Review of Mastering Omaha/8 Poker

Title:

Mastering Omaha/8 Poker

Author:

Mark Tenner and Lou Krieger

Publisher:

ConJelCo

Date:

2011

ISBN:

978-1-886070-33-2

Pages:

236

Price:

$24.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@jetcafe.org

April 10, 2011

In 2003, Mark Tenner and Lou Krieger wrote a book titled Winning Omaha/8 Poker. It has long served as a solid introductory book on the game of limit Omaha high/low split eight-or-better. Eight years later, the authors have provided updates, expanded the book, and given it a new title as Mastering Omaha/8 poker.

Given eight years to dwell on the subject, I expect there are few writers of Krieger's experience who wouldn't find a few things they would want to tighten up. The writing in the material that carries over from the previous edition was already eminently readable, but it's tighter this time out. In my opinion, the new material could have used another editorial pass, but overall the intent of the authors is clear.

Even though the page counts are similar, the newer edition is printed using a smaller type face and contains quite a bit more information than the original. By my count, the update contains five new chapters and several expanded sections. The new chapters cover the nature of split-pot games, playing shorthanded, Omaha/8 tournaments, pot-limit Omaha/8, and high stakes games.

I find it amusing that there's a chapter that covers $100-$200 games in a book that includes instructions for people playing poker in a public card room for the first time. There's no harm in this. A card-room veteran can safely skip the introductory material, and a beginning Omaha/8 player can always file away the high stakes information until or unless they progress to that point. Also, while I'm sure there exist people whose first exposure to public card room poker was in an Omaha/8 game, this doesn't really seem like a large demographic, especially these days. Again, though, there's no harm in including advice aimed at true beginners.

While overall I found the first edition to be worthwhile, I did have some objections to some of the suggestions made by the authors. Some of these have been cleaned up in Mastering Omaha/8 Poker, but several remain. Similarly, while I think that overall the new material is good, again I take issue with some of Tenner and Krieger's recommendations. For example, in the section on short handed play, I don't think the authors do a good job of reconciling their claims that positional advantage becomes more important short handed while at the same time they suggest there are increased benefits in these games to playing out of the blinds and betting first.

Similarly, the chapter on Omaha/8 seems a bit rushed. The authors point out that a whole book could easily be written on the game, and I agree, so this isn't surprising. What's here is better than nothing, but some of their recommendations run counter to what other authors have to say on the game, so some additional justification for their inclusion would be helpful.

Despite containing elements aimed at more advanced players, the primary audience for Mastering Omaha/8 Poker remains the same as the previous edition, beginning to intermediate players. This edition is an improvement over the previous one, and I expect that those in the target audience will be satisfied with it. I wouldn't recommend it as the only book a player should purchase on the subject, but there are certainly valuable perspectives to be found in its pages. At the same time, I don't believe there is enough new material for those who have already read Winning Omaha/8 Poker to justify also purchasing the new one.

Capsule:

Mastering Omaha/8 Poker is an updated version of Tenner and Krieger's 2003 book Winning Omaha/8 Poker. The new edition has some additional material and generally improved writing, but not enough that is new to make me recommend that folks upgrade who have already read "Winning". The new edition is a generally good book on Omaha/8 aimed at beginning or intermediate players. I expect those in this target audience to find Mastering Omaha/8 Poker worthwhile.

Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. I have no other interest, financial or otherwise, in the success of this book.