Omaha High/Low:

SAM VITTORIO'S OMAHA SECRET

BY: Russ Fox

"If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him."
- Seneca (5 BC - 69 AD)

I just played in a no-limit hold'em tournament (don't worry, we'll get to Omaha shortly). On the first hand of the tournament, I held QQ in the big blind. Everyone folded to the button, who made it 80 (blinds of 10/20). The small blind called, and I raised to 300 (we started with stacks of 1500). The raiser called and the small blind folded. With 680 in the pot, we saw a flop of 886. I bet 600 and was called. I pondered what my opponent had and concluded he had a big unpaired ace. When the turn came (the 5), I pushed my remaining 600 in. I was quickly called and saw his AK. He had six outs (three aces and three kings) - he would win 14% of the time. But today was the seventh day, and an ace came on the river and I was 'one and done.'

This didn't bother me (I'd prefer to win, of course, but I know that there is a high luck factor in tournaments). Indeed, my pre-planned strategy in this event was to push all my premium hands as most of the players in this tournament would not know correct strategy. That the strategy didn't work doesn't mean that it was wrong.

Last month I wrote about the late Sam Vittorrio (see http://www.thepokerforum.com/omahahilow6.htm to read last month's article). Sam was (allegedly, in his view) a bank robber who got caught and sent to Leavenworth for ten years where he practiced his Omaha. Through a stroke of good luck I have come into possession of his voluminous diaries, which chronicle his prison stay and playing of Omaha.

About midway through his stay in Leavenworth, the following hand came up in his usual 6/12 (they played with cigarettes (C), rather than money, for obvious reasons). Sam was dealt AKJ3 under-the-gun (UTG, the position just to the left of the blinds). Sam called (even if he would have considered raising with this hand, the button was Motor-Mouth Mike, a true maniac, who had just gone through 1000C and had returned to the game with 600C), Honest Abe (2-5 years, bank fraud) called, Wee Willy (3-6, forgery) called, Mike (4-8, extortion) raised, the blinds exited, and Sam, Abe and Willy all called. The flop was truly delightful for Sam: J84. Top pair, nut flush draw, and second-nut low draw. Sam bet, Abe and Willy called, Mike raised (normal with any hand, per Sam), and everyone called. Sam's notes indicate that he though about raising, but decided against doing so because he had nothing at this point and he wanted everyone else to call.

The turn was the best possible card for Sam: the 2. He had the nut low and the nut flush. Also, no matter what came on the River, Sam would get a portion of the pot. Sam bet. To his surprise Abe raised. Willy called, and Mike re-raised. Sam capped the pot. The river was an offsuit Queen, and after everyone called Sam's bet, Sam got � of a huge pot (Mike also had an A3).

I know many players who would not have capped the turn. They would say to themselves, "I'm sure there's a set or two out their, and maybe another A3. Why should I put more money into the pot now when I might lose the pot on the river? I'll just raise on the river."

Let's examine what might happen on the river. The board could pair, in which case Sam would still have the nut low. Sam's low might get counterfeited, in which case Sam would still have the nut high. Sam thought that there might be another A3 outstanding; if that were the case, and the board paired, he would likely get his money (er, cigarettes) back.

Sam stuck to his plan, and didn't get unlucky. Sam was intelligent enough to know that luck evens out although, as he put it, "�It can take a long time for that long run to finally show up." But in the long run we all get the same cards.

I have boxes and boxes of Sam's notes to go through. Unfortunately (for me), his handwriting looks more like Russian than English and it takes me a while to go through a single hand, let alone one of his 100-page notebooks. But one thing is very obvious about Sam: he was ruthlessly self-critical. Throughout his notebooks he repeats his secret over and over: stick with the plan. Play aggressively but tight, and when in doubt fold. Frankly, if every Omaha player practiced these two strategies, Omaha wouldn't be a good game to play. Happily (for you and me), most Omaha players blithely throw their money away.

Next month we will return to the present-day and begin to take a look at behaviors at the table and how they should influence your play, if at all.

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