How many hands for Omaha8

How many hands would a good Limit Omaha8 player play percentage wise??

Shill - Depends on the style of the player, the particular opponents being faced, the method of house colleciton, and maybe some other qualifiers which do not immediately come to mind.


Buzz

Okay, first of all before I reply I would like to say that I have played a lot of Omaha8 PL and FL never kept track of how many hands I played seemed like a lot but I still profit, then I played a freeroll FL Omaha8 tourney on pokerstars.com and finished 5th out of 300 and I ended up playing 76% of my hands!!! Does that seem like andor did I get lucky? I believe I played my hands very well I was building pots when ever I had a small chance of winning and ended up hogging a few of them and did very well. But I mean 76% of my hands! WOW! I'm more a Texas player so that seems a lot to me.

Schill - I agree. 76% seems like a lot to me too, especially in a tournament.


Buzz

that would be interesting to know---by "play" I assume you mean see the flop?? in omaha straight high it is correct to see the flop more than in holdem, so then we add the low part--so it may not be as high as it seems????

Jellow - Interesting. I don’t recall ever before seeing it written that one should play more hands in Omaha-straight-high than in Texas hold ‘em. If I recall correctly, one respected expert (Steve Badger) has indicated in writing that the more cards one is dealt in flop games, the fewer hands one should play. Another respected expert (David Sklansky) has written that one should play about the same number of hands. (I’m paraphrasing what they wrote, rather than quoting. I could be wrong, but those were my impressions, both from posts on r.g.p.)


I have only played Omaha-high once in a casino and that was late at night in a short-handed game. All of my other casino experience in four card flop games is playing Omaha-8.


Many hands, such as T-9-8-7, that are not generally playable in full games of Omaha-8 are, based on what I have read, playable in full games of Omaha-high.


When I started playing Omaha-8 in ring games in casinos, I voluntarily (when not posting the big blind) saw the flop with less than 20% of the hands dealt to me. Although I play more hands than when I started, and although the number of hands I play is highly variable, depending on the particular opponents I am facing, and also depending on my position relative to the button, I doubt that I play, on the average, much, if any, more than 20% of the hands dealt to me, exclusive of the blinds and the button. When playing in tournaments I generally play fewer hands than in ring games.


From posts dealing with specific hands, both here on 2+2 and on r.g.p., I get the impression I play more loosely than most of my fellow posters.


Thus 75% seems high to me - very high. But bear in mind I’m not an expert.


Buzz

hi Buzz, I do not feel qualified to disagree with those you named, and do not have program for testing, etc. however based upon what I have seen in low-mid sized games there will be enough non-nut players there to make seeing more hands profitable...and I have niot seen high stakes split pot games where I have been (and I might add that I would not play in such)


you mentioned T,9,8,7--any two of these most often do not play well in holdem, while those four will often win in omaha---we like higher cards in holdem because pairs win so many pots, butin omaha pairs often do not win and straights do win, so we like connected cards.


why would that hand not win as many half pots in omaha8 games as it would win whole pots in high only games???


sure, the best is a two way hand, but I will see the flop with a one way.


again I will say I am not qualified,etc,etc. but let me brag just a bit--I did place 1st out of a field of about 300 in omaha8 tournament at the Orleans 2 or 3 years ago.

Jellow the T987 hand is total and utter garbage in a high low game. The problem it has is that it is drawing to half the pot only, as if it makes the nut straight, the low has to be out there. And a medium straight doesn't hold up all that often. The board pairing, and 3 flushes (even if you have a flush it is at best T high) all mean that you are more than likely beaten if there is any action, and you can't call as you are only getting half pot odds. Also higher straights will often win.


I would say the correct percentage for hands to play varies more depending on your opponents play in Omaha8 than in any other game. But in fairly tight games, i would say that a maximum of about 15% of hands are playable outside the blinds.

like to hear from ray zee on this one, just for an approximation, given an "average" game.

75% is impossible. you were either very lucky or playing garbage or both.

it seems as though ray gives advice that (generalizing, of course) that unless you have a STRONG chance at high going in, like KK or AA or 10-J-Q-K, and suited helps as well, don't even bother because what you really are looking for is A2 or A23, suited in order to scoop.

the high hands you play are hoping that no low develops. if one does, you'll probably be against nut low draws in several spots.

Jellow - "why would that hand not win as many half pots in omaha8 games as it would win whole pots in high only games???"


It probably does win as many half pots in O-8 games. But that is exactly the point. They are only half pots.


Let's say you have six opponents who see the unraised flop and three opponents who play after the flop. (This would be typical situation in a passive and fairly loose game). Take five white chips and one blue chips and put them in a pile. These chips represent what was in the pot, pre-flop. Now take another fifteen white chips and five blue chips. These chips represent what is added to the pot with no raises after the flop if everyone stays for the showdown. Of the 26 total chips, 6 chips are blue while 20 chips are white.


Now separate the chips into two even piles, with all six blue chips plus seven white chips in one pile, and thirteen white chips in the other pile. It should be very clear that if you only get half the pot, you are risking six chips to win seven chips, while if you win the whole pile you are risking six chips to win twenty white chips.


Playing for the whole pot, you're getting odds of 20 to 6 in this example. Playing for half the pot you're getting odds of 7 to 6. This enormous difference in pot odds makes playing many hands (that may be very playable in Omaha-high) unplayable in Omaha-8.


Thanks, Pete, for jumping in and helping me here. I was hoping someone would.


And thanks, Jellow, for questioning. It gets pretty boring tossing hand after hand while waiting for a good one. A hand like T-9-8-7 after a couple of hours of tossing hands sometimes is tempting. One might reason that at least the cards are all coordinated with each other. But that isn't enough. Going back through the thinking process of why not to play T-9-8-7 has removed the temptation, for a while at least.


Buzz

Jellow,


In addition to the points Buzz and the others made, realize that you will usually pay dearly to draw to your half the pot with T987 since a low or low draw will often be out. Since you are not getting much of an overlay and have no chance at low, this is terrible for you.


Regards,


Rick

You played lots of poor starting hands, getting lucky for a while. No offense but I wondered how in the world you had made it that far. Your were very aggressive. Good Luck

in a loose game maybe 15% or so. in a tight game you can play as many as goes your ability to win without the winner. those that play alot of the high only hands especially from up front look pretty on the rail.

Many high hands are made by backing into a high while drawing to or holding a low hand.


You almost NEVER scoop with 789T and if you do then u are lucky to not be beat by a better high.

Hello, Buzz,

My definition of "Resident Expert" in a given limit: A player who has played a least 2000 hrs. and is earning at least one big bet per hour. for the last 12 months of play. Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull - I once *lost* *one hundred* big bets in *less* than one hour. Went from +$400 to -$200 in a 3/6 game in less than one hour trying a new and different strategy. Good lesson for me, although it smarted a wee bit at the time. :o)


Buzz