PLO8, AA, $600 level

[emptyshell]

Villain looks like a good player. Anyone consider playing this differently? I've been getting slaughtered with AA lately.

$600 PL Omaha Hi/Lo
MP3 ( $548.25 ), CO ( $729.75 ), BUT ( $641.30 ),
SB ( $528.88 ), BB ( $417.53 ), UTG+1 ( $1638.01 ),
UTG+2 ( $530.25 ), MP2 ( $653.44 ), MP1 ( $148.45 ),
Hero ( $615.75 )

Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
++--++

SB posts $3.
BB posts $6.
Hero calls $6, UTG+1 raises $20, <font color="#666666">8 folds</font>,
Hero raises $63, UTG+1 calls $49

<font color="blue">Flop</font>: (144.00) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero bets $144.
UTG+1 raises $576.
Hero folds.

[Wintermute]

Generally in this situation it's correct to call, since you're getting 2:1 for your entire stack. But in this instance, given that it's a good player with a stack, I think you probably folded correctly on the flop. He's definitely got a better low draw, and will often have a 5 to go with it, in which case you're probably worse than 5:1. If he just has A2 with a draw for high (like flush) then you can justify a call:

Omaha Hi/Low 8-or-better: 820 enumerated boards containing 5c 8d 5d
cards scoop HIwin HIlos HItie LOwin LOlos LOtie EV
As Ac 4c Kh 169 503 317 0 9 460 0 0.412
Ks 3s Ad 2d 314 317 503 0 558 9 0 0.588

but just barely. And he knows you have a strong hand, so to raise you all-in takes a very strong hand for a thinking player. So I think giving it up is correct. (And he was probably surprised/disappointed to see you fold.)

I wonder if you maybe can get away from the hand cheaper. It's tough to do much when you're out of position, but check-calling or betting half the pot or so might be usable options.

[emptyshell]

I feel like betting half the pot loses the illusion that I'm willing to go all the way with the hand, which opens the door for an aggressive player to take it away from me.

I'm less sure about the reraise preflop, considering it's only getting about 10% of the stack in; and I'm out of position against a good player.

The asswipe kept calling me "tukker" after the hand was over, which made me think I was right in folding.

[Wintermute]

Ha! Was it some douche w/ alias bandecons or something like that? He's always gloating about his "detective work" in figuring out what my current alias is. Anyway, he and I have definitley butted heads often; he's a solid player that doesn't get out of line too much, but has the ability to run big bluffs. But I agree, this wasn't one.

I don't mind the PFR too much, it's just not a great flop for you. About leading for half the pot, I think it still retains the illusion you want, or at least something like it (the chance that you're laying a trap of sorts); if the other guy doesn't have a 5, he's taking a big risk in jamming. After all, you might play two low cards and a 5 this way; to come over the top with air, he still has to have a good hand, unless he's seen you give up after half-pot bets a lot. In fact, at your advice, I've been making the half-pot bet when in position with AAxx on a paired flop, then calling a check-raise indiscriminately. OOP it's different (think I'd fold to a check-raise) but the play still has some value IMO.

But again, it's just a bad flop--strategically I don't see any massive errors here.

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like betting half the pot loses the illusion that I'm willing to go all the way with the hand, which opens the door for an aggressive player to take it away from me.

I'm less sure about the reraise preflop, considering it's only getting about 10% of the stack in; and I'm out of position against a good player.

The asswipe kept calling me "tukker" after the hand was over, which made me think I was right in folding.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like getting lots in OOP preflop. If he raised, he has a hand that's playable, and with only 10% in he's likely to call. Since you'll often need to pot it, now you offer 5:1 or more on his preflop call and have little idea where you are.

I'm very anti-preflop aggression these days.
What the hell does tukker mean?

[emptyshell]

Yep, that was him.

I guess I did mention the 1/2 pot bet idea as a theory of how to play AA. Nothing has been working lately for me, though. AA + low card has been a big loser for me over the last couple of weeks. Makes some sense, though.

[Jorge10]

Thats a pretty junky AA, but you did get to reraise. Still I would have just called. Everyone folded, you wont reraise enough to actually cause some real pressure. You only reraise to 10% of his stack, ive been thinking about this a lot because I had the same problem with AA.

I am just not sure when its a good idea to raise. Im thinking when you can get 30% of your stack in there, but im not sure. 10% is so weak, I mean you wont do much, itd call with anything half decent.

Also hope you folded because that flop sucks for you and anything that bet like that has you in horrible shape even something as junky as A/3/5/J or something along those lines. I find that reraising 10% or less preflop with AA really gives away my hand. I might as well type, by the way I got aces people.

Also dont just bet the pot out right away. If you bet 1/2 you should win a few here and there and if you do it when you actually like the flop you can stack people. Sometimes betting out the pot everytime isnt such a great idea, specially in situations that can be as tricky as this.

Its an annoying situation I cant figure out completely yet.

[Wintermute]

When I ran bad over the summer, I found that I was losing a lot by raising/reraising strong hands from the blinds. I basically stopped raising from the blinds and plugged that leak a bit; now i'm loosening back up slightly, but it was a pretty good adjustment for me at the time.