Basic Omaha High Strategy

Omaha Concepts
Starting Hands
Betting Your Hand
What if I miss on the turn?
Reading the Board
Practice

Omaha Concepts

Understanding basic Omaha poker strategy will give you an edge over most players in cash games as most US players are still relatively new to the game. Omaha is a game of the “NUTZ.” Typically Omaha is played in pot limit format when played in online tournaments as well as live poker tournaments. As with all forms of poker you need to be disciplined and conscious of your starting hands. This is particularly important early in Omaha tournaments.

Starting Hands

Here are the hands I like to play early in Omaha tournaments and even when I sit down at a new cash game for the first hour or so. You will notice that I prefer to play double suited hands with the nut flush, double pairs, and connected hands.

[A][A][K][K] Double Suited

[A][A][Q][Q] Double Suited

[A][A][J][J] Double Suited

[A][A][T][T] Double Suited

[A][A][9][9] Double Suited

[A][A][K][Q] Double Suited

[J][T][9][8] Double Suited

[K][K][Q][Q] Double Suited

[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]

You will notice that these hands are not designed to gamble but they are designed to give you the best hand after the flop with excellent draw possibilities to the nutz. Again, I cannot emphasize this enough. Omaha is a game of the nutz! What may appear as the best hand after the flop typically does not win the pot after Fifth Street. This is why playing solid starting hands is paramount to playing well early in online and live Omaha poker tournaments.

Betting Your Hand

Here are a few ways that I like to approach betting. Pre-flop betting is not as clear cut as in No Limit Hold’em. Most of your strategic decisions are being made on fourth and fifth streets against three or more players in the same pot. When I have a strong starting hand I want to raise it up. Only as you move into the middle stages of an Omaha poker tournament will this result in getting players out of the pot. The blinds are just not high enough early. Once the flop comes down I want to immediately assess where I am at in the hand when it hits me and bet big on my draws. If I hit a “set” and still have a draw to the nut flush and / or a straight then I am going to bet like I am ahead in the hand even if I have a small set of two’s through six’s. This is where you can get extra opponents OUT of the pot. Top pair and even two pair with no draws must proceed with caution in Omaha. So there is a good chance that players with these holdings will exit the pot.

What if I miss on the turn?

You can always call. Your opponent may have missed too. In Omaha most times you are betting drawing hands after the flop and turn. Once the river hits you are going to be faced with a big bet. If you missed your draw then you get away from the hand. If you hit it and know it’s the “nutz” you can easily raise it up and likely get paid if your opponent has anything. I do not recommend bluffing a whole lot in Omaha unless your heads-up. The reason is that you typically have more than one opponent in the pot after the flop and Fourth Street. Also, you likely will be not bluffing with the “nutz” and therefore are vulnerable to re-raises until after the river. Players are not going to fold there drawing hands either. Playing Pot Limit Omaha players are going to have pot odds to call your raises in many cases. Use caution and save your bluffs for late in the tournament.

Reading the Board

Misread hands are common in Omaha. Remember, you must use TWO of your four hole cards to make your hand along with community cards. This is where Texas Hold’em players get caught up and lose pots. Also, you need to be very conscious of what your opponent(s) may be playing as well. There are several drawing possibilities in Omaha and you must assess not only your hand but be capable of putting your opponent on draws as well post flop. It’s a much more difficult task in Omaha considering all of the combinations but you must become adept at this phase of the game to excel as in any form of poker.