Omaha Noob Tutorial, here u go Fangita!

[Tenspeed666]

Ideal Omaha Poker Hands
Following on from our Omaha Poker Strategy guide to the best Omaha Poker hands, we'll look at the ideal hands you can get pre-flop.
Picking the best hand in Texas Holdem is easy. Since you are only dealt 2 cards, the best hand is clearly being dealt 2 aces before the flop. So one might jump to the conclusion that in Omaha, where you are dealt 4 cards, the best hand would be getting 4 aces. This is simply not true.
Since in Omaha Poker hands we must use EXACTLY 2 cards from our hand, getting dealt 4 aces is actually a relatively poor hand. The reason being is now there is zero chance that an ace will flop on the board, turning our pair of aces into a decent hand with three of a kind.
Another hand that at first glance would seem to be good but isn’t, is being dealt 4 cards of all the same suit. Having 4 cards of the same suit in your hand is no better than 2 cards of the same suit, in fact it is worse! Not as staggeringly bad as getting 4 aces, getting 4 of the same suit does reduce the chances of making your flush. For example, with 2 hearts in your hand, there are 11 hearts left in the deck to possibly hit the board. However, with 4 hearts in your hand, there are only 9 hearts left in the deck to possibly hit the board. This may not seem like a big deal, but percentage-wise it does make a difference. About a 10% difference of making your ideal hand with a flush.
So then the question is what are some of the best Omaha hands out there? The truth is that there is much less known about Omaha than Texas Holdem. The reason being is that with 4 cards in your hand, there are many more possibilities for how hands can play out… too many possibilities to analyze them all. But here is what we do know…
The widely accepted ideal Omaha Poker hand is A A K K double suited. Double suited means that one set of A K is one suit, and the other set of A K is another suit. This gives us two high pairs, two good flush possibilities, and a good straight possibility.
So speaking more generally, any hand with 2 pairs in it is pretty good. If these pairs are single suited, that’s good. If they are double suited, that’s even better.
If they happen to be close enough to be apart of the same straight, that’s even better!
You get dealt 4 cards, and have to use 2 of them at a time. Call the cards you are dealt A B C and D. Then the possible two card combinations from these are: A B, A C, A D, B C, B D, and C D. So that is six different possibilities.
Ideally, a great Omaha hand is one where each one of these 2 card combinations are a good combination. A good combination for a set of two cards are ones that are a pair, suited, or close enough to be in the same straight.
You'll see from this discussion that Omaha poker strategy and how the ideal Omaha Poker hands are really quite a bit different from regular poker strategies.
Perfecting Your Omaha Poker Game
Perhaps the hardest thing to do in Omaha poker is quickly rank how good your hand is compared to the best possible hand. You need to do this quickly, often within a few seconds, otherwise you give away some details about your hand that you might otherwise want to keep to yourself. Below I have set up several scenarios to help in prefecting your Omaha poker game.
What we are going to do is first of all say what your best hand is, then say what the nuts are (the best hand possible) and then look at the hand analysis. Here we go:
Your hand: AD 7D 7H 8C
Board: AC 8S 9C 10H KS
Your best hand: 2 pairs, A’s and 8’s
The nuts: Straight, 10 J Q K A
Hand Analysis: 2 pairs is never a particularly good hand, though the fact that one of the pairs is A’s could make it a little better. Remember, that if someone has a pair in the hand, there is a good chance they could end up with 3 of a kind, thus beating your 2 pairs. You might stand a chance here, but if someone else is betting big, you should bow out of the hand.
Your hand: 5D 6D 9H 10H
Board: 6C 10C 7 S 8C AD
Your best hand: 2 pairs, 6’s and 10’s
The nuts: Flush, AC 6C 10C 8C, plus any other club
Analysis: Again, 2 pairs is not a very great hand, especially this time since there is an A on the board, you do not have the BEST 2 pairs. Plus, not only is there a flush possibility, but there is a straight possibility. Your hand stands little to no chance of winning this one.
Your hand: 8C 9C 10C 2D
Board: 2D JC KC QD 2C
Your best hand: Flush, KC JC 10C 9C 2C
The nuts: Flush, AC KC JC 2C, plus any other club
Hand Analysis: Congratulations, you hit a flush. This is a very good hand in any version of poker. However you do not have the best hand (the nuts). You don’t have the second nuts either, the person who potentially holds the queen of clubs and some other club holds this honor. No, here you have the third nuts. This is still a very good hand here, but the moral of the story is to be careful.
Your hand: 2D 4D 8C AC
Board: JD 8D 8S QS AH
Your hand: Full house, eights over aces
The nuts: Full house, aces over eights
Hand Analysis: Another great hand. Full houses are very hard to come by. But again your hand isn’t the best. If another player has 2 aces in their hands, they have you beat. Not only that, but if some player has 2 jacks or 2 queens in their hand, they still have you beat. This time around you have the fourth nuts. Go ahead and bet, often hands like these that are very good, yet not the best are the ones that lose the most money! Proceed carefully and don’t get greedy.
Pay close attention to your opponents and only bet big if you have a good reason to believe that you have everyone else beat.
How to Play Omaha Hi-Lo and Strategy
Omaha Hi-Lo is a fun variant to the regular Omaha poker game. In Omaha Hi-Lo, the "high" hand is what we are normally used to, a 5 card poker hand, with 2 cards taken from individually dealt cards and 3 cards taken from the shared cards. The "low" hand, on the other hand, is something completely different. The low hand idea was established to give those who were not dealt high cards (like face cards) a fighting chance at part of the pot.
To have a qualifying low hand, you must have 5 cards that are 8 or lower. In this case, an ace may be counted as the lowest card. These 5 cards must be of all different values. And just as with the high hand, a player must use actually 2 cards from their hand and 3 cards from the shared cards in the center.
Consider this scenario in a game of Omaha Hi-Lo.
The 5 cards on the board come out to be 7 9 10 J K. Here, there are not 3 cards of value 8 or lower to use towards a qualifying low hand. So, there is no low hand.
If there is a qualifying low hand among those who show their cards, the "lowest" hand will split the pot with the "highest" hand, each receiving half. The lowest hand is determined by who has the lowest highest card among the qualifying low hands. For example, a low hand of 3 4 5 6 7 would be better than a low hand of A 2 3 4 8. The highest card of the first hand is 7, the highest card of the second hand is 8. Since 7 is lower than 8, that hand is better.
In the case where the highest cards of two qualifying low hands are the same, you compare the next highest card. If that is the same, you compare the next highest card. You continue this on down to the lowest card. If all 5 cards are of exactly the same value, then the low hands have tied and will split half of a half of a pot. That is to say, each will receive a quarter of the pot.
Let’s take a look at a few examples to decide which hand is a better low hand. You can use these as a guide when playing your Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy.
Hi-Lo Strategy Example 1
Player 1: A 3 5 8
Player 2: 2 3 7 10
Board: 3 5 6 J K
Here Player 1’s low hand is A 3 5 6 8. Player 2’s low hand is 2 3 5 6 7. Since 7 is lower than 8, Player 2 has the better hand.
Hi-Lo Strategy Example 2
Player 1: A 2 3 4
Player 2: 5 6 7 8
Board: A 2 3 10 Q
Here Player 1 has no qualifying low hand, despite being dealt the 4 lowest cards possible. Player 2’s low hand is A 2 3 5 6. So Player 2 wins by default.
Hi-Lo Strategy Example 3
Player 1: A 3 4 7
Player 2: 2 3 4 5
Board: 6 7 8 10 K
Here Player 1’s low hand is A 3 6 7 8. Player 2’s low hand is 2 3 6 7 8. Since A is lower than 2 (all the other cards are identical), Player 1 wins this low hand.

