My image is very tight, although this guy has seen me make a few bluffs (one a very bad one). They all know I play more NLHE than PLO, so I think they're a little unsure about my PLO play.

I did buy a few pots in this game, and I think this player was probably also aware of that. But I don't think there was any doubt in his mind that I had the nut straight here. After the hand, he said he would've raised but was afraid I had a redraw to a bigger straight. I think that was an honest statement.

As to LP, I'm also a bit confused. We've played a lot more NLHE than PLO together, and he kind of wavers between just auto-folding whenever I bet and then once in a while getting upset and playing back at me. I also find it amazing that he would lay down KK here, so maybe he didn't have it--possibly top 2 or just a K with big cards would really be logical, although that passive flop bet is just bad whatever he had.

I really think that guy, while he's played a lot of poker, makes just a LOT of mistakes in trying to play by feel, with tendencies to get frustrated and aggro (or also on a roll and aggro).

I'd say that the good players in this game (MP probably being the best, although when it's 1/2, he sometimes doesn't take it terribly seriously) probably think I'm very tight, have a good feel for starting hands, generally straightforward, and have a few "plays" as well. But that I sometimes misstep in making the plays due to lack of experience in the game and that I miss out on some pots due to playing too tight. The former is accurate, but the latter I'm not at all sure about--at least pretty much all of the lit seems to advocate staying away from crappy starting hands (Ciaffone being a little looser than most, and I rarely lay down anything that Ciaffone wouldn't play, I'm pretty sure--at least PF).

There's also a little bit of history between me and the good player here: I had QQ once with top set, bet out flop and turn at pot on a board with a club draw and some little straight draws. I also had the naked Ac. Well, clubs did hit the river but no straight. I checked, and he potted. Well, I thought about this for a bit and finally called and won (he didn't show, but I would assume some kind of wrap here). The Ac was the decisive factor here as I knew he at least couldn't have been LOOKING for clubs with the nut club in my hand--but of course he could have had a straight draw with some little clubs.

In the hand from last night, the clubs didn't show up until the turn, and he said he didn't know whether I would have called or not (also accurate I think). He just looked totally shocked when I checked the river to him--the look on his face was pretty hilarious...

I figure he also does think I'm a little too tight/predictable, and he may be right. But I'm at least working on betting out some good draws and not being strictly nut-peddlish.

In his shoes, I agree with you that raising is better due to the uncertainty with LP. Maybe he had a better read on LP than me--they've at least played a lot of PLO together. Or maybe he was adhering to much to the principle of only raising with a redraw, which is a good principle, but I don't think it entirely applied in this situation with LP still in and only $200 or so left in a pot that was already at $600. I would have had to call even without any redraw at that point.

Very interesting analysis! Thanks.

I'm beginning to think LP was lying about his hand and was trying to bet his AA, actually. I'll have to keep an eye on this the next time we play. A few aspects: The raise I recall for that guy on QQ/KK in LP was normally $10. This time he raised to $15... possibly a tell, particularly in conjunction with the weak flop bet.

I know he thought I might fold to a scare-card. And I honestly don't know whether I would have had the presence of mind at the table to bet it myself. I really only realized after the hand that it would have been the best play on my part. Realistically, I think I probably would have just check-called a scare-card given the pot size--but hopefully I learned from this mistake. That really is a pretty unimaginative approach to the situation.