Sometimes you learn lessons that harm you. Remember the first time you touched a hot stove? I am constantly learning lessons from playing Omaha, some that harm me, others that help me in my Texas hold 'em game.
1. In Omaha, when there are three spades on the board and there is betting and raising on the river, your 3 of a kind or straight are definitely not good. This information does not always translate well to a hold 'em game as many people will use the texture of the board to bluff. In the Omaha game, it is virtually never a bluff, with the only possible exception the "dry ace" bluff, where the bluffer knows due to his single ace of spades holding that the bettors cannot have the nut flush. Unfortunately for this bluffer, Omaha players are reluctant to fold 2nd nuts and pot odds usually mean they are correct to call.
2. In the Omaha game it is a huge advantage to have great board reading skills. Particularly of advantage is correctly seeing the texture of the flop. While this pays huge dividends in Omaha due to the massive draw potential of many hands, it is not as much of a factor in hold 'em, although still important. We all can raise our spidey senses to a higher degree on a 8/9/10 flop in hold'em, but still pursue our hands with a jack (not a 7...shudder), or a four flush with some wariness but not an insta-fold. In Omaha, that flop gets an immediate muck without holding the J/Q or a set. Two pair usually just pays a huge price chasing, and believe it or not, I would not raise with the nut straight here due to the probabilility of the chop (and it gets worse if a small card comes on the turn as now the low draws have a goal). Nothing like taking 1/4 of a multi-way pot.
The texture of the flop in Omaha also bears looking deeply as something like a 4/5/A flop gives you a wheel and straight draws, while a 6/8/10 gives low draws, flopped straights, and open ended bigger straights some traction. Danger Will Robinson!!!
That said, in hold'em, you need the same awareness but the danger level is not as high. You see few straight over straights, big flush vs. small flush, and set over set hands. In short, it is much easier to see monsters under the bed after playing a lot of Omaha. Top pair with a crap kicker wins a lot in hold'em but virtually never in Omaha. There are sometimes monsters under the bed in hold'em, but they are thankfully fairly rare....but usually expensive.
3. Starting hand selection in both games needs to be carefully examined. My general conclusion is that most of us play way too loose in both games. I particularly tend to loosen up my starting hand selection in Omaha. It is just too tight (in my humble opinion), to fold medium pairs pre-flop. I try to throw away the real garbage hands, but will play most suited aces, runs of 4 cards (6/7/8/9), double suited hands, and most pairs 7/7 up. Still not a fan of danglers (2/3/7/K) where one card does not "work" with the others. Just puts you at a disadvantage against hands where pairs can work together, like 2/3/J/Q. In the games I play, there is seldom much pre-flop raising, but I am willing to go along with it as the pots can get huge, protected, and winnable with a variety of holdings.
Hold 'em hands to me are much easier pre-flop as you mainly have to worry about position, pot size, and general starting requirements. Position is not as big a factor in Omaha, but still is nice. I still see people really over-valuing certain hands...in both games. I seldom raise pre-flop with A/2 (Omaha), as too easy to either not flop a low hand/draw, and also frequent chops. I want lots of people in the hand so a chop will still be profitable.
1. In Omaha, when there are three spades on the board and there is betting and raising on the river, your 3 of a kind or straight are definitely not good. This information does not always translate well to a hold 'em game as many people will use the texture of the board to bluff. In the Omaha game, it is virtually never a bluff, with the only possible exception the "dry ace" bluff, where the bluffer knows due to his single ace of spades holding that the bettors cannot have the nut flush. Unfortunately for this bluffer, Omaha players are reluctant to fold 2nd nuts and pot odds usually mean they are correct to call.
2. In the Omaha game it is a huge advantage to have great board reading skills. Particularly of advantage is correctly seeing the texture of the flop. While this pays huge dividends in Omaha due to the massive draw potential of many hands, it is not as much of a factor in hold 'em, although still important. We all can raise our spidey senses to a higher degree on a 8/9/10 flop in hold'em, but still pursue our hands with a jack (not a 7...shudder), or a four flush with some wariness but not an insta-fold. In Omaha, that flop gets an immediate muck without holding the J/Q or a set. Two pair usually just pays a huge price chasing, and believe it or not, I would not raise with the nut straight here due to the probabilility of the chop (and it gets worse if a small card comes on the turn as now the low draws have a goal). Nothing like taking 1/4 of a multi-way pot.
The texture of the flop in Omaha also bears looking deeply as something like a 4/5/A flop gives you a wheel and straight draws, while a 6/8/10 gives low draws, flopped straights, and open ended bigger straights some traction. Danger Will Robinson!!!
That said, in hold'em, you need the same awareness but the danger level is not as high. You see few straight over straights, big flush vs. small flush, and set over set hands. In short, it is much easier to see monsters under the bed after playing a lot of Omaha. Top pair with a crap kicker wins a lot in hold'em but virtually never in Omaha. There are sometimes monsters under the bed in hold'em, but they are thankfully fairly rare....but usually expensive.
3. Starting hand selection in both games needs to be carefully examined. My general conclusion is that most of us play way too loose in both games. I particularly tend to loosen up my starting hand selection in Omaha. It is just too tight (in my humble opinion), to fold medium pairs pre-flop. I try to throw away the real garbage hands, but will play most suited aces, runs of 4 cards (6/7/8/9), double suited hands, and most pairs 7/7 up. Still not a fan of danglers (2/3/7/K) where one card does not "work" with the others. Just puts you at a disadvantage against hands where pairs can work together, like 2/3/J/Q. In the games I play, there is seldom much pre-flop raising, but I am willing to go along with it as the pots can get huge, protected, and winnable with a variety of holdings.
Hold 'em hands to me are much easier pre-flop as you mainly have to worry about position, pot size, and general starting requirements. Position is not as big a factor in Omaha, but still is nice. I still see people really over-valuing certain hands...in both games. I seldom raise pre-flop with A/2 (Omaha), as too easy to either not flop a low hand/draw, and also frequent chops. I want lots of people in the hand so a chop will still be profitable.
2 comments:
Very interesting. I've always heard that playing Omaha makes a person a better hold 'em player. I'm thinking that it certainly couldn't hurt. It just strains by brain!
Duh. That's "my" brain. Oops. See I have brain damage already LOL.
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