What Is The Nut Low In Omaha Hi Lo
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Although they may share the same name and most of the same rules, many players will mistake Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo for the same when they are in fact two different games that require different approaches in strategy.
To find out more about what makes these two games so different, please continue reading below.
Omaha Hi
Omaha 'Hi' is played in a similar fashion to Texas Hold'em in terms of the overall goal being to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The key difference of course from Omaha from Hold'em is that players will start with 4 hole cards; and from those 4 cards, players must make 2 of their hole cards, no more and no less, work with 3 of the community cards to make the best 5-card hand possible.
Starting hands will resemble those from Hold'em as well with pairs of Aces and Kings, preferably double suited, being the best hand in Omaha Hi. Here are the top 5 hands for Omaha Hi:
1. A-A-K-K double suited
2. A-A-J-10 double suited
3. A-A-Q-Q double suited
4. A-A-J-J double suited
5. A-A-10-10 double suited
What Is The Nut Low In Omaha Hi Loader
What I mean by 'Omaha' here is: Limit Omaha High-Low (aka Omaha8, Omaha Hi-Lo Split, Omaha Eight-or-Better). Omaha is also played Limit High Only, Pot Limit High, Pot Limit High-Low and occasionally No Limit. While concepts here are sometimes applicable to.
The biggest approach to strategy in Omaha Hi is to focus on playing hands that will give you multiple opportunities to draw (re-draw) to the 'nuts.' For example, playing A-A-K-K can give you a straight on a board such as Q-J-10, but this is hand is much better if the A-K is suited allowing it the opportunity to 're-draw' to a better hand; in this case the better hand being a nut flush.
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If the pot has not been won due to a player betting all the other players out pre-flop, on the flop, on the turn or on the river, then the remaining players will then go to showdown and the player with the best 5-card poker hand will win the pot.
Omaha Hi/Lo
What Is The Nut Low In Omaha Hi Low
Omaha Hi/Lo, also known as Omaha 8 or better or Hi/Lo split, is virtually the same game as Omaha except that there are potentially two pots for every hand, the high pot and the low pot. This means that players can actually win one-half of the pot by winning the best 'hi' 5-card poker hand or the other half of the pot by winning the best low hand. Low hands in Hi/Lo must have 5 card all of which must have values of 8 or lower with a wheel, A thru 5, being the nut low hand. Players can also 'scoop' the pot if they happen to have the best Hi and the best Lo hand or if there happens to be no qualifying low.
Starting hands are going to vary a bit from those of the Omaha Hi game because now players must be concerned with trying to draw to a low hand as well to try and 'scoop' the pot. The following are the top 5 Omaha low starting hands:
1. A-A-2-3 double suited
2. A-A-2-4 double suited
3. A-2-3-4 double suited
4. A-2-4-5 double suited
5. A-3-4-5 double suited
As you can see, the idea that they are double suited is similar to playing Omaha Hi. This will ensure that players have more than one hand to draw to and allow them to re-draw to a better hand.
Another thing that you may notice is the fact that these are all baby cards with no face cards. There is a reason behind the madness though. In Omaha Hi/Lo, players need to focus on scooping the pot and while Hi cards can win a 'Hi' pot, there is no way for them to win a low pot. However, low cards such as the ones we listed above can win the low pot but can also win a high pot in the case that the player draws to a wheel or draws to a flush. This makes playing smaller cards such as these a bit more sought after to play.
Aside from just splitting the pot in Omaha Hi/Lo, players can also 'quarter' the pot which means split one of the two pots amongst someone else. For example, if there were 3 players in a $600 pot and one player won the high hand, he would win half the pot for $300. If the other two players had the same lo hand, then they would split the remaining $300 between themselves for $150 each. This can be a negative proposition over the long run if a player isn't careful.
Lastly, a big difference between the two games is the ability to bluff. In Omaha, players are only shooting for the Hi hand so there is a bit of room for maneuvering for a bluff attempt. However, in Omaha Hi/Lo it is just too likely that a player has at least the low pot and will call you down to be sure to get it. Not saying it is impossible, just that it is very difficult to bluff in Hi/Lo.
