[joewatch]

Thanks for all the replies. Glad to see everyone is generally in agreement with my assessments.

In response to

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How can the game both require more inspection and calculation, yet be more straightforward?

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This is because once you have made the correct calculation, the answer to what to do is very straightforward. If the maths say you are the favorite to win, bet or raise, if you are even money, call, and if you are a dog, fold. This is because of the importance of protecting your hand.

In PLO high, your EV is often greater if you wait until the next card to bet/raise when you are the favorite (for example, AAxxs preflop, or flopping nut set w/ flush and/or str8 draw on the board.).