Almost every hand in Omaha, especially high-low split, looks like it has great possibilities. Everyone envisions a winner. Of course, that’s not true. There are over 5,000 combination of cards in every hand dealt. You need patience and discipline to wait for good starting hands.All four hole cards need to work together. If that doesn’t happen, be prepared to fold. Omaha…
Category: Blog
Change Directions
Shortly before the pandemic, I played in a tournament at one of the most interesting tables I’ve ever experienced; loose calls, no regard to position, and testosterone-fueled aggression. What to do? I simply shut down, relaxed, played only super premium hands, and let the uber-warriors knock each other out. And, they did. I basically folded my way stress-free to…
Continuation Bet
The increasingly popular continuation bet, also known as a C-bet, is a wager after the flop (no matter the cards dealt) from the pre-flop raiser. It’s most effective when done in position and usually clears the field when your opponents do not connect. It’s a good strategy because if you check, everyone gets a free card. When isn’t it a…
Tournament Re-buys and Late Entries
I’m always curious about tournament players who re-buy (when allowed) and, especially, those entering for the first time at level three or four (when possible). Regarding re-buys, I suppose we are all optimistic that eventually the “tide will turn.” A rush/heater is overdue. However, to me the phrase, “good money after bad” comes to mind. Regarding late entries, did someone…
Prop Players
In order to fill seats at a poker table, some casinos/card rooms allow their staff members (including managers) to sit in on a game. This is an example of a “prop” player. It’s short for proposition and their function is to get games started and/or keep them going when a table is short-handed. Most often, when the table fills up,…
Set Over Set
A recent tournament found me on the short end of an all-in hand. Someone said, “Tough to lose set over set.” To be precise, it was set over trips. There is a big difference, but over the years the terms set and trips have become interchangeable (incorrectly). A set is when a pair in the hole matches a card…
Scoop!
In Omaha High-Low (AKA, Omaha 8-or-Better), a scoop is when one player wins the entire pot vs. splitting it. It can happen in two ways: the winner has both the best high and low hands or there is no qualifying low. There is always a high. Let’s look at some approximate numbers. Before any given Omaha deal, there is over…
Rabbit Hunting
A Poker Rant: Not sure how you feel about “rabbit-hunting” but, to me, it’s annoying and slows down the game. “Rabbit-hunting” is when a player (who folded) asks to see the turn and/or river after the game is over. Why? To see if they made a good fold or should have stayed in. Do they feel better or worse? Yes,…
Giants of the Game
In 2010 Poker for Dummies listed their Ten Poker Legends. Stu Unger Johnny Moss Jack “Treetop” Strauss Benny Binion “Amarillo Slim” Preston Doyle Brunson Johnny Chan Phil Helmuth, Jr. Scotty Nguyen Chris Moneymaker What changes would you make today to this lineup?
A Hand Not Played
Why do we remember the hands we folded only to see the one card we needed turned up? For the most part, we never think about our good folds. My 14 year old grandson is going to be a very good poker player; he likes math and thinks logically. Of course, I have to break him of believing bluffing is…