[Buzz]

Tweak - I can't tell you exactly what to what to do on the river here, except that you should definitely not fold.

Why not? Because you're the favorite and this is a standard Omaha-8 bluffing position for your opponents.

After this flop (presumably 498) it's hard to tell what hands your opponents who have seen the flop and turn are playing. Could be everyone has a low draw. Could be someone has a straight draw similar to your own. Could be somebody has a set or two pairs. Could be some combination of these.

If we simulate this on the river against three random hands, Hero wins about 63%. Of course your opponents don't exactly have random hands here - but they're more likely to see the flop with either low cards or high cards. Eights and nines are not favored cards by seasoned Omaha-8 regulars. Neither are tens. (Fours may go with a couple of other low cards, while tens may go with a couple of other high cards). At any rate, in a real game Hero probably wins more than 63%.

If we simulate this on the river against four opponents with random hands, Hero is still the favorite. We have to get to five opponents with random hands before Hero becomes a slight underdog to a full house or quads. I suspect even with five opponents out of an original eight or nine, those who saw the flop were probably more likely to be those who were dealt cards other than eights or nines for the most part.

I'd suspect that my three opponents here either had the same nut straight as me (except that nobody evidently raised on the river), a lower straight (more likely) or low draws (most likely).

If you bet the river, anybody who missed a low draw will fold. However, somebody with a four, and who thus made trip fours on the river may call, as will somebody with a lower straight.

There also is the possibility that if you bet the river, somebody with the same nut straight as you will fold, fearing a full house. That's not very likely, but I've seen it happen. It's not all that unusual.

All of the above points to betting the river.

However, there is one more consideration. If you have a certain type of opponent, you might consider checking to induce your opponent to try to steal the pot with a bet after you have checked.

There's no way around knowing your opponents.

If they all put you on the straight for your turn bet and will raise with any full house but either fold without a full house or bluff (if they think you might fold your straight to a raise after you have bet) - then you check. If nobody will call your bet, but somebody will try betting a non-nut straight or will try a bluff if you check, then you check.

If somebody without the nuts (a lower straight or trip fours) will check behind you if you check, but will call if you bet, then you bet.

This may at first sound like a wishy-washy answer to you, but if you think about it, maybe you'll learn something. The important thing is to have the proper mind set. The idea is to out-play your opponents. Sometimes you'll out-play them by betting directly. Other times you'll out-play them by checking and letting them bet the hand for you.

Buzz