Had a pretty interesting hand.. on Bovada so no HH but here goes

50 of 90 left in 4k MTT, 9 spots pay w $140 for min cash and $1200 up top.

I have 13,500 which is 3rd in chips at table.

UTG limps with an identical stack and folds to Hero three off button,

I have A1022...

I opt to pot to 1350.. maybe spewy, but limps are usually weakish and I have the 2 2s blocker so I can get Heads up with position a lot I think, plus I have the pretties card in the deck thoughts here?

anyway, fold to UTG who calls, flop comes an interesting 1032, UTG checks and I decide to check back, to half disgiuse my hand and play a small pot on bad run outs, thoughts here?

Turn comes a pretty 9, and UTG bets 3150 into me with 10k behind. Our hero tanks and clicks which button?

Don't like the flop check very much. Hand needs protection and imo is not strong enough to trap with.

Turn is a shove for me. Weak visibility, so better get value now from two pair (he's not pot-folding anything). I guess you could argue for flatting and folding to some hearts, but probably not to any high straightening cards. I don't think that is better than shoving anyway, you'll just miss some value often.

I don't necessarily dislike the flop check, there are lots of horrible turn cards and spots for your hand otherwise, also it's just good for your overall flop checking range, and you can misrepresent your hand, which can get you into some cool spots later in the hand because of it...
Such as this one. I'm definitely potting/shoving the turn after we check flop.

Hard to fold this, but I don't think it's a very good starting hand. I think low pairs are weak and can be troublesome. The hand lacks high card strength and low back-up.

Are you calling the A the prettiest card in the deck? At any rate, I like limping better than potting. (The hand lacks high card strength and low back-up).

So you missed a spade flush/draw and missed for low. You have bottom set, which tends to be painful in this game.

I like betting better to disguise your hand.

Well, now I'd pot it, hoping to steal. But I wouldn't have quite gotten here because I would limp on the first betting round and I would pot on the second betting round.

I haven't read the other opinions yet.

Buzz

Buzz, why do you say that betting disguises his hand? It's checking that disguises his hand here imo.

Wouldn't you want to protect exactly because of this?


Agreed.

Because I think betting this flop more likely represents some other hand, a low draw, a heart draw, a straight draw, a higher set, nothing...

That's evidently what OP (deadpeddler) thinks too.

And I'll concede checking this flop does disguise 22** (bottom flopped set). However, as Villain, although 22** would be included in Hero's possible range if Hero bet this flop, there are many other stronger possibilities (nothing, a low draw, a heart draw, a straight draw, two pairs, a higher set).

Basically, I don't think 22** is worth concealing, compared to the value of possibly taking this pot with a pot sized bet... and if Villain does call, well... Hero's probably ahead, so fine.

I don't want Villain to be drawing after this flop. It's not too far fetched for Villain to have a couple of uncounterfeited low cards or a couple of hearts. I'd much rather Villain folded such hands (or paid to draw for them) after this particular flop.

I think of hands with low pairs as trap hands in Omaha-8... that is, they can be expensive losers, especially when the board pairs and Hero ends up with bottom boat... but after this particular flop, if the board doesn't subsequently pair, low, a straight, or a flush will tend to be possible and then Hero, with bottom set, will be in the awkward position of guessing what Villain has when Villain bets. I'd much rather win this hand with a pot sized bet on round #2 than take a chance on my opponent not improving.

Hero (deadpeddler) raises pre-flop with A1022. Without knowing how Hero plays, the pre-flop raise doesn't mean much to me. Could be this, could be that. Unsophisticated players tend to raise with A2** and AA** hands, but there's no guarantee Hero has one of those. More sophisticated players who raise with A2** or AA** hands tend to also raise with various other hands, perhaps every hand they'll play, in order to make their starting hands less obvious.

I'll agree A2** stands out as a possibility, and is at least included within Hero's range, when Hero raises on round #1, and then when Hero checks on round #2, depending on how Villain reads Hero, in general A2** looks like a stronger possibility.

