Ray's book

In Ray Zee's book on Omaha-8 he says "it also is often good to be first to act" (p184). Why is that?

Z will Elaborate from the Frozen Tundra when he defrosts his Pinkies from Ice Skating on a glacier in Montana. He will probably insult me, but ignore the man from Montana for he knows not what he says. Ice Breath Himself.


1. You may win the pot right there.


2. If you have a tight image people will not call with marginal hands.


3. If a tight player raises you and you do not have the nuts you may be able to reraise and knock him out on a bluff if he will fold with less than the nuts.


4. If a loose player calls you may be able to check the next round and see the card for free if he is afraid to bet into you for fear of the reraise.


5. Come out betting if a high card falls on the next round if you think the caller was looking for a low card and bluff him out.


6. The real reason is "Would you call Zee if he bet into you."


7. Most all suggestions are HTH situations with Z so you should probably find another game.


rcp

I think the reasons are


1) If you bet, people in the middle will have a tough decision, and will often fold (if they are tight) or get caught in a jam (if they are loose). You can adjust your play accordingly.


2) if you check a mediocre hand, you can see the action and decide if continuing is worth it. that is, you will rarely get caught in a jam.


3) Being in the middle stinks. So being anywhere else is better. This is mainly true because of the jamming that happens in high - low games, that is not so common in high - only.


4) having first bluff is nice in some spots, but in a multi way pot, it is usually worthless. This has some value in tight games.


Dan Z.

Why the assumption that "first to act" means "to bet?" In 0-8 the check-raise is more often called for than HE because there are so many draws people could be playing and one small bet gets called by a lot of hands on the flop.


Now I'll go home and look at what Ray said....


Regards,


Paul Talbot