Game is $1/$3 PLO, $500 max buyin. Here are the players in this hand:

V1 in SB ($1750): Best player in the room bar none. Smart, aggressive, huge winner in both NL and PLO. I stay away from him as much as possible, especially when he has position because he just puts tremendous pressure on you on a ton of boards.
V2 in HJ ($425): Don’t know him; younger white guy, seems like a decent rec player but plays pretty straightforward
V3 OTB ($700): Middle Eastern whale…game revolves around him and one other regular (who isn’t here). Really nice guy, independently wealthy, and will happily jam it all in extremely light. He is into the game for $3k at this point.
Hero ($1250) in MP2; relatively new to PLO so feeling my way. Probably viewed as Tight/Passive without good hands.

Onto the hand:

Folded to Hero who limps with AK4J. Folds to V2 who makes it $10 to go, V3 flats as does V1, BB folds and Hero calls. First Q…is this limp/flat OK in the middle? I know my hand is only so so with 3 suited and a 4 dangler, but I thought it was close enough to call.

Flop ($43)
844

V1 donks pot ($45). So decision #2 and I think there might be merit to all 3 choices (flat, raise, fold). I have the best naked 4, but given the small raise pre, the other 4 could be out there. I am most worried about V1 holding 84 or 88 here, especially since he is leading into 3 other players., one of whom is the whale who he knows will call super light. I think my hand is too strong to fold right now, but not strong enough to raise and I didn't think raise/folding made sense at this point either. I also have a chance of hitting 1 of my three overs on the turn which would improve me against 84. So I decide to call. Thought process make sense or am I way off?

V2 flats as well quickly and V3 (whale) folds.

Turn ($170 after rake)
844Q

V1 donks for pot ($170) after a slight hesitation. V3 has $375 left and V1 has me covered.

Hero?

Thanks in advance.

Shorn

Even if you bingo hit your ace on the turn you still aren't happy with your hand.

If your read is correct on v1 he has 88, 84, maybe a4.

Once he bets the turn he has 88 and nothing else.

But your read on the flop is right. Why is he betting into an entire field? I call the flop because I have position and he could be spazzing a bit with an over pair or a worse 4. But it isn't likely. His turn action will let me know.

The turn is an easy fold.

cause he flopped eights full and knows no one is folding a four

Thanks guys. I did end up folding the turn as I just couldn't come up with two hands that I beat from V1 and V2 collectively. V2 also folded and flashed Q4...V1 did not show.

I'm very suspicious of Hero's read on V1, like can you replace all that text with "villain bets a lot and people don't call him".

Good PLO players shouldn't be calling many hands in SB which contain 88, esp. when ok rec. opens, or donking pot on 844 with 88** and then potting turn into two callers ... esp. if the next best hand folds turn when you pot again.

It's kind of hard to think of a hand I want V1 to have which makes the read correct, maybe 8765? Meh, maybe he is really good 99%+ of the time and this was an outlier.


If the read is correct and hero is trying to "stay away from him as much as possible" then probably don't limp/overcall (AKJ)4 300bb deep against him.

Without reads I think hand is close between limp/raise/fold, and given hero's reads on himself I'd lean towards open fold anyway.

On the upside, you did have the 2nd best hand when you folded.