PLO is a game that requires
great reading abilities to be
successful. More so than knowing
when you are holding the best
hand and can push the action
is knowing when you are behind
and having the ability to fold.
Knowing your opponents and how
they affect the game is very
important. Here are some key
things to pay attention to.
How Many Players Hit The Flop?
Something to remember is the
amount of inherent outs each
player has in PLO. Every player
in the hand has 4 cards, with
those 4 cards, there are 6 possible
2 card hands they could have.
So, as verses Texas Hold Em,
where if you are against 6 opponents
in the pot, you are facing 12
two card combinations, the same
situation in Omaha means you
are facing 36 combinations.
This is why you do not play
marginal hands after the flop
in PLO.
How Do Your Opponents Play In
That Situation?
In Omaha, you need to be able
to get a read on your opponent’s
tendencies fairly quickly. You
are going to encounter a lot
of different types of players
and you need to understand how
to approach each of the. Are
they the super tight player
who only plays the nuts after
the flop? Are they the ATM machine
calling all the way down with
bottom 2 pair? Or are they the
super aggressive player who
is going to be re-popping your
every bet? Having an idea of
how your opponent plays allows
you to make the best decisions
possible. You might fold hands
to a raise from certain players,
and be re-raising with those
same hands against others. You
also need to know your implied
odds, and how much you will
be able to win if you make the
nuts against that player. Make
mental notes when you see people
calling big bets in odd situations,
as those are the players that
will be paying you off later
on.
Who Led Out Before The Flop?
In PLO, much like Hold Em, you
will often see the person who
put in the last raise before
the flop, being the one who
makes the first bet after the
flop. This is known as a continuation
bet, and while it is effective
it is often mis-used in Omaha.
More so than in Hold Em, a continuation
bet decision relies heavily
on the texture of the flop and
the opponents in the hand. If
you flop a huge hand against
someone who is often continuation
betting, you can take advantage
of that by check-raising. You
can also check-call if you have
the nuts, but be careful as
you do not want to flat call
them into a made hand that beats
you. If the player is highly
aggressive, and you have a strong
hand, you can bet out in hopes
of a raise to re-pop.
What Position Are You In Relative
To Your Opponents?
Position is easily one of the
most important facets of any
poker game, and is extremely
important when playing PLO.
Being on the button is the best
position in Omaha, however you
need to be careful even on the
button in Omaha. You often see
two players get involved in
a raising battle, and you do
not want to get yourself caught
in the middle. After the person
on your right makes the initial
raise and you call, only to
have the person on your left
bump you is a bad place to be.
Even on the button, folding
those marginal hands and draws
is a good idea, stay out of
the line of fire and pick a
better spot to get involved
deep in a hand.
Understanding these pieces gives
you a definite advantage; however
there is no substitute for experience.
As you play more and more, these
pieces will fit together seamlessly
and you will be building your
bankroll in no time.
|
