This is the first in a series of articles on Pot Limit Omaha for players with little or no exposure to the game.
Pot Limit Omaha is an exciting action game. However, if you are new to Omaha and pot limit games, you should have a basic understanding of how to bet and how to read the board before venturing out to the casinos to play.
Betting
In Pot-Limit, a player can bet or raise an amount that is equal to or greater than any previous bet or raise in the same round, up to the size of the pot. The size of the pot includes the amount a player must put in to call the bet.
In a 10/20 game, if Player A is the first to act pre-flop, the minimum bet Player A could make would be $20. A "pot" sized bet would be $70 (Player A's $20 to call the big blind, plus the $10 small blind and $20 big blind which then puts $50 in the pot and he can raise the $50 to make it $70. So his raise is $50 the amount of the pot).
If Player A bet the size of the pot, Player B's options are to call, raise or fold. If Player B wanted to raise, he must raise an amount that is equal to or greater than Player A's bet, up to the size of the pot. If Player B wanted to raise the pot, Player B's raise would be $240 for a total of $310 ($70 to call Player A's bet, what was in the pot $100, which then puts $240 in the pot and Player B can raise $240 to make it a total of $310 to go for Player B).
There is a simple formula for calculating the size of the pot. Multiply the last bet (L) by 3, add to that any action in the round prior to the previous bet (T) and then add to that starting pot (S) and you will get the maximum raise (M). (3L + T) + S = M. So using the example above, Player A was the last to bet, so "L" equals $70 x 3 = $210. Add that amount to the action in the round prior to Player A's bet. Since no-one else acted before Player A, "T" = 0. Add the $210 to the starting pot (S) $100, and you get $310. (3($70)+$0)+$100 = $310.
Still confused? Figuring out the size of the pot is confusing for many players. The best and easiest option when you want to raise the pot is announce "raise pot", put in your call and ask the dealer to figure out how much is in the pot.
Reading the Board
Mistakes in reading the board can be very costly. Remember, in Omaha you MUST use two, and only two, of your hole cards to make a five card hand. If you are just learning Omaha, you should practice reading boards by taking a deck of cards, dealing yourself four cards and deal out a five card board. Look at all the possible combinations of hands you can make with the flop, and remember to use only TWO cards. Also think about what hands could beat you.
Here are some sample hands:
Player A's Hand
K(h) K(s) J(c) T(d)
Board
A(h) Q(h) 4(h) 3(h) 2(c)
Player A does not have a flush because he does not have two hearts in his hand. Player A does not have a straight either, because in order to make a straight he would need to use three cards from his hand, and he can only use two cards. Player A's best hand is K(h) K(s) A(h) Q(h) 4(h), which gives him a pair of kings.
Player A's Hand
A(d) Q(d) J(s) 10(s)
Player B's Hand
K(c) Q(c) 9(s) 9(h)
Board
K(h) K(d) 8(d) 7(d) 7(c)
Player A wins. Player A has a flush: A(d) Q(d) K(d) 8(d) 7(d).
Player B has three kings: K(c) K(h) K(d) Q(c) 8(d).
Understanding bet sizing and reading the board are important to the game of Pot Limit Omaha. Part 2 of this series of articles on Pot Limit Omaha will discuss starting hand selection.
