5 handed dealer's choice home game. We typically play $0.50/$1.00 NLHE but recently switched to include more games. Everyone in the game is incredibly intelligent, though of hugely variable poker ability.

UTG (~$120): Overall competent poker player. Doesn't have much Omaha experience but is a decent NLHE player and is good at transferring relevant knowledge over. Understands relative hand value for the most part but occasionally overvalues hands.

CO (~$90): Huge calling station preflop, gets a little sticky postflop with marginal holdings and loves to chase but understands relative hand value and will eventually fold weak hands to large bets.

BTN (Covers): Hero. Perceived to be a good player, on the LAG side. Been running pretty bad over the last few weeks and honestly playing too loose and not as well as I should be (my opponents have gotten better but I hadn't been adjusting properly so I got myself into too many marginal spots). Tightened up tonight and am up a bit.

SB (~$150): Doesn't play much and is overall a weak player. Too aggressive in some spots and overvalues hands, though capable of making "big" folds (big in the sense that they would be big in NLHE but not in PLO). Earlier in PLO, he got 5428 all in on flop on 542dd vs Hero's A368dd for ~100bb in a 5-way limped pot.

BB (~$150): Similar to SB in playing style and ability.

Preflop ($0.75):

UTG pots ($1.75), CO calls, Hero calls with A542, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop ($8.75): 295

SB leads for pot ($8.75), BB calls, UTG calls, CO folds, Hero repots ($43.75). SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls.

Turn ($113.75): Q

UTG checks, Hero shoves.

If you lost this hand it just seems like a bad beat thread if somehow that turn Queen got UTG made.

IMO it's a very straightforward spot to get all your chips in. Most likely your two pair is the best hand right now, you are only against one player who has way more draws than made hands. Honestly you want a call (if your bankroll can sustain losing!).

If he's called with AQ3x, maybe with Q flush draw and got there with two pair that's just unlucky.

FYI:

ProPokerTools Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation

820 trials (Exhaustive)

board: 295

Hand	Pot equity	Scoops	Wins Hi	Ties Hi	Wins Lo	Ties Lo
ah5h4s2d	60.03%	299	673	8	108	9
Acqh3h2s	39.97%	136	139	8	450	9

ProPokerTools Omaha Hi/Lo Simulation

40 trials (Exhaustive)

board: 295Q

Hand	Pot equity	Scoops	Wins Hi	Ties Hi	Wins Lo	Ties Lo
ah5h4s2d	25.00%	8	12	0	3	0
Acqh3h2s	75.00%	28	28	0	15	0

So even if you are against that type of hand you are not in terrible shape, 3 to 1 against isn't the worst. I mean, ok it's bad, but you are definitely ahead of this man's range. This just happens to be about the top of it.

Oh I just wanted to make sure all my lines are right (calling pre vs 3betting, sizing on flop, etc.). I thought it was pretty straightforward but just want to make sure.

Do NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT 3b pre. You have A5 high and a perfect pull hand. You do MUCH better at higher SPRs and multiway pots than like all in pre

I think 3-bet is VERY VERY VERY +EV in a typical donkish home game.

I mean of course it's +EV...but i think less +EV than calling that. Having said that I don't know anything about donkish home games.

In a "real" game, I'm very sure that calling is better

3-betting pre would be fine. What you did is fine as well.

I'm an uncreative, pretty tight player and even I would be looking to hammer it as hard as possible with this hand on this flop. I've played in many of these types of low-stakes home games and you're printing money by getting it in as quickly as possible here. If he had something dumb like Q943 or Ac3cXX and held/got there, it's a bad result, but your play was fine.

Looks like a well played hand to me. UL I assume?

Thanks for the responses guys. Most of my experience is in NLHE so every once in a while I just want to make sure that what I think are standard decisions are in fact standard. I didn't 3b pre because the blinds were super fishy and I feel like my hand plays better multiway anyways. I ended up shipping the pot vs A389cc.

Hero's line, as mentioned, is obviously good.

SB's line with a389cc is more interesting though.

This deep I think check-calling flop is far superior to potting. Then he avoids potential trouble and sticky situations like the one in which he wound up.

Small blind pot/folded. The villain's (UTG) line was call/call on flop, then check/call turn. Seems ok to me.

Well, then it's fine. My bad.

UTG most likely has A3xx as played. Yeah if he has A23Q well that's when I start saying things like

**** this **** **** **** game.