Thursday, January 29, 2009

Know What to Let Go in Omaha Hi/Lo

By Michael Monroe

There are a wide variety of Omaha Hi/Lo hands so it can be hard to figure out which hands should be played and which should be folded. It may surprise some to know that there are more hands that should be folded than played.

Whether you are playing Texas Holdem or Omaha Hi/Lo you should only be in to see the flop about 20% of the time. If you are active more than that then you are likely playing your game too loose. Before you begin a game of Omaha Hi/Lo you should make sure you have a full understanding of which hands you need to fold.

Many hands you will get will be obviously bad hands, these are the easy ones to let go. Most people have the sense to put down a hand that gives them a very slim chance at winning. Those who dont fold these hands will find out fast that they are using a bad strategy. Either that or they will wonder why they keep losing.

If you are interested increasing your odds of winning then you should know which hands need to be let go. One common hand that causes players confusion is the Omaha Hi/Lo 4567, which many players feel has good possibilities.

A lot of players think this is a good hand because there are a lot of possibilities to catch a straight. The fact of the matter is that this is not true. There is not a very good chance of catching a straight and most of the time you will have very little chance of having a low hand.

Big Pair Lookout

Another type of hand that a lot of people automatically like are the big pair hand regardless of what they come with. A hand like KK28 off suit is not a winning hand. You are going to almost always lose with this hand unless you hit a king and get another pair along with it and manage to boat up.

Even with AA, you have to have cards to go along with the AA. Double suited hands with a high pair are a decent place to commence, especially if the other cards along with the pairs are low. It is a big misconception to think that just because you have a high pocket pair in Omaha that you are good to go.

Generally you want cards that work together. Cards that are suited and work together to make good hands are going to give you a lot higher chance to win. These are the hands that will take you where you want to go. You must give yourself a chance to win the low hand and the high hand. At the same time, you do not want to concentrate too hard on only the low hand. That is just going to get you in trouble.

Take the time to learn the various hands and their odds, it will pay off big time in the long run. Instead of taking chances with your cards, make the small investment in getting to know what hands are truly better, and which ones only look good but dont often win. In the end you will be a better player, which will result in more wins, and of course more money. Isnt that what its all about? - 16887

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