The Best Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Hands
Previously we discussed the best poker hands for Omaha. The general theme was that each 2 card pair should be useful, and there are 6 such pairings of 2 cards from our 4 total cards. Now with adding in the challenge of making a qualifying low hand, that does complicate things a bit.
Previously we said that for a 2 card pairing to be useful, they should either be 2 of a kind, the same suit, or close enough to be part of the same straight. Any hand that was considered exceptional good for regular Omaha should be considered a good hand in Omaha Hi-Lo as well.
After all, there is always a chance that there will not be 3 cards of value 8 or lower on the board, in which case there is no qualifying low hand. So a hand like A A K K double suited, which we said was the best Omaha hand, is still a very good Omaha Hi-Lo hand, even though it stands no chance of making a qualifying low hand.
However, hands that were marginally good in regular Omaha, lose a lot of their value in Omaha Hi-Lo. For example a hand like 7H 7C 9C JD is a pretty good Omaha hand, but would be considered sub par in Omaha Hi-Lo.
So, what would be the best poker hand in this variety of Omaha?
Well, certainly, we’d like a Omaha Hi-Lo hand that qualifies us for the low hand (if there is one). But we don’t want to sacrifice our high hand at that expense. We’d like to have the best of both worlds. So, the consensus best hand in Omaha Hi Lo is A A 2 3 double suited. Let’s break down the 6 two card combinations to see why this is so good.
A A - a pair of aces, the best pair out there, a great start for our high hand.
A 2 suited – not only is this the best start for a low hand, but this is also suited, since A is the highest card of any suit, this is the best suited start for that suit, also it could be a good start to a straight.
A 2 unsuited – everything that I mentioned above, minus the suited part.
A 3 suited – this is also a very good low hand, and protects your low possibilities in the situation where a 2 hits the board, also this is a good start for a straight and a great start for a flush.
A 3 unsuited – ditto for A 2 unsuited.
2 3 – this is a pretty good low hand, and protects your low hand in the case where an A hits the board (which should make you very happy since you have 2 of them in your hand), plus it could help out a straight attempt
So as you can see, each 2 card combination brings something to the table. A great all around hand, you should be betting as much as you can pre-flop on this Omaha Hi-Lo hand!
Perfecting Your Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Hand
Just as with the previous article, dealing with perfecting your Omaha Poker game here we do some practice and analysis of finding your best hand as well as finding the nuts hand. This time though, we consider not only the high hands, but the low hands as well. This is sure to make things even more complicated, and thus the more you need to read carefully and practice.
Your hand: AD 2D 8C KC
Board: 2C 3D 7C AC JH
Your best low hand: A 2 3 7 8
The nuts low hand: A 2 3 4 7
Your best high hand: Flush, AC KC 8C 7C 2C
The nuts high hand: You got it!
Hand Analysis: You have the nuts high hand, congratulations. You are guaranteed to win some of your money back. In fact, a tie for the high hand in this case is impossible, so you are guaranteed at least half the pot. You do have a qualifying low hand, but it isn’t quite the best. Bet big though, and hope to push out others with marginally good low hands and perhaps sweep the whole pot!
Your hand: AC 2H 7C 10D
Board: 3D 5C 7S 7D JH
Your best low hand: A 2 3 5 7
The nuts low hand: You got it!
Your best high hand: 3 of a kind, 7’s
The best high hand: Full houses, Jacks over 7’s
Hand Analysis: You have the nuts low hand, congratulations. You are guaranteed to win some of your money back. But be careful, unlike the hand above, there is a possibility that someone could tie you for the best low hand. So, don’t be so sure that you are going to get half the pot. There is a chance you might only get a quarter of the pot (or worse yet a sixth). Your high hand is pretty good, but the full house would be better. Plus, there is a straight possibility on the board (3 4 5 6 7). You deserve to be part of the betting, but don’t be the driving force.
Your hand: AH 3D KD 7S
Board: 4C 5D 8D 9C QD
Your best low hand: A 3 4 5 8
The nuts low hand: A 2 4 5 8
Your best high hand: Flush, KD 3D 5D 8D QD
The best high hand: Flushe high
Hand Analysis: You have a pretty good hand. You have the second nuts low hand AND you have the second nuts high hand. So long as no one has the nuts in either case, you could end up winning the whole pot. But someone could have the nuts. In fact, one other player could have the nuts low hand and some other player could have the nuts high hand. This could leave you with winning nothing at all, despite having a REALLY good hand.
The lesson to learn here is that there aren’t that many sure things in Omaha Hi-Lo. Pay close attention to your opponents possible Hi-Lo poker hands and only bet big if you think that your strategy and ultimately your hand analysis has everyone else beat.
Advanced Omaha Poker Strategy
Here we look at some advanced Omaha poker strategy to further develop your game and enhance the level of play and your Omaha poker playing skillset.
One great way for getting better at calling hands is to practice. Get yourself a deck of cards. Deal to your hand 4 cards and deal to the center 5 cards. Go ahead and figure out your best hand and figure out the nuts hand. The quicker you can do this, the better. You might even think about dealing out a couple 4 card hands to "pretend" Omaha players. The idea here is that not only can you figure out your best hand, but you can figure out those of the pretend players and also get a sense for how often a hand of a certain strength will win a hand.
The idea of dealing cards without any other players present may seem strange but I've found this the best way to practice and hone my playing skills while at the tables. The quicker you can value your hand then the quicker you can put your more advanced Omaha poker strategy into action for that hand. You'll also find you loose a lot less money!
Here are some tips for quickly figuring out the best hand: Ask yourself…
Is there a pair of cards on the board? The only way that the best hand could be a full house is if there is a pair of cards on the board. If there’s not, you can quickly eliminate someone else having a full house as a possibility.
Are there 3 cards of the same suit on the board? The only way that the best hand could be a flush is if there are 3 cards of the same suit on the board. If there’s not, you can quickly eliminate someone else having a flush as a possibility. Also pay attention to which cards are on the board. If you are going for a flush but don’t have the ace in that suit, you would be very happy to see that ace hit the board (eliminating the possibility that it is in someone else’ hand)
Are there 3 cards within 5 values on the board? The only way that the best hand could be a straight is if there are 3 cards within 5 values on the board. Unlike full houses and flushes above, this is a bit harder to quickly check. Also, unlike full houses and flushes above, straights are much more common. 2 3 7 8 Q is one such possibility that does not allow for a possible straight. However, it is more likely than there WILL be a straight possibility than that there won’t be.
Are there 3 cards with different values below 8 on the board? This is what to check for to find if there is a potential low hand in Omaha Hi Lo. This is especially important to check for if you have a great high hand. If there is no possible low hand, this eliminates the chance that you could lose half the pot to them. Ideally though, in Omaha Hi Lo, you’d like to sweep the pot. This means you’d like to win the whole thing, as opposed to splitting it with another player.
Another thing to practice to become a more advanced strategy poker player is knowing your odds. This is particularly easy on the river card. If you are waiting on a certain suit to complete your flush, there is about a 1 in 4 chance that you’ll get it. If you are waiting on a card of a certain value there is about a 1 in 13 chance that you’ll get it.
Practice advanced Omaha playing strategy and you'll become a better player, more quickly.
Limping or Raising Before the Flop
Your opponent's hand always has a chance of beating your hand in Omaha. Even a A-A-K-K double-suited is 50,000:1 (against) and that hand is a 3:2 favourite to win against 8-7-6-5 double-suited. That brings up whether or not you should raise when you hold a good starting hand.

