note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

Two kind of interesting spots from a recent PLO session. They don't have much in common other than the fact that both involve AAxx hands.

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players

Stack sizes:
UTG: $616.70
UTG+1: $236
CO: $345
Button: $806.40
Hero: $1024.30
BB: $929.40

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is SB with
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, Hero calls, BB checks.

Flop: ($16, 4 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks.

Turn: ($16, 4 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $18, UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $72, Hero raises to $252, BB folds, UTG+1 calls all-in $160.
Uncalled bets: $20 returned to Hero.

River: ($498, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $498)

Results:
Final pot: $498
Hero showed
UTG+1 showed

I just complete because I'm in the worst position and I have dry Aces, which is to say no suited cards or connectivity or anything to go along with them. These limpers are never folding, and I can pretty much only win the pot by flopping a set, so I might as well keep it small.

So when I do flop the set, I'm looking to check-raise the flop. If I led out for pot, I'd be showing a fair bit of strength and not really setting myself up to win a big pot. Probably either everyone would fold or someone would call with a draw and then either draw out on the turn or fold to a pot bet on the turn (or maybe pick up enough equity on the turn that calling pot wouldn't be a big mistake). The only hand I can really make some money from is a worse set, and I expected those to bet the flop if I checked anyway.

Then the turn brought a ton of draws, though I still had the nuts. This time I was pretty sure it wouldn't check around again, and if it did, no big deal, because the pot is so small. If I led out here, most draws were just going to call which means I wouldn't be able to get all that much money in. And since I wouldn't know which draw my opponent was on, pretty much a bazillion river cards would be bad for my hand. So I checked again, this time looking to check-raise and get a bunch of money in while I was still ahead. Plus no one would ever put me on top set. And bada bing, bada boom, it worked.

Next hand:

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $450.50
Hero: $843.80
Button: $594
SB: $420
BB: $351.80

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is CO with :
UTG folds, Hero raises to $14, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: ($32, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $24, SB raises to $72, Hero calls.

Turn: ($176, 2 players)
SB bets $100, Hero raises to $476, SB calls all-in $234.
Uncalled bets: $142 returned to Hero.

River: ($844, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $844)

Results:
Final pot: $844
Hero showed
SB showed

This is a pretty classic PLO bluff where, knowing that my opponent can't have the nuts, I represent it. The controversial part is the flop. Folding to the check-raise may be the correct play. The fact that I have the Ac actually makes it more likely that my opponent has AA beat than that he has a draw. But I was thinking I could take it away if a club turned even if my hand wasn't good. Oh well.