More Omaha Hi/Lo
I was trawling for more Omaha Hi/Lo tips when I came across this post in a forum. As it`s a public forum I don`t see any issues over copyright cropping up so I`ve posted the article rather than a link. Well articles actually, it was in 2 parts. The first part deals with the basics of the game, whilst the second explores some more subtle concepts.
Judging from the comments the post received, most of the information is valid. Some of it is to do with fixed limit, and specifically playing micro-limit games. However it doesn`t seem right to chop it down so I`ve posted it in its entirety.
Omaha Hi/Lo Beginner's Guide
Part 1: The Basics
I am, by no means, an expert on the game. however, at the low/micro-limits, this game is very beatable--easily. I feel i have enough skill at these limits to write a guide for it. remember, however, that all my advice is specifically for the low limits. it probably won't work effectively if you're playing with good people who actually know what they're doing.
Like hold'em, winners thrive more on bad players than on their own skill. Unlike hold'em, the bad players are HORRENDOUS, not just bad. They have no understanding of basic strategy, and while hold'em can often reward bad players through schooling (giving each other pot odds) and luck, omaha does this to a much smaller degree.
Another difference is that while hold'em is a simple game to learn to the average person, omaha is not. With two cards, people recognize which cards are monsters (AA, AK, KK, etc.) and most have some sense of which cards are terrible (2-7, 2-8, etc.). Omaha is not the case. people see potential in EVERY hand, and they don't have the ability to think what other people might hold.
Omaha is also a much more mathematical game. Luck plays a much smaller role because often you can have the nuts on the flop or turn and other people can be drawing dead to baby straights/flushes/boats. You won't get huge suckouts as much, rather, you'll get mathematical draws that hit 1 in 3 times, e.g. nut flush draws.
Finally, some people complain that omaha is a river game (since the river is often vital to a hand). However, unlike hold'em, the river does not give bad beats--it gives mathematical probabilities. if you hold the nuts on the turn, 3 out of 4 times it will hold up, so you bet on the turn regardless of the possibility of drawing out. If you hold the nut flush draw, you will hit it 1 in 5 times on the river, so if the pot is 6-way, you bet. I can't stress it enough, omaha is a game of probabilities--if you play them, you WILL win.
This game can be played fixed limit or pot limit, but IMHO it works best fixed limit.
I will be doing this in parts since it might get long.
enjoy!
Basic Rules:
Two players left of dealer post small and big blinds. everyone is dealt four cards. small betting round (preflop). then the flop (three board cards). small betting round. then the turn/fourth street. big betting round. then the river/fifth street. big betting round. then showdown.
The best five card hand MUST have TWO and ONLY TWO hole cards, and THREE and ONLY THREE board cards. e.g. if the board is AAAAK, the nuts would be KKxx for Aces full of Kings. four of a kind is not possible since you can only use three board cards. another important application of this is that to have a flush, you must have two cards of that suit in your hole (unlike hold'em where you can have a flush with only one card).
The high hand is the best five-card hand. the low hand is the same as any other split pot game. a low hand must have all five cards be 8 or lower. So if the board has three cards 8 or lower, a low hand is possible. otherwise, no low hand qualifies.
Low hands are read from high card down. 87654 is the worst low hand, while 5432A is the best low hand. Since you read top-down, remember that 65432 beats 7432A (even though the first one has no ace). A good way to think of it is to think of the hand as a five-digit number--the lowest value wins. so 65 thousand beats 74 thousand, doesn't matter what the three lower cards are.
The Nuts:
Omaha hi/lo at the low limits is all about the nuts. 9 out of 10 hands, the nut high will win the high pot. 9 out of 10 qualifying low hands, the nut low will win. Practice reading the nuts on the board and get used to relating your hand to the nuts.
board: 5 :diamond: 6 :diamond: 8 :club: K :diamond:
nut high: A :diamond: x :diamond:
nut low: A2 any suit
nut high draws: KK, 88, 66, 55, K8, K6, K5, 86, 85, 65, 3 :diamond: 4
:diamond: , 4 :diamond: 7 :diamond: , 7 :diamond: 8 :diamond:
nut low draws: A3, 23
In the above example, if you don't have one of the above hands--either nuts or a nut draw--get out of the hand. You are drawing dead the vast majority of the time. personally, the nut low draws aren't good enough. You're drawing to at best 4 outs, but I listed them for the sake of saying that you are drawing to the nuts. With sets and two pair, you're drawing to boats, but really, the only one worth staying around for is KK. with others, if the board pairs (and doesn't give you quads), you will often be a baby boat. The straight flush draws aren't too good, either, you're drawing to two outs if it's open-ended or one out if it's gutshot.
So taking all of that into consideration, the only draw worth staying around for is KK. the rest are longshot draws (by all means, if you have the odds, go for it, but beware having the second-best hand). One note is that if the board is paired, quads are the nuts, and are not uncommon. but if you have top boat, bet freely, and don't stick around with middle set hoping for quads because it's a one-outer.
Counterfeiting:
If you hold A2KK, and the board is 34J9, don't be overly aggressive! While you have the nut low draw, you have no counterfeit protection. What i mean is that if an A or a 2 lands, you no longer have a low hand at all (three low board cards, but you only have one low non-pairing card in the hole). That's why it's important to play hands with counterfeit protection if you're aiming for the low. A234 is the best counterfeit protecting nut low draw hand. A23x is good, A24x is good, etc.
You can also get counterfeited in your hole cards. if you're dealt AAAA, fold. you have no chance at anything but one pair, no low. if you're dealt AAAx, fold. many people get excited with pocket aces, not realizing that one of their two outs is dead. fold any three of a kind, i can't stress that enough!
Being suited/connected:
When you have two cards of the same suit, you vastly increase the versatility of your hand, especially if the A is suited. Ideally, the best hands are DOUBLE suited, meaning you have two diamonds and two clubs. Keep in mind that since omaha hi/lo is a game of the nuts, you want both to be suited with an A, or maybe a king (if an ace lands on the board).
