OMAHA POKER STARTING HANDS
Players who have gained some experience at texas holdem may be surprised at how much they need to relearn when they decide to take up Omaha. There are some common mistakes that new Omaha players make that are similar to ones that Texas hold'em poker players make, but there are some important distinctions. Some of these mistakes occur in the selection of omaha starting hands.
Starting Hand Selection in Omaha: Pitfalls
The problem that many new Omaha players encounter is that with four cards in hand, the possibilities seem endless. The poker hand rankings are of course the same as in Holdem, and it may seem that any flop can hit any hand. While to some extent this is true, it's important to remember that in Omaha, you will need the nuts or close to it to win at showdown. A hand like 7s 7d 4s 3d has no value in Omaha. Either of your flushes will lose to a bigger flush. A seven on the flop will still lose in the likely event someone makes a straight or a flush. If you make a full house, someone else will probably make a bigger one. To win at Omaha, you need big cards with multiple nut hand possibilities.
Starting Hand Selection in Omaha: Guidelines
When choosing whether to play a hand in Omaha, ask yourself whether all your cards are working together. A pair of aces is great, but keep in mind that you are playing eight opponents with six possible hands each. How often do you expect AA to hold up against 48 other hands? In Omaha, you need possibilities. A hand like As Ad 3c 8c should be thrown away in high Omaha. In contrast, a hand like Th Js Qs Kh is a great hand to play. You are double suited, giving yourself two flush possibilities, but without any aces, you are really hoping to make a straight, since you have a good chance of making the nut straight if you do.
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