BEWARE THE PAIR! So what do you do when there’s a pair smiling up at you from the board? Well, if you’re playing Omaha forget about attempting to make a flush or a straight. That’s an absolute rule. Why? Because the chances are someone has made a Full House or is likely to with the next card you were hoping might complete your straight. The situation is different if there’s a pair showing among the community cards in a game of Texas Hold’em. Under these circumstances drawing to a flush or a straight is probably a good percentage idea. The chances are very slim anyone has made the Full House in a game of Hold’em where you only have two hole cards to choose from as against the four you have available in a hand of Omaha. Trips are the more likely result from one of your opponents and your potential flush or straight will take that down if you are able to complete it.
PAIRS “TRIPPED” UP! The amazing thing about Omaha when you have a pair on the board is the danger that two Full Houses may actually collide! I was in a game in Las Vegas recently where the flop was showing Nine-Seven-Seven. One guy had a pair of Nines, the other a pair of Kings. The turn produced nothing, but the river shot out a third King and Mr Second Place romped home first to steal a pot brimming with loot induced by a previously very confident Mr Demolished.
HOUSING MARKET COLLAPSES For those of you who are new to poker and don’t know all the terms the lower Full House is known as the “Underfull” and the dominant Full House is known as the “Overfull”. This situation also tends to result in a language condition you’ll all be familiar with and that would be described as “Colourful”, assuming you’re the loser.
DO WOMEN HAVE AN ADVANTAGE? This is a thorny question among poker players much debated in forums everywhere. My take on it is quite simple. In live games they do have an advantage. In online games it makes no difference at all and the playing field is level. So why do women have an advantage in live games? You have to watch the dynamics over a long period of time to see that there are several ways different types of men will react to a woman sitting opposite them at a live game. A lot of guys just can’t help failing to play at their best when they’re heads up with a woman. You can see the agendas in play in their eyes. Their focus gets split and they’re not sure what reward they’re looking for, lust or loot. The Macho types, who are convinced women have no place at a poker table, of course will over-react in trying to sweep “the little lady” aside, leaving the advantage with the woman if she’s savvy. I’ve seen smart female players just wait for a big hand. Mr Macho comes right at them, raising and re-raising, only to find it doesn’t take much strength to turn over Aces.
