Omaha Hi Lo Basic Strategy

Omaha hi-lo can be a very challenging game but at the same time a very profitable game as well. The major difference between a losing player and a winning player is usually the flop percentage. If you're not sure what hands to play, check out this article on what hands to play in Omaha Hi Lo.

With four hole cards it can be difficult to lay down a hand when you see so many possible strong hands but by calling with less than premium hands you are falling into the same boat as many novice Omaha hi-lo players. We will look at some winning strategies for both fixed limit and pot limit Omaha hi-lo.

Fixed Limit Omaha Hi Lo Strategy

The average skill level at fixed limit Omaha hi-lo is unusually low. Many players call with horrible hands and chase hands that most likely will not win them any money even if they catch them. The best starting hands are ones that give you the possibility to win the low and high pot.

Even if you have the nut low hand, you can still lose money by getting quartered. This happens when two or more players tie for the low pot and another player wins the high pot. If you have the nut low and have absolutely no chance at winning the high pot and the other players keep raising, you may want to consider laying your hand down.

Always put more value into winning the high hand and never hesitate to lay down a big drawing hand if the other players are having a raising war. It is all about maximizing your profits and cutting you’re losses.

Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo Strategy

The only real difference you will notice in fixed limit and pot limit is bluffing becomes a major factor. When you get a strong starting hand such as A-A-2-X you will want to get as much money into the pot before the flop. Since these pots can grow very large due to 2 people with the nut low hand raising each other you may want to consider folding unless you think you have a shot at the low pot and the high pot. These are the most profitable hands and they give you the best chance to capitalize off of the bad plays of the other players.

To learn more about this, read our article on bluffing in Omaha hi lo.

You especially want to avoid getting pot committed unless you are holding very strong cards. Being pot committed means that you’ve put so much money into the pot already you will not fold. This happens quite often in pot limit Omaha hi-lo. Players like to go after draws and end up putting much more money into the pot than the hand is worth due to back and forth raising. In pot limit getting quartered can also devastate your bankroll, look below to see how much money you will lose when you get quartered.

Pot Size: $300 Number of players: 3

Player 1 ties for low hand with A2346
Player 2 ties for low hand with A2346
Player 3 wins high hand with 34567

Each player put in $100 to the pot but players 1 and 2 will only get $75 back. Even though they had the nut low they still lost money. In pot limit never get pot committed if you think this situation may occur. You can usually figure out if someone has A-2-X-X by paying attention to how they play it each time you get it. Most players will automatically raise every time they get that hand. 

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