Pot-Limit Omaha: SPR Part III

Note: What follows is an edited excerpt from Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha Volume I: Small Ball and Short-Handed Play.

In my previous two columns, we discussed the basics of the stack-to-pot ratio (SPR); the difference between big-pot and small-pot hands; playing in high-SPR scenarios (when the SPR > 13), as well as playing in low-SPR (anytime the SPR ≤ 4) and ultra-low SPR situations (specifically when the SPR ≤ 1).

Let’s now talk about the gray area, and finish up with the SPR Considerations table.
The Gray Area: Mid SPR Situations (4 < SPR ≤ 13)
So, from what we’ve gathered so far:

1. If you have a big-pot hand (the nut-straight with redraws, the overfull, top set for the nuts, the nut-flush, or a dominating draw), you are generally good to go no matter what, and should ram-and-jam.

2. If you have a strong small pot hand (like a bare nut-straight, middle or bottom set, the underfull, undertrips, or top-two pair), the default play is to smooth call a bet if the SPR > 13 (a high SPR situation and big-play territory), but shove all-in if the SPR ≤ 4 (a low SPR situation and shove-or-fold territory).

3. If the SPR is ≤ 1 – an ultra-low SPR situation and pot-odds territory – you are essentially pot-committed if you catch any piece of the flop whatsoever, with very few exceptions.

And so the next question is: What do you do with a small pot hand if the SPR is in the mid-range between 4 and 13?

The answer is that you are pretty much on your own. The mid-SPR range is gray area – judgment territory. Naturally, if the SPR is in the low-mid range (closer to 4), then you should lean towards treating the situation as a low SPR situation, and if the SPR is in the high-mid range (closer to 13), you should lean towards treating it like a high SPR situation and proceed more cautiously (smooth calling rather than raising). But otherwise, generally speaking, your play in this area is going to be more read dependent than in the other SPR ranges.

SPR Considerations: The Table

What follows is a table with SPR considerations for committing your stack on the flop with various holdings in the four representative SPR ranges. The “1 Bet” column represents the ultra-low SPR range (SPR ≤ 1). The “2 Bets” column represents the low SPR range (SPR ≤ 4). The “3 Bets” column represents the mid SPR range (4 < SPR ≤ 13) – the gray area – while the “4 Bets” column represents the high SPR range (SPR > 13).

An “OK” means that is generally OK to commit your stack on the flop; in other words, you can raise against any bet. “Iffy” means that it is a marginal decision. “No” means that if you commit your stack in this situation, you are probably doing something wrong. “No Way” means that it is not a close decision; raising in these spots is a bad idea.

“OK/Iffy” means that it is generally OK to commit at the lower end of the SPR range for that box, but “Iffy” towards the higher end of the SPR range. “Iffy/No” means that it is a marginal decision at the low end of the SPR range for that box, but a clear no-raise towards the high end.

So if you flop a king-high flush, for example, you can’t fold for one bet, and you probably can’t fold for two, especially if the SPR is closer to 1 than 4. But for three bets, you need to start thinking small pot, and should tend to smooth call as the SPR creeps towards 13. But for four bets, you are in clear smooth call territory, as you are unlikely to be able to put in four bets with a king-high flush and expect to come out getting the best of it. ♠

Jeff Hwang is a gaming industry consultant and author of Pot-Limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy and the three-volume Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha series.