Second O/8 post: AAxx

[Nate tha' Great]

BB in this hand seems to be one of the more competent players at the table.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Omaha/8 (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: NateThaGreat is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, NateThaGreat calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG calls, MP1 calls, <font color="CC3333">NateThaGreat raises</font>, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, MP1 calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG folds, MP1 calls, NateThaGreat calls.

River: (9.50 BB) 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, MP1 folds, <font color="CC3333">NateThaGreat raises</font>, BB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 13.50 BB, between NateThaGreat and BB.</font>

[Buzz]

river puts a third seven on the board, making quad sevens possible....

[ QUOTE ]
BB bets, MP1 folds, NateThaGreat raises, BB calls.

[/ QUOTE ]

The man shows no fear!

(both BB and you!!!) - Was it AAXX facing AAXX?

Buzz

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
The man shows no fear!

[/ QUOTE ]

It's funny, because that's *exactly* what my opponent said at the table. He had KKxx. I was a little bit confused by his stop-and-go, but I thought it was unlikely that trips would play it that way; that combined with the presence of a third 7 on the board was enough to induce me to raise.

Was the preflop limp okay? I suppose I regard an AAxx hand, where the xx provides some support but not a whole ton, as equivalent to maybe AJo or something in hold 'em - a playable hand that becomes weaker in a large field, and weaker in a raised pot. I've been raising with good high hands in EP but limping with them in LP if the field is already large.

[Buzz]

[ QUOTE ]
Was the preflop limp okay?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nate - Yes, in my humble opinion. The limp was fine.

Aces play better against fewer players and best one-on-one. In addition ace-six as a low holding has more value against one opponent than against several. Therefore, without the two limpers in front of you, a raise would be a good play, in my humble opinion. However, there already are those two pesky limpers in front of you....

You don't have a great hand. It's maybe the equivalent of A/images/graemlins/spade.gif 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif in Texas hold 'em, if that puts the strength of A/images/graemlins/spade.gif A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif J/images/graemlins/spade.gif 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif as an Omaha-8 starting hand into any better perspective for you.

If the flop has spades or an ace you'll hate yourself for folding.
....so you call.

Sometimes I pick up cards with which I fully intend to raise the blinds - but then there will be a couple of unexpected limpers in front of me - and instead of raising, I will either fold or call. With your particular cards in this situation, I would call.

The nut spade flush draw likes lots of opponents. And if you catch an ace plus a pair on the board, you'll be King Kong against multiple opponents who also have full houses. The hand has the potential to scoop huge pots!

And yet, unless the board is right, it's easy to overplay your aces (like you did here, although you got away with it this time - no insult intended).

Just my opinion.

Buzz

[chaos]

I agree with your limping in preflop.

[ QUOTE ]
I've been raising with good high hands in EP but limping with them in LP if the field is already large.

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually do the opposite. You only will get a favorable flop of two or more high cards about one out of four times. So ideally I would like 3 or more opponents. High only hands (without AA) do poorly heads up. I raise with them in late position, not for value, but to disguise my other raises. I do not want my opponents to be able to put me on A2 or AA with certainty when I raise.

[Beavis68]

how did you get down to only 4 before the flop on party poker? That is incredible.