[Editor's Note: This column is running out of sequence due to an error on our part. But if you are collecting all of Sam's Omaha/8 starting hands rules, now you have the missing piece to that
puzzle]
You are dealt A-3 along with a pair of fives. Well, it is not A-2 and your cards are not suited, but you do have three cards to a wheel and a pair. You have some counterfeit protection and say to yourself, "If no one in front of me decides to raise, I will." But how good a starting hand is A-3-5-5?
Rule 46-Eliminate any hand containing A-3 when combined with a pair of fives through nines and not suited, or combined with a pair of sixes through nines and low suited, or a pair of eights and back suited. The chart explains this rule.
Back suited, (BS) is when the two unpaired cards are suited to each other. In these cases it means the ace is suited to the unpaired card. This provides a possible draw to a nut flush. Low suited (LS) is when the lowest ranked, unpaired card is suited to the pair. An ace is always considered high to determine how a hand is suited. In this case the trey is suited to the pair. NS means the hand is unsuited. Gray boxes represent starting hands that are unprofitable or marginally profitable. This rule eliminates three marginal and three unprofitable starting hands.
The chart clearly indicates that it's better to have the high card suited instead of the low one, and that suited in any way is better than unsuited. Other than flush potential, the hands will all form the same low or high. The A-3-5-5 referenced above, while profitable, will return on average a marginal $0.70.
Now lets take a look at A-4.
Rule 47-Eliminate any hand containing an A-4 when combined with a pair of fives through queens when unsuited, a pair of fives through jacks when low suited, a pair of sixes through nines when back suited, or a pair of sevens through nines when high suited. Again, a chart is useful.
These charts are visual aids, and one should attempt to remember as we move from left to right-or from better suited to unsuited-the range of unplayable hands increases. A-4 combined with a pair of bandits, (sevens, eights or nines) is unplayable. When unsuited, every hand except A-4-K-K is unplayable. Remember, A-4 combined with a four or less would form another hand type. A-4 when low suited allows A-4-Q-Q to become profitable; otherwise it is the same as the unsuited version.
Notice that as the rank of the pairs approach the ace the profitability increases. It also increases as the rank of the pairs decrease. This reinforces the dual capability of the profitable ace. If we were to turn the chart 180 degrees to the right the mathematician and statisticians will observe the formation of a near normal distribution curve. This is also referred to as a bell curve because of its resemblance to a bell's cross-section. The further away we move from the bandits, the more profitable our starting hands become. A total of 19 hands are eliminated with this rule. They consist of eight marginal and 11 unprofitable,
Rule 48-Eliminate any hand containing an A-5 when paired with a bandit regardless of how suited, when combined with a pair of sixes or tens and not double suited, and a pair of jacks when unsuited.
Here again we may observe the negative effect of the bandits. Even when double suited, (DS) the bandits could not survive. Notice that the A-5-6-6 and A-5-T-T mirror each other across all categories. The A-5-J-J with its ace- and jack-high flushes is helped along unless it is unsuited. Only A-5 combined with a pair of queens or kings survive in suited or unsuited form. The high straight draws offered by a pair of queens and kings along with their high pair quality turn unsuited versions of these hands profitable. This rule eliminates three marginal and 13 unprofitable hands, for a total of 16.
Rule 49-Eliminate any hand beginning with an A-4 or A-5 that does not contain a pair and ends with a 9-6 through 9-K. This rule eliminates 63 starting hands, six marginal, and 57 unprofitable hands, demonstrating the negative impact of the worst bandit, the nine. Even when combined with a king or queen and suited, these starting hands are just not profitable.
So what have we learned? The A-3 even when combined with another prime card even if it is a pair may not be as profitable as you think.
Sam Mudaro, BA, MBA, is a practicing tax accountant and financial executive with 35 years of analytical business expertise. He uses simulation software to analyze and develop strategies for Omaha/8 and other forms of poker. Reach Sam at: realguru2003@yahoo.com.
