plo trap - boat against boat

[nicky g]

playing plo in a small home game, saw a flop of qjj holding qj (going higher) in my hand. lost to qq. there wasn't much to do about it; the money was very shallow and the player i was up against could have had anything, a real stinker of a player, but i was interested to know: how good a player would you have to be to get away from that kind of hand, and what sort of conditions would there have to be? or is it like middle set under top set in hold'em - you're going to lose your stack and there's nothing you can do about it? thanks.

[Ray Zee]

if the action is at all strong, all the good players in the big games dump the hand.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Ray,

When the money is shallow as this poster stated, can the action ever be strong enough?

Also, if the strong action is coming from a player who you know could have a wide range of hands, and there's nobody suspicious tagging along for all that action, you don't fold, do you?

Thanks, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[bruce]

I was playing PLO when the flop came AJJ and one player had AA and the other player
had JJ. The way the player with quads plays it was virtually impossible for him to have
any other hand. There was no way he was going to put $3500 in the pot with AJ. Since
the other player had AA what else could his super tight opponent be betting with? Easy
fold in my book.

Bruce

[J_V]

Ray Zee,

I have always respected your advice because of its amazing practicality. As a reader, it makes your posts very helpful in that you can readily apply Ray Zee advice must easier the David Sklansky advice.

However, it would seem to me that if all the good players are getting away from this hand in the big games; then you can play any hand, and just give extremely strong action. If they aren't going to call without JJ or QQ, then clearly you would show a huge profit stealing. Of course, you wouldn't abuse this fact, so your opponents would catch on.

[Ray Zee]

if you can get far enough to bluff them out this is true. but after getting a decent amount of money in the pot you will find you are indeed facing those hands, or they wouldnt be there. yes you do steal alot of small pots but when the action gets bigger the current nuts or the best hand plays. plus i said the good players ditch these hands the others will look you up, and usually one of them is tagging along for the ride at some point. thanks.

[Ray Zee]

Greg, no if its small money its going in of course. but i was answering the second half of his question kinda about getting away from these kind of hands. if a player cannot, he will never be a winner in big games as he will get picked off every once in a while for his whole stack and thats too much to give away and be a winner.

with thatr flop there arent other hands that a person could have to put alot in with and not have you beat.