Clonie Gowen
April 11, 2005
Most Pot Limit Omaha players know that Omaha is a game
of "the nuts." In a multi-way pot, the winning hand is,
more often than not, the best possible hand out there.
When you start with four cards, you have six different
possible two-card hands. This increases the chances that
someone is holding the nuts. What many beginning Pot
Limit Omaha players do not understand is that Omaha is
really a game of redraws.
A redraw means that after the flop, you not only have
some kind of made hand, you also have draws to a better
hand. Having redraws in Pot Limit Omaha is so important
that it is sometimes mathematically correct to fold the
nuts on the flop. For example: suppose you raise in the
late position with Ac Kh Tc 9h -- a very good starting
Omaha hand. Two players call and you see the flop
three-handed. The flop comes 6d 7s 8s. You've flopped
the nut straight, which is the best hand possible at the
moment. The problem is that you have absolutely no
chance to improve your hand. This is as good as it gets.
This may be okay if both of your opponents check to you.
But, if one opponent makes a pot-sized bet and the next
one makes a pot-sized raise, then what do you do? How
can you fold the nuts?
If one of your opponents has flopped a set, and the
other player -- or possibly even the same player -- has
a flush draw, you are almost a 2-1 dog to win the pot.
If one of those opponents has the same straight as you
with a flush draw as well, or a wrap to a higher
straight (such as 9,T,J), your hand is even worse
because you can only win half the pot even if you don't
lose to a flush or full house. You have to ask yourself
what your opponents would possibly be betting and
raising with on this flop. If there is a chance that all
of the redraws are out against you, then you should
always fold. If both of your opponents check and either
one is tricky enough to be capable of a check raise,
then you should still check this flop. If a blank comes
on the turn - the 3c for instance -- your hand will be
much stronger. Keep in mind, though, that if all of
those draws are still out against you, even now you're
not much better than 50% to win this pot.
Having multiple redraws to the nuts is much better in
Omaha than having the best hand at the moment. Lay this
hand down and save your chips for use in a better spot.
Clonie Gowen
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