Moving to pot limit Omaha 8

A good pot limit Omaha8 game is about where players frequently get married to hands that are almost dead or dead.


I normally play limit Omaha 8 as tight as is humanly possible, but feel the need and the desire to loosen up a little for this game.


Partly because i want to be invited back, partly because i can read most of these players well, and partly because i know i can get in cheap but paid off big if i hit my hand. Therefore hands like QQ76 which i wouldnt hesitate to fold in limit is not too bad.


OK now for the questions.


How loose is too loose, even for a pot limit game with low chasers, calling stations, and no preflop raising?


As some of these players will call to the river with top pair how should i manipulate the pot size? (i think keeping it small for all but the most powerful draws is correct, but i may be wrong).


What about betting hands like A high flush on a suited flop? Full pot or about half? My thinking is that with coordinated flops like that you can bet half with it or without as its an either or bet.


So what do you think and is there anything horribly wrong with my reasoning.

How loose is too loose, even for a pot limit game with low chasers, calling stations, and no preflop raising?


Position is more important when you play PL. I wouldn't loosen up too much when up front. If players are passive before the flop, fine, but if they bet out afterwards, think of where you are sitting. I think QQ76 can get you broke a lot faster in PL than in limit. QQ42 might be playable in a passive game, however. When you've lost your stack a couple of times when your KKA2 flops K54 6 2, you'll lose some enthusiasm for QQ76.


As some of these players will call to the river with top pair how should i manipulate the pot size? (i think keeping it small for all but the most powerful draws is correct, but i may be wrong).


It sounds like a pot can be built rather quickly in this game. Normally it's OK to wait until you have a made high or low, and redraws the other way or to more high and low before getting the money in. Remember, you only need to win one or two big pots a night to book an enormous win in this game. Also, just because the players think a big pair is playable doesn't mean they don't have the nuts.


What about betting hands like A high flush on a suited flop?


Do you mean flush or flush draw?


P.S.


The learning curve can be very steep in these games when one or more competant players are introduced. Try to mix up your play a little. Bet your highs when low makes; show down some non-nut lows when it can be done cheaply; throw out tiny pot-building bets for both made and come hands. If you just show them solid poker, many will stop playing foolishly in days, if not hours.

Thanks Mack, Limit i play the rocks rock game, but not with any of these guys. And i am talking about a made flush on a suited flop. This is one of the scenarios where these guys will throw away a hand. So a bet of half the pot whether i have it or not, makes me more likely to be paid off (though only slightly), and i risk less when running a bluff assuming i always bet about half the pot in this situation.


And for hands like the QQ76 i will not bet this in pot limit if the flop is something like Q54. The presence of the low draw, will prevent me from betting (certainly out of position anyway) until either the low misses, i make my straight to go with the top set, or i fill. Really i only want to play these hands so i am giving the impression of being an action player.