When you have two cards that connect, you also increase your chances of hitting a straight draw, just like in hold'em. If you have AKxx or KQxx, you have a chance at hitting a nut straight draw. similarly, if you have a hand that's four-straight (AKQJ for example), you have a great hand that serves as a wraparound straight draw, but i'll get to that later. Just remember, suited is good, connecting is good, and double suited/connected is even better.
Scooping:
She best hands are ones that aim to win both the high AND the low. this can earn you MONSTROUS pots, and i mean in the vicinity of 30-40 big bets! AA23 double suited is the best possible hand... why? Because you have two nut flush possibilities, a nut boat possibility, and a monstrous nut low draw with counterfeit protection. with hands that work similarly and aim to win the whole pot (AK23, AAK2, AK24, etc.), scooping gives you a huge edge in a game.
Getting quartered:
If you have the nut low and so does someone else does as well, you have been quartered--it's a bad experience. What this means is that the high hand will take half the pot, while the low half is split between the two nut lows, so you effectively get a quarter of the pot. Same idea if you have the nut high that someone else does as well (rare but possible).
With experience, you will recognize these situations. What's important is that you don't get overly aggressive in these situations, and here's why. If at the river, the pot is three-way and each of you put in $80, you add $240 to the pot. if you get quartered, you only get $60 back. you lost $20. If you capped the pot so each of you put in $160, the pot grows by $480, but each of you get only $120 back, so you lost even more, $40. so the more you raise, the more you lose.
If the pot is four-way, you will break-even. if the pot is five-way or more, you MUST raise aggressively so that you can make a profit. it's possible to get only 1/6 of the pot if three people share the nut low/high, but that is extremely rare.
On the flip side of the coin, having a powerful hand that aims for both high and low can be a monster in this situation, because you can get 3/4 of the pot if you win nut high and split nut low! If the pot is heads up and you have nut low with a decent high, be aggressive because even two pair can hold up for high hand and you can get 3/4 of the pot.
Preflop hands:
Omaha hi/lo is all about having the best hands preflop. with premium hands, you will dominate MANY other hands and can get huge pots. The best hands work together in some way, they should combine to give you straight value, flush value, full house value, or low value.
Premium high hands want less people in. AA9T for example should be played aggressively to thin the field, but if the pot is big, don't stay around if you don't hit your set or nut flush draw. Same with KKxx and QQxx. if you have a hand like AKQJ, especially if the A and K are double-suited, you have a great hand for taking the high. The reason is that if any two broadway cards land, you have a wrap-around straight-draw and it's even better if two cards of your suit land, giving you a nut flush possibility as well.
Wrap-around straight draws are powerful in omaha, especially if the board is rainbow, unpaired and you have the nut straight possibility. If you have a hand like KQJT and the board is Q9x, you have 13 outs to the nut straight draw (3 kings, 3 jacks, 3 tens, 4 eights). If you have a draw like this, the implied odds also double because this either prevents a qualifying low (if the third card is not 8 or below) or it makes a low hand very unlikely (two low cards have to fall runner-runner). these kinds of draws are great because you have a chance to scoop the pot when no low hand qualifies.
With low hands, you want counterfeit protection. Having an A is vitally important if you want to go for the low. A2xx is ideal because you're drawing to any low card from 3 to 8. A3xx, on the other hand, is dangerous, because you're drawing to a 2 to have the nut low, but it's worth a shot if you're in late position and can see a cheap flop. Same goes for 23xx, you're drawing to an A to get the nut low, and this can be quite beneficial because often it'll counterfeit other players' aces to prevent them from having nut low (decreasing the chances of you getting quartered).
Conclusion:
So you should have some idea of how to play omaha hi/lo now. I'm not a fan of pre-flop starting hand lists for omaha hi/lo because there are literally thousands of combinations, and so you can't narrow the best hands into top 16 hands, etc. just remember some key things...
- having an ace is important!
- you want hands that aim to win the whole pot, preferably, otherwise you want hands that have a high chance of being the nut hand in either direction
- your cards should work together. A239 is better than A28T, but A234 is even better. the more cards you have that work with eacher, the greater your chance at winning the pot is, exponentially.
- being suited and connected greatly improve your hand.
- always try to go for the nuts, and be cautious if you don't have it
- always remember the possibility of being counterfeited
- try to recognize situations where you might get quartered, and minimize your losses or maximize your profits depending on how many people are in the pot.
Omaha Hi/Lo Beginner's Guide
Part 2: - The Subtleties
This is a continuation of part 1. If you are unfamiliar with the game, you should read that first.
As i said in part 1, this game can be played both fixed limit as well as pot limit (you might find a no limit home game, but it's not very practical). Just as there are differences between fixed limit hold 'em and no limit hold 'em, there are differences between the playing styles of these two.
Fixed limit omaha hi/lo is about making the correct move in the long term, always, while pot limit omaha hi/lo is more about waiting for the really big edges and capitalizing on them big time. In fixed limit, you should usually never fold the nuts, but in pot limit, you might consider folding the nut straight if you have no better draw, and the board is suited in a multiway pot, etc. (you don't want to be drawing to blanks--someone could have the nut straight as well and be drawing to a better hand at the same time, called freerolling, but we'll get to that later).
There are key characteristics that seperate the good pot limit omaha hi/lo players from the real sharks. the sharks have the discipline to lay down good hands because they know those hands aren't good enough, and they have the skill to recognize the situations which will earn them the most money. Whilst all of the advice in this part is applicable to both styles, certain aspects like pot manipulation and the importance of freerolling are much more important in pot limit omaha hi/lo.
Pre-flop Betting:
Betting pre-flop should either be to thin the field, or for value. If you have a high premium hand, you want to thin the field as much as possible, so be aggressive with hands like AAKQ, or AKKT, etc. Do this to give your hand the best chance of holding up, as well as to reduce the likelihood of someone drawing to a low. in a similar way. If you have a low-only hand, you don't want to pay too much pre-flop, because if three high cards land, your calls have become dead money in the pot and you're forced to fold.
When you have hands that aim to scoop the whole pot, you no longer want to thin the field because you want as much money in the pot as possible, because in the best case you might take the whole pot or three-quarters. Hands like AA23 or AK23 double suited are monsters pre-flop and you want to get your money in with the best of it. You also want all the lows to stay in the pot because if three high cards land, you still have a chance at being the best high hand, and if three low cards land, you have a chance at having the nut hand and scooping.
