Omaha High/Low is a popular version of Omaha Poker. In
this game the winnings are shared by the best and the worst hands,
fifty-fifty. The lowest hand should be 8 or lower and no pair. You can use
different cards for both hands and it is possible for one player to win them
both. If no player has the lowest hand then the highest hand wins it all.
Like in Omaha Poker, players use only 2
cards of the pocket cards and 3 communal cards but they can also use
different cards for both low and high hand. Each player is dealt 4 cards
face down. The betting is exactly the same as in Omaha Poker and Texas
Hold'em. Tips and strategy for Omaha High/Low Poker. Low hand must be 8 or
lower (8765432A). The lowest of high cards wins (A2345678). If 2 or more
players have the high card of equal value, the next high card determines the
winner. This part must be understood by players. The lowest hand is always
determined by the highest card it contains. The 5 examples below demonstrate
how it works.
Player 1.
8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2.
7, 6, 4, 3, 2
Player 2
wins
because 7
is the lowest high card.
Player 1.
8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2.
8, 7, 4, 3, A
Player 1
wins
because 6
is the lowest high card.
Player 1.
8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2.
8, 6, 3, 2, A
Player 2
wins
because 3
is the lowest high card.
Player 1.
8, 7, 6, 4, 2
Player 2.
8, 7, 6, 5, A
Player 1
wins
because 4
is the lowest high card.
Straight or Flush is not a low hand. The
only exception is 5,
4, 3, 2, A – this is not a good
hand. You can win a big pot with this type of hand.
Wi?kszo?? uk?adów zawieraj?cych karty
6-9, zalicza siea do uk?adów s?abych. Cz?sto tworz? silne uk?ady, które
jednak s? bite przez pozosta?ych Playery.
Grywalne r?ce:
A-A-2-x
A-A-3-x
A-A-4-5
A-2-3-x
A-2-K-K
A-2-Q-Q
A-2-J-J
A-3-4-5
A-A-x-x
A-2-K-Q
A-2-K-J
A-2-x-x (suited Ace)
A-3-K-K
A-3-4-x
2-3-4-5 (fold je?eli nie ma Asa na flopie)
J-Q-K-A
T-J-Q-K
K-K-Q-J
Q-J-T-9
2-3-4-x (fold je?eli nie ma Asa na flopie)
Wszystkie uk?ady sk?adaj?ce sie z kart od 10 do A
ainst 8-2 off). Here no combination has a greater advantage than
65 to 35. A pot limit will add additional restriction – before flop it is not
easy to considerably cut the number of players in the game. Remembering that
there are 6 combinations in each player's hand, you realize how complicated the
game really is.
The only hand that you want to get all-in before the flop is
like in Hold'em a pair of Aces. Of course it's also better to have A-A-K-Q
double suited than A-A-7-2, because it so often happens it's those 2 cards that
win the game for us. Each hand consisting of Aces has an advantage over those
without. Sometimes this advantage is not that great but it's always there. Of
course, we're talking about a pre-flop game. After the flop, discarding Aces
should not be a problem if the communal cards are disadvantageous. Players who
are obsessed about their hands lose most of the time. They may get A Flush
without an Ace, a Straight that is not the Nuts, or a low Full House. Those are
hands that most frequently lose in Omaha. You have to know when to quit.
So-called calling stations (players who call to the bitter end in Hold'em) are
dream opponents in Omaha.
Since you know that Aces are the best cards before the flop,
there comes a question of how to play them. Especially when there is a Pot Limit
restriction. According to Phil Hellmuth, there is a very simple rule there:
“don’t raise with Aces, reraise!”. The first
raise in Pot Limit Omaha is usually very small and it will not scare a great
number of players away. If you are in early position and you double the pot, the
pot is still very small and you'll find a few eager players who will want to
call, and your Aces will have a difficult task ahead of them. If you call first
and wait for someone to raise, then a reraise will have a much bigger impact.
Generally, you should reraise any time when you are in a late position and there
are a number of players in a game. If despite of a huge reraise some players
continue to play, then you have to be prepared to double the pot when your turn
comes regardless of what cards have come on the flop. It is a very difficult
task but you will benefit from it in the long run. Remember that it is your
opponent who's got more difficult task. If one of you opponents calls after the
flop, you will have to start to play extremely carefully. At this point a lot
depends on how well you know your opponents and how they play. It's probably
easy to guess what tactics is used against players with Aces or other strong
hand who decided to reraise before the flop. On average, these bets will not be
very high, that's why you have to be prepared for a greater number of calls than
in Hold'em. Of course, it's always better to call when your hand has a great
potential: J-T-9-8, Ah-7h-J-J or Q-Q-T-T.
Later on, on the flop you should be able to assess whether your hand is worth
anything. However if you are playing only against one opponent whose play
suggests that he's got a pair of Aces, the strength of your hand
considerably goes up on the flop. If you are sure that these are Aces that
you're up against (a single opponent), there's a pretty good chance that you
might win with a low Flush or Straight. Remember that sometimes you may take
your chances and call a big reraise together with a few other callers, even with
at first weak hand. It is possible that some players who have called will use
the same out's. As a result, the strength of hands like
7-7-6-5 or 6-6-5-5 goes up. But this is
a you're right or you're wrong type of play.
Now when you know what to be looking for and how to play
before the flop, it's time to get to actual play on the flop. The real game is
about to begin.
