Okay, so I am new to Omaha and want to know what step #3 means in this system that ranks starting hands. Please help, because step 3 is super confusing. It makes no sense to me.

The system uses a step by step procedure in calculating the strength of your hole cards. The more points you get the better your hand. Well here it is:

FIRST, to evaluate the contribution made by suited cards, look to see if your hand contains two or more cards of the same suit. If it does, award points based upon the rank of the highest card. Repeat the procedure if your hand is double suited.

If the highest card is an ACE award 8 points
If the highest card is a KING award 6 points
If the highest card is a QUEEN award 5 points
If the highest card is a JACK award 4 points
If the highest card is a TEN or a NINE award 3 points
If the highest card is an EIGHT award 2 points
If the highest card is SEVEN or below award 1 point.

If your hand contains more than two cards of the same suit, deduct 2 points.


SECOND, to factor in the advantage of having pairs,

If you have a pair of ACES award 18 points
If you have a pair of KINGS award 16 points
If you have a pair of QUEENS award 14 points
If you have a pair of JACKS award 13 points
If you have a pair of TENS award 12 points
If you have a pair of NINES award 10 points
If you have a pair of EIGHTS award 8 points
If you have a pair of SEVENS or below award 7 points

Award no points to any hand that contains three of the same rank.


THIRD, when your hand contains cards capable of completing a straight it becomes more valuable. Therefore, If your cards contain no more than a three card gap, add the following points:

For FOUR cards, add 25 points

For THREE cards, add 18 points

For TWO cards, add 8 points

From these totals, subtract two points for each gap, up to a maximum of six points.

To account for the special case represented by ACES, deduct four points from the above totals when an Ace is used. This is necessary because an Ace can make fewer straights. However, when your hand contains small cards that can be used with an Ace to make a straight, the hand's value increases. Therefore, when your hand contains an Ace and another wheel card, add 6 points. Add 12 points for an Ace and two wheel cards.

I got it from this website: http://erh.homestead.com/Omaha.html

Step 3 is so confusing I've tried to work out how to do it in so many ways. Please help me.

Let me see if I got this right with this hand:

A Q 6 5

First, I award 8 points for the ace flush

Second, I award nothing because there are no pairs

Third, I award 8 points for AQ, but subtract 2 points since there is a gap and subtract 4 more since it is an ace making it add up to 2 points. I add an additional 8 points, because of the 65. I then add 6 points because of the wheel. This makes a total of 16 points

8+0+16= 24

So my hand's score is 24. Did I do this right?

Wow. Man, are you gonna be able to do that on the fly? Seems like a headache. Not to deter you from this but I don't think this system is a good thing for beginners.. or anybody.

Maybe try this thread.

I googled "Pot Limit Omaha starting hands" and found a few sites with decent info. Here is another.

Giving a hand point values isn't really necessary. You'll start to learn which hands are playable by repeatedly referring to [and studying away from the tables] visual charts, and getting a lot of experience.

Godson

Every hand is a starting hand in PLO. Whether its worth pursuing after the flop is important.

You are better off reading the sticky threads in this forum, than looking up hand charts off the web.

yep,
even tho something like this might be usefull for a total beginner to stop him make major mistakes preflop it sets u up for a completely wrong way of learnign and studying plo

the short term money u save by using this will cost u way more in the mid to long term

u need to understand the _reason_ why u make a play in poker, people get way to caught up in trying to play by a set of rules, hindering them to understand the thought process behind certain actions and thus advance and make adjustments on their own (this applies toa ton general life stuff as well obv, diets f.e. are a great example)

following a set standard of rules is also especially dangerous in a field like poker where results are so worthless as a way to evaluate strategies due to variance (even tho people vastly underestimate "real life variance" as well, here f.e. sports as an example )

Hello,

imo the Hutchinson point system is a great attempt.
It has leaks. Some times you get the same values for a strong or weakhand.
I wrote Mr Hutchinson about this.
He admits this, but has no time to redevelop the system.

I am no mathemacician at all, but I am working on a simple pointsystem. Also another poster on 2p2 is working on a pointsystem.

Plo has 263k starting hands. From which 17k distinct..
I believe a point system is the way to go. Just like a hud, its a great extra.

I will post my ideas for points. Hope you will test them.

If you are new to PLO you can also read books like from Jeff Hwang to get a basic idea about good hands.