When playing Pot-Limit Omaha, you might have the best cards in your hand after the deal but that does not mean you have the best hand at the end of the hand. The odds are something like 50,000:1 for having the best hand of Ace-Ace-King-King. This alone should show that the odds are against you. In the case that you get “lucky” and get this hand, your odds of winning are only increased to 3:2 against a 5-6-7-8 double suited hand. Now you must decide if you want to bet or raise the current bet with this hand.
Maybe you are wondering if you should just raise when you are holding those Aces? It is not a bad strategy but the thing is that you run the chance of becoming a predictable player, and this will allow the other players to know when you have that good hand or when you do not. The same holds true when your playing at the best online poker sites.
This then will lead you towards thinking about limping into the hand each time. It might not be the cut throat play but it is a little better than just raising with only Aces in your hand. However, this is still not the best move in the game. When you do bet, call, and raise on the flop, the other players will have a decent idea of what you have in your hand. If you do not make a habit to raise before the flop, then you allow players that have the weaker hands to limp in and see the flop when they should not be around at that point. You will also see that there will be less pots for you to pick up with a raising strategy.
When you have a variety of hands to begin the games and you vary the times you raise and the times that you do not, you bring numerous advantages. The result of this is that you become more of an enigma to other players at the table and this gives you a better chance to win more pots. You also have the benefit of making other players stay in the hand when you have the stronger hand and that increases the pot. Of course, this also gives you the bluffing edge in the game while making the game more entertaining.
What hands to raise with in Omaha
It should never be a doubt that you raise with one of the 30 best hands. Do not be mislead into thinking that this is the only time to raise. There are also times that you will want to raise, even if you don’t have the best hands. In this case it usually just a feeling and should be handled sparingly.
Summary:
- Those top 30 hands that have at least one suit and a majority when off suit.
- All hands that are suited A-K-x-x with at least one x-card that is a ten or higher face card.
- All double suited hands that have four in a row of hands beginning with five and higher
- All double suited connected hands, Five or higher, with a ceiling of one gap between the top two and the two low cards or between the low card and the three high cards. An example is K-Q-T-9 double suited and J-9-8-6 double suited.
- All double suited K-K-x-x double suited hands.
What hands to limp in with in Omaha:
- All A-Q-x-x with at least one x-card at least a ten, and the Ace being suited.
- All four in a row combinations that start at four or higher.
- All A-x-x-x anything with at least two x-cards that are connected and the Ace being suited.
- All combinations of four in a row that are five or higher, with a top of one gap that is not between the top and bottom three cards in that hand.