Omaha Poker Strategy – Starting Hands


In this Omaha Poker Strategy article, we’ll thoroughly explore the making of the various starting hands that a player can confidently move forward with in Omaha poker. We’ll also describe how each hand should be played according to your position at the table. Practice and memorize this Omaha poker strategy to become a better Omaha poker player and hopefully a frequent winner.

Omaha Poker Strategy – Starting Hand Selection

The first thing we should mention is how important a player’s position factors into the starting hand selection. The strength of your hand may be very good from one position, but an immediate folding situation in another.

In general, when a player is Under the Gun (first player to act, left of Big Blind)
your starting hand will lose strength, no matter how good it appears. In the same token, when in the late position (On the Dealer button, Small Blind or Big Blind), your hand becomes stronger. The only hand that will hold up from any position is a premium starting hand.

For beginner Omaha poker players, please remember that no matter how good your starting hand appears to be, you will only be allowed to use two of the cards in your final hand, not all 4. This degree of improper hand evaluation is one of the most common mistakes made by novices.

Omaha Poker Strategy – Premium Starting Hands

Premium starting hands in Omaha poker should be played no matter what position you are in. However, as you will see from the chart below, your actions may change due to position.

  • Pair of Aces Double Suited (example: As-Ah-9s-4h)
  • Raise/Re-Raise from any position
  • Pair of Aces + High Connectors (example: A-A-J-T)
  • Raise/Re-Raise from any position.
  • High Pair Double Suited (example: Ks-Kh-Js-5h)
  • Call/Raise from early position, Raise/Re-Raise from late position.
  • High Double Pair (example: A-A-K-K)
  • Call/Raise from any position; Re-Raise if Double Suited.


These make up the best, premium Starting Hands in Omaha Poker.

Omaha Poker Strategy – Great Starting Hands

Next we’ll detail what are considered to be great starting hands in Omaha Poker. These do not have quite the value of premium starting hands, but should still be played from any position.

  • Double Suited Connectors (example: 5s-6s-8h-10h)
  • Call from early position, Raise from late position
  • Double Pairs, High and Middle (example: A-A-9-9)
  • Call from early position, Raise from late position
  • Double Pair, High and Low (example: K-K-3-3)
  • Call from any position
  • All Connectors (example: 8-9-J-K)
  • Call from any position
  • Double Suited (example: 2h-4h-9c-Ac)
  • Call from any position


Omaha Poker Strategy – Good Starting Hands

Last, we will describe all Omaha poker hands that are considered good starting hands. These are considered marginal hands, some of which should only be played from late position if no other player has raised.

  • Double Middle Pairs (example: 7-7-9-9)
  • Check/Fold from early position, Bet/Call from late position
  • Single Suited + High Connectors (example: 2h-7c-Qc-Ks)
  • Check/Fold from early position, Bet/Call from late position
  • Double Pairs, Middle and Low (example: T-T-4-4)
  • Check/Fold from early position, Check/Call from late position
  • Double Low Pairs (example: 2-2-5-5)
  • Check/Fold from any position


Omaha Poker Strategy – Late Position Bluffing

There is one more factor that should play into your Omaha poker starting hand strategy, and that is the element of deceit – i.e. Bluffing. When you find yourself seated in late position – on the Button or Blind position - Bluffing becomes a highly valuable asset to your late position poker strategy.

When seated in late position, you will have the opportunity to see how your opponents react to their own situation before making a decision. With any of the Omaha poker starting hands listed above, and even some of those that didn’t make the grade, you can easily steal the blinds by raising from late position.

To pull off a late position bluff, you’ll need no other player to have raised before you, and one or two limpers at best still active in the hand. The more players that call the Big Blind, the lower your chances are of everyone dropping out. If a player makes a low raise, or there are too many players limping, only Semi-Bluffs should be made.

A Semi-Bluff is when you have a decent enough hand that you think you will still win the pot if others do not fold out. The good and great starting hands in the Omaha poker strategy above are generally perfect for Semi-Bluffing in late position.