Top Rated Omaha Starting Hands

Playing Texas Hold'em with a good starting hand can keep you ahead of the competition tape to tape. The start of starting hand that can make you an almost instant winner is much more elusive in the game of Omaha. Regardless of how good you think your initial cards are, there is still the very real chance that you will be in a dog fight for the entire hand. With that said, all starting hands are not created equal, and there are some which give you better chances to win than others do. The most effective starting hands in Omaha are those that allow you to hit two pair as well as your draw. A good example of just this sort of starting hand would be the following hand:

10JKQ

These cards give you a whole range of options on the flop and in the game of Omaha, diversity and flexibility in a starting hand is exactly what your looking for.

If you find yourself playing a hand that has a pair of overcards that are combined with a couple of other high value cards. This gives a player an instant edge, with a high pair, and also some versatility with the other two cards. An example of just such a hand is the following:

JKAA

If you have this sort of hand, or a similar one, a good thing to do is raise. Showing strength, while you have it, may get some of the more timid players to fold. You don't want competitors hanging around with drawing hands, and possibility getting lucky when you have an high pair.

If you have a hand that contains only a high pair and not much else, than conventional wisdom says to fold. Conventional wisdom is not always right. Anything can happen on the flop and with a high pair you may want to hang around long enough to see the community cards. Just make sure seeing the flop is not an expensive proposition. An inexpensive flop may be worth the money, but if somebody starts raising to the hilt, they probably have you beat. Fold your cards.

That is the basics of starting hands. Applied properly, the decisions you make before the flop can result in more pots and less wasted money.

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