O/8 flop raise -- good play or not?

[PseudoPserious]

Hi,

I'm a relatively new to Omaha. Last Thursday I was playing some O/8 in a 4-8 game with 1-2 blinds. The game was very passive with almost no pre-flop raising. Typically 6-8 would see the flop.


Here's the hand:

I am in the big blind ($2) with Ac Ad Tc 4h. 6 limpers to me, including the small blind. I check.

The flop comes As Js 9h ($13 pot). The small blind bets. I raise. The rest of the table folds. The small blind calls.

The turn comes 8s [As Js 9h] ($26 pot). The small blind bets $8. I fold.


My thought process during the hand:

Pre-flop - I'm glad I get to play my hand, but it's not strong enough for a raise (unless I could get it heads-up, which is very doubtful).

Flop - I like this flop. I put the SB on a flush draw. I raise to knock out junky hands that might backdoor a low or a straight, so I can scoop the pot if the SB has a flush draw with no low.

Turn - I'm not getting the pot odds to draw to my full house, so I fold.


My thought process after the hand:

Pre-flop - no change

Flop - Why did I put the SB so strongly on a flush draw? He could have had a set, a straight draw, or two pair, or nothing at all. Do I really want to chase out other flush draws or straight draws? I'm probably not going to scoop unless I hit my full house, so why not keep folks in to pay me off.

Turn - I'm getting about 4.2:1 on my call. With the $8 I'll get if I hit my full house, I am getting the pot odds to call.


Comments welcome,
PP


P.S. For what it's worth, the SB showed his hand -- Ks 2s 4x 8x -- and asked the dealer to deal the river, which was a 3.

[SevenStuda]

Not.

[bigpooch]

Assuming your opponent has a flush, you are risking $8 for a
total pot of $44 (total rake = $2?) which is sufficient for
immediate pot odds. Even if you only have 8 outs if both
you and your opponent flipped your cards open (he has two
pair as well), the call is clear. But you were lucky! You
made an incorrect decision but somehow gained!

[PseudoPserious]

Actually, it was a $26 pot on the turn (7*$2 + 2*$8 = $30 - $3 rake - $1 high hand jackpot). His bet made it $34, so I was getting 4.25:1 immediate pot odds. This is definitely enough to call (I would have almost definitely gotten another $8 from him on the river, and if my boat comes there's no low), and after I folded I was rather upset with myself.

My question was more about the flop raise. Is this the type of hand that wants me to thin the field (to improve my chances of scooping and perhaps eliminating flukey straights if my trips don't improve)? Or is it better to just call and get more people in the pot for when I hit the full house?

PP

[Gooch]

dont forget the low draws which cuts your pot odds

[ironman007]

yes, you should raise the flop, make anybody chasing for low pay and make anyone drawing pay. Why did the player show his cards and then go rabbit hunting. I hope you didn't show anyone what you folded because that would have been a bigger mistake than the fold itself.

[PseudoPserious]

No, I didn't show my cards. I just posted them to the entire world on the internet [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[PseudoPserious]

If I hit my full house then no low is possible. Since I'm deciding whether or not to call based on the chance of hitting the boat, shouldn't I use the whole pot to determine my pot odds?

PP

[iblucky4u2]

Flopping a set of A's is one of the hardest hands to play in O/8. Almost impossible to win without the board pairing. Check out the thread from last week comparing AAQ3 vs. AQQ3. While almost anyone would want the AA hand, it is almost impossible to get away from a flopped set of Aces yet if the board does not pair, you will be a loser to str8s and flushes. AA will cost you a lot over the long run - the question is will it make back enough in the long run.
As for your raise, you may chase out the low draws, but never a flush or str8 draw at low levels.

[iblucky4u2]

Ray, here is another hand that flops a set of Aces and leaves the player with a major dilema. Please offer some of your expert advise.