***** Hand History for Game 2995237136 *****
$400 Omaha Hi/Lo Game Table (PL) - Mon Nov 07 01:23:34 EST 2005
Table Table 68968 (No DP) (Real Money) -- Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 10

Seat 1: Hero ( $614.30)
Seat 5: CO ( $417.75)
Seat 6: SB( $889.84)

** Preflop **
Dealt to Hero 3 , A , 6 , A
2 folds, Hero calls (4), 3 folds, CO call, SB calls, BB times out (fold)


** Flop ** ($16) : 3 , A , 7
SB checks, Hero bets $8, CO calls, SB calls.

** Turn ** ($40) : 5
SB checks, Hero checks, CO bets $25, SB calls, Hero.....



Ok, so go easy, I just started back into PLO after having a mini
bad run at Holdem, I'm just trying to get a feel for it again.

Here are my thoughts as this hand progresses.

Preflop, I don't really want to raise this up, as I would very
much like to see a flop, and would hate to raise it and have
it re-potted back to me, as my "kickers" with the aces were
pretty weak.

On the flop, obviously the 3rd ace was nice, but the 3 also
counterfeited my low hand, so I'm playing only for high.
I threw out a small-ish bet hoping for callers thinking
maybe I could 1/4 somebody with only a low.

The turn pretty much sucked. It put a wheel on the board,
and a spade draw, which I don't have, and a low, which I
don't have.

Should I call here? What do I do on a river that doesn't pair
the board?

Just like holdem, in O8 there also hands you want as many players in as possible, and there are hands you want to go headsup. Just like you picked up AA then you want less people in and you want them put more money in preflop with hands like AK, QQ, etc then you are in great shape, if you had something like 9Ts then you want as many suckers in as possible.

Disregarding what the flop was, I would always pot this hand preflop, that makes flop play simple.

This particular flop is troublesome since lo draw is absolutely dead, let's say your drawing to the high only, since you only put down the minimum bet preflop, then just check call on the flop to keep the pot size as small as possible, be happy to split half of the pot since your preflop play sucked.

So you played it wrong preflop, and wrong again on the flop.

Let's say I potted it preflop, then I would had potted it again on the flop, then I would prepared to fold to any raises, and check fold on the turn or river if I got any callers, it really depends on who the preflop callers were and my position.

You have to fold on the turn. It absolutely sucks, but the only hand that he could have called you with whas some type of straight draw.

I'm not sure what I would do on the flop, Ribbo has talked about hands like these saying it absolutely correct to fold this sometimes, but I'm not sure. I might want to try and see the turn cheaply.

Also, I think you should be raising this preflop, if somone pots it back to you, I have no problem playing for my whole stack with this hand preflop.

As the others have indicated, this is a hand that you absolutely want to play against one other opponent for as much pre-flop money as possible. From "first-in" with others behind me before the blinds, I would not raise this hand, but call (as you did) and hope and pray that someone raises - preferably the BB. Then I re-pot.

So, given that no-one raises we would both be stuck in the same position when the flop comes down.... I don't think it makes sense to bet this flop: you are likely to get called (if not raised) by low hands that are free-rolling you. The most correct action is probably to check/fold, but I would probably check/call.

On the turn, when it is checked to him, CO has to have a go to represent the wheel, even if he doesn't have it. If the flop had checked round, I might bet the turn as a semi-bluff to see what happened. Given the way it played out, you have to fold.