In Omaha, the best hand on the flop is usually not the best hand by the river.
Hands change in Holdem, too, especially by the river, but in Omaha, it’s unusual when they don’t change on every street.
That’s why the best hands in Omaha not only hit the flop, they have potential to get even better.
Those are called redraws in Omaha, and they’re extremely important.
In fact, redraws are a reason why experienced players are careful about overplaying flopped straights. They know if there’s any flush draw on the board, their hand may not be good by the river, and they also know the same thing if the board pairs.
Redraws are a big reason why a hand like A-K-Q-J is a good hand, but it’s not nearly as powerful if it’s a rainbow hand (different suits). The chances for redraws are lower than a hand that’s double-suited and a pair in the hand.
Redraws are also a reason why sets, especially top set, are great hands. They figure to be the best hand on the flop, and even if they aren’t, you always have draws to a full house if the board pairs.
This is another reason why the last tip about being careful with A-A is important. A trash A-A hand, like A-A-8-2 rainbow, doesn’t give you much of a chance for a redraw.
You don’t want to overvalue your redraws. If a draw is all you have, for instance, like a naked flush draw, you want to make sure you’re getting the right price to call. And if you know you’re behind, and your opponent bets the pot against you on the turn, you might consider folding.
But a hand like a set with a flush redraw is an extremely valuable hand, and it’s perfectly fine to get your chips in the middle, even if you know your opponent flopped a straight.
Made hands with redraws are usually favorites over other hands like flopped straights.
In fact, if you don’t have a redraw to make the best hand, you might consider folding when you’re faced with a lot of heat. Yes, that might mean checking and calling with your flopped straight and proceeding with caution until the river. Even flopped straights can fall victim to redraws to higher straights, so it’s OK to fold a straight on the flop, even if it’s the best hand right then.
You always have to think about what your opponent might be drawing to in Omaha. Having a good redraw in your hand removes some of the stress of playing a made hand on the flop.
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