Omaha HL.....PL or Limit

I have had some recent success in PL Omaha HL tourneys this year (4th, 2nd, 7th this year) and have recently began builiding a PL Omaha HL bankroll on Full Tilt.

Would love to answer any questions players have about omaha HL, or discuss starting hands, good books, strategy etc.

Omaha is growing in popularity and HL is a much harder game to grasp than omaha high for many players. If you are looking to learn a bit, and jump into the world of omaha HL, I would be more than happy to share some thoughts.

Im glad there are ppl who also like playing omaha but it seems everybody today just want to play no limit holdem

usally most poker roooms i played have empty omaha tables at any limit. I prefer to play omaha high my self but im no stranger to hi/lo either but its frustrating when u get a hand like straight flush and have to give away half off your pot to some cheap lo

Empty Omaha tables? hmm..strange. At iPoker Network at evenening enough OHL PL active tables, and sure also at PokerStars 5-6 active tables at every limit in range PL25-PL200 (but may be half of them NL and half PL).

And this is little mistake: "everybody today just want to play no limit holdem".First, most of good players play both TH and Omaha (usually OH) and sometimes also other types of poker  (7-card stud, 5-card draw etc.). As you can see at WSOP most of famous players play in events of different types of  poker. Also, sure Omaha plus-players have bigger winrate than TH-players at equal limits (sure and dispersion bigger too). Also at Omaha highroll games win-lose much more money than in TH highroll games. And one more argument  - OH and OHL ideal game for action players, because of many combo-draws and as result more playable hands.

I think which game favorite for any player, its only taste question :) For example, I like OHL cash games more than TH cash , and also more than OH cash. But in tournaments I prefer TH NL

Yes, it does depend on the site you play at.

Most of the big ones like PokerStars, Party or Full Tilt have lots of games to choose from. And as mentioned, the Ipoker network (BetMost, CDpoker, Noble and a host of others) have a decent selection of pot limit games (barely any limit though).

Hi, Dingus!

Have some question to you about specific aspects of OHL:

1. You played especially  OHL tournaments or cash game too? If you play cash, which table you prefer 6-max or fullring? Which limits?

2. How you play on preflop weak aces with little chances to lo(like AA59)? Same question about strong hands with chances only to hi (like KKQJ)?

3. Does you use sometimes testing miniraises (0.1-0.3 of pot size) on flop on multipots?

I was just checking tables at ipoker network for some pot limit omaha and all the tables were empty even 0.10 cash game, i know full tilt and pokerstars have alot off tables but i dont play there anymore last time i played it was some omaha hi/lo on tournament on stars

On full tilt u can find any game u want most stakes u wanna play even for some games other poker sites dont even host like Razz or HORS

i usally play games up to 1/2$ or lower

And now one question regarding omaha, in holdem i pretty much know when im holding the nuts and how strong my hand is,

but in omaha thats a really hard thing to do, im not sure if my flush is good when the board pairs, if i have a full house i get beat by a higher full house it gets frustrating.

may be the time you are playing i just had a look and there are 15 pot limit tables going under $2 and a good mix of most levels  as well

1) I play both cash games and tournaments. For omaha HL, I prefer full ring tables, it just seems that get better cards. If I am playing Omaha Hi, I prefer 6 max, as it is easier to be aggressive and a little looser. I pretty much only stay between $25 and $100 PL for both games. I am still starting out with BR building myself for omaha and the swings can be pretty nuts, so right now it just makes sense to play smaller tables.

2) A weak hand like AA59 should be played cautiously. I would prefer to only play a AAxx hand that has a flush draw in it, as I have a chance for the high as well, but if you do limp in with AA59, don't put a lot of chips in the middle if you don't pull a decent low draw (board showing some sort of combo like 23XX or 24XX). Since there are many ways for a single pair or your A5 low draw to be beaten, this hand should be played more passively, unless you flop a monster.

The KKQJ hand is one that you would prefer to play into a multway pot, where someone has raised a bit and there are a bunch of callers, or limping in with, both from close to the button. Due to the one way nature of the hand, the result will often be you throwing away your hand, as even flopping top pair could result in you getting quartered, or someone with a low draw freerolling you for a high with 2 better pair, a straight or trips. Hi only hands should be played aggressively when no low is present, and with a hand like KKQJ you are looking to flop a set or a straight. If either of those don't hit, or no draw is present, you should throw away your hand and not waste chips calling with top pair.

3) The min raise is debatable, since it does build the pot, but also allows players to see the next card fairly cheaply. Omaha is not a game of slowplaying, it is about hammering the pot and making your opponents pay. Unless you have the dead nuts with no possibility of another player ending up with the same hand or better, the min raise should not be used often, as it only allows your opponents a cheap way to improve their hand and possibly take the pot from you.

Yes, that is a very common problem in omaha, and one that is not easily fixed, you kind of just have to adopt a certain mentality of thining at the tables.

Essentially, if you are playing Omaha Hi and you raise out with bottom set and get reraised on a board that has a lot of draws, you are probably beat. The thing about omaha, is that you often have to believe that when someone raises you and you don't have one of the top 3 nut hands on the board, that you are beat.

Laying down in omaha is one of the toughest things to do, and the reason why many players are not successful at the game. They slow play or small bet an Ace high flush on the turn, then do so again on the river, only to be raised when the board pairs, push allin and find that a full house is beating them. You have to be able to start looking at the board, seeing what a player could be raising with and believe that they actually have that hand.

Example:

As I said above, if you are betting with the Ace high flush all the way to the river and the board pairs and now you are faced with a reraise, you are probably losing. Most players understand the game of omaha enough that they will not be waiting to the river to reraise with a weak flush, so you can bet that a player was calling you all the way with 2 pair or a set. It sucks, but you have to believe that they have caught the card they need. If you really don't believe them, by all means call, but most often a river raise is a sure sign of strength. It may be a well timed bluff, but most players choose not to bluff in omaha, because the chances of being caught by a superior hand are even greater than in holdem.

The toughest thing to do in omaha is lay down a set. As I mentioned before, if you are looking at a draw heavy board and someone is reraising you, there is often a good chance that they have an over set. 2nd set is hard to fold, but if you have bottom set, you need to learn to let this hand go. The odds of someone having an overset are still good enough that this is the proper fold. Unless you have a really good read on the player, you must fold. If you feel the need to see a turn, just call and reevaluate the turn. If a scare card comes and they check, you might be able to steal with a pot sized bet, but in all likelihood you are probably going to end up losing, since many players can't lay down sets.

Basically omaha is a feel game and you have to play enough at the lower limits to get comfortable reading the board. Once you are confident in your ability to see what kind of hands are out there, you will start seeing more success. I would suggest playing 6 max tables of omaha hi, as they allow for a bit more of an open, loose game, and some mediocre hands will hold up a little better to a full ring game. Remember, there is nothing wrong with calling a small bet with a mediocre hand on the river, or check / calling if you think you might be beat. Learn to identify the danger cards when they hit and you will start playing better and have more success.

Hello

where I hit home good omaha competitions?

THX

Party Poker, PokerStars, and Full Tilt all have great online omaha gaming. BetMost and the Ipoker network are beginning to attract more and more players, but the big 3 still seem to have the most players.

Fulltilt and party poker have soft PLO games.

Go for PL. Greater profits, better hand protection

I luuuuv Omaha PL.. but not in cashgames ^^

Sometimes you get just tooooo much action.. too many players and on.. look at them Pros.. they play everyday 0,5million$ pots.. thats incredible..