Omaha High-Low Advice
Loading ...I can’t tell you how many times I have been playing in a juicy game of Omaha High-Low and after the pot gets pushed to someone (hopefully me), another player who was in the hand starts complaining. “What the hell? I had a flush! There’s a bug in the software! This site is rigged!”
Of course, that person either didn’t know or forgot that in Omaha High-Low you can only use two hole cards; he probably had three of a suit and two more hit the board. The moral of the story: remember the rules of the game. I have played Omaha High-Low for years and still make that mistake once every few months.
Also, and this is something I also have happen to me every so often, make sure you know if your table is a High-Low table or a regular Omaha table. I once went two orbits on a regular Omaha table, actually winning a couple pots, all the while trying to hit low hands. I got lucky in that session; it is a terrible feeling to think you just hit the nut low only to see the entire pot shipped across the table.
Look for the Big Score
One the biggest leaks I have seen in the Omaha High-Low game of both beginning and intermediate players is the obsession with playing for the low hand. It is understandable why people play this way, though. It is very easy to identify a nut low draw if you have it and there are many more ways to make that nut low than there are to make the nut high hand. After all, if you start with A-2, you just need three unpaired low cards 3 through 8 to show themselves. If you have K-Q, however, you will need specific three-card combinations involving 9, T, J, and A to make your straight.
The problem with focusing too much on the low hand is that you tend to ignore the high hand. Winning half the pot is not going to make you money in the long run. Typically, all you will do is break about even in the hand. Sure, there may be some dead money in the pot, but in a cash game, the rake will offset some of it. Rarely will you make a good profit on a hand if you only take half of the chips. Your goal should be to scoop the entire pot, grabbing the chips of everyone who was going for a high hand, a low hand, or both.
And you won’t always be guaranteed to win half the pot if you hit the low hand. Because most players will see a flop as long as they have A-2 in the hole, there is a reasonable chance that you will chop the low with somebody else. If several players see a flop, expect another A-2 to show up.
What you want to do is play hands that have a chance to be both the winning high and low hands. Of course, starting hands that contain A-2 are good. But you want to combine those two cards with others that could help you with a high hand. Pairs, suited Aces, high or low connectors, all can be solid holdings. A-A-2-3 with the Aces sharing the suits of the other two cards is the best starting hand, as it gives you two nut flush possibilities, a pair of Aces, multiple nut-low options, and three connectors. Something like A-2-Q-Q is pretty good, as is A-2-K-Q. “Suitedness” makes these starting hands even better. If I can match the Ace’s suit to another card in my hand, I’m more than happy to play A-3 if the other two cards give me something with which to work.
And don’t forget about playing a “high only” hand, like K-K-Q-J. There is always a high hand possible, but if the board does not offer three unpaired low cards, nobody is going to win the low half of the pot. Thus, if you can make yourself a great high hand, you will have a decent shot at scooping the pot.
All Hands are Vulnerable
Omaha High-Low is a game of draws. As such, even the best starting hands are extremely vulnerable. Because everyone starts with four cards, the nuts (both high and low) are constantly in a state of flux. Pocket Aces have a great chance to make it all the way to showdown as the best hand in a game of Texas Hold’em, but in an Omaha Hold’em contest, I never feel over-confident, even with A-A-2-3 double-suited. Even if you flop a set, two pair, or a good draw, someone else likely has a good draw of their own.
Limping is OK
Continuing on the last paragraph, because you shouldn’t get married to your hole cards as much as you might in Texas Hold’em, you don’t want to be committing all of your chips pre-flop too often. Way too much can change from the flop to the turn to river. It is so easy to get counterfeited or drawn out on because of the multitude of hand options four starting cards can bring. Thus, I like to see the flop as cheaply as possible. I will raise pre-flop on occasion, but not nearly as much as I will in Texas Hold’em. Plus, in intermediate and beginner games, players love to play any four cards, so raises won’t necessarily thin the herd and reduce the number of draws that opponents will hold.
After the flop is when I’ll start tossing chips around, as even though the turn and river can still wreak havoc in Omaha High-Low, my hand will still be much better defined than it is pre-flop. Now is the time I want to make people pay to try to draw out on me.
Don’t Get Fancy
One thing I have learned from playing at the lower stakes in Omaha High-Low is that someone almost always has the nuts. If I’m not the one with it, someone else has it. It is for this reason that I tend to be a “nut peddler.” People play such a wide variety of starting hands in Omaha High-Low that even some of the most unlikely of holdings tend to present themselves at showdown. That’s not to say that I will never bet, call, or raise without the nuts, but I try not to go too crazy unless I know I have the best hand.
Everythingaboutpoker.com · Filed Under How to Play Poker
New Features on 888 Pacific Poker
Loading ...On 888 Pacific Poker, members will soon enjoy new features as part of Version 5.4 of the site’s software. The online poker room is also one month into its brand new multi-table tournament structure on the 888 Network, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “888.” The new software is expected to be rolled out in March or April.
Littlewoods Gaming jumped to the 888 Network several months ago. Classic Poker also has plans to join the Network, although no official date has been given. Customers on Pacific Poker will soon be treated to a Money Transfer feature, which can be accessed through the Cashier or task bar at the top of the client. The new addition allows customers to send funds to fellow players on Pacific Poker and will be available on March 1st.
Password protected tournaments will also debut. They come in three different types, starting with the “Basic” version, where all players with the tournament’s password can enter. Alternately, players can specify who will have access to the private event. Finally, players can specify lists of people who are eligible to participate. Password protected tournaments are fully-customizable and will be available when Version 5.4 of the software debuts.
