Slowplaying a big hand can be an effective tool when you’re playing No-Limit Holdem. But it’s almost completely worthless in Pot-Limit Omaha.
Why? Well, just look at the name of the game. “No Limit” means you can bet all of your chips at any time. As obvious as that sounds, that’s a key to slowplaying.
It does matter how much you’re betting on the flop and the turn, but ultimately, if you want to get your chips in the middle, you can by the river.
But “Pot Limit” means you can only bet the size of the pot, and that’s why Tip #4 shows how complicated Omaha is to grasp. Not only do you have to learn how to master four cards instead of two, but you have to get comfortable with a whole new way to bet your hand.
Even so, don’t let this new system scare you. It’s actually pretty easy if you follow Tip #4, and that tip is to build a pot.
That essentially means if you have a hand, you should bet it, and usually you should bet the pot.
The reason is what you can put in on the turn and the river depends on what you bet on the flop. You can, after all, only bet the pot, and you’re just leaving value on the table if you aren’t betting enough on the flop.
Plus protecting your hand is extremely important in Omaha because you can virtually guarantee that if there’s a draw on the board, someone’s got the cards for it.
So you need to bet the pot to give those players the incorrect odds to call with their draws. And you also need to bet the pot so you can continue to give them incorrect odds to call with their draws on the turn.
Finally, building a pot gives you more flexibility on the river. The flop and the turn are for betting the pot, but on the river, you should bet whatever you think your opponent will call.
If you are betting the pot on the flop and the turn, then even a half-pot bet on the river is a significant one, and yet it’s a nice value bet. If you have a huge hand, your opponent might even think a smaller bet on the river is weak and will come over the top on you. Delicious!
Pay attention to the name of this game – Pot-Limit Omaha – and follow its lead. It’s the only way you can expect to get value from the hands that deserve it.
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