A few of you have been PMing me to post hands and strategy for PLO high. I’m not in the mood to write out strategy articles, but I don’t mind posting annotated hands. This way I can also get some feedback on my own play and keep improving.
Please do give some comments, advice, etc.
******* Hand 1 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $506.92
HERO: $645.05
MP1: $516
MP2: $405.10
MP3: $695.39
CO: $119.60
Button: $384
SB: $315.36
BB: $1207.75
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is UTG+1 with J 
9 4 
K
UTG folds, HERO raises to $8, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, BB calls.
I’d been following a strategy of min-raising liberally with anything playable in any position, and it had been working thus far. So I went with it. This is a deliberate pre-flop strategy that I am currently employing. I raise approximately half the hands I play.
Flop: Q 7 8 ($50, 6 players)
BB checks, HERO bets $47.5, MP1 calls, 3 folds, BB calls.
Not a bad flop for the hand I hold. I’m not quite sure how to handle the K-high flush. I don’t really know why I bet the flop. BB was an atrocious player, and MP1 was playing quite conservatively.
Turn: K 
($192.5, 3 players)
BB checks, HERO bets $189.5, MP1 raises all-in $460.5, BB folds, HERO folds.
Uncalled bets: $460.5 returned to MP1.
Well that seemingly improves my hand a little. If I bet before, I might as well keep going. If I can narrow it down to 1 player, who knows if I can win by hitting a 2 pair. Bonus points if I can get the tight player to fold his ace-high flush draw. But alas, I get raised here for about $270 odd. I tanked, and looked for a reason to call. If he had a set, would he flat call on a dangerous flop? Does he have the ace-high flush? Why is he waiting until now to raise? In the end, I decided my hand was a little bit too weak to felt and folded.
Results:
Final pot: $382
******* Hand 2 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $495.90
UTG+1: $80
UTG+2: $82
MP1: $993.50
MP2: $455.36
HERO: $667.41
CO: $138
Button: $146.37
SB: $214
BB: $110
Pre-flop: (10 players) HERO is MP3 with T 7 
9 A
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, 2 folds, HERO raises to $8, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds, BB calls, UTG+2 calls.
An A-suited and some straight potential. In my mind, definitely worth a min-raise.
Flop: 7 5 9 ($34, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, Button checks.
2 pair on a connected flop. 4 way I thought I’d check and see what happened.
Turn: Q ($34, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, HERO checks, Button bets $32.3, 2 folds, HERO raises to $129.2, Button calls all-in $106.07, HERO calls.
The queen gives me a flush draw to go with my 2 pair. The button bet, and the other players fold. I realized that the button was a short stack. But I didn’t have any other reads to go by. Because the stacks were short, and he was betting on the button after everybody had checked through twice I figured I had some fold equity, at least 7 outs, could have more outs, could be winning, and I so I just put him all in.
River: 3 ($310.74, 1 player + 1 all-in – Main pot: $310.74)
Results:
Final pot: $310.74
******* Hand 3 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $396
UTG+1: $468.30
MP1: $399
MP2: $114
MP3: $192.10
CO: $808.50
HERO: $110
Button: $349
SB: $1020
HERO: $575.19
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is BB with Q 9 T K
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, 6 folds, 6 folds, HERO checks.
I’d been min-raising lots. But with 2 UTG limpers I thought one of them might have been looking to limp-reraise with aces. In bad position and a mediocre hand I elect not to raise. UTG+1 is total ACR moron, and UTG is a sensible, somewhat-knowledgeable player who had a reasonable VPIP of 30 and was a +4.5BB player over 800+ hands. He was multitabling.
Flop: J 8 4 ($14, 3 players)
HERO bets $13.3, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.
Excellent flop for my hand. Someone might have the NFD.
Turn: Q ($53.9, 3 players)
HERO bets $51.21, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.
Three way pot. But I have the nuts, and a medium flush redraw, and a redraw to a higher straight. So I bet and hope someone has the same straight and raises.
River: Q ($207.53, 3 players)
HERO checks, UTG bets $111, UTG+1 folds, HERO folds.
Uncalled bets: $111 returned to UTG.
Shit, they both called, and the river couldn’t have been much worse given the action. UTG bets before UTG1 has a chance to act. I sat there looking for a reason to call. But I couldn’t find one.
