Poker Strategy

I don't usually post strategy around here. Mostly because I'm not a very good player, I just know how to take advantage of the REALLY bad players, and I know how to find them. Once you've learned that, you will make money at poker.

But once in a while I happen across plays that seem to work every damn time. Usually I'm amazed how consistently they get paid off, but sure enough, they do.

Here's an Omaha/O8 play that seems to work around 99-100% of the time.

You're rolling along playing your good starting hands, betting the nuts hard and taking it easy with most other hands, folding to serious action with anything less than a monster draw. Your opponents may notice that if you're betting hard, you've got a hand, or a big draw. Usually they won't notice shit, this is online poker after all.

You limp or call a small raise with some nice connector cards, and BAM you flop the nut straight in early position. Happens all the time. You want to bet it, because if the board pairs or a flush comes, you're more than likely dead. You won't really get folds that easily from four to a high flush or a set, but you still need to make them pay. Two pair will come along too, just to add to the fun.

So you bet somewhere between half the pot and the whole thing. You get at least one caller, probaby 20.

The turn brings a brick, you still have the nut straight. You make the same kind of bet, and at least one of your 20 callers stays with you.

The river is yet another brick and you've got the hand locked up. You can be relatively sure that you're not going to split the pot unless a low came, because one of your opponents would likely have raised you somewhere along the line.

What's your play?

CHECK. NEVER VALUE BET THIS HAND. If you check here, your opponent will bet. 99% of the time they are going to pot it, hoping to take down the whole thing on your "missed draw." Even decent opponents will bet with nothing here, but if your opponent at least has top pair he is going to make a play.

I'm amazed it works. But it always does. It seems obvious that the right play is to check behind with something mediocre, but that hasn't been my experience. Strong/Strong/Weak is just too big of a temptation, I guess because Omaha is such a game of draws, it's easy for your opponents to imagine that you missed.

Give it a shot.