9 handed PLO with lots of money on the table, 1/2 blinds with 5 bring-in and 5-20 button straddle. I start hand with $335 and am covered by all.

I button straddle to $5
Sb calls, utg calls, crazy action player in MP makes it $25, LP calls, I call on button with T965, sb calls, utg folds
Flop QJ9, checks to MP who bets $50 into $107, LP folds, I call, everyone else folds
Turn 9, MP bets $180 into $207, I call
River Q, MP shoves for $80 effective, I fold

MP was definitely a maniac. I saw him call a pot sized bet on an earlier hand with a gutshot, no pair, no backdoors, and he'd potted pre over limpers the previous 3 hands. Vs a reg I prob would just fold at every juncture, but I'm wondering if there's any justification for my line.

Straddle to $5 in a $5 bring in? Just to get final to act? And why if you are short?

Anyway, fold pre, especially this short. I just fold the flop. As played, shove or fold turn. As played, might as well call river now that you are here.

This hand looks like a disaster starting with calling preflop imo

Fold pre, fold flop. Turn onwards is irrelevant.

Yes that is the straddle format. The purpose for my button straddling is multi-faceted. For one, having position pre and post seems a pretty nice advantage especially in PLO. Many NLHE games I've played in and seen on TV did not allow re-straddling on the button (ex. 4 handed, utg straddles, button restraddle would not be permitted), so maybe this logic is wrong but I figure if it's such an advantage that it's forbidden in some games I should take it when it's allowed. Furthermore, this tends to be a pretty limpy game with a lot of pots going 7 or 8 ways to the flop; therefore, I figure there's a good chance I'll limp in anyways, so limping blind so-to-speak doesn't hurt much. Additionally, in my experience in this game, people are way more likely to limp in when there's a button straddle versus when there isn't a button straddle, so I can see a flop for $5 from the straddle versus having to pay a raise of $15 or more, and I still have the option to pot it up to $35 when I have a premium. Lastly, it's a friendly game, most of the players know one another, and straddling is standard, so you don't want to upset the status quo or you might not find yourself a seat in the game going forward.

Back to the hand in question, fold pre definitely makes sense. How close to a call is it? Would being double suited be enough to make it a call? Flop seems like the closest spot to me. My plan when I called turn was to call all non-queen rivers. I don't see anyone trying to make a crazy $80 river bluff, and that queen on the river increased the number of value hands my opponent could have. Why not just flick it in? Well $80 is still plenty of dough, and while of course this is results-oriented, I ended up running it up to $1350 without reloading, so I'm glad I didn't just sigh call.

This hand even double suited isn't going to play very well post flop in what is likely to be a 5 or 6 way pot after you call. The reasons for this should be obvious (disconnection in cards, easily dominated in suit & straight draws etc.) Being in position isn't enough to overcome the fact this hand is so weak multiway.

T987 must be a call. T986? T976? What's the line?

This is the only reason I can see for your straddling here.

I think a call preflop is fine, if and only if, you can play the hand well post flop. If you are going to get stuck in poor spots where you are drawing to marginal hands at best (like this hand), then you need to save yourself and fold Pre-Flop.

Fold/Call Preflop, either option is fine in my eyes. Based on your play in the later streets, I'd recommend folding in your shoes though.

Flop is a definite fold. You're just gonna get yourself jacked up in spots like this drawing to basically Zero nutted hands (backdoor quad 9's is it). The turn card is basically the best card in the deck for you, and you still don't even feel comfortable getting it all in...

I'm also kind of blown away you just called the turn and didn't get it all in. What's the thought process here?

yes

Preflop must be a fold. Focus on high suits w/ connectivity if you want to play hands here.

Fold pre,
Fold flop

You're too short to play this hand and if i somehow get to the river I would make a crying call given the price you're getting

The line is based on how many flops you can hit hard enough to not be afraid to get it in against another player who seems interested in playing a big pot. This fluctuates based on how lightly the other players in the pot are willing to play for stacks. Not being afraid to get it in doesn't mean that you have to play it aggressively post-flop, though.

I would fold this hand on flop.

If you're folding this hand on the button, you're probably playing one hand per hour live. That's no fun.
Call pre, fold flop, fold turn, fold river

Raise pre...only joking, fold pre.