One thing you want to be very careful with when it comes to low hands is counterfeit protection. Specifically, a big downfall of many players is that when they see A2xx, they get excited and raise the pot. This is a terrible move because if an A or a 2 lands, your hand is done--you have no low anymore unless three other low cards also come. If you're in late position, you can raise the pot for value to give you better odds of drawing to a low if you have a powerful low drawing hand like A234--it doesn't matter if you miss the flop, because in the long term, that's the correct move. don't overdo it with weaker draws, though, because unlike hold'em, the board is a necessary part of your hand so if you miss more than your fair share, you're throwing money away.
The Critical Flop:
Everyone knows that the flop is important in hold'em. after all, you're seeing 5/7 of your hand after just the first betting round. in omaha hi/lo, the flop is exponentially more important. Not only are you seeing a bigger part of your hand (7/9), your hand is DEFINED by the board (since you need three board cards). In hold'em, you don't always need the board, e.g. if you have an overpair. this is not the case here.
In low-limit multiway pots, you either want to have a very strong hand or a very strong draw. If you don't have one of these, get out of the pot, because all it cost you was one betting round pre-flop, and your hand is only going to improve by two more cards if you stay in. Overpairs don't do the trick in omaha hi/lo, instead, the game is all about straights, flushes, and full houses. It's rare for even a set to hold up.
If you have a set, however, you have a decent draw at a boat (the board needs to pair, for a total of 7 outs, or 10 outs after the turn), but if you have trips (e.g. you hold Kxxx and the board is KKx), you have a better draw at filling up on the turn (which has to be one of your other three hole cards for a total of 10 outs).
If you have a good draw, though, chances are you're a favorite! Many hold'em players don't understand this concept, but in omaha hi/lo, you want to bet when you have a strong draw (e.g. nut flush draw with gutshot nut straight draw), because the pot is usually offering you more than the frequency that you'll win the hand. In these situations, it's correct to bet at your draws because in the long run you show a bigger profit.
The exception to this is with a low draw that's uninsured, e.g. A2xx on a board of 56x. Here, you want to see the turn and river cheaply, because if an A or a 2 lands, you're done! The same goes for a nut straight draw without a flush draw on a suited board. You want to make sure that if you hit, the card that makes you a straight doesn't also make the flush.
This is not the case when you have a made hand! if you have a nut flush, you DON'T want to see if the board will pair on the turn or river before you get aggressive. If you have a made hand, you MUST bet it for value and be aggressive, because with a nut hand (especially a flush, which can never be quartered), you are by far the favorite to hold up. The same applies for a made low, but that's more obvious.
Hi/Lo Pot Odds:
Pot odds for high hands are very simple; they work just like in texas hold'em. the only difference is that on the flop, you can see 8 out of 52 cards, and on the turn, you see 9. So you divide by 45 on the flop and 44 on the river. again, a quick multiplication of 2 and adding of 2 will give you a close estimate of the odds of hitting your draw on the next card.
Some good high draws to memorize:
open-ended straight draw - 8 outs (make sure all 8 outs are clean to the nuts! e.g. KQxx on a flop of JTx)
wrap-around straight draw- 13 outs if five-straight combination (e.g. AKQx on flop of JTx), 16 outs if six-straight combination (e.g. AKQ9 on flop of JTx)
freerolling straight draw - 6 outs (e.g. AKQx on a flop of JT9, a K or Q will give you the nut straight)
flush draw - 9 outs
boat/quad draw with a set - 7 outs on the flop, 10 outs on the turn (e.g. AAxx on a flop of Axx)
boat/quad draw with trips - 10 outs (e.g. Axxx on flop of AAx)
low draws are a little more complicated. one general rule to always remember is that you want to have counterfeit protection so that you can draw to more cards. Another thing to remember is that A2 is really much more valuable preflop than A3 or 23, because you can draw to any three low cards between 3 and 8, but with A3, you need to draw to a duece and two other low cards, and similarly with 23, you need to draw to an ace with two other low cards.
Here is a nice chart from poker for dummies:
2 low cards dealt to you - 24% chance preflop of making a low hand, 59% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 16% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
3 low cards dealt to you - 40% chance preflop of making a low hand, 72% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 26% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
4 low cards dealt to you - 49% chance preflop of making a low hand, 70% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 24% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
From this, you can see how vital it is to have counterfeit protection, not just for the sake of protecting your hand, but of dramatically increasing your odds of making a low hand (there is a big difference between the chances with 2 low cards dealt and 3, but not such a difference between 3 and 4).
You can also see that if you have 3 or 4 low cards in the hole, you will often have the correct odds to chase a runner-runner low draw (about 25% chance, in loose limit games that is a good draw). the more important lesson is that if you have four to a nut low on the flop, bet and bet (make sure you have counterfeit protection and that your draw is "insured"--see below), because you are a heavy favorite to win the low (about 2-1 favored)!
Here are the odds of hitting a low with one card to come (on the turn specifically after the flop, or on the river after the turn) when there are two low cards on the board that are not the same as any of your hole cards (if one card is counterfeited, it is basically as if you had one less low card dealt to you, e.g. A23x and the board is 34xx):
2 low cards dealt to you - 36% chance of getting a new low card
3 low cards dealt to you - 47% chance of getting a new low card
4 low cards dealt to you - 45% chance of getting a new low card
The reason i did the high odds in terms of outs and the low odds in percentages is because outs are more applicable to straight/flush/boat draws. But with low draws, you draw to so many cards (as high as 21) that's the quick rules of multiplication don't work--know the percentages instead. or better yet, forget the percentages and just realize that if you have four to a low with nut low insurance, bet, raise, and re-raise, because you are a favorite to win the low (occasionally you'll get quartered, but you'll learn to recognize these situations, especially when the low draw hits).
Pot Manipulation:
This is a topic that applies more to pot limit omaha hi/lo, but of course, it is an issue that you deal with in fixed limit as well. Basically, what pot manipulation means is that through aggression, you control the hand, i.e. how many people stay in the hand, how big the pot is, how much you have to pay to draw, etc.
