These are tricky hands to play because they are statistically much more powerful than they are 'realistically.' Basically, there are many situations where your AA alone (along with say a pair on the board) can take the high but you would have a hard time continuing to play. I always play AAxx, usually with a raise because it is less likely anyone else has a strong hand and AAxx against few players is a powerful hand, even AA97 no suits) but folding something like AA97 preflop is not a bad play by any means, IMO. I may have a different view in a few days once I finish an O8 starting hands article

I fold AA97 or AAJ8 hands all the time.

To me AAxx is like 23xx, it looks a lot better than it is. These hands rarely scoop and often leave you in call-down mode with non-nut hands. A few years back i did some tracking with AA, 23, and A4s hands and cocncluded that they are ok from LP for 1 bet but thats about it.

In a 6 handed game they are much stronger but in a full ring game a case can be made to fold every AAxx, 23xx, and A4xx hand you are dealt.

I wouldn't worry about 2+2's thoughts here since I was once told that raising A56K with a suited Ace is the right play from late position against 1 limper.

The problem is that there are 2 ways to play Omaha 8: tight, playing A2, A3 type hands almost exclusively and fairly loose taking the play any 3 wheel card aproach i.e. 245 and marginal high only hands

apparently both methods work from what I have seen and been told but you can't play both. In my opinion the tight method is more productive long term, not only win rate but also taking variance into account. the loose method allows for those huge wins but also makes for huge losses.

I used to play regularly with a loose player on Party and he was routinely doubling his buy in but also would lose a full buy in quite often to. Where I rarely lose a buy in playing Omaha 8.

Beavis, I only raise AA2x, AA3x with a suited Ace or better or AA34, AA35, AA35 hands. I just limp with the rest unless I can open Raise from mid position or better or the game is shorthanded.

The main reason to raise in a loose Omaha 8 game is because you have a scoopable hand. Raising AA4 is not going to make an A2 or A3 fold so it is an almost pointless raise, especially because hitting your Ace kills any low chance you have. These are hands that I like to see a cheap flop with and hope to hit a monster.

Do you play in games where people fold A3xx to raises? If they do than raising AA5x is a good play but if they don't you are better off seeing the flop and letting 1 or 2 other donks with 3467 and JJK5 in as well.

With 2+ callers you are going to have to improve to win (for the most part) and go to showdown so you may as well let a few other donks in that don't have much of a chance to win either side if you improve. Raising just leaves you against legit hands and eliminates the dead money hands.

Of course they will occasionally win but that is poker and it also keeps them playing those shit hands in the future.

There are many schools of thought on preflop raises in O8. I prefer to raise often but it is usually to build pots and not to get players out. If you think players will fold to your raises, be very careful about raising with say, A234 and end up heads up against someone with A2KK.

I rarely end up in a game where a raise gets it heads up but I agree with that to a point.

I raise A2WX with a suited ace almost every time especially after limpers. In a tighter game I just limp in up front with these hands. But, I raise a lot more preflop than most people because I play this game very well post-flop

I already ran the experiment, trust me its not a good idea