Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy. Pre-Flop Play

Opening hand guide for Limit Omaha Hi-Lo (full table, 8-10 players)

The best opening hands in Omaha Hi-Lo are A-A-2-3 double-suited followed by A-A-2-4 double-suited. You are lucky if you have a chance to start with this hand because it is the strongest type of hand. Having such a hand you can play for both high and low, which gives it immense scoop potential. It is understandable that being suited or (much better) double-suited affixes value to every hand.

Below you’ll find 20 good opening hands
A-A-2-x
A-A-3-x
A-A-4-5
A-2-3-x
A-2-K-K
A-2-Q-Q
A-2-J-J
A-3-4-5
A-A-x-x
A-2-K-Q
A-2-K-J
A-2-x-x (suited ace)
A-3-K-K
A-3-4-x
2-3-4-5 (fold if there is no ace on the flop)
J-Q-K-A
T-J-Q-K
K-K-Q-J
Q-J-T-9
2-3-4-x (fold if there is no ace on the flop)

Any 4 cards between a ten and an ace.

Gin hands

A hand like A-4-4-4 suited is a gin hand. This hand doesn’t offer you great opportunity and high potential but it is possible to make second-best low hand. Thought the chances of winning the low hand are merely 1% and of making a flush, just 4%.

It is often good to fold hands that hold two gaps. The odds for making a straight are not more than 1% and it is almost impossible to win the low (for example, A-4-5-9).

Remember that hands like 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8 and 6-7-8-9 always have a negative expected value. You have no chance to win necessary number of times with the low hand and little chance to make the nut straight.

High pairs with two casual cards like K-K-x-x or Q-Q-x-x are not playable, but a high pair that consists of two low cards which also make your hand double-suited is playable in a lot of games. For instance K-K-2-4 double-suited is playable.

Pre-Flop Advice

• You should play about 1/3 of your hands.
• Usually it is recommended to play just hands that hands an A-2, A-3 or 2-3 for low hand.
• Commonly you should play just hands that include four cards not lower than nine and higher for high hand. An exclusion is A-9 hands with two big cards; this kind of hand is impossible to play at all.
• You should sometimes play A-4 suited and A-5 suited when the other two cards work well with the hand.
• In most cases it is better not to raise in early position with your good A-2 hands. In place raise with it in late position if there are a few callers in front of you. This kind of raise fabricates the pot when you stand to win having the best hand going in.

Raising before the flop

It is recommended not to raise in early position with your premium hands in loose Omaha Hi-Lo. You are not going to abate the field and commit much money until you have seen the flop. When you are sitting in late position and there are a couple of limpers in front of you, we advice to raise in order to build the pot.

Pocket aces

When you hold an A-A and a low card (For example, a two or three) or an ace suited, it is not wise to raise before the flop in early position. You are going to alude forcing your adversaries to fold since these kines of hands work very well in multi-way pots.

It is possible to raise with pocket aces and two high cards from an early position to confine the field, since this kind of hand plays well short-handed. An exclusion to raising may appear if the raise is hardly to confine the field. If that is the case, it is most advantageous to call. But if the flop approaches with two or three low cards, fold this hand.

Four low cards

It is very difficult to scoop the pot with this kind of hand. It is also hard to flop the nut low hand often enough in order to make this hand beneficial. In situation when you do not hold an A-2, A-3 or 2-3, alude playing this kind of hand.

Four high cards

This kind of hand better to play for a high hand but you should be ready to fold if there are two or three low cards on the flop.

High pairs

It is recommended to play this kind of hand just when you have two other good cards to go with your high pair. For instance, if your hand is double-suited and/or has low potential, like a Q-Q-2-3 double-suited.

Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy

1. Introduction
2. Major Advice and Frequent Mistakes
3. Preflop Play
4. Post Flop
5. Starting Hands