PLO8 Cash game Strategy (The System) Ultra Low limit Loose Passive Games advice needed

madmantisgaming · Oct 17, 2023

Hello, My name is James and I'm a fairly new poker player started about 3 years ago.

As most poker players I'am a losing player. I was down 540 CAD.

Recently, through 888 poker sign up bonus (20 dollar no deposit) I ran it up to 1200USD. I got insanely lucky.

Now that I have created my poker bankroll my goal is to tackle this PLO8 table.

5cent10cent blinds (10 dollar buy-in max)

I have noticed that many players are limping OOP and calling 3x/4x/5x big blind raises preflop with one directional hands QdKd9c7s,A297 no suited ace, KK88

Hands are going multi-way to the flop every single hand (3-4 players)

These same players are also drawing to one way second nuts in big pots sometimes.

Also, no one never players deep they double and dip quick.

Im trying to create a strategy that will be able to win at this table. Here is what I have I hope anyone can help/give me some insight on my thoughts about how to win at this table.

I think that playing ultra tight at this table with the "let the money flow towards you" mindset is the correct idea on how to play it.

I think raising pot or nearly pot preflop is correct.

With proper hand selection we will be leaking less chips whenever we miss the flop.

We tried to limp almost every hand hoping to smash the flop and scoop but I feel like it just leaks chips and not the way to play.

Strategy For full ringed limp heavy plo8 games

1)only play A2ssXX or better

2)Play big pots in position

3)Small pots OOP unless nutz

3)Avoid marginal 1-way hands
A278 no suited EP
AQQ6 no ace suited EP
A4K7 no ace suited EP
A2Q10 no suited ace on btn facing multiple limpers
any WXYZ(highhand) in EP

4)Don't draw oneway ever

5)Look to keep players who draw one way hands by using small bets when nutted.

6) in 3bet pots do not play weak two way hands
A28Q suited aced weak low and 3 clubs (blocking nut flush). This avoids getting
in quarter situations when multiple people are calling with A2xx

anyways this is pretty much what i got right now hopefully someone can give some insight thanks!

rhoudini · Oct 18, 2023

Hey madmantisgaming, how are you doing?

I believe you are starting quite right, all of what you said is correct. At these non-Hold'em games, specially at micro and small stakes, you will find a lot of players that will rely on their Hold'em skills, but they have not studied the other game they are trying. Or maybe they just have curiosity about the game, and they simply start playing to see how it is, and the result is really this: a lot of limping and calling with marginal hands.

The best thing to do if you really want to get better at PLO8 is study, study and study, go with ease, analyze your game and have a lot of patience. Grow your bankroll slowly, practice a good bankroll management. This way you will not be afraid to make the correct play. Because there are a lot of multiway pots, people will often get there being lucky, and your bankroll might fluctuate from time to time. Also, the rake at 10c stakes are still a bit high, therefore you should not be playing a lot of split pots or unnecessary spots, because you would only waste money paying the rake.

At the table, try to scoop pots. This will be achieved through two main actions: (1) proper pre-flop hand selection; (2) don't get paying too marginal spots, specially drawing only to the high, or only to the low. At these stakes, you make money specially when you are betting and raising (many times with the nuts) and people are calling you, instead of calling when you think you might be behind.

The fact that you are playing Pot-Limit gives you a lot of options in regard to what size to bet/raise, use this weapon to your favour to extract the maximum value of your monster hands.

Finally, I wish you a great time playing, PLO8 is a nice game and you will grow your understanding of poker a lot if you keep improving and studying it. Post some hands here at the Hand Analysis section, and we can try to help you. Cheers!

madmantisgaming · Oct 18, 2023

rhoudini said:
Hey madmantisgaming, how are you doing?

I believe you are starting quite right, all of what you said is correct. At these non-Hold'em games, specially at micro and small stakes, you will find a lot of players that will rely on their Hold'em skills, but they have not studied the other game they are trying. Or maybe they just have curiosity about the game, and they simply start playing to see how it is, and the result is really this: a lot of limping and calling with marginal hands.

The best thing to do if you really want to get better at PLO8 is study, study and study, go with ease, analyze your game and have a lot of patience. Grow your bankroll slowly, practice a good bankroll management. This way you will not be afraid to make the correct play. Because there are a lot of multiway pots, people will often get there being lucky, and your bankroll might fluctuate from time to time. Also, the rake at 10c stakes are still a bit high, therefore you should not be playing a lot of split pots or unnecessary spots, because you would only waste money paying the rake.

At the table, try to scoop pots. This will be achieved through two main actions: (1) proper pre-flop hand selection; (2) don't get paying too marginal spots, specially drawing only to the high, or only to the low. At these stakes, you make money specially when you are betting and raising (many times with the nuts) and people are calling you, instead of calling when you think you might be behind.

The fact that you are playing Pot-Limit gives you a lot of options in regard to what size to bet/raise, use this weapon to your favour to extract the maximum value of your monster hands.

