blonde poker forum

What do people consider to be the best starting hand in Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo?

Hi i go for for AAJT ds

Lo i go for AA23 ds

 Ad Jd Ah Th

i go for either:-

 Ac Asp Ks Kc

or

 Th Jh Qc  Kc for hi

and:-

 Ad 2d Ac 3c

or

 Kd Kh 3d 2h  for lo

sounds good.

the last one's different though. Why do u have a fancy for that hand?

cuz if an ace comes you have a chance for the nut flush and low, you may well be behind but have an excellent draw :)
especially for the low against someone with A 2.

I think the problem with that hand is that if the ace flops, then, although you've got the nut low in your sights, you're probably going to be losing the high to top pair. Drawing to trips kings or a low straight is a longshot and therefore makes it tricky for you to win the whole pot. If I was to play a hand like this, I'd rather have something like JT with my 23.

Plus, you don't have the nut flush draws.

I'm no pro tho and know very little.

yes you do have the nut flush draws, it's just a hand i like is all.
I like any connecting hand at high, just preference.

And to think, i nearly always fold KK23!!

Stick with me kid, i'll get you in profit  :D :D :D :D :D :D

Do you win much with hands #2 and 4?

lol yeah i forgot to comment on hand 2 after reading hand 4!!

IFM hands 1,2 and 3 are profitable hands but hand 4 has to be played with extreme care infact so much so that any new player to the game should avoid at all costs

Hand2 is a good un as are any connectors in fact (remember this is high).
As for 4, i agree totally Iron it's a good 'sneaky' hand. Not worth too much preflop but can win huge pots post.

i think  Ks As Ah Kh is the best possible starting hand isnt it?

thats what ive always been led to believe

The argument between AAJT ds and AAKK ds is you are more likely to be paid off with flushes with AAJT if your foe has KKds, and the AAJT makes more straights. Its so rare to get them that its a bit esoteric. I think the best Omaha hand is one that can break your opponents Aces when he can't lay them down on a flop.

the only advantage of AAKK over AAJT is if u happen to hit ur king and miss your ace.

I have no idea why people think it is so good! And as redsimon says, you take away the chance someone has a king flush!

I only asked this question because in his book, 'Play Poker Like the Pros', Phil Hellmuth suggests that  Ad Ac Kc Kd was the best hand.

He then mentions that Cloutier would go for  Ad Ac Jd Tc instead.

So which is the best and why?

I'd go for the AAJTds because, as has been said before, with AAKKds nobody will make a K high flush with your nut flush. Also I think AAJTds is easier to let go of on a bad flop.
I remember the first couple of times I was dealt AAKKds I made some bad calls just coz I wanted to show it down. (low limits)

I don't have the software to run both in high speed simulation against random hands in all positions against intelligent opponents. I opted not to purchase Turbo Omaha High as I don't play limit Omaha. I'd wager that AAKKds does best in this simulation.
In Pot Limit Omaha, however, I think AAJ10ds would show a better profit. It is playable on a wider variety of flops.

In real terms which is better, doesn't matter much, you'll be dealt the hands very rarely and the difference between them so slight that your pre-flop play will be prety much identical with both hands.

In omaha any old filth is rarely that much of a dog to any of the hands mentioned above. The best advice I read about omaha is that there is no hand worth raising with...reraising thats a different story. I like any hand with 4 working cards (4567, 7899 etc as well as the obvious aakj, aa dbl suited hands), any dangler/odd card devalues the hand too much. The debate between AAKK or AATJ is a simple one for me- AATJ every day of the week- a lot more hands you can make to get paid on.