Dealing with the nut hunters

Marcus Bateman / Marcus Bateman / 11 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Due to how soft the pot limit Omaha games have become in recent years, there seems to have developed a specific player class at the tables which simply sits back, hits nut hands and takes advantage of any player going too far with a weak hand.

This style is basic, profitable at the low stakes and extremely predictable. Identifying these players when you sit down at a table is of critical importance - as they can often be just as profitable as the table maniac if approached correctly.

The key problem that faces 'nut hunters' is that their hand is transparent to a skilled opponent. As they are only playing strong hands, most of which miss the flop (you will never see any of this group of players going broke with aces without top set), and can therefore be moved off 90% of their hands on later streets.

Not only can they be habitually bluffed, but they will immediately show strength with monsters, enabling you to fold all but the very best draws against them. They can also be 'floated' regularly with the intention of bluffing them if a scare card comes on the turn. Say one of this player type raises pre flop, and you call seeing a flop of Ad 7h8d. They bet pot into you. This is a great spot to call with the intention of betting pot on the turn and river if any diamond or card which completes a straight turns (as long as the board does not pair that is). These players are extremely risk averse, and will nearly always fold under pressure without the very best hands.

By playing in such a transparent manner, these players have major leaks which at first do not seem obvious, but with thought can be easily exploited. Most of the time in Omaha players play either far too loose or far too tight - which are both easy weaknesses to exploit. Read the board, watch the players and take advantage. Next week: how to deal with the maniacs in Omaha.