Check Raising

[briachek]

Here's my thoughts on the subject. Besides solid hand selection and being able to fold big hands, I don't think there is a more important concept in pot limit omaha than check raising. Since betting is limited by the pot sized, you HAVE to use check raises to protect your vunerable hands and build the pot to push the turn.

This helps make up positional disadvantage and makes big pocket pairs hitting sets really worth a lot of money. For someone to call a big check raise, they either have to be stupidly chasing something they don't have odds for or have a strong hand, which can be trouble if you check raise with weak hands but also gives you a lot of information on what they likely have.

For me, I very often check raise with sets but that's not what I only do it with so therefore, I can get people to lay down hands against my draws and two pair because i am representing a set or the current nuts. However, I will do this with big draws meaning that if I do get a call, I will have outs. It helps mix up my game for people paying attention and hopefully keeps people in line a bit so I can draw cheaper. A lot of these ideas overlap on each other so knowing when to use the check raise is key to this game. I think i have a good grasp on it but i'm still working on it and not sure if some of these are just bad and if I win, i'm just lucky.

Here are some hands as examples.

Hand 1

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
7 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $109
UTG+1: $76.10
MP1: $144.20
CO: $97
Button: $97.50
Hero: $102.80
BB: $92.95

Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is SB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $2, 2 folds, Button calls $2, Hero calls $1.5, BB folds.

Flop: ($7, 3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $3, Button calls $3, Hero raises to $18.65, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $15.65 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $16

My flush draw is either good or blockers for someone else and my many straight outs should give me a good enough hand to push it a bit.

Hand 2

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players


Stack sizes:
Hero: $99
UTG+1: $32.50
MP1: $32.70
MP2: $100.80
MP3: $114.85
CO: $25.70
Button: $42.75
SB: $246.90
BB: $143.05

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG with
Hero calls $1, UTG+1 raises to $2, 3 folds, CO calls $2, Button calls $2, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.

Flop: ($9.5, 4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $1, 2 folds, Hero raises to $12.05, UTG+1 calls $11.05.

Turn: ($33.6, 2 players)
Hero bets $31.95, UTG+1 folds.
Uncalled bets: $31.95 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $33.6

The turn happens to give me more outs but could be a mixed blessing if he had a hand like TJQx.

Hand 3

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $63.15
UTG+1: $108.30
MP1: $107.80
MP2: $38.50
MP3: $182.60
CO: $74.65
Button: $113.60
SB: $26
Hero: $99.55

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is BB with :[6c] :[Qd] :[7c]
2 folds, MP1 calls $1, MP2 calls $1, MP3 calls $1, CO calls $1, Button calls $1, SB calls $0.5, Hero checks.

Flop: :[Qs] :[4h] :[9c] ($7, 7 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP2 bets $3, 2 folds, Button calls $3, SB folds, Hero raises to $18.65, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $15.65, Button calls $15.65.

Turn: :[2c] ($62.95, 3 players)
Hero bets $59.95, MP2 calls all-in $18.85, Button folds.
Uncalled bets: $41.1 returned to Hero.

River: :3d ($100.65, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $100.65)


Results:
he had [Ah Jc Th 2d]
Final pot: $100.65

Obviously I got lucky that my hand held up but it also got me to get him in on the turn rather than leading out on the flop. This put more pressure on him.

Hand 4

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $73.30
UTG+1: $22
MP1: $36.45
MP2: $49.75
MP3: $187.55
CO: $277.70
Button: $135.20
SB: $17.80
Hero: $113.20

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is BB with
3 folds, MP2 raises to $3.5, MP3 calls $3.5, CO folds, Button calls $3.5, SB folds, Hero calls $2.5.

Flop: ($14.5, 4 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $6, MP3 calls $6, Button calls $6, Hero raises to $43.8, 3 folds.
Uncalled bets: $37.8 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $38.5

Open ended straight flush draw but i don't have the nut diamond draw otherwise so that's what makes this questionable in my mind. If I had something like AdQdKx, then i would like my hand more.


Hand 5

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
7 players


Stack sizes:
Hero: $126.05
UTG+1: $89.50
MP1: $45.95
CO: $170.80
Button: $67.45
SB: $13.90
BB: $140.90

Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is UTG with
Hero calls $1, UTG+1 raises to $4, MP1 calls $4, 4 folds, Hero calls $3.

Flop: ($13.5, 3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 bets $5, Hero raises to $27.85, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls $22.85.

Turn: ($69.2, 2 players)
Hero bets $52, MP1 folds.
Uncalled bets: $52 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $69.2

Gutshot royal draw, low end oesd and pair that turned into trips.

Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $38
UTG+1: $37.25
MP1: $213.05
MP2: $92.45
MP3: $38
CO: $34.65
Button: $184.15
Hero: $152.40
BB: $18.85

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is SB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $1, MP1 calls $1, MP2 folds, MP3 calls $1, CO calls $1, Button folds, Hero calls $0.5, BB checks.

Flop: ($6, 6 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $1, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls $1, MP3 calls $1, CO calls $1, Hero raises to $11.7, BB raises all-in $17.85, 2 folds, CO calls $16.85, Hero calls $6.15.

Turn: ($61.55, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $61.55)
Hero bets $57, CO calls all-in $15.8.
Uncalled bets: $41.2 returned to Hero.

River: ($93.15, 1 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $61.55, Sidepot 1: $31.6)


Results:
Final pot: $93.15
First guy had [Td 2d Qh 5s] and caller had [4h 8c 3s 9d]

Obviously marginal at least since my two pair is very vunerable. However, it seems like too strong of a hand to just call on the flop but not quit strong enough to check raise but I went for it since most of the players are shorties so that usually means bad players with marginal hands. The turn was a great card for my hand if it wasn't gonna actually improve it.

Ok, please let me know which if any of these you liked and why. If you hated them, don't hold back either. I know a couple of these are marginal, if not more and I was lucky to win them all. I felt pretty good doing most of them but wasn't sure.

[Aisthesis]

Excellent points, and I agree fully--haven't made it through all the hands, but I definitely like it in the ones I did make it through.

[bobby]

[briachek]