I think I have found the secret to my recent PLO success.
Flush draws.
When they get there, I lose, when they don't I win. At least recently it seems.
Example 1.
Tuesday night I am OTB with KKxx. New player to my right pot bets preflop and I just call not knowing anything on the player. Flop of AKd7h. He makes aabout a 2/3 pot bet, this smells like and ace with a draw so I jam. Sometimes I will just call in this situation waiting to see a safe turn before I jam, especially when I'm in position, but I thought the pot bet here was big enough (80% of his stack) that he may lay down. He insta-pushes all in and I am worried about AAxx, but there's not much I can do. He shows Q10dQ6 and his flush gets there and I lose. Eventually I grind back up and lose a 1/4 of a buyin.
Example 2.
Last night. Button pot bets for about the 6th time in a row, SB calls and I call in the BB with 668s9. Flop comes a near perfect 5s7h8h. SB checks and I check behind expecting the donkey bet from the button. I am rewarded when he pots it, SB insta smooth calls for 85% of his stack. Button still has about 30 bucks behind. This is another situation where I will sometimes smooth call but I figured the button on the over pair and the SB on the FD. So I wanted the rest of the button's stack in ASAP because if the flush came I didn't know if I would get it. I check raise pot, putting my self all in, the button calls and the SB obv calls. Button shows QQ56 with no hearts. SB has KJh and nothing else of significance. FD doesn't get there and I take down the monster.
Hand #2 from last night. OTB I have a weak AAxx hand. I think it was AA42 rainbow or something close to that effect. Cutoff limps, I pot, SB calls, cutoff calls. Flop is Js7s6d and it is check check to me. I make a 3/4 pot bet and the SB insta calls and the cutoff, pushes for about a buck more. Ehh, now I want to be done with the hand. Until the turn is the Ac. SB checks again. With no straight on board and 1 card to fade with the FD and having boat outs I pot. SB shoves for his last 3 or 4 bucks on top of that. Cutoff has the 10 high FD, SB shows two pair aces and sevens with the ace high flush draw. Bad turn for him. My hand holds and I end a nice session.
In summary no one lays down a pair with any flush draw in 6 max plo.
They do as you move up and it gets a bit tougher as you need to find opportunities to win pots. I think hand 1 is a pretty standard shove for the villain as he's OOP but has calling equity on the flop with the flush draw and a gutshot. Plus he there isn't enough behind for him to fold the turn. I would play it like villain.
ReplyDeleteI've been getting back into omaha again and yes, it is a very streaky game. When you are running good, you feel on top of your game, and when you run bad, you feel like the biggest fish in the game.
I'm not surprised by that in the least. I realize the .25/.50 is really small potatoes for most and most of the trends/idiosyncrasies I find will disappear when/if I move up the ladder.
ReplyDeleteFor the time being I find I have many small winning or losing sessions punctuated by big wins every so often. This is probably attributed to my playing style (pot control and no going bonkers preflop) as it is running fairly well for the big wins.