The Changing Face of Poker

It bothers me when I read about the closing of another casino.

Atlantic City is going through an economic upheaval where some billion dollar casinos are laying off employees and shutting their doors. Some are turning themselves into resort hotels. But the trend is not good for the industry.

I think I know some of the reasons why casinos are shutting down. People are becoming bored with what they have to offer. Some have been consistent losers because of slots, dice and even poker, so they turn their faces to other interests that have little or nothing to do with gambling.

But some casino managers are getting smart and battling back by promoting new games like The Big O and pot limit Omaha High-Low, the subject of this article.

Let me digress. My own interests in poker started with five-card lowball, a game that is not played in most casinos. It was big in California in the 1960s and '70s when Texas Hold'em made its appearance on the poker scene.

Interest in five-card lowball slipped. Hold'em was much more exciting since players could make a hand on any two cards and before long five-card lowball with a joker became a thing of the past.

Now a growing number of casinos have added The Big O to their most popular games. The Big O is simply Omaha High-Low with a twist. Instead of four cards, the dealer gives you five. You can only use two cards out of your hand for high and two cards for low.

But what a difference that extra card makes to the game!

Let's say you are dealt A-2-3-Q-K double suited. And let's say you have position, meaning you're either on the button or just to the right of the button. Not only do you have a premium hand for high or low, you have position to dictate the outcome of the hand.

A good Omaha High-Low player will have to make some adjustments to his game in order to play The Big O. That extra card can kill a normally decent Omaha High-Low hand like A-2-Q-K. And, again, position matters.

Pot limit Omaha High-Low is another game that is developing interest in a growing number of poker rooms.

While your wins or losses can be controlled in limit Omaha High-Low, a pot limit game means anything can happen. You could book a winning night of thousands of dollars if you play the game correctly.

I have told this tale before and I will tell it again. A Texas school teacher won over $60,000 in a tournament in Tunica, Ms. He excitedly called his wife in Dallas and told her they could afford that house they had wanted to buy.

But before he could leave the casino with his winnings, a couple of shrewd Mississippi gamblers talked him into playing pot limit Omaha. He agreed to play. It was a major mistake. By 3 a.m., he had to use an ATM machine to get enough money to gas up his car for the long drive back to Texas. In gambling, dreams die hard.

Poker's face is changing. You can either live in the past or change with it. I know what my course of action is and I hope you'll set your course on change. Good luck and let the games begin.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).