I played many times in Omaha table and I have written this article dedicated to the memory of the thousands of winning hands that we have held on fourth street that were no longer winning hands on fifth street and to the memory of the many dollars that went with them. Thursday, April 10, 2008
Omaha table in my best poker room
I played many times in Omaha table and I have written this article dedicated to the memory of the thousands of winning hands that we have held on fourth street that were no longer winning hands on fifth street and to the memory of the many dollars that went with them. 
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Brief Summary of Omaha Rules
Summary of Omaha Rules
Omaha Poker Games is generally played as follows: Each player is dealt four down cards (concealed). These four cards constitute the entire private Omaha hand (there are no more down cards). Each player’s entire Play poker hand consists of nine cards — the four down (private) cards plus five common “board” cards (dealt face up in the center of the table). All players use the same five common board (up) cards. If two or more players remain in the pot for the showdown after the last (fourth) round of betting, the best five-card poker hand wins, using exactly two cards from your hand (your four private cards) and three of the five board cards.
Now let’s describe a hand of Omaha in detail including the “blinds” (which are similar to “antes”) and the four rounds of betting:
1. The cards are dealt clockwise starting with the player to the left of the dealer. The “dealer” or player in front of whom is the dealer button (in casinos there is usually a non-playing dealer) rotates clockwise around the table after each hand. Each round of betting proceeds clockwise starting to the left of the “dealer” (or player designated by the dealer button).
2. Each player is dealt four down cards (also called private cards or hidden cards).
3. Everyone looks at their own four down (private) cards. There is a first round of betting (before “the flop”) starting to the left of the dealer. Each player has the option of folding, calling or raising in turn, as in all forms of poker. Of course, at this point, no one knows which five cards will turn up on the board.
4. Assuming that more than one player remains after the first round of betting (occasionally everyone folds a raise before the flop), the dealer deals three cards face up on the table. These three “board” cards, called “the flop,” belong equally to all players.
Having now seen seven of your eventual nine cards, there is a second round of betting. You should consider how well the three- card flop combines with all two-card combinations in your private hand.
5. Assuming that more than one player remains after the second round of betting (after the “flop”), the dealer adds a fourth board card face up on the table (often called the “turn card”). There is a third round of betting.
6. The dealer adds a fifth and final board card face up on the table (often called the “river” card). Again, all of the five board cards belong equally to all players. At this point, each remaining player visualizes his best poker hand (five cards) using any three of the five communal board cards and any two of his four private hand cards (which only he can use). After this fifth and final card is dealt, there is a fmal round (the fourth round) of betting.
7. After this fifth and fmal (“last” or “river”) card is dealt, there is a final round (the fourth round) of betting. If two or more players call this final round of betting (the “showdown”), whoever has the best five-card poker hand is the winner.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Hold'em, Omaha, and Money
It is almost a basic rule of nature that whenever fish show tendencies to like any given game, then the fishermen learn to play the game also. Medium players and lesser fisherman would probably prefer games that they already understand sufficiently to win from the fish, such as hold ‘em, if plump fish were plentiful. But, if the plumpest fish are seen heading for the Omaha table, is that not where many fishermen will be found casting their nets? In a choice of games situation, do not most fishermen seek out the table with the most fish and fewest competing fishermen?
Looked at from this point of view, Omaha might be considered a concession that the fishermen are making to the fish. But is this really a sacrifice on the part of the fisherman? Actually it all depends on just how skillful the fisherman is! And how much is it worth to the fisherman to have more “fun.”
Success Rates
Although interest, entertainment, enjoyment, and so on, clearly has some effect on a player’s choice of games, nevertheless, all players (including fish) tend to prefer the game where they have the most financial success (or lose the least). The following chart indicates success rates for three levels of players:
Let us follow through on our previous observations regarding five-card stud, which leads to a key reason why class players should be delighted to adapt themselves to high Omaha. If every player at a given casino poker table is at least halfway decent, how much edge does the class player have duly noting the house rake? The answer, as we observed earlier, is that it all depends on the skill levels inherent in the game itself.
Omaha “super expert” can win without fish
Due to the combinatorial mathematical complexities of high Omaha, there is a very large skill factor in high Omaha. Thus, the super expert has a bigger edge over the medium players and lesser experts in high Omaha than in simpler poker games. Because of this larger difference in skill level, the super expert rates to win, even without plump fish in the game (this concept is discussed further in the comparison of high Omaha with high-low). But, since there usually are plenty of plump fish at the high Omaha tables, the class players rate to do very well at high Omaha.
