All The Aces Daily Poker Column
 

Switching from
Playing Texas Hold'em
to Omaha Poker

The most important things to remember
when moving from playing Texas
Hold'em poker to Omaha poker

MAKING THE SWITCH
A lot of players switching from playing Texas Hold’em to Omaha poker fail to make the necessary adjustments. The most important thing to remember is that a great hand in Texas Hold’em is not so great in Omaha poker. We see it all the time online with players betting wildly because they have two high pairs in Omaha and they think they’re going to steal the pot. Omaha poker has four hole cards to each player and five on the board, so you’re making your best five card hand from nine possibilities  instead of seven. This devalues otherwise premium hands. Two high pairs in Texas Hold’em has a very good chance of presenting you with the pot. Conversely, in Omaha poker you need to play two pair with extreme caution. The likelyhood is you’re going to wiped out by at least three of a kind or just as likely a straight or a flush. Make the adjustment. Omaha poker is a very exciting game and produces great hands. Keep that in mind and you’ll get into the mind-set and the thrill of it.

Omaha Poker, pic courtesy of poker-studs.com

PROFESSIONAL THUMBS UP
A lot of professionals prefer Omaha poker to Texas Hold’em as they consider it a more technical game and claim it broadens their overall skill level.The probabilities in Omaha are easier to see and it is generally more straightforward. Texas Hold’em on the other hand has more of a psychological dimension and is closer to the traditional form of poker with its bluffs and deceptions. These factors make it the online game of choice for most players.

Pocket Aces - Texas Holdem or Omaha