Poker Game Review - Omaha High Low

General Strategy:

The most important thing to keep in mind in split pot games is the difference between winning half the pot and winning it all; every time you play you want to give yourself the opportunity to win the High and the Low hands.

Throw-Away Starting Hands:
These hands should be automatically folded without any further consideration:

• Quads - (including) A A A A
• Trip Threes thru Trip Kings - 3 3 3 X - K K K X
• Three or more unpaired Middle Cards - X 6 7 9

Playable Starting Hands:

• The best possible starting hand is AA23(Double Suited)
• SOME TRIP ACES and TRIP DUECES - These only: 2AAA, 3AAA, 4AAA(S), 5AAA(S), 222A(DS)
• PAIR of ACES with LOW CARDS - AA23, AA44, AA35 etc.
• PAIR of ACES SUITED with ANYTHING - Ah A Xh X
• A2 with ANYTHING - A2XX
• A3 with LOW CARDS - Paired or unpaired. A344,A345, A355
• A3/ ACE SUITED with ANYTHING - Ad A Xd X
• ACE SUITED with THREE UNPAIRED HIGH CARDS - Ac Jc Q K etc.
• FOUR UNPAIRED LOW CARDS - 2345
• TWO HIGH PAIR DOUBLESUITED - Kh Kd Qh Qd etc.

Strategy Tips

After the flop, if your high hand is not a certain winner and will probably have to split with the low, or if you are playing for low and don't have a decent shot at the high hand, usually check/fold and get out early.

Slow play most Omaha hands. It is very difficult to run players off in this game and early raises are risky unless you know you can't lose.

Avoid playing middle suited connectors.Hands like 8h 9h that are often very playable in Holdem and Omaha high, are bad news in high-low split. To make the high end of a straight, you have to catch the cards that will also qualify low hands. To play these you also need a suited ace or an A2.

Don't overbet A2, A3 and 2 3 nut lows. These are often shared with another player and you can end up getting "quartered". In other words, if there are two playing the same nut low and one going high, you are in a situation where every bet you make contributes 1/3 to the pot that will only pay you 1/4 back. You do better if you can check around. Fast play in this situation only makes you money if there are three or more other players with either high or losing low hands.

Watch out for uniform flops, like 8 7 6 They can easily turn into straights that can overtake your high trips, or other good hands.

Beware of Suited Flops that can make a completed flush. In this case, you should usually hold the nut in that suit, or have trips or two pair that can fill up.

Pay very close attention to your cards. Omaha High Low hands can get confusing and it is sometimes easy to think you have a nut hand winner when you don't, or have the best possible hand and not realize it. Be careful to avoid these costly mistakes.