Why Omaha HiLo is a good players game

Experienced players in Omaha HiLo have a big edge against new players to the game.  Winning hands are far different than what you see in Holdem for example.

A pair of Aces can easily win a Holdem pot.  In Omaha this hand has a far lower chance of winning the pot.  There is a very simple reason for this in Omaha.  Each player starts the hand holding four cards instead of the two you see in Holdem.  Three of a kind is a decent hand unless there are three suited cards in the Flop or one pair.  If this is the case, then it is likely that another player may have a flush or a full house.

Every winning hand in Holdem needs to be better as a rule in Omaha as each player has nine cards to make a hand.  In Holdem there are only seven cards for each player.  If the game is no-limit, you can protect your hand by a large bet, but many players that play Omaha are very willing to gamble on a draw.  Good Holdem players have to reset their way of playing when they are playing Omaha HiLo.  A winning Holdem hand may often be a poor second after the River card is dealt.  This is a hard lesson for new Omaha players who were solid Holdem players.

Another facet of Omaha HiLo is the fact that each pot may have two or more winning hands.  Due to this the pots can be split up between the low hand and the high hand.  In many cases the low hand may be tied and the high hand will get that side of the pot with only one winner.  For these reason those players that seek the high hand have a slight advantage.  A player with a lock low hand should be aware that other players could tie the hand.  A lock high hand cannot be tied except when the high is an Ace high straight.

The best hand that a player can end up with is a hand that wins both sides.  This hand known as a scooper is the most valued hand in Omaha HiLo. When a player thinks this is the case, they should raise as often as they can as these pots can be huge and mean a very good poker session to that player.  Any player wishing to learn Omaha HiLo would be wise to read about the game in any of the good books now available on the game.  Learn to play at a low limit and then move on to higher limits.

Tagsgood poker game, good poker players, Omaha, Omaha HiLo, players, poker, poker strategy, poker tactics

See also

• No limit Omaha HiLo gives bang for the buck
  For those players who are familiar with Omaha HiLo, this limit played at a low level of entry seems to give a good player more bang for the buck.  The reason is that you can protect a hand and at the same time take advantage of your superior play in the game.   There are suggested [...]
• When to move up in the table limits in Holdem
  New players to Holdem should start at a limit that is well within their stake money and only move up in limits when they are consistently winning at the starting level.  As a player moves up in the table limits the opponents will become tougher to beat.  The higher the limit of play usually means [...]