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TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreward Preface Introduction My Story The History of No Limit Online Poker Exclusive Super/System 2 Specialize or learn Limit Hold'em Poker Omaha Eight or Better Seven Card Stud High Low Pot Limit Omaha High Triple Draw Poker Tournament Overview No Limit Hold'em World Poker Tour Poker Glossary

OMAHA EIGHT OR BETTER
by Bobby Baldwin

As one of the all time greats in any form of hold’em, Bobby Baldwin was a logical choice to be my limit hold’em collaborator in the original Super/System. Knowing the rare insight he brings to all poker games he plays, I asked him to shift gears and write a section on Omaha eight-or-better for Super/System 2.
Bobby, who serves as CEO of the Mirage Corporation and President of the multi-billion dollar Bellagio Hotel and Casino, told me he would do it on one condition. Due to the demands of his various positions, he asked to enlist the help of Mark Gregorich. I readily agreed, thinking that three heads are better than two and knowing Mark to be a top Omaha eight-or-better player. So Bobby supervised the writing and had the final word on the strategies you will find in the chapter.
Bobby left professional poker in 1978 after winning the World Series of Poker main event, and now he plays only in the ultra high stakes games. However, his analysis of Omaha eight-or-better can be used to win at any level of play. You are about to discover the powerful thought processes and poker strategies that put Bobby into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Special Acknowledgment To Mark Gregorich
This chapter could not have been completed without the special expertise and coordination of Mark Gregorich, who is regarded as one of the best Omaha high-low players in the world. In fact, in a 2001 Card Player magazine players poll conducted during the World Series of Poker, Mark was voted the #1 live action Omaha high-low player.

INTRODUCTION

Omaha eight-or-better is a newcomer on the poker scene. Discussion of the game wasn’t even included in the original Super/System. It’s hard to believe that a relatively new game could achieve such a loyal following so rapidly. However, it is now the game of choice for thousands of poker players in the United States and around the world. You can find games at virtually every level, from beginner tables to ultra high stakes games, in most major card rooms.
Probably the most significant reason for its popularity is its well-deserved reputation as an action game, because so many hands can be played before and after the flop. But there’s a lot to learn before you hit the tables, so let’s get to it!

BEGINNING OMAHA EIGHT-OR-BETTER

Before we begin a discussion of game strategy, here is a brief course in the rules of Omaha eight-or-better.

Betting
Like Texas hold’em, Omaha eight-or-better is a flop game. In fact, once the initial four downcards have been dealt, the play of the hand is identical to hold’em. The two players to the left of the dealer button post the small and large blinds. Action begins with the player to the left of the big blind who must call the amount of the big blind, raise, or fold. The action then continues around the table to the big blind, who has last action before the flop.
After the flop, the player still in the hand who is seated closest to the left of the button acts first, as is the case with each successive round of betting. In most games with fixed limits, the pre-flop and flop bets are one size, and the turn and river bets are double that. For example, in a $2-$4 game, the first two rounds of betting must be in increments of $2 and the last two rounds in increments of $4. In $50/$100 games, the increments would be $50 and $100. The standard game features a maximum of one bet and three raises per round, although the majority of games in Las Vegas permit four raises.

When the Pot Is Split
Omaha eight-or-better is a high-low split game, which means the high and low hands each get half of the pot. There is always a high hand, which will receive some portion of the pot, but sometimes no low hand is possible because to make a low hand, a player must have five unpaired cards eight or below. For example, if the flop came K-J-9, it would be impossible for any player to make a hand of five unpaired cards eight or below. When there is no low, the high hand wins the whole pot. The best possible low is 5-4-3-2-A and is commonly referred to as a wheel or a bicycle.
Furthermore, in Omaha eight-or-better, straights and flushes don’t count against a low hand. Thus, 6-4-3-2-A of hearts would be a 6-4 low, in addition to a flush for the high.
If two or more players hold the same high or low hand, they divide that half of the pot. Dividing half a pot in this way is called quartering. You will encounter this much more often on the low side of the pot.

You Must Play Two Cards from Your Hand
In hold’em a player is allowed to use one, both, or neither of the cards dealt to him in conjunction with the cards on board to make the best possible five-card hand. Omaha players, however, are forced to make their best five-card hand by using exactly two of their own cards and exactly three from the board—no more, no less. But many different combinations are possible.

You May Play Different Combinations for High and Low
In Omaha eight-or-better, you are allowed to make both your best high and your best low hand by combining two of your cards with three from the board. You may use different cards in each direction, or you can use a card for both your high hand and low hand. For example, suppose you have A? 2? 7? K? and the board is: 3? 4? 6? J? Q?. In this case, you can use the A-7 of clubs for high (ace-high flush) and the A-2 for low (6-4-3-2-A).

Ranking of Low Hands
If you have played stud eight-or-better, ace-to-five lowball, or razz, you already know the ranking order of low hands in Omaha eight-or-better. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, and the worst qualifying low hand is 8-7-6-5-4. To determine whether or not you have your opponent beat, compare the hands in order of highest card to lowest card. Here is an example:

Your hand: 8-5-3-2-A.
Your opponent: 7-6-5-4-3.

Your 8 is worse than his 7, so your opponent wins this hand. It’s also common for both players to share the board cards. For instance, with 8-5-4 on the board, one player is likely to edge out another by holding A-2 against A-3.

Hand Reading
All of these different possibilities can be quite confusing for new players and even experienced ones. It is not uncommon for even a winning high-limit player to misread his own hand in Omaha eight-or-better. If you are new to the game and unsure of what you’re holding at the end of the hand, your best bet is to turn your hand over at the river and ask the dealer for assistance in reading it. With a bit of practice, though, reading your hand will become second nature.
Hand Reading Examples
The following are examples of some common situations that arise in Omaha eight-or-better—and some that are a little tricky. If you have trouble following some of them, try dealing out some sample hands and practice identifying each player’s best high and low hands. Once you have sharpened your hand reading skills, you will be ready to move on to strategy.

Example One
Your hand: A-3-K-K
Opponent: 2-3-5-9
Board: 6-7-8-J-Q

This is a split pot, as your 8-7-6-3-A low edges out your opponent’s 8-7-6-3-2, and his high hand, a 9-high straight, beats your pair of kings.

Example Two
Your hand: A-6-K-K
Opponent: A-4-8-8
Board: 2-3-4-5-J

With a wheel (5-4-3-2-A) for both high and low, your opponent scoops. You cannot make the nut low, because you must play both the ace and 6 in your hand, leaving you with only a 6-4-3-2-A for low. These cards don’t stretch to make a straight, either, so you’re stuck with just a pair of kings for high.
This may seem confusing, particularly if hold’em has been your primary game. If this were hold’em, you could play the ace to make a wheel, and the 6 to make a 6-high straight. But in Omaha eight-or-better, you must always play exactly two cards from your hand and exactly three from the board.

Example Three
Your hand: A-3-5-6
Opponent: 3-4-J-J
Board: A-2-3-4-5

You wind up with three quarters of this pot. The low side is split, as your opponent plays his 3-4 with the A-2-5 on the board, and you can play any combination of A-3, A-5, or 3-5 to make the nuts, the best hand. However, you can use your 6 and either your 3 or 5 to make a 6-high straight, which wins the high half of the pot.

Example Four
Your hand: A-A-4-7
Opponent: 2-5-5-7
Board: 2-4-6-7-8

Another split pot. Your opponent wins the high with an
8-high straight, beating your two-pair hand of sevens and fours. However, your 7-6-4-2-A low is good enough to beat his 7-6-5-4-2. The low hand is somewhat tricky to read, as both players have low cards matched by the board. A low can still be made, provided some combination of five cards can be played without a pair. In Omaha jargon, you have a “live ace” for low.

Example Five
Your hand: A-A-4-7
Opponent: 2-5-6-K
Board: 2-4-7-8-9

This time, your opponent wins the whole pot. His 9-high straight beats your two pair, and his low is good as well. You must play an 8-7-4-2-A low, but your opponent can play a 7-6-5-4-2.

Example Six
Your hand: A-3-J-J
Opponent: 4-4-8-Q
Board: 3-9-10-J-Q

This hand is likely to send you shuffling off to the dice tables shaking your head. You have a set of jacks, but lose to a queen-high straight. Note that you also have a trey in your hand matching the trey on board, but you cannot make a full house, as this would require three cards from your hand. It is impossible in Omaha, as it is in hold’em, to hold a full house when there is no pair on the board.

Example Seven
Your hand: A? 2? 8? 10?
Opponent: 3-4-5-8
Board: 6-7-9-J-K (four hearts)

You win this pot, but not with a flush. You must hold two hearts in order to make a flush, so the ace by itself is meaningless. However, the 10-8 in your hand produces a
jack-high straight, barely edging your opponent’s 9-high straight. No low is possible here.
Example Eight
Your hand: A-2-4-J
Opponent: 4-5-7-7
Board: 3-3-7-J-J

You take another tough loss on this hand. Again, no low is possible, and the best you can do for a high is play the A-J from your hand with J-J-7 from the board, giving you trip jacks with an ace kicker. Be careful not to think you have a full house. It could turn out to be an expensive mistake. Playing his 7-7 with the 7-J-J on the board, your opponent does make a full house, with sevens full of jacks. Note that if you held A-2-3-J rather than A-2-4-J, you would have won the pot with a bigger full house.

Example Nine
Your hand: 2-3-3-Q
Opponent: A-2-3-Q
Board: 8-8-8-8-9

So, you finally decide to take an inferior starting hand up against your opponent, and you emerge victorious. Do you see why? Since only three board cards can be used, you take 8-8-8 from the board and combine it with your pair of threes for a full house. The best hand your opponent can make, however, is 8-8-8-A-Q. By the way, any player holding two nines in his hand would have the nuts, as nines full of eights would beat all varieties of eights full. The second nuts? Two aces.

Example Ten
Your hand: A-4-5-8
Opponent: A-4-5-K
Board: A-4-5-8-9
You win the entire pot. Your aces and eights nip your opponent’s aces and fives. Neither one of you can make a low hand, as you must be able to play five unpaired cards. If there had been a low card on the board instead of the nine, both you and your opponent would be able to make some kind of low hand.

PRE-FLOP PLAY

Basic Pre-Flop Play

Starting Hand Fundamentals: An Overview
One of the great features of most loose lower limit Omaha eight-or-better games is that adhering to strict starting hand requirements will be enough to produce a profit. The reason for this is that in many of these games, six or more players see the flop, and in multiway pots, it takes a very strong hand—frequently the nut hand—to win. So knowing which starting hands are most likely to produce nut hands and strictly playing only these cards will give you a built-in advantage over your loose-playing opponents.
In a multiway hold’em pot, there are times when you should play a lesser holding, such as 7-6 suited, for example. Furthermore, in hold’em, hands such as A-K decrease in value as the number of players in the pot increases.
In Omaha eight-or-better, however, all hands are speculative, even more so than in hold’em. The more players contesting the pot, the more important it is that you hold a premium hand that can develop into the nuts.
While starting hand play can generate a profit in loose low-limit games, this will not be enough as you progress up the ladder. Nonetheless, being able to hold your own in a game during the learning process is a nice bonus. It makes for extremely cheap and potentially profitable lessons. As the limits get higher, it becomes more important that you have a mastery of all aspects of the game, as you will be facing more highly skilled opponents. But no matter how high or low the stakes, the players who have worked hardest to develop their games win the most money.

What To Look For in a Starting Hand
The Ace. It is of paramount importance that you remember this fact: Although Omaha eight-or-better is a split-pot game, the key to the game is winning the entire pot or scooping. With this in mind, you should select hands that stand a good chance of winning the whole pot. The key card is an ace, and few hands are playable without one. In fact, if you’re just starting out, it’s not a bad idea to routinely fold every hand without an ace in it. In doing so, you’re not giving up much potential profit. A number of experienced players cling to the “Don’t leave home without it” philosophy, and it serves them well.
Why are aces so significant? Not only are they required for the best low starting hands, they are also the highest card in the deck, providing the highest pair, two pair, three of a kind, flush, and straight hands. Why would you want to spot your opponents a card this powerful and versatile?

