what to do with preflop upper pairs in ohama

[Saint Joel 0]

im fairly new to omaha and omaha h/l, but i have faired pretty well in sng's and ring games for both, probably becuase while im only a weak player, the rest are weaker (i play at micro limits), anyways i was wondering peoples strategies with QQxx and KKxx before the flop in omaha ...do you raise a lot? i feel like this hand is significantly weaker than QQ and KK in holdem (granted i know it matters what the other two cards are). in my experience, i expect a lot of action even with a raise, it seems almost not worth it to raise (atleast too hard) before the flop only to see an ace or three connecting cards or something like that on the flop in a four-five way pot. id apprecaite thoughts from all, and please specify all situations ie double-suited, with an ace, another smaller pair, with two rags, or with straight possibities, or combos of any of the preceeding.

[bampote 0]

I only can say my experiences with H/L, but I never play KKxx or QQxx without strong support, such as the hand being double-suited, and even then, it's iffy based on the action. I find they get you in a lot of trouble, as you're not drawing to nut flushes and there aren't many ways to improve. Now, if you have a decent low draw (A2KK, A3QQ), they become much stronger, but I usually toss naked KK and QQ hands away, as they are very difficult to play postflop and very rarely winners (in my experience, at least.)

[Abbaddabba 0]

They're worth nothing if they don't hit. Hitting a set is by the river, what, roughly 1/8? They're not bad to see, but certainly not great either.

[Emptyeye 0]

8:1 to flop your set, I think it's about 5:1 to hit it by the river.Anyway, I generally play them like I would play small pocket pairs in Hold 'Em--jam the pot if I hit a set (And it's the top set), check/fold if I don't. The suitedness of the hand doesn't really matter (Unless it's suited with one of the other two cards being an Ace), because second-nut flushes will get you into trouble fast in Omaha. In Pot Limit, I might pull the reviled mini-raise to be able to protect the hand in terms of raw monetary value if I do hit my set (And easily get away if I don't).

[Shaffer 0]

With no set: check/foldWith non-top set: bet but don't raiseWith top set on a highly coordinated board: treat as drawing hand to a boatWith top set on a somewhat coordinated board: bet but don't raiseWith top set on a non-coordinated board: cap itWith a top-set-boat: cap it

[HtotheNootch 0]

You really need to post your xx cards.If you have QsQd2S3D that hands good to go, but if you have QsQd7c9h then you probably want to muck/play for one bet and see the flop. Unfortunately, all I can say is - it depends.

[Guest]

The XX cards always determine what I decide to do with high pair.If I have KKQJ or similar hands, suited or not (preferably suited), I call typical pre-flop action. Two reasons:1. If my hand hits on a high card flop, say AKT, or 9TJ, you are a good bet to scoop the pot. When the flop has two high cards and you play your high pair with runners, you have good odds of having the nuts. All the times you scoop will more than make up for the times you fold.2. They are easy to get away from--if you don't hit on the flop, fold. Easy call.If there is an abnormally large raise pre-flop (P/L, N/L), then I always fold.When I play KK w/ only middle cards (4-t) I always fold.W/ KK w/low cards are usually limited to 2,3 or 2,4 w/ at least one K suited. Since you have no protection on low hands it is easy to miss, and when you hit, you usually split. I find I don't scoop very often w/ KK low card.Interested to what others think.

[brian67 0]

Any hand worth playing in omaha doesn't have XX in it. Every card, and its relationship to the other cards in your hand is important. Without two coordinated cards to support a high pair, the high pair is a weak hand.

[srblan 0]

I think that your question is probably answered by now, but just to reiterate, do we raise? In O8b, nope, in PLO, maybe, provided that the hand is coordinated, since KK or QQ alone (like KK84) is actually a really bad hand. KK23 or QQ23 are decent hands in O8, AKK2 or hands like that are quite strong. I still am not that crazy about raising with a hand like AKK2 because that usually signals to your opponents that your hand has an A2 in it and will allow them to adjust accordingly. If the hand comes something like K 3 8, you might cause someone with a set of 8s to fold because they are afraid of your low, you want them in for as long as possible, since you are very likely to scoop or 3/4, and they are very likely to pay you off with a second best holding.