This is an omaha 8 article I wrote for Life's A Bluff back in '07. I reread this recently and felt this still has some great info for low-mid limit players. This was primarily geared toward low stakes limit omaha 8 games, but the concepts can certainly be carried over into PL/NL variations and tournaments. I haven't been playing much O8 in the last couple of years, but it still is one of my favorite games. I also think there are some cool things you can do in the NL variation, which has picked up in popularity somewhat recently (and wasn't even offered in 2007 to my knowledge). Also, there are many more advanced plays and concepts in the PL/NL variations that would be interesting to investigate, so maybe a new article is overdue.
Omaha High-Low (Top Secret!)
Hi everybody! I hope everyone is doing well and life is good. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to post a new article, but I think it’s because I’ve had so many new ideas running through my head. Or maybe it’s because I’m just too obsessed with playing poker! It’s good to be back and I think I’ve got some pretty good tips and tidbits for you all this week.
Before I get into some strategy, I need to give a little background on myself. Maybe it’s a confession. My whole life I’ve always been interested in games, sports, or basically anything competitive. I think this is simply because I really enjoy learning new things. The topic doesn’t really matter; I just love absorbing new information. I’m a sponge. The competition just makes learning things exciting.
Poker is a perfect choice for me because there’s always something new to learn. Whether it be learning strategic ideas, different variations of the game, psychology, theory, etc. there is always the mental challenge that I constantly crave. The money from poker isn’t bad either!
Being the nerd that I am, I read a couple poker books this week. One is a new NL hold ‘em tournament book that has recently caused a lot of controversy with some top game theorists and professionals. This book was an eye opener, but I’m saving that one for next week. However, the book that’s inspiring this article (which I haven’t read in about two years until this week) is a true gem to any low limit player.
Unfortunately, I can’t get into basic play and set up in this article. Each online site has rules posted for the variations of poker they offer, so I’d advise you to check there first if you’ve never played Omaha high-low before. For those of you who already know the basics, then I truly hope that I can help out by adding a little extra to your income.
I’m going to describe strategy that has helped me in low to mid level limit cash games in the last two years. These ideas can apply to tournaments and pot limit Omaha high-low in most situations, but, for the sake of this article, cash games will be the focus. I’m simply going to make a list of tips and common mistakes I see made in games everyday. Let’s dive right in!
There are two types of Omaha high-low games. One type is a very tight, aggressive game where few players are contending for pots. These games are mostly played at the higher limits and the post flop play resembles that of high limit hold ‘em games.
The other type is mostly played at the lower limits (usu. $10-20 and below) and has many players seeing flops and calling down with weak hands. I prefer the latter and so should you. This brings up Cappelletti’s rule, given in his wonderful book, which states that a game is good if more than five players are seeing a flop. When you are scouting games online or live, remember this rule when choosing a game and you’ll be one step in the right direction.
I’m assuming that most of you know what typical premium hands are in Omaha high-low. Most of you know that hands like A234, A34K, AA26, A2KK, A2JQ, AAKQ, 2345, A45K, etc. are all playable hands, especially when double suited or suited with an ace. Most people know that these are good hand types, but not many people know how to play each type of hand correctly in different positions.
Here’s a list of mistakes I see over and over again by players in low limit games concerning the play of different hand types:
1. Raising with A2 hands (A234, A2QJ, A247, AA25 etc.) in early position or when first to enter the pot - By raising in early positions or in middle position when no one has opened the pot, you are increasing your chances of thinning the field to a few players. A2 premium hands play well into many players (the more the merrier) and have the biggest scoop potential. There’s nothing worse than taking down the blinds when you had a hand that had the potential to win a mountain of chips. To show the power of this basic idea, I’ll show an actual hand I played in a $3-6 cash game.
