I have run into this situation a couple of times and I just cant seem to figure out what the correct play is. I will have the nut low made and on the river there will be a bet in front of me and a reraise behind me and then then the first player will raise again, putting himself all in but the other player still has a huge stack to play with.

How do you guys determine whether or not you are splitting the pot and whether or not it is worth it?

lately it seems that I fold when I would have gotten half the pot and called when am quartered.

When is it correct to fold the nut low?

In general, I don't like calling with just a low if there are two others in the pot, and I definately wouldn't be comfortable calling a raise and a reraise with just a low.

do you think you would call if the board changed dramatically? like the board pairing on the river? normally I don't like to be in there with the low calling big raises and reraises but it seems that when there is a dramatic change regarding the high end of the pot the raises signify a battle for the high rather than the low (unless you are just quartered all the way.
Hope I am explaining this right. Maybe I have been folding because I have not seen the changes on the board correctly, rather I have just looked at the bets.
just trying to see how people evaluate the strength of their low

the situation you describe would be a good opportunity to bluff on the river, but the downside (assuming you are playing pot limit) is that if there has been betting and raising on the previous streets, then most of the money will probably already be in the pot.

The hardest part of learning PLO8 is being able to throw away hands on the flop that only have one way potential.

I'm not saying that you should never call a bet on the end with just a low. There are times when it is correct to call on the end with a low, but calling a raise cold, when there's a chance that the original bettor may re-raise, is not something that will be long term +EV.

It's difficult to talk about generals in PLO8, if you have any specific hands in mind where you've been put in these spots, post them. It's easier to discuss the strategies when you can relate them to a specific hand or situation.

If there are 3 players in the pot I just go ahead and call on the river. Assuming you are quartered, you lose 1/12 of your money (put in 1/3 get 1/4 back).

On the turn I generally fold if I can be counterfeited.

As always, it depends on the players and the prior betting.

i think the call depends on PL or limit. if it is PL the nut low i.e. A2 that is in no way counterfeited i think your hand goes signifigantly up in value if there are 4 players vs. 3. if you get quarted against 4 you are even money for the hand but in the long run you will win. if you get quartered against 3 you are down for the hand and may be -ev in the long run. i don't think that the nut low in a 3 handed PL omaha game is ultra powerful despite how others play it. if there isn't that much in the pot and it's a tight game (players only start with A2 or A3) this isn't a situation where i'm looking to get involved between two players. again, position is everything in eight or better.

This question comes down to two factors; pot odds, and reading the situation.


Pot Odds:

Start with a simple example to think through the math. If you're heads up on the river with a made nut low, you're going to lose at most 25% of the pot by calling a bet. Example, there's $1k in the pot, the guy bets $1k. If you call and get quartered, you will get back $750, so you are losing $250 on the decision. If you call and get half, then you are gaining $500 on the decision. So you only have to be "right" 1/3 of the time to break even. Personally, I *always* make this call due to that math, but also because I rarely get to the river with a nut low that has absolutely no chance to win the high (even K kicker will give you 3/4 sometimes). I also make the call (if not a raise) if the amount bet is anything less than the pot; if the guy bets half the pot or less, you absolutely have to call since you're at worst breaking even.

With three players, it becomes more difficult, but the concept applies identically. Consider what you have to gain by calling and splitting the pot; consider what you will lose by calling and getting quartered. If you think you are "right" often enough to break even, then err on the side of calling to gain the image that you are an action player so that you will receive action in return on stronger hands. Generally, though, if there are three players, this call is a trivial call, since for our example above, if everybody sticks a grand in on the river, you'll get back that grand if you're quartered, sometimes get back $2k when they are both going high, and sometimes get back $660 when 1/6'd. The balance is favorable in comparison to a 2-player scenario.



Reading the situation:

There's a big difference between calling a river bet from (1) an idiot, and (2) a rock solid nut peddler. Also, there is a big difference between calling a bet from (1) someone who has check-called the entire way before an obvious draw for high has been made on the river, and (2) a player who was leading the betting at every street. The (1)'s should obviously be definite calls, since you will be "right" more than often enough to justify a call (if not a raise). The (2)'s will require more deliberation. There is no quick fix to learn to recognize these things, and most often they're less cut-and-dried than I've made them out to be with these descriptions. Only experience will help--you'll either "get it" or you won't, eventually.