Fixed Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Poker

by Bodog Poker | Nov 30 2010

Omaha Hi-Lo poker is definitely a game I recommend starting off in fixed-limit games, even if you're an experienced Omaha Hi player looking to expand their game a bit. There's a whole different style of play that you'll need to adjust to and these pointers can help you get ready once you've learned the basic rules for Omaha hi lo poker.

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Position, Position, Position

As with any poker game, playing too many hands from early position ends up costing many players money in fixed limit Omaha hi-lo poker games. By choosing to play from late position, you have the advantage of seeing your opponents act before you need to make a decision. If several opponents raise ahead of you, then you'll know that that marginal hand you're holding isn't worth the effort. However, if your opponents appear weak then a timely bet in a late position can win the pot. Proper position-oriented play ensures that you lose less money when behind in a hand and get to build and take in a big pot when ahead.

Starting Hands

Since you can only use 2 cards from your own hand along with 3 from the board when playing Omaha, it's important to give yourself as many chances as possible to hit the flop. In most cases, someone is going to be holding the nut high / low or a good draw and choosing starting hands with good features (suited, connected and back-up low cards) will give you more ways to win the pot. Players should particularly look out for suited cards with aces and other low-value cards that some call "babies."

Scooping The Pot

Take the extra second when determining if you're staying in the hand and sure that you have the potential to scoop both the high and the low sides of the pot at the same time. Aces suited with other cards in your hand are the best starting hands to do this with, since they can make flushes at the same time as the best low. You'll want to avoid hands with middling low cards; you're likely to hit the sour spot and make both he worst possible high and low with these. High-only hands win the pot 30% of the time – make sure that you only play these when there are no low or flush draws on the board.

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Bluff Less, Value Bet More Often

This is a fantastic rule of thumb, particularly in lower buy-in fixed limit Omaha poker games online because there are a great number of inexperienced players who will go all the way to the river with very dubious hands. Take advantage of these players (and their loose play) by cutting down on your bluffs (semi-bluffs with scoop hands can still be profitable) and increasing the range of hands which you ‘value bet' (bet because you may have the best hand) on the river. Since your opponents are unlikely to fold, bluffing loses much of its effectiveness in low level fixed limit Omaha Hi-lo games.

Quartering Is Bad

This is a phenomenon unique to hi-lo games and it describes what happens when you share the low side of the plot with another player and lose the high side, meaning you end up getting only 25% of your investment in the pot back.  This frequently happens when you are holding A2 and have no other low cards. The "bare" A2 is something that you should avoid believing in too strongly and you'll be better off with an additional low card (a 3 or 4) but, again, avoid playing middling cards.

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