PLO8 - I won't put in the first raise

I started playing some of the PLO8 games on the internet with the lowest blinds. I've completely given up putting in the first raise from early or middle position. It's probably because this is my first real try at this game online, but I cannot seem to come up with a distribution of hands which I can raise with early without being at a disadvantage, especially since the 3 or 4 callers I get will make it very difficult for me to take a shot at the pot with a bluff on the flop. I find myself limp-reraising a lot more than I have in any other game I've played, since at that point I've got enough of my stack in that position isn't a factor any more (I tend to play with a fairly small stack).

The only problem I have with all this is that it's really going against my instincts (admittedly developed from NLHE) to open (or nearly-open) limp so much. I'm doing fairly well at these games, but I know I've been fairly lucky, so I thought I'd throw the question out there for those who've been playing in these games. How much do you put in the first raise from early position? Which hands do you raise with because they deserve a raise, and which if any hands do you use to provide cover?

[Jimbo]

Manhattan Jac,

In the 1/2 games I will raise early with a premium hand bit in .10/.25 or .25/.50 I play it exactly as you do. I find a limp reraise works much better plus allows you some free tickets in the future when you are out of position.

Jimbo

[Guy McSucker]

In most Omaha games, the first raise won't dissuade anyone who was going to play their hand from calling. In that case, the first raise must be for pot-building purposes.

One good reason for making it is that it essentially increases the size of the game: all bets will be bigger in a raised pot than an unraised one. So, if you raise often when you play, you're playing big pots with good hands, and only paying small blinds for the privilege.

Stack size is a major consideration. If you're playing a hand which is likely to flop a draw, you want to manipulate the pot size so that there is money left to bet after you hit. If you're looking to flop a made hand, then you'd rather the pot size was such that you can get most of the money in on the flop, and certainly by fourth street.

Guy.

[Big Dave D]

Guy is spot on, unless you have got aalittle then most raises in plo8b are to build the pot, not to win the blinds. As a rule I almost never raise first in as the game is SO positional that I dont want to tip off my hand when I am out of position for the rest of the coup. But I will raise with a wide range of hands with high potential as well as low, round the back. I would also say that as so much of the game is pot manipulation that you shouldnt play with a small stack, rather the maximum buyin. Otherwise you will be tempted to put your money in more agressively than needs be to "take shots" with your small stack. It's a better ploy for nlhe than plo8b.

gl

Dave