Why Should You Play Omaha
Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi Lo poker are becoming more and more popular every day. Players are flocking away from the familiar Texas Holdem tables to try something a little different and more advanced. Luckily, your poker room online probably offers a few Omaha tables, so you might as well head over and give them a shot. Major poker rooms, like Littlewoods poker, offer quite a few Omaha tables and even put on Omaha tournaments for their players.
What makes Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi/Lo so attractive?
It’s easy to learn
If you know how to play Texas Holdem, which you probably already do since you are playing poker online, Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi/Lo are very easy to learn. They are played almost the exact same ways, except in Omaha, you get four hole cards instead of two, and you must use two of your hole cards to make your hand. Also in Hi/Lo, players are playing for two different jackpots. If you understand Texas Holdem, you will understand Omaha in probably two minutes. If you need a refresher, head over to your favorite online poker school and do some research.
You Play In More Hands
Because you have four hole cards, there is a better chance of getting a good starting hand and taking part in a hand with other players. In Texas Holdem, it is a common to sit at a table for 30 minutes and not even play a hand down to the showdown. The most common play is to fold and your blinds just get drained. Omaha offers more action and more play for your blinds.
The Variance is Smaller
Especially if you are playing poker professionally, variance is a big issue. It is basically the swings that your bankroll goes through. Omaha is better than Holdem in that the variance is a lot smaller. Bankroll fluctuations are a lot smaller, and you have a smaller chance of going bust.
If you want more information on Omaha, head over to your favorite poker blog or a poker news site. They are sure to have an Omaha section where you can do some research, find more information and become a better Omaha player. If you are tired of playing Texas Holdem, head over to an Omaha Hi or Omaha Hi/Lo table. You will have lots of fun, win more money, and become a better poker player.
Why is Texas Hold ‘Em so Popular?
Poker has been around for hundreds of years. We all know that “Wild Bill” Hickock died at the poker table in Deadwood, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota), all the way back in the 1800s. What poker has never been, however, is nearly as popular as it is today with Texas Hold ‘Em. Even though the basic poker principals are the same, there are few styles of poker as exciting or engaging as Texas Hold ‘Em; why is that?
It’s simple, really: the fact that the majority of the cards are public, rather than private, information for the table is what makes the game of poker so unique. When the flop comes and three cards are up, it adds another psychological dimension entirely to an already psychologically complex game. Not only do you have to guess at what cards your opponents have, you also have to figure how the public cards relate to your hand and the opponent’s hand. Once the turn and the river come, the mathematics go completely wild and even more psychological complexity is added to the game. In addition, the public nature of the cards makes the game a very natural spectator sport, and since the game’s been on ESPN and all of the sports channels, its attendance has gone even higher.
It’s still a little inexplicable, though; the pros play Texas Hold ‘Em, but they also play all of the other styles of poker. The fact is, it may just be an accident of history. When the pioneers of online poker started the first real-money poker websites, they had absolutely no idea it would become so popular with not only the poker community, but also with mainstream sports fans. Now it’s a worldwide phenomenon, with millions of people playing online and in card rooms.
The United States government has even taken steps to shut down online poker, which should give you a hint at just how popular it is. Don’t worry, though, online poker companies have taken serious steps to make sure you can always online poker tournaments whenever and wherever you want. It’s extremely difficult to shut off the flow of money, and most online poker companies are protected by the laws of other countries outside of the United States. Various websites now offer free poker games to attract more players and give them some hands on experience before they start playing in real money tournaments. You can play Texas Hold ‘Em for as long as your heart desires as long as it stays popular, which it gives every indication of doing.
Suited Connectors in SNGs
Suited connectors are usually highly playable hands in deep stacked cash games. As a matter of fact, suited connectors, together with small pocket pairs and suited one-gappers are some of the best implied odds starting hands. How do these implied-odds hands retain their value in SNGs though?
The answer to that is in short-stacked cash games. Since SNGs seldom give players the possibility to enjoy the advantages of a large stack, suited connectors will have the same value in them as in short-stacked cash games: not nearly as playable as in a deep stacked cash game.
The value in suited connectors is in the possibility of making either a flush or a straight. Such hands don’t come about nearly as often as one would like to, which means that you’ll have to invest a serious amount of chips into them, before you do make a good hand and get an opponent all-in to recover all your losses and to make some profit too.
The semi bluff
Bluffing is one of the most sensitive issues in poker. The reason why it’s so sensitive is that while it’s wildly popular, few players can get it right. Blind bluffs are among the most frequent beginner mistakes, and for most players they remain a problematic issue well after they can no longer be considered rookies.
There are two basic types of bluffs: the pure bluff and the semi-bluff. The pure bluff is about players firing out a bet in the hope of making all their opponents fold. A pure bluff only offers the bluffer one way to win the pot: by making everyone fold.
A semi-bluff on the other hand, offers the protagonist two ways to win. He can either take the pot down by making the other players fold, or he can hit his draw to take down a huge pot if his bluff gets called.
Here’s an example of a semi-bluff: you hit a four–card flush on the flop, and you bet into your opponents, attempting to push them out of the pot. If they fold, your semi-bluff is successful. If they call, you still stand a pretty good chance to hit your flush on the turn or the river and to make the best hand, in which case your opponents will lose a great deal of money.
Free card
The free card is a community card you do not have to pay (call a bet) to see. The free card is a double edged sword: on one hand, you’d like to be given as many free cards as possible on your drawing hands, on the other you do not want to give your opponents any of these free cards.
The free card is the beginner poker player’s biggest enemy. One of the most frequent mistakes beginners make is that they play too many starting hands and that they take their drawing hands way too far.
Now then, while doing this, they offer their opponents countless free cards, while their more experienced foes never give them a break, especially if they realize they’re faced with a clueless rookie. What this results in is that the rookie will throw away a bunch of money chasing his draws, and he won’t be able to cash in on the good hands that he makes.
Poker Tips
If you are looking for a game that offers the best possible odds and the most significant edge, you should get to know online Texas Holdem. At treasurepoker.com you get instant access to hundreds of free poker strategy articles for players of all skill levels.