Omaha, as a game with poker rules similar to Texas Holdem, has long been a smash hit in Europe. Many people believe that Omaha poker is the next logical step in the poker craze. People have gotten used to Texas holdem poker and may be looking for something new.

The proliferation of Internet poker sites makes finding an Omaha opponent easy, and even makes heads-up Omaha a possibility. If you find yourself playing Omaha heads-up, you're going to really have to be on your game to emerge victorious. Here are some important concepts to think about when playing Omaha one on one.

Play Every Hand

You don't actually have to play every single hand, but you should be playing most of them. Unlike in a full ring Omaha game, where you need to be extremely selective about which hands you enter a pot with because there are so many possibilities out there against you, in heads-up, it is unlikely that your hand is a big underdog to your opponent's hand, no matter how bad it looks. Furthermore, since you will probably be playing a pot-limit structure, your opponent will not be able to raise enough to get you out of a hand before the flop (unless you are playing a tournament with rising blinds, in which case this is a possibility).

Give Your Hands More Credit

In a full ring Omaha game, a ten-high flush has little chance to win, because nearly all the cards of your suit have been dealt out, and there is a great chance that the jack, queen, king or ace (or all of them) are in the hands of your opponents, meaning only one other card of that suit need be in their hand for them to beat you. Against a single opponent, exactly two of the only four cards out against you must be suited and better than your suited cards, which is much less likely. In a heads up game, you can bet your straights and flushes aggressively, even if they are not the nuts, and even if the board is paired.

Push Combination Hands

Hands that have multiple ways to win, like suited high cards and wrap straight draws, are of great value in heads up Omaha. You should play these hands aggressively. In many cases, you may actually be the favourite after the flop, even if the hand you currently hold cannot even beat ace high.

Fasten Your Seatbelt

With all the card combinations that arise in Omaha poker, the person who holds the best hand can literally change with the turn of every single card. Furthermore, the lead may change many times over the course of the match. Try to retain control of your emotions and ride the roller coaster with a cool demeanour, just looking for any edge that can tip the balance in your favour.

Holdem Tactics are Back in Play

Tactics that are not as effective in full ring Omaha such as bluffs and slow-plays are now back on the table, thanks to the reduced likelihood that one of your opponents is holding the nuts or close to it. Feel free to dust off those bluffing and trapping skills you learned in Texas holdem and use them to full effect in your heads up Omaha matches.