Hand rankings

[PorscheNGuns]

I disagree. I think preflop selection may be of lesser importance compared to other forms of poker, but your preflop play in PLO forms the foundation for your entire style and play thereafter IMO

-Matt

[Tilt]

Thanks everyone. The point system is helpful.

I am playing alot of low limit Omaha hi these days - very profitable. Preflop play is actually the only part that taxes my brain at all. The rest is pretty automatic.

[Big Dave D]

I'm not sure what you mean by "foundation". If you mean that you need to understand how to play a wide range of situations, based on how you get to them in the first place preflop, then yes I would agree. But I didnt comment on this.

Where I am absolutely sure I am right, and I dont use that phrase lightly, is that any grouping or ranking or value based system would have only beginners value as opposed to limit holdem where some players clearly make money just by playing better preflop - at least online.

Let me give an example. Most good players in the 15-30 ring limit games on Party have a VIP of between 17-22. There is almost no deviation from this. A guy playing 40% of his hands, by definition, MUST be a losing player.

Yet I have seen comparable examples in PLO the live long day. And both were winners.

gl

Dave
Poker Blog! Omaha Galore!

[BluffTHIS!]

Dave, I certainly agree that postflop play is where the money is made in pot limit omaha, and that some very tight players for whom aces constitute a sizeable proportion of their hands played when not in an unraised blind are probably long term losers since they can't get away from them in multiway pots or very bad boards when they don't already have at least half their stack in preflop.

Nonetheless, as porsche pointed out, starting standards are the foundation that enables you to play well postflop, and playing too many hands in any form of poker is just playing too loose and leads to either loosing or not winning as much as one should. There is all the difference in the world in playing a hand with a suited dangler like KQJ2 in early position with a big stack and playing it near the button. You are most likely going to flop a draw with it, and being out of position against other drawing players who have a 4th card working is just a recipe for disaster long term.

[Big Dave D]

Bluff,

I'm not sure you are disagreeing with what I said. That's what I meant by my first paragraph. But continuing the theme, some people play those marginal situations very well. Its also the reason I dont do the out of position raising thing. I know it doesnt suit my post flop gameplan. Yet some winning players delight in it.

gl

Dave

[PorscheNGuns]

I think what you meant, with which I agree, is that there is no rigid *selection of preflop cards to adhere by - but preflop *play is of great importance.

-Matt

[Spellmen]

I will limp with anything JJ-KK hoping to flop top set. In certain situations I will also call a raise with these bare pocket pairs because of the immense implied odds of hitting top set (in low limit of course)

[Acesover8s]

[ QUOTE ]
Ciaffone's book says it is ok to limp in with KKxx. But you should only call a raise if you the raiser is known to be an LAG player who will raise with a large variety of hands such as 8764, QQxx, JJxx, etc. Otherwise, most raisers have AAxx and you will be a significant preflop dog.

[/ QUOTE ]

When calling a raise with KKxx, I much prefer my opponent to have AAxx than any other hand.

[JoshuaMayes]

[ QUOTE ]
if he raiser is known to be an LAG player who will raise with a large variety of hands such as 8764 . . . .

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh oh, I might be a LAG . . .

[texman]

your hand selection is pretty tight - what % of hands do you see the flop with - and do you play that tight on the button and the b linds?