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Edited by Niti998 at 21-12-2023 01:19 PM
Don't 3-bet every time:
While in limit Omaha, you can almost always re-raise (3-bet) before the flop when you have position, there are still some hands I don't recommend doing this with. The first type of hand is one with an Ace and unrelated weak cards, for example: A♦Q♣9♥4♥. These hands should be folded before the flop because when your opponent 3-bets, they typically have AAxx-type hands. Since you only have three cards to complete two pairs instead of four, it's less likely that you'll surpass them on the flop. However, what's even more dangerous is if you do hit the Ace! If you get top pair, you might feel compelled to call at least one bet. If you complete two pair, you might even have to go all-in. But facing their hidden three Aces, you usually have no way out. Even if they have KKxx, they will just fold, and you won't make much money. In other words, you'll be stuck either losing a big pot or winning a small one. These are classic trouble hands for 3-betting, and I strongly recommend folding them to avoid getting into tricky situations.
Here's another example: 9♥9♣J♦3♠. This hand is too weak to call a 3-bet. While a pair may look good, in reality, if you call with this hand, there will be very few flop outcomes that will satisfy you. Similarly, because you already have a pair in your hand, the chances of you completing two pairs on the flop are even smaller. The only favorable flop for you would be something like 9-8-4, giving you top set in the dark. However, this kind of flop occurs infrequently, and it's not enough to make playing these hands profitable because most of the time, the flop will come something like K-9-5, giving your opponent a higher set.
Remember, hitting trips occurs only once in every eight attempts, and this frequency is insufficient to make these hands profitable. Fold them and avoid unnecessary complications. Learning to steer clear of such trouble hands is fundamental to a sound Omaha strategy.
Play even tighter when you don't have position:
When you don't have position, you should play even tighter. In fact, it's not about playing tighter; it's about playing super, super tight!
Stop playing small connected cards:
This lesson took me a long time and money to learn. Let me explain what small connected cards are. For example, 6789 or TJQK are considered connected cards, while small connected cards refer to hands like A234 or 3456. Here's a classic example of small connected cards that may look beautiful but should mostly be folded. 2♠3♠4♥5♦. I only recommend calling with this hand when you're on the button and it folds to you. In that situation, your raise might be profitable.
Why should you play small connected cards so tight? Because in Omaha, we aim to hit nut hands, and small connected cards only give you the potential for the second or third-best hand. Most of your profit in PLO comes from having the nuts while your opponents have the second nuts. When you choose to enter a pot with small connected cards, you often find yourself being the one with the second-best hand.
Let's look at a few flop examples:
1. 6♣7♥8♦: In this case, you have a straight, but it's the worst possible straight. Most of the time, you'll be drawing dead when you invest a lot of money on this flop. This is a terrifying situation.
2. 7♠10♠K♠: You complete a flush, but it's the worst possible flush. Likewise, it's challenging to extract value when your opponent sees a flush possibility on the board. Yet when a lot of money is going into the pot, you'll find yourself being out-flushed most of the time.
3. 6♠7♠K♣: You have a big draw, and it looks like you're willing to call a bet and potentially raise if you hit your hand. However, the problem is that your opponents will often have even bigger draws. For example, if they have JJT9 with a higher suit, you might be surprised to learn that they have a massive 76% advantage!
Even if you're the world's greatest player, you should fold these hands almost every time before the flop. Trying to make money with these hands will usually only burn your cash. |
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