1st hand posted: Top set (9s) with weak flush re-draw OOP

[NewGuy]

Another relative newcomer to PLO here making 1st hand post (~40k hands of $100-$2k max with decent but mixed results). Results withheld- I'm more concerned with whether I had a good plan for flop/turn than what actually happened.


Poker Stars - Pot Limit Omaha Cash Game - $3/$6 Blinds - 7 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)

SB: $143.00
BB: $398.00
<u>Hero (UTG): $668.25</u>
UTG+1: $272.65
<u>Villain (MP): $555.00</u>
CO: $514.00
BTN: $700.60

<font color="black">Reads: </font><font color="blue">Hero's current table image is a bit weak-tight if anything. I had made some weak leads and folded on flop or check-folded turn to aggression, I think including folding 1 or 2x to Villain.
</font>

<font color="black">Preflop:</font> Hero is dealt 9 9 8 8 (7 Players)
Hero calls $6, UTG+1 folds, Villain calls $6, CO folds, BTN calls $6, SB calls $3, BB checks

<font color="black">Flop:</font> ($30) 3 4 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 Players)
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $6</font>, <font color="red">Villain raises to $46.50</font>, 3 folds, Hero calls $40.50

<font color="black">Turn:</font> ($123) 3 (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">Villain bets $54</font>, Hero calls $54

<font color="black">River:</font> ($231) 6 (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $168</font>, <font color="red">Villain raises to $336</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $504</font>, Villain calls all-in for $112.50
Uncalled bet of $55.50 returned to Hero

Pot Size: $1,128.00 ($3 Rake)


How's my line here? I'm in a heated long debate as to whether I should have re-potted flop OOP (if Villain calls this re-raise, it would leave effective stacks of about 1 PSB).

I'm struggling with my medium-to-deep stack play (~100-150BBs) with made but vuinerable hands and/or less than monster draws. I have both in this hand and felt lost on the flop.

My guess is Rempel et al would tell me I should either a) made PSB on flop not weak lead and/or b) re-pot flop but I'm really unsure.

Thanks in advance for any info on what I SHOULD have been thinking on all streets (I was more or less just hoping to hit a complete blank on turn and check-raise all-in there which was a pretty unlikely parlay I guess).

[Silent A]

That $6 flop bet is just silly, however it's the kind of bait that some aggressive players just can't resist. The problem is that you set yourself up for a dilemma when someone tries to drive you off your hand with a pot bet. If you smooth call his raise then you are successful at hiding the strength of your hand but you're setting yourself up for a very awkward spot if the wrong card comes on the turn (for example, do you intend to call him down if you hit your flush, but not the boat?). On the otherhand, if you re-raise the flop back at him, if he's any good, you may well scare off a lot of hands that he would otherwise have paid you off with.

Fortunately for you, the perfect card hit the turn (assuming he doesn't have 33).

A weak-tight image is a difficult image to exploit in PLO because you have to continue to play passively to keep your opponents betting. So, unless you're shortstacked, you're only going to win a big pot if you're lucky enough to get the winning side of a cold deck or a monster draw v. set coin flip.

[TheRempel]

The weak lead is okay but it should be used as a means to 3bet. Your flush draw functions more as a blocker than anything else. You should definitely put a reraise in on that flop.

The main problem with your line is what you'll do if the flush or straight completes on the turn and you still have $500 behind. 3-betting allows you to make an easy decision to push the turn, check-call, or check-fold if your opponent is nitty enough to have to have the nut flush. Also when your opponent does have a lower set there are a [censored] of cards that may cause him to check behind and lose a smaller pot.

Once you hit perfect on the turn you played it fine and I lke your bet sizing on the river as it is difficult to tell whether's it's a bluff or a value bet.

[guilt_trip]

I think Rempels second paragraph is exactly what I was going to write. You want to extract as much from say 44xx and charge draws to get there.

I'd deffo lead for $20 and be stick in a PSB over his raise there. Also I'd generally raise that hand preflop but whatever.

Overall I'd say it was well played albeit in a different way

[NewGuy]

Thanks for the input guys. My gut told me I outthought myself, and it looks like you agree. I got what I wanted with the weak lead (a disguised hand with Villain re-opening the betting), then I potentially blew it.

Sounds like the consensus is to bet as much on flop that will Villain will likely raise, and then to re-raise right there. What I wanted to avoid by firing a PSB (or even a bet as big as $20) was getting smooth-called by only fairly live hands.

Regarding what to do if I had made the arguably better play of re-potting flop if I get called:

Villain was on the aggressive side but not a maniac, and I hadn't seen enough of his showdowns to get a handle on whether he would only fire on turn with nuts/near nuts.

If I re-pot on flop (so pot is ~$360 and we have 1 PSB left), what's a solid "default" line on turn barring any really strong reads on Villain? (Also, I had only gone to a couple of hands to showdown so other than a bit weak-tight early in hand, my image is not that established).

My guesses:
1) Push any non-pair / non-club (even A/2/5/6/7 which complete str8 since I might have as many as ~16 redraw outs if behind)
2) Fire ~1/4 pot (i.e., 1/4 of remaining stack) if board pairs. Or is pushing or firing 1/2 PSB better?
3) Check-call a club. (Then if Villain checks behind on turn, push river.