Alternative Poker
I`m an avid participant in quite a few poker forums and without exception the game of choice and discussion for the huge majority of players is NLHE. Doyle Brunson described it as "the cadillac of poker" and in fairness to him, in the context he meant, it probably is. It is without doubt the most popular poker game in the world right now and the reasons for this are simple. It`s very easy to learn and it receives a lot of publicity through the medium of television. People watch their favourite players and aspire to play like them.
Like most other players it was the game that drew me into online poker and I still enjoy a good game but it`s no longer my game of choice. You`re far more likely to find me playing one of the many variations of poker instead. The same goes for many professionals that play online. Track them down and it`s much more likely they`ll be playing pot limit omaha or omaha hi/lo.
There are plenty of reasons for this. One is that PL omaha is an action game that generates large pots but a bigger reason is that the professionals aren`t just playing for entertainment. They`re playing to win money and if you want to win money at poker you really want to have an edge on your opponents. There is now so much information out there on NLHE that it`s very difficult to find that edge in either tournament or ring games these days. Add that information to the thousands of hands it`s possible to play in a very short time online and you are looking at educated and experienced players. These facts are the reason we are regularly seeing internet players taking down so many live tournaments.
Let`s take the biggest tournament in the world, the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event. For many years now it has been won by completely or at least relatively unknown players. Every professional out there would like to win it but they know the chances of doing so against such a huge field are very slim. These days many of them seem to regard the $50,000 HORSE event as the real world championship. It`s a game that`s only played by those with the biggest bankrolls and who have skill at all the five variations of poker that are played in HORSE.
The same is true in cash games. The Big Game at the Bellagio is a mixed game. Presuming you have enough money to sit down and play at those nosebleed stakes you`d better have a great all-round game if you want to see a profit on your investment.
What I`m saying is that if you want to consistently make money at poker it`s worth spending some time trying out one of the omaha or seven card stud or draw poker varients. Aside from the fact it might prove a +EV decision you might also discover you prefer one of these games to NLHE. And just think, if HORSE or omaha etc becomes the next big poker craze you`ll be way ahead of the opposition and rubbing your hands in anticipation of the fish about to swim your way.
Like most other players it was the game that drew me into online poker and I still enjoy a good game but it`s no longer my game of choice. You`re far more likely to find me playing one of the many variations of poker instead. The same goes for many professionals that play online. Track them down and it`s much more likely they`ll be playing pot limit omaha or omaha hi/lo.
There are plenty of reasons for this. One is that PL omaha is an action game that generates large pots but a bigger reason is that the professionals aren`t just playing for entertainment. They`re playing to win money and if you want to win money at poker you really want to have an edge on your opponents. There is now so much information out there on NLHE that it`s very difficult to find that edge in either tournament or ring games these days. Add that information to the thousands of hands it`s possible to play in a very short time online and you are looking at educated and experienced players. These facts are the reason we are regularly seeing internet players taking down so many live tournaments.
Let`s take the biggest tournament in the world, the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event. For many years now it has been won by completely or at least relatively unknown players. Every professional out there would like to win it but they know the chances of doing so against such a huge field are very slim. These days many of them seem to regard the $50,000 HORSE event as the real world championship. It`s a game that`s only played by those with the biggest bankrolls and who have skill at all the five variations of poker that are played in HORSE.
The same is true in cash games. The Big Game at the Bellagio is a mixed game. Presuming you have enough money to sit down and play at those nosebleed stakes you`d better have a great all-round game if you want to see a profit on your investment.
What I`m saying is that if you want to consistently make money at poker it`s worth spending some time trying out one of the omaha or seven card stud or draw poker varients. Aside from the fact it might prove a +EV decision you might also discover you prefer one of these games to NLHE. And just think, if HORSE or omaha etc becomes the next big poker craze you`ll be way ahead of the opposition and rubbing your hands in anticipation of the fish about to swim your way.
posted by DangerMouse at 7:29 PM
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