24 Vices in Pot-Limit Omaha

In my last column, I discussed 24 vices in limit hold'em, and how much your overall results will be harmed if you are lacking in any one of the 24 areas discussed. As I see it, some of the main vices in limit hold'em are a lack of discipline and patience, being vulnerable to tilt/steaming, and having bad starting-hand selection skills.

In this column, I will discuss the same vices for pot-limit Omaha (PLO) live games. That is, I will not be discussing play on the Internet (where there's often a cap on the buy-in, and you cannot see your opponents, meaning you have less information to rely on when making your decisions), and I won't talk about tournament play, either. Because PLO tournaments have a totally different flow than live games, there's often much tighter play, since losing only one pot may mean busting out of the tournament. Also, in tournaments the average stack size in relation to the blinds is often much smaller than in live games, where some of the best players like to play large stacks. Once again, I will rate every one of these vices on a scale from 0 (makes no difference at all to your results if you are lacking) to 100 (lacking will harm your results severely). I will also provide the ratings I gave for limit hold'em (LHE) in my last column, so that you can see the differences in importance for both games.

1. Not adjusting enough to changed or changing circumstances; points – LHE: 75/PLO: 75

Has the game become a bit tighter than a few moments ago? Is the player on your left on tilt, and if he is, what adjustments to your play should you make? Is the atmosphere at the table likely to change now that an obnoxious player has entered the game, and if so, what does this mean for your preflop and post-flop strategy? The ability to adjust your game is important, and is something top players seem to be able to do automatically, almost without needing to think about it.

2. Not being aggressive enough/not maximizing wins; Points – LHE: 72.5/PLO: 77.5

Pot-limit Omaha puts a premium on aggressive play, not only for made hands, but just as importantly for playing the big draws, as well. Playing only good starting hands, but then playing them in a weak/tight manner will not even make you a break-even player in this game: You will get creamed. 3. Playing with/buying in for an insufficient amount of checks; Points – LHE: 42.5/PLO: 77.5 In PLO, the size of your stack is an important consideration. In some cases, buying in for the minimum might be a good strategy, but especially when there are a few weaker players in your game who are playing big money, you should have a big stack in front of you so that you can break them on one single hand.

4. Not being disciplined enough (in the broadest sense of the word); Points – LHE: 90/PLO: 85

See my comments on patience (vice No. 12).

5. Not being capable of folding when a hand turns sour; Points – LHE: 77.5/PLO: 82.5

If you are not capable of folding your nut straight when the dreaded flush card shows up, or if you call a pot-sized bet on the turn with the nut-flush draw only, you have no business playing pot-limit.

6. Not being capable of creating a healthy gambling atmosphere; Points – LHE: 70/PLO: 77.5

In big-bet poker, it is nice if you have a little hustle in you, so that you can help in creating a pleasant, and also profitable, situation. PLO attracts quite a few gambling-type players. Now, if they like to play with you because they see you as "one of the guys," you will do a lot better than the serious professional who says nothing and gets no action from them, and who might in fact be a main reason for these gamblers to pass on the game.

7. Not having enough heart/courage/determination; Points – LHE: 80/PLO: 80

Pot-limit Omaha is no game for the meek, or the weak of heart. Even though it's hard to decide how much your overall results will be harmed if you don't have enough heart, courage and determination, I have no doubt they are very important. With the big swings that are part of PLO, you will need all of these traits to keep your faith and your motivation, and to stay on top of your game.

8. Knowing the right play but not always making the right play; Points – LHE: 75/PLO: 77.5

Because one mistake can easily cost you your entire stack in PLO, this is an important, although somewhat intangible, factor. Players who have been around for some time have undoubtedly encountered players who usually know what to do, yet don't always do it. In pot-limit (also because of the added pressure), you will see this even more frequently.

9. Not loving and/or enjoying the game enough; Points – LHE: 72.5/PLO: 65

If you don't love or enjoy this type of highly fluctuating, action-packed games, in which, if lucky, you can book a mammoth win, which type of games do you enjoy? While playing limit hold'em on a daily basis can easily become a bore once you've become at least fairly good, this will not be the case with PLO live games; however, be prepared for a rather bumpy ride.

10. Having poor money management skills; Points – LHE: 62.5/PLO: 70

Because of the huge swings in PLO, you will need a lot of money to play comfortably, and to avoid going broke. A $50,000 bankroll may seem solid, but when playing regularly in $500 or $1,000 buy-in games, you are quite likely to go broke no matter how well you play. Then, if you can't get staked, your recklessness (being negligent in this area) might have crippled an entire poker career – despite the many abilities and qualities you may well have.

11. Not knowing the exact odds/percentages; Points – LHE: 67.5/PLO: 87.5

It takes quite a bit of study and practice to know the exact odds and percentages for every situation. Knowing exactly how many outs you may have and comparing this with the (implied) odds you are getting and also the bluffing rights (Will I be able to bluff my opponent out if a certain card shows up, and if so, what amount of money will I have to risk?) is far from easy. Lacking in this area alone will prevent you from winning even marginally in the long run.

12. Not having enough patience in waiting for the right hand/situation; Points – LHE: 87.5/PLO: 82.5

This is important, of course, but in PLO the dynamics are not the same as in limit hold'em. Because one big pot can make up for quite a few minor mistakes, the penalty for being a little impatient isn't necessarily that severe, as it is in limit hold'em (where you can never be a long-term winner without enough patience).

13. Playing your own cards only, and lacking in playing the players; Points – LHE: 70/PLO: 87.5

A hand that may be worth your entire stack against one player may not even be worth a call against another. Also, knowing if someone is capable of making a big bluff on the end, knowing if he can be bluffed, knowing how he usually plays certain types of hands, and knowing which tells he may or may not have – and then basing your decisions on this information – is invaluable in big-bet play.