Should you only raise when holding Aces? The problem with this is that you become predictable; other players will never make a mistake against you if you get this predictable.

What about limping in? This can be better than raising with Aces all the time, but it is not optimal. Whenever you bet, raise or call on the flop, your opponents will also have a good idea of what cards you have. If you never raise pre-flop, you won't make other limping players pay enough to see the flop when you do have a strong starting hand. You won't pick up as many pots as compared to using a raising strategy.

By raising pre-flop with a variety of hands, you will gain several big advantages: you can't be predictabled, you win more pots, you force other players to pay when you are likely to have the best hand, and you get more chances to bluff. It is also much more fun to play according to this strategy. It becomes clear that a strategy combining raising and limping with a variety of hands is the best.


What Hands to Raise
Pre-flop, raise any of the top 30 hands listed above which hold at least one suit and most that don't. This alone will not be enough and you have to raise with more hands. Add any four cards in a row that are double-suited with Six or higher, and all single and double suited A-K-x-x with at least one x-card, 10 or higher. Hands like Q-J-9-8 or J-T-9-7 double suited are good raise hands.

Summary:
1. All top 30 hands with at least one suit and most of the time when off suit.
2. All suited A-K-x-x with at least one x-card, Ten or higher.
3. All double suited four in a row of hands, Five or higher.
4. All double suited connected hands, Five or higher, with a maximum of one gap between the top two and the two low cards or between the low card and the three high cards. An example is K-Q-T-9 double suited and J-9-8-6 double suited.
5. All K-K-x-x double suited.


What hands to limp with
1. All A-Q-x-x with at least one x-card, Ten or higher, and the Ace being suited.
2. All four in a row combinations, Four or higher.
3. All A-x-x-x anything with at least two x-cards that are connected and the Ace being suited.
4. All four in a row combinations, Five or higher, with a maximum of one gap that is not between the top and bottom three cards in the hand.


General Flop Advice
Your pre-flop raise history makes a difference in how you play your hand. If you are a known pre-flop raise player and the pot is short-handed, consider betting out even if you hand did not improve. If it is three-handed and you raise with two bare As, the flop holds Q-J-T, there's a flush draw but you don't have it. Check and see what the other players do. If the flop were Q-6-3 with no flush draw, you should bet out. This gives some unpredictability to your playing style, allowing you to win more pots. You shouldn't slow-play any hand when you hit hard on the flop, and never give free cards in Omaha because it carries a lot more risk than in Hold'em.


Two Pairs
Two pairs is a hard hand to deal with in Omaha. While it is a strong hand, it is not strong enough that you feel completely comfortable committing mcuh cash to it. You should have at least a top two pair to act on the flop. There are too many ways you can lose or be outdrawn. When straight and/or flush draws are on the board and you are called, use your best judgement about whether to bet again on the turn. Consider the type of players playing against you. If you think your opponent will keep drawing, bet in an effort to shut him out. In Omaha, when someone just calls on the flop, they are on a draw, or theyhave a bottom set or a weak two pair and don't want to release on the flop. Bottom two pair and top and bottom two pair are not worth playing on the flop. The most dangerous thing about these hands is you can trap yourself when a full house appears on the turn and someone else gets a larger full hours.


Sets
Because you already know that playing small pairs is risky, don't let yourself fall into scenarios where you face a bigger set. If you raised pre-flop, bet-out on the flop if you hit the set. It is rarely incorrect to bet-out with a top set in short-handed pots, even if the board looks a bit frightening. When you flop a set, you have a 34% chance of getting a full house at the turn and river combined.

Some players will only raise Aces, and if one of these types raises before the flop and an Ace flops, put them on the top set quickly. This is especially good if they limped in from early position and re-raised the pot after it was raised after them. They will usually hold Aces.


Straight Draws
You will flop many types of straight draws when playing Omaha. You want "wrap-around" straight draws. This is when the flop comes along with two cards that connect and you have the surrounding cards. Here are examples:

1. Hand: Q-J-8-x Flop: T-9-x Outs: 17 (wrap around)
2. Hand: J-8-7-x Flop: T-9-x Outs: 17 (wrap around)
3. Hand: K-Q-J-x Flop: T-9-x Outs: 13
4. Hand: 8-7-6-x Flop: T-9-x Outs: 13
5. Hand Q-J-8-7 Flop: T-9-x Outs: 20 (double wrap around)

It is much better to have more overcards than undercards when drawing so you can hit the bigger straight. Hand 1 in the example above is better than Hand 2; Hand 3 is better than Hand 4. Sometimes Hands 1 or 2 will go all-in at the flop and when this happens, Hand 2 goes down in strength greatly.

Bet most of your big draws on the flop for two reasons: you can win immediately with the semi-bluff and because it switches up your play making you less predictable. If you play this way, no one will be able to decide if you are betting a made hand or a draw.

When you hit a 13-way straight draw at the flop and draw to the nuts even with no possible flush draws, you will become involved in the pot. With the 13 nut outs, you have a 29% chance of hitting on the turn and 50% of hitting with the turn and river combined. If an opponent bets the amount of the pot, call or raise, depending on the specific situation and the player invovled.


The Turn
The turn is when you will be making some big decisions. Bet again? Re-raise the max? Fold? Call? You have to decide based on too many factors to include here, but there are a few guidelines you can follow. If you have the nuts, bet on the flop and, if you still have the nuts at the turn, bet the maximum again. If another player is probably drawing, shut him out or charge him a lot to try to get the draw on you. If you hold a minimum of 13 outs, call a pot-sized bet at the turn, but only if both you and the other play have money left at the river. 13 outs give you a bit less than 2:1 against improving your cards and those are the pot odds in this case as well. The implied odds make a call correct if there is money left to win.


The River
When you have the nuts, squeeze out the maximum from the other player. If you missed the draw,, you must fold or bluff. A lot of your decision will depend on how big the pot is and whether you hold a good hand but only lacking the nuts.

Consider you opposition and their capabilities. Will the other player bluff if you check into him or her? Will that player check? Should you value bet with a good hand that is not the nuts?


Omaha Bluffing
Bluffing has a place and role in every form of poker. In Omaha, bluffing is used less than in Hold'em but it is still an important skill. Bluff when you hold one or more key cards in the hand, such as the bare Ace with a possible flush on the board. Here are points to consider when deciding whether to bluff or not:

1. Type of opponent: Don' bluff weak opponents who call with just anything. These players are known as "calling stations". This is a very common mistake. You need to be certain your opponent is a good enough player to fold.

2. Number of opponents: Don't bluff againt three or more players. A bluff is much more likely to succeed against a single opponent, because the pot is usually smaller, which makes it less desirable.