Differences/Similarities - Omaha vs Omaha Hi/Lo
Although there are more differences than similarities, players should know that these two games do have a few things in common. One, Omaha is a 'nut' game which means that players should be going for the nuts only when attempting to enter a pot. This is because there are so many draws out there that the best hand on the flop can easily be drawing dead on the turn. Additionally, most hands that tend to win in games like Hold'em such as pairs and two pairs tend not to hold up in Omaha or Hi/Lo. Again, because of all the draws more premium hands go to showdown such as straights and flushes while trips are mediocre at best.
In closing, these two games are very different but not so different that a player would have a difficult time moving from one game to the other as long as they realized that each game had their own nuances and as a result, had their own approach to winning.
Omaha Hi-Lo cash games have been increasing in popularity in live and online poker rooms over the last few years. Many players go into these games with a somewhat weak strategy and end up regularly donating to the game. In this article, we will present you with a basic Omaha 8 or Better cash game strategy to help you donate less at the tables and win more.
Starting Hands
In Omaha Hi-Lo the phrase “tight is right” definitely applies. Unlike Texas Hold’em, it is not going to pay off to speculate with hands in Omaha Hi-Lo. You are looking for hands with strong scoop potential. Suited or double-suited hands like A-A-2-x, A-A-3-x, A-A-4-5, A-2-3-x, and most A-2-x-x hands are going to have strong scoop potential.
Suited and double-suited hands with an A-2 and one or two wheel cards as well as hands like A-2-3-K, A-2-4-Q, and A-3-4-K are strong as well. Remember that you are looking for strong two way hands that give you a chance to win.
Pre-Flop
When playing Omaha 8 or Better pre-flop, you are not going to be raising that often in early position unless you are looking at a strong hand with A-2 like A-A-2-K, A-A-2-3, A-2-3-4, etc. If you are in later position, your decision to raise should be based on whether you are trying to build a pot. Since most Omaha games are going to be multi-way action to the flop, raising is usually going to do very little to thin out the field.
When you have A-2, you have the best shot at nut low.
If action starts to get crazy pre-flop, you will want to get out of hands where you do not have strong scoop possibilities. Also, don’t fall in love with a bare A-2 or naked aces. When we say bare or naked, we mean hands that have no other coordinating cards to help out the A-2 or the aces. If action is crazy, abandon these hands or see a flop and get out if you do not catch.
Flop Play
How you proceed on the flop in Omaha Hi-Lo will depend on your hand and your drawing potential. If you hit the flop with hitting your hand or having a solid draw, it is time to fold. Also, if you are not drawing to the nuts, it is time to get out of the hand. When drawing for low only, consider the likelihood of being counterfeited. If you are drawing to a low that may be counterfeited with no shot at high, you need to get out of the pot.
When you have hands with multiple draws, such as a straight draw and a low draw, consider raising the pot to force out weak and one way draws. Also, smart players that have only a pair on the flop will likely fold as well. a
Turn Play
Once you reach the turn in Omaha 8 or Better, it is time to reevaluate the board yet again. If there are three suited cards on board and you do not have a flush, it is time to get out unless you have a strong low draw in a multi-way pot. The same applies to when the board pairs on the turn. When the board pairs, full houses are much more likely and you should probably get out of the way. Should a straight complete on the turn, it may also be time to get out unless you have a redraw to either a higher straight or to a flush.
Should you already have the nuts on the turn, it is time to attempt a check-raise. If your raise gets called and there are other potential draws out there, be careful on the river.
River Play
If you have the best hand on the river, it is time to bet. Many players, especially at lower stakes will call down a bet at the river with second-best hands for both high and low. You can extract value here many times.
About the only time you will want to consider slowing down is if the pot is three-handed, you have nut low with A-2 and think that the other player may have nut low as well. A bet here will cost you money. The reason we say A-2 is that most counterfeiting situations occur when multiple players hold A-2 and draw for low. However, if you think they are not likely to have nut low still bet.
When the board fails to bring a low on the river and you think your opponents were just on a low draw, a bluff bet may also take down the pot.
Omaha Hi-Lo cash games can be action-filled games as many players do not play a solid strategy. As a result, many players wind up blowing through stacks quickly and feeding the stacks of the solid players. With the above strategy, you should find yourself walking away from Omaha 8 or Better cash games a winner more often.