Poker Strategy with Valerie Livia

For people who know the game well, Omaha Hi/Lo can be one of the most profitable forms of poker that can be played. On the other hand, beginners will often wonder why their strong hands are continually beaten and their stacks gradually reduce to nothing. The reason that professionals and skilled players of the game are able to consistently post profits is because they understand the Omaha poker strategy of going for the scoop. Simply put, scooping a pot is when a player has the best high and low hands at the same time. In many cases, a scoop will leave one or more opponents stuck in the middle and lose both sides.

By definition, a scooping hand is one that has both high and low components, with a prime example being Ac-2c-3s-Ks and is definitely worth a raise preflop. With a favorable board, the player should be willing to ram and jam to build the pot as big as possible. An example of the right flop would be something along the lines of 4c-6c-Jh. In this case, the player would have the nut low draw with very little chance that it will ever be counterfeited. In addition, the nut flush draw would be the best way to win the high half of the pot.

In the previous example, betting and raising is clearly the correct play. Other players will be likely to call holding hands that could win either the high or low, but will rarely win both. A holding that includes 3-5 for a straight draw and a low draw will look attractive, but in reality, it will rarely win more than half the pot and has an extremely low chance to scoop. If the turn brings a card like the 8h, then that chance is even further reduced and the original player will have an excellent opportunity for a scoop with the nut low and the flush draw.

Hands with scoop possibilities are clearly the best value in Omaha Hi/Lo and a player should be willing to play them aggressively. Other hands that are only drawing to one half of the pot are where bad players lose most of their money. Even pocket pairs like Kings and Queens are only marginal at best when there is a possible low. Faced with bets and raises from a potential scooping hand, a call with high pairs will lose money over the long run. Going for the scoop in Omaha Hi/Lo is a sure way to increase profits and make the game financially rewarding. Try taking this now to the tables, start slow on an online poker room like say pokerstars and move onto live games.