Starting hands (newbie)

[cbloom]

Ok, I know, I did read the FAQ, I did search, I can't find anything. If there's another thread, please point me to it.

If not, I was hoping you guys could just give your opinion on a good starting hand guide for newbies, like "read Ciaffone". I've found a lot of point systems online, do you recommend any of them?

(also, I know, I know, "it depends" on who's in the pot, position, stacks, blah blah blah, I just want something to get started with)

[cbloom]

Like, is the Hutchison system kind of okay? Is there a better guide anywhere?

http://www.thepokerforum.com/omahasystem.htm

[chucky]

Most players here determine their hand play largely by position. So utg-mp1 full wraps/qqxx+. partial wraps and JJxx get much more play mp2 and later. On button some players will play two gappers and other lightly connected hands. Omaha is tough to give a starting hand guide for because there are so many possible hands. Here is an introduction to thinking about starting hands written by ciaffone, <http://pokercoach.us/OMch.htm> .

[chucky]

If you have a hand like qsts9d8d, be careful. Q high flush tends to lose much of the time in a multiway pot. The value for suited cards lower that k suited is mostly in blocking other people's flush draws.

[Johnny#5]

As you know there are literally hundreds of thousnds of starting hands so a chart is not practical. In general I would say play anything where all 4 cards are coordinated in some way. Hands that can make wrap draws like 4567 or 9TJQ are good hands to play in position. You will often get hands like 3 connectors with a suited ace or a suited ace with a pair, I usually play those too. A lot of people don't advise playing medium pairs because you can get outsetted or make a losing underfull, but that usually doesn't stop me from playing them if they have something else going for them too. At low limits be wary of calling raises with KKxx or QQxx or Axxx hands because these tend to be dominated pretty badly. It's kinda analogous to hold'em in that the best ace crackers are suited wrap hands. Like someone else said these hands don't have much flush value multiway but are very strong heads up against a guy with a marked hand. The strongest hands are obvious ... but be wary of playing AAxx aggressively where xx are crap cards.

Higher pairs can be played for set value (and only for set value) at lower limits from most any position. If you want to be a decent winner at low limits you have to get in there and raise to build some pots b/c if you don't and you flop the joint you will come out hammering and only win a dinky pot when everyone folds. But your raises shouldn't turn over your hand either, so you need to mix it up and not just raise 4 paints or AA or whatever only.

In general try to play hands that can make the nuts, and try to avoid those that can be expensive losers multiway. Big losers are things such as non-nut flushes and weak full houses. Heads-up you don't have to worry about that as much though.

You might want to post what limits you intend to play, as at different limits you will want to play different hands.

[BigSlick75093]

Go buy yourself TJ Cloutier's Championship Omaha book

[cbloom]

Well I'm a pretty experienced NL hold'em player trying to get into Omaha. I was planning on starting at very low limits and moving up as I get comfortable. From what I can tell at the low limits it's even more crucial to make nut hands as you'll often be multi-way and people will pay you off even if you're very nitty, so I was planning on playing suited aces and kings but not giving much value to lower suited stuff.

For example, something like QJT9 ds is often called a monster hand, but it seems like the suited aspect is not that great at low limits in multiway pots, I'd rather have something like AAKQ ds since I can make the nut flushes.

[cbloom]

[ QUOTE ]
Go buy yourself TJ Cloutier's Championship Omaha book

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard that book is not very well liked anymore, Ciaffone's is superior. (?)

[jonnyd]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I'm a pretty experienced NL hold'em player trying to get into Omaha. I was planning on starting at very low limits and moving up as I get comfortable. From what I can tell at the low limits it's even more crucial to make nut hands as you'll often be multi-way and people will pay you off even if you're very nitty, so I was planning on playing suited aces and kings but not giving much value to lower suited stuff.

For example, something like QJT9 ds is often called a monster hand, but it seems like the suited aspect is not that great at low limits in multiway pots, I'd rather have something like AAKQ ds since I can make the nut flushes.

[/ QUOTE ]

AAJT is better than AAKQ exponentially

[Johnny#5]

Well, problem is if you wait for the hands that they talk about in articles like TJQK double suited and AAKQ and AAJT ds, etc. then you will be waiting for a long time and you will be missing out on a lot of opportunities. You will be playing hands like 789J with three of the same suit, A488 single suited, 3456 rainbow, 579J ds, and other weaker hands like that. Just look for anything that can flop a huge hand.

You will, at the micro limits, see nitty rocks that are playing on tons of tables that never bet anything but the nuts and fold the vast majority of hands. They are leaving a lot of money on the table. Strive not to be like them if you want your skills to progress in any significant way whatsoever. The low limit PLO games are very soft, in fact so soft that the nits can profit from them by sheer set mining.

You need to just get in there and play a little. You will figure it out pretty quickly. Just remember that you can play more hands in this game than holdem, so don't just wait for AAxx or TJQKds or whatever "premium hand" cause you'll a) die of boredom and b) be missing out on a lot of opportunities.