A not so brief glance at Omaha for any players looking to learn

A not so brief glance at Omaha for any players looking to learn

About the Author

Blog Post

Many of you have read my blogs, and this time I will focus (at the request of viceroid, lol) my attention on the game of Omaha, which is quickly gain a lot of popularity. I have already written an article on Omaha HL, however this one will focus on the high only aspect and game of omaha. My writing has been influenced by both Sam Farha and Jeff Hwang, whose books on omaha I have both read, although this article will be completely off the top of my head and not contain any direct passages from those books. For anyone interested in a more in depth look at Omaha, Jeff Hwang's Pot Limit Omaha is flat out the best book I've read on the the game. It provides introductory material, while still providing something for players that are more advanced. If you are serious about Omaha, you need to read this book. The information provided is applicable to full ring games, as well as short handed games. If you are to succeed in short handed, you need the basic understanding of omaha, and the ability to loosen up your hand requirements, while still playing what would be considered solid hands.

Just a quick note, this article does not contain a ton of strategy, since things like slow playing and check raising often just get you into trouble. I advocate pot bets, folding when you get raised if you don't hold the nuts and generally overly hyper aggressive play anytime you hit a hand. Try to be cute in omaha and you will get your lunch handed to you. Its a game of draws and redraws, you deceive other players by betting your hands and making them pay, not by getting tricky and fancy.

What is our goal when playing Omaha?

The goal for most players should not be limited simply to winning pots, although this is quite beneficial. Our goal should be to play the strongest hands possible, make the most aggressive, well thought out plays possible all with the intent of scooping our opponents entire stack, or stacks.

Basic structure of Omaha

For anyone that is completely new, Omaha is a game that utilizes a similar structure to Hold'em, except that all players are given four cards. From these four cards two must be used from your hand, along with three from the board to make your best possible five card hand. Unlike hold'em, you can not use just one card, in order to create your hand, two and always two cards must be used from the four dealt to you. Example: the board shows the following 8888A........you hold A593, your opponent holds 55KQ. Unlike holdem where you would win with 4 of a kind, your hand in omaha is three of a kind (888A9) while your opponent has a full house (88855). Don't make an amateur mistake and play the board, when you have to use two cards, lol.

Blinds, betting and the dealing of cards follows the exact same rules for holdem.

Starting hands in Omaha

There are many different types of starting hands in Omaha, but to simplify things, we want to hold 4 cards that seem to work well with eachother in some way. All four do not have to work well together (although that is a bonus) but we want to have at least 2 decent two card starting hands and three or more is even better.

Playable hands

Four broadway cards (A,K,Q,J,10): if we can hold some sort of combination of four broadway cards, with a suited A, then we have a playable hand. The power of this type of hand is that we can make a straight in many many ways, and if our A is suited, than we have the potential for a nut flush as well.

Four connected cards  (9876, J1098, 6543, etc.): if we hold 4 cards that are connected, than we have a playable hand. Due to the possible dominance of a hand such as 432A or 5432 (more on that later) we want to limit or play to 6543 or better. Holding 4 connected cards allows for the possibility of hitting a straight in many different ways. Being suited as well, provides a chance to catch a flush on later streets and outdraw opponents calling or betting the same straight.

Four gapped connected cards (9875, 9865, 9854, etc.): if we hold 4 cards that are connected with a gap, or two gap, then we have a playable hand. If we hold two of the same suit (or are suited twice in dfferent suits) that increases the value of our hand. Much like above, these hands provide straight possibilities as well as flush potential if suited.

Three broadway cards and a dangler (AQJ5, AKJ9, etc): The three broadway cards (especially with a suited A) are quite strong, however the dangler (in this case the 5 or 9) does not work all that well with the other cards making it a liability. We can play these hands with danglers, if the dangler works with at least one other card. In the case above, the 5 could make a low straight with the A and the 9 could make a straight with the J or K. Try to only play danglers if they work with at least one other card, because they will become a liability. We want to play 4 strong cards, not 3.

Two pairs (99JJ, KKQQ): Holding two pair can provide a chance for a set, but should be played cautiously. There are only 4 cards in the deck that make you a set and if you aren't suited, or the pairs don't connect, you are very limited in your potential.

Two Ace hands (AA45, AAK10): The AAxx hand is one of the most overplayed and most easilty dominated hands in omaha due to it being overplayed. Unlike holdem, a bare AA does not stand much of a chance against players chasing draws. If you are going to play an AAxx hand, limit yourself to ones where at least one A is suited and its even better if both are. The other two cards are more powerful if they connect with eachother, or the Ace somehow. Granted that is a lot to hope for, but just be careful when you play an AAxx hand. If you don't flop an A or flush draw, you have to be careful in how you bet.