What it relates to is starting hands, as well as the board and how your hand connects with it. This example is not mine, but it's a great example of how pot manipulation is essential: Suppose you hold KK98 and the board is KQQ. here, you can be very aggressive and can drive the pot and drive the betting because most likely, you have the best hand and it will hold up. However, suppose you have JJ98 and the board is JQQ. here, you cannot be so aggressive because it's unlikely that you will have the best hand at showdown.
The same applies to draws. Suppose you have JT98 and the flop comes JQx. You have a weak draw here, because only an 8 will give you the nut straight. anything else gives you a weak straight, so you cannot be aggressive and bet for value because you do not have a great shot at being the best hand by the end.
This idea dictates that strong starting hands are key in omaha hi/lo, because when you hit, you can really fill up the pot and get aggressive. If you see a flop and you don't have a strong hand or a strong draw, lay it down right away because you have lost your power to manipulate the pot and control the hand. more so at low limits. Profits are earned by keeping the pot small when you have an uninsured draw (i'll explain insurance below) and bloating the pot as much as you can when you have a made hand with a good draw.
The reason this applies more to pot limit omaha hi/lo is obvious. Just as aggression is key in hold'em, pot manipulation is key in omaha hi/lo. At low limits, everyone will chase with a decent draw or a decent hand, so you can really make them pay for it and really reap the rewards through good betting.
Insurance:
This relates to counterfeit protection for low hands, but it also applies to high hands. To use a low hand example, say you hold A23x, and the flop came 57J. You have what we call an insured nut low draw, because no matter what low card falls, you will have nut low--your hand can't get counterfeited. It is in these situations with these types of draws that you want to be aggressive because you are a favorite to win the low hand.
Insured draws also happen when you have a wraparound straight with broadway cards. Suppose you hold AKQ9 and the flop is JT2. No matter what card falls between 8 and A, you will have the nut straight. again, be aggressive with a monster draw like this because you are a favorite to win the high hand (assuming there is no flush or paired board).
What's key about insurance is that it relates strongly to pot manipulation. when you have an uninsured draw or any kind of weak hand, you can't be aggressive and can't control the hand, so you get out of it. Anytime you have an insured draw, however, you control the hand because in the long run, you will win, so you should be appropriately aggressive.
Freerolling:
This is a characteristic that also occurs in texas hold'em, but to a much smaller degree. While this is just another form of a powerful draw in fixed limit, it's real power is in pot limit omaha hi/lo. Why? Because pot limit omaha hi/lo is all about waiting for the opportune moment when you have the best hand without a doubt, and freerolling is a huge way to make this happen.
Suppose you have AKQJ and the board is T98. Suppose now that your opponent has QJ32. You both have the nut straight, but he is absolutely drawing dead against you, and you have a very high chance of winning the hand. If a J or Q lands, you will have the better hand. the same applies to a situation such as you having the nut straight with the nut flush draw while your opponent only has a nut straight with no draw. He is drawing dead to you, but you have a chance of winning.
Other situations would be both of you having the nut low with you having a nut high draw, or vice versa. Of course, you never know your opponent's cards, but if you have a nut hand with a better draw, you must recognize that you are probably freerolling someone, and you MUST get as many chips in as you can. If you can get all-in at some time, you MUST, because nobody at the low limits will ever lay down the nuts recognizing that they are probably getting freerolled. Even if you split the pot most of the time, the few times that you hit your draw and win the whole pot, you will earn a massive profit.
Of course, if you are on the other end of the stick, it is very difficult to lay down the best hand when facing aggressive betting. With experience, though, you start to recognize these situations and you can hopefully see a cheap turn and river and make sure no scare cards fall, or you can lay down your hand knowing that you are getting freerolled. While this is not such a big danger in fixed limit, it is a vital skill in pot limit if you're a shark. It is NEVER a bad move to lay down the nut hand in pot limit when you have no draw to improve, because it is not improbable that someone is freerolling you.
The one exception to this is with flushes... you either have the nuts or you don't. Nobody can freeroll you on a flush draw, and that's why flushes are such a good made hand in omaha hi/lo. Not only will you never get quartered, you actually have a strong chance of three-quartering if you have a decent low. This goes to emphasize the importance of your starting cards being suited or double-suited--it gives you a big edge!
Starting Hand Advice:
Just some miscellaneous information here that is very useful but more subtle. Fixed limit omaha hi/lo is all about maximizing those little edges, while pot limit omaha hi/lo is all about finding the huge edges, and through some of these tips, you can do both.
For low hands, having a 6 in your hand greatly improves your chance at three-quartering on a low flop. Example: you have A236, and the board comes 45x. you have the insured nut low draw, but what's better is that if an A, 2, or 3 lands, you have a 6-high straight as opposed to a 5-high straight other nut lows will have! So if there aren't too many people in the pot, you can often scoop the pot or three-quarter it with your 6-high straight that beats the wheel!
One trap in starting hands is playing middle connectors like 789T. Although this hand is very coordinated and works together nicely, it will often leave you as the second best hand or give you only half the pot. Why? Because if you get the nut straight, there are at least two low cards on the board, probably three, so someone will have made a low. If not, then there are high cards like 89T or 9TJ, you hold a very weak baby straight. So try to stay away from middle cards, especially in pot limit omaha hi/lo.
Finally, there are systems for counting points pre-flop, and deciding whether to fold, call or raise depending on these points. For example, a pair of aces is 20 points, A2 is 10 points, a pair of kings are 15 points, 5 points for being suited, 15 points for being double-suited, etc. add up all your points and if you have 30 or more, call. if you have 40 or more, raise, and if you have 50 or more, reraise, etc. I personally strongly disagree with this system, because it encourages thinking of your hand in two-card units. this is wrong!
Always remember that your hand is a four-card unit! All four cards should work together in some way, so if you have AA48 unsuited, lay it down! You have a very slim chance of having the best hand because you only really have two good cards (and are basically drawing to only two outs), not four. A hand like KQJT is MUCH better than AKQ5, because even though the value might be lower because of no ace, you have four cards that work together, not three with a dangler.
