What is the strategy for bomb pots?

Both single and double board.

I know they are not really plus EV but people like to do it because they think poker is gambling.

Why wouldn't bomb pots be + EV? Everyone has an equal chance assuming we get to play all positions while at the table. Just nut peddle and run into someone who overvalues their hand. Especially if we are talking about PLO double board bomb pots.

I disagree. There is a lot of strategy in single board NLHE bomb pots. Nut peddling can be done sometimes, but there is a lot of skill on how to play bomb pots besides nut peddling in the hopes of a fish overplaying his hand.

General strat (NLHE single board):

The earlier your position the less often you'll be betting on flop, so when you do bet it should be bigger with a stronger range. EP can even happily range check all flops.

Top pair and/or overpairs are very often good to bet at least two streets. Esp. as bomb pots are often big and SPR will be low.

Hands often don't have good board interaction, so flush/straight draws are _much_ harder (players have ~3x offsuit hands as suited).
This also means that any big draws you have (good FD, open ender) are much stronger, and you should bet them a lot.
This also means that if you have AA on 8x7x6y your hand is much stronger than if this was preflop raised, or even limped, pot.

Saying that, to expand on the last two points, if you have AA and it's 8x7x5y and multiple people start trying to put money in you want to be thinking about folding (76/65 is just as likely as 96/85).

Try to see what other people are doing on the flop, eg. on T62r do they call all 6x or any 987 with an overcard?
Dito bluffs vs. value ... as above it's difficult to have good bluffs or value, so the most likely thing is if people are betting/raising they have a good hand.

Depending on players you can bet "a lot" in late position, but if you do so it needs to be smaller. But a lot is relative, unless everyone is terrible.

Illiterate,

Do you play a lot of single board NLHE bomb pots?

Just asking because I do. I don't think that you are 100% wrong with your strategy analysis of general bomb pot strategy, but I think that you are off base slightly/somewhat/a lot in certain facets of bomb pot strategy.

Double board you want a chance at both pots just like any split pot game. Beware if you have zero equity on one board and a vulnerable hand on the other.

Single board you need decent hands to continue imo because Of all the random hands. I don’t like much worse than top 2 if I’m getting heavy action or multi-way spots

Hard to say what is "a lot" ... I play a fun weekly game (food and drinks is more than one buyin, everyone a little drunk) where we do a bomb pot every one or two rounds (depending on how many players).
I've also played too much live 1-2 where everybody limps way too much, and it feels very similar.

I would also say that one thing you have to be careful of is how much is everyone auto calling pre. for. A 2.5x BB is kind of common, and mostly works for 6 handed or less ... but even that can get problematic 9 handed.
If you have the option to change the game, just for action, I'd recommend other things ... but BP are easy to explain and okayish.


I wouldn't be shocked if people playing them every hand at 5-10 it becomes a lot more conservative but I don't have anywhere near enough of a roll to play that insanity, even if I wanted to.

Bomb pots are great for the game as long as people aren't scared of playing big pots. If there are 1-2 people who would rather not have higher variance bigger pots, then I wouldn't push the bomb pots out of respect to them.

But if the whole table is down for bomb pots, bomb pots are great for building a good table.

Anything that add fun to the game and loosens everyone up is +EV on it's own.

I basically fly by the seat of my pants in them, everyone has ATC pre, so if you have bottom two and people are throwing money in and raising, it might be a good time to let it go (just use common sense post flop).