Fundamental O/8 Question...

[Oblivious]

How to play two pair.

Say youre in the big blind. You get a free flop with KQT3 (5 players total). The flop is Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. You dont have a flush draw. Do you bet here with top two pair when theres a flush draw out there? I know the answer is "it depends." Whats the case for betting? Whats the case for checking?

Consider a slightly different situation where youre dealt KQ83 and the flop is Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Does your decision to check or bet change from the previous situation? Why?

[wiseheart]

Very Table/Opponent Dependent.
Is this LO8 or PLO8? Is this FR or 6max?

w/o any info/reads I bet 1st one, check/fold
2nd one.

[glass_onion]

"Say youre in the big blind. You get a free flop with KQT3 (5 players total). The flop is Q T 4. You dont have a flush draw"

You also don't have a straight draw. Top two is the toughest of all hands in omaha, becuase at best you are slightly ahead, at worst way behind. I think in 08 it could be more profitable, if people would call with a pair and runner runner low. I'd bet #1 in mid/late position and re-evaluate the turn. Basically nothing is a good card, though, so you are looking for a passive table and a fold.

Never bet 2

[T50_Omaha8]

If the flop is 2 high cards and one low, a low has a 25% chance of making. If the flop is two low cards and one high, the low has a 75% chance of making. Thus, given that two pair is marginally/somewhat profitable in high Omaha, in Omaha 8 you stand to make money IF AND ONLY IF your top two pair are both high cards (9-K). This is especially true at low limits because many opponents do not realize that 75% of the time their low draws will be worthless, so they will be happily calling your bets with meager pot equity, giving you very favorable odds. But, conversely, if you hold top two pair on a two-low flop (and assuming that if another low card comes you will only be eligible for half the pot), your odds look like this:

Say your are 33% to win the high pot and it is five-handed (so I am assuming your two pair puts you at double the average high equity).

There is a 75% chance you will have to split with low, so your equity is .25*.33 + .75*.5*.33 = .0825 + .12375 = .20625 or 20% equity, which is around even money--so you certainly shouldn't be excited enough to make the pot bigger. And this is a pretty optimistic example.

I would fold this situation, unless maybe a known LAG to my left bet and miraculously caused everyone else to fold--then I might be in a position to call him down.

And by the way, if you choose to proceed in situation #1, do so aggressively. Every person who folds gives you a crucial sliver of pot equity. Checking around and giving everyone a free card is the surest way to get drawn out on.

[jcx]

I usually would check/fold hand #1 against 4 other players. Even if you are ahead, someone has a str8 or flush draw. If it is checked around to the button and he bets on rare occasions I might try a check-raise if I think he is using position to try and steal. If someone calls 2 cold or I get reraised I'm in trouble. I typically then check fold the turn unless I fill up.

Hand#2 is a check/fold because (among other reasons) it is much more likely a low will be made and you're playing for 1/2 even if your hand survives.