Strategies
Omaha differs from Hold’em in two ways. One, each player is dealt four
hole cards instead of two. And two, you must use precisely two of these hole
cards when making your final hand.
The good news is that you can make use of six different combinations of hole cards
when making a hand, providing a greater degree of certainty as to whether your
hand will be a winner. Unlike Hold’em, which is a game of random accuracy,
Omaha is a game of the nuts.When you’re dealt your hole cards, remember
that you can win money with both the best high hand and the best low hand. But
because of the range of hands that can be formed, you should be selective and
play very few hands, so get used to folding, folding and folding some more. Playing
with hands other than those suggested here will, in the long run, land you in
the mire.
Conversely, if you’re only playing starting hands with a high chance
of paying off, you’ll want to raise when you do play a hand to get as
much money into the pot as possible.
Strong starting hands that you should look to play on all occasions
AA23
AA2x
AA3x
A23x
A2KK
A2QQ
A2KQ
A2KJ
A345
A346
A356
A3KK
A3QQ
23QQ
23KK
Starting hands to play up to one raise
A2xx
234x
AKQJ
KQJ 10
KQJ 9
KKQQ
KKJJ
KK24
QJ 10 9
AAxx
A3xx
KK 10 10
Unlike hold’em, in which there’s an inherent degree of randomness,
Omaha is more a game of certainties where the outcome of most hands is known
on the flop. If the flop comes down and you don’t have the nuts –
or are drawing to the nuts – then get the hell out of dodge.
The Flop
As mentioned earlier, if you don’t have the nuts or a draw to the nuts,
then get out. Don’t spend time, or even more importantly your money, playing
or chasing second best… it’ll only end in tears.
Here’s a piece of useful advice; watch out for The Straight on Flop Trap
(or SOFT for short), as these hands can be pure evil… you have been warned.
Let’s illustrate by example. The flop comes 6d, 7d, 8c and you’re
holding 9c, 10h, Ah, Kc, so whoppee-do you’ve hit the straight. But before
you chuck your car keys into the middle and risk the shirt off your back because
you’ve hit the nut straight, think about it. Any diamond will give someone
a flush, and any 9 or 10 and it’s odds-on that someone’s going to
have a higher straight than you. Also, it’s almost a certainty that someone’s
made the low hand, which means you only stand to win half the pot anyway. And
you could end up losing that too, so be careful.
Low draws on the flop can equal high hopes. If you’re holding a hand
such as A234 and only one low card appears on the flop, unless you have a draw
to a decent high hand too (such as an Ace high flush), then it’s probably
best to bin it. Conversely, if two low cards appear on the flop, pump your money
into the middle, especially if you hit the nut low and have redraws to a strong
high too!
Similarly, if you have a high hand with no possibility of a low and the board
looks like it’s giving a low, then only stay in if your high hand is exceptionally
good. If it’s not, or you’re not sure, then get out.
The turn
Come the turn, you should have a very good idea as to whether or not you still
have the winning hand, so it’s a simple matter of now betting accordingly.
For example, if you have the nuts then don’t hang about, get your cash
in the pot. If you don’t, be very careful indeed.
The river
Now excuse what may be an unfortunate turn of phrase, but if you don’t
have the nuts then don’t act all macho. If there’s action on the
river and you’re not holding either the nut high or nut low, then nine
times out of ten it pays to bin it. Don’t let your commitment to the hand
convince you that you have a chance of winning. Be brave, throw it away and
live to fight another day.
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