Omaha High/Low Rules and Strategies
- Published 2006-02-04
- Author Pokeraddict
High/Low games are becoming more and more popular. Some online poker players have burned out on Texas Holdem but yet still want to play poker. Omaha and Omaha High/Low are great games for holdem players to learn because they are easy to learn. The structures are just like Texas Holdem. There are blinds posted, a three card flop, a turn and a river. Just as in Texas Holdem there is a bet at each street. The difference is that a player is dealt four cards and must use, and only use 2 of their dealt cards with three of the community cards. This is not a game where you would want to be dealt three or four of a kind as you can only play two of them.
Omaha High only has not caught on quite as much as high/low. The reason for this is that there is not the amount of action because after a flop one hand usually dominates the others. Also Omaha high action is usually only in pot limit. Many players are not comfortable with pot limit and also a pot bet will usually cause any player still drawing to fold creating small pots.
In Omaha High/Low players are drawing for not only high but an unpaired eight or better low hand. The worst possible low is 8-7-6-5-4 and the best is 5-4-3-2-A. The low hand is determined by the highest card, and if there is a tie it goes to the second card and so on. A low hand of 8-6-5-4-3 would beat 8-7-3-2-A since the second card in the first hand is lower then the second card in the last hand even if the third, fourth and fifth cards are lower.
The great thing about high/low is that players will pay to see the turn and river to try and make a low, even heads up. This creates a great opportunity for skilled players to punish these players that can not lay down a low draw. Even if the low drawer hits they will only get half the pot basically just getting their bets back. The high drawer can however scoop the entire pot if the low does not come. There can not be a low if at least three of the community cards are not eight or lower. Pairs do not count either so if the window was A-A-2-K-Q there could not be a low because a player can not make a five card low hand eight or better.
There are times to draw into a low hand. First you must always have the draw to the nut, or best low. It is best if you have what is called backup. For example Player A has A-2-J-Q and player B has A-2-3-K. The flop comes 9-7-4. Player B has a big advantage. The reason for this is that even though both players have a draw at the nut low if an ace or 2 comes Player B will still have the nut low but Player A will be what is called counterfeited. His A-2 will not be any good and would have to fold losing any bets they put in the pot on their draw.
It is also important to have other draws. Flushes and straights win most of the pots in Omaha. If you have a draw to both the nut low, and the nut flush draw or straight draw, you are drawing to a potential scooping hand. Hands where players can make a wheel (a 5 high straight and the best low) and have it win high can scoop huge pots. This also goes for ace high flush and low draws.
One of the big advantages in any high/low game is the ability to freeroll. When a player freerolls in high/low it means he will win half the pot with a draw to win the entire pot. For example a player has already flopped the nut low. This player has A-4-5-6 into a flop of 2-3-8. This player is also four to an ace high flush. The player is guaranteed the low (although they may split) but may also win if the straight or flush comes. These are huge opportunities for high/low players. Players will call bets with mediocre hands or even with what is the nuts now, but the freerolling player has the possibility to scoop the entire pot.
Rakeback and prop players also have another big advantage playing Omaha high/low. High/low games generate bigger pots creating more rake. This creates a bigger prop paycheck or higher monthly rakeback payment. Some of the bigger poker rooms only employ props to play non holdem games so players interested in propping have a better chance of working for a more established room if they can play these non holdem games.
I have enjoyed Omaha high/low for over 10 years. Learning Omaha is a great second game to learn for a holdem player, especially one battling burnout or cold cards. Many poker rooms offer micro limit Omaha so this is a great way to learn the game. Who knows, you might just discover your new favorite game.