PLO has long been my worst game, but it’s also the second most popular form of poker after NLHE, especially for higher stakes games, so I’d really like to learn it. I’ve been playing 1/2 from time to time, just trying to get a hang of it. Here’s a spot from tonight that I found kind of interesting:
Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
6 players
Converter
Stack sizes:
UTG: $96
UTG+1: $80
CO: $394.55
Button: $549.50
SB: $108.40
Foucault: $245.75
Pre-flop: (6 players) Foucault is BB with :5d :jh :kd :kc
2 folds, CO raises to $7, Button calls, SB folds, Foucault raises to $29, CO calls, Button calls.
Flop: :jd :4s :kh ($88, 3 players)
Foucault bets $66, CO folds, Button calls.
Turn: :ac ($220, 2 players)
Foucault is all-in $150.75, Button calls.
River: :5s ($521.5, 1 player + 1 all-in – Main pot: $521.5)
Results:
Final pot: $521.5
Pre-flop seems pretty straightforward to me: it’s a late position raise, I’ve got a chance to squeeze, and I’ve got a hand that plays better when a lot of money goes in preflop. By themselves Kings aren’t that strong, but one of them is suited, as well. I flop the nuts with only one draw on the board, so I’m sizing my bet primarily to give someone room to shove over the top or to set up a turn shove.
Unfortunately, the turn is a terrible card for me. Not only does it complete the only draw the concerns me, but it makes it harder for me to get action when I’m ahead. With the amount of money in the pot, I don’t know that I can check and fold, though. I imagine my opponent is going to check back any hand that he doesn’t think is best on the turn, and now there are seveal more ways for a straight to get there by the river. So even though this is the worst card in the deck for me, I still think I need to shove and hope for the best. Unfortunately, he had TTQK, and I did not improve.