Avoid Coin Tosses

Pot-limit Omaha has been my game of choice for a very long time now. The primary reason for this is that in cash games in the UK back in the '90s, pot-limit Omaha was the action game. You simply had to master this variant if you wanted any chance of beating the game. Of course, these often being dealer's choice games, there was a real mixed salad of poker options, some sensible, some interesting, others approaching insanity. One of the most infamous of these, and it seems to have become a successful export to the U.S., is Padouki, which the Yanks label Badugi. They can't spell anything right. I've even seen the game spread online. The strange thing about it is that Padouki often degenerates into an insane gambling game, and yet, strictly speaking, because strong hands are so hard to come by, you would think it would turn into a rock-fest. Certainly in the games I played in, played full pot-limit, it could be a real roller-coaster ride. Another favourite, thankfully "lost in translation" onto the Net, was Killer. This was five-card stud, lowball, played pot-limit. Now, the more well-known London Lowball, pot-limit seven-card stud low only, was a hell of a gambling game, because at least the extra cards gave some deception and room to play. In fact, once I remember betting several hundred pounds with three of a kind showing. But Killer was, well, deathly. Everything rested on the last card; 2-3-4 showing hits a 4 on the end and 8-10-9-K becomes a monster. I still get shivers thinking about the game.



But what would be good advice for an online player wanting to hit a dealer's choice live game. Should he stick to the "old faithful" options or spice it up with something a little off-the-wall? My preference is to opt for the hot and spicy Vindaloo option. Too many people, thanks to the ubiquitous Poker on TV, have at least a half-baked clue of how to play games like no-limit hold'em, and thanks to the World Series of Poker coverage, even pot-limit Omaha and other rarefied options. A good player will have an edge, a sizeable one, but not as great as if you can squeeze in a game that will be a real bolt out of the blue, with no handy-dandy televised reference points. Without a doubt, the games that best accentuate the skill gap are high-low split games, no qualifier(for example, any low can win), played with a declare – especially when these games are played pot-limit. A declare means that all players remaining after the final bets at the showdown have to indicate whether they are going for just the low, just the high, or for the whole pot. They do this by simultaneously revealing either none, one, or two chips in their hand, for low, high, or both, respectively. The two halves of the pot are then awarded based on the usual hand rankings. This can be a very sweet thing in a multiway pot when you are the only person declaring in your direction. However, in most games, a player who shoots for both high and low must win both or forfeit both claims to the pot, even if he wins one and draws the other.



So, why is this game such a favourableone for the poker tyro? Firstly, there is an "illusion of action," as these games may become quite lively. It's always a good option to choose a game that gets people involved, generates big pots, and gets the gambling juices flowing. But a skilled player, if he can get heads up and decide which way his foe is going, can simply declare the opposite and almost never lose a pot. This is because if it's heads up at showdown, and you and your foe declare in different directions, you simply split the pot, regardless of holdings, normally without even showing the hands. So, if you decide that someone has backed into a high hand, you could declare low with something like two pair and avoid being scooped.



I'm now going to share with you some advanced plays, which to my knowledge have not been seen before in print. We will be using pot-limit high-low draw with a declare as an example. Let's say a tight player opens; you occasionally should raise him with a very good two-card low draw. If, as is statistically likely, he just calls and either stands pat or takes one, he is very much more likely to have a low hand or a draw to one.



Then, after taking two cards, you can ram the pot again, looking to all and sundry like you have trips. If he manages to summon up a call against this action and you miss your low, you can just declare high to get your money back. But if you manage to make the major drawout to a great low, you not only will win a monster pot, but will get unlimited action for your seemingly berserko play for quite some time.



Conversely, to further flummox your foe, play trips aggressively but then stand pat. In this way, he may try to declare high to get out of jail, putting you on a made low hand, only to find himself with his neck back in your jaws of doom.



Now isn't that more fun than coin tosses with A-K versus a pocket pair?