Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Strategy
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Pot Limit Omaha/8 is an interesting variant of poker that requires a unique approach. Popular forms include Pot Limit and Limit PLO/8 whilst recently the no limit variant has started to gain some popularity.
If you solely play No Limit Hold’em, you might consider getting some skills in PLO/8 and other mixed games.
Although they are very different games, the mental exercise of becoming competent in other variants of poker can assist your ability to adapt your game. This can only make you stronger as an all-round poker player.
This is a brief introduction into basic strategy for PLO/8.
Limit PLO/8
This was once the most popular variant of PLO/8 and is still offered widely at many online poker sites, and is a staple of many live casino poker games.
The limit game relies fairly heavily on pre-flop selection of hands. Playing a tight range of hands is recommended and will make your decision making process easier post-flop.
A2xx is always playable as are hands like ace-three suited. You should also play aces, especially with a wheel card, but be prepared to throw the aces away on unfavourable flops.
Hands like kings and queens with no low support are deceptively weak hands as they are so easily counterfeited and are very difficult to play post-flop. In general throw these hands away, unless they are highly co-ordinated (e.g. KsKcQsJc )and you are in position, perhaps with many people in the pot.
Look to isolate players with hands with high potential (AcAs5d5c) by putting in a raise pre-flop and encourage players in with hands that have high draw potential (e.g. with Ac2s3h4c you may elect to just flat call a raise pre-flop to encourage action behind you).
Exercising disciplined pre-flop selection will mean you enter pots with a high expectation of winning more often than your opponents.
Pot Limit Omaha/8
In PLO/8, there is a little more room to play some more hands pre-flop, but you should still exercise good pre-flop selection in general.
Playing in position is very important in PLO/8 as controlling the pot size is a key component of good PLO/8 play and this is far easier to do in position.
Flopping big draws with potential for both high and low should be your goal. With strong 2 way hands like As2sKJ and similar, it is often worthwhile building the pot in position ( i.e. raise after limpers) so that you can build large pots post-flop when you hit a favourable flop.
Be wary if your hand just works one way, particularly low(e.g Ac2s x x on a 7c 8c Kd 4d 9h board). You will be presented with good opportunities to bluff opponents with just high hands off the pot with your lock low, but consider their holding also. You can find yourself getting three-quartered (splitting low and losing high).
Identifying situations where you should bloat the pot to maximise your profit and where you should try and control the pot size is very important in hi lo.
Hopefully some of these ideas have whetted your appetite to try it out yourself.