PLO8 Hand 5:  Bluffing 

$200 PL Omaha Hi/Lo - a Thursday in July
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Serentino ( $17.34 )
Seat 2: RandomGuy ( $302.04 )
Seat 3: Lady_Velvet ( $239 )
Seat 5: CosmicPower ( $198.53 )
Seat 9: Hero ( $218.9 )
Seat 8: pokerscience ( $518.17 )
Seat 7: LoosePassive ( $180.62 )
Seat 4: LOVEisabel2 ( $205.18 )
Seat 10: BillKays ( $192.25 )
Seat 6: sawder ( $201.07 )
pokerscience posts small blind [$1].
Hero posts big blind [$2].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Ks Ts As 8c ]
BillKays folds.
Serentino folds.
RandomGuy calls [$2].
Lady_Velvet folds.
LOVEisabel2 folds.
CosmicPower folds.
sawder folds.
LoosePassive calls [$2].
pokerscience folds.
Hero checks.

I check because I have bad position.  Also, one limper is pretty tight and rates to have a good hand, and the other limper is loose and is likely to call any raise.  I want to see a flop here with a hand that can play well shorthanded.

** Dealing Flop ** [ 5d, Ac, Jh ]    Pot =$7
Hero checks.
RandomGuy checks.
LoosePassive bets [$6].
Hero calls [$6].
RandomGuy calls [$6].

I call for a couple reason: 1) It's checked to the loose player who under bets the pot here.  So I don't think he needs to have a good hand.  My Top Pair Top Kicker (TPTK) could well be the best hand here, 2) I may have a good opportunity to steal if the right situation comes up, 3) I could improve with my gutshot, or to a strong two pair, 4) Many hands my opponents might play here don't necessarily rate to connect well (ie.  A2/A3 will feel counterfeited, while A23 might well have raised preflop.)

** Dealing Turn ** [ 9s ]   pot=$25
Hero checks.
RandomGuy checks.
LoosePassive bets [$8].
Hero raises [$47.75].
RandomGuy folds.
LoosePassive calls [$39.75].

I check because I didn't improve and want to see what my opponents do.  When one guy check and the other min-bets, I think they are weak.  So let's put them on a hand: the 9 did not make a low or a straight, or a flush-draw, and many people will not play hands with a 9 in it -- so it is unlikely the 9 helped them.  So, they likely to have to fold here, or are still drawing.  So I check-raise.  I clearly want them to fold, but I still have 7 outs to a straight with Q/T, and 6 more outs to twopair with K/8 and chances to bluff.

When he calls my raise I'm not too happy, and I put him on 23xx.  There's an outside chance of 8Txx or TQxx, but that's unlikely to be betting on the flop here.  If he had a good two pair I'd have expected a bigger bet.  

I also make a mental note that I am representing a hand helped by a 9.  Maybe J9, A9, QTxx or so.

** Dealing River ** [ 2s ]  pot =  $117
Hero bets [$117.5].

Based on my read, if he has 23xx then his hand is counterfeited and he cannot call here.  Since it's quite possible he picked up two pair with 25 or something, I want to bet strongly here to force a fold, so I bet the pot.  This needs to work only 50% of the time for it to be EV+.  Now, certainly it's possible he could have 34, or A22,  or even A2 that doesn't believe me.  But it's very unlikely, and certainly no where near 50% of the time.  

LoosePassive folds.

Hero does not show cards.
Hero wins $235

Mission accomplished.