Omaha is an excellent variation of poker that adds an additional level of excitement. In PLO, players are dealt four cards instead of two, which makes for many more starting hand combinations.

In fact, there are 270,725 possible combinations of cards you can be dealt in PLO, compared to only 1,326 in Texas Hold’em. This makes for 16,432 different PLO starting hands.

Given that there are so many possible starting hands in PLO, it makes sense that the relative value of hands goes down. Whereas hands like pocket queens are a top three hand in Hold’em, in PLO they don’t even qualify as a strong starting hand.

So, what are the strongest Omaha hands?

What are the best Omaha starting hands?

Statistically speaking, these are the best Omaha starting hands. They are all double-suited, meaning they contain exactly two cards of one suit and two of another:

1. AAKK
2. AAJT
3. AAQQ
4. AAJJ
5. AATT
6. AA99
7. AAXX
8. JT98
9. KKQQ
10. KKJJ
11. KQJT
12. KKTT
13. KKAQ
14. KKAJ
15. KKAT

You can see here that pocket aces are still the strongest cards in the game. But the overall strength of the hand will depend on the other cards that you’re holding. Offsuit aces aren’t great. And ideally you want your aces to be combined with another strong pair or Broadway connectors, always double-suited.

Four cards, not two

For Hold’em players, the first realization to make is that great PLO hands are made up of four cards that all work in combination with each other. It’s no good having just a pocket pair in PLO – you need multiple ways to win the pot.

The strongest Omaha starting hands contain premium pairs that can improve to sets. They are double-suited for the chance to make two flushes. And they have connecting cards that can hit straights, and have a lot of potential to hit the nuts.

Let’s take A-A-K-K, double suited, the very best Omaha staring hand. You’ve already got top pair with the aces. You can also hit a set of aces or kings, make the nut flush with two different suits, hit the top end of a Broadway straight, and even a royal flush.

All four cards work in combination, which is exactly what makes a good PLO starting hand.

Using exactly two hole cards

Although you’re dealt four cards in Omaha, you can only ever use exactly two of your hole cards, along with three of the board cards, to make your hand. So, you need to be watch out for cards that look good, but that actually block your own hand.

An example of this is holding A-A-A-X or K-K-K-X.  It might look like you have trips, but you can’t actually use the third hole card. In reality, you still have a pair, but now you’re holding one of your own outs, reducing the chance that you’ll make a set.

Another example is having three or four cards of the same suit, which again blocks your own hand. This is nowhere near as promising as having two cards of one suit and two cards of another. They give you the best opportunity to hit a flush or pick up a playable draw.

Knowing that we can only use two hole cards, let’s think about the worst hand in PLO, which is 2-2-2-2. Again, it looks like you have an amazing hand. You’re holding quads. Apart from you’re not. You’re actually holding a pair of deuces that has absolutely no chance of improving on the board.

Breaking down strong Omaha hands

The list of the top 15 PLO starting hands at the beginning of this article will guide you when it comes to hand selection. But it also helps to know the general rules behind what makes an Omaha hand strong. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Double-suited – The strongest PLO hands are always double suited, giving you a chance to hit flushes with two different suits.
• Strong double pairs – A pair of aces is great, even better when it is combined with another strong pair like kings, queens or jacks. These combos can hit more sets, as well as straights and flushes.
• Strong pairs with broadways – If you don’t have a premium double paired hand, strong pairs with broadways are the next best thing. Again these give you loads of options, including more opportunities to hit a straight. A-A-J-T, for example, is the second best starting hand.
• Rundowns – Now we get to rundowns, which are the equivalent of suited connectors and vary greatly in strength. The strongest rundown hands are J-T-9-8 and K-Q-J-T. They can flop ‘wraps’, straight draws with up to 20 outs.

As mentioned, in PLO you want all four cards to work together to tick as many boxes as possible.