Judging from the comments the post received, most of the information is valid. Some of it is to do with fixed limit, and specifically playing micro-limit games. However it doesn`t seem right to chop it down so I`ve posted it in its entirety.
Omaha Hi/Lo Beginner's Guide
Part 1: The Basics
I am, by no means, an expert on the game. however, at the low/micro-limits, this game is very beatable--easily. I feel i have enough skill at these limits to write a guide for it. remember, however, that all my advice is specifically for the low limits. it probably won't work effectively if you're playing with good people who actually know what they're doing.
Like hold'em, winners thrive more on bad players than on their own skill. Unlike hold'em, the bad players are HORRENDOUS, not just bad. They have no understanding of basic strategy, and while hold'em can often reward bad players through schooling (giving each other pot odds) and luck, omaha does this to a much smaller degree.
Another difference is that while hold'em is a simple game to learn to the average person, omaha is not. With two cards, people recognize which cards are monsters (AA, AK, KK, etc.) and most have some sense of which cards are terrible (2-7, 2-8, etc.). Omaha is not the case. people see potential in EVERY hand, and they don't have the ability to think what other people might hold.
Omaha is also a much more mathematical game. Luck plays a much smaller role because often you can have the nuts on the flop or turn and other people can be drawing dead to baby straights/flushes/boats. You won't get huge suckouts as much, rather, you'll get mathematical draws that hit 1 in 3 times, e.g. nut flush draws.
Finally, some people complain that omaha is a river game (since the river is often vital to a hand). However, unlike hold'em, the river does not give bad beats--it gives mathematical probabilities. if you hold the nuts on the turn, 3 out of 4 times it will hold up, so you bet on the turn regardless of the possibility of drawing out. If you hold the nut flush draw, you will hit it 1 in 5 times on the river, so if the pot is 6-way, you bet. I can't stress it enough, omaha is a game of probabilities--if you play them, you WILL win.
This game can be played fixed limit or pot limit, but IMHO it works best fixed limit.
I will be doing this in parts since it might get long.
enjoy!
Basic Rules:
Two players left of dealer post small and big blinds. everyone is dealt four cards. small betting round (preflop). then the flop (three board cards). small betting round. then the turn/fourth street. big betting round. then the river/fifth street. big betting round. then showdown.
The best five card hand MUST have TWO and ONLY TWO hole cards, and THREE and ONLY THREE board cards. e.g. if the board is AAAAK, the nuts would be KKxx for Aces full of Kings. four of a kind is not possible since you can only use three board cards. another important application of this is that to have a flush, you must have two cards of that suit in your hole (unlike hold'em where you can have a flush with only one card).
The high hand is the best five-card hand. the low hand is the same as any other split pot game. a low hand must have all five cards be 8 or lower. So if the board has three cards 8 or lower, a low hand is possible. otherwise, no low hand qualifies.
Low hands are read from high card down. 87654 is the worst low hand, while 5432A is the best low hand. Since you read top-down, remember that 65432 beats 7432A (even though the first one has no ace). A good way to think of it is to think of the hand as a five-digit number--the lowest value wins. so 65 thousand beats 74 thousand, doesn't matter what the three lower cards are.
The Nuts:
Omaha hi/lo at the low limits is all about the nuts. 9 out of 10 hands, the nut high will win the high pot. 9 out of 10 qualifying low hands, the nut low will win. Practice reading the nuts on the board and get used to relating your hand to the nuts.
board: 5 :diamond: 6 :diamond: 8 :club: K :diamond:
nut high: A :diamond: x :diamond:
nut low: A2 any suit
nut high draws: KK, 88, 66, 55, K8, K6, K5, 86, 85, 65, 3 :diamond: 4
:diamond: , 4 :diamond: 7 :diamond: , 7 :diamond: 8 :diamond:
nut low draws: A3, 23
In the above example, if you don't have one of the above hands--either nuts or a nut draw--get out of the hand. You are drawing dead the vast majority of the time. personally, the nut low draws aren't good enough. You're drawing to at best 4 outs, but I listed them for the sake of saying that you are drawing to the nuts. With sets and two pair, you're drawing to boats, but really, the only one worth staying around for is KK. with others, if the board pairs (and doesn't give you quads), you will often be a baby boat. The straight flush draws aren't too good, either, you're drawing to two outs if it's open-ended or one out if it's gutshot.
So taking all of that into consideration, the only draw worth staying around for is KK. the rest are longshot draws (by all means, if you have the odds, go for it, but beware having the second-best hand). One note is that if the board is paired, quads are the nuts, and are not uncommon. but if you have top boat, bet freely, and don't stick around with middle set hoping for quads because it's a one-outer.
Counterfeiting:
If you hold A2KK, and the board is 34J9, don't be overly aggressive! While you have the nut low draw, you have no counterfeit protection. What i mean is that if an A or a 2 lands, you no longer have a low hand at all (three low board cards, but you only have one low non-pairing card in the hole). That's why it's important to play hands with counterfeit protection if you're aiming for the low. A234 is the best counterfeit protecting nut low draw hand. A23x is good, A24x is good, etc.
You can also get counterfeited in your hole cards. if you're dealt AAAA, fold. you have no chance at anything but one pair, no low. if you're dealt AAAx, fold. many people get excited with pocket aces, not realizing that one of their two outs is dead. fold any three of a kind, i can't stress that enough!
Being suited/connected:
When you have two cards of the same suit, you vastly increase the versatility of your hand, especially if the A is suited. Ideally, the best hands are DOUBLE suited, meaning you have two diamonds and two clubs. Keep in mind that since omaha hi/lo is a game of the nuts, you want both to be suited with an A, or maybe a king (if an ace lands on the board).
When you have two cards that connect, you also increase your chances of hitting a straight draw, just like in hold'em. If you have AKxx or KQxx, you have a chance at hitting a nut straight draw. similarly, if you have a hand that's four-straight (AKQJ for example), you have a great hand that serves as a wraparound straight draw, but i'll get to that later. Just remember, suited is good, connecting is good, and double suited/connected is even better.