3. Your table image: For a bluff to succeed if you have a tight table image as opposed to a loose one. If you were caught bluffing recently, other players may call you in the future, although reverse psychology can prove beneficial in these situations. If a good player caught you bluffing and he regards you as a good player, he might think you wouldn't dare to bluff him again.

4. How well you read players: If you "read" the game well and are able to put your opponents, you can identify good bluffing opportunities. This is probably the hardest but most important skill to master.

5. The board: When the board looks as if it could have hit your opponents or presents many drawing possibilities, a bluff is lun to be successful. Look for boards without lots of draws and with cards that are unlikely to improve the other players' hands. If you represent a hand, the bluff is more likely to work. An uncoordinated board with a scare card allowing you to represent is a good bluffing opportunity.

6. The pot size: Other players will be more likely to call when the pot is big because of the better pot odds. But, if you make a successful bluff in a big pot, you win more. This is where judgement comes into play.

7. Position: When in late position, you will usually have more access to information about the other players' hands and, you will be in a better situation to bluff. If it is checked to you, and the board looks favourable and there are few players in the pot, take the opportunity.


Made Hand vs. Drawing Hands on the Flop
Let us look at some odds for made hands vs. drawing hands on the flop when playing Omaha.

Made Hand Drawing Hand Favourite

Set overpair and flush draw Set 1.97
Set gut-shot straight and flush draw Set 1.91
Set overpair and straight draw Set 1.88
Set 13-way straight draw Set 1.44
Set open-ended straight and flush draw Set 1.38
Set 17-way straight draw Set 1.03
Set 13-way straight and flush draw Set 1.01 (even money)
Set 20-way straight draw Draw 1.19
Set 17-way straight and flush draw Draw 1.27
Set 20-way straight and flush draw Draw 1.43


Pot Odds
Pot odds are used to calculate if a certain play has a positive expected return. It is defined as the relationship between the size of the pot and the wager. For example, if the pot is $100 and you bet $10, the pot odds are 10:1. In order to calculate pot odds, you must know how many outs your hand has available. If you flop a nut heart flush draw, you then have 9 outs to make your hand. There are 13 hearts in total. You hold 2 and the flop came with 2, leaving 9 hearts unseen.

Refer to the table below and you'll note that you have a 35% chance of hitting with 9 outs on the turn and river combined. This is a bit better than 1 in 3 times, meaning that if it costs you $10 to win $30 or more, making drawing for a flush the correct move.

Every out gives you about a 4% chance of hitting on the turn and river combined. If 5 outs gives you about a 20% chance of improving, 6 outs about 24%, and so on.

Outs for specific draws
Double wrap around straight draw 20 outs
Wrap around straight draw 17 outs
Straight flush draw 15 outs
Flush draw and overpair 11 outs
Flush draw 9 outs
Open-ended straight draw 8 outs
Three pair 6 outs
Two pair 4 outs

Drawing outs from a deck of 45 unseen cards
Number % on River
of outs
4 17
5 21
6 25
7 29
8 33
9 36
10 40
11 43
12 47
13 50
14 53
15 56
16 59
17 62
18 65
19 67
20 70

[Tenspeed666]

