Omaha Poker Strategies
While poker strategy is common to most versions of poker, there are specific tips per variation that you can use to enhance your game. The following information will explore Omaha poker strategy and provide recommendations on the best Omaha hands to play.
Learning how to play the right hand is crucial in Omaha poker. After all, the game is won on starting hands so you need to know which cards to retain and which combinations to aim for. Remember also the objective of the game. Your Omaha hand must consist of three of the five community board cards dealt throughout the course of the game, plus two cards from your hand dealt to you at the start. If you remember the rule "two in the hand, three from the board" you should have no trouble remembering which cards to use to make up your Omaha hand. When you're playing Omaha Hi Low, you can use the same combinations or different ones to make up your high and low hand but the rule always applies.
If you follow these suggested card combinations, you'll be able to make clear decisions in an Omaha game no matter how skilled your opponents are. Consider the four hole cards you will be dealt to begin the game with. The best starting combination from your hole cards is a two pair of Aces. This puts you in an enviable position in a game from the start as this is the best combination you could have. Two Aces can help you on your way to making a high full house or straight. If you have one pair with another high pair, for example, two Kings, you're also in a strong position. Make sure if you have one or two pairs that you raise the bet early in the game. This should help to reduce your competition and increase the money in the Omaha pot.
If you don't have any Aces, you can still achieve strong starting hands with King and Queen combinations. Any hand containing a pair of these can go toward making a flush or a straight. Pairs that share the same suit are especially valuable for this reason. If you have a single pair of kings or queens with high supporting cards, for example King of Diamonds, King of Spades, Queen of Diamonds, Jack of Spades, it can lead toward a full house and some large straights.
The next best card combinations to start a game with are high cards that share the same suit, for example, Jack, Ten, Nine and Eight of Hearts. These cards can be beaten by higher card combinations but they lend themselves well to making high straights and can be played flexibly. Remember the higher your individual cards, the more chance you have of making a high card combination to win the Omaha pot.
Just as you need to know which cards to play, you should be prepared to fold early on when you receive an unplayable hand. Low unsuited cards will make it difficult for you to improve your game. Don't be tempted to play on when you have a low straight or one Ace paired with unfavorable cards. Chances are one of your opponents, if not several of them, will have far stronger cards.
When approaching
the game of Omaha for the first time, remember that it is in your best interests
to play a strong starting hand while manipulating the pot as much as possible
before the flop. From there, general poker strategy such as basing your betting
decisions on the careful calculation of outs and pot odds is necessary in order
to win.
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