Omaha 8 Or Better
Omaha/8 is a game of scoops (winning both the high and the low) and having a great hand with a redraw to a better hand. Most, if not all, of your starting hand selections need to keep these two things in mind. Another important point is that all four of your hole cards should work together in some way. Ac Kd 3c 4d works well together because you have three low cards and two ways to make a high flush. Ad Kc 8s 5h doesn’t work well. Here are some starting hand suggestions. An x denotes any card of any rank. A w denotes a wheel card (2, 3, 4 or 5). A t denotes a trump plus the ten (T, J, Q, K).
[A 2 x x] You must be careful with just an A 2 with no counterfeit protection.
[A 3 x x] If the ace is suited to one of your other cards.
Limit Omaha 8 or better (LO8) is a game of hand selection and controlling the number of people you’re playing against. The absolute 100% truth of this game is that any hand worth playing generally has an ace in it. There are ZERO premium hands in this game that don’t have an ace and a wheel card. Is pretty, but requires a very specific board.
[A w w x] As long as the two wheel cards are not the same, like 4s, 4d)
[w w w w] Four wheel cards, even if you have one pair, but not if you hold two pair or trips.
- Unlike most of the other chapters that the Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition dedicates to games other than No Limit Hold ‘Em, Mike Matusow’s “Omaha Eight or Better” really is dedicated to tournament strategy rather than to the fundamentals of the game.
- You may now be looking to branch out, and learn a new game. Alternatively, you may have already played some Omaha 8 or better, and be aiming to improve your skill level. Omaha 8 Limit Poker is a game of patience, of discipline, and above all of skill. It will appeal to all thinking players.
[A t t t] An ace with three high cards, especially if the ace is suited, is a strong hand, especially if the board doesn’t come up with a possible low.
[t t t t] Four high cards, even with a pair or two pair is also a good high only hand.
The above guidelines are extremely tight and are meant to be used while you are learning the game. As you gain experience and learn your opponents playing styles and hand selection, you will be able to play a few more starting hands. Hands with an A, 3 and two high cards are often playable as well as hands containing an ace suited to one other card that offer straight possibilities and some low potential like Ad 4d 6s 7c.
Just as in limit holdem, pot odds play a major roll in winning at pot limit Omaha 8. The biggest difference is that in O/8 you usually only figure your outs as the ones that make the nuts.
When playing Pot Limit Omaha/8 your goal should be taking your opponents entire stack. This is done by only playing hands with potential to scoop the pot. Remember that often there is no low possible so high only hands can be valuable. Many new players make the mistake of overvaluing big pairs in starting hands. Big pairs must improve in order to win. Also after the flop, made hands with redraws to better hands are the ones that make the most money. In addition, drawing to just a low hand is a quick way to going broke. Especially if the pot is heads up or three handed, even if you hit your low hand you may have to split and if you don’t have a chance at high you will lose money.
Omaha is an exciting poker variant, and although it bears a striking similarity to Texas Hold’em, it stands in a class of its own.
Once poker players have understood the basic rules of playing Omaha Poker and played a few games for real money, they would want to know the secrets of playing a winning game of Omaha Poker.
Here are 10 tricks to winning at Omaha Poker.
- Know the Rules Omaha players will naturally be disappointed when the read the first secret to playing a winning game of Omaha Poker – know the rules. However, they must understand that it is literally impossible to understand any Omaha Poker strategy until and unless they have thoroughly understood the rules of Omaha Poker at the deepest level.
- Mark the DifferenceMany beginners play a miserable game of Omaha Poker because they do not realize the difference between Hold’em and Omaha. Players of Omaha have to create a strong five-card hand using two hole cards and three community cards, and this is what makes Omaha Poker more challenging than Texas Hold’em.
- Choosing Best Starting HandsA standard deck of 52 playing cards can be used to create 5,277 combinations, provided only four cards are used and suited combinations are not considered. Successful Omaha players understand these combinations very well.
- All Four Cards Are ImportantWhile it is true that players can use only two of their hole cards to create the strongest hand, they must carefully study all the four cards in their starting hand. Thinking of the various combinations that can be created with these four cards will help players understand better their odds of winning.
- Ace Pair Having a pair of Aces in one’s starting hands is something to be happy about. For instance, if players are dealt an Ace of Spades, an Ace of Diamonds, a King of Spades, and a King of Diamonds, they will do very well on the flop. An excellent Omaha Poker strategy would be to play a starting hand with an Ace pair.
Learn the basic Omaha Poker Rules
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Poker Omaha 8
- Aces Are Not Everything Simultaneously, an ace is not everything and it definitely does not promise the jackpot. While having an Ace in the starting hand is always beneficial, a lot depends on the other cards in the hand. Even if players get an Ace pair, if they have cards such as Five of Clubs and Nine of Hearts with their Ace pair, they will not be able to win. However, if the opponent does not have an Ace in his/her starting hand, the above-mentioned hand can be played. A list of great starting hands with Ace pairs would include AAQQ, AA99, and AAJJ, to mention just a few.
- Kings and Queens Omaha players who are dealt Kings and Queens in their starting hands can also play their hands, provided they have another strong pair. For instance, a King of Diamonds, a King of Spades, a Queen of Diamonds, and a Queen of Spades comprises a great starting hand, but a King of Diamonds, a King of Spades, a Nine of Spades, and a Nine if Diamonds is not really a good hand to play. Players can consider playing starting hands with pairs of cards, suited connectors, flushes, and connectors.
- The Best Can Be the Worst Sometimes players might receive cards that look excellent, but have absolutely no potential of winning. For instance, beginners will jump for joy if they get four cards from the same suit or a three of a kind, but such hands are useless to Omaha players because they can use only two of their hole cards and 3 community cards to create a winning hand. Such hands are, therefore, better folded.
- Identify Worthless Hands Omaha players must understand that they cannot play all starting hands. If they get dealt a hand that has no potential of becoming a winner, they had better fold. Players must learn the art of distinguishing worthless hands from valuable starting hands.
- Best Omaha Starting Hand The best Omaha starting hand can, therefore, be defined as a hand comprising four great cards that can work collaboratively to create a strong poker hand for the player. Players should look for card pairs, complimentary cards, suited cards, connected cards, and even a pair of deuces.