A question regarding HU Omaha hi Sng's

[Miniburger]

I recently began experimenting on the mentioned game, and found out I like it. Thing is I don't know much about it at all,and theres not much knowledge over the internet either. So far I've established that it's hard to put villain's on any ranges preflop, and I mostly play by memorizing betting patterns postflop. Anyhow, I've got a few questions I hope some more knowledgeble (did I spell that right?) player could answer.

1. I understand that preflop aggression is important in heads up holdem, but what about in Omaha Hi? So far I've played without raising a single hand preflop, unless it's a high blind situation against an aggro player and I've got a hand such as QQxx 1 Suit or KKxx+ (hoping to get it all in before the flop).

2. Guess I don't really have another question , other than if you think there are some tip's you could share.

[givememyleg]

Omaha hi is not an allin preflop game, it is a postflop game. Your hand is defined so much more after you see a flop, which is much different than hold'em. In hold'em if you hold AA, you know you are a HUGE favorite to any hand your opponent holds. However, in Omaha if you have something like AAJ6, it is a mistake to treat it like the nuts.

Just for example let's say you hold A A J 6 and your opponent holds 789 T , you're looking at basically a coinflip if you get it in preflop. Now if the flop was something like K8 7 , you have the overpair, but are only 15% to win.

Omaha is a postflop game, but still rewards people who are selective preflop. Playing stuff like Q633 will by -ev in the long run, however heads up is a different story. It is tough to give some good advice, because it really does depend a lot on your opponent in a hu game. However, I recommend visiting the Omaha forum and looking at some hands and stickies, there's some good players on this site (Salsa mainly).

In all honesty, never raising preflop really isn't that bad against noobs/bad people at the lower levels. Just calling, seeing a flop, connecting, and getting paid off by top pair can reward. That is one other striking difference compared to hold'em, it is usually considered alright to get in with top pair heads up; but not in Omaha.

I'm kinda just rambling now, but it is a fun game once you play more. I play some with other members of FTR and if interested I'm sure me and others would be willing to splash around with you. If you get a chance, play against bigspenda, he is a total fish.

[Miniburger]

Thanks for the reply! Although I don't entirely agree with not going all-in with the aces, many times you'll be a solid favourite against another pair or some AKQ9 type of hand..i think! :P

[swiggidy]

Thanks for the reply! Although I don't entirely agree with not going all-in with the aces, many times you'll be a solid favourite against another pair or some AKQ9 type of hand..i think! :P

Uh, no

If you can it in in pre, you're ahead, but not that far. You actually have decent equity (omaha wise) vs AKQ9, but realize if your hand is AA95, the only hand you can make is a set, and one of your As are gone.

HU OMaha is fun, but don't expect to make much money from it. You'll have to play a lot higher to make money.

If you want some competition look me up on AIM, I've been playing some $2 with spenda

[bigspenda73]

I raise a ton PF for one reason

It's very hard to get money into the pot in a Pot-limit game. Also, position is paramount in this game, therefore I'll never fold the button and probably open-raise 75%+ of my hands.

The 2 guys who have already replied play me a lot in these HU PLO sngs. I probably bluff too much against them, but when I play these for real I play a very aggro game. I force my opponent to commit with a draw or to flop a very big hand, which in Omaha, does happen quite often, however, by the time they usually find a big hand I've either whittled them down or I still have a lot of equity in the pot. Bluffing scare-cards is awesome against weaker nut-camping opponents.

[swiggidy]

I raise a ton PF for one reason

It's very hard to get money into the pot in a Pot-limit game.

Very true.

OP, you realize vs a remotely decent opponent: you never raise except for QQxx+, how easy it is to put you on a hand and how huge a range I can call with and stack you post flop, with more equity than you originally had pre?

[Miniburger]

Now when I look at it your right Swiggidy, it's no good play against a good opponent. This or that I just discovered in my last 100 games I've always exposed my cards [talking of -EV], damn Titan Poker can't make proper translations .

Ohh yea and Spenda, I agree with you that position is gold, I just don't know how to utilize it to it's full advantage. Anyhow, sure I'd like to play you guys at the 2$s, would be cool to play some sane opponents for once.

[bigspenda73]

lol I don't play sane against FTR'ers. I play crazy/aggro/bluffy/spew-monkey poker that usually makes each match last 10 hands at most. For real though I'm fairly confident that I'm the best player at the $11 PLO/O8b turbos on Stars. Problem is there's no money to be made, I can win 8 out of 10 and not make much money.

[Miffed22001]

double sooted hands ftw, especially when the blinds get high and getting ti in on the flop isnt such a mistake when people dont have much of anything and you have pair+fd redraws

Also, most hands arent much more than 40/60 preflop anyway so its never that much of a preflop flop mistake to egt it in

[bigspenda73]

omg someone IM me and come play me nowz!!!

[bigspenda73]

LOL this is what my image does for me. Note this guy is not an FTR'er, just someone about to get pwnt. Basically I c/r a ton of flops and fold when they shove and set up a horrible bluffy image for cheap when the blinds are low. They eventually grow tired of me 3betting in PLO and cbetting and double-barreling and fight back with hands like these. This was a $11 tourney about 10 minutes in after I just 3bet a flop and folded to a shove (lol yea).

Seat 1: LolTrappedU (1550 in chips)
Seat 2: Donk (1450 in chips)
Donk: posts small blind 5
LolTrappedU: posts big blind 10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to LolTrappedU [6h 6s 9d 9s]
Donk: raises 20 to 30
LolTrappedU: raises 60 to 90
Donk: calls 60
*** FLOP *** [9c Jc 5h]
LolTrappedU: bets 110
Donk: raises 400 to 510
LolTrappedU: raises 950 to 1460 and is all-in
Donk: calls 850 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [9c Jc 5h] [Td]
*** RIVER *** [9c Jc 5h Td] [3s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
LolTrappedU: shows [6h 6s 9d 9s] (three of a kind, Nines)
Donk: shows [7h Jd Kd 2s] (a pair of Jacks)
LolTrappedU collected 2900 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2900 | Rake 0
Board [9c Jc 5h Td 3s]
Seat 1: LolTrappedU (big blind) showed [6h 6s 9d 9s] and won (2900) with three of a kind, Nines
Seat 2: Donk (button) (small blind) showed [7h Jd Kd 2s] and lost with a pair of Jacks

[givememyleg]

either that or hes just your typical omg tpgk holdem player