$5 PLO 6-max: Analysis of 10 Pre-Flop Hands and Decisions

vinnie

vinnie

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The following are 10 hands that I played at a recent PLO session. They don't all go in order. I am focusing on pre-flop decision making and hand evaluation. So, I've only included my pre-flop actions. I'm looking for comments regarding whether or not I should have handled the hand differently. I've tried to find some hands where I am not 100% sure of my decisions. I could probably have included every hand from the session (I am that new to PLO), but I promise that I didn't.

HAND A
Seat 1: Small Blind [ME] ($5.28 in chips)
Seat 2: Big Blind ($3.70 in chips)
Seat 3: UTG ($4.80 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG+1 ($10.20 in chips)
Seat 6: Dealer ($4.98 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Small Blind [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:as4: :2c4: :9s4: :4s4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 : Calls $0.05
Dealer : Raises $0.10 to $0.10
Small Blind [ME] : Folds​
This is a suited Ace, but it has nothing else going for it. It also has an extra spade. We're out of position. Then again, the table is only 4 handed.

HAND B
Seat 1: Dealer [ME] ($5.26 in chips)
Seat 2: Small Blind ($3.65 in chips)
Seat 3: Big Blind ($4.55 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG ($10.10 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG+1 ($5.37 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealer [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:qc4: :4s4: :3s4: :qh4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 : Folds
Dealer [ME] : Calls $0.05
Small Blind : Raises $0.23 to $0.25
Big Blind : Calls $0.20
UTG : Calls $0.20
Dealer [ME] : Calls $0.20​
This is a very marginal hand, with only a single high pair and the side cards aren't likely to produce nut hands. But, it's probably worth seeing a flop in position. We close off the action when we call this raise. It would have been nicer to see the flop for one big blind. I think this call can be defended.

HAND C
Seat 1: UTG+1 [ME] ($5.01 in chips)
Seat 2: Dealer ($4.35 in chips)
Seat 3: Small Blind ($4.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Big Blind ($9.85 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG ($5.37 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG+1 [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:jh4: :8c4: :10h4: :qh4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 [ME] : Calls $0.05
Dealer : Calls $0.05
Small Blind : Calls $0.03
Big Blind : Checks​
I probably should have raised with this hand. Q-J-T-8 with a single suit is a pretty good hand. I elected to call because of the extra heart in my hand. If there were just two hearts, this would be a premium hand in Hwang's categories. I still might not have raised it.

I should probably note that I played this one especially poorly on the flop also. I flopped 9h-8s-7h (the nut-straight with redraws to a higher straight and a flush) and just called after the BB bets pot and the UTG player calls. I should have raised it right there. I was worried about scaring everyone off though.

HAND D
Seat 1: UTG [ME] ($2.70 in chips)
Seat 2: UTG+1 ($4.30 in chips)
Seat 3: Dealer ($10.41 in chips)
Seat 5: Small Blind ($9.55 in chips)
Seat 6: Big Blind ($3.37 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:9c4: :6c4: :7d4: :10s4:]

UTG [ME] : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 : Folds
Dealer : Calls $0.05
Small Blind : Calls $0.03
Big Blind : Checks​
I think 10-9-7-6 with a single suit would be a call, in better circumstances. I am sitting with around 50xbb, am out of position, and we're only 5 handed. This should probably have been a fold.

HAND E
Seat 1: Dealer [ME] ($4.93 in chips)
Seat 2: Small Blind ($4.25 in chips)
Seat 3: Big Blind ($11.73 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG ($7.32 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG+1 ($4.48 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealer [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:kh4: :9c4: :ks4: :6s4:]

UTG : Raises $0.17 to $0.17
UTG+1 : Calls $0.17
Dealer [ME] : Calls $0.17
Small Blind : Folds
Big Blind : Calls $0.12​
This is a very similar hand to hand B. I feel a little better about it because I have the suited King. I'm still in position. The right flop could help me out a lot here. Both this hand and hand B are something that Hwang wouldn't approve of, simply because I don't get in for the minimum bet. This one is probably worse in that respect, because I am not closing the action when I call this raise and risk being reraised and needing to fold.

HAND F
Seat 1: UTG+1 [ME] ($5 in chips)
Seat 2: Dealer ($4.23 in chips)
Seat 3: Small Blind ($13.52 in chips)
Seat 5: Big Blind ($6.45 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG ($4.31 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG+1 [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:as4: :kh4: :kd4: :jh4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 [ME] : Calls $0.05
Dealer : Folds
Small Blind : Calls $0.03
Big Blind : Checks​
I should have raised here, right?

