Starting Hands. Part 2

Hands with sequences

Example of hand with medium sequence: 9 ♠ 8 ♠ 7♣ 6♦.

Example of hand with top sequence: A ♣ K ♥ J ♣ T ♠.

Example of hand with youngest sequence: 6 ♦ 5 ♣ 4 ♠ 3♣.

Hands with sequences are very important in pot-limit Omaha.

If the sequence is young, such as 6-5-4-3, its suit will have value only when you play one on one. If you have several opponents who make raise and re-raise, then in such situations one of the opponents will have higher flush draw.

Sequence is a great "straddling" hand. If you have studied your opponents, and you know that one of them makes a raise on the aces, and the second calls on high suited connectors. Now they are both in play, and you're holding something like a 7-6-5-4. You think: "If on the flop come young or medium cards, then pot will be mine. So you can safely continue to play such hand. Although, if you have one opponent, you should not play with such cards. Playing one on one, you will not call a large raise, having such hand.

Suppose you have made two pairs on the flop and you know that your opponent plays with aces. You are a favorite. But as soon as on the flop came a pair (any pair, not yours), you will automatically lose. With these cards it is very dangerous to play.

Another category of playing hands with sequences is three cards and a pair (8-8-7-6, 7-7-6-5, 9-8-7-7, and so on).

If you know that you are playing against a top pair, and you made medium pair on the flop in addition to your straight draw, then at this point you are a favorite. If on flop comes your eight, it is likely that it will not be associated with high pairs of opponents, so that they can not make a straight (unless some back-door straight). So, almost any three-card sequence in combination with a pair may be very good playing hand. 

I said "almost", you should forget such combinations as 4-3-2-2. The danger lies in a possible situation "set against set", and usually it is impossible to make nuts straight on the flop with these cards. If you ever decide to play this hand, then only if you are on big blind and no one made a raise, or from late position, making the minimum call.

Starting Hands. Part 1

The best starting hands in Pot-Limit Omaha are:

1. Double-suited A-J-A-T and other high hands with aces and connectors;

2. A-A-K-K and other hands with aces and high pairs;

3. Hands with four-card connectors in which all four cards are linked;

4. A pair of aces without connectors (minimal bet);

5. A pair of kings without connectors (minimal bet).

 High pairs with connectors

Despite the fact that the computer program shows that the best starting hand is double-suited A-K-A-K, many professionals think that this is wrong. They think that the best starting hand is double-suited A-J-A-T. With A-K-A-K you can make only one straight and with A-J-A-T you can make several straights. 

If you have A-J-A-T, you also will be able to make the nuts flush. Such cards, however, do not come often, but if you have them in your hands, then with them you will have the opportunity to make a much more combinations than with A-K-A-K.

Raises in tournaments

There are no starting hands in Omaha poker, on which you can make a raise before the flop first, because you invest in this move too much money as for a tournament. If you raise before the flop on aces, you spend very much money, and this is what you should not do before you see the flop. 

If you find yourself in a situation when someone has made a raise, and a couple of players have called, then you can re-raise, but you should not do raise first. The fact is that if before you someone has made a raise and two players have called, then re-raising on aces with connectors or suits would be reasonable, since the pot is large enough, and you can make such a re-raise, that will squeeze out someone, and will keep you with only one opponent. Then you can do raise on your aces.

In tournaments, there are always exceptions to this rule.  If you have a short stack, then you probably will raise on aces, even if you make the first move. And if you have a decent amount of chips, and your opponents are short or medium stacks, than you can put them in a spot with your aces, especially if they are short stacks. So in a tournament game, many use main exception to the rule that you should not raise with your aces in the first round of betting.

Size of bets in Omaha poker

How to determine the size of your bet in pot-limit Omaha? It is abundantly clear that you bet size of the pot, if you have a good hand. The concept of constructing the pot, used in pot-limit Hold'em, is not applicable for pot-limit Omaha, because pots banks in Omaha are formed automatically.

Frankly, nobody raises less than size of pot. You'll never see that in the bank is $ 500, and somebody bets $ 100. "In other words, you do not have to make a small bet, to win a big pot. But from time to time many bad players do this. Their small bet contains a hint. They show that they have a powerful combination, and they want you to call their bet. Inexperienced or weak player, who fears that he will not receive a call, can bet $ 100. But if you do the standard bet, rather than adhere to any complex system, your opponents will not know on what you play, comparing the size of your bet and the strength of your combination.

Remember, in pot-limit Omaha pot will always be large enough

Remember that pot-limit Omaha always form a sufficiently large bank. You do not need to build it before the flop - it will form itself. This game will pull money from you before you know it. You play, win four or five small pots $ 500 or $ 1000 each, so that now in front of you is $ 4000, but you can put down all $ 4000 in the pot before the flop in the next deal on a decent hand!

