General Omaha Questions...

[SideSwipe]

Hi guys,

I just started playing Omaha High after coming from Hold'em. I played on the play money Omaha tables first, so I could shake off my Hold'em tendencies. Once I started winning regulary at the play tables, and getting to know what starting hands work, and most importantly, reading all of Felonius Monk's articles, I started on the micro-limit, $0.02 PL tables at Stars. (I'm only a small stakes player! )

I know it's only a short time period (3 weeks), but I have found that at the end of the sessions, I'm back where I started. I never seem to finish up on a positive amount. I'm up about 1 buy-in, only to lose it to suck-outs by the end.

Reading Monk's articles, he often says bet aggressively when you flop a strong hand, and I do that. But for example, when I flop top trips, with no str8 or flush onboard, I bet aggressively. Only for players to call all the way along and hit their flush/str8 by the river. Or...I flop 4 to the flush, holding the Ace of that suit with no pairs on the board. So I tag along, only for the board to pair at the river, as I hit my flush, and some monkey has a full house, 3s over 7s or something similar.

And so that is how it goes, I often bet aggresively just so I can build up SOMEONE ELSE'S pot.

Most of this good advice you see posted on these great fourms, seem to be only for use at the $25/$50/$100 limits and upwards. So if any of you Poker Pros, who started off down at my level, have any tips for playing Micro-limits, I'd be very grateful. Is it just a case of sticking with ABC poker? Can you chase off weaker hands at this level in Omaha?

One more question, what VP$IP should you ideally have playing Omaha?

Cheers,

SS

[JDLush]

swipe, at those limits it's really, really hard to push the chasers away. You have pretty much 2 options - only push hard on hand with redraws (i.e., you flop a str8/str8 draw but also have a flush draw), or you can be more passive and hit hard when you still have a monster by the river. Depending on how much variance you want it's up to you. Check the thread from today about flopping a str8 with no redraw for how much having the nuts on the flop can hurt you.

My VPIP in omaha high is generally below 22%. It's higher at hi/low. Stick to good hands that are at least 3way, preferably 4way. Don't over estimate big pairs, don't underestimate wraps. I'd rather have 89TJ than KK47. You have to look at your big pairs the same way you'd approach a medium pair in Holdem - set it or forget it.

[SideSwipe]

Thanks JD,

Yeah, I've learned not to get stuck on big pairs and value wraps a lot more too.

Only 22% for VP$IP, I'm surprised at that. I guess I should cut back on my starting requirements. As any 4 card wrap and/or suited Ace(s) and I'll play them.

Cheers,

SS

[briachek]

Wow, I thought I was tight seeing about 22-26% of flops. If you play well postflop, you can get away with playing more hands (maybe even 35%) but I usually stick to monk's standards. For example, I usually don't play hands where all 4 cards don't match up well together such as KQ92. 3 help for a straight but the 2 is useless. I will try to limp pretty much anywhere with JJxx and up to hit and set but unless its a good hand otherwise, I fold to a significant raise. Don't play cards just because it has a flush draw but an Ace high flush draw makes a hand playable like A987 (suited A) while I would drop it if it wasn't suited to the ace (no matter if the others are suited).

[Felonius_Monk]

Just play very solidly, bet when you have the nuts/best hand, fold less often when someone bets and you have a marginal hand (like 2nd or bottom set, for example) and chase your flush and straight draws, knowing the implied odds are good against bad players. On those sort of wild tables your variance is going to be HUGE, so you'll have some BIG swings! Perhaps you just need to hit a few lucky hands!

Preflop, especially if there's not much raising and if several players (incl you) have big stacks, consider playin lots of hands that can make the nuts ina big way - i.e. value suited aces higher (you could play most hands with a suited ace, certainly with as much as a pair on the side) and big pairs that can catch sets/boats, and value straight-draw type hands less (i.e. 3457 is playable in some cases in a bigger game because if you make a straight your hand will be very well disguised... in a loose game with tons of money flying about, it's not so great as you're less likely to survive a flush or pair on the board by the river!), though it still might be callable in the right situation... Suffice to say, the nuts is going to be shown down pretty often in these games, so flush draws less than the ace, and low straight-type holdings are not as valuable. As brian said, avoid 3 card holdings, in most cases BUT I would play the broadway pairs if you can get in for just a single bet. Other than that, fold non-nutty hands, and don't expect top two on a board like 973 with two spades to hold up...

Also, players are more likely to pay off at this level, so even if you hit a REALLY obvious draw (like a flush), be more prepared to bet strongly (2/3 pot or even full pot) rather than the smaller milking bets you'll often make in the 100, 200 and 400 games.

And be prepared for some variance... BUT if you play hard and chase the nuts, make big bets when you hit a big hand, you'll win money.

Hope this helps!

Monk
xxxxx

[Felonius_Monk]

Ah, VPIP isn't that important... you can limp with a lot of garbage, especially if the stacks (INCLUDING yours) are big, giving big implied odds. I think I play something like 20-25% or so, depending on the game, so round about the number you're playing. If these games are really loose but with little preflop raising, you could play almost every suited ace, and definitely middle hands containing runs of 4 connected or one-gapped cards, as well as all broadway pairs and perhaps some really good 3 card hands (comparatively good, 3-card hands generally suck!) like AKQ3 with a suited ace.

I'm guessing 20-25% is fine for this level.

[SideSwipe]