Stuck between a whale and a horse's ass
My favorite 1/2 NLH game has an interesting wrinkle: when a red deuce hits the flop, the next hand is just straight Omaha. And that's what happened the hand before this one.
Technically, the game is no-limit Omaha. (Foreshadowing.) 1/2 blinds but it's $5 to bring it in.
Villain 1 is my nemesis. He's personally relieved me of several hundred dollars over the last year. He's the best player at the table, and by God he doesn't let you forget it. It's like our own little Phil Hellmuth. He's also very personally tilted at me tonight because I had the audacity to — having already locked up half of a double-board Omaha bomb pot with the nut flush — river a set of Aces on the other board to scoop his whole stack. He has about $400.
Villain 2 is the polar opposite. Nice guy, but he kinda sucks at Hold'em and he's TERRIBLE at Omaha. He'll hang on to dry Aces forever, think any flush is the nuts, etc. Basically, the kind of player that makes you already think of paying your bills for the next month. He has about $500.
I cover them both. I'm hoping to get into pots with V2 and trying to dodge V1 unless I have a hand that just clobbers his.
Also, we're playing four-handed.
Preflop: ($3)
UTG folds, V2 makes it $5 from the Button, V1 raises to $10 from the SB, I call from the BB with 8♥ 7♥ 7♦ 4x since V2 is obviously staying in, and he does.
Flop: ($30) 9 5 3 rainbow
Checked around.
Turn: ($30) 6♣ (backdoor clubs available)
V1 checks, I bet $25, V2 raises to $100, V1 goes all-in for just over $400.
Well, ****.
V1 could have 87 just like me, but I hold a bunch of those. He might have a huge equity draw, like a set and clubs, or maybe, like, 8765 so he has the nuts plus redraw outs. V2 is calling off his stack with whatever fistful of crap he got here with. How often do I have to be right here to make this call good?
8 Replies
I think we should make a snug fold here. It’s very likely we’re trying to hang on for 1/4 of the pot while getting free rolled.
I would call, since villains have no idea what they are doing. Also very very easy fold pre. If you play so bad pre you will end up a lot in spots where you start considering folding the current nuts.
I'd probably make a tight fold when we were only in for 25.
Unless they both have no clue what they're doing.
The worse hand V1 has is some crazy combo draws that have massive equity against your hand. Sure V2 is free money but occasionally he wakes up with a hand as well.
So let's say V1 has top set and nfd, then V2 has the same hand with you. Best case scenario is chop.
Or say V1 has st8 and some redraws(2pairs/sets/fd), v2 random trash
again we chop at best
But we get the risk of getting scooped.
Risking 4~500 over the 25 we invested is a bit crazy. Vs just v2 we ship it in anytime, vs v2 and v1 we probably need some redraws.
My instincts were right apparently: I instantly thought "fold" but then talked myself into thinking I was in one of three possible scenarios:
1. I'm the only one with 87xx and I may have to fade half the deck, but if I do I stack both Villains for +$900.
2. I'm sharing 87xx with another player and I may have to dodge some outs, but if I do we either chop V1 for +$200, or I scoop the side pot against V2 and get another $100.
3. The killer river card comes and I'm out $400 or $500.
I thought that in this rare instance, 1 + 2 > 3, so I shipped. V2 agonized, but called as expected. The river paired the 6, but amazingly it didn't hurt me: V2 had 42xx for the low end of the straight, and V1 had J♣ 10♣ 8x 7x for the nuts with benefits.
He called me a donkey as we stacked up V2's chips.
My instincts were right apparently: I instantly thought "fold" but then talked myself into thinking I was in one of three possible scenarios:
He called me a donkey as we stacked up V2's chips.
Looks like you were both right 😉
If you think our call is breakeven or close to it then go ahead and gamble.
Unlucky. Just learn basic pre-flop concepts and you'll be fine.
Good primers on that? I'm basically following the PLO Professor's three basic hand groups (pairs 99+, suited Aces, any 4 to a straight), but that's much tighter than it seems like everyone else is, especially if shorthanded.
Probably just forget what this kind of professors say. Also avoid picking up bad habits from the fools you play with.
Pretty sure you can find some kind of opening ranges for 6-handed online.