PLO8-HUSNGs startinghands

[Schpacko]

As i posted before, i am learning to play HU-PLO8 at the moment. Now I try to figure out a rough startinghandchart to play against the average lowstakes-fish. I postst this @ HU-forum but didnt get any responses:

[ QUOTE ]


Right now, I raise these hands on the SB:

A2xx
A3xx
A4xx
23xx
JJxx+
any three 6 and lower
any three T and higher

If villain lets me, i limp almost every other hand, i only fold trash like KT73 and stuff like that



I also raise the same hands on the BB if villain limps.

If im on the BB and villain raises, my range is about

A2xx
A3xx
QQxx+
any four 6 and lower
any four T and higher

What do you think about this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course its extremely villain-dependend, i just need a general idea of what to raise, call or fold preflop.

[franknagaijr]

[ QUOTE ]
i only fold trash like KT73 and stuff like that

[/ QUOTE ]

You can't use ring game standards for HU play. You will occasionally need to get dirty with trash hands or you'll be giving up too much preflop with any typical aggro HU player. A certain amount of the time you'll need to call raises light, but with two low cards. A certain amount of the time you should be raising hands that should never be played in a ring game, even from the BB for one bet!

Do you see why?

[Schpacko]

Yes, i see why. My main-game is NLHE-HU, i think (/hope) i understand the principles of HU-Poker in general, but i need something like a startinghand-guideline for PLO8 anyway.

[bbartlog]

One comment based on my HU PLO8 play from single-table SNGs: if blinds get to the point where an opponent reraise would put both of you all-in, don't raise with high-only hands (like JJxx, any three T or higher). These hands are hardly ever equity favorites against any hand with low potential. You may need to raise with them when the blinds are smaller just so that your opponent can't automatically assume 'raise = low hand', but once it gets late it's not worth the risk.
Conversely, raising with any three six or lower while the stacks are deep is asking for trouble. These hands can have big reverse implied odds. If you get it all in with them preflop they don't usually stack up too badly (3 low card = half chance of at least some sort of low), but if all you do is juice the pot while stacks are deep you're asking for trouble from Awxx type hands.
Your summary also doesn't make mention of suitedness. Many hands I would limp with if rainbow are worth a raise if double-suited.
Also, you seem to be raising hands with low potential regardless of their high potential. Maybe HU this is correct, but raising any A4xx when A4TJds (for example) is significantly stronger than A479r seems problematic.

[Schpacko]

@bbartlog
OK, some good points there, thx

When playing NLHE-HU, my stats are usually betwen 40/30 and 60/40. Can i compare this to PLO8? I mean, should it be in this area or really different?
What about 3betting? What hands are the best to 3bet with, besides the real premiumhand?

[bbartlog]

Because the hand values run closer together in O8, I would expect the VP$IP to be somewhat higher than in NLHE (but I know very little about HU NLHE strategy). I think (but can't prove) that you should generally play tighter when the blinds are small so as to avoid reverse-implied odds situations and freerolls that crappy hands can fall victim to; as the blinds get bigger, you need to loosen up (and possibly raise more if opponent is prone to folding too much preflop).