Sunday 29 April 2012

Mastering Omaha Poker - Advanced Pot Limit Strategy

By Thomas Kearns


As Pot Limit Omaha becomes an increasingly popular game, many Texas Holdem players are seeking to compete in Omaha games. Whether you're playing in a tournament or cash game, it's important to know how to vary your strategy in Omaha. Importantly, each element of Omaha strategy is unique from Texas Holdem, although certain skills such as reading, positioning and hand values translate into the game.

Successful pot limit practitioners put together semi-bluffs with careful best hand strategy to take best advantage of the value of their hands. Maximizing proper hand selection in Omaha requires patience, discipline, proper reads and organization to the method of your play. Omaha lets you see a rising number of flops which allows you to use any two (or four) cards as a part of your hand. The pots will tend to be larger with a greater number of players, and having "the nuts" (best possible hand) frequently is instrumental for playing in multi-way pots.

When facing few players, semi-bluffing the best hand can often win you the pot outright or provide information that another player is particularly strong. Since you're playing against a wider variety of beginning hands, mastering Pot Limit Omaha requires several advanced strategies that you won't learn by playing Texas Hold em.

Omaha Advanced Strategies

The smartest idea of getting pot value is to play even more quality hands in Omaha. Frequently players will be overconfident in their hands, given the extensive possibility of drawing to other hands. Remember a low flush isn't likely to sustain as the other players are holding four hole cards. By far the best hand in Omaha is Ace-Ace-King-King, with two suited A-K's with doubled suited J-T-A-A after that. Draw hands hold a higher possible value in Omaha given the possibility of a flush or straight.

When holding high draws, entering more pots is a good idea. But remember not to be overconfident when holding low pairs or low draws. These low draw hands will likely have less value than suited connectors might in regular Holdem. Careful attention needs to be paid to your position. The generation of good information from other players necessitates you be in a good position to evaluate the issues involved in hand play. Unless you are holding the best possible hand, carefully regulate your early betting since you are playing against a greater number of players. Don't remain in the game on hope or overbet on a marginal hand. Opportunity will come for more hands where you can wait out the flop.

A good semi-bluff strategy is to play strong when you have the best possible draw - for example if you're drawing to the Ace flush, or a high straight then you may want to build the pot in multiple ways. This aggression also gives you a chance to win the pot when you miss your draw by making all of the other players fold. Therefore, drawing to the best hand can put you in a good position to outplay opponents consistently. When you have a decent, marginal hand you should always wait for another opportunity to deliver even better hands. Patience and selective aggression pay off in advanced Omaha strategies.




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1 comment:

  1. Although certain skills such as reading, positioning and hand values translate into the game.5 Card Draw poker

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