Which Game Has The Biggest Variance?

[lordofelt 0]

Just wondering which game people think has the highest variance in it. I think it's PL Omaha. Lots of aggressive play often leads to big hands vs big draws pushing against each other. Also seems like whenever I read DN's blog about the big game he describes lots of hands of PLO that get capped on the flop or preflop and run twice because of 55/45 or even closer winning %'s. Whereas I can only recall reading about 1 hand of NLHE getting capped.What does everyone else think?

[Actuary 3]

another post just like this recently.you may be able to find it in search and have a lot of data to start.

[lordofelt 0]

Saw that thread and it started off the same but got all sidetracked trying to define variance. I will define what I'm talking about here maybe it's not the correct definition and maybe I need a different word but what I'm asking is this:"If I had $1000 to play any of these games and played the appropriate level game for my bankroll, assuming I play all games equally well against equally strong opponents, which game would see my bankroll go up and down the most from session to session (in the short run)??

[Jdr999 0]

PLO and it's isn't close.

[FullMontyM1 0]

Agreed. I don't really care for PLO either, least favorite of the games listed.Monty

[Smasharoo 0]

PLO and it's isn't close.Ludicrous.

[FullMontyM1 0]

Whoever said "other" I'm curious what game

[Jdr999 0]

PLO and it's isn't close.Ludicrous.

What did you chose?Only reason I chose PLO is becasue even after the flop, it's unlikely you are going to be more than a 3-1 fav. against a hand that would call bets. I'm sure there are donks playing PLO who you are drawing dead against, but that happens in most other games as well.

[FullMontyM1 0]

What did you chose?Only reason I chose PLO is becasue even after the flop, it's unlikely you are going to be more than a 3-1 fav. against a hand that would call bets. I'm sure there are donks playing PLO who you are drawing dead against, but that happens in most other games as well.

Well, Smash either chose LHE or other, or chose PLO but is saying it is ludricous to say it's "not even close." Which may be an overstatement, but doesn't seem to reach into the ludricous category, so I am guessing 60% he picked limit, 40% he picked other.Monty

[ice4804 0]

PLO and it's isn't close.Ludicrous.

I thought he was referring to the grammatical massacre that took place in that very short attempt at a rational sentence.I would agree with lordofelt - big hands going up against big draws in PLO leads to higher variance.

[Rasty 0]

I thought he was referring to the grammatical massacre that took place in that very short attempt at a rational sentence.

He wasn't.Smash's spelling blows, thus he doesn't mock that of others. Hazard of having one's own editor, I suppose.

[ahosang 0]

It depends on your style really.You can play PLO tight and NLHE loose aggressive. That puts NLHE at the top and PLO behind even LHE IMO.You could also play NLHE rock-tight and play PLO in a DN/Ivey/Devilfish/ahosang(loooool) style. That puts PLO nearer the top(but still close). Remember hand values are relative. You can have 'big hand v big draw' in either game - doesn't matter the details - and money will go to the middle with the favourite no more than 60% or whatever.PLO8 doesn't belong on that list btw. Limit 5-card draw(or NL 5-stud against fish) is the only game I've ever played with a lower variance...As for higher variance, Mason Malmuth suggests limit Omaha-hi, and I'd guess Razz could be up there

[lordofelt 0]

It depends on your style really.You can play PLO tight and NLHE loose aggressive. That puts NLHE at the top and PLO behind even LHE IMO.You could also play NLHE rock-tight and play PLO in a DN/Ivey/Devilfish/ahosang(loooool) style. That puts PLO nearer the top(but still close). Remember hand values are relative. You can have 'big hand v big draw' in either game - doesn't matter the details - and money will go to the middle with the favourite no more than 60% or whatever.PLO8 doesn't belong on that list btw. Limit 5-card draw(or NL 5-stud against fish) is the only game I've ever played with a lower variance...As for higher variance, Mason Malmuth suggests limit Omaha-hi, and I'd guess Razz could be up there

I understand what you're saying with regards to how your style is the key point in your personal variance but as I said in my second post I'm trying to compare the games themselves so assume the player is equally tight/loose in each game. I also have heard that PLO8 has very low variance never played it myself so I can't comment. But even if you do play PLO extremely tight its rare to get your money in as more than a 2-1 favorite against decent opponents in an aggressive game.

[ahosang 0]

I hear you lordofelt, but remember that online games(I'm assuming online is what you play) have caps of 100bb buy-in. Also, the big hands where people are both shoving to the middle don't come up all the time. So variance won't be determined just by the big hands, but also the 'half-hearted hands' where you commit some chips.These pots are fairly large relative to the 100bb online cap. So your variance will be affected by the way these medium size pots go(and how many of them you play). I would suppose that generally NLHE actually has more variance by the very nature of holdem. You should be folding a lot of PLO flops compared to NLHE allowing for similar 'tightness/looseness' in both games.

[diamondhead 0]

PLO but it's fun....

[aucu 3]

Whoever said "other" I'm curious what game

Stud, Variance in a big way.

[poker1.com 0]

It's no limit hold'em no question in my mind.No question

[wrto4556 0]

I voted limit hold'em.

[jonnyz 0]

stud

[oldirtyharry 0]

PLO easily. Although it is the funnest....

[greatwhite 0]

Limit omaha has more variance then any other game. Out of the games here, pot limit omaha.

[AlphaOmega 0]

PLO

[hotbacon 0]

plo? wtf?triple draw is a beast. stud can be too.

[Actuary 3]

Limit omaha has more variance then any other game. Out of the games here, pot limit omaha.

huh?I always thought split games have lower variance.I disagrre with this choice

[jcdoerre 0]

I assume they're talking about standard omaha, not hi/lo.