Pot-Limit - Omaha Poker Basics
Pot-Limit Omaha, also referred to as PL Omaha or PLO, is derived from Texas Hold`em. While PLO has a lot of characteristics that are similar to Texas Hold`em, PLO requires its players to implement a unique set of strategies in order to win. The first strategy that PLO players must learn is that it is vitally important to build the best hand possible, the nut hand, or as close to a nut hand as possible. This strategy gives the player the best chance at drawing a hand that will beat everyone else at the table. To accomplish this, PLO players will need to collect card combinations that will allow a nut hand draw, as well as collecting card combinations that will provide the player with a back up plan in case the nut draw fails. To successfully implement these PLO strategies, PLO players first need to learn how to identify good hands, as well as how to identify trap hands.
Strategies for Building a Great Pot-Limit Omaha Hand
The first thing that PL Omaha players should understand is that PL Omaha hands should be built to offer players as many options as possible. Connecting cards, wrap cards, and double high value pocket pairs are all card combinations that give the player a variety of possible draw hands that they will be able to play. This strategy helps players to reduce the chances that they will end up with a dead draw, and it also helps them to increase their chances of building a nut draw. Another hand building strategy is to acquire and play high pocket pairs. In the worst case scenario the high pair can be played by themselves and in the best case scenario they can be combined with the flop cards to make a big flush. Lower pocket pairs should be mucked in most cases, as they are easy to beat and basically worthless in this game.
Connecting cards should also be collected, especially if the player has four connecting cards. This run allows players the option of creating many different straights. For example a pre-flop hand of JT98 gives about 30 possible straight combinations when combined with possible flop card combinations. Connecting cards are even more valuable when they are on the higher end of the value scale, as they can produce higher valued straights, which will in turn give the player a better chance of winning the hand.
Collecting suited cards is another good strategy for PL Omaha players to use. However, it should be done with care as players can trap themselves into a situation where they end up with a dead draw. If the player has non-ace high suited cards then a different strategy should be implemented, as drawing to a non-nut flush is an ineffective strategy. On the other hand, if the player hits a non-nut flush during a redraw, multi-draw, or back-door flush draw then it is a good idea to play these cards.
The Top Starting Hands
Building a nut PLO hand starts by being able to identify good starting hands. PLO players should learn to recognize the top 30 PLO starting hands, as well as other starting hands that have potential. The following list contains the top 30 starting hands for PLO. These hands can be made stronger if the high pair is suited with at least one of the remaining two cards. If a player has any of these card combinations they should raise pre-flop.
1. AAKK 11. KQJT 21. QQAK
2. AAJT 12. KKTT 22. QQAJ
3. AAQQ 13. KKAQ 23. QQAT
4. AAJJ 14. KKAJ 24. QQKJ
5. AATT 15. KKAT 25. QQKT
6. AA99 16. KKQJ 26. QQJT
7. AAXX 17. KKQT 27. QQJQ
8. 89TJ 18. KKJT 28. QQ99
9. KKQQ 19. QQJJ 29. JJTT
10. KKJJ 20. QQTT 30. JJT9
Trap Hands
While it is important for PLO players to learn how to recognize a good hand, it is also important for them to recognize bad hands. The first bad hand, or trap hand, that PLO players should avoid is a small pair hand. A small pair hand is any pair that has a face value that is lower than a nine. Players should keep in mind that these pairs are basically worthless in PLO games.
The second type of trap hand is the low wrap hand. In this instance the player’s cards seem like they can make a good hand such as a 23456 straight. However, this seemingly strong hand is actually weak because its low value is easy to beat. Because this type of hand is a trap hand, PLO players should avoid collecting these types of card combinations.
The final type of trap hand is the small flush hand. It follows the same philosophy as the low wrap hand trap. Players who have pre-flop cards that can only create low value flushes should not bet a lot of money on their hand. It is all right to play this type of hand, but the wagers made should reflect the high probability that their flush will be out-drawn by another player.
Conclusion
Pot-Limit Omaha is a game of strategy. Players need to be able to identify strong combinations during all phases of the game, and they need to be able to build their card combinations to give themselves the best chances of drawing a nut hand. High value card combinations are preferable to card combinations valued fewer than nine, and suited card combinations are preferable to non-suited card combinations. Finally, in order for PLO players to become winners they will need to be able to avoid building traps hands, as these hands limit the ability of PLO players to build a winning hand.
Before the Flop - Omaha High Low Poker
Starting Hand Guide for limit Omaha high-low (full table, 8-10 players)
The best starting hands in Omaha high-low are A-A-2-3 double-suited followed by A-A-2-4 double-suited. This kind of hand is very strong because it can be played for both high and low, which gives it great scoop potential. Of course, being suited or (even better) double-suited adds value to every hand.
Good starting hands
A-A-2-x
A-A-3-x
A-A-4-5
A-2-3-x
A-2-K-K
A-2-Q-Q
A-2-J-J
A-3-4-5
A-A-x-x
A-2-K-Q
A-2-K-J
A-2-x-x (suited Ace)
A-3-K-K
A-3-4-x
2-3-4-5 (fold if there is no Ace on the flop.)
J-Q-K-A
T-J-Q-K
K-K-Q-J
Q-J-T-9
2-3-4-x (fold if there is no Ace on the flop).
Any four cards between Ten and an Ace.
Trap Hands
A hand like A-4-4-4 suited is a trap hand. With this hand, you do not have much high potential and there exists a big chance that you make second-best low hand. The odds for winning the low hand is only 1% and, to make a flush, only 4%.
Hands that hold two gaps are often best to fold. The chances of making a straight are under 1% and you seldom win the low (for example, A-4-5-9).
Hands like 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8 and 6-7-8-9 are hands that have a negative expected value. You will not win enough times with the low hand and will too seldom make the nut straight.
High-pairs with two random cards like K-K-x-x or Q-Q-x-x are not playable, although a high-pair with two low cards that also make your hand double-suited are playable in most games. For example K-K-2-4 double-suited is playable.
Pre-Flop Advice
• You should play approximately 30%-35% of your hands.
• Generally, you should only play hands that include an A-2, A-3 or 2-3 for low hand.
• As a rule, you should only play hands that have four cards, at least (9 and higher) for high hand. An exception is A-9 hands with two big cards; this type of hand should not normally be played at all.
• You should occasionally play A-4 suited and A-5 suited if the other two cards work well with the hand.
• Usually, do not raise in early position with your good A-2 hands. Instead, raise with it in late position when there are several callers in front of you. This type of raise builds the pot when you are likely to have the best hand going in.
Raising before the Flop
You should not raise in early position with your premium hands in loose Omaha high- low. You do not want to reduce the field and commit a lot of money until you have seen the flop. If you are sitting in late position and there are a couple of limpers in front of you, then you should raise in order to build the pot.
Pocket Aces
Again, if you hold an A-A and a low card (like a 2 or 3) or an Ace suited, do not raise before the flop in early position. You want to avoid forcing your opponents to fold since these types of hands work very well in multi-way pots.
You could raise with pocket Aces and two high cards from an early position to limit the field, since this type of hand plays well short-handed. An exception to raising would be if the raise is not likely to limit the field. If that is the case, it is most beneficial to call. However, if the flop comes with two or three low cards, fold this hand.
Four Low Cards
With this type of hand it is hard to scoop the pot and you do not flop the nut low hand often enough to make this hand profitable. If you do not hold an A-2, A-3 or 2-3, avoid playing this type of hand.
Four High Cards
This type of hand can be worth playing for a high hand though you should be prepared to fold if there are two or three low cards on the flop.
High pairs
You should only play this type of hand if you have two other good cards to go with your high-pair. For example, if your hand is double-suited and/or has low potential, like a Q-Q-2-3 double-suited.
On the Flop - Omaha High Low Poker
• Count the pot and the number of outs you have to make your hand and then determine if it is profitable to draw.
• You should only call with a drawing hand if you think you will get paid off if you hit.
• Consider which opponents you are up against and how they play their hands.
• Be prepared to fold your hand on the flop very often.
• When you hit, play more aggressively.
• Be ready to raise in a big pot if the flop gives you many different draws. A good example is if you hit a something like a weak flush draw, a third-best low draw and an inside straight draw. You should then raise to force your opponents out and give your hand a better chance to win if you hit. However, be prepared to release your hand if there is heavy action behind you.
• Do not draw for a low when the flop comes with two high cards. Similarly, do not draw for a high when the flop comes with two low cards, unless your hand consists of additional values, such as a flush draw.
Three Low Cards on the Flop
• If you flop a straight draw and there exists no chance for a low, FOLD.
• If you flop a flush draw (not the nut flush draw) and there exists no chance for a low, FOLD.
• If you flop the nut flush draw and there exists no chance for a low, CALL/FOLD depending on the size of the pot.
Two Suited Cards on the Flop
• If you have the flush draw and no low draw, only go for the flush if it is the nut flush draw.
• If there is a pair on the board, you should release your flush and straight draws.
On the Turn - Omaha High Low Poker
• Play a straightforward game.
• In general, you should fold if there are three suited cards on the board and you do not have the flush.
• It is best to fold if there is a pair on the board and you do not have trips or a full house.
• You should fold if there is a potential straight on the board and you do not have a good draw for a better hand.
• If you have the nut hand, you should usually attempt a check-raise.
On the River - Omaha High Low Poker
• You should basically play the same as on the turn.
• Play aggressively if you think you have the best hand.
• Occasionally you can bluff if there is no possibility of a low-hand.
Special moves - Omaha High Low Poker
With four cards it is possible to create 270, 725 unique combinations. This fact, combined with the possibilities of winning with both a low and a high hand, makes a top list of starting hands in loose Omaha high-low different from other poker games. Since there are so many more kinds of playable hands in loose Omaha high-low than in Hold'em, a list limited to the top 100 starting hands leaves out too many playable four-card combinations.
However, the list compiled for this article should provide you with a good idea of what type of starting hands are strong in loose Omaha high-low.
Premium Starting Hands
1. A-A-2-x
2. A-A-3-x
3. A-2-3-x
4. A-2-4-x
5. A-2-x-x
6. A-3-4-x
7. A-A-x-x
It is essential that you consider how all of the hands above vary in strength, depending on the x-card/s and whether or not the hand is non-suited, suited or double-suited. All x-cards containing a 6-9 usually weaken the hand. However, in general, all of these combinations are strong hands in loose Omaha high-low. For example, an A-2-K-K double-suited is significantly stronger than an A-2-Q-8 non-suited, even though both hands belong in the A-2-x-x category. Furthermore, an A-A-K-K double-suited is quite a bit stronger than an A-A-Q-7 non-suited, etc.
The Top Ten List
1. A-A-2-3 Double-suited
2. A-A-2-4 Double-suited
3. A-A-2-3 Suited
4. A-A-2-5 Double-suited
5. A-A-2-4 Suited
6. A-A-3-4 Double-suited
7. A-A-2-3 Non-suited
8. A-A-2-2 Double-suited
9. A-A-3-5 Double-suited
10. A-A-2-6 Double-suited
Omaha odds - Omaha High Low Poker
If you hold a hand such as A-2-3-4, there is 5.6% chance that the flop will not contain any low card, a 32% probability that it will include one low card, a 45.6% possibility that it will contain two low cards and a 16.2% chance that the flop contains all low cards.
If you have a high hand, the chance of a high flop containing two or three high cards is 30%.
You are dealt an A-2-x-x about 6.2% of the time and an A-2-3-x about 1% of the time.
If you hold an A-2 in a nine-handed game, there is 36% likelihood that one or more players also hold an A-2.
In a nine-handed game about 50% of all players will be dealt a pocket-pair before the flop.
If the board has not paired on the flop or the turn, it will pair on the river 27.3% of the time.
List of Outs to help you calculate Pot Odds
Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand. For instance, you hold two clubs and two clubs are on the board. There are nine clubs left in the deck. You now have nine outs to make a flush.
Number of outs % in Turn % in River
1 2.3 4.4
2 4.5 8.8
3 6.8 13.0
4 9.1 17.2
5 11.4 21.2
6 13.6 25.2
7 15.6 29.0
8 18.2 32.7
9 20.5 36.7
10 22.7 39.9
11 25.0 43.3
12 27.3 46.7
13 29.6 49.9
14 31.8 53.0
15 34.1 56.1
16 36.7 41.0
17 38.6 61.8
18 40.1 64.5
19 43.2 67.2
20 45.5 69.7
21 47.7 72.1
22 50.0 74.4
23 52.3 76.7
24 54.5 78.8
25 56.8 80.8
26 59.1 82.7
27 61.4 84.6
28 63.6 86.3
29 66.0 87.9
30 68.2 89.4