Middle Cards. If aces are at the top of the Omaha food chain, then middle cards are the lowest form of life. Hands dominated by middle cards—sevens, eights, and nines, and to a lesser extent fives, sixes, and tens—stand virtually no chance of scooping, unless there’s no low hand.
Despite the fact that hands such as 6-7-8-9 produce many straights, the presence of these straights means that a low will be possible, and the pot is likely to be split. In order for no low to be possible, the board would have to contain three high cards. But that’s trouble, too. For example, if the flop comes 10-J-Q, you have made your straight, but you could easily lose to a higher straight. Also, straights are vulnerable hands in Omaha, because any time a flush or full house is made possible by the board, it is quite likely that one of your opponents has one.

High Hands. Straight high hands such as 10-J-Q-K can win some nice pots when they connect perfectly with the board. However, these hands don’t hit often, and sometimes the pot still gets chopped between you and an opponent with a low hand or the same high hand, typically a straight or two pair. Although this type of hand can be played at times, it is important to remember that it is a drawing hand that will usually miss and be folded on the flop.
So with high-only hands, you should look for certain situations, such as multiway pots, when you can get in for one bet and receive a good price on your investment. It’s generally best to play this hand cheaply against a large number of opponents, in the hopes of winning a sizable pot should you connect with the flop.

Ace Companions. So if the best starting hands contain an ace, what cards make the best companions for the ace? Premium low cards are best, preferably a deuce, but ace-trey combinations are generally playable as well. The board will frequently pair either your ace, deuce, or trey, so having a third low card, 5 or below, is important as well. Before you go to war prior to the flop, make sure you have at least three cards to a wheel, including an ace and either a deuce or trey.
Since scooping is the goal, it’s also important to have high-hand possibilities with your low cards. Two aces with a deuce or a trey hold two-way potential, as do suited cards. Obviously, it’s best if your ace is suited, but even small suited combinations add to your chances of scooping the hand. Hands like A-2-3-9 unsuited are playable due to the presence of the three best low cards, but these types of hands will typically only win the low side. Moving down the ladder, low hands without an ace, such as 2-3-4-10, are only marginally playable, and hands such as 4-5-6-J are not playable at all.

Good Starting Hands
The following are a few examples of good Omaha eight-or-better starting hands:

A-A-2-x A-A-3-x A-A-4-5
A-2-3-x A-2-4-K A-2-5-6
A-3-4-5 A-K-Q-2 A-3-5-Q (double-suited)

Notice that all of the preceding hands contain at least one ace. Remember, if your hand doesn’t contain an ace, there is one extra premium card that could be in the clutches of your opponents. In a full Omaha eight-or-better game, most of the deck is dealt, so you can expect most of the aces to be in your opponents’ hands.

The Most Important Decision of the Hand
Of all the decisions made during the course of an Omaha eight-or-better hand, the choice of whether to initially play or fold is by far the most important. Seeing a flop with an inferior hand might seem like a relatively harmless decision, but it is a mistake that tends to lead to more costly mistakes.
Make this your Omaha eight-or-better mantra: Play only hands that have obvious potential of developing into the nuts.
A hold’em player might occasionally play an inferior hand or rags, but he will typically be hard pressed to continue after the flop. However, due to the four-card hands in Omaha eight-or-better, players seeing the flop with a raggy hand will frequently flop just enough of a draw to justify staying in—often incorrectly. As a result, instead of simply missing the flop and folding, a reckless player may find himself tied on until the river, chasing a draw that should not have been pursued.
Omaha eight-or-better is a perfect example of that old computer maxim GIGO: “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” Starting with middle cards will produce lots of middle straights, which often either lose to better high hands or split with low hands. Starting with double-suited medium cards will produce flushes that often lose to bigger flushes. However, playing premium cards, such as suited aces with a deuce and/or a trey, allows you to make the nut low hand and gives you a chance to develop a high hand as well.
Remember your mantra about only playing possible nut hands. If you find yourself uncertain about whether a hand should be played or folded, it’s generally best to fold. Being too creative with your starting hands is a liability in Omaha eight-or-better.

Raising Before the Flop
A common misconception is that it’s wrong to raise before the flop. Many players—especially those that have played a lot of hold’em—feel that playing the flop is the key to the game and that only a minimal investment should be made prior to seeing the first three board cards. In hold’em, hands such as two aces are obvious raising hands, as they need not improve to win the pot. Omaha eight-or-better hands almost always need to improve to win, so many players consider this enough of a reason to avoid making a raise before the flop. Although flop play is crucial to success, there are numerous situations in which it is in fact correct to raise pre-flop. You will be making a mistake if you never raise before the flop in this game.

There are two reasons to raise a pot before the flop:

(1) To eliminate players and narrow the field;
(2) To build a bigger pot.

It is important to consider which of these effects your raise is likely to have. In the loose “no fold-em” games common at some of the lower limits, a raise might not narrow the field. If this is the case in your game, don’t raise. This doesn’t mean raising before the flop is incorrect in a no fold-em game; rather, a raise should be made only when you are looking to play a bigger pot against several opponents.
When is a raise likely to narrow the field? Typically, if the table is fairly tight or most of the players are trying to play decent starting hands, which tends to be the case as limits progress in size, raising will thin the crowd. The raise should be even more effective if no one has entered the pot yet. Also, if your opponents perceive you to be a tight, solid player, they may be less likely to call your raise. Poker games are almost always in a state of flux, so it’s important to pay attention to how the game is playing. The addition or subtraction of just one player is often enough to dramatically alter the entire complexion of the game.
Hands that should be protected with a raise are those that fare best against fewer opponents. These include most hands with two aces, as two aces with any two other cards are a favorite against nearly all other hands in a one-on-one situation. Other hands that have both low and high potential, such as A-2-K-x, A-3-5-K, or A-2-Q-Q, play well against few opponents, although they also play fine multiway.
Holding an A-K combination frequently comes in handy in pots against only one or two opponents. When only a couple of players see the flop, the deck is often richer in aces than normal. This assumption is based on the tendency of Omaha eight-or-better players to play hands with an ace in them. If both you and your opponent are holding an ace and an ace flops, your king may wind up playing as a kicker, enabling you to win the high side of the pot with A-K. Also, you generally won’t need as strong of a hand to win a heads-up pot, so flopping a king or kings up has definite value. Not unlike hold’em, the value of the A-K combination declines as more players contest the pot, since stronger hands—such as straights, flushes, or full houses—will typically be needed to win the high portion of the pot.
Great Omaha eight-or-better hands like A-2-3-4 can be raising hands before the flop as well, but for another reason. Raising in spots that are likely to produce a short field is a mistake with this sort of hand, due to its lack of high-hand potential. However, in a pot contested by several players, this hand is excellent. If a low hand is possible—and a low hand will be possible most of the time—you will most likely be holding the nuts. Due to this hand’s high probability of making the nut low, go ahead and raise to build a big pot if several players have already entered the hand. Additionally, if your opponents seem to have no respect for raises, go ahead and raise regardless of your position. You should still get plenty of action.
Other good hands to raise with in multiway pots include A-A-2-x, A-2-3-x, and A-2-4-x, especially if your ace is suited. Being suited adds significant value to your high prospects, and nut flush cards play very well in multiway situations. It’s okay to raise with just about any A-2 suited holding if several players are already in the pot. Your opponents will often make and overvalue smaller flushes. Even hands like A-3 suited are acceptable raising hands in very loose games, as you want to charge your opponents the maximum amount for playing inferior, low percentage hands.

Playing High-Only Hands
Properly playing hands with four big cards—by definition, nines or higher—is not an easy task in Omaha eight-or-better. However, playing them selectively and skillfully will add to your profits.
By definition, a quality high-only hand contains four big cards, 9 or higher. Nines tend to taint the hand, as they will not stretch to form part of an ace-high straight. When a 9 is used as part of a straight, two problems exist:

(1) If a 9 helps make the nut straight, then either a low or a full house will be possible based on the board cards.
(2) If a 9 forms a straight with no possible low, then either a higher straight or a full house will be possible.

Hands such as K-K-J-8, Q-Q-6-7, and K-Q-J-3 are not playable in Omaha eight-or-better, as they contain too many uncoordinated cards. Think in terms of the number of decent combinations created by a hand, and it’s easy to see why these hands belong in the muck.
There are, however, a number of good high-only hands. Here are some hands that are playable under many conditions:

K-Q-J-10 A-K-Q-10 Q-J-10-9
K-K-J-10 K-Q-Q-J A-K-J-J
Q-Q-J-J

In order to determine if it is correct to enter a pot with a hand comprised only of high cards, there are several variables to consider. On the positive side, high hands play best when you can play in an un-raised multiway pot, because you want to get a good price on your hand from the pot. In the case of straight-high hands, you will most likely miss the flop and be forced to fold. Therefore, if you can get in without much initial investment against several players, you are getting far better odds on your money than if you play against only one or two players for a raise. In some Omaha eight-or-better games, multiway unraised pots are the norm. If this is the case, calling with quality straight-high hands is acceptable from even the earliest positions.
However, in many games, it is difficult to foresee whether the pot will be raised or how many players will see the flop. If this is the situation, you need to use position to determine if a high-only hand is playable. In early position, you can’t count on an unraised multiway pot, so you should fold.
In later positions, more information is available to you. If several opponents come in, then go ahead and play. If the pot will play out shorthanded, calling a raise with a straight-high hand is generally not a good strategy, but in a multiway situation, it is fine to play for more than one bet. Your hand will usually miss the flop (thus, too much is risked for too little reward in shorthanded raised pots), but when it connects, it will frequently make the nuts. This is often what it takes to scoop a multiway pot. High-only hands take down some big pots in Omaha eight-or-better and can be profitable if discretion is utilized when deciding whether to play them.
Although aggressive poker is winning poker, there aren’t many situations in which raising with high-only hands before the flop is beneficial. In general, since you will fold on the flop a good percentage of the time, raising only hurts the price the pot is offering you. The hand has greater implied value if the flop can be seen cheaply.
When everyone has folded to you and you are in last position, it is tempting to raise the pot with four coordinated high cards. But this is usually incorrect. In a heads up situation, few Omaha eight-or-better starting hands have a significant advantage over any other. Thus, the blinds will be correct to call with marginal hands. There are some exceptions though, such as when the blinds play either very tight or poorly. If this is the case, then go ahead and raise.
One argument for raising with high-only hands in multiway pots is that with so many players in, most of the low cards are being used. This makes the deck rich in high cards. This perception is logical, but large fields often contain other players targeting the high-only end as well. This is assuming that the game is one in which players are entering pots with decent hands. Generally, in these types of situations the deck is actually rich in middle cards, as players have entered the pot with either high or low cards, or a mix of each.
If you’re playing against observant opponents, though, it is important to raise occasionally with a high-only hand. Deception is the reason for raising, as it is important that your opponents not be able to read you like a book. In games with a great deal of turnover or those in which the players are inattentive, this play is unnecessary. However, if you consistently play with players who are familiar with you, it’s necessary to mix up your style a bit. If your opponents know that you only raise with low cards, then they will figure out that they can bet you out of the pot if high cards come. You don’t need to raise with high hands all that often in these games, but do it enough to make your raising hands less transparent.

Advanced Pre-Flop Play

The Situational Nature of Omaha Eight-or-Better
Hold’em and Omaha are such complex, situational games that basic pre-flop play concepts alone are not enough to make you a winner. No single strategy is adequate for every situation. To play optimally, you must develop a deeper understanding of the game, which will produce a more flexible strategy. Then you will have what it takes to make accurate decisions at the table. Over time, accurate decisions will translate into profits. This section highlights some of the key factors you should consider when deciding how to proceed with a hand before the flop.
Loose Games vs. Tight Games
It is important that you have a good grasp of the style of the game you’re playing. Whether the game is mostly loose (with five or more players typically seeing the flop), or tight (three or fewer), should have a significant impact on your hand selection. In loose games, hands going high-only or low-only increase in value. With low hands such as A-2-3-8, scooping against any number of opponents will be a difficult task, although getting half the pot is very likely when a low comes. Since winning half is the most likely positive outcome, it stands to reason that the more players in the pot, the more money you should win with this hand.
If your ace is suited, there is real potential for making the best high hand, too. Again, this is not dependent on the number of opponents in the pot. If you make the nut flush with this hand, you will almost always win the high whether you have one or seven opponents, providing the board is not paired. Therefore, it is best to play this type of hand in a manner that won’t shut out other players before the flop.
When you are playing in a tight game, hands including two aces and virtually any other two cards become hands to push pre-flop, since raising with them will likely narrow the field to one or two opponents. By definition, tight games are those in which opponents are playing only very good starting hands, namely those with an ace. Since you are holding two of the aces, it is unlikely that many opponents will call your raise.

