Omaha Hi/Lo
In spirit of the Big Edge Poker Freeroll I thought that I would share some of my thoughts on the game of Omaha. For those of you that don’t know, Omaha is a game where each player is dealt 4 hole cards faced down and you have 5 community cards. To have a winning hand you must play 2 of your cards with 3 of the 5 community cards. You cannot play the board and you cannot use more than 2 of your hole cards. The betting rounds are like hold ‘em and you can choose from no limit, fixed, or pot limit. Now I’m sure most of you are thinking “wow!” 4 cards!?! That’s great! I mean, think of all the hands you can make………and lose to. Here are some tips to prolong your first game of Omaha:
1) Starting Hands. Very, very, very important! Just because you have 4 cards doesn’t mean you play any face card. Starting out I would suggest that you try and start with hole cards that give you multiple possibilities. Meaning, I would play hands like this:
*Ac Kc 10d 9h— Nut Flush Draw, Nut Straight Flush, Straights
*Kd 9h 8c Qc—- Flush Draw, Multiple Straights
*Jd Jh 7d 5c—– Trips, Full House, Quads, Straights
*Ad Kh Qc 10s–One of my favorites….Straights draws and you can hit a variety of flops to hit your straight
Some weaker hands to avoid:
*Ac Ad 3s 5s—– I would play this with caution…pairs typically don’t carry much value post flop…weak straight draws
*9s 8c 2d Ah—– Possible straights…but depending on flop texture..not very strong
*Ad Ks Kc Ah—-You can only play one pair and you don’t want to overvalue
Obviously you can argue some of these, but you want to try and start with hands that make easy decisions for you post flop and allow you to maximize your profits. Also, depending on your stakes you will find players that play just about anything hoping to hit runner runner draws.
2)Beware of Top Pair, Two Pair, Trips. I say this because with 4 hole cards and depending on flop texture it is very possible to be outdrawn on. I’m not saying it’s not possible to win with these hands, I just want to point out that they don’t carry the same value as they would in Hold ‘Em. Play them with caution.
3) Analyze your hand in relation to the flop. Try to realize that with hole cards such as *Ah Ad Ks Qc with a flop of 10h 10s 6s, that it may look like two pair but also try and think of what others may have hit on the flop or maybe what they’re drawing to with 2 cards to come. That flop can give anyone trips, full house or even a straight flush possibility leaving your two pair in the dust. I would like to point out that it is possible to have many outs to draw to and that your opponets will try and do so. You will save a lot of money in the long run if you can get to a point in your game where you realize you’re beaten and let hands go.
4) The most important thing I can share of the game that I’ve learned thus far is to get your chips in when you’re ahead because the next card to come can take you from “way ahead” to ”far behind.” With a hand or even semi-bluff, I would discourage checking. Make sure if you’re opponets want to stay and play, that they’re paying to do so. The only way I would slow action down is if I had close to the nuts or had them….and my reasoning would be to give my opponets the chance to hit their draws but they would be lesser hands. Probably a riskier move for the begginer, but as you progress and start to analyze flop texture you will be able to do this and make a little bit more money.
The last tip I can provide is to be patient as the game and decisions involved will become easier for you as you play more often. These are probably the best tips I can give to any beginner, and even in some cases the intermediate player. If you utilize these tips I’m sure that you will run deep in any game you’re a part of. If you’d like, you can find me practicing my tips on a regular basis over at Pokerstars or Cake Poker. I look forward to seeing you at the tables and don’t forget to sign up for the Big Edge Poker Freeroll, where we will be playing Pot Limit Omaha at 7pm EST this coming Saturday.
Related posts:
- Omaha Hi/Low
- My Aces Cracked
- A Pot Limit Omaha High/Low Hand
- Three Trouble Hands in Texas Hold em
- Full Steam Ahead
Categories: Poker Strategy
