3 tips to become more successful at Omaha Hi/Lo

Omaha Hi/Lo is the most popular format on Replay Poker after Texas Hold’em. If you’ve got the basics down from our Help Center article, we have some additional tips to help you become more successful.

Hand selection: You don’t have to play every hand!

Position and hand selection are important in any poker game because you need to equip yourself with appropriate tools before you enter the fray. With Omaha Hi/Lo, entering pots with subpar hands can be particularly punishing.

In early position, you should only enter pots with premium hands that can call pre-flop raises.

In middle position, you should consider a raise if players you perceive as weak have limped before you. This allows you to both gain position in the betting, and to exploit their passive play.

In late position, you should still only enter multi-way pots with quality hands, such as: 

• Three or more low cards, to avoid counterfeiting.
• High pairs, which can win half of big multi-way pots.
• Ace flush draws, which are good drawing hands if low cards are also involved.
• Connected cards working together for a wrap-around straight. This hand can be strong on medium to high boards, but you may frequently find that you’re playing for half of the pot.

Play for both halves of the pot. Keep your options open and limit your downside.

Once you reach the flop, you’ll have an idea whether there is the possibility of a low. And if so, whether you’re mainly interested in both halves of the pot or just half.

If you’re likely to claim just half the pot, particularly if you might have to share the low half, folding may be a good option.

An ace flush draw with any sort of low draw can be played quite aggressively. Pushing players out by betting pays dividends if get to Heads Up and you have a medium strength claim on both halves of the pot.

Reading opponents: Getting value and avoid being the value.

Judging which players are likely to have low hands and which are playing for high can be the difference between a good and an exceptional Hi/Lo player. Just calling with the nut low draw when you have poor high possibilities may sometimes pay off. But jamming when you’re likely to win all of one half of the pot against multiple opponents will make your returns much better.

Learn which players have no hand selection or stick around with a draw to just one half of the pot. Find out who goes crazy with the nut low when it’s likely to be shared among several players.

Aim to capitalize when you can put players on difficult decisions. But don’t overextend. Running a failed bluff on players who have any sort of claim on one half of the pot might result in them scooping both halves if you have no hand at all.