A Few Pot-Limit Omaha Hands

Here are a few hands from the regular $1-$2 blinds, $5 bring-in, $500 max buy-in pot-limit Omaha game that a few locals and I started recently at The Venetian in Las Vegas. I’ll write a little more about the game in a coming issue.

Hand No. 1: Three-Bet Preflop, Delayed Double-Barrel Bluff on a Paired Board
My position: Hijack seat
My hand: 10 8 7 4
Preflop: A middle-position player ($500) opens with a raise to $10. I ($700) reraise to $25. It is folded to the big blind ($600), who calls. The middle-position player calls.

This is a light three-bet that’s made to isolate the preflop raiser. It didn’t work.

Flop ($76): 9 9 5. Both opponents check. I check.

This is not a great spot for a continuation-bet (c-bet), as it is too easy for one of my opponents to have a 9 in his hand. Moreover, I do have a gutshot-straight draw.

Turn ($76): 5. Both opponents check.

The 5 doesn’t appear to change much. With both opponents having checked twice, it is much less likely that either one has trip nines.

Action: I bet $50. The big blind calls. The middle-position player folds.
This is interesting, as I am now clearly beat, likely by either an overpair or trips. What is less clear is whether or not I should fire another bet on the river if he checks.

River ($176): A. My opponent checks.

Now, this might be a great card. Obviously, having missed the straight, I cannot win by checking. But so far, my play has been consistent with holding A-A-X-X: It is entirely plausible that I would three-bet preflop with A-A-X-X, check aces up on the flop for pot-control purposes, then bet the turn. That said, if I bet again here, representing A-A-X-X for the overfull, I may be able to bluff my opponent off a pair (like K-K-X-X or Q-Q-X-X), or even trips.
Action: I bet $150. My opponent folds, flashing a 5 for trip fives.

Hand No. 2: Picking Off a Bluff by Check-Calling
My position: Under the gun
My hand: A J 10 5
Preflop: I ($500) limp in. It is folded to the button ($500), who calls. The small blind folds. The big blind ($500) calls.

This is a marginal call from under the gun. Generally, I’d prefer to have a suited ace when playing out of position, but I am pretty comfortable in this game.

Flop ($16): J 8 4. The big blind checks.

I have top pair with a flush draw and should bet this hand, with only the button left to act behind me.

Action: I bet $15, and only the button calls.

Turn ($46): A.

I now have a flush, albeit a non-nut one. I also have the top two pair for a full-house draw. That said, the debate here is between leading out and check-calling, and the decision is largely in favor of check-calling any bet, for a number of reasons.

The first is that if my opponent was on a draw, he was on a straight and/or flush draw. The problem with betting is that my opponent will likely fold if he was on the straight draw, whereas he might bet if I check to him; moreover, if he was on a flush draw, it likely beats me. In addition, in the event that my opponent actually did make a bigger flush and I am behind, I do not want to bet out and then get raised off my full-house draw. Meanwhile, the A appearing on the board makes it less likely that my opponent has a bigger flush, as it is more typical for players to draw to the nuts.

The percentage play here is to check-call any bet and give my opponent a chance to bluff when he’s behind. If I do not improve on the river, the play again will be to check, at which point I will have to use my judgment to decide whether or not to call a bet.

Action: I check. My opponent bets $45. I call.

Things go as planned.

River ($136): 7. I check. My opponent checks behind, and announces that he has a straight. I win.

Hand No. 3: Delayed Dry-Ace Bluff
My position: Button
My hand: A K Q 7
Preflop: The under-the-gun player opens with a raise to $10. Two players call behind him. I ($500) call. The small blind folds. The big blind calls.

This is a pretty marginal call, but I do have the button.

Flop ($51): J 8 7.

I have the dry ace.

Action: It is checked to the player in front of me ($450), who bets $35. I call, and everybody else folds.

I thought I’d try something different. My guess is that the bettor has either a non-nut flush or air. Either way, I expect to win the hand. If the board pairs, I can represent having flopped a set; if it doesn’t, I can represent having slow-played the nut flush.

Turn ($121): 3. My opponent checks. I bet $100. My opponent calls.

I think he almost certainly has a flush.

River ($321): 9. My opponent checks.

There is only one play here, and that is to bet.

Action: I bet $200, and my opponent folds.

Jeff Hwang is a semiprofessional player and author of Pot-Limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy and the newly released Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha: Small Ball and Short-Handed Play. He is also a longtime contributor to the Motley Fool, and the publisher of Ask J. Boz: The Average Joe’s Guide to Women. You can check out his website at jeffhwang.com.

1 Comment

 

LOVEPOKER
4 months ago

PLO is not favourite game and I am not particularly good at it. I always have fun playing it though and through my time in the card rooms of Europe,I have gotten better. This article helps me with PLO stratgey that can make better in the long run

 

---

Sign in to your myCardPlayer account to post comments.

User Name:

Password:

Remember Me

 

Need a myCardPlayer account?

Sign Up

Lost User Name or Password?

Get Help

 

Post a comment

Messages that harass, abuse or threaten other members; have obscene or otherwise objectionable content; have spam, commercial or advertising content or links may be removed and may result in the loss of your MyCardPlayer ID (including e-mail). Please do not post any private information unless you want it to be available publicly. Never assume that you are completely anonymous and cannot be identified by your posts.

 

your comment