Minimal history on the villains as will be obvious.

Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (MP): 25.52 BB
CO: 21.67 BB (VPIP: 63.64, PFR: 9.09, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 11)
BTN: 59.56 BB (VPIP: 30.77, PFR: 3.85, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 27)
SB: 16.1 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 18)
BB: 21.57 BB (VPIP: 40.00, PFR: 3.33, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 30)
UTG: 6.33 BB (VPIP: 23.08, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 27)

SB posts SB 0.25 BB, BB posts BB 0.5 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 0.75 BB) Hero has 2 6 8 8

UTG calls 0.5 BB, Hero ???

Hand 1: Trivial fold, yes?



Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 3 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

SB: 10.47 BB (VPIP: 40.00, PFR: 6.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 16)
Hero (BB): 24.09 BB
BTN: 12.27 BB (VPIP: 45.89, PFR: 6.53, 3Bet Preflop: 0.96, Hands: 353)

SB posts SB 0.25 BB, Hero posts BB 0.5 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 0.75 BB) Hero has K 2 A A

BTN raises to 1 BB, fold, [color=red]Hero ???

Hand 2 - trivially bloating the pot preflop, yes?



Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP: 1007.97 BB (VPIP: 53.85, PFR: 15.38, 3Bet Preflop: 16.67, Hands: 13)
CO: 24.87 BB (VPIP: 46.88, PFR: 6.25, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 32)
BTN: 36.25 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 10.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 50)
Hero (SB): 13.3 BB
BB: 64.97 BB (VPIP: 45.45, PFR: 18.18, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 44)
UTG: 5.38 BB (VPIP: 42.86, PFR: 5.71, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 35)

Hero posts SB 0.25 BB, BB posts BB 0.5 BB, UTG posts penalty blind 0.25 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1 BB) Hero has 2 9 Q A

UTG calls 0.25 BB, MP raises to 1 BB, fold, BTN calls 1 BB, Hero ???

Hand 3 - I'm actually on the fence with this one. I hate cold-calling out of position, even from the SB. I've got a playable hand that has massive nut low potential and decent multiway playability.

I think it's too strong to fold but not strong enough to 3-bet out of position (from the button this would be a trivial 3-bet), so I'm thinking coldcall.



Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BB): 25 BB
UTG: 37.73 BB (VPIP: 66.67, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 6)
CO: 62.9 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
BTN: 23.06 BB (VPIP: 44.44, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
SB: 8.93 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 6)

SB posts SB 0.25 BB, Hero posts BB 0.5 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 0.75 BB) Hero has J T 9 9

UTG raises to 1 BB, fold, fold, fold, Hero ???

Hand 4 - trivial defend from the BB, yes? If this were Omaha Hi I would raise this heads up but in HiLo I'm just going to call with a hand with zero low potential.



Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 44.79 BB (VPIP: 32.89, PFR: 3.95, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 76)
SB: 20.76 BB (VPIP: 45.28, PFR: 5.66, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 213)
BB: 27.29 BB (VPIP: 46.51, PFR: 13.95, 3Bet Preflop: 10.00, Hands: 43)
UTG: 7.42 BB (VPIP: 24.56, PFR: 3.51, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 57)
Hero (MP): 24 BB
CO: 2.8 BB (VPIP: 38.46, PFR: 7.69, 3Bet Preflop: 10.00, Hands: 39)

SB posts SB 0.25 BB, BB posts BB 0.5 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 0.75 BB) Hero has A 6 9 7

fold, Hero ???

Hand 5: Trivial fold yes? I like the nut flush cards but too much potential to make a sucker low hand or a sucker straight.



Merge - $0.50/$1 Hi/Lo (6 max) - Omaha Hi/Lo - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 19.37 BB (VPIP: 64.10, PFR: 56.41, 3Bet Preflop: 50.00, Hands: 39)
SB: 893.3 BB (VPIP: 70.00, PFR: 36.00, 3Bet Preflop: 34.78, Hands: 50)
BB: 43.7 BB (VPIP: 23.53, PFR: 5.88, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 34)
UTG: 20 BB (VPIP: 37.50, PFR: 12.50, 3Bet Preflop: 16.67, Hands: 16)
Hero (CO): 16.58 BB

SB posts SB 0.25 BB, BB posts BB 0.5 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 0.75 BB) Hero has 7 A 4 A

UTG raises to 1 BB, [color=red]Hero ???

