PP 1000PL - AAxx Turns Top Set on a Dangerous Board

[GFunk911]

Party Poker (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

SB has 1050, BB has 700, I have 1300. I had been sitting for 3 or 4 orbits, unfortuntely had no reads (I should have but didn't) other than the obvious read that they play on Party.

Preflop: Hero is CO with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">Hero bets 35, SB calls, BB calls</font>.

Flop: 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, Pot is 102)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets 75, SB calls, BB calls

Turn: A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, Pot is 327)</font>
SB bets 35, BB calls, Hero calls

River: 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, Pot is 432)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks
Final Pot: 432

Comments on all streets appreciated. I'm not confident with the way I played any street.

[beset7]

This is PLO/8b, right? If this is PLO high then my comments would be completely different and I would have to make them in the other forum.

In that case, I would limp in since you have no low to speak of and you are unlikely to get all-in preflop because the stacks are deep.

I'd check the flop. This is a low draw rich board and you have no part of it.

Turn. Tougher. The SB makes a supiciously small bet into this flop. Player dependent here. He could be making a tickler bet with a wheel. But it's more likely considering that he was in the SB, and knowing party, he has as little as the nut high flush draw or two pair. There is no way I'd raise here. I'd probably call as you did but I wouldn't like it.

River: Fine. You might have the high but if you bet out and then get reraised you are going to have to fold.

All in all I don't think you played this that bad. This is the kind of hand you want to play a small pot with. If at any point any of the players had escalated things you would have needed to fold.

This is all just my opinion of course. I play PLO high aggressively but I'm prone to play plo/8b very tight and somewhat passive.

[GFunk911]

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This is PLO/8b, right? If this is PLO high then my comments would be completely different and I would have to make them in the other forum.

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Yup, PLO8

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In that case, I would limp in since you have no low to speak of and you are unlikely to get all-in preflop because the stacks are deep.

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In earlier position I would agree, I don't want to overvalue my AAxx. However, in the CO, i felt my hand has sufficient value to merit a pot-sized raise. I have a decent chance to steal, plus I limit the field for my AA. It's not a good AA, but i do have a 2nd low card and a suited ace.

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I'd check the flop. This is a low draw rich board and you have no part of it.

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I probably agree with you. I made the bet mostly for folding equity, althoguh in retrospect you're right, I have very little folding equity against 2 probable nut low draws.

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Turn. Tougher. The SB makes a supiciously small bet into this flop. Player dependent here. He could be making a tickler bet with a wheel. But it's more likely considering that he was in the SB, and knowing party, he has as little as the nut high flush draw or two pair. There is no way I'd raise here. I'd probably call as you did but I wouldn't like it.

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My thought was that I had odds just to fill up and take half the pot, getting 11:1. Once I have that it's a must-call, before factoring in the odds of a free showdown and showing down a winner.

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River: Fine. You might have the high but if you bet out and then get reraised you are going to have to fold.

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Agreed. Once it got checked to me after the comically low turn bet, I briefly thought I might have the winner, but checking behind is the safest bet. Even if I have the best hand the risk of getting raised isn't worth the very thin value bet i mgiht be able to take (especially since I'll almsot certainly just be halving the pot).

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All in all I don't think you played this that bad. This is the kind of hand you want to play a small pot with. If at any point any of the players had escalated things you would have needed to fold.

This is all just my opinion of course. I play PLO high aggressively but I'm prone to play plo/8b very tight and somewhat passive.

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[Omahaking]

Personally on turn I kick it up another 80 and see what he does...if he just calls on river you catch IMO a perfect card to push him out unless of course he has the nuts..but I think the nuts show themselves on turn when you take it to 80..especially on party...Id fire at least 150 at river and figure to take it down enough times to make it +ev...remember at river he cant really call without wheel...

[beset7]

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In earlier position I would agree, I don't want to overvalue my AAxx. However, in the CO, i felt my hand has sufficient value to merit a pot-sized raise. I have a decent chance to steal, plus I limit the field for my AA. It's not a good AA, but i do have a 2nd low card and a suited ace.

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Yeah, suited ace does give it a little oomph and the 8 prevents it from being unplayable. I don't dislike raising, I'd just be prone to limp and this may be a style thing. There is the possibility of a steal but this happen rarely in these games. In the later stages of a tournament I'd go nuts with this hand in the CO.

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My thought was that I had odds just to fill up and take half the pot, getting 11:1. Once I have that it's a must-call, before factoring in the odds of a free showdown and showing down a winner.

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Yeah. The pot odds make a call clearly correct. For me it would just be painfull not to pop one off with top set. That's why it's so important to have a strong low in PLO/8b. Folding is out of the question.

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Agreed. Once it got checked to me after the comically low turn bet, I briefly thought I might have the winner, but checking behind is the safest bet. Even if I have the best hand the risk of getting raised isn't worth the very thin value bet i mgiht be able to take (especially since I'll almsot certainly just be halving the pot).

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Well said. This is a situation where people who are new to plo/8b would try to buy the pot or make a value bet and get popped back by an aggressive player. For example, if I was one of the other players and I saw you bet 3/4 of the pot or less here, I might come over the top with any four cards if my stack was deep enough. This is a downright scary board and anything less the nuts should be played very cautiously or you'll get faced with a tough decision and/or get busted out.