Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular form of poker. Perhaps it is the seduction of endless possibilities, or the lure of the community board. Though similar in function and dynamics, with the exception of four hole cards instead of two, Omaha and Texas Hold’em are worlds apart in strategy.
It is not easy to find quality poker books on Omaha, and Poker Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight or Better, by Andy Nelson, does nothing to reverse the trend. The book is extremely short and lacking in any real poker strategy. Seemingly written for the true beginner, it is almost worthless for someone looking to sharpen their game. If you are very new poker player, then use Nelson’s book as a starting point, but if you are a Texas Hold’em player wanting to switch into Omaha, you’d be better off looking elsewhere for strategy.
As opposed to a book on real poker strategy, this would more accurately be categorized as a manual. It makes plenty of good references and most, if not all, of the information is accurate. The book is just too vague, and the author doesn’t really offer any sound advice on how to improve your game. There is no more poker strategy in this book than you can learn from watching the Travel Channel.
There’s some decent material on valuating starting hands, but most of it is common sense advice even a novice poker player should already know. The book is not at all what a reader of Andy Nelson would normally expect. There is relatively no in-depth discussion of how to play a hand once you’ve entered into a pot, and Nelson’s examples are less than coherent. Hopefully, this book will prove a basic starting point for future, more advanced Omaha poker books by Andy Nelson.