It looks very useable — how can they not put you on a big pair or AK?

Omaha is a ‘community card’ game, meaning that the players share a board of five cards in addition to their own hands. It differs from Texas hold’em in that players have four cards in their hands – as opposed to two – and that two of the four cards must be played. For example, if the board shows 5-6-7-8-A and you are holding A-A-K-9, you do not have a straight to the 9, since that would only be using one of your cards; your best five-card hand using two of your own cards would be A-A-A-8-7, or three aces. In order to have a straight, you would need two cards in your hand to complete it, such as 9-10, giving you a straight to the 10, or even 4-7, giving you a 4-5-6-7-8. While seemingly minute, this change dramatically changes the way that hands play out.

Another key difference between Texas hold’em and Omaha hold’em is that the latter is often played as ‘Hi/Lo,’ meaning that the pot can be split between the high and the low hand. An A-2-3-4-5, known as a ‘wheel’ straight, is the best possible low hand. Because there will be additional players chasing the low before and after the flop, the pots in Omaha Hi/Lo are often larger than those of standard Omaha hold’em. The Hi/Lo variation is usually played as a limit game, though pot-limit and no-limit tables are not unheard of.

While many people play for the aforementioned reasons – lots of action and huge, split pots – there is another, subtler factor that may drive additional players to the Omaha tables: namely, the beginner player has a smaller disadvantage when compared to the expert. Though the skilled player will win the more often of the two, his or her edge will not be as large on each individual hand. No preflop in Omaha hold’em is nearly as powerful as AA is in Texas hold’em, and having four cards means that players will more frequently hold the best possible hand – ‘the nuts.’

Omaha hold’em has ridden the coattails of its sister game, Texas hold’em, into the spotlight and is now played with increasing frequency. It draws players in with its massive pots and Hi/Lo variation, which allows for two winners per hand. Though the strategy in Omaha Poker is somewhat different than in Texas, give the former a whirl if you have already learned the latter, as you will pick it quickly; you might even find a new favorite game.

If you KNOW your opponent to make calls on the turn with an inside straight draw, or call with any flush draw at any point — don’t overdo it. If you know he’ll call you down with middle pair — don’t bother. Wait for a hand and let him call you down then. YOU are the donkey when you try to bluff the guy that won’t fold.

Good luck!

I realise that might not help in that many cases, and that KK will probably pay you off way better when the board is KQJ, but isn’t that a long shot to justify an early-position raise with AT?

Read the source right here, and share your toughts, will ya?

After the first hour or two there will be a big difference between the biggest stacks and the smallest ones. At this point in the tournament your stack size becomes important in determining what hands you can play against which opponents. Try to play pots in position against medium sized stacks – these players are comfortable enough not to want to be involved in a large pot without a very strong hand, and are more likely to fold. Those with large or small stacks are more likely to push all in causing you to fold and lose chips or bust out.

The bubble is defined at the period of time when just a few more players need to be busted before the paying positions begin. This is where other players tighten up. You can use this to your advantage by being aggressive a sealing blinds or small pots. Being aggressive doesn’t mean making stupid moves however. Don’t risk your entire stack on a bluff.

If you make it to the final table of an online poker tournament, nice one! – here is where the big payouts start. You are probably short stacked in terms of the blinds. If this is the case you should move into push fold poker. Make people pay for the chance to knock you out.