Passive Games vs. Aggressive Games
Another important distinction to make is whether the game is primarily passive or aggressive. Passive games are those in which there is very little raising before the flop, and not much later in the hand either. An advantage of playing hands in late position is that you generally have a better idea of how much it will cost to see the flop, but this particular benefit becomes relatively unimportant in passive games. As a result, more decent hands are playable from early position in these games.
The reverse is true in extremely aggressive games, as the price of seeing a flop is often two, three, or more bets. Since the pots will be large, it is best to play hands that are highly likely to develop some sort of draw on the flop, allowing you to remain in the hand. In these games the value of one-dimensional hands decreases, as they generally miss the flop.
Although hands that can swing both high and low are always desirable, the importance of holding versatile cards is magnified when the pot is jammed before the flop. The more likely you are to flop a draw of some sort, the better prepared you are to play a pot for several bets. Some examples of hands that are versatile enough to play very well in games with lots of pre-flop raising, whether the game is tight-aggressive or loose-aggressive, include A-2-3-K, A-2-5-K, A-2-3-J, A-A-3-5, A-3-4-Q, and A-K-Q-2.

Pay Attention To Who Is in the Pot
Although it is frequently correct to raise with hands containing an A-2 or A-3, it is important to notice the quality of your opposition. If one or two solid players have already entered a pot and you decide to put in a raise with A-3-8-10 offsuit, your Omaha license should be revoked. Do you feel your hand is better than their hands? Most likely, they have low cards—and prettier versions than yours.
Being aware of when tight players are in a hand is important in deciding how to play low cards. In a game in which six loose players have limped in, raising with any suited A-2 or A-3 is an acceptable play. However, with some solid players already in the hand, it is probably best to raise only with premium hands, including A-2-3-x suited, A-2-4-6 suited, or A-2-4-K suited. This is another advantage of late position, as it is possible to get a read on what types of hands are likely to be out.
Knowledge acquired from observation of your opponents’ raising standards is a valuable tool in playing effective poker. This includes understanding how their position and other factors, such as how they are doing in the game, will affect their standards. For example, if an extremely tight player raises, it is frequently correct to fold most A-3 hands, if the rest of the hand lacks quality—probably because it includes a 7, 8, or 9.
Your decision to raise, call, or fold before the flop can also be affected by the skill level of the players in the blinds, particularly the big blind. If the blinds are tight, solid players, it may be worthwhile to raise in late position before the flop with a hand that might only appear to have calling strength. These players are unlikely to give you any action after the flop unless they have you beat, so why give them a free opportunity to outdraw you? The more potential your hand has to swing both high and low, the better it is to make the raise.
On the other hand, players who play poorly after the flop are desirable opponents. Many Omaha eight-or-better players make the mistake of trapping themselves when they’re in the blinds. They might be holding a hand that they wouldn’t have called one bet with, but now have decided to chase some type of long-shot after getting a free peek at the flop. If the blinds are players prone to chasing middle straights or small flushes, then it may be best to just call and leave them in the pot. Against these players, the extra bets you are likely to win in the long run are justification for playing your hand in this manner.

Playing Two Aces Before the Flop
Hands with a pair of aces in them are so frequently misplayed that some additional discussion is warranted. First, it should be noted that hands containing two aces are not always playable, and the value of the hand is hugely dependent upon the number of players in the pot. Against one or two opponents, the strength of the two aces alone will frequently win the high side of the pot. When several players are in, however, you will need to improve to win. This improvement will often come in the form of a low or a flush, so having low cards or being suited will add value to the aces in a multiway situation.
Hands with two aces and little else should generally be thrown away if several players have already entered the pot. Some examples of these trashy aces hands include: A-A-7-J, A-A-6-9, and A-A-8-K. If you are first in with this type of hand from early position, folding is probably the best option, unless the game is extremely tight. In this case, a raise will likely narrow the field enough that the aces will have a good chance of winning on their own strength.
Hands with double-suited aces, even those without other quality cards, always have enough high potential to justify seeing the flop. Playing this hand for one bet in most cases, rather than putting in a raise, is probably the best approach for three reasons:

(1) If the hand does hit, it will likely make a nut hand. Thus, the more opponents in the pot, the more money you will win. Raising before the flop might knock out a hand that would have paid off your nut flush.
(2) When the hand misses the flop, as it often will, the pot is small and you can easily fold.
(3) Finally, you add a degree of deception to the hand, as two aces are perceived by many to be a raising hand. Should you make a full house, you may get unwarranted action from opponents who misread your hand.

If your hand features two aces and marginal side cards, you might sometimes prefer to play them for three bets before the flop instead of two. By putting in the second raise, you make it likely that the pot will be heads-up. This play might not work in some of the loosest Omaha eight-or-better games, but it should be effective in situations where players have at least a little respect for money. When a player to your right has opened for a raise, you can make it three bets with hands like A-A-6-8, hoping to make it heads-up. If it works, you will be in a good situation, holding both the best hand and position. Even fairly loose players will tighten up a bit when faced with calling two raises cold.
However, in the same game, if you are first to act with the same A-A-6-8, it is normally better to fold than open for two bets, because it’s much easier for other players to call one raise than two. Therefore you will likely have to play this hand out of position against multiple opponents. Ouch!
There are times to raise or reraise with aces in order to build a bigger pot, rather than to narrow the field. When your hand includes a strong supporting cast, most significantly a deuce with any other wheel card, raising for value is a good play. This is particularly true if one or both of the aces are suited. Hands like A-A-3-4 or A-A-2-5 double-suited are great starting hands, worthy of capping the betting before the flop. Unfortunately, this type of hand is rare. In fact, you are more likely to be dealt four of a kind than the dream hand of A-A-2-3 double-suited. There are only twelve combinations of A-A-2-3 double suited available, versus thirteen ways to be dealt quads.

More Reraising Situations
The goals of a reraise are essentially the same as those of a raise—you either want to narrow the field or increase the size of the pot. However, putting in a third bet often tends to be an even more effective means of eliminating the other players. Hands that many players would happily call two bets with, such as A-3-6-9 or A-4-5-J, now go sailing into the muck. Even loose players may balk at the prospect of calling three bets with garbage. So, if you feel your hand matches up best against only one or two other hands, a reraise may be used to set up this scenario. Remember, it’s often possible to shut out opponents who must come in cold for multiple bets, but it’s almost impossible to shut out opponents who are already involved.
Taking note of how the blinds play is important when weighing the possibility of making a reraise. In general, the better the blinds play, the harder you should try to raise them out. Fairly good players will routinely call one additional bet from the big blind with a large number of hands, hoping for a big flop. By forcing them to call two more bets, you reduce the price they get from the pot. This should convince them to fold most of the time. Another benefit you’ll receive by making this play is that you sometimes will reraise with hands that don’t appear to merit it, so it makes you more unpredictable in the eyes of your opponents. On top of that, you’ve enhanced this image while making a sound strategic play.
There will be times when you hold a premium hand and several players are already in the pot for a raise or two. In these cases, go ahead and reraise or cap the betting, since you are holding a hand that performs well against several opponents. Hands such as A-2-3-4, A-2-3-x suited, and A-2-4-K suited are good candidates for creating a large pot, as there is a high likelihood that the flop will be promising for you. It should be noted, though, that when some strong players are in the hand, it is likely that they hold hands similar in strength to yours. Reraising in this spot will lead to financial fluctuations rather than increased profits.

Raising When You’re in the Blind
Due to the disadvantage of your position throughout the hand, it is generally not a good idea to raise before the flop when you are in either the small or big blind. When you do raise, it will almost exclusively be to build a bigger pot, rather than to narrow the field. The exception here comes when you’re in the small blind, a player has raised the pot from a late position, and you reraise in an attempt to eliminate the big blind. For the most part, though, raising from the blinds should be reserved for premium starting hands such as A-2-3-x suited, which have enough value to overcome their positional handicap.

The Blind Structure and Playing the Small Blind
Most limit poker games feature a blind structure in which the small blind is half the size of the big blind. In these games, you should not call from the small blind with the poorest hands. While you will call with most hands, it is a mistake to automatically toss in the half-bet, as you’ll get involved in some hands that don’t have much nut potential. Be careful, because playing these hands might lead you into one of the numerous traps common in Omaha eight-or-better. As long as you aren’t holding one of the worst hands, it is okay to loosen up a bit when calling the half-bet in the small blind.
Other games feature a two-and-three chip blind structure. In these games, it is acceptable to call nearly all the time from the small blind when the price is only a third of a bet. Save the chip with hands such as trips and trash like 2-2-6-K.

Defending Your Blinds
Sometimes you should base your decision of whether to play a hand on how your opponent plays. Calling a raise from the blind has far more value if the player or players in the pot play much worse than you. You can’t take this idea too far in Omaha eight-or-better, because starting with the worst hand out of position is a lot to overcome. Nonetheless, you should consider it if your hand is decent. Additionally, not all raises are created equal—there is a big difference in the hand strength of a solid player raising in early position and that of a loose, reckless player raising on the button. If you are in the big blind and the pot is heads-up, a hand such as 2-4-6-8 can sometimes be folded against the solid player’s raise but is a clear call against the speeder.
Another key consideration is the number of players in the pot, and the big blind is the best position from which to determine how many players will see the flop. You should have a good idea of which hands are worth defending against a large field and which have more value in a shorthanded situation. For example, hands such as 3-4-5-7 greatly diminish in value in a multiway raised pot, as it is likely the cards you are looking to flop—aces and deuces—are dead. This reduces your chances of making the nut low, and you’d have to be rather creative to envision other ways that this hand can make the nuts. Remember, you will often require the nuts to take down a multiway pot.
When playing heads-up, though, the hand has more value. For one thing, with everyone else folding, it seems more likely that there are still some aces left in the deck. Also, having a small flush draw adds value when playing heads-up, whereas making a small flush against five or six opponents is likely to be an expensive second-best hand. It is also reasonable to assume that the raiser probably has at least a couple of low cards. If a low hand is possible on the board, he might be counterfeited, meaning that the board has duplicated one of the low cards in his hand, rendering it useless to him. This will often allow you to win the low. If he’s not counterfeited, his low hand might use cards that make you the best high hand, either two pair or a straight. Small two pairs can win when up against only one or two opponents, but are relatively hopeless against a large field.
While low hands like 3-4-5-6 and 3-4-5-7 play well against one or two opponents, high hands do not. Calling a raise with a hand like 9-10-J-Q from the big blind against only one player isn’t as favorable as it seems. Unless the board comes with mostly high cards, it will be tough for you to win the whole pot. When high hands connect, they frequently make the nuts, which are just as effective in beating eight opponents as they are in beating one.
It’s nice to have some type of low hand to fall back on when defending your blind against only one or two players. Low hands are the easiest draws to complete in the game, and they often serve as safety valves when your high prospects fall through. Even an emergency low such as A-8 is worth something in these situations.
When defending your blind in a pot with several opponents, it’s key to have some cards that can make nut hands. Since you will be getting a good price to call, it is acceptable to allow your hand selection standards to dip a bit, provided you play hands capable of beating a large field. These types of hands may include cards such as A-x suited, 2-3-4-x, or three face cards, preferably suited or double-suited. It is still important to avoid playing middle cards, and any questionable hand containing two cards in that range should almost always be mucked.

Conclusion
Omaha eight-or-better is a game of many draws. If you have a good pre-flop strategy and play the right kinds of hands, you’ll draw to hands that you actually want to make. Playing too loose will result in poker’s greatest and most expensive frustration: making a lot of second best hands. This will burn up your chips. Only in rare circumstances should hands not containing an ace be played. It is also good to realize that even hands containing the key combinations A-A and A-3 should on occasion be discarded before the flop.
Keep in mind that the decisions you make before the flop will have a monumental impact on your results. Playing good starting cards should give you a fair chance to beat most low-limit games, provided that your opponents play too loosely. If you play too many hands, you will have little chance to win. As the limits get progressively higher, the players become more skilled and tend to become more aware of starting hand values, so the huge edge selective players hold at the smaller games begins to evaporate. Although a good foundation in hand selection and pre-flop play remains critical, it alone will not be enough to beat the bigger games.

