OK, playing some $25 party games, still not quite sure what I'm doing...

Hand #1

I call in LP after two limpers with . The SB completes and the BB checks. I have $25.

The flop comes , so I have top two pair, 6 boat outs, and a couple of backdoor flush draws.

EP bets the pot ($2.4), folded to me. I raise the pot ($9.6) - the rationale is that it is unlikely he has trips since I have one of each of the flop cards, so he's probably drawing or worse. Is this sensible? EP calls.

The turn comes ( ) with two players and $21 in the pot. EP now leads into me all-in for $9. I call with a non-nut flush, broadway, and boat draw (giving me 19 outs) based on pot odds? Or is it a fold, since they're not necessarily all winners?

If the K wasn't clubs, presumably it would be a clear fold then?

Hand #2

I make a (dubious?) limp from EP with along with 6 others. I have $25.

The flop comes , giving me top set. I lead out for the pot ($3.1) and get one caller in LP.

The turn comes ( ) with two players and $9 in the pot.

Since there were no flush draws and JT is unlikely given I have two Js, it's looking like he must have hit his (straight) draw.

I check and LP bets $5. Getting 4:1 on my money I make the call - do I have any implied odds if the board pairs (ie was this call correct)?

The river blanks, and I stupidly call a $10 bet (thought he might have been showing weakness with its small size, but obviously he was just milking me!).

Played hand #1 perfectly!! don't forget your dealing with maniacs on Party. I'm assuming you were already ahead on the turn. Unless you were up against 10QK on flop .
but hand #2 was a payout disaster. Only redraw you have is if the board pairs... you pretty much gave up on the hand. and you were out of position to top it off.

Lol ... "payout disaster" ... I think I may have to change my Party screenname to this!

In fact my opponent had AJKT in hand 1, which I guess puts him ahead all the way ...

If he is any good, then presumably he wouldn't bet a draw into a crowd so must have had AJxx (with xx likely being high cards), in which case maybe a call on my part is more prudent? Or is this presuming far too much?

I think you should fold the first hand to the flop bet. There are many better spots than this to get your money in. In the absence of a specific read on this player that is a total goon who will bet top pair or a tiny straight draw (i.e. he'll be betting just about EVERY hand), what are the possible holdings he could be betting here? Two pair (i.e. it's a tie!), a big straight wrap (perhaps with a pair or two) and he's somewhere around evens or, at worst, a set, with you drawing virtually dead. Once someone leads out in PLO high for the size of the pot, two pair is not a hand you want to get tied to. In every possible situation here, unless he's an utter goon (and I do agree there are many of them at Party 25PLO!), he must either be around evens, tied with you, or way ahead.

A call would, if anything, be worse than raising. You get no information, and may be facing another pot sized bet on the turn with a very weak and vulnerable hand. Two pair is not much in PLO. If you can put the first bet in here, you definitely should. Once someone else shows aggressive interest in the hand, you have to assume you're probably behind. If you are a new PLO high player, you really need to get into the mindset that it's not quite like holdem - two pair is often ahead, and at party 25 it will win some pots for you, but it's nowhere NEAR the monster it is in NL. Overplaying 2 pair will get you caned in this game.

On the turn the call is correct. You only need about 10 or 11 clean outs to make this call reasonable, and I would be surprised if you don't have at least that. I would have the guy on a set after the flop, or perhaps a turned straight, and either way your flush outs are likely to be clean, with either a couple of straight outs or 4-6 boat outs to take it on the river.

Hand number 2 is a very typical PLO high situation. Your thought process and play was pretty much on the ball, though your river call was a bit loose. There're worse errors to make, I guess he could always have had two pair or a lower set on the flop and played as poorly as you'd expect a party 25PLO player to, in which case calling him down wouldnt have been terrible. Against anyone half-decent I would be giving up on this hand once the straight hits. Your opponent kindly gave you odds to draw to the river, though, which is really all you can ask . Against a decent player, he would have you on a set or a similar straight when the turn hits, and then realise you had a set if you called a turn raise against his straight. You would not have implied odds, therefore, to call a big turn bet and hope for a payoff on a board pair. Against this guy, I'm pretty sure he'd call a milking bet on the river if you pair up, and he's (almost) offering you odds to play on anyway. Don't forget if he has the straight, you likely have 9 or 10 clean outs with 40 cards unaccounted for, giving you about 3-1 odds to make your hand. You stated in your post you're getting 4:1 odds; you're actually only getting 3-1, but thats about what you need. If he calls anything on the river, which he most likely will, you are correct to call him down.

Anyways, hope this helps!

Monk
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If your opponent is bad enough to play a single pair for a raise, then I guess you can fire back at him. Against most PLO players I think the best plan with two pair is to fold to a raise, though!

Monk
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