Posts Tagged ‘Omaha Poker’
Pot Limit Omaha vs. Texas Hold’em starting hand values
Texas Holdem and Omaha, though similar in terms of personal and community cards (’flop’, ‘turn’, and ‘river’) are quite different in terms of starting hand values.
To begin with, the best starting hands in Pot-Limit Omaha are ones in which all four cards are closely connected and double-suited. Obviously, the best of the best starting hands is AsAhKsKh, but it is not as powerful as either AA or KK is in Hold’em. In an online poker Hold’em ring game, while AA or KK is usually way-ahead of any other starting hand, Omaha is a whole ‘nother poker game and no one starting hand, however pretty-looking like AAKK or AAQK, is ever that far ahead!
Because of the myriad possibilities of hands in Omaha, you’ll want to quickly muck hands that are unconnected or unsuited. JJ38 is not worth its weight in salt. The JJ, even if trips are made, is still a mediocre hand. I’ll say the same of 10,10,3,3. That is another awful Omaha hand and should be avoided like the plague. Whereas a set of 3’s is a rare gem in Hold’em, a set of 3’s in Omaha in any game with more than two players is quite useless(!) as there are too many hands that beat it. Many new players are shocked when their full house 33’s-full-of-JJ is beaten by JJ-full-of-22’s on a 3s, 9s, Jc, Jd, 2h board; this, however, is standard! Someone else will easily have a J9 or J2 to beat the useless set.
Playable hands include 9s8s5c6c. If a flop can be seen cheaply, it has so many possibilities to make the nut straight that, if it hits, you’ll usually end up winning a lot of money, and, if it doesn’t, it can be easily mucked! Another such hand is QcQs10s8c: this hand is double-suited, there is the possibility of hitting a high set, and plenty of straight-potential.
An important note: while any flush in hold’em is a very very strong hand, even with a pair on board, any flush that hits in Omaha that is not the NUT (best) flush should be quickly folded when faced with a big raise. That’s standard Omaha poker strategy. Of particular value in Omaha are hands that have the ability to make nut flushes like As10sKd9d. If three spades hit, bet this big and strong and then delight in being called by someone with KsJs2c5d.
September 30th, 2009 / No Comments » / by suicidalsam