Outs in Omaha poker

Now let's talk about outs in Omaha poker. Out is a card that can come on turn on river and bring you win. Consider example from previous post. Player 1 has A♠A♣7♦2♠, second player has K♥J♥T♦9 ♠.. Flop is A♥Q♣4♥. Player 2: has 17 outs: 9 hearts, 3 kings, 3 jacks and 2 tens.

But how to calculate the probability of winning knowing number of outs?  First let's see how it's done only with one card to come (i.e. after turn). We know that deck consists of 52 cards. Four of them are our hole cards and three are on the flop, that's why we don't know 52-4-3=45 cards. And probability of winning having 17 outs is 17*100/45%=37,78%. In general probability of winning with one card to come is n*100/45%, where n is number of outs.

When there are two cards to come (i.e. after river) it's a bit more complicated to calculate probability. Let n be number of outs. First we calculate probability, that none of our outs will come. So, we have n out and 45-n outs. Probability, that none of our outs will come after turn is (45-n)/45, after turn brought non-out there are 45-n-1 non outs and 44 cards in deck and probability of hitting non-out on the river is (44-n)/44. So probability not drawing out on turn and river is (45-n)(44-n)/(45*44).

And probability of drawing 1 of n outs is 1-(45-n)(44-n)/(45*44). If we have 17 outs than probability is 0,618 or 61,8%.

Below is table with outs and % of winning:

№ of outs	% of winning after turn	% of winning after turn and river
1	2,22%	4,44%
2	4,44%	8,79%
3	6,67%	13,03%
4	8,89%	17,17%
5	11,11%	21,21%
6	13,33%	25,15%
7	15,56%	28,99%
8	17,78%	32,73%
9	20,00%	36,36%
10	22,22%	39,90%
11	24,44%	43,33%
12	26,67%	46,67%
13	28,89%	49,90%
14	31,11%	53,03%
15	33,33%	56,06%
16	35,56%	58,99%
17	37,78%	61,82%
18	40,00%	64,55%
19	42,22%	67,17%
20	44,44%	69,70%
21	46,67%	72,12%
22	48,89%	74,44%
23	51,11%	76,67%
24	53,33%	78,79%
25	55,56%	80,81%

As you see you should invest as much as possible money in pot after the flop if number of your outs is greater or equal 14 (i.e. probability of winning is greater 50%).

Playing sets in Omaha poker

The presence of sets in pot-limit Omaha has no such value, as in other poker games. Feature of  pot-limit Omaha is that when five cards are opened, almost always someone has either straight, or flush. You can form a set on the flop, even the top set, and lose big amount of money if you call raises.

Consider the following situation. Player 1 raises pre flop with A♠A♣7♦2♠, second player calls. Flop is A♥Q♣4♥. First player raises and receives re- raise. What would you do in this situation? Some of you fold, some go all-in. Assume you go all-in, second player calls and shows his cards  K♥J♥T♦9 ♠. It's very strong hand with this flop. Second player has 17 outs: 9 hearts, 3 kings, 3 jacks and 2 tens.  Probability of winning with 17 outs in Omaha in this example is 66, 3%. First player of course also can win if none of 17 outs will come or if he draws to full house. But probability of drawing full house is much lower – only 37, 8%.

As you see sets in Omaha are very dangerous to play.

Youngest set

If top set you should play very carefully, then, of course, youngest set you have to play very, very carefully even on flop without straight and flush draws, except when you play one on one, because top set can beat you.  Let's say the flop hits J-7-3 and you have set of threes. One player starts to attack you. What will you do with this hand?

If someone makes a bet in Limit Omaha Hi, and you make raise, in some cases, your opponent folds, and in some - calls. However, assume he makes re-raise. Does this mean that he will beat your combination? Now you should use all you skills in poker. However, whether he'll beat your combination or not, you still have to play...  

However, this is limit Omaha.

In pot-limit, if you raise to increase money in pot, your opponent can do enormous re-raise. So what will you do in this situation?  You may play this hand on flop but you shouldn't make a raise. If you make a raise, and receive re-raise, probably your set of threes is very bad hand, so be very careful if you have youngest set on flop.