HAND G
Seat 1: UTG [ME] ($4.95 in chips)
Seat 2: UTG+1 ($4.23 in chips)
Seat 3: Dealer ($13.47 in chips)
Seat 5: Small Blind ($6.20 in chips)
Seat 6: Big Blind ($4.63 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:qs4: :7s4: :9c4: :9s4:]

UTG [ME] : Folds​
I'm assuming this is a fairly standard fold, even 4 handed. Or is this too weak?

HAND H
Seat 1: Big Blind [ME] ($4.95 in chips)
Seat 2: UTG ($4.23 in chips)
Seat 3: UTG+1 ($13.27 in chips)
Seat 5: Dealer ($5.90 in chips)
Seat 6: Small Blind ($5.09 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Big Blind [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:ah4: :7s4: :10h4: :4d4:]

UTG : Folds
UTG+1 : Calls $0.05
Dealer : Raises $0.22 to $0.22
Small Blind : Folds
Big Blind [ME] : Calls $0.17
UTG+1 : Calls $0.17​
This is a standard fold also, right? Even with the suited ace. I have little else working for this hand.

HAND I
Seat 1: UTG+2 [ME] ($4.98 in chips)
Seat 2: Dealer ($4.16 in chips)
Seat 3: Small Blind ($14.11 in chips)
Seat 4: Big Blind ($1.50 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG ($5.31 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG+1 ($5.05 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG+2 [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:kh4: :ad4: :ad4::5c4: :ac4: Ad:ad4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 : Calls $0.05
UTG+2 [ME] : Raises $0.27 to $0.27
Dealer : Calls $0.27
Small Blind : Calls $0.25
Big Blind : Folds
UTG : Calls $0.22
UTG+1 : Calls $0.22​
The Ace of Diamonds is borked on here. So, no image. A suited AA hand, this is probably the only hand that I think I played find pre-flop. I wasn't exactly thrilled to have 4 callers, but those things happen at PLO5.

HAND J
Seat 1: UTG+1 [ME] ($10.21 in chips)
Seat 2: Dealer ($7.95 in chips)
Seat 3: Small Blind ($11.30 in chips)
Seat 4: Big Blind ($1.35 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG ($4.71 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG+1 [ME] : Card dealt to a spot [:ac4: :qd4: :7c4: :3d4:]

UTG : Calls $0.05
UTG+1 [ME] : Calls $0.05
Dealer : Folds
Small Blind : Calls $0.03
Big Blind : Checks​
Ugh, here I am calling with a suited ace. I don't know what I expect to flop here that will both make me happy and make me money.
 
N

nkat

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A fold

B Yep, I'd iso pre 1st time round but calling is good too.

C raisy daisy

D raise it up

E who's Hwang? this hand is waayyyy better than B, easy call

F, yep raise

G, yes. I'd raise OTB and fold everywhere else

H yeah fold

I Standard

J raise.. plays better in a heads up pot.



Overall, a bit passive pf.. raise more and put pressure on opponents especially in position.
 
vinnie

vinnie

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Thanks for the comments. Hwang is Jeff Hwang. I'm currently reading through "Pot Limit Omaha: The Big Play Strategy." It seems pretty geared towards really loose live games and full ring games. So, I can see that it leans towards being a little passive as well as being more "nut" focused because it expects flops to be seen multi-way. He takes a dim view of single-pair hands with little else working for them. I think the K6sK9 hand is something he would categorize are really borderline, but better than the queens simply because you have a higher flush.

If you've got any good ideas for books more focused on short-handed play, I am interested. I have a lot to learn. Currently not winning. I play on Bovada and the full ring games never really run, besides I come from nlhe-6max and sitting full ring doesn't have a huge appeal to me.
 
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nkat

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KK > QQ and K high flush makes a big difference and 69>43 it is a much better hand.

I understand his point of view, and yeah in the scenario of very loose 9 handed games raising pre-flop with anything other than very good hands (double suited AA/KK/AKQQ KQJT etc) doesn't make much sense.

6 max is different, getting pots heads up or 3 way can have a lot of value for making semi-bluff continuation bets, value betting non nut hands, and folding out people's equity... not letting blinds in for free, so i adopt a raising strategy pf. I'll adjust if the table is super loose and no-one's folding pf but i haven't see that too much (maybe 1 or 2 players on the table).

I didn't learn from a book so I can't recommend any books unfortunately.

I may be up for doing a review session with you....I'm getting back into the game after not playing for ~4 years, might be good to dust some of the rust of my thought process.
 
c9h13no3

c9h13no3

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Jeff Hwang is a nit, you're too weak/passive.
 
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