Omaha Hi/Lo

All winning poker especially in Omaha requires good judgments in random situations. Some people absolutely hate this part of poker. They want the easy decision of if I do this I get this. However, in the case of Omaha such situations are rare. So, learning to become good at situational decision making is key.

Along with situational decision making comes learning to play to scoop. Playing to scoop means when you win you take the whole pot, not just the top half. An example of a scoop can therefore be shown like this, if you are dealt Ad-2d-10c-Jc and the board comes 3d-4d-5d-Ac-7s and no opponent can tie your low hand of A-2-3-4-5 then you scoop the whole pot for yourself. When playing a hand like this though, you do need to make sure you have dual suited cards so you can pull off a high flush if someone pairs the board as well. Remember patience is key and don’t be afraid to fold more often then not.

Also, you want to avoid getting quartered when playing those low hands. Getting quartered happens when you try to play your low hand like above, however, if someone else has an A-2 it can cause you to split the low half of the pot and only getting a quarter, hence the term getting quartered. This is the only time it’s possible to actually win and loose money while doing it. When playing a low riding hand, try not to get into a raising war with other players. The best strategy you can do is be aware of getting quartered and controlling the pot size if you think it’s happening.

If you ever get this hand get as much of your opponents money in the pot as you can because this is the only hand that can't be beat on the high end.

Another good strategy when playing Omaha is to play aggressive. It’s always better to be aggressive rather than playing passive. So, when you hit a big flop and you can calculate your odds of having the nuts try to get as much money as you can and exploit this big edge. Being patient and waiting for those good starting hands will help you win. Even in Omaha, it’s common for new players or bad players to play every hand or almost every hand. So, wait for your hands and play them aggressively to come out on top. Since Omaha is more based off mathematics use it to your advantage and don’t be scared about putting chips into the pot if you know you have an edge. Also, if you notice a player who plays too many hands use this situation to take advantage of him.

Beware of any nut peddlers. By that I mean players who will only play a few flops with premium hands and fold if there’s any betting. They are waiting to have the best possible hand before they commit to putting money in to the pot.

Also, keep track of your stack size and the opponents because stack size determines yours and others play. By keeping note of stack sizes around the table it will allow you to have an idea on how players are going to play.

Another strategy is to raise on a variety of hands. The reason behind this is so that the other players don’t lock into your exact hands. If you raise on a certain hand a certain way it only makes sense they are going to catch on.

The final strategy that you can use is to bluff less but semi-bluff more. By that I mean when you bluff don’t straight out bluff because Omaha is not a game for straight bluffs. Make sure your bluffs are made with outs, and make sure those outs lead to nut hands. This will give you the little extra you need to win when your opponents do call you.