Dropping Marginal Hands
Poker is not just about winning hands. The best poker players are the ones who recognize the right situations to drop a hand. When you get to the turn card, the bet size doubles. This means that you may have made the move on the flop, but with the increase in bet might make it a bad play to call on the turn.
Often you have played for the high hand, only to see a low flop. This means that you have probably lost half the pot. On top of that, you are unlikely to be guaranteed the high hand at this stage. With three low cards on the board and you have a marginal high hand such as 2 pair, often it is the correct play to drop your hand. you may still have the top hand but this could become costly should it fail to hold up to the river, especially costly as the betting is now doubled.
Don't be afraid to drop a leading hand. Often it is best to wait for better opportunities. The biggest killer in Omaha8 is landing 2nd best hands. 2nd best does not pay off. The dud hands have got out of the pot cheaply, your losing hand might not be so lucky. Dropping marginal hands in Omaha High Low games will save you in the long run. It's not so bad on the flop but once the bets double, you need to adjust your strategy slightly. If your hand would have stood up, just shrug it off, more likely it wouldn't have and you would have been ruing your losses.
Sometimes when you are in a tournament situation, it is right to stay in the hand, generally when you are close to being blinded out. You will probably need to improve on your hand but that is the risk you have to take.
If you have lost the low share of the pot, you should only really play solid high hands. Those are hands you fully expect to hold up all the way to the river. 3 of a kind can be a little unstable if there is a flush draw on board. If a betting war occurs, you should seriously consider dropping your hand.
You will be able to judge many of the situations by the way the other players are betting around you. If you are sitting in middle position and you have had a raise or two before you, prepare to drop your marginal hand. Not only is it expensive at this stage but the betting for the round might not have stopped there. Best thing to do is drop your marginal hand and save your chips for when you have a stronger hand. In Omaha8, the worst thing to do is be the meat in the sandwich. You don't want to be stuck in the middle of a betting war. You either find yourself pot committed with your tournament on the line, or folding before you get the benefit of seeing the next card, foregoing your wasted contribution to the pot.
Always be aware of the players around you. If they are known as aggressive players and play behind you, expect a raise from them. Don't think of how much it is to call, but think of how much the completed bet will cost to call.
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