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Omaha Tips
Assuming you have already read
our Omaha Basics section, you will find these tips and
recommendations to be very helpful whether you are a
beginner or not.
Tips for the first four cards
- By having four
private cards to work with, you have six times the amount of
potential starting hands as you would playing Texas Hold'em.
Meaning, at the start of the game, you have six different
possibilities of forming a hand here. With four cards in
your hand, you are more likely to find something to go on
here. - Position
is key in this game, even in the first round of betting.
Your position will be the same for the entire hand.
Basically, if you are in a late position and the pot has not
been raised yet when it is your turn to act, you are able to
see the hands that are weaker than yours at this point. This
gives you a chance to get a feel for the other players hands
even though it is still early in the game. Positions in a
basic nine person game are determined as follows: both blind
players and the two players to their left = early position.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh players = mid position. The
eighth and ninth players = late position.
Tips for the flop
- Like Texas
Hold'em, the flop needs to meet the needs of your hand. It
should deliver you a strong hand. You should be able to
believe, at this point, that you can at least tie for the
best high or low hand. If the flop doesn't enhance your hand
to that point you need to fold your hand.
- At this point in the
game, with six possible two-card combinations in every
players hand, there are many possible hands going on. It is
key for you to understand how your hand could be comparing
to the other players hands. For example, if you are playing
a LOW hand and your hand does not havean ace and a two, it
is very possible someone else will have a better low hand.
Be cautious here, many Omaha players lose many in this
situation.
Tips for the turn
- If the other
players are loose players, it is quite possible you could
draw the second best high hand, however, if the other
players are tight players, most likely you'll want to fold
unless you have a draw to the best hand, or you already have
it.
- If the pot is already
raised when it comes your turn, and other(s) call that raise
even, you definitely want to consider want hands these
players might be holding.
- At this point, if you
think you could be raised if you call, you need to make sure
you have a much stronger hand than you would if you have no
reason to fear a raise.
- You will want to call
with a draw if the pot odds are more than the odds are
against making your hand and you know that you WILL have the
best hand if the final card delivers you the card you need.
This is a basic risk or reward situation. For example, if
you think you can win $60 on a $10 investment, you would
definitely want to stay in the game if the odds against
making your hand are less than 6-to-1.
Tips for the river
- Since there are
so many possibilities generated for straights, flushes, and
full houses when each player's four-card private cards are
added to the five shared board cards, this game is commonly
decided on the river (last card).
When you have the best high
hand:
- After all the cards have
been dealt and you have the best high hand, you are able to
bet or raise without any reservations. You are confident of
winning half of the pot, perhaps even the whole pot if there
is no low hand. This is also the time to be very aggressive.
You'll want to get the most money you possibly can of any
remaining players. You will get at least half of it back.
When you have the best low hand:
- You will find that
having the best low hand can be more complicating than
having the best high hand. If you are completely sure you
have the best low hand, you can bet the same as you would if
you had the best high hand. However, if another player has
the same low hand that you have -which is very commonplace
in Omaha, you will be quartered. This means you will get
1/4th of the winnings. This most definitely makes winning
any notable amount of money very hard to do. For example,
you would need at least five players still in the game to
make any profit. Even then the amount of profit you make
will be minimal.
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