Fulltilt 15/30, playing above my limits, but almost everyone at the table is from the normal 5/10 game, so I don't feel too outclassed. Sorry for the multiple hands post. I know how much these suck.

Hand 1
First hand at the table. No reads on CO, but SB is decent.

Hero is in BB, dealt K K 8 6
..., co raises, sb calls, hero calls

Flop: K 3 5
sb checks, hero bets, sb folds, hero calls

Turn: T
hero checks, co bets, hero calls

River: A
hero checks, co bets, hero calls
Final pot: (9BB)

For the flop, is check/calling better? I feel I have some fold equity and especially with the low draw, I don't want to give a free card, though I'm behind to any two spades.

River is terrible. One of my major leaks during this run was paying off river bets to obviously better hands, mostly because it's profitable against terrible players.

Hand 2
Hero is MP2, dealt A K J 4
CO is solid, SB is Erik Seidel (forget what I said about not feeling outclassed), BB has been playing ok so far

..., hero calls, ..., CO calls, ..., SB calls, BB checks

Flop: A J 7
all check

Turn: 5
SB bets, BB calls, hero calls, CO folds

River: 8
SB bets, BB folds, hero calls

Final pot (7BB)

Call the turn, probable best hand but playing for half of a small pot? I don't like betting the flop, but I feel I've been too passive on the early streets, so I'm considering this as an option. River I feel is fine, the flush didn't get there, so I feel I'm at least 33% to win the high.
[edit: misread the board; haven't had my coffee yet]

Hand 3

Hero is BB, dealt: A 9 4 3
UTG+1 and SB are decent, UTG I don't know but seems not as good

UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, ... Button calls, SB calls, BB calls

Flop: K 8 5
SB bets, hero calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, button folds

I have a draw to the nut flush in a big pot and a decent low draw, so I call because if I make my hand it should be the nuts or close to. I'm not pushing out A2 or a set here. Should I raise?

What's my line on the turn; I'm raising any spade and 2 clearly, but shouldn't raise any made low? Do I call a paired turn? Again, I feel I've been too passive.

Hand 4

Hero is SB, dealt: A 9 8 2

MP2 calls, MP3 raises, Hero calls, BB calls

Flop: 8 7 3
hero ???

I have a naked nut low, top pair and backdoor nut flush draw. Should I bet or check/raise to knock players out, hoping to win with a weak high (which presumably needs to improve), check/call and reevaluate on the turn, or check/fold without much value? I'm lost in these decisions without at least one fish in the hand (other than me)

Hand 1: Don't like it. Check/raise the flop maybe? Unless you feel you have the low with a 3 5 6 8, way to expensive for half the pot.

Hand 2: Very questionable to play that hand from MP isn't it? Lets assume its close. Top two pair on the flop. Bet out I think, to get some folders, or if everyone calls you can fold a bad turn knowing you are not good. Again, only playing for half, so why call the turn?

Hand 3: A pretty good hand fro the BB. I may raise it there for value pre-flop. Mediocre flop though for your hand (looks better than it probably is). Hope to see the rier a scheaply as possible I think (do not raise).

Hand 4: You are only going for half right now. Check/call the flop, and if you get a flush draw that doesnt counterfeight your low, then lead out.

What do you think? :?

1. This looks pretty horrible at first blush: no flush and you are probably playing for half the pot. I don't thin you will find many people who would criticize you for check/folding the flop. However, if you look at the maths:
You have 7 outs after the flop for the boat, which would also not put a low on the board. 7:38 is about 5:1 and the pot is offering you 9:1 when it gets back to you (if you check and get bet at, you are still getting 7:1). If you are commited to playing, the turn is about the best card that you could hope for that doesn't give you the high: no low and another spade, slightly reducing the probability that your opponent has the flush. You pick up 3 more scoop outs, so you are now 3.4:1 against, and the pot is offering you 8:1. Again, the flop is about the most helpful card that does not make your hand: you now at least have a very remote chance at getting half the pot, so if I was playing this I would have to call on the river. But are all these tough decisions really worth it? check/fold the flop. At least if you had hit, you would probably have driven your opponent to PLO8!

2. OK, but hope Eric doesn't have the bottom end of the str8. Again, folding the turn is cleaner.

3. Fine. You have a flush draw so you want to keep people in to pay you off. After the turn, don't chase if the board pairs (Someone will probably have the boat). spade/2 proposal is correct. if you want to be more aggressive, try raising any club as well.

4. Check raise. MP3 raised pre-flop, probably has a strong hand and the others will probably check it round to him. When he bets, you will be next to act, which is perfect.

Perfect in what way? Do we want people to fold here? Would we not want callers to buld the pot, so when we do get half/quarter it is worth more? Whether it is one bet or two to the players after us, if they have us tied for low they arent going anywhere IMO...

I am still learning this game, and am confused by this statement. :?

What you are trying to do here is to scoop or get 3/4. Your best chance for that here is to play against 1 other player. Think about it, if you let 4 players continue to draw, one of them is likely to hit a better high than yours, so try to thin the field now, especially with potential straight draws out there. You would actually be very happy playing against one other player with the same low but no high: you woudl win 3/4 of the pot. Of course, here you could be up against AA2 from the pre-flop raiser, so you need to be a bit careful if you do get heads up and he keeps firing, but you do have outs to beat him with 2 pair. If you play against 4 playersw, you will probably get 1/4 of the pot if you are lucky - i.e. your money back.

Hope this helps :-)

In all forms of poker, I USED to think that betting to thin the field was the proper thing to do, eliminating a lot of the risk involved, but also reducing my potential profits. I am uncertain if that is always the best thing to do in Omaha... :?