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Playing Aces in Pot Limit Omaha

A pair of Aces is the best starting hand in Texas Hold'em, and it often is a very strong hand unimproved after the flop. However, Omaha has its quirks and tricks - the most easily identifiable is the obvious: you get four hole cards instead of two! As an effect of this, AAxx hands in Omaha are much less valuable than in Texas from the flop and onwards.

One of the most common mistakes that a player having just made the switch from Texas to Omaha make is playing AAxx hands like Aces in Hold'em post flop.

AAxx is an okay to very good starting hand, depending on side-cards and suits. But Omaha is a game played post flop to a larger extent than Texas. Even while AAKK double suited and AAJT double suited are regarded as the best starting hands, they are more or less worthless on a 764 rainbow flop if there is any action.

A good rule of thumb for playing AAxx hands in Omaha is that if you have raised preflop and face only one opponent, you should always bet and try to win the pot then and there. Against two or more opponents it is however often a bad idea to put more money in on the flop.

Naked Aces - by that I mean unimproved AAxx hands where the side cards do no hit any piece of the flop (like a straight draw or two pair) - are seldom playable post flop. Think of it as raising 65 from late position in Texas, getting called and the flop coming QJ5. You will bet to try to steal the pot, but not put any more money in the middle if you get called or raised.

If you do not hit a set with your Aces, you need at least a nut flush draw to go with your Aces to continue playing after the flop should there be any action. Let us, for the sake of argument, assume you raised AA83 with A3 of spades preflop. The flop comes QJ4 with two spades.

You bet out, and your opponent raise. This is one instance where you actually can continue playing, because you have both the over pair and the nut flush draw. If your opponent isn't completely clueless, he should have either two pair (QJxx), a wrap straight draw (like KT9x) or a set (QQxx/JJxx/44xx).

Against two pair you are either marginally ahead or marginally behind (practically a coin flip anyway), against a straight wrap you are ahead and against a set you are a substantial underdog with a one-in-three chance of winning. Not optimal, but not terrible.

But even on a flop as the one above there is a risk of you being a pretty big underdog, which only proves how tricky Aces are to play in Omaha. Play them carefully post flop and don't put money in the middle with naked Aces and you will have eliminated a huge leak!

Written by Andris Kangeris for 24hPoker.com

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