Starting Hands to Play in Pot Limit Omaha

The efficiency of the Pot Limit Omaha strategies that you may have prepared depends a great deal on the type of hands that you are dealt. If you are used to playing No Limit Holdem, there are several things that you need to learn immediately.

The first is that due to the two additional Pot Limit Omaha starting hands, players tend to become fixated with sets and the flush, as these are very hard to obtain in No Limit Holdem. However, the relative ease with which you can get these combinations underscores the fact that they are not that strong in Pot Omaha.

What you need to look for are Pot Omaha hands that can go well with the flop. This is very important, as the betting is restricted, individuals will see the flop more often than not.

Among the best Pot Limit Omaha starting hands are paired Aces together with a Jack and Ten. Either the AA or JT have to be suited. Other good starting hands are suited faces (i.e. KcQc) paired with JT. Another good combination are suited Aces with connected numbers.

If you get an Ace with three face cards this will help you make good hands, while hands like A,10,9 and 8 will give a good shot at the straight. However, there are also some Pot Limit Omaha hands that you should steer clear of.

Traditionally strong Texas Holdem hands like top pairs, middle pairs (i.e., 88s) and unsuited face cards paired with unconnected numbers are hard to use. Other Pot Limit Omaha hands that you should be careful of are the so called trap hands. These are the cards that look good but are actually very dangerous to play.

A good example of a trap hand is a low pair (i.e. 55) paired with another one on the flop. While the set can be very strong in Limit Holdem, what players should realize is that not only are there probably higher sets on the board (and in the other players' cards) but also a straight and a flush are also lurking at the turn and river.

If you want to play top pairs in Pot Limit Omaha, the best time to do it would be if you are also holding a pair of Aces or there is an Ace on the board that you can pair. Another Pot Limit Omaha starting hand that you need to avoid are those in sequence, like 5 to 2. The reason is that you will be holding a low straight, which is very vulnerable.

Pot Limit Omaha starting hands are extremely important, and should always be considered a priority in your strategies. By knowing which hands to play and to avoid, then you will be in a much better position to win the game.