Hi Guys,
I'm fairly new playing a PLO8. I have decent results so far.
Before playing I started studing the basics of Theory of the game. Most of the informations I get are preflop.
I recently sit down to a live cash game table "PLO" table. In fact, it was Limit O8 with many loose player (at least 5/10 played every single hand). A good hand selection gives a real edge.
I also realized that the "limit" game is also very different than POT limit that I'm used to play on-line (especially in term of fold equity and freerolling). Basically your opponents have often the odd to limp/call. The result was on every hand 4/5 guys betting / betting / betting .... Limping / limping / limping ...
I managed to get 400$ in 2 hours but my feeling is that my play was far from beeing optimal. It was a defensive game in late position with check raise river when nuts. Basically, I tried to lower the variance when ensuring many people in the pot to get much money. It worked well with "gamblers" but I surely missed lots of value. I'm playing way more agressively on-line but on-line have less calling stations.
Questions:
I never raised hands like A23x s, AK2x s to hide the strengh of my hand due to the "limit" factor . I felt that gaining 4$x5 was small compared to having 2 guys paying my nut low or nut high because they don't really know where I am ...
When you flop a nut flush draw, should you raise any not paired board or does it increase just increase variance ? Is it simply limited by the number of players playing the hand ?
I haven't seen any postflop strategy for Limit 08 game. The math are way different with the limit and split factor - Any advice ?
That's also the kind of place very loose / passive / calling station where and exploitative approach is better than a pure Theorical one.
Thanks for your constructive feedback / comments and for any tips for crushing those small live games.

1. I never raised hands like A23x s, AK2x s to hide the strengh of my hand due to the "limit" factor . I felt that gaining 4$x5 was small compared to having 2 guys paying my nut low or nut high because they don't really know where I am ...

This is, for the most part, the incorrect way to think about limit o8 in loose passive games.

You may want to limp if first in, but if you have a few limpers before you, raise it up. Basically people who put money in will call, and many people will call for a single raise anyway.

Limp-3bet works even better. You need to do this with your A2xx hands as well as your broadway hands so that any board can hit you, but this is +ev with a lot of people in the pot since they will usually be drawing to non-nut lows. Note that your A2xx hands need to have a strong high component and/or a wheel backup low component to be really strong.

2. When you flop a nut flush draw, should you raise any not paired board or does it increase just increase variance ? Is it simply limited by the number of players playing the hand ?

Naked nut flush draw? Hmmm... that's a bit sketchy. It depends on the board, who has put money in the hand so far, etc. Nut low plus nut flush draw is generally good against any number of people. Maximize the money in the pot -- do that by figuring out the specific table dynamics at your table.

3. I haven't seen any postflop strategy for Limit 08 game. The math are way different with the limit and split factor - Any advice ?

It's really just relatively simple math post-flop in loose games. Despite what people say, you don't need to always be drawing to the nuts (although most of your hands should be). If you are good at reading hands, you will know when your non-nut hands are good and can bet/raise for value. I know I have read about it, but I can't remember where. Super System? Steve Badger? One of the o8 books? Anyway, the post flop strategy has been discussed. That said, I am not sure it is best for loose passive live games -- some of the **** I've seen is mind-boggling even at stakes as high as 20/40.

It higher stakes games, it becomes much trickier, but also much more interesting. That's an entire thread... or an entire forum... on its own.

4. That's also the kind of place very loose / passive / calling station where and exploitative approach is better than a pure Theorical one.

Oh yes... play exploitative in live lo8. You are missing out on EV if you play anything approximating GTO.

Many thanks ECV !!

Yeah here's a few strategic points for loose live FLO8 games:

1) tight is right. Yes it sucks to play such a boring style, but really, you need to be waiting for hands that play well multiway, and allow you to extract maximum value.

2) limping becomes okay. Why invest 2 bets OOP with no shot of winning without a showdown with hands that aren't equity hogs, when you can invest 1? So you pick up (AJ)(Q9) or (A3)72 and for sure want to play, but know these are hands unlikely to scoop. So go for a limp. Why not?

3) still stick in your raises when you have big hands. Like when you get AA$W or AK2 or A23 in late position, you need to be putting in raises with these hands.

4) hand values Change dramatically. In PLO8, even in loose games, a bare nut low hand is a trouble hand, as we can get quartered and lose half of our stack. But in a loose FLO8 game, the bare nut low can be a very valuable hand. Example: if 6 people see a turn, and you bet your nut low and get called in every spot, you win money even if you're being quartered. And because of the price everyone is getting due to loose preflop play, A3 and 32 lows will likely call if they have anything to go along with it.

5) resist temptation in the small blind. 5 limps and you look down at garbage in the SB. Don't be afraid to just fold it, regardless of pot odds. You're basically near guaranteed to be in a spot where you'll have to be making calls you don't like making post.

Thanks !