So far? Do I have a great hand here? A raising hand?

Well I did raise it, in pot limit.

I get one opponent, flop comes down:



My opponent bets the pot limit, I fold.

These are the situations where I don't know how to play in O8, I realize that my AA has now somewhere in the vicinity of zero value, and I can't draw at the 2nd nut low, so I fold.

How do you play hands like these?

AAK3 is a monster and should be raised, reraised, reremuthaeffinraised whenever possible. You want to be heads up if you can, since you have a killer 2 way hand.

With that flop you can go either way. Since you were heads up, the pot bet isn't really all that much, and you can't say for sure that you aren't good for high just yet, I'd call it. If another high card (or even worse, a high spade) hits the turn then let it go. Folding on the flop might be a tad weak.

Remember, even though you are drawing to the 2nd nut low, the fact that you have 2 of the aces makes it less likely that your opponent has A2. Not impossible, of course, but much less probable. Plus, if you take him at his word (based on his bet) that he has a good hand after the flop, you can all but completely discount that he has A2, since 2 of his cards would have to be high (J9 or even 69 for the straight, pocket tens or eights for a set).

He might just have A2 of spades and you might get hammered, but I'd call that flop and see what the turn brings before giving up. He very well could have 4 high cards or a middle wrap hand like 4567, both of which are good hands to call a raise against what is likely an AAxx hand (if he put you on that because that's all you ever raise with).

This is a monster hand, but it is a hand that only plays well heads up, your AA is not likely to hold up for the high in a mutliway pot, also in PL, you want to make this heads up, so you are not allowing someone to draw at a naked A2 for cheap. In a 4 way pot you are likely going to have the 2nd best low and the 2nd best high hand. By raising and betting the pot after this flop you will almost always have atleast a 50/50 shot if you get called, often you take the pot down right there.

I raise that hand, HOWEVER, in EP if there's an aggressive player in LP (or better yet, in the blinds) you may wish to limp and then re-raise it. This is a play I don't like making so much in PLO high only, as the starting hands tend to be more equal in that game.

That's a tough flop for you, and the fold seems sensible. If there's no straight possible and you have an overpair with the 2nd nut low draw you MIGHT consider playing back at some opponents, but this flop looks bad for you.

Monk
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