PokerWorks

This is an Omaha lesson, but it could be a lesson in Hold 'Em, Stud or, heck, Crazy Pineapple.

It's a great way to lose a lot of money.

So I'm playing low stakes on Pokerstars, .10/.25. I've had a good session so far, and I've got $35.70 in chips.

I'm dealt - - - .

OK, a quick Omaha tip. Aces in Omaha ARE NOT AWESOME. Got that? OK. Good.

Yes, it's still a good hand, and it's a great hand if you can get heads up with another player. The problem is, in Omaha, in a low-limit, pot-limit game, that's nearly impossible. And so what do you have when you have Aces against three other players? You have a hope that you flop a set and that it turns into a full house. That's about it.

OK, whew, I'm done preaching. I feel better.

I raise here because my hand IS pretty good. It is Aces, and I've got spades working for me, and that J isn't bad, either, because it could help me with a straight. So it's not just A-A-crap-crap. That's what makes my hand worth a raise, not just the Aces.

I've also got Aces in third position in a six-handed game. That means the chances are better that my raise might put me heads-up against someone else. If you can get heads up in Omaha, Aces play a lot better, just like Hold 'Em. Raising in first position with Aces is a disaster because remember, this is pot-limit, so you can't really raise enough to drive players out, and so all you're doing is putting more money into a pot that you're probably going to lose. I prefer to call in first position and then re-pop someone if they raise.

But I raise, and I get three callers behind me. *Sigh* Wonderful.

The flop comes - - . The blinds check, and I decide to check. I could probably bet here, but I check because again, I've got three other players with me, and the chances are great that someone has something better than just a pair of Aces. Plus there are two draws out there, so there's no way I'll drive everyone out. Someone always has a draw in Omaha. Hey, that rhymes. It could make a good T-shirt.

The falls on the turn.

Well, hey, things just got a lot more interesting. Sure enough, my opponent bets $2.50, pretty much the pot. I decide to just call. Why? Well, that Ace also completed a straight draw. I have a feeling he just hit, and so here's what I'll do. I'll see if I can get a full house. If the board does pair, I have a feeling he'll pay me off. If the board doesn't pair up, I might have to fold.

The river is a . Bingo! Gin! Woo-hoo! I'm a genius!

My opponent checks. Interesting. Rats. He seems to know that he's beat, or at the very least, he's controlling the pot size. That's not  a bad play in pot-limit Omaha.

So I bet the pot, $7. I still think he's going to pay me off, and I want to make sure I don't let him off easily.

He calls almost right away and shows his straight. He had a 5-2 in his hand and, just like I thought, did hit with the same Ace that led the way to my full house.

"Donk," he calls me in the chat box.

I laugh. He just made probably the biggest no-no in poker. He called out of anger.

This is one of the most important, and most difficult, lessons to learn in poker, and that's why it wouldn't matter what kind of game I was playing. You can't let your emotions guide your plays in poker.

Never, ever call solely because you're angry.

This was an easy fold in Omaha. I checked the flop, called the turn and bet the pot on the river when the board paired. What hand could he beat there with his straight?

The answer is he knew he couldn't win, and yet he called anyway because he was pissed. The comment after the showdown proves that. He was angry that I outdrew him, and so he called, I think, just to see how much of a "donk" I really was.

That's especially dangerous in Omaha, when great hands on the flop and even the turn commonly get outdrawn on the river. If you're going to play Omaha keep that in mind. Mentally prepare yourself for it.

My opponent did do one thing right in this hand. And that's the last lesson I can teach you. He recognized he was on tilt and signed off after the hand was over. His emotions cost him some money that night. There was no reason for it to cost him his bankroll.

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