Results:
Final pot: $207.53
******* Hand 4 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $1183
UTG+1: $427.04
HERO: $837.20
MP2: $533.76
MP3: $1017.80
CO: $394
Button: $295.88
BB: $110
SB: $905.10
BB: $468.20
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is MP1 with K 9 A 8
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, HERO raises to $18, 6 folds, UTG calls.
UTG was the worst player I have ever seen. No sense of position, VPIP of 90. -100BB/100 (yes it’s true!) over a thousand hands played sproadically over a 3 month period. Made it his mission to win every pot. Would bet with nothing, but would even call with nothing. Once called an all in from my obvious AAxx all in on the turn and he has no pair and a gutshot on a 2-flush board. I raised the maximum because I wanted to play heads up with him.
Flop: 7 5 A ($42, 2 players)
UTG checks, HERO bets $39.9, UTG raises to $79.8, HERO raises to $279.3, UTG calls.
A min raise from him could mean anything. But most likely it means he has nothing, and wants me to fold but doesn’t want to put in a full raise. I have a top pair and gutshot and NFD, so I think I’m ahead of his range.
Turn: 9 ($600.6, 2 players)
UTG bets $597.6, HERO calls all-in $539.9.
Uncalled bets: $57.7 returned to UTG.
Wow. He is trying to represent a 68xx; well I have 2 pair now. So against a made straight I would have 13 outs. I’ve just got to go with my read.
River: 9 ($1680.4, 1 player + 1 all-in – Main pot: $1680.4)
Results:
Final pot: $1680.4
******* Hand 5 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
HERO: $400
UTG+1: $538.56
MP1: $1047.80
MP2: $260.78
MP3: $650.18
BB: $110
CO: $578.60
Button: $768.60
SB: $211.70
BB: $452.04
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is UTG with A A J 3
HERO raises to $8, 4 folds, CO raises to $30, Button calls, SB folds, BB calls, HERO raises to $152, CO calls, 2 folds.
Flop: 6 K 2 ($366, 2 players)
HERO raises all-in $256, CO calls.
This is not a very good AAxx hand at all. But after it was reraised and multiple players called I couldn’t resist raising for the maximum. Not a bad flop in the circumstances, and I see no choice but to go all in given the massive pot.
Turn: 4 ($878, 1 player + 1 all-in – Main pot: $878)
River: 7 ($878, 1 player + 1 all-in – Main pot: $878)
Results:
Final pot: $878
******* Hand 6 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $456.29
UTG+1: $111.60
BB: $110
MP1: $376
MP2: $305.36
MP3: $1144.25
CO: $578.72
HERO: $388.05
SB: $1069.40
BB: $354.70
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is Button with 4 K Q K
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 raises to $22, MP3 folds, CO calls, HERO calls, 2 folds, UTG calls, MP1 calls.
Flop: 2 Q 4 ($116, 5 players)
UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 bets $113, CO folds, HERO raises all-in $366.05, 2 folds, MP2 calls all-in $170.36.
Uncalled bets: $82.69 returned to HERO.
This is a dubious push. MP2 was a conservative player, and I thought he was very likely to have AAxx here. If it was heads up I wouldn’t hesitate, but the presence of the two players who checked to the raiser meant it was entirely possible someone has a set of 2s or something random like that. Still, in a big pot I couldn’t see myself folding top 2 pair, and with a flush draw on the table, I didn’t want to call. Process of elimination; just stick it in.
Turn: 3 ($682.72, 0 player + 2 all-in – Main pot: $682.72)
River: 8 ($682.72, 0 player + 2 all-in – Main pot: $682.72)
Results:
Final pot: $682.72
******* Hand 7 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $400
UTG+1: $62
MP1: $166.70
MP2: $750.14
MP3: $473.65
BB: $110
CO: $620.90
HERO: $394
SB: $525.30
BB: $399
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is Button with A 8 8 A
UTG (poster) checks, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, HERO raises to $14, 3 folds, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.
A raising hand by anyone’s standards. I thought $14 would get called by more than 2 players. But 2 calls is not a terrible result.
Flop: 6 3 T ($52, 3 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, HERO bets $24, UTG+1 folds, MP3 calls.
