One of the early myths that I have heard in poker rooms is that it is nearly impossible to bluff in Omaha High-Low. This is a game where players receive four cards rather than the two in Texas Hold'em and that a low hand (eight or under) receives half of the pot.
My response to that myth is nonsense. Under the right circumstances, you can bluff in this game and in most cases, you will get away with it.
Veteran Omaha High-Low players are looking to play 'nut' hands that cannot be beat. That's why most of them will shun playing a flush draw unless they have ace high. Anything less than that, to their way of thinking, is a loser.
Let's say one of your four cards is an ace of hearts. You call a raised pot and three hearts flop. Only one of them is a low card. You check. When the bet gets around to the raiser, he comes out betting. Two players call.
You raise.
Here is what the other players are thinking. 'He has the flush.' One of them may have flopped two pair or even trips. The raiser will probably fold his hand and one or maybe both of the callers will call your bet. The fourth street card fails to pair and the other players check to you.
You must come out betting.
This time only one player calls.
Fifth street fails to help the board. The lone remaining player checks. You bet. That player will fold and the pot is yours.
In another pot, a player raises. You have a decent calling hand and so you match his bet. The flop comes 8-8-10 or something similar with a fairly high pair. There are only you and the raiser in the pot. If you are the first to act, you check.
If the player bets, you call. If the player checks, that's fine. On fourth street, you come out betting. In nine out of 10 cases, the bluff will work and the player will fold.
The implied bet means you pretend to have hit the cards on the board. It works best against a raiser who has raised perhaps with pocket aces and two low cards and who gets a miserable flop.
Most Omaha High-Low players are creatures of habit. Study your opposition and find out who is capable of thinking beyond what he sees on the board and act accordingly.
Let's take a final case. A player raises and you call with a decent hand. There is one other caller. Two low cards appear on the flop. You have a pair in your hand or perhaps you pair the highest card on the board. You check. If the raiser comes out betting, he probably is on the draw for the low.
Fourth street brings a bad card for the board, say a nine or a 10. You check. The raiser again comes out betting.
This time, you raise. It will probably cause the other caller to fold. If the raiser calls, you are hoping fifth street is not a low card, which would probably make his hand. Sure enough, fifth street brings another 10. Your bet will probably win the hand unless the raiser, holding pocket aces, rightly puts you on a bluff. Ninety percent of the time he will toss his hand into the muck.
An implied hand and bluffing is one of the most powerful weapons in Omaha High-Low poker. Use these tools judiciously and watch your bankroll grow.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
