Omaha 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.
Starting hands
In Omaha, the strength of your hole cards depends on those cards giving
you the chance to benefit from multiple outcomes. So, strong starting
hands give you plenty of chances to make strong hands. For example, some
strong starting hands are:
Kh, Qd, Jd, 10h – This is a fantastic starting hand. Not only does it
give you draws to two Royal flushes, it also gives you draws to three
other straight flushes, two flushes and sixteen other straight draws.
And that’s not to mention a range of powerful high cards for pairing up,
trips and full houses.
Ad, Ac, Kd, Kc – Another very strong starting hand with top flush draws
and excellent full house possibilities.
10d, 9d, 8c, 7h – Again, plenty of straight options with a possible
straight flush.
Ah, Qd, Qc, 8h – Top flush, top straight as well as full house chances.
Some examples of poor starting hands are:
Qc, 7c, 6c, 2c – Four suited cards giving few outs other than the flush.
5h, 5c, 5d, Qd – Any hand containing trips is unlikely to improve. Even
the flush draw from this hand is only third best, so get rid.
2c, 2d, 3s, 3h – Looks good at first glance, but you’re only looking at
making trips or a second rate full house at best. Play with caution.
The Flop
Did we say that Omaha is a game of the nuts? We did? Good, now make sure
that you always keep that in mind, especially once you’ve seen the flop.
Once the flop comes out, you should have a strong idea on where your
hand is going.
The flop is also the time when you’ll see a lot of betting (slow playing
in Omaha isn’t a wise idea), so make sure you realise the full value of
your hand. In other words, if you don’t have the nuts, don’t bet. If you
do, then get your money in the middle.
The turn
If you get to the turn and you’re still holding the nuts, then this is
where you need to get as much money into the pot as possible to
discourage any drawing hands from going any further… if they do, they
could hit the nuts on the river (and you don’t want that do you?). If,
on the other hand, an opponent makes a large raise and the best you have
is trips or a straight when there’s a flush available, then get out
before it costs you any more money. The chances of you hitting the full
house are slim, and you can almost guarantee that someone’s made the
flush already.
The River
If you’ve come all this way and haven’t made the nuts, then good luck;
you better hope that your opponents are bluffing. But remember, chances
are that they’re not bluffing and calling bets on the river when you
don’t have the nuts will, in the long term, do you no favours.
Of course, Omaha, like Texas Hold’em, is also a game of people and
position, so the potential outcomes of a hand aren’t the only
consideration you need to make. Are you betting early, do your opponents
play in a loose manner? All these things need to be considered when
deciding which hands to play and which hands to fold.
The above strategy guide relates to Omaha by
Victor Chandler Poker, all in-game descriptions relate to the
Victor Chandler Poker website.
Recommended Online Poker sites for new
players:
Ladbrokes Poker
William Hill Poker
Coral Poker
bet365 Poker
WPTonline
Victor Chandler Poker
Pacific Poker
PartyPoker
More recommended Poker Guides:
Introduction
to Online Poker
Poker Tips
Texas
Hold'em Guide
Texas Hold'em Strategies
Omaha Guide
Omaha Strategies
Omaha
High/Low Guide
Omaha High/Low
Strategies
Draw Poker Guide
Lowball Poker Guide
Poker Hand
Rankings explained |