Scooping:
She best hands are ones that aim to win both the high AND the low. this can earn you MONSTROUS pots, and i mean in the vicinity of 30-40 big bets! AA23 double suited is the best possible hand... why? Because you have two nut flush possibilities, a nut boat possibility, and a monstrous nut low draw with counterfeit protection. with hands that work similarly and aim to win the whole pot (AK23, AAK2, AK24, etc.), scooping gives you a huge edge in a game.
Getting quartered:
If you have the nut low and so does someone else does as well, you have been quartered--it's a bad experience. What this means is that the high hand will take half the pot, while the low half is split between the two nut lows, so you effectively get a quarter of the pot. Same idea if you have the nut high that someone else does as well (rare but possible).
With experience, you will recognize these situations. What's important is that you don't get overly aggressive in these situations, and here's why. If at the river, the pot is three-way and each of you put in $80, you add $240 to the pot. if you get quartered, you only get $60 back. you lost $20. If you capped the pot so each of you put in $160, the pot grows by $480, but each of you get only $120 back, so you lost even more, $40. so the more you raise, the more you lose.
If the pot is four-way, you will break-even. if the pot is five-way or more, you MUST raise aggressively so that you can make a profit. it's possible to get only 1/6 of the pot if three people share the nut low/high, but that is extremely rare.
On the flip side of the coin, having a powerful hand that aims for both high and low can be a monster in this situation, because you can get 3/4 of the pot if you win nut high and split nut low! If the pot is heads up and you have nut low with a decent high, be aggressive because even two pair can hold up for high hand and you can get 3/4 of the pot.
Preflop hands:
Omaha hi/lo is all about having the best hands preflop. with premium hands, you will dominate MANY other hands and can get huge pots. The best hands work together in some way, they should combine to give you straight value, flush value, full house value, or low value.
Premium high hands want less people in. AA9T for example should be played aggressively to thin the field, but if the pot is big, don't stay around if you don't hit your set or nut flush draw. Same with KKxx and QQxx. if you have a hand like AKQJ, especially if the A and K are double-suited, you have a great hand for taking the high. The reason is that if any two broadway cards land, you have a wrap-around straight-draw and it's even better if two cards of your suit land, giving you a nut flush possibility as well.
Wrap-around straight draws are powerful in omaha, especially if the board is rainbow, unpaired and you have the nut straight possibility. If you have a hand like KQJT and the board is Q9x, you have 13 outs to the nut straight draw (3 kings, 3 jacks, 3 tens, 4 eights). If you have a draw like this, the implied odds also double because this either prevents a qualifying low (if the third card is not 8 or below) or it makes a low hand very unlikely (two low cards have to fall runner-runner). these kinds of draws are great because you have a chance to scoop the pot when no low hand qualifies.
With low hands, you want counterfeit protection. Having an A is vitally important if you want to go for the low. A2xx is ideal because you're drawing to any low card from 3 to 8. A3xx, on the other hand, is dangerous, because you're drawing to a 2 to have the nut low, but it's worth a shot if you're in late position and can see a cheap flop. Same goes for 23xx, you're drawing to an A to get the nut low, and this can be quite beneficial because often it'll counterfeit other players' aces to prevent them from having nut low (decreasing the chances of you getting quartered).
Conclusion:
So you should have some idea of how to play omaha hi/lo now. I'm not a fan of pre-flop starting hand lists for omaha hi/lo because there are literally thousands of combinations, and so you can't narrow the best hands into top 16 hands, etc. just remember some key things...
- having an ace is important!
- you want hands that aim to win the whole pot, preferably, otherwise you want hands that have a high chance of being the nut hand in either direction
- your cards should work together. A239 is better than A28T, but A234 is even better. the more cards you have that work with eacher, the greater your chance at winning the pot is, exponentially.
- being suited and connected greatly improve your hand.
- always try to go for the nuts, and be cautious if you don't have it
- always remember the possibility of being counterfeited
- try to recognize situations where you might get quartered, and minimize your losses or maximize your profits depending on how many people are in the pot.
Omaha Hi/Lo Beginner's Guide
Part 2: - The Subtleties
This is a continuation of part 1. If you are unfamiliar with the game, you should read that first.
As i said in part 1, this game can be played both fixed limit as well as pot limit (you might find a no limit home game, but it's not very practical). Just as there are differences between fixed limit hold 'em and no limit hold 'em, there are differences between the playing styles of these two.
Fixed limit omaha hi/lo is about making the correct move in the long term, always, while pot limit omaha hi/lo is more about waiting for the really big edges and capitalizing on them big time. In fixed limit, you should usually never fold the nuts, but in pot limit, you might consider folding the nut straight if you have no better draw, and the board is suited in a multiway pot, etc. (you don't want to be drawing to blanks--someone could have the nut straight as well and be drawing to a better hand at the same time, called freerolling, but we'll get to that later).
There are key characteristics that seperate the good pot limit omaha hi/lo players from the real sharks. the sharks have the discipline to lay down good hands because they know those hands aren't good enough, and they have the skill to recognize the situations which will earn them the most money. Whilst all of the advice in this part is applicable to both styles, certain aspects like pot manipulation and the importance of freerolling are much more important in pot limit omaha hi/lo.
Pre-flop Betting:
Betting pre-flop should either be to thin the field, or for value. If you have a high premium hand, you want to thin the field as much as possible, so be aggressive with hands like AAKQ, or AKKT, etc. Do this to give your hand the best chance of holding up, as well as to reduce the likelihood of someone drawing to a low. in a similar way. If you have a low-only hand, you don't want to pay too much pre-flop, because if three high cards land, your calls have become dead money in the pot and you're forced to fold.
When you have hands that aim to scoop the whole pot, you no longer want to thin the field because you want as much money in the pot as possible, because in the best case you might take the whole pot or three-quarters. Hands like AA23 or AK23 double suited are monsters pre-flop and you want to get your money in with the best of it. You also want all the lows to stay in the pot because if three high cards land, you still have a chance at being the best high hand, and if three low cards land, you have a chance at having the nut hand and scooping.
