Omaha, 4 cards instead of two.  Same flop, turn and river.  But such a different game.  A game I believe makes us better holdem players.  Here is why:

Omaha is a game of draws and outs.  Big pocket pairs can be good, but overplay or over value them and we wind up broke.  not unlike holdem, but Omaha has a way of pounding this in.  Understanding that opponents have outs and considering them can only help you to advance your table thinking.  The Pot limit structure (most common) helps in learning pot control and commitment levels.

Limit holdem plays out much the same way.  Odds and \”clean outs\” become key.  Position is more critical, the power of aggresion needs to be replaced by mathamatical knowledge and poker fundementals.  Omaha forces you to always focus on board texture and consider your opponents hand ranges.  In an Omaha session we quickly classify who likes pairs, draws, who overbets and commits themselves etc.

All huge positive habits when playing NL Hold em.  Being able to let go of sets to boards that support straights and flushes and opponents who are likely to hold them.  Letting go of \”sucker\” str8s and flushes when we know they are likely beat, or just plain having the foresight not to draw into those situations are all the tools and skillz that Omaha players learn.  Instead of the weaker hands, we get comfortable in playing the right situations to make the monsters.

I have heard Omaha called beginers holdem.  Glad it isn\’t a common thought.  So many more players would be just that much stronger.  Much like the \”pros\” say Limit Holdem should be learned before NL.  Both Limit and Pot Limit can be frustrating and look no more appealing or skillfull than \”bingo\”, but the true players understand how some people just naturally want to go hard or go home.  Egos and lack of understanding is what feeds the sharks, so why tap on the glass of the guppy aquarium. 

On top of what I have just said, once a player learns Omaha, high/low is the next natural progression.  From there, Stud and Razz become more interesting, far more appealing.  Texas Holdem players graduate to HORSE.  I pride my self on being a Poker Player and enthusiast, not just a Holdem player.  At the lower limits, Omaha is pretty juicy for those who put the time in, since alot the new shining holdem stars figure \”How hard can it be?\”  At the highest limits, Omaha is a game where record breaking pots are scraped. The high rollers like a change too.

For those who want to hear more about how your casino time and money can be very productive playing \”HO\”, please read this weeks Australian Poker Weekly article by \”DrCheckRaise\”.  Here is the link:  www.drcheckraise.com/pdf/APW27p07.pdf 

For further discusion on beginner strategy and up on Omaha, follow this link: www.drcheckraise.com/phorum/list.php?14#forum

As always, leave your thoughts here or there.  Lets hear what you think of Omaha!