With regards to hand histories, players will be able to save them straight to their computers, allowing for compatibility with PokerTracker, Poker Office, and other poker software programs. These are critical for players to be able to review past play for leaks and other deficiencies in their games as well as research opponents. Other competitors in the tracking and analysis marketplace include Hold’em Manager and Poker Copilot, which is compatible with Macs.
A player being able to take their time to act is common in live tournaments. On Pacific Poker, members can soon utilize a Time Bank in ring games and tournaments in order to contemplate critical decisions on whether to call, bet, raise, or fold. Its time will be replenished automatically or manually based on a player’s preference. In addition, when a player is disconnected from the table and it’s their turn to act, the Time Bank will also kick in.
The first-time deposit bonus will also receive an extreme makeover. The bonus will be 100% up to $400 and the first 25% of it is instant and made available to the player immediately. A “Bonus Meter” is displayed right on the table so players know what’s required in order to unlock it. Daily $500 First Time Depositor freerolls will occur during a new customer’s first week and a $1,000 weekly freeroll will also be a part of the tournament offering. Finally, 20 tickets into the site’s marquee $100,000 Guaranteed will be up for grabs for players who have deposited for the first time during the previous week.
A $20,000 Guaranteed tournament runs Monday through Saturday at 20:35 GMT. The $55 tournament awards 3,000 starting chips and blinds increase every 15 minutes. Every Sunday at 20:00 GMT, Pacific Poker holds a $100,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack Challenge, a $130 buy-in contest. Qualifiers begin at $2.20, feeding into $55 qualifiers on Sundays or $38 qualifiers that run Monday through Saturday. For the former tournaments, one person will qualify for every $140 in the prize pool. For the latter, one in four qualify for the $100,000 Guaranteed. In addition, $6.60 qualifiers feed into a $30 tournament on Sunday that awards one entry for every $140 up for grabs.
According to traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, Pacific Poker is the 13th largest worldwide with a seven-day running average of 1,120 cash game players. Its 24 hour peak is 1,928. It sits just ahead of Bodog and behind the Microgaming Network.
Everythingaboutpoker.com · Filed Under Poker News
Charity Poker Tournament after Oscars
Loading ...Tonight, the 81st annual Academy Awards will take place from the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Many in the poker world are in town not for the Oscars, but for the L.A. Poker Classic, a World Poker Tour (WPT) event taking place at the Commerce Casino. One notable exception is 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Jamie Gold, who is hosting a charity poker tournament late Sunday night benefiting Children Uniting Nations.
The winner of the fundraising event will receive a $10,000 entry into the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas beginning on July 3rd. The all-expense paid trip to Sin City includes a private dinner and coaching by Gold. The Los Angeles tournament will be held at 10:00pm on Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton after the Oscar festivities have concluded. Confirmed to appear alongside Gold are Lee Watkinson and Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer. The tournament is sponsored by the Merge Gaming Network online poker room ACED, which recently signed Gold. The Network accepts players from the United States.
Seating in the event will be capped when 30 players have registered and the field will consist of a mix of celebrities and poker fans. The gala is co-sponsored by the Hollywood Reporter and will feature musical performances by Colby O’Donis, JabbawockeeZ, Sophie B. Hawkins, Doug E. Fresh, Teairra Mari, and D.J. AM. According to a press release distributed by tournament organizer GreasieWheels, Jennifer Aniston, Pierce Brosnan, Christina Milian, Jane Seymour, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bill and Hillary Clinton are all proud supporters of Children Uniting Nations.
According to the non-profit organization’s website, Children Uniting Nations “is committed to help every child find a way out of cruelty, neglect, and anger. This organization is dedicated to help children find their way to fulfill their dreams. Children Uniting Nations’ mission is to create loving, tolerant, and capable world citizens.” The Los Angeles-based organization was founded by entertainment mogul Daphna Edwards Ziman. The Oscar Viewing Party taking place at the Beverly Hilton has a price tag of $1,000; After Party tickets can be purchased for $150.
Gold famously won the 2006 WSOP Main Event, defeating Paul Wasicka heads-up and pocketing $12 million. Since then, Gold has served as a front man for 50 charity events and helped raise over $110 million. In addition to Children Uniting Nations, Gold’s efforts have benefited The Sunflower Organization, Montel Williams MS Foundation, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. He’s right at home in Hollywood after originally gaining fame as a talent agent.
Gold took 35th in the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event, taking home £27,150. He’s also competed on GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and NBC’s “Poker After Dark.” During the 2007 installment of the “National Heads-Up Poker Championship,” which also airs on NBC, Gold bested Jennifer Tilly in the first round before falling to Phil Gordon in the round of 32. In 2008, he also bowed out in the second round, this time to Scott Fischman. Gold served as the keynote speaker at the Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP) Euro 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain.
The Academy Awards recognize the best in the motion picture industry annually. Accolades will be handed out for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, and Best Original Score, among others. Presenters will include a veritable “who’s who” of Hollywood personalities and the festivities begin at 8:00pm Eastern Time. Previous Best Picture winners include “No Country for Old Men,” “The Departed,” “Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Chicago,” “A Beautiful Mind,” and “Gladiator.” This year’s nominees include “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Actor Hugh Jackman will host.
Everythingaboutpoker.com · Filed Under Poker News
Learn Poker From The Professionals!
Loading ...Latest Added Articles
- Number of Players
- Playing Head’s Up
- Texas Hold’em Poker: How to Advertise
- Good Poker Bluffs
- Semi-Bluffing With A Flush Draw
- Bluffing to Cover up a Mistake
- Aggressive Play in Texas Hold’em
- General Betting Strategy
- Flopping Top Pair
- Trouble Hands in Texas Holdem
- Betting out of Position - By Gus Hansen
- Joan Rivers Calls Poker Players Trash
