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Bluffing in Pot Limit Omaha
Published 23 juli 2009 16:40A lot of people think this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Sometimes it’s however possible to bluff in this game, even while playing the microstakes. But the opportunities are a lot less frequent than while playing Hold’em, certainly true.
An absolute condition that has to be fullfilled for a good bluff in PLO is being in late or even last position. If you are in this spot and everybody checks towards you (or somebody makes a small bet and the other players just call), this is the perfect moment for a good bluff. However, IF you decide to bluff, bluff well. So don’t make a small bet, trying to be suspicious (“i’m value betting the nuts”) because there will absolutely be players with some kind a hand who will call you (definitely on micro stakes). To make it really clear I have this example for you:
So I’m not running very well at this table and make a somewhat loose call on the cut-off. The flop is actually very good, I hope you see why. I’m drawing to the nuts with 9 cards, because I would make broadway with a T, Q or A on a rainbow board (very important in PLO when drawing to a straight). I get a cheap turn but don’t hit. Another round of low bets assure me of seeing a river. Now I don’t hit but two important important things happen that create an ideal bluff situation for me:
1. Everybody checks towards me in last postion, so nobody is really strong
2. The board pairs on the river, making I can represent that 2 or even a full house because of all the cheap cards
So I go for it and bet the pot (for me that’s all-in) and take the pot with a pair of ducks, AKQ kicker. Another lesson in PLO next time! For now, there’s only the song of the day left:
Jethro Tull – Reasons for Waiting (Stand up, 1969)
Let’s play Pot Limit Omaha!
Published 13 juli 2009 10:12As you’ve maybe already noticed in the header of the blog, I started playing Pot Limit Omaha recently! I’m playing this game for a few weeks now and I have to admit: I’m really in love with it. But it took some time to get used to the game, let alone becoming skilled in it.
I rediscovered my old account on Everest Poker to go play PLO over there after I was informed by some friends that it’s a really pleasant game to play. I started with some micro buy-in sit ‘n go’s to grow accustomed again with the game (I had played it a couple of times before, but not very serious, more like a distraction when I was tired of playing Hold’em, or when I was tilting 
). At first I was convinced there isn’t a lot of skills involved in this game, with a lot of players just calling every raise (which prevents you from protecting your hand) and drawing every time. As a reaction I started doing the same thing, resulting in 60% seen flops and a lot of drawing to a hand that’s not even alive anymore. So I’ve tightened up a bit and am getting better and better in the game, as I can hopefully show you in the following weeks. Meanwhile, you can maybe learn something from this plays and also start playing this beautiful game .
For now, I have a hand for you where I made quads. Contrary to Hold’em, you’ll experience this phenomenon of course a lot more often in Omaha. Let’s see:
As you’ll see later, I like to minraise with hands like these preflop (four high connectors). Those hands are very easy to play on the flop: either you miss the flop or you make a huge hand or draw (if you make two pair, you automatically have a straight draw). With some extra money in the pot, it’s easier to protect your hand (because of the Pot Limit). The flop is huge: I make trip Tens with King Kicker and a King high flush draw. So I decide to get some extra money in the pot by betting small. On the turn I improve to Tens full and add some extra value to the pot. River gives me quads and a typical PLO thing happens: my opponent either believes he has a full house with his hand (not realizing he plays trip Tens from the board) or he doesn’t believe anymore I have a Ten and can make me lay my hand down with a pot bet if I don’t have a big pair. What a great game.
Now I don’t have a lot of time for making all-time lists anymore , so I will recommend you ‘a song of the day’ every time from now on! And this day’s song is…
Beatles – In my Life (Rubber Soul, 1965)