OH8 questions

[fiezk]

I'm a total rookie playing OH8, but from what I've seen on the 1/2 FL and PL25 tables it look juicy so I'm giving it a go. Read Diamonds beginners guide - a good read, thanks! - and the chapter in SS2. Seems a lot of your profits comes from making good decisions before the flop.

I have a few questions and a hand analysis that I would be very grateful if someone could answer.

1. With a decent high hand (four broadway cards for example), how many ppl would you like to have in the pot to play them? Is there a difference here in PL vs FL?

2. AAxx (non 2 or 3) is it playable? Seems to me that it doesn't play very well in multiway pots, and thinning the field is impossible, in FL at least.

3. Seems I see about 25% of flops (the play is very passive). Too many? Too few? Bare in minds that you often get a "free" look at the flop in the bb.

4. What hands do you complete with in the sb (FL)?

To end I'd like to include a hand history, feel free to criticize - it was the first time I played PL.

Hand 940481678, Started at 2006-09-02 16:07
Table 'Ruse': $0.25-$0.25 Pot Limit OH (Real)
Seat 0: allanbebe ($17.80 in chips)
Seat 1: MisterNT ($8.75 in chips)
Seat 2: _clabbers_ ($33.20 in chips)
Seat 3: japanangka2 ($31.40 in chips)
Seat 4: ComputerSim ($42.65 in chips)
Seat 5: Falukropp ($24.25 in chips)
Seat 6: sixty9swats ($24.95 in chips) (on the button)
Seat 7: thekid72 ($8.90 in chips)
Seat 8: laduc1 ($34.40 in chips)
Seat 9: ZZZ-BestHand ($18.55 in chips)

*** Blind Bet Round *** :
Dealt to Falukropp: A
Dealt to Falukropp: A
Dealt to Falukropp: 8
Dealt to Falukropp: 4
thekid72 : Post Blind ($0.25)
laduc1 : Post Blind ($0.25)
*** Pre-Flop *** :
ZZZ-BestHand : Call ($0.25)
allanbebe : Call ($0.25)
MisterNT : Call ($0.25)
_clabbers_ : Fold
japanangka2 : Fold
ComputerSim : Fold
Falukropp : Call ($0.25)
sixty9swats : Bet ($0.50)
thekid72 : Call ($0.25)
laduc1 : Call ($0.25)
ZZZ-BestHand : Call ($0.25)
allanbebe : Raise ($2)
MisterNT : Fold
Falukropp : Raise ($8.75)
sixty9swats : Call ($8.50)
thekid72 : Fold
laduc1 : Fold
ZZZ-BestHand : Fold
allanbebe : Fold

*** Flop *** : 7 6 3
Falukropp : Bet ($15.25)


I really don't like the limp-raise with AA in Omaha hi, but I figured it would at least isolate me with the last raisor or pick up the pot. The push on the flop looks like a given?

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

Yes, I would put in every chip I had on that flop, regardless of the preflop play. That's about the best flop you could get that doesn't contain an Ace.

As for the questions,

1. In FL, I want to play 4 broadway cards usually against only one or two other players, because the presence of backdoor draws in mtuliway pots can often cut severely into your profits. Also, I prefer only to play these hands from late position, or out of the blind for a discounted price. I have not played very much PLO8, but the difference would have to be in implied odds--you can probably get away with playing these hands more often (as long as you can get in cheap) because there's a greater emphasis on high hands and the return on your money can be proportionally greater. Just don't go nuts, and try to keep preflop betting to a minimal.

2. You do not always have to play AAxx in Omaha, high or high-low. This is because the AA combination is only 1/6 of your total hand, and if the other cards sucks, it's not an especially strong hand. It's probably a better hand in 8-or-Better though, especially for bluffing, because it takes away two aces needed for opponents' hands. But I often throw away a "naked" AA or A2 in tough games from early position.

3. That flop% seems a little high to me, but if the game is passive, you can get away with seeing a few more flops. Just remember that once the flop hits, only draw to the NUTS, especially on the low side. You can see more hands, but have the discipline to lay down second best draws.

4. Your requirements should not change as much from the SB in Omaha-8 as in, say, Hold'em. The reason for this is that by completing with too many hands, you're liable to end up with many marginal (and unprofitable) draws after the flop, AND you will be at a horrible positional disadvantage. If a LOT of players have entered the pot, you can sometimes enter the pot with any 3 wheel cards, even 345x, but remember to be very cautious if the flop doesn't contain an A or 2 (or preferably both). Still be very wary of middle cards like 567x or T966 for example, because you'll sometimes flop a good or nut high and still lose half or the whole pot on a later street, where you might not have if you had position. Paying 0.5 SB may seem like a bargain, but reverse implied odds can turn that 0.5 SB investment into a big loss.

[fiezk]

Big thanks for your lengthy reply! Your answers to all questions make a lot of sense. I'm sure this will help a lot.

It is clear that this is a potentially very profitable game. On the ongame network the low PL games (25 and 50) have about 60% seeing the flop and an average pot ranging from 1/2 to 2/3 of a buy in in most cases.