Omaha Hi Lo Poker Strategies

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Italian players, like players all over the world, use Omaha Hi Lo poker strategies when playing the game. In this game, there is always a winner for a high hand, but there may not be a winner for a low hand. Players always have to try to make a winning high hand from the combination of cards they hold in their hand and the cards on the table. In order to have a qualifying low hand, you must have five cards all with numbers lower than eight. This would mean that at least three of the five cards on the table have to be below eight. A low hand winner usually occurs when the community cards are low. However, you can't always disregard the possibility of winning on a low hand, so you have to be prepared for it.

Another strategy that Italian players use in Omaha Hi Lo Poker is that they do keep their eye on the chance of scooping up all the pot. Even though you do have to look at the possibility of winning half the pot with a low hand the ultimate goal is to increase your winnings by taking the full pot. Getting half the pot doesn't really put you ahead by very much because the other player also won the same amount. Professional Italian players, therefore, usually only play starting hands so that they have a good chance of winning both. After the flop, if they see that they don't have a chance of winning either one, they usually fold.

Some of the starting hands that professional players don't even bother with include:

- Four Aces. While this is a good hand in Texas Hold'Em, it is not good in Omaha

- Three cards of the same denomination

- Four cards that have pairs of the lowest numbered cards

The best possible starting hand consists of two Aces a two and a three. Other good starting hands are:

- Three Aces and a 2 or 3

- A pair of Aces and two other low cards

- An ace, a two and ant other tow cards

- An Ace, a three and any other two cards

- Any two suited cards

- Four unpaired low numbered cards

Other strategies that pay off for Omaha players include:

- Slow raises. This is one poker game in which it is hard to scare off your opponents, so it would be taking a risk if you make large raises early in the game.

- Try to avoid playing cards that fall in the middle range of numbers

- Don't make high bets on cards such as A2, A3 and 23 because there is a good chance that other players may have the same combinations.

- When the dealer turns over cards in numerical order on the flop, players with matching cards can get a straight and this will win over your pairs or three of a kind.

- Suited flops could be potential flush hands for your opponents

- Even though you bluff to win, getting caught at it is a good strategy to use because the opponents may think you're bluffing when you do have a winning hand.