Poker Game Review - Omaha High

General Strategy:

In full Omaha game, it usually takes the "nuts" hand, or something close to that, to win. Two pair and trips don't win very often in Omaha.

Because Omaha players all start with four cards, if five other players after still in after the flop, it is comparable to a Texas Hold'em game against thirty other players.

More than any other game of poker in Omaha you need to play tight and wait for the good hands. One or two good hold'em hands is usually not a very good starting hand in Omaha but many players can not resist the urge to play them. With four cards to choose from, these kinds of hands are easy to get and Omaha games normally have more players and bigger pots than in Hold'em.

The higher payoffs work to your advantage when you usually start with hands that contain four cards that all interact with each other to make about five or six decent Hold'em hands instead of only one or two.

Two Card Hold'em Hands to Look For in Omaha Hands:

Premium Hands:

• HIGH PAIR - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010 ACE and HIGH CARD SUITED - AK(S), AQ(S), AJ(S), A10(S)

Strong Hands:

• HIGH CARDS SUITED - KQ(S), KJ(S), K10(S), QJ(S), Q10(S), J10(S)
• MIDDLE PAIRS - 99, 88, 77, 66 TWO HIGH CARDS - AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10, J10
• ACE and MIDDLE CARD SUITED - A9(S), A8(S), A7(S) A6(S)
• MIDDLE SUITED CONNECTORS - 10 9(S), 98(S), 87(S), 76(S)

Minimum Hands:

• LOW PAIRS - 55, 44, 33, 22
• ACE and LOW CARD SUITED - A5(S), A4(S), A3(S), A2(S)
• ANY TWO CARDS to a STRAIGHT - ie: 10 6, 98, 75, 73, A4

Throw-Away Starting Hands:
These hands should be automatically folded without any further consideration:

• Quads - (including) A A A A
• Trips - (except A A A with a high side card suited is sometimes playable)

Strategy Tips:
Stay aware of the nut hand possibilities. As the board develops, make sure that you always know what the three best hand possibilities are, and how that might change on the next card.

High pair with an overcard is a good flop in Hold'em but not in Omaha. In this game you need to flop two pair, a set, or better.

Usually don't raise before the flop unless you are holding Aces or Kings and are in position to narrow the field.

Another time to raise is when you are unraised on the button and have a strong hand. Try not to let the blinds play bad hands cheap.

Fold your straight or straight draw if that's all you have and you don't flop an unpaired rainbow.

If you do get the right kind of flop, bet/raise to discourage the back door flush draws.

Don't over value low pairs. A pair of fours in your starting hand is only useful if it flops a set, but then a low set on the flop is not a very strong hand in Omaha.

Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed?