Mar 29 2010

Pot Limit Omaha vs No Limit Hold Em

written by: John under Card Games Comments: Comments Off

PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) has become a phenomenon in the world of online poker. As players get tired of Texas Hold’em, they have slowly begun to transition into the Omaha games. Much of the popularity of Omaha stems from the constant high stakes games that can often be found at Full Tilt Poker. Some of the biggest names in the poker world can be found with hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Omaha tables. Texas Hold’em certainly remains very popular, especially in live games, but Omaha has gained a major following over the past few years.

There is a variety of reasons why Omaha has blown up. Some poker players like the gambling aspect that you will find in Omaha. There is a lot of gamble in any form of poker, but Omaha is notorious for the never ending coin flips and suck outs. Bad beats are a rarity in Omaha, if only because they are always expected. It is tough to get your money in as a big favorite in Omaha. Even if you start with a complete trash hand, there is usually a decent chance that you can and will catch up. Some players hate this added element, but other players crave the action.

Beyond this, Omaha is also proving to be quite profitable. In the earlier days of online poker, everyone was new to Texas Hold’em. Live poker could never teach as much as online poker. Eventually, however, the playing field evened out and the Texas Hold’em games were tough to beat. Omaha is the new age Texas Hold’em, with many new players flocking to the tables. Even if you aren’t an expert Omaha player, there is still a chance that you will generate a profit, if only because your competition is exceptionally weak.

Are They Really Different?

PLO is very different from Texas Hold’em, but the two games maintain a lot of similar characteristics. The hand values are not that different, and different betting strategies will work in both games. For example, pocket aces is the best hand possible in both Hold’em and Omaha. Now, you also need to consider the other two cards in your hand, but this is one way in which Hold’em and Omaha are exactly the same.

The biggest problem that new Omaha players have is determining just how strong their hand is. In Hold’em, a set is a very strong hand. In Omaha, however, a set is going to be beat much more often that you might expect. There are definitely a lot of changes that new Omaha players will need to make. Some changes are big, others are subtle, but adjustments are a requirement nonetheless.

Right now is the time to hit the Omaha tables and cash in on other player’s inexperience. The bankroll requirements for Omaha are not very different than Hold’em. There is more variance in Omaha, so it wouldn’t a be a bad idea to pad your bankroll a bit more than usual. Omaha, as a whole, is a fun and exciting game. Players are apprehensive to make the switch just because they spent so much time playing Hold’em, but Omaha is certainly worth a try.

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