In my home game (cash game), I was reprimanded for “not showing common courtesy”. I don’t understand what I did wrong so I’m asking others to weigh in. In the hand in question, I was last to act after the river in a PLO bomb pot. It was a heads up with my opponent to my right. In our PLO bomb pots, there are two boards. After my opponent checked, I raised to the pot limit, he calls and we split the pot. He then gave me a harsh reprimand for raising, citing that I should have known the pot was going to be chopped and therefore I should have checked. Was this bad etiquette?

Don't play in home games (and this sounds like a actual home game vs. an underground game) and I am not a big fan of bomb pots, but ...

Unless your opponent is the host (and even then should be away from game), he should not reprimand you are anyone. And never harshly unless the offense is egregious.

Don't know why he thinks you should "know" it will be chopped. Personally if I have the nuts on board #1, I am always potting OTR in position. Even if I have nothing on board #2. I know I am getting at least break even EV and I might get a fold.

I suspect (and this does change my opinion of the nature of this game), V's concern is that raising only to chop is increasing the pot and thus the rake. So only the house benefits. While might be true, I probably still often go for the fold.

You could just tell him that maybe he know it was a chop but you did not.

As noted, I am far from an expert, but I don't see anything wrong with making a bet

LOL. If you had the nuts on one board, they would have been mad at you for checking

I understand if the rake is high and was affected by your bet, but regardless it's fine. Definitely not bad etiquette.

Unless you saw his cards how are you supposed to know it's a chop?

Just say "I was trying to bluff you off the chop".

What did the other players at the table say? Why does this guy expect all this courtesy, I mean it's a poker game we're all there trying to win each other's money it's not a tea party.

Thanks for the reply. I only asked one other player afterwards, the most experienced in my mind, and he didn’t think I did anything wrong.

Your opponent is a twat.

Just say "Oh my bad, I guess you're just more smarter than me" and move on.

Double board PLO bomb pots are one of the toughest games of knowing when you are chopping simply because not only do you have to put your opponent on a range, you have to do it on two boards. Furthermore, there are so many cards out there that any combination is live.

I have only played double board PLO bomb pots occasionally, but I have dealt a ton of them. I am constantly amazed at hands because they do not turn out as expected.

Furthermore, one of the most fundamental things players need to learn about poker is that other players do not think like they do. For some decent players, one of their biggest leaks is that they do not make enough thin value bets. They think they won't get called by worse, so they don't value bet on the river. They need to bet more, other players do not think like them and will call with worse.

Carry this over to your situation, you never know what is going to call. Bet if it is even remotely possibly WV.

Zero issue here with making a bet .. unless ..

1) You hold no blockers to 'the other Board'
2) The rake is not capped as of yet

This is PLO boyz .. 6 combos of holdings where anything can connect runner-runner.

Also .. remind this Player that a chopped Board can go either way. Betting into a chopped Board will cost 'someone' 50% of that bet at Showdown. While there are no ties in Flushes there are most certainly ties with Straights and some Full Houses.


How to approach this? Away from the table for sure. Start with the Host unless you know the Player better. Home Games can be tricky with the smaller Player Pools.

There are a boat load of comments you could toss back at this guy .. but it's probably best to just let it go. I typically just let it slide and then hope to get the guy off the pot in another hand when he gripes about you 'doing it again'. "Well, sire, I have both Boards this time" .. GL

even then the villain could also have air on the 2nd board and just has a really good hand but not the nuts on the other board

you were absolutely correct to bet pot on the river holding the nuts on one of the boards

Sounds like your opponent was just a fish who would get mad if you check raised him or sucked out on him