PLO hand Tournament

[redmarion]

I played tourny this week end and have a question on two hands I played. This was my first attempt @ PLO Tourn. I have not played with any of these players before.
First hand for review:
Early (3rd hand), blinds 25/50, most stacks $800 and I'm in bb with A,K,J,9 and no suits. 2 limpers and the small blind call and I make a 1 unit raise and they all call.

Flop comes 9,9,4; sb, bb, and middle position check. I'm planning to check raise if any action is started, but would not mind a chance for free turn. Late position player(lpp) make a $100 bet, sb folds, I check raise all-in. The early limper goes all in and lpp goes all-in. I'll post the results on Tuesday.

Second Hand (second level 50/100):
I'm in cutoff with $1600, (K,Ks,J,9s) and take first action raise to $300 to go. Button calls ($1200), SB ($3500) calls.
Flop comes T,2,2 and no spades. SB bets out $500. I fold. I fold (a) button could have A,A or caught a side card 2, (b) I have a player to act behind me that called my raise preflop (could come over the top if I call) and I still have $1300 chips to find something to play. Comments please.

[Ignatius]

> I'm in bb with A,K,J,9 and no suits [..] I make a 1 unit raise

What are you trying to accomplish here? You are out of position with an OK, but not great hand and should be glad to see the flop for free. You won't drive anyone out, you would have to muck to a reraise and even if you get called, you just cut down your implied odds.

> Flop comes 9,9,4; sb, bb, and middle position check. I'm planning to check raise

Had you checked perflop, you could make a case for check-raising, but since there are already T500 in the pot, and you have only T700 left you need to bet out and try to take it down.

> but would not mind a chance for free turn.

You should! If you give a free card to all pairs out there, you will be in a tough position if there's any action on turn and you don't improve.

> K,Ks,J,9s [...] Flop comes T,2,2 and no spades. SB bets out $500

Good fold. It's unlikely that the SB is bluffing, and if he is, there's nothing you can do about it. Next hand.

cu

Ignatius

[Phat Mack]

Flop comes 9,9,4; sb, bb, and middle position check. I'm planning to check raise if any action is started, but would not mind a chance for free turn.

This is too cute a play for this hand. You might as well shove the rest of your stack in. If you find a 44xx or a 94xx, you still have outs. But you can't let the big pairs have a free draw. If they fill up when you hit your kicker, you'll have let them have your stack for free.

Flop comes T,2,2 and no spades. SB bets out $500. I fold. I fold (a) button could have A,A or caught a side card 2, (b) I have a player to act behind me that called my raise preflop (could come over the top if I call) and I still have $1300 chips to find something to play.

Good fold, even without the player behind you. Correct reasoning -- wait for a better situation.

Hand 1:
I don't like the pre-flop raise since all you're doing is giving someone a chance to limp-reraise you. On the flop, since you raised pre-flop, you are risking giving a free card, which is a much bigger threat than you seem to realize. Your hand is vunerable to bigger pairs, and when they make full houses, you make the 2nd best hand. Make a full bet and try to take down the pot.

Hand 2:
Good fold. SB will often be bluffing here, but not often enough. Your reasoning was sound. Particularly in a game like PLO, you have to be aware of position and those left to act behind you.

[redmarion]

Thanks for the review, guys. I thought the laydown on the second hand was correct, and glad my reasoning was good.

Well, after reading your replies on hand one and thinking about how I played. I have to agree a free play to the flop would have been better. Getting all my chips in on the flop to take it down would have been the best play with top trips with over cards for the f/h redraw.

But the results would have been the same. Here's the results. Flop: 9,9,4 three players all in.
turn (9,9,4,(6)
River (9,9,4,6,Q)
MPP shows down 9,4,x,x for flop full house
LPP shows down 4,4,x,x for small full house

There's another one this Friday. I'll tighten up and try it again. Are there any pre-flop raising hands in PLO? Well maybe in late position, first to enter, is this correct with big pairs and suited A's with with faces?

I have a slightly different take.
Hand 1 - IF you want to raise, raise the pot, pre-flop.
You may win uncontested.
Here - you probably would have.
You want to narrow the field when you raise with unsuited high cards.

On the flop I would just bet out, but would end up pushing in, hoping for an A,K or J anyway.

Hand 2 you had the wrong idea on.
AA just isn't out there in a tournament (would have re-raised pre-flop, this short stacked)

This flop comes, which is unlikely to have hit anyone, and the opening player bets out. You have the best hand here a lot of the time, but you have reverse implied odds (he'll only call your raise if you're losing). I think folding here every time is a bit weak tight, against many tournament players. I don't think you'll hit the flop hard enough, often enough to justify playing KK for a raise if you muck it in short handed pots when a low pair and no draws come.

Loads of good omaha tournament players would bet that flop against a pre-flop raiser they see as weak tight.



I'd be looking for a read, here. I might lay it down; I might raise with it (shame to be right to play only to have an Ace or ten come!) I don't think it is a 100% fold - that just gives opponents license to steal against you on flops that have probably missed everyone. With a fourth player in it is a clear fold.