The goal of Omaha High-Low is to scoop the pot, which means winning both the high and the low. You should avoid playing in a manner where you are often quartered or get to split the pot. This means that you are being very picky about the starting hands that you play as well as picky about the hands you play after the flop. A check-list of skills and advice that can help you improve your chances of winning at Omaha high-low follows:

Overall Play Advice

1. Only play the more marginal starting hands in late position, when several players have called in front of you.
2. Rarely rise before the flop .
3. Be able to fold on the flop frequently.
4. Bluff only occasionally on the river if there is not a low hand out.
5. Play premium-starting hands.
6. If you don’t have the nut potential, usually you should not play after the flop.
7. Play only in loose games where, on the average, five or more players see the flop.
8. Play hands that are capable of scooping the pot.
9. Be skilled at calculating pot odds.
10. Frequently fold your hand on the flop.
11. Generally speaking, you should only play hands that include A-2, A-3, 2-3 for low hand although a backup low card provides additional value.
12. Play more aggressively when you hit a good flop.
13. As a general rule, only play hands that have four cards (9 and higher) for high hand. It’s a good idea to mix-up your play once in awhile by playing A-4 suited and A-5 suited if the other two cards also work well with the hand.
14. Because hands that include a 7, 8, or 9 have a negative expected value, it is best to fold most of these hands.

The Most Common Errors:

Calling on the flop with only a high draw when the flop comes with two low cards.

1. Playing too many starting hands.
2. Calling on the flop with only a low draw when the flop comes with two high cards.
3. Seeing flops with four middle cards such as 6-7-8-9.
4. Rising with A-2 in early position and making players fold seeing the flop cheaply with more players in the game.

Playing Aces in Omaha High-Low

Pocket Aces is one of the most overplayed as well as overrated hands in poker. This especially holds true amongst players who are used to playing Texas Hold’em. An A-A-2-3 double-suited hand is the best possible starting hand in Omaha High-Low and it is a hand that you would play from any position regardless of how many players have entered the pot. The question then becomes “how can any other A-A-x-x hand not be a great hand”?

With an A-A hand, the difference in strength can be significant depending upon the other two cards in your hand. If you compare the A-A-2-3 double-suited hand to a A-A-5-5 off suit hand you will notice that the A-A-2-3 hand holds potential for two different nut-flushes, plenty of nut-low combinations, and also straight possibilities while the A-A-5-5 off suit hand is actually rather mediocre and, other than in 2-3 situations, probably should not be player at all.

Tips

1. If you are holding an A-A hand with two weak side cards that don’t add any value to your hand, you should only play by rising if you are first in from late position or if it has been raised, you are in late position and no one has called. In the second scenario, you should try to isolate your opponent and make it three bets.
2. Play hands like A-A-9-5 or A-A-9-4 heads up. A-A-9-2 is an exception to this tip, however, because it can be played in more situations and A-A-9-3 is a significantly weaker hand.
3. The closer your hand is to A-A-2-3 double-suited, the better your hand is. These hands can be played very aggressively.