Playing in loose passive home games

[southgapoker]

I have never played much Omaha until the last year or so when my home games started moving toward Omaha split because they feel they can see more flops and because they think the split pots spread the money around more.

One particular game is $3/$6 and it's friendly older guys who NEVER raise preflop. We are usually 8 handed. Sometimes 9. Sometimes 6-7, but there's 9 core players and usually at least 8 are there. Unless someone has 3 of a kind they are going to call the initial $3. One other guy folds preflop 25%-30% of the time max and I have experimented with different ways of playing this game. But everyone else calls EVERY hand preflop but never raises.

What is the optimal way to play this game? I realize raising preflop with strong hands is a potential answer but let's ignore that option. What type of hands should I be calling with KNOWING we are going 7 or 8 handed to the flop and KNOWING there won't be a raise behind me.

After the flop, it's all mathematical because someone will obviously call you down and you know you need the nuts or near nuts to win. I also want to point out that after the flop these guys are betting and raising machines. There's usually 2 bets and a lot of times 4 bets on the flop, turn, and river. It's only preflop where they never raise. They view the initial $3 as more of an "ante" than anything else.

I know I can loosen up preflop and play more hands than I normally would especially since I will always outplay these guys after the flop, but how much can I and what kind of starting hands should I be playing?

[jlocdog]

Stay away from 6's-J's. With 8 people constantly taking a flop, many of your opponents are going to hold these type hands that can not hold the nuts (unless ofcourse the boat or quad up). Obviously you don't need to be headed by an ace every time (but it helps) but any four low cards headed by a duece might work. When people are not picky preflop it tends to make it just as likely that an A,2,or 3 (or combination of the two) will flop. More so then when good players take a flop as they tend to have them all in their hands.

Loose passive games are very fun in O8. You don't mind the "schooling" effect as that is how you get paid. It differs from holdem where the "Schooling" effect often shuts you out of your pot. Raise it up and cap the nut high hands and just call along with nut lows. Just because everyone is in their with any four doesn't mean you play the same. Their is nothing wrong with keeping your requirements a bit tighter. As I said you can loosen up a bit on the high and low only hands but stay away from the middle cards.

[Ironman]

Georgia,

I have played and organized a "dealers choice" game for Thursday nights for the last 4 or 5 years. Frequently, Omaha h/low is picked.

I have learned to play 100% of my hands in this home game. My game is very similar to your game. Family pots with little to no pre-flop raising. I do frequently fold before the turn, but I have a better feel for the game and know when I can keep going to the turn and river.

Good luck,

Ironman Dave

[TxRedMan]

All suited aces.

All high connectors.

Any A2, Any A3, any hand with 3 wheel cards.

[grjr]

[ QUOTE ]
All suited aces.

All high connectors.

Any A2, Any A3, any hand with 3 wheel cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much any 23xx if xx can make a nut hand or if one x is a 6 or less. I personally like the 23xx hands where xx is a pair; preferably 77, 88, QQ, or KK.

[TheStation]

Use the strategy of playing opposite the table... Just sit and play tight

Hands Like:
Suited Aces
Pairs: AA-QQ (where u can have top set and str8 might not be out there and you are in position)
A2xx, A3xx, A45x, 3 cards in 2,3,4,5 group
4 cards in K,Q,J,T group (moreso in position)

I think many live omaha games play like this and it can be hard to sit there and play tight while everyone else is splashing around in every pot

My favorite experience was in a $6-12 game with 10-20 kill when a guy's wife had walked into the poker room and he was down on the night, he said "and that kid is only playing 2-3 hands a round and look at his chips" (I was up $700ish) People will notice your playing tight but still payoff, thats whats beautiful