Double Paired Hands in PL Omaha

Double paired hands in Omaha can be very valuable if they are played the right way. With a double paired hand, players can chase after the bigger hands that are likely to win a pot at showdown. Suited connectors and hands like that have value, but they aren’t usually going to come up with something that is absolutely dominant.

Look at playing double paired hands as playing a $20 lottery ticket vs. a $5 lottery ticket representing suited connector type hands. You might have a roughly equal chance of winning with each type of hand, but the double paired hand ($20 ticket) will allow for much bigger wins at a time.

Of course, increased risk also comes with the increased potential for a big pot. The effectiveness of your double paired hands will largely come down to how you play them. There are spots where 8855 will be well worth playing, while other times they could lose you a lot of money and should be a quick fold.

There are a number of variables that come into play whenever you are in a hand of Omaha, but double suited hands can make everything a bit trickier. You could have a double paired hand that is also connected, or your hand could even be double suited. The worth of any double paired hand is going to depend on a few crucial factors.

The first factor to consider is the strength of your pairs. The second factor is whether your hand is also connected or suited. The final primary factor, and there are some other smaller ones, is the price that you will need to pay to stay in the hand. After you breakdown these three elements with your double paired hands, playing them will be a lot easier.

Strength Pairs in Double Paired Hands

It goes without saying that pocket twos are a lot less valuable than pocket queens. Likewise, a pair of twos and fours is much weaker than a pair of eights and jacks. The main goal with any double paired hand is to make a set, a monster full house, or even quads. As a result, shooting for the smaller sets and full houses will be a lost cause.

There will be times where you make your set or full house and still end up behind in the hand. This is something that makes Omaha very different than NLHE. Big hands, even monster hands, are a dime a dozen in Omaha, so don’t waste your time investing a fortune into small double paired hands.

Just as you should not get too overzealous with smaller double paired hands, there can be major issues when you overplay bigger double paired hands. The actual cut off for small, medium, and big double paired hands is unclear, but you will develop a feel or what is super strong and what is not.

AAKK is clearly the biggest hand you could hope for, but if AAKK doesn’t improve by the time the river is dealt, there is a good chance that it is not the best hand. Don’t be afraid to push the action when you get a solid double paired hand, but also remember that your opponents can easily catch up if your hand fails to improve.

Double Paired Bonuses

Double paired hands can come with lots of bonuses, including connected hands and suited hands. The term paired bonuses was completely made up for this article, but you get a feel for what it means. Suited double paired hands will give you a great chance to make one of two different flushes, adding a lot of outs and opportunities to take down sizable pots. Connected hands, too, will give you a chance to win without landing a set, full house, or better.

Needless to say, double suited paired hands are better than connected hands. If you manage to get a double paired hand that is suited and connected, get ready to raise. These hands don’t come along often and are extremely strong in Omaha. Double paired hands are an asset themselves, but these additions make them better.

Don’t Forget the Obvious

When you are dealt a double paired hand, it can be easy to forget that you have not already won. A lot of players get caught up with their hands and really get out of line with their raises. You are not going to win pots pre flop. You absolutely must proceed with some degree of caution even when you start off with a strong double paired hand.

This entire section might seem completely unnecessary to you, but it is worth reiterating that double paired hands have zero value if you play them the wrong way. The ultimate value of your double paired hand is determined by who ships the pot at showdown, not who has the best hand pre flop.