PLAYING THE FLOP

Basic Flop Play
Once you have established that your hand is playable, the flop will present you with a whole new set of variables to consider. To be a successful Omaha eight-or-better player, you must become proficient in evaluating how the flop affects your chances of winning. Here are some general guidelines:

1. Playing for the Nuts
When deciding whether to remain in the hand, it is important to consider how many players are in the pot. The more players in the hand, the more important it is that you either are holding or are drawing at the nuts. This point cannot be emphasized enough! In a six- or seven-way action pot, typical of loose Omaha eight-or-better games, it will generally take the nuts to win. This means that you must flop the nut low draw, the nut flush draw, a set, a quality straight draw, or a made hand to remain in the pot. Nearly all other hands should be abandoned at this point. Most of the time, the best they will do is make a bankroll-busting second-best hand.

2. Protect the Pot or Let People In?
Once you determine that your hand is playable, the next decision is whether to play it in a manner that narrows the field or one that encourages action. Do you want to protect the pot or let people in? Since players have a propensity for finding some hope in their hand, it’s hard to thin out the competition for a single bet. To narrow the field you usually need to make plays that will charge your opponents two bets to proceed. You accomplish this by raising a bet coming from your right, or by check-raising when you are in early position and feel a late position player will bet. Hands such as sets and straights are likely to be outdrawn, often by players with hands they would fold if faced with calling two bets. For example, most opponents will fold a small flush draw or inside straight draw after a raise, but will call a single bet. Raising with your made high hand may considerably increase your chances of winning.
On the other hand, some Omaha eight-or-better hands fare better with larger fields. Nut flush and nut low draws gain value when several players are in the pot, as the holdings of your opponents can develop into second-best paying-off hands. It is sometimes necessary to walk a fine line here, as building a big pot with premium draws is desirable, but it should be done in a manner that keeps your opponents in the hand.

3. How the Flop Affects Your Hand’s Value
Remember that the object of this game is to scoop the pot. With that in mind, be aware that the value of high hands plummets when the flop contains three low cards, and the value of low hands decreases when the flop contains two or three high cards. Suppose five players see a flop, which comes 3-4-6 (two hearts). You are holding A-K-Q-J with the A-J of hearts. Although you are drawing to the nut high, this hand should sometimes be folded when facing multiple bets after the flop, as you are only playing for half the pot.

4. Pot Odds
When drawing, it is necessary that you have some idea of the likelihood of making your hand versus the price the pot is laying you. If, as above, you are drawing to the nut flush, even though you should end up with the best high hand about one time in three and the pot is giving you the correct price, you are playing for only half the money. The presence of a low hand on the board divides in half the price you receive on a high draw from the pot, generally making it unprofitable to stay with this type of hand.
Conversely, if you have a hand like A-2-6-8 and the flop comes J-Q-7, it is an easy fold. You need to catch consecutive low cards for half, or possibly a quarter, of the pot. Although you may catch a runner-runner miracle straight, this isn’t a hand to chase.
However, if the 8 in your hand were a king or 10, this changes things considerably. While your hand still isn’t great, you now have the chance to make the ace-high straight, which may enable you to scoop. The presence of this draw, along with your backdoor nut-low draw, is often enough to make this a playable situation, especially if the pot is large and it’s only one bet to you.

5. Position
Your position relative to the betting is extremely important. When a bet comes from your immediate right, you must play tighter and pass on more draws, because you don’t know if the players behind you are looking to go to war with their hands. If they are, it will become expensive to stay in. However, if you are last to act after the action has been made, and thus the pot cannot be raised behind you, you’re right to call with many more hands. These principles apply to both of the previous examples. You don’t mind paying one small bet on a marginal draw if the pot cannot be raised. Out of position though, the same hand must be folded to a bet, given the threat of additional action.

Hand-Specific Guidelines
Playing Low Draws on the Flop. Since a high percentage of your playable hands in Omaha eight-or-better will contain an A-2 or A-3, the most common draw you’ll develop is to the nut low. You shouldn’t play this draw the same way all the time, though. There are times to play it fast, times to call meekly, and times to throw it away. Numerous variables influence this decision, including how the rest of your hand coordinates with the board, the number of players in the pot, and your position.
When playing a multiway pot that no one is interested in conceding, two important considerations factor into the decision of whether to play aggressively or passively. The first is whether your hand contains backup; the second is your hand’s potential to win the high.
Having backup refers to holding a third low card close in rank to your two nut cards. If the board is 3-7-J, having a hand like A-2-4-K, or to a lesser extent A-2-5-K, may encourage you to play your draw more aggressively since you have the 4 as backup. Without the four, you have sixteen cards that make you the nuts. Of course, sometimes you will turn the nuts and get counterfeited on the river, which frequently will cost you half the pot. Holding that extra low card not only gives you twenty-one cards to catch, it also prevents you from losing if the river card counterfeits you. This makes your hand much stronger and provides quite a bit of incentive to build a bigger pot.
If you have a good chance to win the high as well, playing aggressively can significantly improve your chances of winning. For example, suppose that you are holding A-2-5-Q in a four-player pot with a board of 3-8-10. It is highly unlikely that you will win the high. If none of your opponents has an A-2, the pot is laying you even money on future bets, as you only get your own money plus one of your opponents’ bets back should you make a low. Now, suppose you hold the nut flush draw as well. Since you have a chance to scoop, you can factor into the pot odds the bets from all of your opponents, so playing aggressively will have much more value.
When you flop both the nut-low draw and nut-flush draw, especially if you have backup for low, you should try and get as much money into the pot as possible. Although you can simply raise an opponent’s bet, you may want to just call on the flop if the bet is coming from your immediate right. With such a big draw, you don’t want to knock anybody out, so play your hand in the way that gets the most money to the center, without eliminating too many players. Other big draws may include hands like A-3-5-J with a flop of 2-4-Q.
When you have a chance to win only the low and your draw doesn’t contain backup, it’s often best to just check and call. The main exception to this rule is if you think a bet gives you a reasonable chance to take down the pot immediately. While this might be the case in some shorthanded pots or higher limit games, you’re drawing dead if you think this will work in most loose Omaha eight-or-better games.
Occasionally, a situation arises in which it is correct to fold a nut-low draw on the flop. This usually occurs when the pot is small, and it’s a bet and raise to you. Suppose you are holding A-2-K-Q, and the board is 7-8-9. Here you have virtually no shot at scooping—at best you can win half the pot, and you may be playing for only a quarter. With the absence of a backup card in your hand, this is clearly a fold.
When you play an A-3, you will frequently flop a draw to the second nuts. It’s nice when the deuce pops right up on the flop, but it usually doesn’t—it likes to wait until you are holding the A-2 to show its face. Drawing to the second nut low is one of the biggest drains on the bankrolls of Omaha eight-or-better players. Unless you are strongly convinced that no one is drawing at the nut low, this draw should be routinely mucked.
You can make an exception to this rule when you have the nut flush draw, a set, or top two pair with your second-nut low draw. This generally adds enough scoop potential to your hand to justify remaining in the pot. Also, if you have a hand like A-3-K-10 and the board is 4-5-Q, you may be able to see another card. This is because a deuce, in addition to making you the nut low, makes a straight that may enable you to scoop. Drawing at the second nuts is much better if your nut card lets you scoop the pot. Don’t throw good money after bad if you have A-3-8-K and the board shows 4-7-J, however. With several players in, if you are fortunate enough not to be up against an A-2, it is a near certainty that another player will be holding A-3. If you draw to this hand, you will be lucky to wind up with a quarter of the pot.

Playing When You Flop a Set. Flopping a set in hold’em is a joyful occurrence. You are almost certain to have the best hand, and you can bet and raise with impunity, hoping for lots of action. Even when you don’t fill up, you generally expect to take down a nice pot.
Unfortunately, such is not the case with sets in Omaha eight-or-better. Even when you improve to a full house (about 35 percent of the time), you’ll often split the pot with a low hand. Also, since each player is dealt four cards, it is very likely that you will lose to a straight or a flush if you don’t fill up. As a result, sets are at best marginal holdings, and at worst, a significant drain on your bankroll and enthusiasm.
The following guidelines should help you recognize when sets can be played profitably and when they should be folded. In the Advanced Flop Play section to follow, some of these topics are covered in greater detail.

(1) Playing for half the pot with a hand that is likely to be outdrawn is not a good strategy. When the board contains three low cards, it is difficult if not impossible for you to scoop the pot with a set. As a result, it is generally correct to fold, unless you can play for one bet without the pot being raised behind you.

(2) Since you often have to make a full house to win half the pot, the size of your set matters as well. It is not uncommon for more than one player to fill up when the board pairs. Continuing with a hand like A-3-3-K and a board of 3-5-6 against several players is suicidal. It is possible that either a higher set or two pair is out there, so even if you do improve there is no guarantee you will win. If you held top set in this instance, folding would still be correct much of the time, especially when it costs you multiple bets to stay in the hand.

(3) When is the best time to play a set when the board contains three low cards? For example: The flop comes 7-3-2 of three different suits and you are holding 7-7-Q-K. Hopefully, you’ve found yourself in this pot because you received a free look in the big blind. While you have no shot at scooping against a few players, you do have the current nuts for high. Since three different suits are represented on the board, it is unlikely that a flush will beat you. However, the fact that you’re only playing for half the pot means that you want to see the hand through as cheaply as possible, unless the board pairs. If a straight card comes on the turn, especially a 4 or 5, you will have to fold if you are faced with calling more than one bet, as the pot won’t give you enough of a price to draw at just the high end. Since you will often be forced to fold on the turn, it is not in your best interest to play this hand aggressively on the flop.

(4) Cards like 3-6-J with two clubs can be a problem flop in Omaha eight-or-better. There are two low cards with a flush draw present, providing a number of draws. If you hold a hand such as J-J-Q-K with this board, your prospects are uncertain. Although you hold the current nuts, you are vulnerable from a number of different directions. In fact, if a low club comes on the turn, you may have to fold your hand. Therefore, with boards like the one above, you might want to wait until after the turn card comes before betting the hand aggressively. This way, you can cheaply fold if disaster strikes. Also, if you catch a good card, you may gain extra action by not telegraphing your hand on the flop.
Raising might be correct though, if the player to your immediate right is the bettor. A raise might succeed in eliminating some of the draws posing a threat to your hand, thus enhancing your chances of winning. You won’t eliminate the nut flush draw or a low straight draw such as A-4-5, but you might induce smaller flush draws to fold, enabling your hand to hold up as long as none of your opponents was drawing to the nut flush.

(5) The best time to flop a set is when the board comes with either two or three high cards, because high boards mean that no low is possible; therefore, you’re playing for the whole pot. This has a significant impact on your pot odds, as the pot is essentially laying you double the price as when the board contains a low hand. As a result, it is generally correct to go to the river when you flop a set with a high board.

(6) The drawback with hands such as A-3-K-K when the flop comes K-Q-J is that you frequently need to fill up to win the pot. In Omaha eight-or-better, with several players in the hand, someone will have A-10 more often than you might think. Even though you may be trailing, it is okay to play aggressively here. For one thing, your hand may be good. Also, if you are behind, you will improve to a full house about 35 percent of the time. This means a bet is only unprofitable when you’re up against precisely one player who has the straight.

(7) However, with the same flop of K-Q-J, you will have to consider folding your set if you have three jacks instead of three kings, particularly if several players remain in the hand. Against only one opponent who is likely to have a straight, it is correct to draw. But if you’re facing a bet, a raise, and a call, it is likely that you’re up against a larger set or top two pair, as well as the straight. Either way, this doesn’t leave you with very many wins. Fold.

Playing Wraparound Straight Draws. Although there may not be an official definition of a wrap, it’s really a straight draw with more outs than a common open-ender. For example, a hand such as 8-9-10-K and a board of A-6-7 provides thirteen cards to make the straight (four fives, three eights, three nines, and three tens). In Omaha eight-or-better, the vulnerability of straights and the frequent problem of running into an opponent with the same straight means that wrap draws are typically the only straight draws worth pursuing for their own sake.
Not all wraps are created equal. Key considerations are the likelihood of making the nut straight and whether your hand will allow you to scoop the pot. If you are in the big blind with 6-7-8-9 and the flop comes 2-4-5, your hand should usually be folded. Although many cards will complete the straight, you can only win half the pot. Also, if the board pairs or a flush card comes, it might kill your hand.
To further illustrate the difference between good and bad times to pursue straight draws, let’s look at a couple of examples:

Example One
Your hand: 10-J-Q-K (red)
Board: A-10-6 (two clubs)

Although any jack, queen or king will make a straight, this hand is severely flawed. With the flush draw on the board, the danger exists that the card you need to complete your straight will also complete an opponent’s flush. This effectively eliminates three of the nine possible straight cards, leaving only six safe cards to make your hand. Even if one of these six cards comes on the turn, your hand could still be in jeopardy. The flush can always show up on the river, or the board could pair. Furthermore, even if the straight wins, it will be exceedingly difficult to scoop this pot. Any low card will likely cost you half the pot, and even a safe face card that doesn’t pair the board might hurt you. The presence of four unpaired high cards on the board makes it easier for an opponent to tie your hand. So, that means the only truly safe card is an offsuit 9.