[Tenspeed666]

Pot Limit Omaha High Basic Strategy
There are several major strategy objectives to take into account when playing Pot Limit Omaha. Many players, particularly those used to Holdem, make major errors which can prove to be expensive. This article looks at the main Pot Limit Omaha Hi strategy considerations and suggests ways to win at the tables today.
We start by looking at relative hand strength in Pot Limit Omaha and the importance of playing hands with coordinated cards. Next we will look at how the Pot Limit betting structure and position at the table affect your strategy. Finally we will cover the key considerations of playing (or drawing to) only the strongest hands.
Starting Hand Strength
A key factor in Pot Limit Omaha is that no starting hand is a huge favorite before the flop over any other. Holding 4 cards, 2 of which must be used with 3 of the 5 community cards at showdown, means that the kind of hands that win pots are much stronger than in other poker variants. Trips, straights and flushes are standard for the game – full houses are also very common.
Because strong hands win at showdown it is important to play hands with the ability to hit the flop in multiple ways. Hands with suited cards (particularly with an ace) and cards close together in rank can make flushes and straights. While high pairs can be played aggressively before the flop they are looking for very specific flops – you’ll often have to fold if an obvious flush or straight comes and you hold only an over-pair.
For more information on starting hands, read our Omaha High Starting Hands Strategy article.
Betting Size
Pot Limit betting limits the size of your bets and raises to the size of the current pot. This means that the size of the bets grows exponentially from one betting round to the next. On the early betting rounds in Pot Limit Omaha high you will often not be able to bet enough to get strong draws to fold. This betting structure affects your strategy, particularly in relation to the raising tendencies of your opponents.
Common Errors
Some examples of strategy errors your opponents will make in early round betting include betting the maximum only with aces. This tips off the table to the strength of their hand before the flop at the same time as giving opponents excellent odds to try and outdraw them.
This error would be exaggerated further if the same player always lead out on the flop with a pot-sized bet – inviting a big re-raise from an opponent with trips (for example). The second common error is to never raise, since no hand is a big favorite pre-flop some players will limp or call raises only. By doing this they are giving their opponents the chance to limp some very speculative hands.
These errors can be easily countered by raising a selection of strong (coordinated) hands before the flop. Position is important in Pot Limit Omaha strategy so the button is an ideal place to vary your raising hands from. Playing last will enable you to re-raise to build a pot when strong and get away cheaply when there are multiple raises ahead of you.
Making the Nuts
Finally, Pot Limit Omaha is a game of ‘the nuts’. That is to say that you must ensure that you are drawing only to the strongest hands. Since each player has 4 hole cards you’ll be up against almost any draw you can imagine after the flop in a multi-way pot. Drawing to the low end of a straight or a medium flush can prove to be very expensive indeed.
To summarize, Pot Limit Omaha basic strategy involves playing coordinated starting hands from good position. It involves drawing only to the strongest hands and managing the betting in such a way as to not give your opponents big clues about your hand at the same time as giving them the odds to outdraw you.
Pot Limit Omaha 8 Multi Table Tournament Strategy
Unlike single table tournaments, pot limit Omaha eight multi table tournaments usually allow players enough time to play closer to correct strategy. Because of this, these tournaments also reward better players more often. So the basic strategy is much the same as solid pot limit Omaha ring game strategy.
Especially early in the tournament, before the blinds become larger in proportion to the average player stack, you should play very tight. Only play your strongest hands and fold anything that doesn’t improve on the flop. Though they may not seem like many chips, any chip you can save early in the tournament may be the one that allows you to win the tournament later. I usually only play hands with scoop potential in the early stages. Strong high only hands and strong high hands with A 2, or maybe A 3 if the Ace is suited.
The idea in the early stages is to only enter the pot when you have a good chance to greatly increase your chip stack. While winning a few small pots is important, it is rarely worth the chips you must risk in order to win them at this stage.
As the tournament progresses into the middle stages, depending on your chip stack, it is usually correct to start playing a few more hands, particularly against smaller chip stacks. This often lets you play quite aggressively and win a few pots without having to show down your hand at the end. By this time you should also have an idea of a few of your opponents playing tendencies. Always watch for chances to use these tendencies against them.
In the middle stages, you need to start thinking about compiling enough chips to put yourself into position to win the tournament. When you are short stacked, you will need to take a few more chances, trying to get all in with your best hands pre flop. On the other hand, when you have a large stack, look for opportunities to use it to your advantage against the smaller stacks. This is much like play in no limit Texas holdem during these rounds.
In the late rounds of pot limit Omaha high low multi table tournaments, it is very important to play your best hands aggressively before the flop. As the tournament progresses, many hands will be won uncontested pre flop.
One other point that needs addressed is the difference between no limit and pot limit. In no limit, you can go all in at any time. In pot limit, you will often have to build a pot in order to get all in or to get one of your opponents all in. This requires a slightly different thought process early in the hand. Recognize this and use it to your advantage.
As in any no limit or pot limit tournament, you must play to 100% of your ability on every hand. One mistake can end your tournament; so don’t let a mistake knock you out. When you get to the point where only bad beats do you in, you will be finishing toward the top of tournaments in no time.
Early Stages Tournament Strategy
The early stages of multi-table poker tournaments present us with an interesting strategic dilemma. The need to accumulate chips for the later stages is made difficult by the larger proportion of less experienced opponents. This article discusses how to adjust your play during the early stages of a multi-table tournament to maximize your poker profits.
We will begin by looking at the advice of some well know poker professionals and asking whether this advice is appropriate for smaller buy-in online tournaments. Next we look at the early stages of tournaments in the context of your objectives for the tournament as a whole. Finally hand selection and adjustments for the higher proportion of weak opponents will be covered.
Professional Strategy
Both Doyle Brunson (in ‘Super System 2’) and David Sklansky (in ‘Tournament Poker for Advanced Players’) have recommended staying tight during the early stages of poker tournaments. Their logic is that, with a higher proportion of bad players around during the early stages, the skilled player should avoid close gambles – since skill differences need time to become apparent.
This advice is for big buy-in live tournaments which may be played over several days. Our question is whether this would also relate to smaller buy-in tournaments that are regularly found in online poker rooms?
Online we have the advantage of being able to start a new tournament quickly (often within minutes) and to play in several games at the same time. In online tournaments the fast blinds and relatively shallow stacks (compared, for example, with WPT events) mean there is less time to play tight patient poker without being ‘left behind’. It would appear that there are more arguments in favor of trying to accumulate chips early in online multi-table tournaments.
Aggressiveness
It is important to adjust your early game multi-table tournament strategy in terms of your objective for the whole tournament. With payout structures heavily weighted towards the final few positions it makes sense that you should play to win and not just to cash. For every time you reach the final table you could cash several times and still not receive the same payout.
