As Pot Limit Omaha becomes an increasingly popular game, many Texas Holdem players are seeking to compete in Omaha games. Whether you’re playing in a tournament or cash game, it’s important to know how to vary your strategy in Omaha. Importantly, each element of Omaha strategy is unique from Texas Holdem, although certain skills such as reading, positioning and hand values translate into the game.

Combining semi-bluffs and conservative hand strategy delivers maximum value to the hands of successful Omaha players. Proper hand selection in Omaha requires a combination of proper reads, discipline, patience and organization to your play. In Omaha you can see a growing number of flops allowing you to use any two (or four) cards as if they are in your hand. Since there are more players, the pots tend to be large. Having the strongest possible hand (“the nuts”) is frequently the best recipe to playing in multi-way pots.

Semi-bluffing, when playing against a few players can either win you the pot outright, or give you insight that another player is in a strong position. Mastering Pot Limit Omaha requires game play techniques that you won’t learn at the Texas Holdem table.

Advanced Omaha Strategies

The smartest idea of getting pot value is to play even more quality hands in Omaha. Frequently players will be overconfident in their hands, given the extensive possibility of drawing to other hands. Remember a low flush isn’t likely to sustain as the other players are holding four hole cards. By far the best hand in Omaha is Ace-Ace-King-King, with two suited A-K’s with doubled suited J-T-A-A after that. Draw hands hold a higher possible value in Omaha given the possibility of a flush or straight.

Entering more pots makes sense when you are holding high cards in Omaha. But remember you don’t want to be overconfident in low pairs or draws. Low draw hands may be of lower value than suited connectors are in traditional Holdem. Careful attention also must be paid to your position since the getting information from the other players necessitates you to be in a strong position to study factors involved in hand play. Since you are competing against a large number of players, temper your betting in the early position unless you are holding the best possible hand. Don’t overbet or remain in the pot on hope if you are only holding a marginally good hand. There will be later hands where you can wait out the flop.

A good semi-bluff strategy is to play strong when you have the best possible draw – for example if you’re drawing to the Ace flush, or a high straight then you may want to build the pot in multiple ways. This aggression also gives you a chance to win the pot when you miss your draw by making all of the other players fold. Therefore, drawing to the best hand can put you in a good position to outplay opponents consistently. When you have a decent, marginal hand you should always wait for another opportunity to deliver even better hands. Patience and selective aggression pay off in advanced Omaha strategies.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Absolute Poker Rakeback as well as Rakeback at Power Poker.