Example Two
Your hand: 10-J-Q-K (red)
Board: 3-9-10 (offsuit)

Here is a situation where you can apply the gas pedal. This time, thirteen cards will make the nut straight, essentially creating an even money proposition with two cards to come. If you complete the straight with a jack, queen, or king on the turn or river, then no low hand will be possible. The absence of a flush draw on the flop also adds significant value to your hand, as all of your outs are clean. Bear in mind also that any jack, queen, or king not only makes the nut straight, it also creates the possibility of making a full house on the river. This can come in handy against a player holding a hand like A-3-3-4, as some of his supposed outs will make him the second-best hand. Should you make a full house on the end, it is likely that you will win extra bets from this player, who is probably reading you for a straight.

Slow-Playing
Slow-playing a huge hand is rarely an optimal strategy in Omaha eight-or-better for two reasons:

(1) Players will tend to call you down anyway, hoping to make whatever hand they are drawing at. It is a good idea to let them pay to draw dead, or close to it, if they’re willing.
(2) Few hands are immune to all the potential draws in this game. If you flop the nut full house or quads in hold’em, it is a safe bet that you will win the pot. The main issue is picking a strategy that allows you to win the most money. The problem with this in Omaha eight-or-better is that two running low cards can come, costing you half the pot—unless three high cards flop. So ordinarily, even four of a kind should be bet aggressively, as it is important to make the low draws pay for the privilege of splitting the pot with you.

If you do decide to slow-play a big hand, don’t give your opponents the chance to outdraw you by giving them free cards. When slow-playing, you are hoping that your opponents will improve their hands enough to give you action, but not enough to beat you. Here are some examples to illustrate this point:

Example One
Your hand: A-2-4-K
Board: K-4-4

Here, it is best to play the hand aggressively on the flop. Don’t give players with hands like 9-9-10-Q a free opportunity to spike a miracle card.
Example Two
Your hand: K-K-Q-J
Board: K-4-4

This time slow-playing is, again, a bad idea, but for a different reason. Although your high hand is not in jeopardy, by checking you might allow opponents to develop low draws, potentially costing you half the pot. Sometimes checking on the flop is a good idea if the pot is very small, since you shouldn’t mind risking half of a small pot to gain some bets on the turn from opponents who develop low draws. However, it is almost always a mistake to do this in pots that were raised before the flop.

Example Three
Your hand: A-2-K-K
Board: K-4-4

In this example, not only do you have the high hand more or less wrapped up, you also have the best possible backdoor low draw. So, if you don’t feel you’ll get much action by betting the flop, then slow-playing will probably add value to your hand. If the players in your game are likely to automatically call on the flop anyway, then go ahead and bet.

When the Board Is Paired
The complexion of a hand changes drastically when the flop contains a pair. In pots featuring several players, a full house will likely be required to win the high hand. As the number of players in the hand increases, so does the likelihood that someone has flopped trips or better. This means that unless you also have a quality low draw, you should fold straight draws and anything except nut flush draws in multiway pots.
Proceeding with lesser high draws is a trickier proposition against a smaller field. Although it’s dangerous to play flush and straight draws, you will be playing far too tightly if you automatically fold every time the flop brings a pair. Applying some card sense to this situation should help you make more accurate decisions. For example the presence of two eights on the board should not elicit the same degree of fear as two aces.
If the card that pairs on the board is a key card in Omaha eight-or-better, it is likely to have hit one of your opponents. When it doesn’t appear probable that the pair helped another player, it becomes more correct to continue with other draws. In fact, you can sometimes bet a flush draw into a paired board, inducing your opponents to fold out of fear that you flopped trips or a full house.
When you hold two aces in your hand against a small number of opponents, a paired board often is a good thing. It is generally a good idea to play the flop aggressively, both to cut down on the competition and to try to find out if your hand is the best. The presence of the pair makes a straight or flush—common ace-killers in Omaha eight-or-better—less likely. Also, the pair on the board gives you the nut two pair, which will frequently win the high against a small field. However, if the pot is a family affair, someone will usually have trips. In this case, two aces should be folded if there is any substantial action.

Advanced Flop Play
Here are some additional tips for playing hands on the flop. These focus more sharply on topics already discussed and deal with a few additional issues that come into play more often at the higher limits.

Creating Extra Outs
In Omaha eight-or-better, sometimes you have a hand that seems to be heading in one direction, but winds up winning part or all of the pot with a different hand that you made almost by accident. This is one reason why playing quality starting hands is important. Not only do they produce more good hands and draws on the flop, they also tend to be more easily rerouted into winning backdoor hands.
The ability to recognize when you may be able to develop some secondary draws to fall back on should your primary draw not materialize is a valuable skill. Its value is based on the fact that if you see an opportunity, you may be able to create some extra wins for your hand by making a timely bet or raise. Consider the following example.

Example One
Flop: Q-J-2 (two clubs)
Scenario One: Your hand: A-3-4-10 (nut clubs)
Scenario Two: Your hand: A-5-6-10 (nut clubs)

Note that in both cases, your only immediate draws are to the nut flush and nut straight. However, both hands also have a backdoor low draw. Assuming that five players are in the hand, if the player to your right bets and you are next to act, what is your best course of action in each scenario?
In Scenario 1, a call is clearly the correct play. You don’t want to eliminate players when all your draws are to the nuts. Whether you make the nut flush, ace-high straight, or catch two running low cards, any hand you make will be the nuts in one direction or another. Therefore, the more players in the hand, the more money you should make. You might consider raising for value with your draw, but not until everyone has called the initial bet. Raising in this situation will tend to eliminate players likely to make second-best hands and pay you off.
Although your high prospects are essentially the same in Scenario 2, the fact that you have a weak backdoor low draw is a good reason to raise the bettor. Raising may cause players to fold hands such as A-4-5-J or A-2-3-6, with which they would likely call one bet. As a result, even if you miss the flush and straight draws, you might still win half the pot if two low cards come, because your raise on the flop drove out the stronger backdoor low draws. By thinking ahead and realizing all the ways a hand can develop, you can sometimes play a situation more aggressively than normal in order to create some additional winning cards for your hand.
Of course, choosing whether to raise or just call in this type of situation depends on the size of the pot, the style of your opponents, and the previous betting that led to the situation.

Folding the Nut Low
There are times when you will make the nut low on the flop but realize that it doesn’t have much value. You then have a decision to make regarding whether to stick it out until the end or fold. It may seem absurd to fold the nuts—and it usually is—but there are some instances when it would be the right thing to do—typically, when a previously small pot is now being bet aggressively.
You don’t want to throw away the nuts if the pot is large or if it’s inexpensive to stay in the hand. However, if your hand is something like A-2-K-J and the flop is 6-7-8 (two flush cards, not yours), and the other three players in the pot start betting and raising like maniacs, it may be time to reassess your involvement. For one thing, you are likely playing for a quarter of the pot, especially if you know some of your opponents are very solid players. Also, any ace or deuce that falls on the turn or river will likely turn your hand into a loser. If you are relatively certain that another player also has the nut low, you really aren’t giving anything up by folding. The cost of the small bet already invested in the pot is offset by the potential for winding up with nothing if you get counterfeited.
Nevertheless, it isn’t a good idea to fold the made nut low very often. Sometimes it may seem like you’re only playing for a quarter, but you’ll get a pleasant surprise on the end when the other players turn over high hands. This possibility alone should be enough to keep you from folding the low nuts most of the time. It might also be better to stay in the hand if the pot is already large, or if it’s multiway. Also, the presence of a backup low card in your hand should be enough of a reason not to fold the nut low.

Sets When the Board Is Small: To Play or Not To Play?
In multiway pots, with a flop of three low cards, sets should usually be folded. It is a mistake to play sets aggressively in an attempt to protect them, as they can only win half the pot and will frequently be outdrawn. A better approach is to treat a set as you would a drawing hand, and play or fold based on the price the pot is offering you. If one player bets, four players call, and you are last to act with a hand like A-4-4-K and a board of 2-4-6, it is okay to call and see another card. Here’s why:

(1) The pot cannot be raised behind you.
(2) You are receiving a favorable price on the hand.

However, if the first player bets, the second raises, and the others fold around to you, folding is clearly the right play. Why? Because in order to proceed, you’ll have to call two bets cold and face the possibility of a reraise by the initial bettor. This eliminates all value from the situation, because instead of calling one small bet to perhaps win half of a decent sized pot, you are now faced with putting in multiple bets while playing for half of a three-way pot. Furthermore, with both a bet and a raise, it is more likely that one of your opponents has flopped a straight. Thus, you will need to improve your hand to win the high.
In tighter Omaha eight-or-better games, sets have more value. Suppose you have A-2-2-Q and the flop is 2-3-8. Against a large field, this hand can be flung into the discards without hesitation. However, if you are playing the pot heads-up, this is a better-than-average flop for your hand. Even though a low hand is possible, your opponent doesn’t necessarily have one. He may have something like A-3-10-10, in which case you have him beat. It is important to play these situations aggressively. You figure to have the best high hand, which may be good for a scoop. Another point worth noting is that your aggressive play may encourage a single opponent to relinquish a hand with a made, albeit rough, low such as A-3-7-K. This major victory could not have been won by checking. If your opponent raises you, then you can revert to calling mode for the rest of the hand, as his raise probably signifies a made low.

Manipulating the Size of the Pot
One of the most common and aggravating perils of Omaha eight-or-better comes when you flop a nice high hand or high draw and play it aggressively, only to see two opponents make their low hands on the turn and promptly go to war. You are then faced with the unpalatable prospect of calling several double-sized turn bets when the low portion of the pot is already spoken for. It’s painful to give up the hand because of all the money already in the pot, but it’s equally painful to watch your stacks erode as you pay for your draws.
Fortunately, there is a method you can employ to make playing the turn card less agonizing. It can be used primarily when you have a high hand and two low cards appear on the flop. For example, suppose your hand is A-3-J-J, and the flop is 3-5-J with a flush draw. Although you have the current nuts, your hand is not that strong. If any low card comes on the turn or river, it will cost you half the pot, or all of it if someone makes a straight. Also, there is a flush draw present.
This is not a time to manipulate the size of the pot by playing your top set aggressively. Should one of the many potential horror cards appear on the turn, the fact that you helped keep the pot small by not betting or raising on the flop enables you to make an easy release of your hand if faced with too much action.
Another benefit to playing this way is that you make it harder for your opponents to gauge what you’re holding. If the board pairs on the turn, your opponents probably won’t give you credit for having the nut full house, since you didn’t play the flop aggressively. This might enable you to win some extra bets if one of your opponents feels his trips or smaller full house is the best hand.
Consider the following scenario. All four opponents check to you in last position, and your hand is A-K-J-10 with a nut flush draw (hearts). Then the flop comes 3-5-9, two to the flush. Since many turn cards will render the hand unplayable, you check rather than bet the nut flush draw. The turn is the perfect Q?. An alert, aggressive opponent bets out, two other players call, and you raise with the absolute nuts. The aggressive player reraises with his smaller flush, and you wind up scooping a big pot when the board pairs on the end. It could probably be argued that checking on the button induced your aggressive opponent to overplay his hand on the turn, as he refused to accept the fact that a player holding the nut flush draw could check the hand in last position.
You should manipulate the size of the pot fairly often in such situations. However, it is important that you don’t hurt your chances of winning the pot with this play. In hands with small fields, you can sometimes win the pot right on the flop with a bet. If you believe you have a decent chance of winning the pot immediately, it’s better to go ahead and bet than to wait for a safe turn card. Also, when the player to your immediate right bets and you’re holding a high hand such as a set, you should probably raise in an effort to narrow the field. Checking or calling with a set is best when a raise won’t get anybody to fold.

