What would a good player do?
 

I'm an inexperienced PLO player learning the ropes (usually) buying in short to the 0.5/1.00 game on Stars.

I started with $25 and have been building slowly to $50 so far, playing very tight on a 9 seater table when the following hand comes up:-

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Pre Flop

I'm in early position (seat 3) with [Qh 2h Ks Kd], two limpers and I limp as well - maybe a small raise would have been better? If the 2h was instead a T or J I'd certainly raise here.

Three callers to the big blind who raises to $4.30 to play. The BB has $36 behind, and this is the first hand I have seen him raise. First two limpers - one short stacked ($40) the other with $100 - call the raise and it's to me.

Does anyone like a raise here?

I considered raising the maximum since I could get a good portion of my stack in, however I feared the BB had aces and if that was the case wanted to avoid isolating as a big dog with not much dead money.

Two more calls and we head to the flop.


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Flop

[6h Ts Jd]

BB checks, seat 1 checks, seat 2 bets pot - $25.50.

Seat 2. has a full buy-in and seems to play very aggressively on any flop he likes, but this bet seems pretty odd. What could he have?

I've seen him bet pot on the flop then the max on every street with a full house and trips, and have not seen him bluffing so far. However if he is as strong as this, why not let somebody else have a stab at the pot first?

I doubt he has JJxx, the only hands that sort of make sense would be TTxx or 66xx, or perhaps more likely JTxx. Is a fold in order or would you gamble here and raise all-in?

Re: What would a good player do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm an inexperienced PLO player learning the ropes (usually) buying in short to the 0.5/1.00 game on Stars.

I started with $25 and have been building slowly to $50 so far, playing very tight on a 9 seater table when the following hand comes up:-

------------

Pre Flop

I'm in early position (seat 3) with [Qh 2h Ks Kd], two limpers and I limp as well - maybe a small raise would have been better? If the 2h was instead a T or J I'd certainly raise here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Small raise would be okay, but limping if fine here.

[ QUOTE ]

Three callers to the big blind who raises to $4.30 to play. The BB has $36 behind, and this is the first hand I have seen him raise. First two limpers - one short stacked ($40) the other with $100 - call the raise and it's to me.

Does anyone like a raise here?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, not enough dead money in pot and very good chance you're staring at AA. short stack might be forced to call anyway with a drawing hand if BB pushes. There is a significant non-zero chance you're going to be in a 4 way pot with the worst of it.

[ QUOTE ]

I considered raising the maximum since I could get a good portion of my stack in, however I feared the BB had aces and if that was the case wanted to avoid isolating as a big dog with not much dead money.

Two more calls and we head to the flop.


------------

Flop

[6h Ts Jd]

BB checks, seat 1 checks, seat 2 bets pot - $25.50.

Seat 2. has a full buy-in and seems to play very aggressively on any flop he likes, but this bet seems pretty odd. What could he have?

I've seen him bet pot on the flop then the max on every street with a full house and trips, and have not seen him bluffing so far. However if he is as strong as this, why not let somebody else have a stab at the pot first?

I doubt he has JJxx, the only hands that sort of make sense would be TTxx or 66xx, or perhaps more likely JTxx. Is a fold in order or would you gamble here and raise all-in?

[/ QUOTE ]

The pot is big... it's unlikely he's betting into 3 people behind him without at least a big draw. this is not a gambling spot, just fold. He's folding... nada if he's got a draw or made hand.

Re: What would a good player do?
 

Yea I say you are up against a monster probably at least a huge draw more likely a set and he probably has blockers for you str8 as well. I would fold without a thought

Re: What would a good player do?
 

well I would go all in, you probably have the best hand or the best draw, and this is why you play short stacked so you can get in easily in these situations.

But your reasoning does not make sense, why do you think TT is likely but JJ is not?

Re: What would a good player do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
But your reasoning does not make sense, why do you think TT is likely but JJ is not?

[/ QUOTE ]

Inexperienced PLO player hanging on too a little NLHE theory, perhaps?

Re: What would a good player do?
 

I believe the thinking is that if seat 2 flopped the nuts with a rainbow flop, he should be more likely to slowplay than bet pot.

OP, there are certainly opponents who will slowplay here, but don't assume that is the optimal play. Don't overvalue top set here because there is no flush draw. What cards are most likely in other players' hands? A, K, and Q. For JJxx, there are so many scare cards (A, K, and Q the most, but even T, 9, 8, 7, and 6 as well) that he should generally bet to protect his hand. Whether he makes a pot sized bet or a slightly smaller bet is a matter of style.

Slowplaying quads, a flopped boat, a flopped flush (iffy) might be one thing, but a set is totally different. In a multiway pot, you can only do this if there is no straight draw or flush draw, or if you have the nut draw in addition to your set. In a heads up pot there is more scope to be tricky.

But as most people on this forum will tell you, unless you're up against aggressive villians that you can trap, you will usually make more from your monsters by betting them rather than slowplaying.