Switching it up: Don’t be afraid to try something new

I’d say about 90% of my playing poker is Texas Hold’Em, Limit and No limit. The reason for this is simple, Texas Hold’Em is my specialty and it’s the game where I make most of my money.

However, when I was starting out my poker pro friend told me that it was important to switch things up and play different forms of poker every once in a while. Therefore, it’s not the only game I play, believe it or not. I enjoy playing Stud and Omaha Hi as well.

So for today’s piece, I thought it would be a good idea to give you, my loyal readers some basic Omaha principles. This game can be a profitable one and I’m going to demonstrate how with some simple explanations.

Top pair is not a strong hand

In Texas Hold’Em, many times, substantial hands and pots are won with a pair and only a pair. Guess what? This is almost NEVER the case in Omaha. 

You and your opponents all have four cards to work with. This means that someone always has at the very least a very powerful draw. If, on the flop, all you have is a pair with little chance for substantial improvement, be wary and prepared to get away from the hand.

You will thank me for this, believe me.

If there are three cards of a suit on board, someone has a flush

You’ve played enough poker to know that players love to play suited cards. This holds true in Hold Em so this holds doubly true for Omaha as double suited hole cards are nearly always playable.

This means that if there are three suited cards on board, the chances are probable that someone at the table, if not multiple players, have flushes.

Don’t get caught by this.

Weak Full Houses are not that strong

Say you’re holding Q-5 and the board reads K-K-Q-5-5. Yes, you have a full house, but you’re probably sunk.

In Omaha, unless you hold the nuts, you probably have lost. While you may call a bet on the river here, don’t be too overconfident in your holding and you’ll save yourself some money.

If the board pairs, beware of Quads and a Full House

The board reads 6-7-7-8-9 and you have the 4-5d. You’re probably are sunk and here are the reasons why.

While you have a straight, you have the bottom end of it. A J-10 or 5-10 are higher straights that beat you.

As for full houses, 6-7, 7-8, 7-9, pocket 8’s and 6’s and 9’s all beat you. Plus, if someone is holding two sevens, you also lose.

Your hand can’t stand much heat. Get out of the way before you go broke.

If your starting hand is not double suited, fold it

If you don’t have double suited cards, unless 2 of them are a high pocket pair, it is nothing but a trash hand.  More money is lost on poor hand requirements that any other factor playing Omaha.  So, you hit your straight…Is there a flush possibility on the board?  If so, your hand is worthless. Fold it and move on.

If your starting hand contains a set or Quads, fold it.

This principle should be apparent. If you have a set or quads in your hand, your hand will not improve.

While it may look cool to have Quad Aces dealt to you, your hand just won’t get any better. The best you can do is two pair, which in this game, is not a strong hand at all. 

Psychologically, it may seem like a difficult fold, but it shouldn’t be. Just muck them and save your money.

I hope these tips help you out. Don’t be afraid to try something new.