Bluffing When Trash Flops
Although Omaha eight-or-better has a reputation for being a game in which bluffing is nearly impossible, there are some good situations in which to give it a shot. One of the more common bluffing opportunities arises when high cards flop, particularly if the board is paired. Since most players play low cards, it stands to reason that a high flop will likely miss everyone’s hand. Betting into boards such as 10-10-7 is often effective against a small number of opponents, preferably three or less (with more players, it’s likely that you will run into a legitimate hand). This play can be made from any position, and if you are raised, it is probably best to fold, rather than to attempt to create some justification for clinging to the hand. It is most effective against tight, unimaginative players who will automatically give you credit for a hand when you bet.
One thing to be aware of if you are playing in a higher limit game is that perceptive opponents will not only make this play themselves, but will be aware that you might attempt it. These players could be capable of raising you with nothing, which puts you in a rough spot. It is far easier to raise with nothing than to call with it. You must either modify this play or abandon it against these types of opponents.
Here is another example of a play you can use. Say your hand is A-2-4-10, and the board reads J-J-Q. Only you and the blinds are in the pot, and the small blind bets the flop. The big blind folds, and now you call with nothing but an inside straight draw. You aren’t calling on the strength of your hand, but on the assumption that your opponent has very little. If he checks to you on the turn, you can bet and expect to win the pot. However, it’s probably best to fold if he bets again and you don’t catch a king, as another bet probably signifies a legitimate hand. It will be difficult for him to bluff a second time into this board after being called on the flop.

Conclusion
There is a lot to think about when the flop is laid on the table in Omaha eight-or-better. When in the heat of the game, you probably won’t have time to correctly consider all of the factors discussed above, but you should be aware of them and strive to apply as many as possible. With that in mind, here are a few questions to ask yourself after looking at the flop:

(1) How much of the pot am I playing for?
(2) What price is the pot laying me, based on my potential to make the best hand and the portion of the pot I can win?
(3) What implied value does my hand possess? That is to say, how much additional money can I win if the right card comes? Will the other players in the pot pay me off? Is there an aggressive player on my left, meaning there’s a chance to check-raise the field? Will the low hands bet and raise aggressively if I make the high? And so on.
(4) If I call, can the pot get raised behind me?
(5) Does my hand play better against more or fewer opponents? Can my hand be played in such a way as to create a favorable situation against one or the other?

PLAYING THE TURN

Basic Turn Play

Give Up Some Marginal Hands
Because the size of the bet doubles on the turn, many marginal hands that were worth one bet on the flop must now be abandoned. Also, a low hand will frequently be possible by the time the turn comes, and this cuts in half the odds the pot is laying you to draw at a high hand. Hands such as top two pair and sets lose their chance to scoop the pot when the board shows three cards to a low. This is particularly true when several players are in, as someone will almost certainly have a low. These hands must be played with extreme caution, as the turn can be an expensive round. With a less than premium hand, you can wind up investing a lot of chips with little chance for a return on that investment.
Often, one or two players are holding the nut low, another player the nut high, and a raising war begins. If you are in the pot with a draw of some kind, it is time to really question staying involved. It’s generally not a good idea to pay multiple bets on the turn to draw at half the pot, unless you have a chance to scoop. Suppose you have A-2-5-5, and the board is 2-4-5-K. If there is a bet and a raise to you, give up this hand. Your set is no good, and the best river cards can only gain you half the pot.
It is also correct to fold this hand when the player to your right bets and there are players yet to act behind you. It is unlikely that your hand is good, as the bettor is representing a straight. Furthermore, the pot can still be raised. This hand is another example of a situation in which you can draw for one bet if you are in last position—but you must fold when you don’t know what drawing may cost. Getting stuck in the middle of raising wars in Omaha eight-or-better is among the most costly errors players can make on the turn. You need to be aware that any time a low hand is possible and several players are in the pot, it is likely that there will be at least one raise on the turn.

Playing Strong Hands on the Turn
Usually, in order to win the most money with strong hands on the turn, you should raise if someone else bets, or bet when it’s checked to you. One of the best situations in Omaha eight-or-better is when you own half the pot and are drawing at the other half, commonly referred to as a freeroll. You cannot lose the whole pot, and you have the potential to scoop.
For example, say you are holding a hand such as A-2-3-10, and the board is 4-5-8-Q (two of your suit). Note that although you might get quartered, you are guaranteed to win the low side, and pairing up any of your low cards makes you a wheel, which might be good for a scoop. Plus, this hand features the nut flush draw. With a hand this strong, you should pump the pot, as there is plenty of upside with virtually no risk.
Even if your hand is only good enough to win a quarter of the pot at this point, raising is the correct play due to the hand’s high potential. If three or more other players are in the pot, you won’t lose money if the pot gets quartered, unless it is one of those rare times that two of your opponents share the nut low with you.
Against two other players, you should still be aggressive with your freeroll hands, even if you feel one of your opponents has the nut low as well. It’s a good low risk investment that can produce excellent returns if you make your high hand. Here’s an example from a $10/$20 limit game to illustrate:

Your hand: A-2-3-10
Board: 4-5-8-Q (two flush cards)

One opponent, Player A, bets and another, Player B, calls. If you raise and get quartered, your raise costs you $5 (as all three players pay $20, totaling $60, of which you recoup $15). If you raise, make the flush, and get three-quarters, your raise makes you $25 ($20 x 3 = $60, of which you get $45).
Risking $5 for a chance to win $25 is a good investment in this spot, since the odds of your making a flush are better than 5 to 1 against—35 to 9, or about 4 to 1. However, in real life the odds are even better than that. Sometimes you will catch an ace or deuce and scoop the pot because an opponent with A-2 gets counterfeited. Also, a 3 or a 6 will make you a straight, which may be good for the high. So a 3 will get you half the pot, and a 6 is worth three quarters. Plus, there is always the possibility that you have the only low hand. Due to their limited liability and great upside, these types of hands should be played as aggressively as possible.

Knocking Out the Competition
When the turn comes and the size of the bet doubles, players might begin to develop a greater respect for their chips. At this point in the hand, the pots often are pretty large, so it is in your best interest to protect your hand as much as possible. Opponents are more willing to pass without a strong hand when faced with calling two bets cold. Marginal hands with which opponents will likely call one bet but fold for two include most two-pair hands, as well as some small flushes, small straights, and second- or third-nut lows. It is often in your best interest to raise opponents with these types of hands out of the pot.
Often, an opponent holding a hand like A-3-6-Q will bet into a board showing 2-5-8-K. If you are next, holding A-3-8-9, and you raise the initial bettor, it may persuade the rest of the field to fold hands like A-2-8-10 or A-A-6-J. By raising, you are attempting to isolate one other player who you feel is also likely to have the nut low. With a bit of luck, your high hand may trump that of your opponent, giving you three-quarters of the pot. This play should be made often, and it is another example of a situation with little risk but significant upside.
Making it expensive for others to stay in the pot is also important if you hold a vulnerable high hand, especially if your hand is the nut flush. If no low or pair is on the board, it should be obvious that the nut flush is a hand to be bet and raised at every opportunity. However, suppose you have A-K-Q-J, the board is 3-4-5-8, and you have the nut flush. If a player bets into you, it is pretty clear that the most you will be able to win is half the pot. With this in mind, you might be tempted to just call, allowing some additional players into the pot to create extra profit.
The danger of playing this situation passively is that it allows players with two pair or sets to draw at you cheaply. If the board pairs on the river, you might lose multiple bets. It is likely that the player who bet the turn will also bet the river, and you will be faced with the grisly task of calling with the nut flush when the pot might get raised behind you. It’s generally best to go ahead and raise on the turn. You’ll still get action from any player holding an A-2, which doesn’t pose a threat to your hand. If opponents with two pair want to call your raise and draw at half the pot, that’s their prerogative. In fact, they should probably be placed on your Christmas card list.
You may want to put the brakes on with lesser nut high hands, though. For example, say you have 9-10-J-Q, and the board has 3-6-7-8 (two flush cards); or you’ve got A-4-K-K, and the board shows 3-4-8-K (two flush draws).
In both examples, even though you have the current nut high, your hand is in much greater jeopardy of being outdrawn than in the previous example when you were holding the nut flush. To compare, in the nut flush example, only ten cards could beat you if your opponent has a set; by comparison, with the straight shown above, there are the ten potential full house cards that could beat you, plus the additional flush cards. For the example in which you have three kings, sixteen cards create a straight possibility for your opponents and about half the deck completes a flush draw.
While it may seem even more crucial to raise in an effort to protect these extremely vulnerable hands, the problem is that opponents holding low cards are often holding the draws that can beat you as well. Thus, raising them out will be impossible, and they are likely to put in a reraise if they have the nut low with a flush draw. Contrast this with the nut flush example, in which any player holding two pair or a set is unlikely to also have a good low hand, as this would require a precise use of all four cards. With that in mind, it is normally best to just call with a lesser nut hand, hoping you don’t get beaten, rather than make a futile attempt to narrow the field.

When You Only Have the Nut Low
It is common in loose, passive Omaha eight-or-better games typical at the lower limits for players to make the nut low and then check if their hand lacks high potential. But that’s the wrong play. For one thing, if several players are in the pot, there is value in betting the hand. Winning half the pot will still be profitable, and so will receiving a quarter if five or more players are in.
Perhaps more significant is the possibility of winning the pot with a bet. This might be next to impossible in very loose games with several players in the pot, but in hands contested by fewer players, it is not that uncommon for everybody to fold to a bet when the low arrives. Even if you don’t have a pair, it’s a good idea to bet your nut low. Doing so in smallish pots might prompt your opponents to fold their high hands and draws, since they’ll realize their chances to scoop have vanished. They might not want to risk calling turn and river bets to find out if their marginal two pair is any good. Passive Omaha eight-or-better players cost themselves a lot of half-pots by failing to bet their low hands aggressively.

Advanced Turn Play
As we have seen, playing aggressively on the turn has its benefits. Here are some additional opportunities to use aggression to your advantage.

Turning Good Draws into Better Draws
On the turn, the more cards there are that can make you the best hand on the river, the better off you are. So, there are times when raising with a draw on the turn might increase the number of outs for your hand.
Take a hand such as A-2-10-J (A-10 flush draw) with a board of 4-5-J-Q (4-5 of your suit). The player to your right bets, and you are next to act with three or four opponents behind you. At first glance it appears that a call is clearly the best play here. Additional callers enhance the values of your nut low and nut flush draws, and it’s unlikely that your one pair of jacks is the best hand at this point.
While calling is a reasonable play, you should at least consider making a raise in this spot. Raising might cause hands such as A-3-8-K, that would certainly call one bet, to fold. This could open up the possibility of winning the pot if a ten comes on the end, making you two pair. Sure, you’ve only added three cards to your list of outs, but your decision to invest an extra bet with your big draw might have increased your chances of scooping.
The larger the pot, the more valuable it becomes to create extra outs for yourself, and you can do this by investing an extra bet or two and thinning the field. By the way, the draw mentioned above is big enough by itself to cause you to consider raising for value. You have sixteen low wins, plus the flush cards, the kings, and possibly the other two jacks.

Semi-Bluffing the Turn to Set Up a Bluff on the End
Omaha eight-or-better games that don’t fit into the “no fold-em” category, most notably higher limit games, provide some good bluffing opportunities for the astute player. Often, it’s more convincing if you set up a bluff on the river by betting a drawing hand on the turn, with the intention of following through if you miss your hand. This is commonly referred to as semi-bluffing, since you have two ways to win. Although you must fire two big bets into the pot to set up a bluff, your bets have equity because even if your opponents don’t fold, there’s a possibility that you will make the best hand on the river.
With more than two opponents, bluffing is dangerous because it is far too likely that you will run into the nuts. When a small number of opponents are in the pot, preferably no more than two other players, that’s the best time to bluff. Also, it is effective to semi-bluff if you can represent a specific hand that materializes on the turn. The play works best when you have not been aggressive up to that point in the hand.
Here’s a good example of just such a play: In the small blind, you call with 2-3-4-7 and see a flop of A-8-10. With three players in the pot, you check and call a bet, suspecting that the bettor has aces-up. The turn card is a queen, making a straight for any opponent holding a J-9 or K-J. While it’s possible that one of your opponents has one of these hands, it is by no means a sure thing. This is a great opportunity to semi-bluff. You can either bet your hand, or you can go for a check-raise if you believe your opponent will bet his aces-up again. On the river, you must bet regardless of what card comes—unless it’s an ace, which will almost certainly make someone a full house. If no low comes, your opponents will be hard pressed to call with any hand other than a straight. If a low does come, you’ll win part of the pot anyway. In fact, if your opponents are convinced that you have a straight and fold two aces or two small pair, you might make your low hand and scoop the pot with seven-high.
There are two things to consider before making this play:

(1) Do not to try it against chronic calling stations, players who tend to call with a huge variety of hands, even weak ones. Opponents like this will want to see if you have your straight.
(2) You absolutely must have the nut low draw when attempting to semi-bluff in this fashion. When a low draw is on the board, it is a mistake to semi-bluff with only high draws to flushes and straights, since the low is too likely to show up on the river. Because of this, you will probably be called by anyone with a decent low hand. Your opponent might call your bluff with a low hand and wind up scooping the pot with one small pair or a similar hand.