14. Lacking in preparation; Points – LHE: 67.5/PLO: 62.5

Even though this is not as important as it is in limit hold'em (especially since most places have only one PLO game anyway, and if you are a reasonably good player, this game will almost always be the most profitable in the house), I still like to come prepared and in the right frame of mind before entering any game.

15. Not performing well under pressure; Points – LHE: 70/PLO: 82.5

If you snap under pressure and are vulnerable to making the wrong decisions, especially when the pots grow big, PLO might not be the game for you, and you should stick to limit poker.

16. Not being good enough at reading hands; Points – LHE: 80/PLO: 85

If you are able to deduce the hand your opponent is holding, you will know whether you still belong in the hand, and if so, which strategy is best (push or pull). Especially with drawing hands is it important to know which type of hands your opponents might be playing, and if you figure to win the entire pot if you make your hand. (Are all the outs you are counting for real, or is your draw contaminated?) Because you are playing pot-limit, one bad read per session may cost you your entire stack, so it pays to be proficient in this area.

17. Lacking in seat selection; Points – LHE: 77.5/PLO: 82.5

This is extremely important. Being in one seat compared to another may make a highly profitable situation unprofitable – and vice versa. When playing a big stack, it is very important to avoid the seat to the immediate right of a good or very aggressive player with a big stack, also. Because you may lose your entire stack on one single hand, you cannot afford to be out of position in this type of situation.

18. Lacking in the selection of starting hands; Points – LHE: 85/PLO: 82.5

This is very important, and it's still one of the biggest edges I have over my opponents, who are often less strict in their starting requirements. (It also involves playing the right type of hand for a specific situation – for example, playing a less than premium hand, like four low or medium cards, and you know your opponent is playing a high-pair/big-card type of hand. Now, if he is the type of player who can either be bluffed out after the flop or induced to pay you off even if it's clear you have him beat, calling before the flop with this type of hand might be a profitable play.)

19. Lacking in table-/game-selection; Points – LHE: 80/PLO: 82.5

Even though pot-limit Omaha games are almost always good, if you're a less-than-expert player, you will have to be selective, and avoid very tight games or games with quite a few people who play significantly better than you.

20. Having a bad table image; Points – LHE: 47.5/PLO: 65

In big-bet poker, your image is an important factor, and you should be able to profit from the way other people view you. For instance, if you have a tight image, you might be able to get away with bluffs more often than most other players, especially on the river. However, pot-limit Omaha being a value-driven game, the specific image you may or may not have is a bit less important than in pot-limit hold'em, for example.

21. Lacking in talent/natural ability; Points – LHE: 55/PLO: 62.5

Even though raw talent and having a natural ability for cards are more important here than in limit hold'em, they are of less importance than in no-limit hold'em or five-card stud, for example. Because a relatively large percentage of pots end up in a showdown in PLO (compared to other big-bet games), there is often a "right" way to play a hand based upon its strength. (If you hold a wraparound-straight draw and nut-flush draw on the flop, it doesn't always matter who you are and how much ability you may or may not have, as all experienced players will do the same thing here: They will take their hand to the river no matter what, and probably will try to get their entire stack into the middle by doing most of the betting and raising themselves). In my opinion, by reading the right stuff and learning the right way, almost anyone can become a decent Omaha player, regardless of talent or natural ability.

22. Vulnerable to tilt and steaming; Points – LHE: 87.5/PLO: 85

This is extremely dangerous in big-bet play. However, because of the nature of pot-limit Omaha (with such big, and often multiway, action, where you are almost never that far behind – even when you are up against an extremely strong hand), habitual steamers are often able to steam their way out of a big loss simply by pumping up the pots and then getting lucky once or twice. Pot-limit Omaha "protects" steamers (because in this game they can recoup a few early losses easily even without playing well), but it also punishes them (because on the occasions when they don't get lucky, they are likely to experience a very big loss).

23. Not being tricky and/or creative enough; Points – LHE: 55/PLO: 60

You don't want to become too predictable in big-bet play, as predictable players are often the natural prey for expert players. On the other hand, PLO – as I said – is a value-driven game, in which quite often there is an obvious best way to play a hand. Oftentimes this is an aggressive approach, even without holding a big made hand – for example, when you have flopped a big draw and decide to do the betting yourself. If this type of action is considered tricky or creative (in my opinion, it is nothing more than fairly standard, a common and integral part of every decent player's arsenal), the rating should be higher than 60, at about the same level as the second vice, "not aggressive enough."

24. Being plain unlucky; Points – LHE: 35/PLO: 42.5

Of course, there is no such thing as long-term luck. But in pot-limit Omaha, with the possibility of massive pots every once in a while, winning only one or two more of them than you are actually entitled to may make a huge difference in your weekly, monthly, and even yearly results. Also, by having been nothing more than just lucky on these occasions, you may start to become more confident about your abilities, and other players may respect and fear you more, making it possible that your future results will indeed be better than they would have been had you lost those pots.

Some of the most important differences between limit hold'em and pot-limit Omaha, in regard to the vices discussed in the past two columns, are these: Patience and discipline alone, combined with good hand selection, may be good enough to be a slight winner in limit hold'em, but not in PLO. Because of the big-bet factor, things like maximizing your edge, folding when you're beat, creating a good gambling atmosphere, your image, playing the players, and knowing the exact odds and percentages become imperative in order to be a winning player. Because any wrong decision may cost you your entire stack, you have to stay on top of your game at all times. On the other hand, a few mistakes early in a session can be made up for later by creating and winning just a single big pot. In fact, winning only one or two big pots a session may be good enough to produce a huge win for yourself in this game.