I have heard different opinions on this hand from good players. So I figured I would bring it here.


Fish limps. I limp button AQT9. Both blinds check. Flop T63 rainbow I have backdoor Q high flush draw.

SB checks. BB bets, fish folds. What do I do?

You should specify what is the betting format (fixed limit, pot-limit, or no-limit), and number of players dealt into the hand.

But since you just say "BB bets" and no amount, I'm going to assume for now this is a fixed limit hand. If so, I would fold preflop. As played I would likely still fold to the bet on the flop.

I agree with chillrob

I agree with chillrob too.

Buzz

With more players limping in ahead of me, I would limp as well. With just one fish calling ahead of me, I might raise preflop to try to knock out one or both of the blinds and get heads-up with the fish. Now I have both position and the initiative. I would then bet any flop that looks like it missed the fish completely (like JJ6) or any flop that connects with my hand even slightly (like one pair or a gut-shot straight draw).

As played, I would call on the flop and wait to see what develops. The BB could have a bare nut-low draw, or one pair plus a low draw, or something like 245x or A45x. You might have the best hand right now. He might check the turn. See how the board runs out and what further actions he takes.

However, if a low card comes on the turn, especially one that makes a straight possible (i.e., not an Ace), and the BB continues to bet, I might just fold the turn. I would then have weak prospects for high and no prospects for low—which of course is the argument for folding this hand preflop.

6 Max Fixed Betting Limit Omaha 8 or better.

this nittery will not stand, man

I think Hero's starting hand, let's say
AQT9, is a piece of dung at a six max table (strike 1). But OK, I suppose there are some flops such that the hand is expected to do all right.

However, this particular flop, let's say
T63, is not one of them (strike 2).

After this particular flop the hand probably drops slightly in worth. And when someone bets (strike 3), it looks even worse.

That's card sense, not nittery.

Just my opinion.

Buzz

If your ace is suited, I would probably limp as well in this spot preflop. If not, I think you should probably fold.

As played, I'm leaning toward raising the flop and hoping I don't have to put any more money in unimproved. Folding is plausible, but seems slightly too nittish to me when you're only facing one bet from a random hand in the BB.

Me too. I'd limp with a suited ace.

As is, with only a suited queen, I think the hand is playable in Omaha-high, but not in Omaha-8.

There are only three small bets in the pot from the first betting round. Considering Hero's hand and the flop, there are 24/45 missing cards that enable low. Low thus is likely to be enabled about four times in five (actually 78.79%). We're only playing for the high half of the pot four times out of five. (The fifth time out of five we're playing to scoop, with no low possible).

Big Blind is probably semi-bluffing and Small Blind is more or less expected to fold, but also could be Small Blind was thinking of check/raising.

It's more fun to play the hand than to fold it, but we're more likely to end up winners at the end of the evening if we let this one go.

Folding is on the nitty side, I suppose, but I think raising is too rash, and meekly calling is too passive. So I have the three choices:
fold>>>>raise>>call

Just my opinion.

Buzz

If you limp hope you are suited to the ace but agree w/ others that it is marginal at best

Its very different from limping akqj, akqt, kqjt, etc because the 87 flops reduce your equity vs low draws tremendously

As played fairly routine call