Implied odds in Omaha poker

Implied odds is amount multiple of stake on the table that you are going to win, if flop has necessary cards, and your opponents will not read your cards and invest good money in pot. - In pot-limit Omaha, many combinations have higher implied odds than in limit Omaha.
Sometimes you will win giant pots, with hole cards, which are not considered good starting hands, if you play them in appropriate situations, playing with the right opponents. These cards can bring you a huge amount of money. In this regard, pot-limit Omaha is similar to no-limit Hold’em in terms of that if you have a youngest pair, with which you can continue the game by paying a little or making a small raise, then the implied odds of such hand, which you will not play if flop is not suitable for you, are huge.
Suppose you have a 9-8-7-6 or 8-7-6-5, but you know that your opponent has some high combination. You can call a small bet. You can also make a small raise before the flop on these cards. Remember that pot-limit game starts with a small pot, and the serious money will be on the table only after at least two rounds of betting.
In summary, I will say that you can call the minimum bet or a small raise, having four linked cards, which will not be the best hand at the moment. In fact, you are sure that your opponent, enough solid player, has high pair, and also you know that your cards are not connected with his hand. To see the cards on the flop, you do not need to sell part of your body, you can simply call a small bet or raise. Your opponent does not know for sure what cards you play, but you know all about him. Your hand has high implied odds.

Structure of stakes in Omaha poker

Omaha High is very dispersive game that's why it eats up a lot of money.
For example let's take the game in which the blinds are $ 25 - $ 50. According to the description game doesn't seem very big, but there are always decent amount of money in the pot.
If you raise 125$ and one player has called $ 125, and another has called $ 125, now the next player can call these $ 125 and make a raise up to $ 600. If all four make the call $ 600, the bank has $ 2400, and the next bet on the flop will be $ 2400. If there is game on the flop, and someone calls, then multiply that amount by three, and get $ 7200 in the pot on the flop. You understand how this game can tear you to pieces in terms of money.
Stakes in pot-limit Omaha increase in progression, but it's very interesting to play this game, and if you really want to play, in this kind of poker you will find people who will be in play with very strange combination. This is one of the reasons why pot-limit Omaha has more multi pots compared with pot-limit Hold em.
Pot-Limit Omaha is the best game to make money, but it is also very complicated.
Many players often run risks and lose more money then they planned to win. This is the biggest mistake of the most players.
When you win not much money, you stop to play. When you lose, you lose almost all your bankroll. In pot-limit Omaha, it is very easy.
That's why you should be disciplined, playing pot-limit Omaha. You do not have to lose absolutely all your bankroll in any poker game, be it Omaha or Hold'em, or something else, unless you do not play last money. The idea is to finish the game and play again another day, give yourself a chance. But there are players who are doing it again and again.
Many people think that if they once played badly, but returned their money back, they can do so every time.
Remember that one of the main quality of professional player is discipline.

Omaha poker. Introduction

Pot limit Omaha is the largest game today. With the equality of the blinds size of pot in this game is three four times bigger than pot in the pot-limit Hold'em. And usually in a casino pot-limit Omaha is also considered the biggest of all games. Blinds should be equal to about $ 15 - $ 30 or even $ 20 - $ 40 in Texas Hold'em, and $ 5 - $ 10 in Omaha, to fairly compare the size of the two games.
This is perhaps the most treacherous poker game from all games, but at the same time it provides the opportunity to earn good money. If you're lucky, and you catch good cards on the flop, and moreover play them correctly, then in Omaha you can win as much as you can not earn in any other game.
Pot-Limit Omaha - the only poker game in which you can fold formed on the flop nuts, and you will be right. Also in this game might be a situation when you make top set on the flop, and if board has two suited cards and two connectors, you can run big risks. But since it is the combination you should play further, you will continue, and in most cases, your hand will be "killed".

Main principles of winning in Omaha poker. Final part

Going on tilt
For the player it is very easy to go on tilt when he has a row of bad beats. Anyone who has ever played poker went on tilt in any given moment. The idea is not to repeat your mistakes - if you have gone on tilt ten times, do not do it in eleventh.
For professionals the easiest thing in the world - is to play poker, get up and leave at some moment. You just should say: "Today is not my day, tomorrow will also be game" and leave.
You should always set a limit on amount of money you can lose. I know that some experts argue that regardless of whether you win or lose, you have to stay in the game if you play well, and if the game is prospective. But almost always you will have a play the next day.
Importance of mood
It does not matter what game you play, but when you sit down at a table, you must have a positive mood, and you should know that you can play well. Just make yourself to play great. If you have a desire to do something that, as you know, you should not do, listen to your instincts and leave the idea.
Our knowledge, our instincts, derived from many years of experience. Your first instinct will likely be true in most cases. But if you try to convince yourself that you have the best hand - think that opponent has combination that you will be able to beat - you - just a fool, and you don't have any chance to win in poker.
For example, on the flop - the king and ace, and you, two eights, and you think: "Well, he may have two sevens, so I call, and we'll see ...". If you think this way, you should better give up playing poker and look for a different profession.

Final remarks
Now, when we have talked about some basic principles of winning game in Omaha poker, we will tell you about some specific tips about how to win in Omaha. We will describe both the strategy in cash game and game tactics in tournaments.