While on the subject of modem fishermen adapting to their prey, let us all behold the recent casino trend toward increased and improved poker facilities. The house, the ultimate professional fisherman, has finally learned that it needs not only the dwindling “entertainment gambling” dollars, but it also needs the dollars of all of us regular poker fish who have learned to avoid craps and blackjack (including even some of us casual “counters”). Thus the house provides its services and we poker players gracefully surrender our several percent tributes with hardly a murmur.
Looked at from this point of view, Omaha might be considered a concession that the fishermen are making to the fish. But is this really a sacrifice on the part of the fisherman? Actually it all depends on just how skillful the fisherman is! And how much is it worth to the fisherman to have more “fun.”
Success Rates
Although interest, entertainment, enjoyment, and so on, clearly has some effect on a player’s choice of games, nevertheless, all players (including fish) tend to prefer the game where they have the most financial success (or lose the least). The following chart indicates success rates for three levels of players:
Let us follow through on our previous observations regarding five-card stud, which leads to a key reason why class players should be delighted to adapt themselves to high Omaha. If every player at a given casino poker table is at least halfway decent, how much edge does the class player have duly noting the house rake? The answer, as we observed earlier, is that it all depends on the skill levels inherent in the game itself.
Omaha “super expert” can win without fish
Due to the combinatorial mathematical complexities of high Omaha, there is a very large skill factor in high Omaha. Thus, the super expert has a bigger edge over the medium players and lesser experts in high Omaha than in simpler poker games. Because of this larger difference in skill level, the super expert rates to win, even without plump fish in the game (this concept is discussed further in the comparison of high Omaha with high-low). But, since there usually are plenty of plump fish at the high Omaha tables, the class players rate to do very well at high Omaha.
While on the subject of modem fishermen adapting to their prey, let us all behold the recent casino trend toward increased and improved poker facilities. The house, the ultimate professional fisherman, has finally learned that it needs not only the dwindling “entertainment gambling” dollars, but it also needs the dollars of all of us regular poker fish who have learned to avoid craps and blackjack (including even some of us casual “counters”). Thus the house provides its services and we poker players gracefully surrender our several percent tributes with hardly a murmur.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
HOW TO PLAY SPECIFIC HANDS
How to Play jeux poker When You Flop a Flush
The higher your flush, the less vulnerable your hand.
Unless you have some specific reason to believe that a checkraise attempt will work or that you should slowplay the hand, you should usually bet it right out. This is one of those hands that produces a higher than usual number of second-best hands and drawing hands.
If you flop a flush and bet, you will be called more often than usual, but on the other hand you will be drawn out on a little more often than usual That's because the players on a flush draw won't believe that you flopped the flush and the only other types of hands that can call will be pairs, two pairs and trips.
If a fourth or even a fifth card of your suit shows up, be alert for the straight flush. Making a straight flush in anyone given hand is very unlikely but if you stipulate that you can start with five cards of the same suit and up to ten players can add two more cards to those five, then it becomes easy to make a straight flush. This is especially true when the lowest card on the board is relatively high, such as a five or six. This is also true when three or four of the cards are close in rank.
The play of a flopped flush is pretty much straightforward:
Make them pay to beat you.
The lower your flush, the more vulnerable your hand. Any card of your suit can kill your hand unless you have an open-end straight flush draw to go with your flush. Because of that fact, you must bet. If a flush card comes on the river and you know that someone has made the flush, but you can't figure out who it was, I want to tell you that more often than not, it's the player who checked and called throughout the hand and is now betting into you.
The player who flopped a hand will bet to protect his hand.
The player on the draw will usually check and call. If the caller raises on the end, you can be sure he made his hand.
The higher your flush, the less vulnerable your hand.
Unless you have some specific reason to believe that a checkraise attempt will work or that you should slowplay the hand, you should usually bet it right out. This is one of those hands that produces a higher than usual number of second-best hands and drawing hands.
If you flop a flush and bet, you will be called more often than usual, but on the other hand you will be drawn out on a little more often than usual That's because the players on a flush draw won't believe that you flopped the flush and the only other types of hands that can call will be pairs, two pairs and trips.
If a fourth or even a fifth card of your suit shows up, be alert for the straight flush. Making a straight flush in anyone given hand is very unlikely but if you stipulate that you can start with five cards of the same suit and up to ten players can add two more cards to those five, then it becomes easy to make a straight flush. This is especially true when the lowest card on the board is relatively high, such as a five or six. This is also true when three or four of the cards are close in rank.
