My solver (Omaha Poker Training) wants me to donk bet into the pre-flop raiser a lot. In live NL, I rarely donk bet. How often do good players donk bet in live PLO games? What are a few situations that are really good for donk betting?

I am not an expert at PLO by any means, but in general leading should be far more common in PLO. This is because when people whiff the flop—or just flop something marginal—they are going to bet much more rarely. Continuing aggression when it’s easy for players to have flopped huge is not a good thing, so you often have to take over the betting yourself.

In live NL, I generally donk bet when both of the following conditions are met:

1. I have a good hand or a good draw.

2. The pre-flop raiser or whoever's last to act post-flop tends to check a particular board.

I see now why you have to bet your own hand (donk bet) more often in live PLO.

A couple situations where I get confused:

1. Someone opens from MP, and I defend my BB with KsQc8h7s. The flop is 9s5c2d. Solver wants me to bet out of position with weak draws because check-calling is bad and because I have a decent chance to win the pot. Sam Trickett did this a few times with weak draws on Party Poker Live.

2. I open from HJ with KsJc9h8s, a LAG 3-bets me on the BTN, and I call. The flop is 9c7s6c. SPR is 4. Solver wants me to bomb into him (perhaps to apply max pressure to AAxx/KKxx?) and maybe play for stacks. I have no idea if bet-call, check-shove, or check-call is the best play (I'd actually be happy if it checks through).

jnandez talks about this. It doesn't mean start donking a ridiculous amount. But he says most don't donk enough, and people make the incorrect adjustment of thinking they should cbet more when they should be checking back and taking more free cards. Also if people are cbetting too high then not donking as often can be more optimal since you can go for the checkraise more often.

In live NLHE, I like donking more often in multiway raised pots from the blinds. I can get called wider, and checkraising can just blow people out. It's not a default, more of a "it depends".

I have a name for the Donk bettors in my PLO game .. "No Liking Money Guy" .. because two things are going to happen:

1) They win zero more chips
2) They are going to have to play for their whole stack

You might think these are both exploitable 'conditions' but as stated above when you are in a game where Players C-bet too much then the need to Donk is reduced since your value will come from the x/r or Donking the Turn (which is much more 'acceptable' in my mind than Donking a Flop).

It is very true that there is a tendency to think that a Donk bet is to protect a vulnerable hand and therefore AAxx should ATTACK with two cards to go. IMO this is a mistake by the AA guys and I appreciate the donated chips. But I also flip that around and suggest that the missed value from a x/r or an unnecessary c-bet can be more valuable than a Donk strat while at certain tables. GL

Very table and player dependent. As noted at more aggro tables or with a preflop raiser who cbets too often the c/r is preferable since you trap them and anyone who calls in between. At more passive tables where you can't rely on a cbet and people mainly play their cards you need to bet for protection yourself to deny equity and charge draws or build a pot with your best draws. Common examples are vulnerable top set hands like 88 on 852cc or nfd+sd.

The not donk betting into the pre-flop raiser post flop from hold'em doesn't translate at all to PLO, imo.

Most live PLO pots are multiway. If that's not true for your game, quit and find a better one.

You should be betting the flop less often multiway, regardless of the preflop action.

This isn’t true. For example, BTN SB BB, the BB can bet the flop MORE often on many boards, as they have position on another player essentially increasing the EV to ply future streets potentially in position with a bigger pot. Whereas when you donk HU BB vs BTN, you will be out of position on future streets.

You cannot give the pre-flop raiser a free card by auto checking to him when the flop is yours. Nope. Horrible. Donk betting doesn't apply to PLO.

Multiway there are tendencies to donk bet on very strong flops for hero, even EP or MP. I like this (lower stakes) as people can be very unbelieving and will float surprisingly light. Id rather attempt to build pot then potentially give a free card.Heads up is slightly different obviously.

I'm a big fan of the donk bet, pot and player depending.

Donk bets by low-stakes players online are the nuts and are exploitable folds. This is a population read, and of course, wouldn't apply if the donk better is one of the better playing regs, but for the majority of players - when they donk bet they have a vulnerable strong hand, like a set, and it's an easy fold if you can't beat that or draw to beat that.

donk betting with a plan on certain runouts is better, and you should be stacking off on non range changing runouts. down donk betting for pot control against a high c-better is better. donk betting hoping to take it down and shutting down is terrible.

you should have a reason and a plan, not because solvers say to.

Most people take out ep donks cuz they want to keep it simple, but its def something to add to your arsenal if youre able to balance well.