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Omaha Hi: Basic Starting Hands

By: PokerListings.com

The basic starting hands for Omaha Hi are listed below. Please note that the abbreviation DS refers to a hand that is double-suited.

All hands in the list are better if they are suited or double-suited. Where you see "x," read: any card.

A-A-K-K DS
A-A-J-T DS
A-A-Q-Q DS
A-A-J-J DS
A-A-T-T DS
A-A-9-9 DS
A-A-x-x
J-T-9-8 DS
K-K-Q-Q
K-K-J-J
K-Q-J-T
K-K-T-T
K-K-A-Q
K-K-A-J
K-K-Q-J
K-K-Q-T
K-K-J-T
Q-Q-J-J
Q-Q-T-T
Q-Q-A-K
Q-Q-A-J
Q-Q-A-T
Q-Q-K-J
Q-Q-K-T
Q-Q-J-T
Q-Q-J-9

All of the above-mentioned hands are very strong starting hands in Omaha.

Other good hands are double-suited hands with four cards in a row, six and higher - for example, K-Q-J-T DS and 9-8-7-6 DS.

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Comments

14

  1. Razz

    2011-11-04

    I had AQ of spades and 77, I called a preflop raise which was 3x the blind. Flop came 10 10 7. He bets, I shove, he calls. He rolls over a pair of aces and some trash. But he tells me I'm a donkey and my hand should of been folded preflop, what do u think

  2. Sean Lind

    2010-05-10

    Steve,

    Any trips in your hand is a very bad thing.

    In Omaha you want to avoid any hand with a dangler. A dangler is a card that doesn't hook up with the other cards in your hand, basically rendering your Omaha hand to a three card hand.

    For example:

    8-8-9-2 The 2 here really does nothing for your hand, you're playing 8-8-9 against your opponents four cards.

    If you have trips, your third ace is a dangler which can NEVER help your hand, and you eat up one of your outs to hit a set on the board.

    AAAX is a throw away, unless you're heads up or have some other good reason to play it.

  3. Steve

    2010-05-10

    I'm assuming AAAA is not too strong a hand and wouldn't be included in the A-A-x-x, but what about A-A-A-x?

  4. Sean Lind

    2009-11-07

    Victor,

    Although Omaha is really a turn and river game, a great starting hand will still have an edge over a marginal or poor starting hand pre-flop.

    The general idea in poker is to put as much money into the pot when you're ahead, and as little into the pot when you're behind.

    This is true for a draw heavy game such as Omaha as well. When you have the best hand pre-flop, it makes sense to be raising.

  5. Victor

    2009-11-06

    Is there any good reason to raise before the flop with a good starting hand? Any good hand needs improvement on the flop?

  6. sodapopkid

    2009-10-12

    well smog .the list is for the top 30 hands and akqj double suited isnt that far behind inpercentage points for being a winning hand at all.
    they are just listing the top hands ... but akqj will catch alot lesst straights than j1098 ....notice your pushing out alot of the strts by being so high up...but the nut high ace flush gives you an advantage in the game ... hell ill play akqj double suited against an alliner anyday !!! (well against the bad plrs i will) just hope hes not playing a top 30 hand (oops) but against the really good ones they have a top 30 hand and you need to pay atantion to who your playing PAY ATENTION TO WHO YOU ARE PLAYING !!!! and the flop more than the starting cards... the top 30 hands OUT OF 6,4974,00 are just easier to make profitable.. AND LESS EASY TO SCREW UP ..but youll see that as time goes by .. AA OVER KK IN OMAHA IS A FAR LOWER %AGE WINNER THAN IN HOLDEM WHERE KK IS LITERALLY DOMINATED

  7. Sean Lind

    2009-09-10

    Smog,

    There's nothing wrong with AKQJ DS, it's just not a premium hand. It's like AQ or AJ in holdem, a good hand, but by no means the nuts.

  8. smog

    2009-09-10

    Whats wrong with AKQJ DS?

  9. Lex

    2009-04-08

    Thanks that's a good start.

  10. Sean Lind

    2008-09-03

    This is how the list should look. AAKQ is only included in the AAxx row.

    The reason for this is definitely in the thoughtful consideration category.

    PLO is a nut only game, meaning the best starting hands are the hands to give you the greatest opportunity to make a nut hand. This is why AATJ is the second best hand. It gives you the power of Aces (with nut flush draws when suited to the other cards), and TJ gives you the highest possible straight opportunities, without dead-ending.

    The problem with AAKQ, is the KQ dead ends on the straight draw with only one card higher. Not only that, you have two of the higher outs. You need a TJ as well as a 9 or an ace (which you have two of). The odds of making a nut straight are very slim here, giving you only Aces, with two high cards.

    To keep is simple, you want your hands to have the most options to hit the nuts.

    Does that help at all?

  11. tw0aces

    2008-09-03

    is there a reason why A-A-K-Q was not included as the second best Omaha Hi starting hand in the list above?

    Didn't know if it was an oversight or if there was some thoughtful consideration behind it...

  12. stelladubious

    2008-07-25

    i love the smell of rain

  13. Mike

    2008-06-01

    Unlikely that you can profit from just using a starting hands chart, good place to start however and very useful for a beginner!

  14. Louis A. Bajkai

    2008-03-08

    I hope your strategy will prove profitable!
    Louis

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