One thing you want to be very careful with when it comes to low hands is counterfeit protection. Specifically, a big downfall of many players is that when they see A2xx, they get excited and raise the pot. This is a terrible move because if an A or a 2 lands, your hand is done--you have no low anymore unless three other low cards also come. If you're in late position, you can raise the pot for value to give you better odds of drawing to a low if you have a powerful low drawing hand like A234--it doesn't matter if you miss the flop, because in the long term, that's the correct move. don't overdo it with weaker draws, though, because unlike hold'em, the board is a necessary part of your hand so if you miss more than your fair share, you're throwing money away.
The Critical Flop:
Everyone knows that the flop is important in hold'em. after all, you're seeing 5/7 of your hand after just the first betting round. in omaha hi/lo, the flop is exponentially more important. Not only are you seeing a bigger part of your hand (7/9), your hand is DEFINED by the board (since you need three board cards). In hold'em, you don't always need the board, e.g. if you have an overpair. this is not the case here.
In low-limit multiway pots, you either want to have a very strong hand or a very strong draw. If you don't have one of these, get out of the pot, because all it cost you was one betting round pre-flop, and your hand is only going to improve by two more cards if you stay in. Overpairs don't do the trick in omaha hi/lo, instead, the game is all about straights, flushes, and full houses. It's rare for even a set to hold up.
If you have a set, however, you have a decent draw at a boat (the board needs to pair, for a total of 7 outs, or 10 outs after the turn), but if you have trips (e.g. you hold Kxxx and the board is KKx), you have a better draw at filling up on the turn (which has to be one of your other three hole cards for a total of 10 outs).
If you have a good draw, though, chances are you're a favorite! Many hold'em players don't understand this concept, but in omaha hi/lo, you want to bet when you have a strong draw (e.g. nut flush draw with gutshot nut straight draw), because the pot is usually offering you more than the frequency that you'll win the hand. In these situations, it's correct to bet at your draws because in the long run you show a bigger profit.
The exception to this is with a low draw that's uninsured, e.g. A2xx on a board of 56x. Here, you want to see the turn and river cheaply, because if an A or a 2 lands, you're done! The same goes for a nut straight draw without a flush draw on a suited board. You want to make sure that if you hit, the card that makes you a straight doesn't also make the flush.
This is not the case when you have a made hand! if you have a nut flush, you DON'T want to see if the board will pair on the turn or river before you get aggressive. If you have a made hand, you MUST bet it for value and be aggressive, because with a nut hand (especially a flush, which can never be quartered), you are by far the favorite to hold up. The same applies for a made low, but that's more obvious.
Hi/Lo Pot Odds:
Pot odds for high hands are very simple; they work just like in texas hold'em. the only difference is that on the flop, you can see 8 out of 52 cards, and on the turn, you see 9. So you divide by 45 on the flop and 44 on the river. again, a quick multiplication of 2 and adding of 2 will give you a close estimate of the odds of hitting your draw on the next card.
Some good high draws to memorize:
open-ended straight draw - 8 outs (make sure all 8 outs are clean to the nuts! e.g. KQxx on a flop of JTx)
wrap-around straight draw- 13 outs if five-straight combination (e.g. AKQx on flop of JTx), 16 outs if six-straight combination (e.g. AKQ9 on flop of JTx)
freerolling straight draw - 6 outs (e.g. AKQx on a flop of JT9, a K or Q will give you the nut straight)
flush draw - 9 outs
boat/quad draw with a set - 7 outs on the flop, 10 outs on the turn (e.g. AAxx on a flop of Axx)
boat/quad draw with trips - 10 outs (e.g. Axxx on flop of AAx)
low draws are a little more complicated. one general rule to always remember is that you want to have counterfeit protection so that you can draw to more cards. Another thing to remember is that A2 is really much more valuable preflop than A3 or 23, because you can draw to any three low cards between 3 and 8, but with A3, you need to draw to a duece and two other low cards, and similarly with 23, you need to draw to an ace with two other low cards.
Here is a nice chart from poker for dummies:
2 low cards dealt to you - 24% chance preflop of making a low hand, 59% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 16% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
3 low cards dealt to you - 40% chance preflop of making a low hand, 72% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 26% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
4 low cards dealt to you - 49% chance preflop of making a low hand, 70% chance of making a low hand if two new low cards flop, and 24% chance of making a low hand if one new low card flops.
From this, you can see how vital it is to have counterfeit protection, not just for the sake of protecting your hand, but of dramatically increasing your odds of making a low hand (there is a big difference between the chances with 2 low cards dealt and 3, but not such a difference between 3 and 4).
You can also see that if you have 3 or 4 low cards in the hole, you will often have the correct odds to chase a runner-runner low draw (about 25% chance, in loose limit games that is a good draw). the more important lesson is that if you have four to a nut low on the flop, bet and bet (make sure you have counterfeit protection and that your draw is "insured"--see below), because you are a heavy favorite to win the low (about 2-1 favored)!
Here are the odds of hitting a low with one card to come (on the turn specifically after the flop, or on the river after the turn) when there are two low cards on the board that are not the same as any of your hole cards (if one card is counterfeited, it is basically as if you had one less low card dealt to you, e.g. A23x and the board is 34xx):
2 low cards dealt to you - 36% chance of getting a new low card
3 low cards dealt to you - 47% chance of getting a new low card
4 low cards dealt to you - 45% chance of getting a new low card
The reason i did the high odds in terms of outs and the low odds in percentages is because outs are more applicable to straight/flush/boat draws. But with low draws, you draw to so many cards (as high as 21) that's the quick rules of multiplication don't work--know the percentages instead. or better yet, forget the percentages and just realize that if you have four to a low with nut low insurance, bet, raise, and re-raise, because you are a favorite to win the low (occasionally you'll get quartered, but you'll learn to recognize these situations, especially when the low draw hits).
Pot Manipulation:
This is a topic that applies more to pot limit omaha hi/lo, but of course, it is an issue that you deal with in fixed limit as well. Basically, what pot manipulation means is that through aggression, you control the hand, i.e. how many people stay in the hand, how big the pot is, how much you have to pay to draw, etc.