Double suited hands without an Ace (KQ34, QJ65, etc.): Since so many cards come out in omaha, we generally want to stay away from hands that are suited without an Ace. There will be times when we limp in from the blinds, but we don't want play suited hands that are easilty dominated. Exception: playing connected hands that happen to be suited increase their value. Your goal with a suited connected hand is to flop a straight with a chance to redraw for a flush. The suit nature provides extra outs to win the hand on the river should another opponent hold the same straight.

Suited Ace with connectors or gapped connectors (A678, A956): one of the more deceptive hands in omaha is the suited Ace with connectors. The potential for a nut flush is present, as well as the possibility of flopping a straight. These hands are quite fun to play and can provide big payoffs if the right flop hits.

Suited Ace with pocket pair (A5JJ, A9KK): This hand is quite strong if the pocket pair is not providing the suit for the A and should not be played if that is not the case. The benefit of this type of hand is that you could flop three of a kind, while still holding outs to draw to a flush.

There are many other hands that are present, however the above should give you a basic grasp of what types of hands are playable. Since omaha has so many cards that come out, we want to limit our selection to hands that provide more than one way to win the pot, as well as providing us with the best scenario, should we hit our hand. Stay away from weak straight draws, and non nut flushes and try not to over play hands where you hit top pair.

Hands to raise on

If you are playing a full ring game and relatively new to the game, I would only be raising on double suited AAxx hands in late position. Lower limit players love to see flops and if your hand selection is strong, than you will be able to see flops for cheap and out play them after the flop. The downside of this is that the pot will be small, which hinders your ability to protect your hand, but until you get the hang of starting hand values, it is far cheaper and easier to limp into the pot.

If you are going to raise at any point in an omaha game, you are going to be betting pot. Unless you have the absolute nuts, you want to make it as expensive as possible for players to chase, and increase your ability to get paid off should they miss. Even if you have the nuts, the great thing about omaha is that you will get paid off betting your hand. Don't be afraid to push the action when you make a hand, especially if its not the nuts. Flush and straights  can all be crushed by the board pairing if someone flopped a set. Don't make it cheap, bet your hand strong when you hit.

Calling raises from opponents preflop

If you are going to play a hand that has been raised, limit it to a solid starting hand such as four connected cards, AAxx (if double suited you want to reraise) gapped connectors where the gap is only one card, suited Axxx connected hands. Essentially you want to call raises with hands that give you plenty of options to outdraw your opponents. You can generally assume that any player raising has one of the following hands AAxx, KKxx, KQJ10 (or some big connected hand) or suited Axxx. Apart from those hands, most players prefer to limp into pots (at the lower levels) and try to hit big flops. Don't be afraid to call, but limit yourself to hands that have nut potential and try not to play weak suited hands or double pocket pairs.

On the flop, turn and river

Describing actual omaha game play is one the toughest things to write about, because every situation is different and there are so many situations. To try and simply things I am going to provide the following information for game play:

You must bet your hand for pot if you are going to bet, and read the board to determine what other hands could be out there. Omaha is a game of draws and if the flop brings a huge draw, you can bet that someone is chasing it. If you lead out with a hand like top two pair and someone calls, only to bet the turn when a straight or flush draw hits, you need to dump. Learning to lay down to an opponent is one of the most challenging things about omaha. You don't want to be chasing hands unless you have the right pot odds, and you don't want to chase hands that are non nut hands. If you chase a flush draw, make sure its with an A. If you chase a straight draw, do it for the high straight, not the sucker straight (board is K56, you call with A346 in your hand, opponent has 5789, catching a 7 would be deadly to you) and if you flop the low straight, if someone reraises you, dump your hand.

The reraise is the most telling sign for omaha. If you bet out with a hand that is not the absolute nuts at the time, 9 / 10 times you are already behind. With so many potential hands that could hit, there is no value in slowplaying a hand in omaha. There are so few nut hands, that it is too risky to allow players to chase and suckout. Smart players bet their hands and bet them hard, weak players chase to hit 2nd best and call with non nut hands, don't be one of those players.

