Good players can play good Omaha purely by feel and instinct. But it never hurts to have knowledge of the true numbers. Before you can learn odds, you have to know which hands we're talking about.

Omaha Specific Draws

So as not to slow things down, I won't provide an exhaustive list of the standard Hold'em hands and draws here. If you don't know how many outs are in an open-ended straight draw, check out this article here.

The Wraparound: A wraparound straight draw is where you have two cards above and one below the two connected board cards (or vice versa). For example:

Hand: Q J 8 2

Flop: 10 9 3

In this scenario, between your hand and the connected board cards, you have 8-9-10-J-Q (bold indicates cards in your hand).

To make a straight you need one of the following:

7(x4), 8(x3), J(x3), Q(x3), K(x4) = Total of 17 outs.

I can guarantee, winning money at Omaha is much easier than wrestling an alligator for it.

The Double Wraparound: A double wraparound draw is when you have two cards above and two cards below the two connected cards on board. For example:

Hand: Q J 8 7

Flop: 10 9 3

In this scenario, between your hand and the connected board cards, you have 7-8-9-10-J-Q

To make this straight you need to hit one of the following:

6(x4),7(x3), 8(x3), J(x3), Q(x3), K(x4) = Total of 20 outs.

The 13-Out Straight: A 13-out straight draw is when your hand holds three cards above or below the two connected board cards. For example:

Hand: K Q J 4

Flop: 10 9 3

In this scenario, between your hand and the connected board cards, you have 9-10-J-Q-K.

To make a straight you need one of the following:

8(x4),J(x3), Q(x3), K(x3) = Total of 13 outs.

Some Staggering Odds

First off, take a look at the Top 30 Omaha starting hands:

Hand Ranking

Below are the Top 30 starting hands in Pot-Limit Omaha.

The odds of getting dealt AA-KK double suited are 50,000-1 against. Not only is it that rare to get dealt the hand, but put AA-KK up against 8-7-6-5 double suited (a hand not even in the top 30), and the AA-KK is a mere 3-2 favorite.

Unless you're heads up, you probably shouldn't play that hand.

Compare This to Hold'em

The odds of getting dealt AA, Hold'em's best hand, are 220-1 against. AA up against a hand such as 8-7 suited is a 3-1 favorite. You're 227 times more likely to be dealt AA than AA-KK double suited, and your AA is a larger favorite to win against the most comparable hand.

What to Take Home

Once you know the odds and outs of Omaha, you'll be able to make more informed decisions about how to play your hands. Hold'em players playing Omaha by feel are quick to overvalue their hands and their perceived advantage over their opponent.

Memorize the outs of all the straight draws, and how to spot them. Get a very good idea of the top hands, and understand the small margin of advantage they hold. Adjust your play accordingly.

More strategy articles from Sean Lind:

• Improving Your Poker Skills
• Profiling Your Opponents
• Your Bankroll Part 2: The Pro Roll
• Your Bankroll Part 1: How Big Is Big Enough?

View Best Rooms to Play: Omaha Poker