PL HU: Pair + one-card low draw on 3-low flop

[SWINGMYTOOL]

I'm playing HU PLO8 with a 50bb stack and an "average" opponent. I raise with a hand like A2KQ or A3KQ. The flop comes A45 or A46 and my opponent donks into me for 1/2 pot or full pot.

Call? Raise? Fold?

Does your answer change if my low draw is 2 or 3? Does it change if the board is rainbow/two-flush (where I don't have a flush draw)? What if my kickers are smaller? What if the stacks are shallower/deeper?

[SWINGMYTOOL]

Currently I fold in this spot, thinking that: either they have a better high; or they have a made low, often with a straight draw, so I'm drawing to hold onto half the pot. But now I'm wondering if folding here is too tight when I have position???

Here's why I'm thinking maybe I should play on. They probably have two pair or a made low:<ul type="square">[*]If they have two pair, my one-card low draw is usually good and I could make a better two pair.[*]If they have a low, my pair is usually best for high, and I might even have a draw to a better low, like if they get counterfeited or their low is crappy.[*]Unfortunately, sometimes they will have a pair + a low. That's kinda bad for me, because if they get counterfeited they outdraw me for high, so I have to hit twice to scoop. And if they hit trips or a kicker that doesn't give me a better low, I'm scooped.[*]Unfortunately, once in a blue moon they will have a wheel, or two pair + low, or better ace (when I don't have a K) + low. Then I'm super screwed.[/list]If I play on, it will be tough on later streets and I might make mistakes. But that's what the kids call playing poker. I have position. I can call if the pot odds are good or extract cash money if I improve. And I can always give up if big bets keep coming or the board gets scary and completes straights.

[franknagaijr]

Valid points in your second post. If you have no read at all, you won't want to take this to the river for all the chips if this is a tournament, and you generally won't in cash games either.

You might flat call the flop bet just to get a picture of how hard your opponent pushes. You might find that Villain won't fire the second barrel without the goods on the turn, ie his draw bricked. A minority of the time, you could resteal on the river if V chooses to check down both turn and river, but if you did this consistently, it would be a nice trapping opportunity for V.

[franknagaijr]

Edit - Everything below was thought out as first-to-act or following a check by Villain. Since we're dealing in hypotheticals, I won't delete it.

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Call? Raise? Fold?

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Sometimes Pot and fold to a repot, other times check-fold. I hate a C-R here.


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Does your answer change if my low draw is 2 or 3?

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No. Your low still sucks donkey balls either way. It's usually only good if Villain has no low, in which case V hates this flop too.


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Does it change if the board is rainbow/two-flush (where I don't have a flush draw)?

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More likely to pot-fold the rainbow and check-fold the flush draw. Wait, make that vice-versa, since I'm representing the flush draw. If V has the flush draw, I was screwed anyhow.

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What if my kickers are smaller?

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Unless they have an inside straight draw, nothing changes. If the straight draw, and V makes a suck-bet, I'll check-call. If the inside straight draw and V pots it, I'll fold unless I have a read to the contrary.

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What if the stacks are shallower/deeper?

[/ QUOTE ] If I have less than a PSB left, it's probably going in on fold equity alone. If I have a huge stack, I'm more likely to check-call here to see how often V will fire the second barrel.

Oh crap, I've given away my entire strategy. Now I'm roadkill! (Like I wasn't already....)

[SWINGMYTOOL]

Bumpy one time. Where my PLO8 heads at??? Even a one-word (call/raise/fold) answer is much appreciated.


$0.50/$1 PL08 heads up, $50 stacks.

Hero pots it with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Villain calls.

Flop ($6) is A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Villain bets $3. Hero...?

[I dunno]

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Even a one-word (call/raise/fold) answer is much appreciated.


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Depends.

[franknagaijr]

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Bumpy one time. Where my PLO8 heads at??? Even a one-word (call/raise/fold) answer is much appreciated.



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No info about Villain, no real backdoor draws. Fold, pick a better spot.

[I dunno]

What's an "average" opponent? Why do you think he's average? What does he think about you? Does he even think? Is he loose passive, weak tight, LAG... Do your raises usually indicate an AWxx type hand? How often does he call your raises? Do you typically fold when he donks into you? Will he fold to a raise? Could he be baiting you will a monster? What line will he take on the turn with a great/good/marginal/bad hand when you call or raise the flop? etc...

If you can't answer these questions, if you have no idea what he could have here, and will continue to have no idea, you fold. Especially with your stack size. Bigger stack you can call, smaller you can push or fold, depending on reads. Just wait for him to donk into you when you raised on the button with AWWx.

It's very hard for people to answer heads up questions like this without a good description of your opponent, and even then only you will really have a feel for the situation.

[SWINGMYTOOL]

Thx for replying. I appreciate that this situation "depends" a lot on reads.

What's an "average" opponent?
Someone who fits the following profile:

Why do you think he's average?
Because he plays similarly to other players at these stakes and hasn't done anything notable to distinguish himself, and/or we haven't played enough hands for a better read.

What does he think about you?
Maybe that I'm a little tighter than most, pre- and post-flop, but sometimes push draws hard. But...

Does he even think?
Probably not much.

Is he loose passive, weak tight, LAG...
He's "average" with average aggression, but obv. not loose passive nor weak tight, otherwise I wouldn't be considering continuing when he donks that flop.

Do your raises usually indicate an AWxx type hand?
Yes, often.

How often does he call your raises?
60-80%

Do you typically fold when he donks into you?
Yeah I almost always fold unless I hit the flop well. I'm more likely to start raising/calling his bets in limped pots, if I feel he's trying to pick up too many pots. I don't float or bluff-raise flops in raised pots that much, probably because I'm more selective than him with starting hands so I hit the flop more often.

Will he fold to a raise?
In general he would fold a decent amount, but a donk with this flop texture makes it seem like he will continue unless he's on a total bluff.

Could he be baiting you will a monster?
Dunno? No particular history of that. Of course it's possible, but most avg opponents would check-raise.

What line will he take on the turn with a great/good/marginal/bad hand when you call or raise the flop?
If I call, he will mostly bet the turn (probably small), sometimes check. If I raise and he flat calls, he'll almost always check the turn, sometimes/often call a turn bet, rarely check-raise. If his hand is especially boss: if I call flop, he will fire turn bigger or rarely CR; if I raise flop, he'll probably push, since even boss hands are vulnerable on this flop.


That's the profile for an "average" opponent at these stakes who is aggro (or at least non-passive) enough for me to be considering continuing. So in general, would you sometimes/usually continue against this avg opponent, or never without a more specific read?