Pot Limit Omaha: How to Play Profitably in 3BET Pots
3 BETTING in PLO
One of the most powerful things you can do in PLO. 3 bet master.
Advantages of 3b’ing:
1. Isolate yourself with weaker opponents
2. More flexibility and a higher probability of getting into a heads-up pot. Remember, the more players in the pot, the less poker you will play. Everyone plays very straight ahead in 3BET pots. In HU Pots, you can bluff thinner, semi-bluff thinner, and value bet thinner. Sometimes the hands play better all-around, so you just have to call (which is par for the course in hold em od).
3. Poker people are poorly adjusted to aggression. The more opportunities you have to make the opponent uncomfortable so they make a mistake, you should take that line. Most players will not adjust to your aggression. They will most likely play well or fold or over-adjust by 4-betting or stacking lightly.
4. Large pots IP=+EV
Features that make 3BETTING more profitable
1. Raw Equity – Shows the strength of the flop relative to other hands in play. Hands with raw capital are big pairs and broadway. Remember, when SPR drops, we want to dominate our opponents’ stack ranges. Hands with raw equity often dominate our opponents’ ranges. On the flop a lot of combo draws. For example, pair+FD, higher straight draw, etc. Broadways also make cooler hands.
2. Smooth capital distribution – SPR in 3BET pots usually hovers around 2-5. If players win less in 3BET pots, we want hands that flop equity more often. So we can properly stack and scoop the big pots more often. We also have more options on later streets. In 3BET pots, if we check back into position, we can take more equity on the turn a higher percentage of the time. More polarized hands don’t give you that option. The barrel also becomes more profitable on later streets.
3. Lack of insanity – doesn’t mean insanity is bad. Insanity matters less in HU Pots. If you have 2 hands of equal strength, it is often better to 3BET the less nutty hand because it will help clear your nutless draws. When you 3BET with crazy hands, you sacrifice some of the implied odds value that comes from chilling someone with bigger stacks. If you 3BET on a non-nut hand, you can advertise its non-nut components, which are worth more at shallower SPRs. A lot of the time in PLO you will run into hands that should be 3=bet or folded due to lack of nuttiness.
Hands that are good in 3BETTING fall into 3 categories:
1. Premiums – Good for 3BET in almost any pre-flop scenario to get value and gain an edge. A good opportunity to play post-flop because the capital distribution is so smooth.
2. Play Pool – Same as the premium pool, but does not necessarily have a raw capital advantage, but makes up for it with an opportunity to play post-flop. Flop strong combo draws, which is the easiest way to win stacks in 3BET pots. These hands are good for 3BET against players who lose pre-flop and post-flop in 3BET pots. Usually dominates their stacks outside of ranges. Very important considering people don’t like to fold in 3BET pots.
3. Expanding the Pool: Don’t play well in single raised multi-way pots. They play best against fit or fold opponents. You have to 3BET them as much as possible. Good enough to extend with these hands because they are smooth enough to provide HU pot play postflop.
Who should we 3BET the most?
2 key factors to consider
1. PFR-Expand your 3BETTING value range for opponents who don’t fold enough on 3BETS. Or extend a 3BETTING bluff if they fold to 3BETS too much. You want to target aggressive 3-BET openers more. The narrower one’s opening range, the less likely you are to use the widening range for 3BET. Always looking for excuses to play HU with bad players. If you’re on the fence about 2BETTING and a weaker opponent opens, you should probably 3BETTING to get HU
CBETS Answers in 3BET Pots
2 big mistakes you should take advantage of.
1. Punish the fit or fold the opponents. For example, anyone playing fit or fold, you can 3 bet with any of the 3 categories discussed. They will either C/F if they miss, C/C with middle hand and C/R with nuts. The fastest way to lose money in poker is to build up pots only to fold them on later streets. Don’t call 3BETS and C/F flops. It’s very easy to throw money away like this.
2. Punish players who stack too lightly. Stick to 3BETTING on the premiums.
Who should we avoid extending our 3BETS against?
1. Threaded Opens – The opposite of the players we want to 3BET the most. Creates reverse implicit odds situations. Also remember that the HUD is the average of all hands that have opened. So 30VPIP turns out to be a 10% UTG opening range. Don’t confuse them.
When is it better to just call?
1. Pushing Hands- Benefit from taking players out of the pot. Most of their value is flopping without nut combo draws.
2. Drawing Hands – Value comes from drawing more players into the pot. Crazy and polarized. You want to dominate draws and rack up ranges. Ask yourself if your hand plays better HU or multiway? Also consider calling when there are fish in the blinds or the stack sizes are awkward. Don’t always consider immediate capital. Consider how much capital it will create post-flop. All about dominating your opponents post-flop.
Patrik Antonius Wannabe-Player who is very aggressive pre-flop AND post-flop. Usually players open 40% and 4BETTING the most. You should 3BET less than the pot against them. Maintains positional advantage. Remember that the lower the SPR, the less advantage the IP has. The higher the SPR, the higher the IP of the advantage.
If he 4BETS then you have implied offs and a lower price. It’s cheaper to get stacks. 3BETTING-small is also good against opponent ranges heavily weighted towards AAxx in 4BET pots.
What hands do we 3BET smaller than the pot? Flexible, multi-component hands. They flop a lot of mid-strength and weak draw combos, which is perfect when SPR is 7. CBETTING is more powerful against the C/Ring range than when it’s 4. Also a lot of hands you can check and realize your equity with 2 streets to play. Don’t 3BET small with big pairs against jacks. You don’t want a dry big pair with an SPR of 7. You just want to try to score stacks with a dry big pair.
3BETTING OOP? It can also be profitable. It allows you to get stacks in quickly after the flop.
1. Reduces SPR. This reduces your mistakes instead of increasing them.
The same principles apply when playing OOP such as opponents and capital allocation.
The Fix: You have to play significantly tighter than IP just like Hold em, but even more so. Remember that players don’t fold as much at 3BETS and this is even more true when they are IP. When OOP you will be betting 3 higher percentage of pots. The main hands to 3BET OOP are single and double hands of one suit with high card value. Mostly hands in the premium and play groups. They are ahead of opponents in opening ranges and gaining capital on many different boards. He can repeat a wide range of hands and get ahead of opponents who mess up the range after the flop.
3 BET AAxx:
Ragged KKxx play is very similar to dry AAxx on certain boards. Remember to always consider hands in terms of how they will create winning scenarios post-flop, not their immediate equity.
You want to 3BET the pot with these hands and commit 40% of your stack so you can call on every flop. You should also consider your opponent’s tendencies when thinking about calling or raising a dry AAxx.
Calling 3BETS Important Considerations:
1. Opponent Tendencies – Make them prove it
2. Stack Size – IP can stake more 3BETS deeper. When stacks become shallow, it is more important to consider OPP stack ranges.
3. IP/OOP? It should be much tighter OOP – people call OOP based on their immediate odds. Think about winning after the flop. C/F’ing is an easy way to throw money away.
Hands to avoid calling OOP
1. Pair hands – You want liquid capital and these hands don’t flop very smoothly.
2. Moderately related Axxx. Most 3BETTING ranges are heavily weighted towards AAxx
3. Low hands of one suit and rainbow. Don’t play well in 3BET pots because they dominate the flop draw
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