Buy-in Question

[Kevin J]

Suppose you like your edge, but are not necessarily the best (or 2nd best) player in a pot-limit Omaha game. What is the ideal amount to buy in for? Do you want to:

a). Have an average amount of chips for the table?

b). Make sure you have the worse players covered?

c). If possible, just make sure you have less than the best player(s).

d). Buy in for the minimum and keep re-buying if necessary.

The thing is, to play the game properly, I would think you'd want to have a sufficient amount of chips on the table at all times. Then again, maybe not. How do you guys determine what amount to buy in for? Thanks in advance.

[SnowBreeze]

This is a difficult subject, especially at a game such as omaha high, because the max. buy-in is so little that you can never buy-in enough to really protect your hand and unless you can build your stack considerably, you will find yourself many times all-in with 3/4 other players all the way to the river.
It takes all kinds of course, but one very common strategy at PLO is to buy very little (min. or 2xmin.) and go all-in preflop, forcing other players to see an expensive flop. If you don't win you keep rebuying and doing this until you finally take home a couple of pots and then start to play tight. Of course, many times you will find out that it would have been the same to buy-in the max instead of doing several small buy-ins.

[Guy McSucker]

Where does your edge come from? If you think you play well on every street, so you make a profit from your river decisions, then you want to have enough money on the table that you actually get to make some river decisions.

If you are happy with your play on the flop but worry that the better players can outplay you later, buy in for less.

Guy.

[Kevin J]

The PLO game I sometimes play is a 10/25 blind structure with a minimum buy-in of $1000. There is no maximum buy-in. While many buy in for the minimum 1k, you could buy in for 20k if you want to. So what would you buy in this game for?

[SnowBreeze]

Omaha is a game where the draw is king. That means you are often out there with a lot of your chips hoping one of your cards will show up. In that case i would definitely not buy so many chips to start with. If in the other hand you are the kind who gets involved in a hand 3/4 times per session and you can afford it, then go for the 20K.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

I aint an omaha player but I always buy in for as much as or more than anyone else. If there's a max, I constantly make small rebuys every time I lose a few chips so that I stay at the max.

al

[Kevin J]

[ QUOTE ]
If you think you play well on every street, so you make a profit from your river decisions, then you want to have enough money on the table that you actually get to make some river decisions.

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

[Ray Zee]

the correct answer is to buyin for the amount based on your position at the table that gives you the best chip relationship to the ones you want to play with and those you dont. for instance if an agressive player is to your left you may want to buy in for a little and go allin against him before the flop alot. if the live one is on your right match him. if good players are on your left move, or buyin for less to where you can make one move to shut them out or go all in and take the play out of the hand. plus other things you can think about.

[Kevin J]

Wow. I never realized so many things should be considered. But it sure makes sense. Thanks Ray (and happy new year)!