Actually, Hero with (AT2)2 including the spade draw misses (1) the heart draw, (2) the low draw, (3) a low straight draw, and (4) top set on the flop. What he has is that ****ty bottom set (which would be very strong if we were playing Texas hold 'em... but we're not... instead we're playing Omaha-8... where a flopped set of twos sucks, especially with a flush draw, a low draw, and a low straight draw present on the flop).

What about disguising 22**? I'll concede a check on the flop does tend to disguise 22**. But meh. That's sort of like disguising that you have a chocolate eclair to use as a possible weapon in a street fight. (To my way of thinking, a chocolate eclair is not much of a weapon in a street fight).

Buzz

ship ldo. i don't mind the check since you are going to be in bad shape if any low card comes on the turn.

Hello

Iso-Raise is ok, but a little bit lower than pot thus you can play a smaller pot and take advantage of your post-flop skills.

On the Flop don't worry about your bSet, you have it, now make the best of it.

What do you have to consider?
-you have a nice stack, a drawheavyBoard, an unknown opponent
> so you can let your hand go if it will be necessary

So what could be a good line to win that pot and simulaniously minimize your risk?

#IF you chb on the flop you give up control as you can see you are in big troubble on the turn.(how can someone repotAll-In onTurn?^^)
>low SPR, no clue were you stand >chb the Flop, you have to give up the hole hand(without reads)

#IF you bet flop you keep initiative, you give him a chance to fold.
How much would you bet with a hand you wouldn't let him from the hook with, say A45xs? so bet 40-60%
>fold to a chR
>fold to Turn-bet / chb on turn if he checks
>fold to River-bet(if not improve)
>he checks the river >evaluate if you can split/scoop(so chb) or have to bet to press out a marginial onewayhand

You have bSet, no LD, noFD
You have no reads on your opponent
You have no chips to maneuver

I hope this helps

i have a question at you deadpeddler: are the blings growing as slow as on stars at PLO8 MTT's?

if so you have much much time to build a stack and should take this into consideration too(if you not already know )

Blinds go up pretty slow in this MTT, so no real pressure to make a move.. I try to take advantage of that and attack Bec. people want to wait for better spots and usually let me run over them a bit..

appreciate all the input here... will hold off on posting results to not kill the discussion.

Pre is fine.
Flop is kinda meh i rather just pot it.
Jam turn?

I agree with Pandick.

Flop is not that good. I would just pot flop and hope to hold.

alright... consensus seems to be preflop okay but smaller sizing maybe better, flop is a bet/call usually, and as played turn is a jam.

in game jammed turn and he snap called w K335 and hearts and it was GG for our hero.

Thanks for input guys, onto the next one.

this

so many times when u check this flop you would have a terrible hand because you got counterfeited and/or want a free card to make an OK high hand/good high draw.

so its important to have some good made hands in your range when u check back, tho i accept that you're never checking any solid made hand with a top draw to go with it like A4 here.

and lets face it you're like 2 to 1 favourite to get a crap turn card. i'd rather bloat up on a safe turn rather than spewing chips into the pot now and having to fold later if he calls.

btw not too keen on the raise pre because it's pot limit and you're playing 3 cards (2nd deuce is not really a worthwhile card vast majority of the time postflop) not 4 so will get punished hard for that often. you were also out of position and didnt really need to bloat up the pot from up front at this stage of the tournament and stack depth. from what i can tell it's 150/300 that you're playing. why are you looking to play a big pot with this hand? do you think your hand is that much better than UTG's? against a good UTG player they will have way better hands than u. imo limp or fold. folding would be the most disciplined choice. i view the limp as "well i shouldn't really but sod it i'm playing this hand"

when it comes 9 and there's one card to come, your hand is suddenly quite a bit stronger, especially because its so under-repped and he can/should be betting sooooooo wide here. so all in we go.

in a cash game tho, i have an entirely different response that correlates with those of my right honourable friends in the opposite camp.

I'm fine with flop check. Even if its slightly less ev (not clear) pot control is still nice. We aren't that far ahead of normal utg holdings if the player is decent and will have lots of tough decisions on turn when called. Turn jam is obvious.

However villain showing up with a sketchy hand like that suggests betting flop is better against him than it would be many other opponents.