Tips and strategies

Everything you ever needed to know about re-draws in Omaha. Includes strategies and tips for tackling opponents, sitting on a re-draw and playing nut hands.

The most common problem for experienced Texas Hold’em players is that they try to treat Omaha as four card variation of the original game. The following tips should help remind you that the two games require some different types of thinking!
Tip 1: Omaha is filled with draws
• Remember that Omaha involves multiple draws
• It is predominately played as pot limit
• Remember that you draw to the nuts
• Be wary of seeking the king high flush as this could well be disastrous if you reach it
• Remember to think about your opponents’ hands before deciding whether or not to flop a good hand
Tip 2: Be wary of Nut hands
• Players may often have identical nut hands but one player may have the chance for an extra draw
• If two players go all in on this flop, one player may risk losing all whilst another risks nothing
• Example:
o The flop is Kh – Qs –Ts
o The player holding A-J-x-x is therefore holding the Broadway straight
o A player with 2 spades has the chance to redraw to a flush
o A player with A-J-Q-Q or even A-K-J-T can redraw to a full house.
o This means that the second player has an opportunity to win the full pot whilst the first player risks all

Tip 3: Dealing with no re-draws

• If there are no re-draws and lots of action you have a number of options
• The chips will ultimately arrive at the middle of the table in the event that the stacks are small
• If the stacks are bigger, you need to try to manipulate the size of the pot – particularly on the actual flop
• If you have no opportunity for a re-draw, you might even wish to consider a fold rather than going all in if the stacks are particularly high.
• Example:
o You have a late position and you flop the Broadway straight
o The player before you bets
o If you choose to raise, the other player might re-raise
o You might have to fold or risk everything
o Therefore it might be better to call only and see how the hand progresses
o This means that you are controlling the pot size
o If you don’t have re –draws, it might be more advantageous to go all-in on the turn because there is a small chance of getting outdrawn.

Tip 4: Getting the most out of sitting on a re-draw

• If you are sitting on a re-draw, you will be aiming to win as much as possible from players who have also flopped
• Slow playing the hand means that you are in danger of your opponent folding should your redraw hit
• You will also be against other hands that are not yet complete
• The key thing is to strike a balance between remembering that this is a game of draws and playing nuts assertively.