I'm a Hold'em convert

It's been about a year since I started playing poker semi-regularly (every weekend or so), and up until about a month ago I played only hold'em. I consider myself a fairly solid player, but more often than not, most weeks I would come home a loser, as I would play mostly the low limit 3/6 tables, and would get beaten by a rivered hand. But for the past few months I've been reading a lot about Omaha 8, and about a month ago I decided to give it a shot at the 3/6 tables there. Granted, I've only played about 30 hours of Omaha so far, but for me, it seems like a game which is a lot easier to win than Hold'em. In Hold'em, I'd play more hands, and lose a fairly large number of them at the showdown. In Omaha though, if I take a hand to showdown, I'm about 99% sure I'll get at least part of that pot. Then again, in Omaha I play a LOT fewer hands than hold'em. Steve Badger is right, Hold'em is a game about pushing small edges more often, while Omaha is a game about pushing large edges less often. I've noticed during my Omaha play that my variance is very small, while in hold'em, my swings were huge. I guess my question is, why isn't Omaha as popular as it should be? Badger said in his article that it's because bad Omaha players will get crushed, while bad hold'em players still can have a very good day. But I've noticed at the casino that all the tables are full of horrible players, playing about 90% of the hands they're dealt. In any case, I'm definitely an Omaha fan now. Anyone else had similar experiences?

Welcome to my nightmare.

I like Omaha Hi Lo most ...like you say it s much easier to win.

Dear Sooga,

You did not say whether you are playing Omaha High or Omaha Hi/Lo Split. Please let me know how you're


doing after you play about 2000 hours of this game.


Sitting Bull

Ah, that's Omaha Hi/Lo... I play in Southern California, and of the casinos I frequest most (Commerce & HPC), I don't even know if they spread Omaha Hi... anyway I really like the game so far, but as for 2000 hours, that'll take me years! /images/smile.gif

"I'm definitely an Omaha fan now."


Me too, Sooga.


"why isn't Omaha as popular as it should be?"


I think Texas hold 'em players are often frustrated with the different nature of O8. If they persist in playing O8 as they do Texas hold 'em, they suffer.


"I've noticed at the casino that all the tables are full of horrible players, playing about 90% of the hands they're dealt."


90% seems a bit of an exaggeration, at least in my experience. However, I'll agree that SC O8 tables are looser before the flop than Nevada O8 tables. In addition, SC O8 tables are also looser than SC Texas hold 'em tables.


In my own observations, winning SC O8 players, at least at low limits, often seem to play rather loosely before the flop, but usually play tightly after the flop. Thus the looseness can be very deceptive.


In addition, some normally tight winning O8 players occasionally falsely advertise.


But, hey, if you are correct, we're all interested. You mentioned HPC in your response to Larry. When do you play there? :o)


"In any case, Anyone else had similar experiences?"


All too fleetingly.


Buzz

Buzz you play at HPC?


Last few times I've been there to play Omaha, there was me, who played very very few hands, there were a couple people who'd play, oh, about 50% of their hands, and the rest of the table would limp in with damn near anything under the sun. In my so-far brief experience, 90% sounds about right. /images/smile.gif With all those limpers, I should probably raise with the nut low more often than I do. I am afraid of being quartered, but with all those limpers, I figure I should have pretty much all of em beat. As for HPC, when I'm there, it's on the weekends. I live in the valley, so it's a good 30 minute drive to go to HPC, so I don't really have time to go at all during the weekdays. I'll also play at Commerce too, even though it's a bit farther away, because my good friend from college plays poker there too and so I go and meet up with him once in a while. So if you're there on a weekend (usually at night) and you see a short asian guy with a shaved (not bald) head playing too tight (relative to everyone else), it's probably me, so give me a holler /images/smile.gif

"Buzz you play at HPC?"


Sooga - Yes, mostly HPC, usually in the evening, sometimes continuing all night until dawn, (life is good) but I haven't been there much on weekends.


"With all those limpers, I should probably raise with the nut low more often than I do. I am afraid of being quartered"


I think someone else has you quartered (or sixthed) about one hand out of three in an eight or nine player game when you have A-2-X-X. In a ten player game, it's a bit higher, about two hands out of five. In either case, unless you are reasonably certain an opponent also has A-2-X-X, I'm convinced you should not be overly concerned about being quartered in a loose low limit game. In other words, in general, I think you want to get as much money into the pot as possible when holding the nut low in a loose low limit game.


"short asian guy with a shaved (not bald) head"


I'll keep an eye out for you. I have white hair and usually keep my cards under a chip with a picture of two fives on the moon.


Buzz

Sooga, you are lucky to be in area where you can play your new game most anytime....wish it was available for me.


what attracts most players (including me) is that there is so much more action than in hold-em. of coursse with mor3e cards there is room for more "mistakes"


do not worry so much about being quartered...in a game as loose as you say thatone is, even if you only get one fourth of the pot, you are likely to lose very little if any because of so many callers


it is a great game...have fun.