Just reread the PLO section in Hellmuth's book. When it comes to playing AAxx his advice is to try to get all money in before the flop even if the sidecards are crappy. This is mathematically correct, since you are a money favorite (unless you are up against another AAxx hand with better xx, that is).
What surprised me a lot is that he claims that if you don't get your whole stack in preflop, but only, say, 1/2 of it, you should most of the time push in the rest on the flop to protect your hand (unless others are already betting and raising and you missed completely). The reason is that you have to protect your hand.
Now I can see that this is probably a good play if the flop looks something like 26Jr and you are against one opponent who is very likely to have big cards. I might even do that against two opponents when I sense they don't have much.

Now in holdem when you have AA then you'd rather see a 288 flop than a 258 flop. How's that in omaha? What are the odds that this has hit 2 opponents? What kind of flops do you consider safe enough to shove in the other half of your stack against 1 opponent? Against 2? Assume that everyone has full stacks before the hand, and that your AAxx is not helped by the flop (for example, you don't have a nut flush draw).
What is your strategy against an opponent who has position on you and of whom you know that he will call a big raise with any wrap type hand, big cards or two medium high pair?

Most of the time when I put in one raise before the flop with AAxx and don't hit then I give up unless I'm against one ore two opponents who don't seem to have anything. Is this too passive? Is this highly dependent on reads or do the odds dictate that on certain boards I'm a moneyfavorite and that I have to push?

Thanks, Pieter

Personally I'm not big on putting in a big raise with AAxx unless I can basically get all in or pot-commit myself to the extent where it's as good as all in.

My golden rule usually is that I like to be able to put about 2/3 of my stack (or my opponent's stack, whichever is smaller) preflop with a raise, and this generally only occurs when there's a raise and a re-raise preflop, which again only generally occurs when someone has a really premier non-AA hand (KKQQ, QJT9, AKQJds etc), when someone has AAxx as well, or when there's a maniac on the table. So even in these spots, it's not likely you'll get your stack in as more than a 60% favourite or so, although in some exceptional situations you might have a bit more equity than that.

I would be more inclined to make the big big raise if I'm out of position, but usually, when you're in good position, calling a raise even with a big AA hand is not a bad play at all. It disguises your holding if an ace flops and it can allow you to at least see a flop before committing your stack. If 9TJ flops, you'll be glad you saved the rest of your stack.

I think your method of playing AAxx sounds pretty sensible. Time and again I see people push all their chips in on any flop with AA in PLO as if it can't lose, and they wonder why they end up haemorrhaging chips to players with sets and huge draws which are massive favourites anyhow.

In summary, if raising is heavy preflop or if you can make a big isolating raise, I would be more inclined to do so when you don't have position (i.e. in the blinds, UTG), as it will make your decisions on the flop much easier and may win you the pot outright. If you CAN get that 2/3 or so of your stack in before the flop, I'd do it from any old position. However, if I have a decent AAxx hand late on to a raiser, I quite like calling to see the flop and letting both players act before I make a big bet. Sometimes I mix it up and raise, though these days it's uncommon for me to re-raise a SINGLE preflop raise because I believe it just gives away too much about your hand. Putting myself in the original raiser's shoes, I am happy to have 89TJ or even JJ99 or something in that spot, because I know I can call off the raise and then probably check-raise all in on the flop if I hit, and go to showdown as a big favourite. I guess a lot of it is personal preference - some go for the aggressive approach with AA, some prefer to be a bit more cagey. I will put in the first raise everytime I have AA with decent sidecards (though now and again against observant players it's wise to limp with such a hand, just to keep them honest), but I usually just call raises with it unless I can get about 2/3 of my stack in, or more.

Monk
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