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Getting used to Omaha

Pot Limit Omaha has never been my strongest game. I would say that my level of ability at this form of poker is moderate to capable and that is about it. I think that you need to immerse yourself in any form of poker to play it well. But for those of you who are thinking of switching to this form of poker then I will highlight a few pointers in this article.

There are common similarities with all forms of poker and there are also processes that I feel that you must go down whenever you switch games. If you are learning a new game for the first time then I think that it is wise to play full-ring and not six handed or short handed. You will need to build up your feel for the game. Do not worry, there will be countless times where players will leave the game and the table line up will shrink.

This will provide you with enough experience to perhaps be able to make an easier leap to six max than what it maybe would have been! When you start out playing Pot Limit Omaha then you will obviously need to learn the basics. I recommend some good books on the subject along with a good coaching site with instructors who are skilled at this form of poker.

There are many misconceptions that abound about Omaha. I think that the main one is that the game is heavily luck orientated. I think that this is based on the fact that there are numerous outdraws in this form of poker. The skill is really in timing your entries in and out of pots. Knowing when you can bluff is still a key element of Omaha.

Although as with any full-ring game, bluffing is heavily negated and Omaha full-ring is a game that is very close to being a nuts game. There is still immense skill in Omaha, this is a given simply because of the huge complexities within the game. Any player who can really master this form of poker can make very good money indeed.

If you are going to play full-ring Pot Limit Omaha then you are going to have to concentrate on hands that can make big post flop hands. You are looking for full-houses, nut flushes and to a lesser degree…..straights. At full-ring the emphasis is always on big hands. At hold ‘em a hand like bottom set on a 10-8-3 board is a powerful hand. At Omaha and especially full-ring Omaha then a hand like bottom set can get you into a world of hurt.

So to prevent these problems then you really should be careful with your hand selection. This means that a hand like 6-6-4-4 in a multi-way pot could be more trouble than what it is worth. How can you be confident in your hand on a flop that comes something like K-J-6 with a flush draw on board?

Pot Limit Omaha is a game where you will need to play your position very well. There are six hand combinations in every Omaha starting hand and that is obviously six times as many as in hold ‘em. This means that you are out of position to six times the number of hands.

This article isn’t designed to scare you away from Omaha but to show you just what a complex and intricate game it really is. However, those complexities are really all part and parcel of the fun of playing Omaha…..so learn the game and then go and enjoy yourself but be very careful how you go.

This article was written by Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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