Omaha: Be aware of backdoor hands

The most "annoying" aspect of Omaha is when an opponent is going for one hand and accidentally backdoors another hand. This is a problem in Omaha that you simply have to live with.

For example, you have K-K-10-8 and the board finishes Kc-9c-5d-2s-4h. Now on that flop, someone may have a flush draw and a 10, J or Q could have completed an opponent’s straight. But it looks like all legitimate draws were thwarted on the turn and river. Just as you breathe a sigh of relief, an opponent suddenly comes out betting. You call and he rolls over Ac-Jc-Js-3h. He flopped an ace high flush draw, but ended up with a straight A-2-3-4-5.

This happens often and is an inevitable part of the game. What you really need to concentrate on is how to recognize the nuts and avoid betting into or raising the player holding the nuts. Most of this has to do with making quick sharp reads of the board. If you need to practice, sit down on a table every now and again, repeatedly deal out the flop, the turn, then the river and work out what the nuts and second nuts is at each point in the hand. It’s amazing how many players look at a board such as A-J-5-8-4 and overlook the fact that the nuts it 6-7 and the second nuts is 2-3. More to the point, many players will play hands like Ah-Qd-7d-6h from any position.

Once you have perfected sharp reading of the board, you simply need to take care when the river converts your hand from the best to the third best. With more experience, you will eventually be able to make good reads on your opponents and work out when to fold the second best hand and when to raise with it.