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PLO8 DYM's - Tips, Advice, & Help Thread
We now have a thriving community here playing PLO8 DYM's, but to many, the game is a mystery.
Lots of players play it well though, & like to help newbies out.
So if you have a question about PLO8, DYM's or otherwise, post it here, & I'm sure the regulars &/or myself will try & help out.
ANYONE can ask or answer the questions.
I'll get the ball rolling with a few hints which, I hope are helpful. They are mainly aimed at the PLO8 newbie, especially in DYM's, but we can deal with ANY PLO8 stuff really.
Comments
We ideally want BALANCED hands.
That means they have the ability to win both Hi, & Low pots.
A-2-K-Q can win BOTH or EITHER pots.
A-K-Q-J, or any high only hand, can scoop, but can NEVER win the Low.
Other hands which can only win the high are, for example....
A-A-9-9
10-10-J-J
8-9-10-J.
These are good PLO hands, but bad PLO8 hands.
If you have to play them, ideally we want to be at the late stages, with big blinds, & get it heads up. Multi-way they are poo.
Killer Cards
7, 8, 9 & 10 are known as KILLER CARDS, as they generally kill the value of your hand.
We can almost never win the Low or the High with these, as we are the wrong end of both.
In practice, if we have more than one of those cards in our hand, it's a pre-flop fold.
OK, we don't mind, say, A-2-7-8, especially DS, but generally, these killer cards should be avoided if we hold 2 or more of them.
And if we have 3 or 4 of them in our hand? MUCK THEM PRE.
You'll lose more money, over time, with these, than ANY other holdings.
A-2-3-4 type hands.
This is not a point that all agree on, but late stage, we can raise with these, as at least half the time, we don't get called. If we do get called, we are pretty much a lock for the Low IF it comes.
Personally, late stage, I do raise with these, as I know I'll only get looked up 50% of the time at best, probably far less.
Call a raise with them, late stage? Not for me, no, as we lose the ability to force a fold, which is the real value. We HAVE to hit now.
Really, this is a general DYM or even poker matter - always better to be the agressor than the caller.
We can RAISE with much wider ranges than we can call with.
Chasing the Low
After killer cards, most money is lost chasing lows.
Lows are nice, we like chasing lows, & they are easy to hit.
But....
If you miss the flop, It comes, say, 2 high cards, GIVE IT UP. You are being freerolled here.
At BEST, you are pulling to half the pot, so you are only getting back what you put in. That's a short cut to Carey Street.
We have A-2, with a nut suit, but miss the flop, it is so tempting to call for another card. And so often we miss. Some folks even call the turn bet still needing a low card. Don't do it, ever.
I know, it's frustrating to give it up, but the earlier you fold, the better, as you almost never profit from this play.
If we have the betting lead, yeah, by all means bet, the villain is probably on the low draw too, so he has to fold, but call, never.
Thanks mate, & love having you on the Tables, you are great fun.
First Community Post, too - welcome.
You got any tips or advice?
SCOOPIO
Never forget, the key to winning PLO8 is to play for the SCOOP.
The SCOOP is when you win BOTH pots.
Inevitably, we enter most pots thinking or hoping we can win both. Once we see the flop, & we know we can't win both, give it up, unless you have got yourself pot-stuck, or think you can nick it.
Playing for half the pot, in a 2 player hand, makes NO SENSE.
3 way? Better to be on the High hand, as most likely the other 2 are on the low. We get three quarters, they get to share peanuts.
Don't take this TOO literally, if we have one end locked heads up, pot pot pot all day. Buty only if we are GUARANTEED half or more.
3 way, with A-2 & a made low, we are often going to get quartered, especially if one player squeezes. We have to call, but it's a bad spot.
Try to go for SCOOPIO.
Just try & think of Caroline.
Nut-Nut? Softly, softly, then BOOM
Our ideal scenario is when we have a lock on both ends.
This can be, say, the nut flush, & wheel or nut low, or, say, a long straight, Ace to 6 or 7.
These are quite complex spots, but the more callers we have, the better. WE MUST NOT LOSE THEM. They are almost always on the same low, or a worse flush with the low.
So on the flop & turn, softly softly, don't bet them out whatever you do, try & keep them, either by check calling, or betting very small. In NLHE, we bet to protect our hand, build the pot, or bluff. It's different in PLO8.
On the river, make them PAY. Bet the pot, or re-raise the max. They won't fold the nut low, & the bigger the pot, the more we are going to get via our three quartering them.
These are the dream spots in PLO8. Maximise them.
Some great advice so far though, I hope to see lots of hands posted too so we can see the correct or best way to play in certain spots.
Good stuff starting to be Posted already, keep it coming lads.
If it helps.....
I'm sure some of Team PLO8, those who play regularly, will always be happy to sit at a 60p DYM, or 2p-49 PLO8 Cash Table to get some affordable practice & experience, & then talk it through afterwards.
Keep Your Powder Dry
The early levels of a DYM can be great fun, splashing around in pots, but just remember, 6 handed means nothing - the game is about one thing only - being effective when we are 4 handed. If you can build a stack early, great stuff, but it does not count for a deal 6 handed.
NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
When we get 4 handed, the game starts proper.
Usually, we have around 10 bigs, (150-300), or 7.5 Bigs if 200-400.
Now its time to play.
NEVER limp.
NEVER flat call.
We have 2 options - POT, or FOLD. Nothing else.
We change gear now, to, & widen our range considerably. If the pot is unopened, & we have a half decent 2 way hand including an Ace - POT IT.
Try & be the aggressor, too. WE can POT with a medium hand, but it's tough & often wrong to call with a decent hand. BE THE RAISER NOT THE CALLER.
Keep an eye on the shortie(s) too. No point banging heads with Billy Big Stack if some guy is sat there with 2 Bigs. Keep out of trouble, we can win this by passing.
The game is won or lost at this stage.
To begin with it was starting hands but now it is mainly my post flop play. It has taken me a while to realise that your hand strength has to be super strong most of the time, such as 2 pair hands that are good a lot of the time in holdem but are often beat in PLO8. I'm also often chasing draws which end up being beat anyway!!!
Like I said though, I'll get there and it really is a fun game.........plus I like a challenge!
EDIT: I will be playing the PLO8 mtt's tonight though. They are a good way to learn too as there is lot's of play, haven't had a cash yet but did come close last time.......watch this space!
Not that its doing me any good.
I can seriously say i can't remember the last DYM i cashed in.
Getting too many river beats at the moment, just don't know what to do.
May have to find another hobby i think :-(
Many good points that I will try to take on board