Two Preflop Omaha/8 Questions

[PokerProdigy]

1. Are positional considerations very important preflop in Omaha/8 (because in hold'em it's a pretty big element to correct preflop strategy)? If so, are they as important as hold'em? Why or why not?

2. Is it a big mistake to cold-call raises with many hands that you were going to play anyway in Omaha/8 preflop? If so, is this as important as in hold'em? Why or why not?

P.S. I am talking about how to play correct preflop strategy in limit Omaha Eight-or-Better at the low and middle limits online (specifically 3/6 and 10/20).

[Wolffink]

1) Yes, positional considerations are important. Zee mentions this in his book on 08. You can play marginal hands in late position. An example, might be A-4-K-K with the Ace suited.

2) Zee mentions this too. He says to go ahead and play the hands versus a raise that you'd normally play as your hand selection that you ordinarily play is the same type of hands your opponents will bring in for a raise.

Hope this helps....

[chaos]

When someone raises you can dump the marginal hands. But most of your calling hands are still playable. Your decent hands still have good pot equity even if you put the raiser on typical raising hands like AAxx or A2xx s. This is especially true if the pots will be multiway.

[Jim Morgan]

I think there are modifications to hand selection when facing a legitimate raise (i.e. raiser not a maniac who probably has an A2 or AA)

1. AA is much weaker. If it is double suited or has a nice low it is still OK, but otherwise it is pretty worthless. Of course, if you can get the pot down to 2 or 3 handed, then reraising may be the best action.

2. A2 is much weaker. Your chances of getting quartered are much higher now. In a tight or normal field, I will fold my bad A2 hands here. i.e. A269 A27J no nut flush draw. It might even be correct to fold A25T, but I would only do so in a very tight game.

3. Face cards go up a bit, though the change is rarely enough to change my decision to play, but I am starting to believe that AQJT with sooted A should reraise preflop, especially in loose games.

4. Reraising wihh AA to drive out players is fine, but re-rasising with a "better" low, such as A235 double suited is probably a bad idea. raising in the face of a likely tie for low is just not wise in my view. Wait for the flop to see if you think you hit better than the raiser.