Help me understand "Playing a low" (1 Viewer)

[DoubleEagle]

A suggestion when playing low games... look at the board and identify what two hole cards will give you (or your opponent) the nut low. It is not always cut and dry... specifically if there are 4 low cards on the board. Prime example is what was brought up above... yes, your A2 is the nut low on the flop, but if a 2 comes on the turn, A3 becomes the nut low.

IMO, this is a good way to learn how to play all games with a low.

 

[ssanel54]

Nice ROPE A DOPE before S@P krafty!

will you be arriving with your Hand Ranking cheat sheet as well

 

[AWenger]

If the game is an Omaha-8 or better variant with 4 cards in your hand, here's how I try and figure it out, although I don't play a lot of hi/lo games myself

- Your poker hand(s) is always exactly 2 cards from your hand plus 3 cards from the board.
- (Separate issue, but you can use different cards for your high hand and different cards for your low hand)
- To make a qualifying low hand, you need 5 different ranked cards, eight or lower (there are only 8 different cards: 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,A), among the 2 from your hand and the 3 from the board.

Listed from easiest to figure out to most difficult to figure out is if:
- The board has 3 low cards, 4 low cards, or 5 low cards.
- Your hand has 2 low cards, 3 low cards, or 4 low cards.

look at the board and identify what two hole cards will give you (or your opponent) the nut low. It is not always cut and dry... specifically if there are 4 low cards on the board. Prime example is what was brought up above... yes, your A2 is the nut low on the flop, but if a 2 comes on the turn, A3 becomes the nut low.

^ This. I'll add to first start with the 3 lowest cards on the board.

If it's A23xx on the board:
-then 45 in someone's hand would give the nut low.
-if your hand is A234, then you don't have 5 different cards 8 or lower, because your hand needs 2 low cards different from the three on the board.

If it's A237x on the board:
- then 45 in someone's hand would still give the nut low.
- if your hand is A234, then you DO have a low this time, but it's far from the nut low, as you need to play the 7 on the board. Since you have 3 matching (or counterfeited) cards in your hand to what's on the board, you're playing the 7 on the board, the 4 in your hand, and then 1 more from your hand and 2 more from the board (any combination of A23), so you've got a 7-4-3-2-A, or a 7-4 low.

 

[AWenger]

Generally looking for some guidance on the best way to play hands when a low-qualifier is involved.

This I don't know myself, so I can't help you with this.

 

[krafticus]

Nice ROPE A DOPE before S@P krafty!

will you be arriving with your Hand Ranking cheat sheet as well

more likely than not .. yes

 

[DoubleEagle]

Generally looking for some guidance on the best way to play hands when a low-qualifier is involved.

IMO, you should only being playing hands that have two-way potential; that is can scoop for both high and low.

 

[DarPodo]

* for Example, You have AA23 double suited (hhdd) on a flop of 6s7s8c . You are essentially guaranteed the low, but have 0 high equity. You are first to act, and lead out. Action then goes POT, and RE-POT before you. Do you get it in hoping for 1/2, but knowing you may only get a quarter? This is provided you have no tells or reads on the villains.

This part is getting overlooked. I’m interested in thoughts on this part of krafty’s post.

 

[moose]

Also if one of your low cards is counterfeited common terminology is to declare your live card, which tells everyone you are playing the board for low with the exception of your live card.

eg you hold AA4K, opponent has 23QK

Board is A258J

Your low
A2458, you have a 'live 4'

His low
A2358, he is playing a 'live 3'.

You lose to the live 3.
You would both lose to someone with two live cards in their hand, eg. 34 (wheel), 36, 37, 46, and 47
Your opponent would chop with anyone else playing a live 3. eg. A3, 35, and 38.

In regards to your question about calling knowing you only can get half at best and may be quartered or sixth'd. In pot limit at all depends on relative stack sizes. PLO8 is a much tougher game the deeper the stacks because it will often be correct to fold even if you are a lock for a portion of the pot.

If you are certain you are being quartered then the pot has to be at least 3:1 to your remaining stack to break even.

It gets tricky when the stacks are deeper, especially if you are not closing the action and someone behind you could repot, giving you the incorrect equity after your initial call. There is another important term called the uncounterfeitable nut low. If you hold A23K and the board is 568K, then on the turn you have the uncounterfeitable nut low. If an A, 2 or 3 falls on the river, you will still have the nut low. This is important because if you only hold A2KJ on the same board you may have the nut low at the time but then if an A or 2 falls on the river you are counterfeited and would lose to anyone who holds two live cards. This is why any hand with 3 good low cards is a much stronger starting hand than someone who only holds A2 in their hand.

A fairly common one where you can easily fold to most good players is where you hold A2 on a 568K board that has say 3 hearts. If you are first to act and bet and get potted, is a good player likely to pot with less than the nut flush? In which case you can put them on at least the Ah in their hand. You have a hand which is vulnerable to being counterfeited on the river. Even if they don't have a low in their hand they can (and should) force you out of the hand, because they could hold A2 as well and be quartering you or an A or 2 could fall on the river and counterfeit you and hold two live low cards and scoop you. Of course, very strong players will know that if you are a thinking player they can bluff you in this situation holding the naked Ah and no flush and even no low.

 

[ssanel54]

This part is getting overlooked. I’m interested in thoughts on this part of krafty’s post.

How deep are the stacks?

You still have a pair of Aces, and anyone who flopped a straight is going to be afraid of getting quartered themselves on the high, or losing to a flush when the spade comes. Even if the spade does come, a weaker flush may fold if they have no low. If you get quartered by As2s, so be it.