I'm back to playing plo after playing nlhe and getting bored there. I will limit posts to 2 hands per.

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
8 players


Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is UTG+1 with
UTG folds, Hero calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO raises to $4, Button calls, 2 folds, Hero calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: ($19, 4 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $9.5, CO folds, Button calls, Hero calls.

Turn: ($47.5, 3 players)
Hero bets $47.5, MP2 calls, Button calls all-in $28.5.

River: ($171, 2 players + 1 all-in - Main pot: $133, Sidepot 1: $38)
Hero is all-in $137.

Thoughts? Should I have just check raised the flop?

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


Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is BB with
UTG calls, 2 folds, CO raises to $3, Button calls, SB folds, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Flop: ($12.5, 4 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $6.25, 2 folds, Hero raises to $31.25, UTG calls.

Turn: ($75, 2 players)
Hero bets $37.5

Half pot bet which i've started to do when i do have the boat and when i am probing or bluffing the turn.

welcome back.

two hands per post is good.

would it be terrible to have some reads?

hand 1 -- yes... CR flop. i assume you do this as a bluff sometimes, too.

hand 2 -- i dunno about the half pot thing. it invites trouble against good players and doesn't charge CSs enough. yes, it gets WTs to fold when they don't have it, but i'm not sure this upside balances the downside. since it's your normal bet with the goods, then it's not terrible. then again, i'd bet more (usually pot it, but 3/4 is ok here since so much went in on the flop).

anyway, i make this play all the time. it's good unless villain is a CS. if he is, then you're faced with a VERY tricky situation on the river OOP.

Hand 1:

Given how little your opponent has, I would just have pushed over the top. Your bad position means that he can potentially push you off the hand on the turn if a number of scare cards come when you may still be ahead. I think you don't need to see another card here. If he has a deeper stack and you can't get him all in so easily, just calling may be better. I usually lead out on this flop personally.

Hand 2:

Depends on your read on opponent but if he's reasonably regular I'm pretty much ready to give this one up. I like your flop play but it looks like you got unlucky here - I can't see why he'd not push the flop on a tying hand (although it would often be the right play, nobody really makes it) and the non-nut straight would be a pretty ugly call on the flop. If you're really concerned you might make a total mess of it you could bet 15 or 20 or something and see what he does, but really I think you're beaten often enough to make this a -EV spot against most players.

Even more reason to get most of your money in ASAP ! I must admit I hadn't really noticed that.... In that case, betting out on the turn is not very good. Let the shortie put his money in and then get MP2's money in with a raise. In any case I lead the flop so it plays differently. I'm not keen on your flop line really.

Would the same rationale not ring true on the flop? What's changed?

Anyhow, I just play it differently. I'm not arguing this is right or wrong. You lose your whole stack to a set, I don't. You might win the whole of a draw's stack, I might not. You might give a free card to a weak flush draw, I won't. I might lose to a higher two pair with a scabby draw, you're slightly less likely to. There's lots of good and bad aspects with either play. The best play may be a check fold. So be it; it's not that regular a situation anyhow and I think all three are close enough to not be a major issue in a 200 game. I hope we're both in agreement that a check-CALL OOP is not a good play though?

On the turn don't forget you check-CALLED the flop. I'm yet to see a shortie with $30 who doesn't push it in on this turn. When he does that you can then apply adequate pressure to MP2, who then won't be getting appropriate odds to call for most draws. If he calls (and, as you said, a good river is unlikely to be forthcoming) what do you do when the almost inevitable straight/flush river card comes? You've left yourself just enough money to get raped by a draw, or do you fold? I dunno. I'd rather either keep it smaller or get it all in on the turn and take away that tough decision.

Having manufactured that river decision, I think it's best to check it to your opponent and see if he'll bet. I think you've enough bluff calling equity to make it a decent play. Against most opponents I think betting out is probably marginally -EV.