PLO Strategy Guide Applied

In my defense I flopped a set of Aces, my read was opponent had a set of Kings, we got all in 1st hand, I was correct, turn was a King.

In Mookie typical strong poker was demonstrated, 4 limpers, I jammed a little pp from SB, KTs and QJs both called. JD (initials previous defined) Shnellnut eliminated me with J on turn.

I also had some fun in a 6-max PLO SNG for $55. I have to include two hands where my opponents felt need to follow Bobby Knight school of coaching.


Full Tilt Poker Game #5154551153: $55 + $5 Sit & Go (Turbo) (39171320), Table 1 - 60/120 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 1:59:27 ET - 2008/02/07
Seat 1: OSUAce (1,938)
Seat 2: bxbound66 (3,245)
Seat 5: bayne_s (876) 2 pay I'm in trouble
Seat 6: chas993 (2,941)
bxbound66 posts the small blind of 60
bayne_s posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bayne_s [8d 6s 5c Ad]
chas993 folds
OSUAce raises to 420
bxbound66 folds
bayne_s calls 300
*** FLOP *** [8c 8s Qh]
bayne_s checks
OSUAce bets 900
bayne_s calls 456, and is all in
OSUAce shows [Qc Ks 9d 9c] 54.46% pre
bayne_s shows [8d 6s 5c Ad] 45.54% pre
Uncalled bet of 444 returned to OSUAce
*** TURN *** [8c 8s Qh] [2d]
OSUAce: yeah
*** RIVER *** [8c 8s Qh 2d] [Tc]
OSUAce shows two pair, Queens and Eights
bayne_s shows three of a kind, Eights
bayne_s wins the pot (1,812) with three of a kind, Eights
OSUAce: fitting for my night
OSUAce: call off half your chips needing to nail the flop
OSUAce (Observer): &$$!ing unreal
OSUAce (Observer): you guys are just too good

calling 300 to win 540 seems justified from pot odds standpoint, I then used my almost wafflesesque flop reading skills to determine trips top kicker probably good.

Full Tilt Poker Game #5154638472: $55 + $5 Sit & Go (Turbo) (39171320), Table 1 - 150/300 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 2:09:54 ET - 2008/02/07
Seat 2: bxbound66 (3,403)
Seat 5: bayne_s (1,492) still 2 pay I got to take chips away from 2nd
Seat 6: chas993 (4,105)
bxbound66 posts the small blind of 150
bayne_s posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bayne_s [7h 9s Kc Ah]
chas993 has 15 seconds left to act
chas993 folds
bxbound66 raises to 900
bayne_s raises to 1,492, and is all in
bxbound66 calls 592
bayne_s shows [7h 9s Kc Ah] 47.46% pre
bxbound66 shows [Jd 2s 9d Jc] 52.34% pre
*** FLOP *** [Ad 8h 3s]
*** TURN *** [Ad 8h 3s] [4s]
*** RIVER *** [Ad 8h 3s 4s] [Qd]
bayne_s shows a pair of Aces
bxbound66 shows a pair of Jacks
bayne_s wins the pot (2,984) with a pair of Aces
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,984 Rake 0
Board: [Ad 8h 3s 4s Qd]
Seat 2: bxbound66 (small blind) showed [Jd 2s 9d Jc] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 5: bayne_s (big blind) showed [7h 9s Kc Ah] and won (2,984) with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: chas993 (button) didn't bet (folded)

bxbound66: BINGO DOUCHEBAG YOUR TERRIBLE
bxbound66: MORON
bayne_s: you're is proper english there
bxbound66 (Observer): BINGO DOUCHEBAG LEARN THE GAME CUMSTAIN

It is really not much different than Hold'em, AKs vs. JJ is a race the other cards ability to hit 2 pairs narrows the odds plus the 79K combination is live for some low percentage straights.

I finished 2nd:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bayne_s [5c Ac Ad 5s]
bayne_s raises to 1,500
chas993 has 15 seconds left to act
chas993 calls 1,000
*** FLOP *** [3h 9h 4s]
chas993 bets 3,000
bayne_s calls 1,734, and is all in
chas993 shows [8h Kh Th Ts] 34.21% pre
bayne_s shows [5c Ac Ad 5s] 65.79% pre
Uncalled bet of 1,266 returned to chas993
*** TURN *** [3h 9h 4s] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [3h 9h 4s 4h] [3c]
chas993 shows a flush, King high
bayne_s shows two pair, Aces and Fours
chas993 wins the pot (6,468) with a flush, King high

Thing about all 3 hands is since it is PL in all cases pot odds vs. odds of winning justify all calls.

The other thing to note is hands with AA can be decent favorites but other cards have to work with the Aces for this to be true.

AAKK ds is mathematically best starting hand, JT98 ds is mathematically #7 , AAKK ds is 2:1 favorite over JT98 with neither flush draw live, 3:2 if JT98 has 2 live flush draws.

Winning at PLO requires good post-flop play, NLHE allows push and pray pre-flop to be enough.