I was dealt Ad 2s 5d Qh in early position. One player folded to me and I called the $3. Four players called behind me as did the blinds. Seven of us saw the flop which came 4d 7d Qs. I flopped a monster! I had flopped top pair, the nut flush draw and the nut low draw. I bet and four players called. The 3h came on the turn giving me the nut low with top pair. I bet, the next player raised and two players called. Since I now had the nut low, the nut flush draw, an open ended straight draw, and top pair, I decided to reraise based on the fact that I had so many “scoop” outs. Everyone called. The river was the perfect Jd giving me both the nut high and low. I bet, the player next to me raised and one player called. I reraised and the raiser capped it. The other player mucked. The raiser showed A278 for the nut low and a pair of sevens. I took down three quarters of a nice pot.
Now consider what would happen if I had raised from early position. Chances are that only two or three of us instead of seven would have seen the flop. The pot I won would have been drastically smaller, probably a win of $5-10 as opposed to the near $100 I won on the hand. Those numbers there should show you why it’s so important to “pull” players in with this type of hand.
Let’s also consider the raiser to my left and his play of his A278. If I held that hand, I wouldn’t raise in his situation on the turn and river. The way the betting went on this hand, I would be suspicious that another A2 low was in play, meaning that I’d likely only get a quarter of the pot. Anytime that you suspect you may only get one quarter of a pot, you want to play the rest of the streets as cheaply as possible. You also want to keep in or “pull” as many players into the pot as you can so that weaker hands can contribute to your quarter share. The time to raise with A2 premium hands is when several players have already limped in. If your A2 is suited with the ace, raising makes even more sense as now you have nut high potential. If that’s the case, put in as many raises as you can preflop from the later positions.
2. A3 hands - Hands containing A3 are usually playable hands from any position as well. Still, many players overplay this hand. A3 hands are marginal unless it contains some good cards with it like a suited ace, a high pair (JJ or higher), or other premium low cards. For example, hands like As 3s 6d 7d or A3KK can be played stronger than A3J8 or A39Q, etc. From early position, I usually don’t play “dry” A3 hands. Again, having some kind of high potential with your low draws is essential. Also, you must be cautious when there is heavy betting on low flops. You don’t want to pay off all the way down when it’s likely someone has the A2 low. Calling down with second nut lows for half the pot can be a potential disaster to your bankroll.
3. Hands containing 23 with no ace – Some good players automatically play any hand containing 23. Again, “dry” 23 hands just don’t play very well overall. I will only play 23 hands if it’s accompanied by other low straight cards or a high pair. 23 hands are usually an uphill battle as it is likely you’ll only be playing for half. Here’s a fact that can illustrate how 23 plays. A 23 hand with two high cards will make a low on a 5 card board containing an ace, no two or three, and two other low cards 13% of the time. A2 will make the same board low 24% of the time. Also, to make the nut low an ace has to come on the board. Aces are the most common card in premium hands so it’s likely that the aces you need will be in your opponents’ hands.
4. High hands - Some typical good high hands in Omaha high-low are AAKK, AAQJ, KKQJ, 910JQ, JQKA, etc. There’s definitely a time and place to play high only hands in this game. Since high flops (meaning no low cards 8 or under) appear on the flop less than 6% of the time (one low card flops happen 32% of the time), these are hands you would like to get in cheaply with and have as many players as possible in the pot. Most players will be in with low type hands, so if a high flop comes, you will likely win the dead money in the pot that went in preflop. Omaha high only players have a lot of trouble not raising and reraising with good high hands, but this is a losing play in low limit games. The only time you might consider raising high hands is if you’re making a steal attempt on the blinds. Another rare situation is if several tight players that play only low hands are in the pot. If you suspect that many of the low cards are already in these players’ hands, a good idea might be to raise here as it’s more likely a high flop will come.
5. Hands containing AA - Many players automatically raise and reraise with any hand containing AA. This could be a losing play depending on the position of the player involved and the cards that accompany the AA.
Here’s how I play my AA hands. With AA2x , I will raise and reraise in middle or late position. In early position, I will limp in only because my AA contains a 2 with it and I’d like more customers in the pot. With AA3x, AA56, AA4K, etc. I will raise in early position to thin the field. These hands play better with fewer opponents because after the flop I will usually not be drawing to the nut low. I already explained how to play strong high only hands so that leaves the junk AA hands. Any hand like AA8J or AA66, I just fold. They will probably lose more money than win in low limit games.
