no high, then maybe I play the same as he does from that point on.

I like the way you played the hand, btw.

I like the way that you played it.

I don't hate the SB lead on the flop, he knows that you are a tight player and can only call that bet with a good hand. However once he gets called the brakes have to go on. On the turn I would check and see what you do. When you pot it I would most likely I would call.

I like your play. Seems standard, no? Wait for the safe turn and pop it.

More interesting: how do you play the turn if the board pairs instead of giving you the double nuts?

Safe turn for him you mean :-)

If the board pairs on the turn then I bet/call. It is possible he raised with A255 or A2KK, but pretty unlikely. He could easily put me on a set on the flop given my weak call of his flop bet.

Thanks for all the other comments. The point of the hand was to illustrate that sometimes the EV maximising strategy is not to push hard on the flop, even with the nuts.

FWIW, if I had been in his shoes I am not sure I could have got away from the hand - but I would have lost a lot less.

Not to sound smug, but this type of thing has been pounded into the collective FCP Omaha forum's brain. If you search Smash's posts, you'll probably find more than 100 that emphatically state:

(paraphrasing)
"Money is made in PLO8 on later streets when playing good hands in position because you are able to control the size of the pot. Be the player freerolling in position instead of being the player oop wondering if the second nuts is good. good luck."