Omaha... Do you have to play tight?

I'm sure some of you hate me after reading that title. But I've only played about 2k hands of Omaha in my life, and there aren't *any* books in the local book stores about the game... but it seems like in Omaha you really have to play big draws/Nut hands only... and bluffing is suicide.

I find it hard to play that way though, because I hate having a table image of weak/tight/predictable... although with the weak low limit PLO players they pay you off anyways...

I guess I'm curious for some feedback/insight. And if this post makes your blood boil... sorry. lol

[LearnedfromTV]

No, you do not have to play tight, at least not weak tight.

Bluffing isn't suicide, but you have to try it and fail a bunch of times before you figure out the right spots.

Don't raise much preflop until you get better postflop. Once you are better postflop, raise a lot preflop.

Especially in position, bet a lot of hands on the flop. Semi-bluff. A lot. Especially hands where you will know exactly where you stand after the turn, or especially with boards where it isn't likely anyone likes their hand enough to put a raise in, or in situations where you have some reasonable chance of buying a free look at the river with a flop bet. There are a lot of flops where several people have reasonable equity. Recognize when a semibluff will clean up your outs. Every time you get the turn in a big pot you need to have control of the hand, which means having a better read on your opponents' hand than he has on yours.

The nuts aren't always out. Often is not always.

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there aren't *any* books in the local book stores about the game

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Pot Limit and No Limit Poker by Bob Ciaffone and Stewart Reuben.

How Good Is Your PLO by Stewart Reuben.

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but it seems like in Omaha you really have to play big draws/Nut hands only... and bluffing is suicide.

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Basically, you do have to nut-peddle. But there is plenty of bluffing opportunities. Just because you don't have the nuts doesn't mean someone else has to. If you have A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and on the turn the board is J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Your opponent bets the pot. If you make a substantial raise (and assuming your opponent has half a brain) how can he call you?

I know that's not a great example, since your opponent can't have the nuts in that situation. But there are many times when it's obvious that no one has the nut hand, and you can take down the pot with a good bet or raise. It just takes experience to recognize those situations, so keep playing, and you'll figure it out.

Personally, I bluff more at PLO than NL/PL HE, but I'm a weak tight fish at NL/PL HE, so I don't know if that's normal.

I appreciate the replies a lot.

Which leads me to another question I've had for a long time... since often times there are very slim edges between a lot of hands preflop.... what is the purpose in PLO to raise preflop? And yes, I know there *is* a purpose, I just don't grasp it my self.

[kurto]

I actually play PLO8... but I'll stab..
1) to build a pot IN position with a good hand. (If you want to stack people, it's harder to do with a pot of 2BB then it is with a pot of 8BB)
2) narrow down the number of opponents (or isolate a player) (the more people in the pot, the more likely you need the absolute nuts to win)

The one thing I can't figure out... why would anyone raise from early position? I laugh when people make small pot building raises from early position. You'll really learn to appreciate position when you have to bet into 4 callers from the SB when the pot is inflated by your PF raise so that you basically are going to have to risk your stack if anyone plays back at you.

[joewatch]

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The one thing I can't figure out... why would anyone raise from early position?

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If you play very tight (only quality wraps and big pairs), it is OK to make a pot-building with every hand you play if you are the first person to put in the raise, from all positions. That is what Rolf Slotboom advocates, and I'm certain it works.

[neuroman]

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The one thing I can't figure out... why would anyone raise from early position?

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Sometimes I will make raises from EP or the blinds if the table is loose/passive and I think my opponents are likely to misread my hand. (eg I have T987ds.)

[LearnedfromTV]

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The one thing I can't figure out... why would anyone raise from early position?

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If you play very tight (only quality wraps and big pairs), it is OK to make a pot-building with every hand you play if you are the first person to put in the raise, from all positions. That is what Rolf Slotboom advocates, and I'm certain it works.

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This and the other response are fine, but I'll add that the main reason I make potbuilder raises from any position, including early position, is when I am better postflop than my opponents. This isn't always the case, but when it is, there are a fair number of hands worth raising, especially if they'll always put you on AAxx and think two pair is good when I flop a big draw. The nice thing about raising a hand in EP that can flop a huge draw is that you can often threebet a good flop after getting multiple callers preflop.

Edit: Add that opponents' tendencies are ultra-important when raising in early position - you need to know what kind of hands your opponents will call with and how they'll play them postflop.

Also, I think EP raising is much harder to pull off in PLO8 than PLO b/c the semibluff flop lead doesn't get folds as often, and this is a problem unless you flop two ways.

I should also add that I play low limit 200PLO and below, and can't really comment on proper play at the higher levels, other than to say you probably better be damn good postflop to pull off an aggressive style against the better players who play the higher limits.

The other question I have, while you guys are being generous (And thanks, a pile btw)... is what do you do with Big Pairs in this game?

Right now, because I have no clue what I'm doing... beyond having learned not to play second straight/K/Q Flush hard and be cautious with bottom set.... if I don't flop a set or a big draw with these I usually just fold to any bet. I'm honestly not even comfortable with two pair vs any heat. Although I find it's much easier to determine what a player has in this game then it is in NLHE which is what I play a lot of.

And yes, I do know that just big pairs aren't so great, it's much better if they come Suited/Double Suited and bring straight cards with them, rather then just AA53rainbow

But I'm curious what to do with these