Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo Tournament Strategy

Omaha hi lo tournaments are a different breed than most other tournaments. The very nature of the game makes pre flop holdings important yet unpredictable. Therefore it is important to be tight but at the same time you need to be careful with your aggression in early rounds. Getting too many chips in pre flop can be devastating if the flop misses your hand. This article will outline some of the differences and strategies you need to keep in mind during a pot limit Omaha hi lo tournament.

Take Your Time In The Beginning

Like most sound tournament strategies it is best to sit tight in the beginning rounds of the tournament and wait for good hands. The blinds are low enough here that you can sit through most of the initial stages and not be hurt too bad by playing only a few hands. Remember though, you won’t be able to stay tight as a rock through the whole tournament. In the beginning concentrate on solid premium hands that are versatile in terms of both the low and high hands.

Sometimes Bad Things Happen In PL Omaha Hi-Lo

Omaha hi lo can be a strange game, especially in the tournament setting. You might have the best hand going into the flop but you’ll get chased all the way to the end by players with second or third best low hands trying to nail a wheel. There is nothing you can do about this other than continue to play the best you know how to play. If you have the nuts until one of your low cards is counterfeited, you played the hand right and you should continue to play it that way in the future. In other words, don’t back off on good hands because of what might happen or because legions of bad Omaha hi lo players draw out on you. This will happen from time to time in a tournament.

Sometimes Good Things Happen In PL Omaha Hi-Lo

Early in PL Omaha hi lo tournaments there are definitely some things you can take advantage of. Most likely everyone will not be playing as tightly as you and a lot of the flops will have multiple callers. In these situations you might not be able to scoop the pot, but by getting in there with a nut high or low you can definitely look to make some money on the split pot and put yourself in a better position as the tournament moves into the middle and late stages. Watch for situations where loose or poor players are entering the pot and where you have potentially damaging starting hands like A2XX or AKKQ or 2345 or ATJQ, these are all hands that could be devastating to a poor player who holds a second best hand. You don’t need a premium holding, but you need something that has potential to make the nuts. Get in there with these holdings and take advantage of the extra equity you will enjoy from a multi way pot, even if you can’t scoop.

Time To Get Crazy

Once the tournament has progressed into the final stages, you will definitely need to starting taking more risks, bluff more often and in general just be more aggressive. There is a time and a place though. Position will become incredibly important to your aggression and bluffing strategies in the final rounds of the tournament. Don’t make a silly move from early position when you can make a great move from the button. Make sure as the tournament wanes you put an even greater emphasis on scooping the pot. As the tournament wears on, most likely there will be more heads up action. Try to get opposition out early or get in with the best of it to ensure a scooped pot.