Sam Farha is considered to be one of the best Omaha players on the poker circuit. Fans of televised poker know his face, recognize the unlit cigarette that dangles between his lips, wonder about his style, and want to know what he knows.
For Farha on Omaha, he teamed up with Storms Reback (co-author of All- In: The (Almost) Entirely True Story of the World Series of Poker) to produce a well-written, well-priced book for all who play limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha and Omaha eight or better-a text that reveals many of the techniques that made him so formidable at the tables.
The game might be tough for many players but the book is smooth reading and as such, helps erase the cloud of uncertainty that surrounds the four-holecard mysteries. It's spot-on regarding advice about what to do in a variety of situations and it's packed with personal examples, some of them quite surprising, which can give you a huge edge. Sensing, for example, that a tournament opponent wanted to outlast two short stacks to move up in the money, he pressed hard enough with a garbage hand to force the man to lay down a winner.
Designed to accommodate the newcomer to the game, the book doesn't skimp on new ideas for experienced players. Many of these tips revolve around matches against other name players. And while there are no charts, tables, mathematical equations or illustrated hands, the book reveals concepts such as basic strategy, play before and on the fl op and beyond the fl op, and tournament advice. And while most people recognize him as a World Series of Poker winner and a WPT fi nalist, he does not play many tournaments.
He prefers cash games because of the action and because even though he understands the adjustments needed for success at tournament poker and can make them, he's not a patient player.
Farha, known in part for his mastery of keeping an unlit cigarette in his mouth while contemplating moves including bluffi ng, raising over the top and going all in, offers biographical information about himself, and information about the rise of Omaha in popularity.
He predicts Omaha will become more popular than hold'em years from now, and his book covers virtually every key aspect of the game. He explains the type of person he is, how he became so profi - cient at Omaha, and how he achieved long-term success at the tables. There's honesty in this book you don't often fi nd in other how-to texts. Farha admits to the mistakes he's made and tries to guide both the novice and the old pro away from errors. Farha on Omaha will certainly help attract more players to the game-hopefully, smarter, disciplined ones. It's a must-read book even if you don't play Omaha.
-Howard Schwartz
