New to Hi/Lo..What are best starting hands?

Players Helping Players
21

7 stud, rolled up ( like j-j-j-a set ).

22

hi low 7 stud:)

24

In 7 card hi lo you almost have to play it through to the end. Too many variables not to.

25

The river can make you or break you usually in hi-lo i noticed.:slight_smile:

1 Like
26

I don’t bluff LOL

2 Likes
27

I am slowly adjusting to Hi-LO, and I am actually liking it better than Royal at this point. They should rotate weeks of Royal and Hi-Lo.

2 Likes
28

I like Hi/lo. So many variations keeps it exciting.

1 Like
29

In Omaha you must play only 2 in your hand and 3 on the board. A set in your hand thus means one of those cards can never come into play. As a result, you can’t get quads.

30

In Omaha, the most dangerous hand is 2-pair. It’s not likely to win much, but people overplay it anyway. The chances of hitting the card needed to complete a full house are pretty remote.

Your best chance is to focus on high flushes and straights, made sets, and good low hands.

If there is an ace on the board, don’t play low unless you have the 2 or 3 (preferably both).
If there is a 2 on the board, holding the ace and 3 is huge. A4 is also good. 34 not so much.

Beware of being “quartered”, where you chop the low (or high) with another player. The end result is that you lose money despite “winning” the hand.

Example:
3000 in the pot.
345KK board.
You have A2QJ
Bill has A234
Bob has KKQJ

Each of you had put in 1000 to the pot.
Bob wins 1500
Bill and you both win 750 (and lose 250).

Yes, it can mean getting back some money on a lost hand, but I see many going all-in or otherwise overbetting trying to maximize their low when it’s pretty clear their opponent also has the hand.

Suckouts happen more in Omaha than Hold’em. Bluff less, especially since people overplay way too many hands.
Play for the nuts. If you don’t have the best flush or straight possible and others are betting big, you’re likely beat. Don’t waste your time and money on lower straights or flushes.

The most interesting poker hand I’ve ever had was a royal flush on the board in Omaha. Since you can only play 3 on the board and 2 in the hand, it came down to who had the best 2 clubs (not me…).

1 Like
31

The High

The winning high hand in Omaha Hi-Lo is identical to that of Omaha High. There are no qualification requirements for the high, meaning there will always be a winning high hand.

The Low

Low hands must qualify to be eligible for winning the low half of the pot.

  • A low hand is composed of any two cards from a player’s hand, and any three cards from the board (community cards).

  • The cards a player uses for his best High hand have no effect on the low. The player can use the same cards, different ones or a combination from his hand.

  • A qualifying low hand is defined as five unpaired cards, all with ranks at or below 8.

  • Aces are considered low for the low hand.

  • Flushes and straights are ignored for the low, meaning the best low possible is A-2-3-4-5 regardless of suits.

  • Low hands are counted from the top down, meaning the hand is only as good as its highest card.

For example:
A 2 3 4 5 is lower than 2 3 5 6 7

Any hand with a pair, or with a card higher than 8, does not qualify, even if the rank of the pair is below 8.

Suits do not count toward a low; any players sharing the exact same low must equally split the low half of the pot. (Winning half of the Low pot, and nothing from the High pot is known as being quartered.)