The play of a flopped flush is pretty much straightforward:
Make them pay to beat you.
The lower your flush, the more vulnerable your hand. Any card of your suit can kill your hand unless you have an open-end straight flush draw to go with your flush. Because of that fact, you must bet. If a flush card comes on the river and you know that someone has made the flush, but you can't figure out who it was, I want to tell you that more often than not, it's the player who checked and called throughout the hand and is now betting into you.
The player who flopped a hand will bet to protect his hand.
The player on the draw will usually check and call. If the caller raises on the end, you can be sure he made his hand.
Monday, September 17, 2007
How To Counter A Stupid Play
I was playing in a low-limit Texas Hold 'Em game and a lady called a raised pot with 2-3. The flop came K-A-6. I had flopped top two pairs with my A-K and I had the dealer's button. It was bet in early position, this lady named Gloria called, and I raised. She called again. The next card was 3. It was checked to me and I bet. Gloria called. The last card was 3. It was checked around to me, so I bet. Gloria check-raised me with her three threes. As she scooped in the pot, my mouth was gaping. This had to be one of the most stupid plays in the history of the world and yet she stacked my money!
My purpose is not to relate to you a bad beat story. I hate bad beat stories as much as anyone. My intention is for you to be prepared for this kind of foolishness that goes on in low-limit poker.
My friend george has been known to go ballistic when he loses his chips to a person who has made stupid play.
A guy, lee in the big blind, called his raise in a Texas Hold Em game with 3-7. The flop came George had flopped the top two pairs from late position and bet. The big blind, Lee called. T he next card was a nothing; again Lee called. The last card was a club was a club and Lee won with his three of clubs. George hit the after burner and orbited the earth a few times and proceeded to lose the rest of his chips in the next half hour.
PREPARATION
What can you say to George? I mean, that was one hell of a beat! Lee at no time, at no time, had a decent reason to call. Yet he won the pot. Sometimes low-limit poker can be hard on your vocabulary, on your blood pressure and your stomach lining.
Low-limit poker is like surviving in an arctic region, where preparation is a necessity. If you are not prepared to control your emotions after this kind of beat, you lose. Big time. Readiness to withstand the loss of your money is not an easy task. The problem to focus on is the protection of the remainder of your financial stash.
The preparation for a stupid play is quite comparable to preparation for starting hand selection. Instead of remembering which hands you can play from which positions, you need to be prepared for a fluctuation in emotions. One must be careful not to become angry and reprimand the poor stupid wretch for his incredible play. What you should practice is to visualize yourself being perfectly calm and say something like, "That was a nice hand, sir." You need to play that over and over in your head until you can say it without a trace of bitterness.
Once you have mastered the emotions, you can show just a bit of anger and say something like, "Nice hand. It takes a lot of courage to play cards like that." Or maybe you could simply ask out loud, "Let's see, now. What did you have on the flop? (Or what cards did you start out with?)" Those statements will allow some of your anger to burn off and it probably won't have an effect on the one who played them.
WARNING: Do not counter a stupid play with your own brand of stupidity!
My purpose is not to relate to you a bad beat story. I hate bad beat stories as much as anyone. My intention is for you to be prepared for this kind of foolishness that goes on in low-limit poker.
My friend george has been known to go ballistic when he loses his chips to a person who has made stupid play.
A guy, lee in the big blind, called his raise in a Texas Hold Em game with 3-7. The flop came George had flopped the top two pairs from late position and bet. The big blind, Lee called. T he next card was a nothing; again Lee called. The last card was a club was a club and Lee won with his three of clubs. George hit the after burner and orbited the earth a few times and proceeded to lose the rest of his chips in the next half hour.
PREPARATION
What can you say to George? I mean, that was one hell of a beat! Lee at no time, at no time, had a decent reason to call. Yet he won the pot. Sometimes low-limit poker can be hard on your vocabulary, on your blood pressure and your stomach lining.
Low-limit poker is like surviving in an arctic region, where preparation is a necessity. If you are not prepared to control your emotions after this kind of beat, you lose. Big time. Readiness to withstand the loss of your money is not an easy task. The problem to focus on is the protection of the remainder of your financial stash.
The preparation for a stupid play is quite comparable to preparation for starting hand selection. Instead of remembering which hands you can play from which positions, you need to be prepared for a fluctuation in emotions. One must be careful not to become angry and reprimand the poor stupid wretch for his incredible play. What you should practice is to visualize yourself being perfectly calm and say something like, "That was a nice hand, sir." You need to play that over and over in your head until you can say it without a trace of bitterness.
