Big O and Pocket Rockets

Big O and Pocket Rockets
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Are you the type of person who goes to the State Fair, Disneyworld, or a new carnival in town and looks for the wildest ride available?

If your answer is yes, I have just the game for you. Big O.

Big O, also known as Five Card Omaha, is a relatively new game in town that is attracting a lot of converts.

Never mind that they haven't yet come up with an optimum strategy for the game. That will come later. Or at least this is the attitude Big O players take when considering whether to play the wild new game.

I stumbled into Big O a couple of weeks ago while playing pot limit Omaha High-Low at BestBet Casino in Jacksonville, FL. The pot limit game broke up and we were waiting to get into another game when several of the pot limit players decided to play Big O. I didn't think the adjustment would be that difficult and told the floor man to count me in.

The game required a $500 buy-in. It was pot limit Omaha High-Low -- and then some.

I decided to stick to nut hands and after a couple of hours, I was about $200 down. When the pot limit game started up again, I switched tables. But there were definitely things about Big O that I liked.

For one thing, it was new and that meant even the top players were struggling to create winning strategies. For another, the pots were big. People were willing to gamble and take a chance. For another, it was challenging and all real poker players love a challenge.

The game has been taking off slowly. It has a built-in appeal and I definitely want to try it again. It has also been added to the World Series of Poker tournament schedule.

Because of the added card per hand, you will probably play at a table with only six players. If the game is Omaha High, your best starting hand would be A-A-K-K-Q, double suited, or A-A-K-Q-J, double suited.

You probably won't want to play for a flush unless it is the nuts, although second nut flush sometimes works. But be careful. In Big O, second best can become costly.

If the game is Omaha High-Low, your best starting hands are A-A-2-3-4, A-A-2-3-5 or A-A-2-3-6. You may also want to go with A-A-2-K-K, double suited.

Aces are an integral part of Big O. When you have a pair, that keeps others from topping you in the ace department.

Is Big O the game of the future? I have no idea, but it's a definite possibility. Good luck if you give this game a try.

Think of it. Each player gets five cards instead of four. The game can either be Omaha High or Omaha High-Low, eight or better.

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