Finally, I wish you a great time playing, PLO8 is a nice game and you will grow your understanding of poker a lot if you keep improving and studying it. Post some hands here at the Hand Analysis section, and we can try to help you. Cheers!

doing good thanks for the response. hope u doing well
yeah, i luckboxed my bankroll so i will be focused on the lower limits until i can become a winning player.
I think i have a issue understanding the rake and ill go study up on that.

For instance paying 1bb to see the flop with a high only hand in EP (QQJ10 double suited) vs going all-in vs a shortstack for 35 bigbinds only to split the pot and pay the rake.

Some hands I have played yesterday one hand with 3betting from the blinds in mind.

Here are 5 hands what do you think about them?

Hand 1 Ac3s5c6h - lennar limps i've seen him limp A2xx A3xx A4xx 24KQ suited to king type hands.
The more I think about this hand I feel like I should not have raised flop due to drawing to bottom straight and second nut low.

is this a fold pre?

Hand 2
should i be limping this hand?

hand 3
big blind raise to pot with A828 double suited. fold on flop but using twodimes calc it says my hand preflop has 0.59 vs 0.40 equity although there was one more player playing is this the correct play to pot it and hope for the best?

hand 4

after running the calc on two dimes calling the all-in was a bad idea due to my straight draw being counterfeit by possible flush

but, pre-flop is this hand worth a raise or just limping this hand? or is it fold because i can only win the high.

thanks for the help

pentazepam · Oct 18, 2023

madmantisgaming said:
Strategy For full ringed limp heavy plo8 games

1)only play A2ssXX or better

I think most of the things you mentioned are correct, but this is too tight when you play against players who make a lot of mistakes post-flop. Widen up a lot more at least in late positions.

madmantisgaming · Oct 18, 2023

pentazepam said:
I think most of the things you mentioned are correct, but this is too tight when you play against players who make a lot of mistakes post-flop. Widen up a lot more at least in late positions.

honestly i agree with you. ive noticed that some players were adjusting to my tight ranged last night

rhoudini · Oct 18, 2023

madmantisgaming said:
Hand 1 Ac3s5c6h - lennar limps i've seen him limp A2xx A3xx A4xx 24KQ suited to king type hands.
The more I think about this hand I feel like I should not have raised flop due to drawing to bottom straight and second nut low.
is this a fold pre?

I think this is not necessarily a mistake. Your hand has a lot of potential, and is suited to the ace. However, you raise is a bit small considering that there was a limper before you. Gotta make it $0.35 or even $0.40. However, after that flop, I think that check/fold is the best option. Consider this: you are playing a 5-way pot, drawing to a low only, and your low might not even be the best. I would make a bigger size pre, and check-fold on flop (might call only those min bets that fish make sometimes, like pot is $3 and they bet $0.50, something like this).

madmantisgaming said:
Hand 2
should i be limping this hand?

I think it is ok, specially if the table usually allows it. In late positions it is even better.

madmantisgaming said:
hand 3
big blind raise to pot with A828 double suited. fold on flop but using twodimes calc it says my hand preflop has 0.59 vs 0.40 equity although there was one more player playing is this the correct play to pot it and hope for the best?

Again, I don't see any mistakes on your play. I would have played the same way. Raise and check-fold. Sometimes this hurts, but there will be no other good option. Don't feel to much pressured to c-bet at these players in multi-way pots, or being OOP. Sometimes you will miss a lot, and your profit will come from value hands that will scoop the pot when you hit it. See the hands that your opponents showed. They are terrible most times. But flop is hitting them, and they are keeping their luck to the end of the hand. But it will not be like this forever. Proper hand selection will give more chances to hit to scoop the pot.

madmantisgaming said:
hand 4
after running the calc on two dimes calling the all-in was a bad idea due to my straight draw being counterfeit by possible flush
but, pre-flop is this hand worth a raise or just limping this hand? or is it fold because i can only win the high.

This one is a great high hand, I don't see any problem in raising or limping, but if you are going to raise, you have to make it bigger.
It seems that limping is ok at this table where there is no one punishing limpers. So only you can punish when you have a great hand.
Yes, a lot of times when you raise this hand, you will fall in the same check-fold pattern, specially when many lows come on flop.
At this flop, checking may be good, both when you hit or when you miss.
When you miss (like now), you control the pot (better than betting small). You have a wrap, good, but this is split high-low, and you don't block flush draws. Better check.
When you hit a great high hand or a monster wrap draw, you can check-raise, because many times the opponents will be betting, thinking you have a low starting hand, and this board does not help you a lot of times. Therefore, you extract a lot of value.

These are my thoughts. Have in mind that I am just an enthusiast that tries to study and understand the game, I don't play PLO8 cash regularly, no specialist. Therefore, if you could validate these ideas with other people, it would be great too. But I believe these are good guidelines.