Once you have mastered the emotions, you can show just a bit of anger and say something like, "Nice hand. It takes a lot of courage to play cards like that." Or maybe you could simply ask out loud, "Let's see, now. What did you have on the flop? (Or what cards did you start out with?)" Those statements will allow some of your anger to burn off and it probably won't have an effect on the one who played them.
WARNING: Do not counter a stupid play with your own brand of stupidity!
Is It Me Or Is It The Cards?
Oh, how I love to play jeux poker Français blame the cards when I lose! Those #&*+#@&! %*# things just don't have the sense to come in out of the rain. Time after time those cards let me down. In Hold 'Em, when I have the nut flush draw in hearts, black cards come on the flop. Or I get two hearts on the flop and never see another heart. That nut draw costs me some money and I will gladly pay it, but when those nut draws fail to come in time after time it sure gets discouraging. It makes me curse the cards.
LOOK FIRST TO YOURSELF
However, I need to be really sure that it is the cards that are causing me to lose consistently. The most honest and important question to ask is, "Is it me or is it the cards? When I ask that question of myself and am quite clear on the answer, the answer I get is usually me. Humble medicine, I know.
Sure, I know that those cards run badly for some period of time. No one wins all the time. That tells me that cards fluctuate - they run hot and they run cold. However, a good player takes that fluctuation into account and accommodates himself to the bad runs as well as the good ones.
I have gone through periods of play when I was convinced that the cards hated me. Perhaps I had offended the poker goddess, the lady that is known as Luck. However, when I honestly asked the question, "Is it me or is it the cards?" the answer came up me most of the time. That answer generally was validated when I re-evaluated my play and modified my approach. Then, 10 and wonder, I started to win again. And, boy, was that better than a sharp stick in the eye.
LOOK ALSO AT THE CARDS
It isn't always bad play on my part. Everyone goes through periods of bad cards, regardless of what game they play. When you can't pick up a decent starting hand, you just have to be able to discipline yourself to wait and wait. To compromise our starting requirements is a disaster waiting to Occur. The only true option is to delay spending our chips until we have a good shot at winning the pot. Each and every chip has value when we go to the cashier's cage. When we insist on playing poor-to-marginal hands when we are frustrated, we won't carry away the chips that should be ours. My goal is to always carry away just as many chips as I possibly can, day after day after day. When the cards run good for me I will have a great time. When the cards run average, I hope to concentrate on each and every hand and walk away with a modest win. When the cards run terrible I want to hold my emotions in a vice-like grip, cut my losses and maybe even mark down a small amount in the plus column. I want to get to the point where I can always answer "cards" to the question, "Is it me or is it the cards?"
LOOK FIRST TO YOURSELF
However, I need to be really sure that it is the cards that are causing me to lose consistently. The most honest and important question to ask is, "Is it me or is it the cards? When I ask that question of myself and am quite clear on the answer, the answer I get is usually me. Humble medicine, I know.
Sure, I know that those cards run badly for some period of time. No one wins all the time. That tells me that cards fluctuate - they run hot and they run cold. However, a good player takes that fluctuation into account and accommodates himself to the bad runs as well as the good ones.
I have gone through periods of play when I was convinced that the cards hated me. Perhaps I had offended the poker goddess, the lady that is known as Luck. However, when I honestly asked the question, "Is it me or is it the cards?" the answer came up me most of the time. That answer generally was validated when I re-evaluated my play and modified my approach. Then, 10 and wonder, I started to win again. And, boy, was that better than a sharp stick in the eye.
LOOK ALSO AT THE CARDS
It isn't always bad play on my part. Everyone goes through periods of bad cards, regardless of what game they play. When you can't pick up a decent starting hand, you just have to be able to discipline yourself to wait and wait. To compromise our starting requirements is a disaster waiting to Occur. The only true option is to delay spending our chips until we have a good shot at winning the pot. Each and every chip has value when we go to the cashier's cage. When we insist on playing poor-to-marginal hands when we are frustrated, we won't carry away the chips that should be ours. My goal is to always carry away just as many chips as I possibly can, day after day after day. When the cards run good for me I will have a great time. When the cards run average, I hope to concentrate on each and every hand and walk away with a modest win. When the cards run terrible I want to hold my emotions in a vice-like grip, cut my losses and maybe even mark down a small amount in the plus column. I want to get to the point where I can always answer "cards" to the question, "Is it me or is it the cards?"
The Big Difference
I have made a big deal out of the differences between the ways a good player will approach live action and tournament play. What are the major differences? How can you become proficient in both tournament and live action?
