1/2 LO8 Sticky Turn Situation

[cgkid]

This was a strange hand. Bet the flop? Three bet turn? I'll give my play and analysis after some responses.

Full Tilt Poker
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Ring game
Limit: $0.50/$1
7 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
UTG calls, 3 folds, Button calls, Hero calls, BB checks.

Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (4SB, 4 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Button checks.

Turn: J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2BB, 4 players)
<font color="#cc0000">Hero bets</font>, BB calls, UTG calls, <font color="#cc0000">Button raises</font>, Hero.....

Thanks,

cgkid

[Burdzthewurd]

Pump this preflop and knock out the BB.

Fire on the flop

Really put yourself in a tough spot on the turn, as Button probably has Queens and Jacks (or took a free card on the turn with 77 or QQ and pumped a somewhat-safe non-low card turn), and a 3 is probably no good for you to outdraw two pair either. 3-betting is horrible spew. I guess call and pray for a deuce on the river, but if it's 2 bets to you on the river with a low card out, I probably muck it. But let's see what Buzz has to say, he's never wrong

[Buzz]

cgkid - Interesting hand.

I would limp, just as you did, on the first betting round.

But then on the second betting round, I prefer a bet to a check.

That bet could possibly win the pot, at least would indicate some strength (which would discourage frivolous stabs at the pot), and based on how my opponents reacted, would give me a better idea of where I stood in the hand. Hard to say for sure without knowing the players involved, but I probably would put anyone who called on a low draw, a diamond draw, or both. I'd suspect anyone who raised here of having a set or two pairs plus a good low draw.

Then, if everybody just called on the second round, after this no-help turn for either of the most possible hands I would have put my opponents on, I probably would lead again on the third betting round.

There is some danger of a delayed raise by someone slow playing a great flop fit - but I'd take the chance that nobody not raising on the flop would suddenly come alive and raise on the turn. If I did get delay-raised on the turn, I'd inwardly cringe - but I'd call, hoping for a great card on the river.

Then what to do on the river would depend very much on how my opponents reacted on both the 2nd and 3rd betting rounds - and also on the river card - and on what I already knew about my opponents. Lots of possibilities for the river.

(I've never played 1/2, but that's how I'd play at 3/6, 4/8, 5/10, 6/12, or probably higher limits).

When you check the flop, instead of leading, it completely messes up that tentative plan and makes it very hard to read your opponents.

When you check the flop, perhaps Button has a pair of jacks he/she would have folded to a flop bet. Or perhaps Button is reading everybody else for weakness and trying to intimidate. When you check the flop, you probably do better by check/folding the turn. The way you played it, I suppose I'd call and hate myself for not having played so as to avoid the dilemma.

Buzz

[cgkid]

I totally agree about betting the flop. It really put me in a bad position on the turn and that's not a bad flop for AA4. I can also see the merit in trying to knock out the BB preflop.

I thought about reraising the turn because I didn't think the button had me beat both ways. I concluded that the BB and UTG wouldn't fold an A2 or a two pair hand to my 3 bet so I just called.

River was a black 8 and it got checked around. The button had A4 w the nut diamond draw and BB flopped top two so I don't think the turn three bet would have got it heads up with the button.

Thanks for the responses.

cgkid

[BooNaNy]

Fold preflop, no brainer.