Hand 6 - I wish the 4 was a 3 or a 2 but this hand seems to have more than enough high and low potential to 3-bet to try to isolate the raiser and create dead money in the pot from the blinds.

Thoughts? Thanks.

1, yes trivial fold

2, slowplaying this type of hand once in a while is fine, especially since its HU allready, obviously raise is fine

3, I think this is a fairly straightforward 3b for value in a multiway pot, not really worried about our position since our decisions shouldn't be very tough, if this is full ring instead of 6max I would think about calling instead

4, honestly, I advocate major caution here, playing this hand oop correctly is extremely difficult, I think ditching it preflop is probably better in most situations

5, really think this hand is too good to fold with only 4 players behind, I raise, if we are utg this is a closer decision but still probably raising

6, yes trivial raise

Not much to add to what moni said but you are also pretty shortstacked in most of these. Like hand 3 - just pot it and gii on 4bet or most any flop. Can't wait around for a better hand.

Hand 1- Trivial fold
Hand 2- Raise it up. This hand plays well. Chance for high and low. I would prefer double suited, but I am just
being picky.
Hand 3- Same as hand 2 IMO. I wouldn't 3 bet of course. I would 3 bet short handed though. I would see a flop with
this hand.
Hand 4- Fold. This hand is good short handed but not full table. No low.
Hand 5- Same as above. But short handed I would lead out or 3 bet. Depends on table dynamics
Hand 6- Raise. Get rid of other low hands like A5. Now if you get called you have a good idea what the players
are calling with.

Did you miss that these were fixed-limit hands?

I agree with moni except hand 5, I would always fold that. Probably only opening it on the button.

So there is no other situation would lead or open with this? Short handed like 4 players? Doesn't it play short handed?

Maybe I would play it UTG in a 4 handed game. That spot is a little better than CO in full game because of card removal effects. I have experimented with playing this type of hand but it never works out for me. People will still call with hands like 24xx and have a better low draw.

I'm no expert though, and am pretty much always the tightest player at the table. Always thought it was funny that I actually play looser than the O8 books tell me to play, but I'm still tighter than anyone else...

I feel the same way when I play. Old guys tell me loosen up play lol

Hand 1 - Trivial fold.
Hand 2 - I would definitely 3 bet for value
Hand 3 - I might flat call this, though I think 3 bet is fine
Hand 4 - Trivial defend. I can't believe anyone is advocating folding.
Hand 5 - Probably fold, though suited aces always tempt me
Hand 6 - 3 bet to isolate

Nick, the jt99 hand seems like a standard defend if you look at the hot/cold equity but the playability is awful, the negative ev should exceed the cost of our blind

The main problem is its practically never clear how valuable the 99 is, not to mention rio in various spots and just missing bets due to being out of position and hoping to cr or whatever

So I would put this defend under the *for advanced players only category, and even then probably only if they feel they have a skill advantage against opener

Everything NickMPK said but I may just call AA2K in BB v BTNo for deception. 3!ing BB HU oop in LO8 above all games puts hands very face up and considering how close equities run, I think it may play better postflop with the deception. Given you are defending extremely wide in this spot too I think merits even more of a postflop playability advantage.

As for the A697ds hand, put me in the CO and I am opening

I actually read the AA2K hand wrong and thought hero was in SB. I agree with flat calling this heads up in BB.

Yep as if the 1bb raises didnt give it away.... Interesting discussion as i would probably still 3bet aces everytime but my player pool is ignition for what its worth. I still probably would fold hand 4 as well in L08.

I'm not seeing what's so hard to play about the JJT9 hand. In a heads-up limit pot, you're not going to be forced to fold out significant equity all that often (unlike a multiway pot). With this hand in particular, I'll probably be giving up on a lot of A-high flops and continuing on most others.

Yeah, you'll be forced to call down in a lot of spots where you are more or less getting freerolled, but the cost of this multiplied by its frequency are still quite a but lower than the cost of folding a blind minus those times where you get a high board that scoops the pot. And those scooping hands are pretty obvious and straightforward.

yeah i basically agree with all of these points