What it relates to is starting hands, as well as the board and how your hand connects with it. This example is not mine, but it's a great example of how pot manipulation is essential: Suppose you hold KK98 and the board is KQQ. here, you can be very aggressive and can drive the pot and drive the betting because most likely, you have the best hand and it will hold up. However, suppose you have JJ98 and the board is JQQ. here, you cannot be so aggressive because it's unlikely that you will have the best hand at showdown.
The same applies to draws. Suppose you have JT98 and the flop comes JQx. You have a weak draw here, because only an 8 will give you the nut straight. anything else gives you a weak straight, so you cannot be aggressive and bet for value because you do not have a great shot at being the best hand by the end.
This idea dictates that strong starting hands are key in omaha hi/lo, because when you hit, you can really fill up the pot and get aggressive. If you see a flop and you don't have a strong hand or a strong draw, lay it down right away because you have lost your power to manipulate the pot and control the hand. more so at low limits. Profits are earned by keeping the pot small when you have an uninsured draw (i'll explain insurance below) and bloating the pot as much as you can when you have a made hand with a good draw.
The reason this applies more to pot limit omaha hi/lo is obvious. Just as aggression is key in hold'em, pot manipulation is key in omaha hi/lo. At low limits, everyone will chase with a decent draw or a decent hand, so you can really make them pay for it and really reap the rewards through good betting.
Insurance:
This relates to counterfeit protection for low hands, but it also applies to high hands. To use a low hand example, say you hold A23x, and the flop came 57J. You have what we call an insured nut low draw, because no matter what low card falls, you will have nut low--your hand can't get counterfeited. It is in these situations with these types of draws that you want to be aggressive because you are a favorite to win the low hand.
Insured draws also happen when you have a wraparound straight with broadway cards. Suppose you hold AKQ9 and the flop is JT2. No matter what card falls between 8 and A, you will have the nut straight. again, be aggressive with a monster draw like this because you are a favorite to win the high hand (assuming there is no flush or paired board).
What's key about insurance is that it relates strongly to pot manipulation. when you have an uninsured draw or any kind of weak hand, you can't be aggressive and can't control the hand, so you get out of it. Anytime you have an insured draw, however, you control the hand because in the long run, you will win, so you should be appropriately aggressive.
Freerolling:
This is a characteristic that also occurs in texas hold'em, but to a much smaller degree. While this is just another form of a powerful draw in fixed limit, it's real power is in pot limit omaha hi/lo. Why? Because pot limit omaha hi/lo is all about waiting for the opportune moment when you have the best hand without a doubt, and freerolling is a huge way to make this happen.
Suppose you have AKQJ and the board is T98. Suppose now that your opponent has QJ32. You both have the nut straight, but he is absolutely drawing dead against you, and you have a very high chance of winning the hand. If a J or Q lands, you will have the better hand. the same applies to a situation such as you having the nut straight with the nut flush draw while your opponent only has a nut straight with no draw. He is drawing dead to you, but you have a chance of winning.
Other situations would be both of you having the nut low with you having a nut high draw, or vice versa. Of course, you never know your opponent's cards, but if you have a nut hand with a better draw, you must recognize that you are probably freerolling someone, and you MUST get as many chips in as you can. If you can get all-in at some time, you MUST, because nobody at the low limits will ever lay down the nuts recognizing that they are probably getting freerolled. Even if you split the pot most of the time, the few times that you hit your draw and win the whole pot, you will earn a massive profit.
Of course, if you are on the other end of the stick, it is very difficult to lay down the best hand when facing aggressive betting. With experience, though, you start to recognize these situations and you can hopefully see a cheap turn and river and make sure no scare cards fall, or you can lay down your hand knowing that you are getting freerolled. While this is not such a big danger in fixed limit, it is a vital skill in pot limit if you're a shark. It is NEVER a bad move to lay down the nut hand in pot limit when you have no draw to improve, because it is not improbable that someone is freerolling you.
The one exception to this is with flushes... you either have the nuts or you don't. Nobody can freeroll you on a flush draw, and that's why flushes are such a good made hand in omaha hi/lo. Not only will you never get quartered, you actually have a strong chance of three-quartering if you have a decent low. This goes to emphasize the importance of your starting cards being suited or double-suited--it gives you a big edge!
Starting Hand Advice:
Just some miscellaneous information here that is very useful but more subtle. Fixed limit omaha hi/lo is all about maximizing those little edges, while pot limit omaha hi/lo is all about finding the huge edges, and through some of these tips, you can do both.
For low hands, having a 6 in your hand greatly improves your chance at three-quartering on a low flop. Example: you have A236, and the board comes 45x. you have the insured nut low draw, but what's better is that if an A, 2, or 3 lands, you have a 6-high straight as opposed to a 5-high straight other nut lows will have! So if there aren't too many people in the pot, you can often scoop the pot or three-quarter it with your 6-high straight that beats the wheel!
One trap in starting hands is playing middle connectors like 789T. Although this hand is very coordinated and works together nicely, it will often leave you as the second best hand or give you only half the pot. Why? Because if you get the nut straight, there are at least two low cards on the board, probably three, so someone will have made a low. If not, then there are high cards like 89T or 9TJ, you hold a very weak baby straight. So try to stay away from middle cards, especially in pot limit omaha hi/lo.
Finally, there are systems for counting points pre-flop, and deciding whether to fold, call or raise depending on these points. For example, a pair of aces is 20 points, A2 is 10 points, a pair of kings are 15 points, 5 points for being suited, 15 points for being double-suited, etc. add up all your points and if you have 30 or more, call. if you have 40 or more, raise, and if you have 50 or more, reraise, etc. I personally strongly disagree with this system, because it encourages thinking of your hand in two-card units. this is wrong!
Always remember that your hand is a four-card unit! All four cards should work together in some way, so if you have AA48 unsuited, lay it down! You have a very slim chance of having the best hand because you only really have two good cards (and are basically drawing to only two outs), not four. A hand like KQJT is MUCH better than AKQ5, because even though the value might be lower because of no ace, you have four cards that work together, not three with a dangler.
Labels: Omaha Hi/Lo
posted by DangerMouse at 4:18 PM
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