Omaha is an interesting game and, as many attest, is quite profitable, but there is comparatively little material you could find to learn safely from, and Hold’em is in fact a good place to start for anyone. At the present time Hold’em ranks as the most popular game in casinos and online and has received much attention in media and literature (online and in book form).
Having decided that, there are still several more personal questions to ask yourself before deciding which Hold’em variant to try. It is of utmost importance for any poker player to know whether they are risk oriented or not, or, to be more exact, to what extant they like to risk.
It is a very peculiar thrill, and those who cannot stand, having calculated your best chances, to make that step into the air, like Indiana Jones towards the end of The Last Crusade (he did not so much summon the faith the walk on air, but merely calculated that his father’s diary implies an invisible bridge), had better keep away from the poker table (watching others play might be the compromise to settle for). Nor is poker the right activity for people who cannot control themselves and play kamikaze-style. For those who feel they do not sufficiently understand themselves, there are tests which determine inclination towards risk. The more risky you are the more sense it makes to play no-limit cash and tournament poker.
Determine whether you are best at “math” or “psychology”: if you are a human calculator, best try limit games; if you can read the opponents hands by reading his body language, your best shot is at no-limit and in multi table tournaments (MTT).
If you are willing to devote the time, complex no-limit and MTT games offer the best means to develop as a player. If you are just taking a look around, at first stick to sit-and-go tournaments and limit games.
For those whose aims are to grow as players, limit offers the least potential. High-level limit games are much rarer than no-limit or tournament games. Tournaments make the most sense for aspiring champions.
Limit poker is becoming rarer in casinos and clubs and is more accessible online. Tournament poker is the only form of the game officially considered a sport, so that it may be important to pay attention to tournaments in public establishments.
If you consider poker as a profitable profession, you will systematically target games with a high percentage of weak players. Because of accessible literature, the amount of weak players is particularly low in limit Hold’em. Focus on no-limit and tournament poker, training yourself accordingly, whatever you feel your inclinations are initially. Limits higher than $1/$2 may already prove too large a piece of cake. In SnGs, the beginner may want to stay bellow $20+$2, in no-limit bellow NL$100. Below these levels, basic knowledge of poker principles are likely to suffice. Higher levels will demand intense efforts to study the game, and even the studious player is not guaranteed consistent wining.
These considerations are a good preliminary to your first games, but the answers to the questions will become clearer as you accumulate experience.
