starting hands for omaha hilo

scottyy11 · 03-13-2006, 01:37 PM

A friend emailed me to ask starters so i thought may as well post it aslo.

Good thing about omaha hilo it doesnt require the skill of holdem and you play your hand more than worrying about your opponet(though it is still important but not as much) also position is less important . All you need to play are the following starting hands. x=any card

a2xx play every hand with a2 (hands like a234 are superb)

a3xx play every hand

aaxx play every hand aa23 double suited is the best starter

a4xx (if your ace is suited)play

a5xx (if your ace is suited)play

(occasionally play a5offxx and a4offxx if the other 2 cards in your hand work well with a5 or a4......i.e a567 wud hav good str8 potential a456 same but wouldn't fall in love with hands like a59q......in short you dont want to call everytime preflop with a4 and a5 hands (moderation).

23xx is similar to above but can be played a little more than a4o and a5o

play most hands that contain 4 cards over 9

9 10 J Q

10 A K J

K K 10 Q
ect......................

there are a few more hands that can be added but these are all solid starters for a beginner and you wont get in any trouble with these ones.

In omaha you will have a tons of pots that you could of won if you played (due to being dealt 4 cards) Don't worry about these. This is the trap most players fall into ...they see this and it motivates them to start playing more hands.

Razz · 03-13-2006, 01:52 PM

My thoughts:

AAxx is not always playable. This is a myth that is a result of people who play hold em coming to Omaha. There are very few good flops for a hand like A A 10 6.

A3xx is nowhere near always playable. This isn't even debatable. Anyone who puts in two bets (arguably even one) with As 3h Jd 8c in early position is a fish.

The 10JQK type hands are only playable from late position in multi-way pots.

scottyy11 · 03-13-2006, 02:01 PM

razz the above was meant to be without any preflop raising..to get into everyhand that should be called with raises and under what situation...i would be starting a novel...should of stated that though you are correct. Yes I play every hand with a3 if i can limp. Also play pretty much every AAxx if i can limp but to each his own. I . I will play 9 10 j q from any position.....I only play pl i dont play any limit.........so with a hand like 9 10 j q i can scoop a huge pot in pl unlike limit to me that makes it playable in any position.
I posted to get comment so anything is welcomed but i will say i have dol extermely well by playing the above in pl games

Razz · 03-13-2006, 02:08 PM

Don't get me wrong, it's very solid advice. I would certainly recommend any beginner just follow this until they get more of a feel for the game and the hands they consider the most profitable.

Dead Money · 03-13-2006, 02:15 PM

Howm many decks do they use in this game????

Razz · 03-13-2006, 02:22 PM

Nice avatar DM.

Just 1.

Dead Money · 03-13-2006, 05:09 PM

Thanks Razz.

I was just being an ass with the question.

I kinda like hi -lo...just haven't played alot.

QuickLearner · 03-13-2006, 05:55 PM

I find that you have to play even tighter in O8 than in hold'em. You'd think that with 4 cards you would find more good starting hands, but it's just the opposite. It's a crazy game, for sure. Some people find it a good way to clear bonuses at low limits. Just sit there and nut-peddle. You have to be very careful not to get sucked into hands without the nuts.

O8 is the game to play if you can take bad beats. I've had quads beaten by higher quads a number of times. And don't get me started on nut straights versus flushes or boats.

Here's another tip. If your starting hand contains a 9, throw it away. Don't even bother looking at the other 3 cards. Unless you don't mind spotting your opponents a 1 card headstart.

scottyy11 · 03-13-2006, 08:17 PM

this forum is good lot of talk.....i play moderate -tight preflop and super tight after...you have to willing to laydown 2nut lows and bottom house, dummy str8's and sucker sets. Which is why in pl i play every aa almost once every session i'll hit trips and the sucker set will call me down for 40 -100 times the bb.