In this post now I am talking about tournament play. This in itself is a marvel because there are so many tournaments being played all across the country. Could it be the other poker writers out there don't want to let anyone in on their secrets? Hmmmmm.
HAND SELECTION
Well, my secret is out now. One major way to improve your win ratio in tournament play is one of the basic ones hand selection. What kind of hands should one select? In the early stages of play, my answer is to not play a draw hand. In taxes Hold Em. This means big pairs only. Usually just aces and kings, and sometimes queens. If the pot has not been raised, I will play and raise with queens. If the pot is raised in front of me, I will muck a pair of queens. If I have the aces or kings and at he pot, provided it isn’t a real dangerous flop (three of a suit or ten-jack-queen), I will get if it is checked to me. If I have the aces and it is bet into me after the flop, I will usually re-raise. The reason for doing so is that I want to define the hand at the lower betting limits.
In a Seven Card Stud tournament, I will only play trips, aces, kings and queens. I will raise with all of them unless I am behind a good player who has raised with a bigger door card than my pair. For instance, if I have queens and a good player raises with a king or an ace showing, I am done with it. Again, I will not playa draw hand like three parts of a flush or a straight. I certainly won't play three picture cards.
WHAT ABOUT A PAIR OF JACKS OR TENS?
What I will do with a pair of jacks or tens depends on the situation. If I am last (or next to last if the player on my left is a bit timid), I will raise with them, provided, of course, that the pot has not already been raised. If I get called, I will be very cautious. If any door card is paired, I will check. If an ace or king should fall, I will bet once and hope my opponents fold. Unless I improve those jacks or tens real quick, I don't want to invest any more money in them. Remember that the payoff in the tournament is not proportionate. Your medium-strength hands are suspect, so don't attempt to bet for value with them. Survival is the most important consideration. Play tough, tight and smart.
GET OUT EARLY
One bad carryover from live action play into early action of tournament play is continuing to play when you have marginally correct pot odds. Suppose you get caught is a situation where you are a slight favorite to catch the winning hand, but it will cost you some checks to call. Don't risk it. Get out early. Save those chips for a better situation when you are a much stronger favorite. This is a very important concept to remember as you switch from live action to tournament play. Survival is far more important than percentage play.
In this post now I am talking about tournament play. This in itself is a marvel because there are so many tournaments being played all across the country. Could it be the other poker writers out there don't want to let anyone in on their secrets? Hmmmmm.
HAND SELECTION
Well, my secret is out now. One major way to improve your win ratio in tournament play is one of the basic ones hand selection. What kind of hands should one select? In the early stages of play, my answer is to not play a draw hand. In taxes Hold Em. This means big pairs only. Usually just aces and kings, and sometimes queens. If the pot has not been raised, I will play and raise with queens. If the pot is raised in front of me, I will muck a pair of queens. If I have the aces or kings and at he pot, provided it isn’t a real dangerous flop (three of a suit or ten-jack-queen), I will get if it is checked to me. If I have the aces and it is bet into me after the flop, I will usually re-raise. The reason for doing so is that I want to define the hand at the lower betting limits.
In a Seven Card Stud tournament, I will only play trips, aces, kings and queens. I will raise with all of them unless I am behind a good player who has raised with a bigger door card than my pair. For instance, if I have queens and a good player raises with a king or an ace showing, I am done with it. Again, I will not playa draw hand like three parts of a flush or a straight. I certainly won't play three picture cards.
WHAT ABOUT A PAIR OF JACKS OR TENS?
What I will do with a pair of jacks or tens depends on the situation. If I am last (or next to last if the player on my left is a bit timid), I will raise with them, provided, of course, that the pot has not already been raised. If I get called, I will be very cautious. If any door card is paired, I will check. If an ace or king should fall, I will bet once and hope my opponents fold. Unless I improve those jacks or tens real quick, I don't want to invest any more money in them. Remember that the payoff in the tournament is not proportionate. Your medium-strength hands are suspect, so don't attempt to bet for value with them. Survival is the most important consideration. Play tough, tight and smart.
GET OUT EARLY
One bad carryover from live action play into early action of tournament play is continuing to play when you have marginally correct pot odds. Suppose you get caught is a situation where you are a slight favorite to catch the winning hand, but it will cost you some checks to call. Don't risk it. Get out early. Save those chips for a better situation when you are a much stronger favorite. This is a very important concept to remember as you switch from live action to tournament play. Survival is far more important than percentage play.
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