Draws, Redraws and Wraps

Draws are very powerful hands in omaha, however holding a hand with redraw potential is even more powerful. Assume you hit a straight and your opponent hits the same straight. You hold two hearts, while your opponent has none. The board is also showing two hearts. You have hit your draw, but you now have the chance to redraw. Your opponent is stuck with the best hand possible with a straight, but all you need is a heart to steal the pot. This scenario is why it is extremely important to play connected hands that hold suits, because sometimes a straight isn't enough. You can even redraw on a straight draw. Say you have 78910 and the board is 567. You have flopped the nut straight, but guess what, if a 10 falls, you just made an even better straight (678910) and if a J comes on the turn, your hand improved again (78910J). The benefit of having a hand with redraw potential is that even if an opponent hits the same hand, you can redraw to win, or if an opponent out turns you, there is still a river card that could save you. Having cards that provide more outs to improve your hand are very important in omaha and should not be overlooked.

Wraps are the most powerful straight draws in omaha and if you add in a suited, or double suited nature, they can provide seemingly endless outs to win a hand. A wrap essentially means that you can hit numerous combinations of cards on the board to make a straight. Should you hold KQJ10 and the board comes 1093, you have 11 cards in the deck to make a straight (any K, Q, J or 8). Should you be suited and hit two of that suit, you now have 8 additional cards to make a hand for 19 outs. As I mentioned above, we do not want to draw to non nut hands, however holding a wrap draw with flush outs is not that bad. We are looking to push with our straight draw in hopes of hitting that, drive out anyone chasing a flush draw and potentially river a flush to scoop the pot, should someone have the same straight as we do. We also do not want to chase to non nut outs. Non nut outs essentially refers to the fact that certain cards that make our hand, may also make someones hand stronger. Say the board is 469 and we hold 573A and out opponent has 5678. If the turn comes a 3, we split, but if it happens to come a 5 or 7 than our opponent is going to take the hand, since our straight will be second best. We do not want to chase 2nd best hands. We play for nut hands, with redraws, or straight up nut hands.

Calling Raises on the flop or turn

Determing when to call a raise, and when to fold is a tricky thing in omaha. The best and most common way to determine what sort of hands to call on is by determing your pot odds. Given the size of the pot and the size of the bet placed against the pot, how does your number of outs stack up in relation to those bets. Being able to determine your outs quickly is a valuable skill in omaha and essential to playing profitably. For those that do not know pot odds, I suggest you search the internet for a site that explains it, since I am in no position to do it justice off the top of my head. For assistance I keep a pot odds sheet next to me and refer to it if I feel unsure of whether or not to make the call. I also am a bit of a feel player and make decisions sometimes based on nothing other than my gut tells me calling is the right thing to do. This is obviously not for everyone and my gut instinct is often based on my general understanding of how many outs I have and whether or not the bet size is right to call. This has been developed over years of playing and should not be used for amateurs that can't instantly identify when they have a monster wrap with redraw potential.

Position in Omaha

Even more so than holdem, position in omaha is extremely important and valuable. Being on the button, or close to the button allows you to make pot size bets into hands that no one has raised into. Given the fact that most players will raise when they hit a hand, a checked flop to you often is a sign of extreme weakness. Should a player call, they are either chasing or flopped a monster. Situations not to continue with a turn bet are if the board is paired, connected for a straight draw, or a holds a flush draw. Should someone call your flop bet, evaluate the turn and determine whether or not the board now contains any of the potential hands listed above. If not, feel free to bet again, or simply check and see what happens. Most players will lead out on the turn should they have a hand, or will check raise on the flop. Although I don't advocate bluffing too often in omaha, there is always time for a well placed bluff.

Being near the button also provides an advantage when raising. Should you raise a hand and completely miss on the flop, if it is checked around you now have the opportunity to steal. This is not a bluff, so much as a continuation bet. If you get reraised its an easy fold, but if no one is willing to bet and you raised preflop, you should try and take the hand down right then and there.

A general wrap up to this omaha article

Given the fact that I am writing all of this material off the top of my head, with no other aids, I have no doubt missed a ton of valuable information, much of which is just common knowledge and practice to myself as an omaha player. As I mentioned before, any players that are serious about omaha need to read Jeff Hwang's book, the information within will change your game and percetptions as a player.

For any players interested in more omaha info, the best thing I can do for you is look over some hand histories and provide my input on how you played. If you are interested in doing this, I will be more than happy to provide an email address where you can send them, or just post a hand or two in the comment box, or in the forum (I have an omaha post there, or start your own, I check there often). If any points are unclear, please comment, for as I said, this is hardly complete and I am more than happy to provide additional information on this starting point. Once again, I apologize for the lack of information regarding flop, turn and river play, but there are far to many situations to explain and the information I gave should provide a basic grasp of when to bet, call or fold.

Good luck, omaha can be a very profitable and fun game. Take the time to learn it at the lower limits and you will be ahead of other players once it really takes off as a casino game.

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