[NoQuit]

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-can someone elaborate on the comparision of bankroll & deviation between hold-em and omaha?

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I can't give you specific dollar amounts, but I can give you some idea as to why there are different bankroll requirements for Hold Em, Omaha HiLo and Omaha High. All of this refers to limit games and assumes that you are playing with al least average skill.

Omaha HiLo has the lowest bankroll requirement and the lowest variance. The reason for this is the split pots; played smartly, you will pick up your share of low-hand half-pots, which can be considerable in a game with several weak players (i.e., players drawing to second and third best low). The same weak players will usually help you build large pots for when you scoop (win both high and low, the greatest felling in any HiLo game).

Omaha High has a greater variance (swings between winning and losing sessions) than Hold Em because of the way the game is played; since everyone has 4 cards, everyone has the equivalent of 6 Hold Em hands. Imagine entering a Hold Em pot against 12, 18, or 24 opponents and that's what a typical hand of Omaha High is like.

Omaha High is a drawing game - winning with a bet on the flop or turn is not going to happen in a low-limit Omaha High game. One thing that happens in Omaga High that doesn't happen that often in Hold Em is 2-3 players hitting the flop hard. An example is one player with a made straight, a second player with a wrap draw to a bigger straight, and a third person with top set. Most likely none of these players is letting go until the river, betting, raising and reraising all the way. By the river, all 3 players have put a lot of money in, but only one is winning the pot. One or two sessions with several busted flush draws, outdrawn straights, etc. and you have a sizeable dent in your bankroll. The flip side of this is when you win a pot, it will usually not be a small pot. Omaha High can be a very profitable game if your bankroll can take the roller coaster ride.

There is a book by Ken Warren that is a decent introduction to both games and a book by Lou Kreiger on Omaha HiLo that I think is the best for someone starting out. I haven't read Ray Zee's book on HiLo games, but it is considered an excellent book. There are chapters in the new Super System 2 on Omaha HiLo and Stud HiLo that also have excellent material in them.

The best advice for anyone playing low-limit Omaha games is…always draw to the nuts!