I’ve done some detailing of my basic, mostly self-taught PLO strategy.  At its core, you want to play to the nuts, but control the pot size to win the maximum.  Clearly easier said than done, but if I don’t have the nuts or big draws to the nuts, I get out of the way and do my best to avoid playing a big pot.  Obviously, it is almost impossible to hit a hand on the flop or turn that is the absolute nuts.  Straights, flushes, sets… they are usually susceptible to redraws from any 2 combination of 2 pair, sets, etc.  When you get down to it, you don’t want to throw good money after bad.  At the end of the day, it’s better to win a medium pot than be forced into a really tough decision.  One of the strongest plays you can make in PLO is to check-raise bluff at a scare card on the turn or river.  This play is much more effective against experienced players, but it is a huge tool that you can use to your advantage in the right spot.  At the end of the day, sometimes it is best to just check behind on the end with a susceptible hand…

Scenario:

You hold:

You are in the cutoff in a $.50/$1 game.  It is folded to you.  This is a decent hand that could be raised, but the hand isn’t THAT coordinated that you should automatically pump it.  You decide to limp, the button limps behind, the SB folds, and the BB checks.  The pot is $3.50.

The Flop:

Pretty nice flop here for you.  Top pair, decent kicker, nut flush draw.  The fish BB checks to you, and you fire out $3.  The button folds, and BB calls.  What kind of range is he check-calling with?  AKxx, A8xx, A2xx, K high spade draws.  You can rule out sets here because they’re probably raising to protect their hand.  It is very unlikely that the BB has AA because why not raise preflop?  Either way, the pot is now $9.50.

The Turn:

BAM!  You spike the nut flush.  You have the best hand right now, but you’re always vulnerable against that same check-call range on the flop.  You’re dominating AKxx and any other made flush.  Betting out here is correct to protect and for value.  The BB checks, and you bet $9.  The fish calls.  The pot is now $27.50.

The River: 

Kind of a disaster card.  22xx, 88xx, A2xx, and even 33xx and 82xx now have you beat.  You have only a flush here.  The BB checks a third time.  I’m not certain that a value bet on this board can stand the pressure of a reraise.  You’re also probably not getting called by hands that you are beating (A8xx, AKxx, and second nut flush).  I don’t see a bet on the end being the correct value play.  I would check behind.

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I put my opponent in a similar situation last night in the $10 game and won a $25 pot because the guy failed to check behind with only a flush.  I flopped top 2 pair with K8xx 2 spades on the board.  I was in the BB in a limped pot, so I bet out the flop and turn when the flush didn’t come.  The river was a Ks, giving my opponent a flush and me the best full house.  I realized that if I bet out again, I’m probably not getting called.  However, if I check like I’m scared of the flush or the board pairing, maybe he’ll bet or even stack off.  I checked, and he stacked off with the nut flush.