PLAYING THE RIVER

Basic River Play
It is a common but incorrect belief among Omaha eight-or-better players that the river largely plays itself. There are a number of factors that indicate otherwise.

Paying Off
On the river, you’ll frequently have to decide whether to call a bet with a marginal high hand or a weak low hand. Perhaps you flopped a set, only to see a flush arrive on the river. While it is certainly possible that you are beat, there is also a chance that the bettor is going for low and your set is still the best high hand. If you cannot decide which way an opponent is going in the hand, it is far better to call and possibly lose one bet, than to fold and risk giving up half the pot. It’s called paying off, and you do this when the pot odds are good enough to make you call even though you think you have the losing hand.

Hand Reading
As your poker skills develop, you will become more proficient in reading your opponents’ hands, which will allow you to make more accurate decisions on the river. Reconstructing the betting can make hand reading easier. For example, if a player that had raised the pot before the flop now bets the river when both a flush card and a third low card hit, it makes sense to read him for a low hand. This makes it easier for you to call with your set or two pair. In this situation, the bettor might show you the nut low and a flush, but that’s just the nature of poker.

Position
Another element to weigh when debating whether to call on the river is the action yet to take place. If there are quite a few players behind you, you will need to tighten up a bit and pass more of your questionable hands. In the previous example, for instance, even though the bettor might not have a flush, if there are still four players to act behind you, it’s a pretty safe bet that one of them has you beat and will also call.
Paying attention to the players to your left before you act will sometimes allow you to use their tells to save a bet or make a big call. If you can see that your opponents are preparing to fold, it makes it easier for you to call. Also, say an opponent grabs raising chips before it is his turn to act. Often this is an act, but it is sometimes a reliable indicator of the strength of his hand. It is nice to play against opponents who consistently give away their hands before it is their turn to act, particularly if they are sitting to your left.

Getting Counterfeited
Although you can play your made nut low hands more aggressively when you have a backup card, you sometimes will find yourself in the pot with just the bare nut low. In these cases, there are six cards that will counterfeit you, which means your hand could be killed on the river nearly one time out of seven (six out of forty-four unseen cards). Since this is such a common occurrence, it is good to have a game plan for dealing with it effectively.
Getting counterfeited won’t always cost you the pot, and it is important to recognize when your hand is still good. If you are holding the nut low with a wheel draw, and you get counterfeited, then a player who has not been aggressive now bets, you are almost certainly beat. For example, say you are holding A-2-K-Q, the board is 4-5-8-Q, and the river is a deuce. If a player who has been calling to that point, bets—you are in trouble. There isn’t much else this player can be betting other than a straight, so it is almost always safe to fold. The exception is when you are playing against a tricky, sophisticated opponent, who is capable of betting an A-6 here, hoping your A-2 got counterfeited and that you will fold a better high hand than his.
In a larger field, say more than three opponents, someone will often produce a better two card low hand when you get counterfeited. But in pots with only two or three players you might still win the low, so it is important not to fold too quickly. Rather, gauge the chances that your opponent’s bet signifies a high hand. If you think this is the case, you might be able to play your live ace or deuce to win the low. Also, it’s possible that your new high hand will be good. If you already had one pair, you now have two pair, which might win the high against a small field. Omaha eight-or-better players are notorious for moaning all the way to the bank in situations like this, complaining even as they catch the very card that wins them the pot.

Playing Three-Way Pots on the End
It is very common for there to be exactly three players left in the hand at the river, so it’s important that you learn how to make accurate decisions in this situation. Following are some general guidelines that should be helpful.

1. When You Are First To Act. If you have the best hand, bet! This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often players check the nuts. In Omaha eight-or-better, playing for a check-raise on the river is generally a bad idea, unless you know for certain that an opponent will bet a worse hand. Unless they are bluffing, Omaha players tend only to bet hands that are the nuts or close to it on the river. So, if you attempt a check-raise with the nut high, you are likely to only coax a bet out of an opponent if he’s holding the nut low. Nothing is gained from this maneuver. However, if you bet, an opponent might call with a worse high hand.
Sometimes a bet on the river will win you not only the side of the pot you have locked up, but the entire pot. If you are holding A-3-4-Q, the board shows 2-5-8-10-J, and you are positive that your opponents don’t have you three-quartered, you should bet with just the nut low. A bet will often cause an opponent to fold a busted hand like A-2-K-Q (nut flush draw), even though he has you beat for high. Also, hands like A-4-6-7 will pay you off with the second-nut low, and you will be able to scoop them with the nut low and A-Q high. Although you won’t get results like these every time, it should be clear that being aggressive has a lot of value.

2. When the First Player Bets and You’re Next To Act. Here is a situation in which you must be willing to stick your neck out a bit. When the board contains three to a low hand but not a wheel possibility, and you have a marginal hand in both directions, you need to either raise or fold. Calling is a mistake, as it opens the door for the third player to call behind you. With a weak two-way hand, it is important to eliminate the other player and play heads-up against the bettor, hoping to win in one direction or the other.
Suppose the board shows 3-4-8-J-Q, and your hand is A-3-4-7. With bottom two pair for high and A-7 for low, it’s unlikely that you will get a piece of the pot against more than one opponent. However, it will be difficult for a single opponent to scoop your hand heads-up, as he must use all four of his cards to beat you both ways. If you raise, the third player might fold a better two pair or better lows such as A-5, 2-5, and A-6.
Lean toward folding if the board contains a five-card low straight or a flush possibility. It will be easier for a lone opponent to scoop you in this case, plus there is the increased possibility that you will be reraised, meaning you’ll have to risk three bets with the play rather than two. For example, if the board is 3-4-5-8-10 (flush) and you hold A-3-5-7 without having a flush, any opponent with A-2 has you scooped, as does one with a flush and a slightly better low than yours.
A completely different situation arises when the first player bets, and you are next to act holding the nut low and a very weak high hand. Here, the debate is whether to raise or call. If you know that the bettor has your high beat, calling is clearly the right play. You don’t want to eliminate the third party and are fishing for the over-call. However, things are seldom this black and white. It is a big mistake to just call with the nut low, only to find that the original bettor was betting the nut low with no pair himself. Now, the third player might call with a marginal high hand and win half the pot, chips that would be heading your direction had you raised. Therefore, it is best to raise most of the time if you are holding the nut low with a high hand of one pair or better, unless you think the original bettor can beat your high hand.
When you make this play consistently, you should be prepared to receive a flurry of hate mail in the form of dirty looks and sarcastic comments from your opponents. Sometimes you will raise and the third player will be holding the nut low himself, so you wind up getting quartered while the initial bettor wins the high. This third player, disgusted at your raise, might mutter something to the effect of “How could that idiot raise with just the nut low? What did he think I had?”
It is true that if you regularly raise in this situation, you will sometimes cost yourself money, either because you get quartered or because you raise out the third player when the initial bettor was going high. However, it is also true that this play will occasionally win you the high half of the pot. The question is whether the fractions of bets you lose when you’re wrong outweigh the half-pots you win when you are right. This play doesn’t have to work out very often for you to show a profit, so you should use it any time you feel it has even a small chance of succeeding.
Here is one final scenario pertaining to three-way pots when your hand is the second to act. If you have a hand of A-3-5-K (king-high flush) with a board of 4-6-8-10-J (making your flush), you hold the second-best hand in each direction, which is a good, but not great situation in Omaha eight or better. It is best when you are the one doing the betting, since anyone that can beat your high hand would surely bet, and it is likely that the nut low hand would bet as well. Nevertheless, second-second is usually good enough for at least half the pot. In this case, if the first player bets, it likely signifies that he has you beat one way or another, so there isn’t much point in raising. A worse hand behind you will fold, but a better hand will call or reraise, since the only better high or low hand is the nuts. Also, if you raise, you risk the possibility of a reraise from the original bettor.

3. When You’re Last To Act on the River. If you only have the nut low and it’s a bet and a call to you on the end, it is an easy, comfortable play to just call. This is not necessarily the correct play, though. Although you will lose money by raising if you only get a quarter of the pot, you are costing yourself even more money in the long run when you just call and get half. Here is why: Assuming a $10/$20 game, so the last bet is $20:

(1) If you raise and win only a quarter of the pot, splitting the low side, you lose $5 on the raise ($20 x 3, you get back $15).
(2) If you raise and win half of the pot, you win $10 on the raise ($20 x 3, you get back $30).

What this means is that you are getting a price of 2 to 1 on this raise. For raising to be incorrect, you must be quartered more than two out of three times. This will not be the case, especially if you refrain from raising when you are reasonably sure another player has the nut low.
Essentially, any time you have a reasonable doubt as to whether another nut low is out there, you should raise. Most players do the opposite in this spot. They will just call, feeling that they might be quartered. In fact, they should raise, because they might win half the pot.
When a sophisticated player is in the pot with you, you need to be aware that he may use some of the plays discussed here. He may not always hold what he is representing. He might raise on the river in an attempt to knock you out of the pot, rather than raising just on the strength of his hand. This happens more at the higher limits, though, and a river raise in smaller Omaha eight-or-better games nearly always signifies a nut hand.
If one of these tricky players is in your game and attempts to knock you out, you might call a raise from him on the river with a weaker-than-normal hand, such as two medium pair. However, don’t forget that the original bettor may have you beat, and might choose to reraise. This is a difficult situation to play correctly, and it draws on all your skills as a poker player.

Advanced River Play
Value Betting
When you bet for value, you do so because you believe you have a better hand than your opponents and may be called by one with an inferior hand. You do not, however, have the nuts, and there is a possibility that you’ll be beaten. You bet because you feel that it will be profitable in the long run and that you will be called and win more often than you will be called and lose.
One major consideration is whether or not your opponents tend to bet for value. Some players seem to bet only the nuts on the river, so discretion must be exercised in betting medium strength hands against them. Just because one such opponent checks to you, it doesn’t mean he isn’t holding a very strong hand, so you must value bet less frequently.
Other players will pay off anything and everything. They might go home broke, but they won’t go home curious. Against these types, bet any hand that you feel has a better than even-money chance to be the best hand. Since a player like this might call with as little as one pair, it is often a mistake to check hands like two pair if it is checked to you, even if bigger hands such as straights or flushes are possible. If an opponent like this tends to bet their good hands and you have anything decent at all, you can safely assume that if he checks, you have the best hand. So go ahead and bet it for value.
When you play against a mixed bag of players, you must exercise good judgment in betting for value. Some tricky players will try to check-raise on the end if they make their hands. When these players act before you and a scary card hits the board, you should think twice before betting.
Also, sometimes an extremely tight player will check the best hand on the end. If this player has been betting throughout the hand, his check shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a sign of weakness. Maybe his right arm got tired. Or maybe a card came that slightly weakened his hand. For example, he may hold something like A-3-10-J (ace-high flush) with a board of 4-5-7-Q-Q (nut flush). Although he has the nut flush and second nut low, the fact that the board paired means that he can still be beaten, so he checks the river. There are quite a few Omaha eight-or-better players who play in this fashion, particularly in the smaller games. If you can recognize them, this will help you avoid betting hands like A-4-K-K (king-high flush) for value when they are in the pot and have shown some strength.
Position has a huge influence on how often you can bet for value. This is one of the most important benefits of acting last in the hand. For example, suppose you hold A-2-3-Q (nut flush) in a four-way pot, and the board shows 4-5-9-J-4. The pot is fairly large, and you have what is possibly the best hand. Against more opponents, it would be more likely that someone has the full house. In a heads-up or three-way pot, your hand is most likely good. But in this case, you’re not sure. If you had to act first, you would likely check, fearing a raise from a full house. However, if you have last position and it is checked around to you, betting for value is usually the best play.
Another example of how position can win you extra bets on the river is if you are holding A-3-Q-Q, and the board shows Q-J-7-5-K. Once again, if you are first to act and several players are behind you, you should probably check, as it is likely that one of them has made a straight. But if you are last and it is checked to you, go ahead and bet your three queens for value. You will probably be called by anyone with kings-up, a smaller set, and possibly some worse hands, too. It is also possible that someone made a straight, and is planning on check-raising you. Remember that you don’t need to have a lock to bet.