This is an argument for positive aggressive play during the early stages. You are trying to build a stack that will enable you to ‘chip-up’ further as the blinds increase – to maintain the flexibility to play post-flop poker at a time when many opponents are becoming desperate. The combination of ‘playing to win’ and the ability to join other tournaments if required would appear to indicate that the risks involved in playing less-experienced opponents during the early stages are worthwhile.
Hand Selection
Hand selection during the early stages of a poker tournament is heavily influenced by implied-odds concepts. There will be many opportunities to see the flop for a small initial investment and hope for a big pay-off when you hit a monster hand. Good hands to play include small pairs and suited connectors. Hitting a set or hidden straight for a small bet pre-flop can easily get the reward of an opponent’s entire stack.
Many of the inexperienced opponents in the early stages will call too much and over play easily dominated hands. These include unsuited high cards and aces with small kickers. This means you can adjust your strategy to win chips from these players. Bluff less during the early stages as weak opponents are likely to call with any kind of hand. Conversely you should ‘value bet’ more, top pair hands go up in value against opponents who are likely to call you with 2nd or 3rd pair hands (or even worse!).
In summary, staying tight in the early stages, as recommended by some pro players, does not apply to online multi-table tournaments. The fast structure, along with the ability to join a new tournament quickly, means that you should play with the objective of making the final table. The danger of playing against inexperienced opponents can be largely overcome by adjusting your starting hand selection, bluffing less and value betting more with top-pair and better holdings.
Once you are through the early stages, read this article to learn how to play in the middle stages of the tournament.
Middle Stages Tournament Strategy
The middle stages of multi-table poker tournaments are probably the most difficult to navigate through. Rapidly increasing blinds and a broad mixture of short and big-stacks mean that your opponents objectives are often more important than the cards that you hold. This article will look at the middle stages of poker tournaments by assessing how your stack size, and those of your opponents, affect the flexibility in your play – and the adjustments you should make to succeed in this environment.
We will start by looking at the objectives of your opponents relative to the stack size they hold. Next we will look at the proportion of your own stack in relation to the blinds and antes and suggest how this affects the flexibility in your play. Finally we will frame the discussion in the context of your objective for the tournament as a whole – to reach the final table.
Observing your Opponents
While many of the very inexperienced opponents you find in multi-table tournaments will bust out during the early stages – there will always be some left during the middle stages. Some will have big-stacks having got ‘lucky’ early on. A big-stacked inexperienced opponent is a danger at the poker table, yet at the same time can be a good source of chips.
Look for players who over-value hands such as medium pairs and aces with weak kickers and play in such a way as to isolate them. Getting your chips in as a solid favorite does carry the risk of being out-drawn, however compared with the difficulty in winning chips from a solid opponent this can be worth the extra risk.
Many opponents will come into the middle stages with a short stack, often having less than 10 times the big-blind. While individual players will have different styles you need to take note of where these players sit at the table. Raising before the flop with a small stack yet to act can easily commit you to calling their all-in re-raise (due to irresistible pot-odds). Make sure you have some ‘showdown’ value in your hand in these circumstances.
Your Stack Size
The size of your own stack in relation to the blinds and antes has a big influence on how you will play. With 25 Big blinds or more you have a good deal of flexibility to play a variety of hands. As this goes down to 20 blinds your implied-odds reduce, meaning that hands such as small pairs and suited connectors are no longer profitable.
At 15 blinds you are in a situation where calling a re-raise before the flop would commit you to the pot (the pot would be bigger than your stack meaning 2/1+ on post flop bets).
Avoid raising all but the strongest hands here while increasing your number of re-steals. At 10 blinds or less you have lost all the flexibility to play post-flop, since any raise you make would commit you to the pot an all-in play may well be the best move – since this maximizes your chance to win the blinds and antes uncontested.
Your objective for the whole tournament is of paramount importance. Positive aggressive play should predominate to ensure you keep the maximum level of flexibility in your stack that is possible. Taking positive expectation risks will allow you to reach the final table more often – even if you bust out of the tournament on this occasion.
To summarize, stack sizes are the most important aspect of successful play during the middle stages of poker tournaments. They influence your opponent’s objectives and the level of flexibility in your own play. Positive poker will allow you to reach the final table more often and should be your primary objective during the middle stages.
Once you are nearing the bubble, read this article to learn how to play on the bubble.
Ready to Hit The Tables?
We have rated multiple different Internet Poker Rooms to come up with the best site for poker tournament play. Just visit that page and you will find a review of why and will also receive a special bonus.
Playing the Bubble in Poker Tournaments
After more than 3 hours of play you have reached the money bubble in an online Multi-Table Tournament (MTT). With just a few more players to go before the paying places begin the table may well have tightened up considerably. What is your strategy – use the opportunity to pick up chips? Or stay tight and guarantee yourself a prize?
This article looks at MTT bubble strategy in terms of both your own stack size and the stacks of your opponents. What your opponents are trying to achieve is a primary factor affecting your bubble play. We also discuss the important question of whether playing to cash when at an MTT bubble is correct - or whether taking a positive expectation ‘gamble’ here could be more profitable over time.
Stack Sizes
Your opponent’s play at the bubble of an MTT is largely a function of their stack size. Small and medium size stacks will tighten up considerably, and may even slow their play down too.
Large stacks will be using the opportunity to raise a wide range of hands to pick up blinds and small pots from the smaller stacks. Large stacks will usually play pots cautiously against other large stacks - at the same time as keeping the pressure on those players that they have covered.
Adjusting Your Play
Adjusting your own play is a matter of understanding your opponent’s motives and how this affects their range of starting hands. The large stacks will be raising a large range of hands which makes re-stealing from them an option. At the same time a very large stack might call you anyway – especially if losing the hand would not damage their stack too much.
Medium and small stacks are your natural targets in any MTT bubble situation. If you are first to enter a pot and there are no big-stacks yet to act then raise a wide range of hands. If you get re-raised by a small stack you will be able to fold in the knowledge that you were most probably beaten.
The Gap Concept
The gap concept applies directly at the bubble – if someone with a similar stack to yours has already entered the pot then you need a far stronger hand to call than you would to open the pot yourself. This is particularly the case when the raiser was from early position or if there are several players behind you still to act.
Your Playing Style
Whether to play aggressively at the bubble is largely determined by your objectives in terms of prizes. Most online MTT's pay only twice the buy-in for the first in-the-money places. The big payouts are at the final table – particularly the last few places.
Ask yourself the question of whether doubling your stack at the bubble is worth the risk of finishing outside the money. For example you hold a pair of 10’s and a big stack raises, you (correctly) assume this opponent has over-cards and that you are 55% to 45% favorite to win. The question here is whether doubling your stack would compensate you adequately for the 45% of the time you finish out of the money?