6. Middle cards and other junk hands – The reason Omaha high-low is so profitable is because it’s filled with players playing hands that appear to be good, but in fact are garbage. Hands like these include middle cards like 5678, 6788, 4578, etc. The problem with these hands is that even when you hit a good looking flop, your hand is hardly ever the nuts in either direction. You make money in this game by drawing to or making the nuts and getting second and third best hands to pay you off. Playing middle cards will often put you in the latter category.
Don’t ever draw to hands, especially for multiple bets, in multiway pots that aren’t the nuts! I can’t overemphasize this. Sometimes it’s even correct to fold nut high draws (straight and flush draws) when the flop is all low cards. These folds will save you money in the long run because you’re only playing for half the pot.
Some other weak hands that I see played are hands like QQ67, JJ88, A6108, KK96, A58J, etc. These hands appear to look good, but usually never win. If you consistently play these kinds of hands, I want you at my table!
7. A4 and A45 hands – These hands are usually playable when it’s cheap to do so. Usually, I’m looking for my ace to be suited and I’m trying to see a cheap flop. These are tricky hands to play and I see many players overplay second nuts with these hands. Experience will help you when deciding when it’s right to play hands like these.
Here are a few more expert tips that I’ve picked up by playing thousands of hands or from reading Cappelletti’s book.
1. The Promotional Raise – Cappelletti’s definition of a promotional raise is “a raise made with lesser holdings, sometimes called third-class holdings in order to intimidate an opponent with slightly better second-class holdings and pressure him into folding.” Here’s a typical example similar to what Cappelletti gives of an after the flop promo raise:
I was dealt Ac 3c 6h Qh and limped in from early position. Two players called as did both blinds. The flop came Kc 10h 5h and the small blind led out. I had a weak flush draw (including a backdoor nut flush draw), a gutshot straight draw, and a back door low draw. So… I raised! By raising with a third rate type hand, I might get second rate hands like a king high flush draw or A210x to fold, which would give me a better chance to win half or the whole pot. The field folded to the small blind who reraised. I called as now I had achieved my goal in getting the pot heads up. The turn was the 7d. He bet and I called. The river was the 8h hearts and my opponent check called w/ a set of kings. The promo raise turned a two way mediocre hand into a scoop!
2. Slow Playing – I very rarely slow play in Omaha high-low. There just aren’t many situations where this is a good idea. Here’s an example to show what I mean and I see this all the time. Let’s say you have KK23 in the small blind and the pot has been raised. Six players see the flop of Kh 4h 4c. You’re first to act and you decide to check, being sneaky and going for a check raise. Surprisingly, it checks around. The 5c hits the turn and you bet. Two people call. The river is the 8s and you bet. One player calls and shows A2 for the nut low. You win half the pot. If this were a $2-4 game, you would have taken in $22 ($12 of which you have invested yourself).
What could you do differently? Well, if you bet the flop, you might get raised by a player holding a 4. Also, a flush draw might “peel” one off. By going for a check raise (assuming a four bets), you will chase out flush draws, low chasers, and you will force the player with the four to go into check call mode. This is fine, I guess, but you could probably achieve the same goal, while building a big pot that you’re a favorite to scoop, by betting the flop and turn aggressively.
Now, let’s play the hand differently. Same situation except this time you lead on the flop. One player calls. You bet the turn and he folds. You make $32 ($10 of which you have invested). Betting out here is the best play most of the time. You make more money by playing this way and I made it a boring example on purpose. Imagine what happens in the latter scenario when a 4 raises you, flush draws hit their flush, low draws chase and miss the river….do you see where I’m going here? I’ve even flopped quads and bet the whole way and scooped a player who made a flush. I’d rather scoop a medium pot than split a medium/large pot in most cases.
