Hi, I'm new to the game, a few questions.


If you flop two pair, say kings and queens, and the third card is low, should you raise the pot or call bets?

What kind of starting hands do you look for? I know hands that scoop are good, but would you ever consider playing a hand that is connected, say KQJT? Would you play a hand with an ace and two low cards below 5, say A34X?

If you are shortstacked in a tournament, what kind of hands are you looking to push? What kind of hands would you call someones push with if they are tight? If they are loose?

What kind of hands should I be raising pre-flop from late position? From early position? Should I be raising the pot pre-flop for these hands?



I know these questions are very amateur, so I really appreciate the advice given in advance. You don't have to answer them all, even answering one of the questions will help me out greatly. Again, thanks in advance.

Assuming you're talking about PLO8, the "position" argument is the strongest around here. Basically, be wary of putting in money without position. Put it in when you have position. Obviously, play more patiently than your likely loose opponents.

You're looking for scooping opportunities. Suited wheel cards offer you your best chance of doing that. The more counterfeit protection, the better. A235 with a suited ace is a great hand (on a good flop).

Raising pre-flop isn't nearly as big of a factor in Omaha games as it is in Hold Em games. Very few hands are big favorites over other hands pre-flop. You should be more apt to play post-flop (in position). Don't get too caught up with two big pair, but if you're in position and it's checked to you, you can usually bet to try to pick up the pot. Sets, straights, flushes, and lows will own you if you overplay two pair though.

If you flop two pair, say kings and queens, and the third card is low, should you raise the pot or call bets?

It depends on your position, the actions on the flop, if any two of the three flops cards are suited and do I have a piece of it (not that I want to draw to a non-nut flush, but that I have two blockers), the opponents' stack sizes, do you think one of the other players will have the low set and if he/she will defend his/her low set, what about your other two cards (for example, did they give you an emergency low backup...), etc

The general approach is to wait until the safe turn card to pot it. Don't commit too much on the flop or you should consider dropping them.

What kind of starting hands do you look for? I know hands that scoop are good, but would you ever consider playing a hand that is connected, say KQJT?

40 point hands really need more opponents to put in money to make it a worthy investment, you prefer to play it cheap and at late positions. If the game is loose passive and you think no one will raise you from behind when you limp and there will be enough callers because you've limped, then I will play it at EPs. If you are playing at lower limits and want to have fun, go ahead and play it, but remember those hands if they make you money or not in general and at what positions, then later on you will figure when to play them or not.

Would you play a hand with an ace and two low cards below 5, say A34X?
Of course, early positions it's a limping hand, late positions it's a raising hand.

If you are shortstacked in a tournament, what kind of hands are you looking to push? What kind of hands would you call someones push with if they are tight? If they are loose?

Play tighter at tourny at the early stages, forget about 23xx those speculative hands. You can't reload. If I am shortstacked, I would be looking for hands like AAxx, A and two low cards with Ace suited. Don't defend your blinds with 40-point hands when facing pot-raise preflop unless you have many callers. This is especially true when it's at later stages of the tourny.


What kind of hands should I be raising pre-flop from late position? From early position?

I hardly raise from EPs now, I only do it like once in 8 times just to encourage others to do it.

Late position then you can raise with many hands, but you need to be discipline enough to fold on the flop if it misses you, the point is, don't be "pot-committed" just because you were at LPs and you raised.

Also I've seen many players play 23xx at any position. Now I only play the following 23xx hands, they are 223x, 233x, 2345, 2346, 2356. But you can forget about them if there are raises and callers, many Aces are out.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...4203&m_id=65543

Great article