Beginner's Strategies: Pre-Flop Betting Pot Limit Omaha Poker, Part Two
by Bodog Poker | Aug 10 2010
Welcome to part two of our look at betting before the flop in
Omaha poker. Last week, we discussed balancing your raises prior to the flop as well as keeping position in mind. A short recap: don't give away your hand too soon before the flop with the size of your bets, and keep your position in mind as you place your bets and contemplate going into a hand, just as you would do in any poker game. This week sees us going a bit deeper into the pre-flop strategy, so make sure you pay attention!
Approach Your Raises Strategically
Pre-flop raises are (comparatively speaking) small when contrasted with raises on the pot and the amount of money you can potential see from a hand if played correctly. At all times, you'll want to consider the way that pot-limit betting works. If you suspect that someone raising before you has a high pair and you have a pair/straight combination, then raising the betting again could be very dangerous, as their could be backlash from your opponent and the hand could be raised to a gargantuan size that would make it too expensive to continue with cards there were marginally decent-to-good. If there has been a raise followed by a reraise, you'll want to very carefully evaluate what is going to happen and ensure that your hand is of sufficient strength to play. Once the betting has been re-opened with a raise, you can't be sure that your call will let you see the flop.
You can't control the players that go after you, either. Many a player has found themselves suffering when they've been raised immediately after making a call or raise because of a wild (or really aggressive) player behind them in the order. It may be best to fold marginal hands in a case like this, as a re-opened pot that comes back to you can cost you more than your hand is worth. And it goes without saying that re-raising a raised pot yourself should be reserved for when you're holding pure gold. Remember, however, than too aggressively raising before the flop can derail a chance to make a much more profitable pot with a lower investment on your part, using others' aggressions against them.
It's OK To Limp
It's natural that many pot-limit Omaha tables are going to feature people who just limp in before the flop. If you are playing in a later position, it can actually be profitable to also limp in and see if you can balance everything with raises. It's very common for an Omaha pot to hit multiple players and betting can really get expensive in future rounds. Make sure that your pre-flop hand has some way of making the nuts (a suited face card, for example) before limping in and always make sure that you avoid chasing a non-nut draw after the flop in a pot that looks to go towards multiple players.
There's a lot of information to absorb in this and last week's lesson and make sure you review what works best for your general playing style. You might not be as confident with marginal hands as those that can take the most advantage of them, for example, or you may be able to push for larger pots more quickly than most. All strategy in poker is subjective to some extent and the advice for Omaha is no exception.
