Hi all,

I'm excited to say that I've taken two shots at 1k PLO8 recently. The first went quite well at +1500 and the second would have been -1200 but ended up being break even. Both times the game was max five-handed and usually four-handed, and the second time the last half hour was three-handed and heads-up. I think I played a total of around 3-ish hours.

So I have been going over the hands really religiously and came across a few that I want to check up on. Let me know what you think and please be brutally honest, thank you!

Aseem



1000 PLO8, five-handed

SB - $2686
Hero - $1111

Hero is MP/CO with A K 6 2.

..., Hero opens to $35, ..., SB calls, BB folds.

($80) K 8 3

SB bets pot at $80, Hero raises pot to $320, SB reraises pot to $1040, Hero reraises all-in to $1076, SB calls.


I know I had reads on everyone but unfortunately I don't remember at all right now what those reads were. But I don't think I had any reads significant enough to make much of a difference in a hand like this -- each player was average post-flop, and most players were somewhat loose pre-flop.

So my main question is about the flop raise, is it good or bad? It's clear when SB re-raises he likes his hand quite a bit, and on such a dry board it usually means a set OR A-2 + something like mine, either top pair or two pair, but I think the former happens more often.

Is the flop raise good or no?

Aseem


EDIT: I want to clarify... the reason I posted this is because if I know that my opponent has a set, I have something like < 40% equity I believe. I clearly don't want to get it all-in with that little equity IF i'm against a set. If I'm against any A-2 without a set, I am at worst just under 50/50 (e.g. A-2-3-8) and at best 70/30 (e.g. A-2-8-Q), so I clearly want to get it all-in if I know my opponent also has A-2 without a set. So what does the donk bet mean? I think it usually means just a high hand bc people usually aren't so aggressive with just a low DRAW (some donkeys in this game were aggressive with just a bare MADE low, but a draw is entirely different to them). So does this mean I should err on the side of caution and not raise the flop??

edit: i didnt explain myself well nevermind.

why did you edit it? i read your reply and two dimed and i see that in the best case if he has two pair i am slightly worse than 50/50. so i think you made a really good point, and i was just about to say thanks.

don't be so hard on yourself. =)

aseem

[moved over from the other thread, i thought antistuff's reply "i would think a call is good here then" was in reply to this thread.]


so I don't think fold is an option AT ALL. for real.

but the quesiton was between calling and raising.

but I am unsure if calling is too weak. if a turn is a brick, like a Q/J/T/9, I am sometimes facing another pot bet and that really sucks hardcore. or if it's an A/2 it also makes my life a little tough if I face another pot -- I could be good in one direction but I'm usually very vulnerable in either case. the only okay cards are 8/7/6/5/4 and even then I know I'm doing exactly what I'm not supposed to in stacking off with just a low and a weak high.

But that's so weird, because it seems like this is one of those GOOD flops for my hand where I have awesome scooping potential. I guess it's just that I have to take it in context... if I'm up against a decent made high, my scooping potential is usually out the window.

So tough and complex when it looks so simple on the surface. Can I get more input? I am really lost, thanks.

Aseem

I would make a call here, hopefully the lows get here and the board gets scary.

I think your hand could only be way-ahead (less chance) but shouldn't be way-behind. I will be hoping villain had only a one-way hand and hoping for two lows get there.

BTW, I seriously recommend no to take a shot at the 1K table when you don't have enough BR even you know those players are far worst, escpecially short-handed.

I keep ~10k in my accounts, and I will play at those tables when they are full and when I spot enough players played bad.

Once you raised, you committed yourself. Even if you think you are at worst 40% to win the hand, you only need to call $756 to win $2222. No brainer. The ONLY hand you do not have odds to call is a set with A2.



UH HUH.

You made the correct play to pop it preflop AND on the flop, IMHO.

If you were multi-handed, your raise is essential.

However, it looks like you were HU with position. Under these circumstances I don't mind waiting for the turn before committing my stack

Chamonyx, I don't follow the logic of either statement. Can you explain?

Multiway I see less value in a raise because I have a relatively weaker hand. If we're assuming that the pot is the same (e.g. no raise preflop) and the flop was instead four- or five-way, why would you raise this hand on such a dry board? The chances of being up against a set or two pair are higher, and you would want others to call with worse low draws.

(Note my key assumption that the pot were the same size... if I had raised and the five people were in, the pot would be roughly $200, making me more likely to play aggressively.)

And as far as waiting for the turn, why exactly? Do you commit your stack on a brick turn? Why not get it in now?

Aseem

I'd push.

BTW, 55 PTBB is not deepstacked. If you had 100 PTBB's behind like your opponent I'd advocate playing more cautiously.

You have top pair, nut low draw with weak cp and back door flush draw. Multi-handed you don't want other low draws sticking around - maybe with better cp than you. Also you can probably get rid of the bottom 2 pair hands, and punish the opener if he is betting a good low or A28. Multihanded, you are concerned to preserve your chance at 100% or 75% whilst minimising the chance you get 25%.

Heads Up, you have position. If you push on the flop, you are giving up any advantage that that gives you. If the turn bricks and he checks, then you can certainly bet out - you still get as much $ in, but you MAY also have some fold equity. If the board pairs on the turn and he bets out, then you can fold having minimized your loss.