Catching Bluffs
When deciding upon the most profitable course of action on the river, you will occasionally have to choose between betting your hand for value and checking to induce an opponent to bluff. This decision must be made when there are players remaining to act behind you. Basically, if you do not believe you are likely to be called by a worse hand, or if you have very aggressive players behind you, it is often best to adopt a strategy of checking and calling. This can even be done with very strong hands.
For example, say you have A-3-5-K, and the board comes 2-6-6-J-K. It is likely that your kings-up are good in a pot with a small number of opponents. However, it is unlikely you will be called, except by a hand equal to yours or possibly a jack. This is another situation in which checking to an aggressive player has some value. If you check, he might try to steal the pot, hoping that you have missed your low draw and will now fold to a bet.
Against a calling station, though, betting for value is probably best. Being aware of your opponents’ playing styles is worth many bets in this and similar situations.

Using Scare Cards To Your Advantage
Sometimes the texture of the board cooperates to make it more likely that your bluff attempt will be successful. Players tend to pay off in Omaha eight-or-better unless the board shows a strong hand that they believe one of their opponents holds. For example, a board of A-K-Q-J makes it very difficult for an opponent to call if he is not holding the straight. However, it is very possible that no one has the nuts, and this very well could be one situation in which you will get credit for a straight if you bet.
The very idea of bluffing into a four-card straight board is not one that occurs to many players. Attempting to bluff here is a great play because by the time you get to the river, the pot should be large enough to give a good price on stealing it. Therefore, this play needs to work only occasionally for it to show a nice profit.
Four cards to a wheel, such as A-2-4-Q-3 (or 5) is another scary board that might be worth a steal attempt, as long as no one has shown very much interest to this point. It will be difficult for anyone without a wheel to call you. As with the previous bluff, this play needs to work only a small percentage of the time to be profitable. However, this play is a bad idea when the board is 2-3-4-5-x, as at least one player—including you—should have a wheel.
When you are going for low and the board trips up on the end, it is worthwhile sometimes to take a stab at the pot against a relatively small number of opponents. There is a good chance that no one will be holding a pair, and most opponents won’t call a bet with just ace-high when trips are on the board. You can check down hands like A-2-3-K or A-2-5-Q, since your high kicker might win the pot for you. However, if you are holding something like A-2-3-4, you have no chance to win unless you bet.
Although a bluff attempt is sometimes the only way you can win the pot, it is still important that you exercise some discretion. If you consistently try to bluff the river, your opponents will recognize this and start calling you down. The more astute ones will check their big hands to you, knowing you may try a bluff. Also, it doesn’t matter how scary the board is, some opponents just have to see your hand. Have some respect for your chips, and don’t fire in bluffs when calling stations are in the pot.
With that in mind, Omaha eight-or-better pots are typically large enough on the river to justify a bluff attempt into a scary board. If you are selective and execute these bluffs on pots with two or fewer opponents who are trying to play well, you should show a profit.

Conclusion
The most important concept to take with you from this section is that aggressive play gets rewarded. With that in mind, remember to make raises that can help you win half the pot, and to bet aggressively when you are holding the nuts. Also, don’t forget to bet for value when you believe you hold the best hand, and keep some bluffing plays in your repertoire. The large pots in this game allow you to err on the side of aggression, as your bets don’t have to be successful every time to turn you a profit.

BONUS TOPICS

This section will cover some related topics and provide more in-depth commentary on material already discussed.

Playing 2-3, A-4, and Similar Hands
Many Omaha eight-or-better players regularly play hands in which 2-3 or A-4 represent their best prospects for low. While these hands should not be played automatically in a full-handed game, there are times when you should see the flop with them. You will cost yourself some profitable opportunities if you automatically fold these hands.
Position influences when these types of hands become playable. It is probably best to play 2-3 and A-4 hands when you are near the button, as you can more accurately gauge when an opponent has you beat for low. Also, if a few good players have already entered the pot, you’ll know your low draw is assuredly not the best. Additionally, the cards you need to flop—aces in the case of 2-3, and deuces and threes in the case of A-4—are probably not live. Therefore, folding is usually the right move.
Sometimes the field will fold around to you in a late position when you have a hand like 2-3-4-7 (suited). In the case of the 2-3-4-7, it is likely that the ace you need to make the nut low is quite live in the deck, which makes your hand more playable. Also, you will have position on the blinds. A raise is probably your best play, especially if the blinds are tight players who will fold without a strong hand. Calling is fine if there are loose players in the blinds. However, if it’s folded around to you on or near the button and you are holding A-4-6-8 (suited), you should probably raise rather than call. There are three reasons for this:

(1) You have one of the aces in your hand, making it less likely for one of the blinds to have a good hand. This may increase your chances of winning the blinds.
(2) You’re unlikely to make the nut low, and raising may cause an opponent with 2-3 or A-4 to fold.
(3) The blinds are also likely to fold hands dominated by middle cards, which increases the high potential for your own middle cards.

If a late position player has opened the pot for a raise, and you are next with a hand like A-4-5-K or A-4-K-Q, you should consider reraising, hoping to play the pot heads-up. Unless your opponent has two aces, your hand has a good chance to win the high. Although your opponent likely has a better low draw, you hold better high potential. You also have position, which should allow you to steal the pot if your opponent doesn’t connect with the flop.
When several players are in, hands containing 2-3 or A-4 might still be playable. Generally, you want to play these hands for only one bet, though, and it is important that your other two cards have some value. Hands such as 2-3-4-6, 2-3-Q-K (suited), A-4-6-Q, and A-4-10-J are probably worth a call when several players have limped in front of you. However, hands like 2-3-7-10, 2-3-9-K, A-4-8-K, or A-4-7-9 belong in the muck.

Having Backup Cards for Low Help
How helpful is having backup cards for low help? The short answer to this question is: very helpful! Take a look at the following figures:

(1) When you flop the nut low draw without a backup card, you will complete the hand about 57% of the time.
(2) However, you will pair your low draw (be counterfeited) nearly 25% of the time on the turn and river.
(3) You will make your low draw on the turn about 34% of the time, and then be counterfeited on the river 13% of the time.
(4) When you flop the nut low draw with backup, you will complete the hand 70% of the time.
(5) Only 3% of the time will both the turn and river counterfeit your hand when you have backup.

These numbers clearly demonstrate why having extra low cards in your hand is so important. Since you will be counterfeited nearly 25 percent of the time when you only have a two-card low-draw, it’s questionable how aggressively you can play. The added value of the additional low card permits a far more aggressive approach. Another bonus of the backup card is that you have far greater straight potential. For example, with a board of 4-5-K, there is a huge difference between holding just an A-2 (four cards to complete your straight) versus an A-2-3 (thirteen cards to complete your straight).
Why Kings-Up Is the Best Two Pair To Flop
Besides the obvious fact that kings-up beat queens-up in a showdown, there are other good reasons to consider kings-up to be the only two pair in Omaha eight-or-better that is of much value. First, since a king is a high card, its presence on the board makes it more difficult for a low hand to be made. Although aces-up would be the best two pair, when an ace is on the board it is far more likely that the pot will be split with a low hand.
Since kings are the highest cards in the deck other than aces, it is unlikely that they will lose to a better two pair. Specifically, it will take a better kings-up hand to beat them. As a good Omaha eight-or-better player, you will generally have an ace in your hand when you flop kings-up, so if the ace then hits, you will now make the top two pair. Although top two pair is a dicey hand against several opponents, it should win a good percentage of the time against a small field.
A major problem with two pair is that there will nearly always be a straight possibility when the board is unpaired. In fact, in order for no straight to be possible, there must be a king, a queen, or both on the final board. This grants a little extra value to kings-up or queens-up.
A hand like A-4-10-J with a flop of J-10-6 is in trouble even though it is most likely the best hand on the flop. There are lots of dangerous turn cards, and even more peril waiting on the river. Any overcard produces the possibility of someone making either a straight or a higher two pair. (This won’t be the case if you flop kings-up, because the straight could still beat you, but a higher two pair will not.) A low card provides a temporary reprieve, as your two pair is still likely to be the best hand. However, every low card creates an additional straight draw of some sort, and every river card in the deck that doesn’t pair the board creates the possibility of a straight. These types of hands have a chance against a few players, but are in trouble if you are unable to narrow the field.
Playing Shorthanded
Playing shorthanded Omaha eight-or-better—that is with four or fewer players—is dramatically different from playing in a ring game. Probably the most distinct change is in the values of starting hands. In a full game, few hands without an ace are playable. Of these, most are hands with four high-cards. If you’re playing shorthanded, however, you cannot afford to sit and wait for great starting cards. Not only do they not come around very often, they don’t win with the same percentage as premium hands in other games.
Premium starting hands in full games are so valuable because they can improve to make nut hands, which is frequently what it takes to win the pot. In a shorthanded game, however, you generally don’t need to show the nuts to win. High hands, such as any two pair, or lows as weak as the fourth nuts will often get the money. This allows you to play a broader range of hands.
Hands such as 3-4-5-6 (double-suited) are trash in ring games against several players, but are well above average in a three- or four-handed game. In a shorthanded game, you are looking for versatile hands more than simply nut potential, and the above hand is a poster child for versatility. Even a low hand as weak as 3-4 or 3-5 might be good enough in a shorthanded game, as your opponents won’t necessarily have A-2 or A-3. Against a full table, though, someone is more likely to show you a better low.
The necessity of holding an ace in your hand is less pronounced in a shorthanded game. This is not to say that aces aren’t still the best cards in the deck. It’s just that, typically, aces are required to make nut hands—lows or flushes, in particular—and the need to make the nuts is not as great.
How does this fact affect your decision-making? Mainly, it means that versatile hands such as the aforementioned 3-4-5-6 (double-suited) become much more playable, and hands such as A-2-2-8 become more marginal. The fact is that while A-2-2-8 may make the nut low, which is good enough to win half of a pot, it will be hard-pressed to scoop without some miracle board such as 3-4-8-8-Q. It is important to look at a hand’s scoop potential, and hands with little chance to scoop should be approached more conservatively in shorthanded games. If you take half of a pot heads-up, you make no money (except for half of possibly forfeited blinds), but if you take half of a multiway pot, you do make money. So, you should be much more reluctant to play low-only hands shorthanded.
One type of hand that becomes more playable in shorthanded games is a big pair with two low cards. For example, hands like A-7-K-K (either suited or unsuited) should be folded in a full game. But this is usually a raising hand in a four-handed game. In a three-way pot, the kings may very well win the high even if you don’t improve them. And although A-7 is not much of a low draw, it is good to have it for backup should the kings get beat. Don’t underestimate the value of any low draw in your hand when playing shorthanded, because frequently none of your opponents will end up with a low.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there is a lot to consider when playing Omaha eight-or-better, the game doesn’t have to be that complicated. If you can learn to play quality hands in good position, you will avoid being confronted with too many difficult decisions. It is crucial to remember that in multiway pots, it frequently takes the nuts to win. Therefore, you have to be able to quickly recognize whether your hand has nut potential. And if it doesn’t, you should usually fold.
In pots with three or fewer players, hands such as two pair or mediocre lows have some value. This permits you a bit more leeway in your starting requirements. Again, position is important. The later you act, the better idea you will have about the number of opponents you’ll face and how strong their hands are.
You’ll benefit from keeping in mind the concepts discussed in this section as the hand plays out. It is good to remember, though, that every situation is slightly different. The wide variety of variables, such as how your opponents are playing, the size of the pot, the number of opponents in the hand, and your position, mean that every Omaha eight-or-better problem is unique. You must make the best decision you can, based on the information available to you.
Realize that poker is a dynamic game, in which your decision-making has to adapt to constantly changing conditions. As you gain experience, you will learn to better assess the game, which will allow you to make good decisions. The concepts discussed in this section should help speed up your learning curve.
Omaha eight-or-better is a great game, because it presents a greater number of challenging decisions than any other form of poker. And now you know how to make those decisions profitably.