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January 9, 2006
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Poker Lesson: Thoughts on Omaha-8
Author: Jennifer Harman
In an earlier tip, I gave advice for playing Stud-8
or Better. For this article, I'll look at the other popular hi/lo
split game, Omaha-8 or Better. In my article on Stud-8, I encouraged
players to look for hands that have the possibility of scooping
entire pots. The same goes for Omaha-8: whenever possible, you
need to position yourself to take every chip from a big pot.
The best Omaha-8 hands have four cards that work
together. Something like Ad-Ks-2d-4s is a terrific hand. It gives
opportunities for high hands with flushes and straights. It's
also likely to make a winning low. When you see a hand with this
sort of potential, play it aggressively pre-flop. You also want
to play hands like Ad-2c-3h-5s, Ad-2c-3s-8c, and Ah-2d-3c-Qc,
but since these hands don't have as many opportunities to make
great highs, you may not want to be as aggressive.
Some players overvalue any hand that contains A-2.
For example, a hand like Ah-2c-8s-Jd isn't all that great. It's
got a chance to win the low half of a pot, but it's unlikely to
make a decent high. Another problem is that a hand with A-2 and
not much else is in danger of "getting quartered." That
means if another player holds A-2, you'll only win half of the
low half. Getting quartered in a big Omaha-8 hand isn't much fun.
That warning aside, in very loose Omaha-8 games
where six or seven players are seeing every flop, you should play
most hands that have A-2. The pots will be large enough to justify
playing for only the low half of the pot. But even in a multi-way
pot, there's no need to play every hand with A-2 aggressively.
When you have little chance of winning a high, you're better off
seeing a flop cheaply.
In tight games, where only two or three players
are contesting most pots, you can muck a hand like Ah-2c-8s-Jd
pre-flop. When the pots are small, you don't want to get involved
in any confrontation where you have little chance of making a
good high hand.
Many players undervalue hands that contain four
high cards. For example, a hand like K-Q-J-T is a solid Omaha-8
hand. Any flop that has two cards above a 9 will give K-Q-J-T
a straight draw, two-pair, or a set. On such a flop, there probably
won't be a qualifying low, so there's a great chance to scoop.
(In Omaha-8, three of the board cards must be 8 or below for anyone
to make a low that can take half the pot.) If the flop has three
low cards, you can abandon K-Q-J-T, knowing that it's got essentially
no chance to win.
Should you find yourself playing a hand with four
high cards, don't be seduced by a flop that gives you only top
pair. A flop of K-5-2 is not good if you're holding K-Q-J-T. With
such a flop, you can be pretty sure that some of your opponents
are playing the low end of the deck and are working on powerful
lows and straight draws. In fact, in multi-way pots, you should
be wary of any single pair or even two-pair. It usually takes
a strong hand to take the high-half of a multi-way Omaha-8 pot;
a five-card hand - a straight, flush or full house is often necessary
to win.
Omaha-8 attracts players who love to play pots.
Many draw too frequently and play hands that can only get them
in trouble. If you learn to play Omaha-8, you can take advantage
of these loose players and turn a solid profit.
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