There is one time when I might slow play a flop and that is when I’m in the blind or early position and I have flopped a wheel with a random kind of hand. An example would be if I was in the big blind with 2449 and checked. The flop comes A 3 5 rainbow. I would definitely check call here on the flop and try to check raise the turn if there were aggressive players behind me. Notice, though, that if there were two of the same suit on the flop, I would bet out.
3. Bluffing - There aren’t too many situations where you can bluff in Omaha high-low. There is one play, however, that I absolutely love to make. Say I’m in the big blind with rags and get to see a free flop. There are four or five players in the hand. The board comes 9c 9s 4d. I lead out with absolutely nothing. Most of the time no one will have a nine and you’ll take down the pot immediately. Since I am in the blind, I could have very easily hit that flop and my opponents have no choice but to respect that. I just always get a kick out of bluffing into 5 opponents and taking down a pot on the flop in Omaha high-low. Trust me, these situations don’t happen often, but high flops are the best ones to bluff at.
4. Can you ever fold A2 preflop? - It is very rare that you would fold A2 preflop, but there is an exception. This mostly applies to pot limit Omaha high low, but it could happen in limit, too. A tight player raises and there are several callers or raises by tight players before it is your turn. If you hold the “dry” A2, folding might be the right play since it’s likely that one or two other players have A2 as well. It’s a rare thing, but it happens and you can save money in this spot by folding.
5. Pushing and Pulling - Omaha high-low is a game of pushing and pulling. Sometimes, it’s correct to keep as many players in the pot as possible. Other times it is essential to push opponents out of the pot with promotional raises. The key to this game is playing good hands that can scoop. When you play a hand it’s likely that you’ll flop the nuts or a draw to the nuts if you play the hands I suggest. When you flop a big draw to the nuts or you actually flop the nuts, you usually want to keep as many players in as possible to build a pot. When you have a hand that is likely best at the moment for high and you have a mediocre low draw, now would be the time to make that promo raise. Only experience can help in determining what to do in these situations, but eventually you’ll understand the flow of this game. Determining what to do in these situations can also greatly be influenced by multiple back door draws you may have. These back door draws increase your win percentages significantly in Omaha high-low and many Hold ‘Em players never quite grasp this concept.
6. When it’s time to fold – Saving bets is important in all poker games. There will be many situations in Omaha high-low where you must fold early on. It can be a real pain in the ass when you finally pick up A2xx and the flop contains a 2 or all high cards. You have to condition yourself to muck losers as early in the hand as possible and never chase when it’s unwarranted. Let the fish do the fishing while you wait for the better spots.
OK, I’m now officially exhausted. I know this was a long article, but I really wanted to cover all the bases on this one. There’s money to be made in Omaha high low and I just gave you a few tools you’ll need to go get your share of it. If you are really serious about playing Omaha high-low, Mike Cappelletti’s How to Win at Omaha-High Low is a must have. I also recommend Ray Zee’s High Low Split Poker. I think Zee’s book is one of the greatest Stud high-low books ever written, but it also has information on beating the bigger Omaha high-low games.
Finally, I’ll give you one last tip on Omaha high-low. Most of the low limit loose games will be filled with fishy players. They will be among the worst poker players you’ll ever play....
Finally, I’ll give you one last tip on Omaha high-low. Most of the low limit loose games will be filled with fishy players. They will be among the worst poker players you’ll ever play....
... Take advantage of it by joining in on the loose, fishy nature of the game. Of course, I’m not telling you to play like a fish, but you don’t want to tip them off that you’re a serious player. Joke around and have fun. Compliment the fish when they suck out on you and scoop a pot. If you make a crazy play and have to showdown a weak hand, let everyone see it. Especially, let the good players see your weak hands that you show down. Give the smart players a reason to doubt you and call down your future bets. If you’ve got the smart players scratching their heads and paying you off, then you’re close to mastering this game.
I love poker and I’ll never stop learning the nuances of each game. Knowledge is power…in poker, this power translates into profit. Hopefully, this article will have given you a little of each. Best of luck. - CP
