The Top 10 Omaha Poker Tips
In this article, we'll offer you ten of the hottest tips for Omaha Poker. Our top 10 Omaha tips will help you take your Omaha game to the next level. You'll find that many of these Omaha tips relate to the structural differences between Omaha and Hold'em. We also discuss how to build a strong Omaha game from your current Hold'em skills.
Omaha Poker Tip #1: It's Not Texas Hold'em
The most common mistakes made in Omaha Poker relate to poker players who revert to the game of Texas Hold'em. The two games are very similar in structure, but they are in fact very different. Do not take a seat at an Omaha Poker table using the same poker strategy you would in Texas Hold'em.
In short, Texas Hold'em Strategy is not Omaha Poker Strategy.
Omaha Poker Tip #2: Starting Hands
Premium Starting Hands in Omaha Poker are very different from those in Texas Hold'em. Pocket Aces may be beautiful in appearance, but they
hold very little value in Omaha. This game is most often won with
Straights, Flushes and Full Houses; not a Pair, or even a Set, of
Aces.
Instead, the best starting hands in Omaha are the ones with suited and connected cards. 4d-6d-7c-9c holds extreme value since you could potentially draw the Flush from two suits, or easily connect a Straight. Learn more about Omaha Poker Starting Hands.
Omaha Poker Tip #3: Evaluating the Flop
When evaluating the Flop in Omaha Poker, you must consider all possible hands that could be better than your own. Unlike Texas Hold'em, the range of best hands can be great. Every player has 4 Hole Cards to work with, even though they may only use two of them.
If the Flop has three semi-connected cards, such as 7-T-J, there's a great chance someone has the 8-9 in the Hole. If a single Pair Flops, the Full House becomes a large threat. Be highly thoughtful of your next move if there are several hands that can beat yours - someone will probably have it.
Omaha Poker Tip #4: Beware the Nuts
Omaha Poker is not a game often won by Top Pair, or even Top Set. Omaha Poker is a game of Straights, Flushes and Full Houses. To win at the Showdown with anything less is incredibly rare. If the board offers connected cards, you don't want just a Straight out of it, but the Nut Straight. The same goes for Nut Flushes and Full Houses.
Omaha Poker Tip #5: Don't See Every Flop
So many Omaha Poker players call to see the flop, simply because they have so many cards to work with that they think they can get lucky. This is possibly the worst, most expensive mistake made in Omaha Poker, causing a steady depletion of chips.
It may not seem like much at the time, but over the course of a session, a large chunk of change can be lost in this manner. Stick to a tight poker strategy with strong starting hands and conserve your stack for the big hands.
Omaha Poker Tip #6: Semi-Bluff at Best
Because of 'Omaha Poker Tip #5', Omaha Poker becomes a very difficult game to bluff in with any success. More players will see the flop in Omaha Poker than they will in Texas Hold'em. When you toss a large bet out there on a bluff, you are much more likely to be called. Instead, only make semi-bluffs; and even then, not too often.
Omaha Poker Tip #7: Patience and Discipline
This tip goes for all poker variants, really. If you want to be a successful Omaha Poker player, you must have the patience to wait for premium starting hands, and the discipline to remain calm and collected during the waiting period. If you hit a bad beat, don't let it affect your emotions or game play. This is one of the hardest things to do in poker.
Omaha Poker Tip #8: Start at Low Limits
No matter how much success you've had in other poker variants, when switching to Omaha Poker, you should start out at the lowest limits. As we've already mentioned, Omaha Poker requires a completely different poker strategy. Starting low will help you develop a proper, winning poker strategy without risking too much on the felt in the process.
Omaha Poker Tip #9: Don't Advance Too Quickly
Like all poker variants, Omaha Poker becomes increasingly difficult as the stakes get higher. If you find success in low limits, be careful not to jump the stakes too quickly. You must master each level of the stakes ladder one at a time before grabbing for the next rung.
Omaha Poker Tip #10: Bankroll Management
Your bankroll size should depend on the betting structure you choose to play. Fixed Limit generally requires a bankroll of 100x the big blind at your level. No Limit and Pot Limit Omaha require a bankroll of 400x the big blind. Bringing enough cash to the table is essential to survive the inevitable downswings that befall every poker player.
Also, read our follow up to this article - "Five More Omaha Poker Tips".