They’ve checked to me, and I have a pair of aces on a rainbow uncoordinated board. Have to bet something. Went with slightly under half the pot.
Turn: K ($100, 2 players)
MP3 bets $97, HERO raises all-in $356, MP3 folds.
Uncalled bets: $356 returned to HERO.
He only calls my half pot bet and bets out into me on a turn that helped my hand. Could it be an ingenious trap? Or a straight draw that’s now made a crappy flush draw? Or perhaps a 2 pair or a bottom set that wants to protect against the precise hand I’m holding? Well, the stack sizes give me one pot-size raise left, and I have 11 outs in most circumstances. I decide to make the semi-bluff raise. He thinks for a long time. Maybe he folded 33?
Results:
Final pot: $197
******* Hand 8 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
9 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $461.20
UTG+1: $176.90
MP1: $159.28
MP2: $394
MP3: $457.62
HERO: $110
CO: $114.90
Button: $852.47
SB: $739.63
HERO: $432
Pre-flop: (9 players) HERO is BB with J Q T J
3 folds, MP2 raises to $14, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, HERO calls.
Flop: T 4 J ($58, 4 players)
HERO checks, MP2 checks, CO checks, Button bets $55.1, HERO calls, 2 folds.
Button was an overly aggressive and poor player. I had a set, but there are a lot of scare cards and I’m out of position. So I elected just to call.
Turn: T ($168.2, 2 players)
HERO checks, Button checks.
Nice turn. But having shown no strength, I decide to keep going with my slowplay and check. Alas, he doesn’t bet.
River: 7 ($168.2, 2 players)
HERO bets $50, Button calls.
I decide to bet small, and hope that he puts me on a flush that is making a blocking bet and would raise (he was certainly capable of making such a raise on a bluff). Alas, he calls with the nut flush. I felt I really botched up this hand.
Results:
Final pot: $268.2
******* Hand 9 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $80.26
UTG+1: $304.97
UTG+2: $404
MP1: $465.61
MP2: $400
MP3: $1201.74
HERO: $358.09
Button: $174
SB: $396
BB: $400
Pre-flop: (10 players) HERO is CO with 2 8 A 4
3 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 (poster) checks, MP3, folds, HERO (poster) checks, Button calls, SB calls, BB (poster) checks.
Flop: 8 6 A ($24, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, HERO bets $22.8, 3 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds.
MP1 is a very loose player who was 77 VPIP and didn’t like to fold at all. But he wasn’t that bad. He bet and bluffed well, and he was a regular at the higher stakes. Perhaps he was too loose because he didn’t have any bigger games to play in (his 77VPIP was recorded on the games I played). He was a winning player, and significantly so. I have top 2 pair and bet it.
Turn: 7 ($69.6, 2 players)
MP1 checks, HERO bets $66.6, MP1 calls.
I think he has a draw of some sort. But his combined chances of having a flush draw or an 8-out straight draw that didn’t hit were higher than him having a wrap straight draw. So I bet to protect against the flush draw.
River: 5 ($202.8, 2 players)
MP1 checks, HERO checks.
I have the 8 high straight. Could I value bet a little? Or try to induce a bluff? In the end, with a show-downable hand and a medium-large pot I decide not to get fancy and just show down.
Results:
Final pot: $202.8
******* Hand 10 ********
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
8 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $536.92
UTG+1: $531.09
MP1: $473
MP2: $110
CO: $80
Button: $2156.16
UTG+2: $404
MP1: $465.61
SB: $423.91
HERO: $440.58
Pre-flop: (8 players) HERO is BB with T 8 T 5
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2, folds, CO (poster) checks, Button calls, SB folds, HERO (poster) checks.
Flop: J 5 T ($22, 5 players)
HERO bets $20.9, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, CO folds, Button calls.
Middle set on a rainbow board.
Turn: 4 ($105.6, 4 players)
HERO bets $102.6, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, Button calls.
I still assume I have the nuts. But I’m out of position and there’s quite a few scare cards now. Could have gone for the check raise. But I just felt at the time they weren’t going to bet if I checked, so I just pot it.
River: 9 ($413.4, 3 players)
HERO checks, UTG+1 bets $84, Button calls, HERO calls.
Well, staring at 8-1 odds, I gotta call, right?
Results:
Final pot: $665.4
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