To adjust we need to understand that MTT payouts are ‘top heavy’ the final table paying many times the amount that the first in-the-money finishers receive. Folding this hand in order to cash could be easily balanced by reaching the final table just once in every 10 similar situations. The conservative strategy got you into the money – the question is whether this was really the most profitable move!
To summarize, MTT bubble strategy is largely a case of adjusting to exploit what your opponents are trying to do. Stack sizes are the critical factor and medium to small stacks will often give up their blinds without a fight. Adjusting your strategy to accumulate chips, without fearing an out-of-the-money finish may well be more profitable over time than simply ‘playing to cash’.
Tournament Strategy - In the Money
When the bubble of a multi-table tournament bursts - so does the strategy of almost all of your opponents. This can be a dangerous time of the tournament and requires you to make several strategy adjustments of your own. This article covers the adjustments required to succeed in the late stages of multi-table tournaments.
We will start by looking at the adjustments that your opponents will be making in the context of their stack size and play at the bubble. Next we will ask the question of the counter-adjustments that you can make. Finally we will look at payout-jumps before the final table and the influence of these on the game.
Your Opponents
Short and medium-short stacks may well have been holding on desperately at the bubble – waiting for rivals to bust to get them into a paying position. As the bubble bursts there is a collective ‘sigh of relief’ combined with the realization that their stacks are not viable candidates for going much further in the tournament! For this reason the late stages of multi-table tournaments are often characterized by wild all-in moves and big pots.
Conversely the big stacks will lose most of the ‘fold-equity’ that allowed them to bully the table at the bubble and may well switch to a more conservative style. They may well be waiting for solid values or table position before making a raise.
Adjusting Your Play
How you adjust will largely depend on your own stack size. Your overall objective of reaching the final table should have influenced your bubble play towards accumulating more chips – even at the risk of busting before the money places. Your later stage play should have the same objectives, however based on your opponent’s tendencies this needs to adjust once again.
From the desperate small stack’s perspective a lot of hands are going to look like candidates for an all-in move. All pairs, most aces and even high-card hands. If you have these players comfortably covered then you are in a great position to isolate them (by re-raising to discourage others entering the pot) with strong hands and increase your stack further. The large blinds and antes at this stage provide an excellent overlay for your bets – further increasing your expectation.
Since there will be many players in need of chips, multi-way pots will be more common just after the bubble. Avoid these without a very strong holding. Your chances if winning a pot against multiple opponents will reduce exponentially.
Reaching the Final Table
Keep an eye on the payout structure of the tournament, there are often jumps in the money as more players are eliminated. This can lead opponents to tighten up again at various stages. Focus on accumulating chips by taking advantage of the periods when opponents get tight.
Once down to 3 tables it is important that you watch all of the players still in the tournament and take notes on their playing styles. This will become valuable information at the final table.
The final ‘bubble’ will happen when only a couple of players need to bust before the final table is formed. Again, referring back to bubble strategy, you must take advantage of those players who tighten up to make the final table by stealing as many blinds and antes as possible.
To summarize, the bursting of the bubble leads to a complete change in many opponent’s play in the late stages of multi-table tournaments. You can use this to your advantage by isolating small stacks with reasonable holdings – using the blind money as an overlay. Payout jumps and the ‘final table bubble’ both lead opponents to tighten-up again, resort to stealing blinds at these critical strategic points in the game.
Final Table Strategy
Your objective from the very 1st hand of the poker tournament was to reach the final table. You made it and are now less than an hour away from a large payout. Strategy adjustments at the final table are critical – one wrong move and much of your hard work will be undone. This article looks at the key strategy adjustments for multi-table tournament final table play to ensure your payout is the biggest possible.
We start by looking at your final table opponents, it is their stack sizes and objectives which are key to your strategy. Next we discuss your chip stack and how this influences your hand selection and overall play. Finally jumps in the payout structure and heads-up play on the end are covered.
Stack Sizes
The first thing to do at the final table is to observe your opponent’s stack sizes. The presence of one or more ‘micro stacks’ (in relation to the size of the blinds) is significant.
The reason is that the presence of players with only a few blinds will affect the play of the rest of the table – in particular those in the 8 to 15 big blind range. Most players will (correctly) wait for the micro stacks to bust out, and the payouts to increase, before taking risks with a medium sized stack.
Big stacks should also be noted, this includes both their tendencies (are they raising a lot of hands?) and their position at the table relative to you and the other stack sizes. If you have one or more big stacks to your immediate left then stealing blinds is going to be more difficult.
A big stack who raises every hand but is across the table from you is going to put pressure on the other players – you can afford to tighten up, especially if other players are fighting back.
Adjusting Your Strategy
Adjusting your own strategy to your opponents stack sizes is a matter of asking yourself the question, ‘Where are my chips coming from?’ This will depend where the other stacks are in relation to you and each other. Stealing blinds and antes will be easier from medium sized stacks, especially when there are several small stacks at the table.
The flexibility with which you can play hands at the final table is largely affected by the number of blinds in your stack. With less than 10 times the big blind you are pretty much restricted to all-in moves. The strength of hand you move all-in with will again be affected by the other stack sizes and their objectives (to move up in the money or to ‘gamble’ for a higher payout).
With a big stack yourself you are able to threaten your opponent’s with elimination – a threat they can not return. Selective aggression – taking advantage of tight opponents - can pay dividends here.
Shorthanded Play
Short handed play, when there are just 3 or 4 opponents left, requires yet another strategy adjustment. Hand strength criteria for raising before the flop must be adjusted, pairs and ace-hands going up in value at this point. You still need solid starting values to call a raise – however raising often at this point will take advantage of those opponents who have not yet adjusted their own starting hand selection.
Heads Up Play
Heads-up play is very important in multi-table tournaments, the jump from first to second often being substantial in terms of prize money. Relative hand strength changes significantly here, as does the importance of position - the small blind / button position being worth more than at a full table.
Try to assess your opponent’s heads-up play and adapt to their weaknesses. If your opponent is too tight then avoid big all-in confrontations and take their stack slowly. Conversely, if your opponent is obviously more skilled than you are make big all-in bets to nullify this advantage.
To summarize, final table strategy is all about awareness of, and adjusting to your opponent’s stack sizes. Your own stack largely determines the number of hands you play and how you play them, but what your opponents are trying to do is the key factor. Success at the final table involves adjusting to short-handed and heads-up play, ensure that you understand the relative adjustments in starting hand selection for this part of the game.

[Chevy]

...

nice tut too long lol

[TheDonkey66]

That's far from a 'Noob Tutorial'

Helpful thread nonetheless

I read a couple of paragraphs in middle... does seem like could be a helpful read...

Maybe during a slow tourney one day..

Thanks for the post.

[Tenspeed666]

Yeah its extensive but so are books and stuff. at least this is free....