With Two Pots at Stake Omaha Poker Demands a Different Strategy Advanced

With Two Pots at Stake Omaha Poker Demands a Different Strategy

June 15, 2007  /  admin  /   0

While Texas Hold’em is easily the most popular form of poker being played online these days, there is a definite following for the Omaha Hi/Lo poker, as well. With two pots available for winning at every single hand, the lure is strong, but the need for strategy is strong, too. Due to the fact that there are two pots at stake, many players approach the game loose, but this is certainly not the way to win.

Despite the fact that each player is dealt four hole cards, the need to play tightly is crucial. Too many players justify seeing flops simply because it is easy to make a case for either a high or a low hand in every hand dealt. This mistaken approach comes from the fact that the majority of poker players online are primarily familiar with Teaxas Hold’em and so they see those four cards to choose from prior to the flop and forget that everyone at the table has four cards, as well. This, coupled with the fact that there are both high and low pots to try to win seems to lead players to the mistaken impression that they have a much higher probability of winning with any given hand than they actually do. This thinking can lead to trouble because the fact is the odds of finding a flop are the same in Omaha as they are in Texas Hold’em. It is all poker, after all, and the statistics of random numbers don’t change to favor certain games.

Players who are too loose are going to focus on winning the low pot more than they should and justify that attempt by explaining that it could be half of the pot since the high winner always takes half the pot. The problem with this theory is that the low pot often gets shared. By playing too loose and focusing on the low pot instead of keeping one’s eyes on the prize, opportunities can be lost to actually win the high pot.