How to Play Double Hot and Cold Omaha Poker

PLAYING TIPS for DOUBLE HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER

HOW TO PLAY DOUBLE HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER:
Played exactly like Hot & Cold Omaha except there are two sets of board cards. Start by dealing 5 cards down to each player. Before any other action each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table. These cards are shuffled or mixed together.
Two 5 card sets of board cards are arranged as follows:
   Set #1: The 3 flop cards are drawn from the discarded cards. The turn and river cards are dealt from the remaining deck.
   Set #2: The 3 flop cards are dealt from the remaining deck. The turn and river cards are drawn from the discarded cards.
Flop Turn River
Set #1 H H H C C
Set #2 C C C H H

Discarded cards are referred to as "hot" cards (H).
Cards dealt from the deck are referred to as "cold" cards (C).

Players may use either set of board cards to make their hand. Deal the flop, turn and river in each set at the same time. The single highest and single lowest hands split the pot.

SUMMARY of ACTION:
Deal 5 hole cards to each player.
Each player selects 1 card from their hand and discards it face down.
Gather and mix/shuffle all discarded cards.
Bet
Deal 3 cards from discards as Set #1 flop.
Deal 3 cards from deck as Set #2 flop.
Bet
Deal 1 card from deck as Set #1 turn.
Deal 1 card from discards as Set #2 turn.
Bet
Deal 1 card from deck as Set #1 river.
Deal 1 card from discards as Set #2 river.
Bet
High-low split: Declare
Bet
Showdown

PLAYING TIPS for DOUBLE HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER
Double Hot & Cold Omaha poker is a hybrid game. Each board consists of cards that have been selected by the players (we term these "hot" cards) as well as cards dealt from the remaining deck (we term these "cold" cards) . Hot cards have been seen and selected so they are not random and possibly predictable. Cold cards are random and, therefore, not predictable . This feature results in a game where even the best pre-flop and post-flop decisions can be negated once the remaining cards are revealed. Cards coming from the discards are more likely to consist of cards players have judged to be least valuable and less likely to contain cards that are judged to be more valuable. Predicting what those hot cards might be is a useful skill. But, it only goes so far, since each board will consist of both predictable and unpredictable cards.

The main considerations and decisions in Double Hot & Cold Omaha boil down to trying to strike a balance between these competing factors:
The card you discard pre-flop should be of minimal value to your opponents if it re-appears in the flop.
The card you discard pre-flop should be of some value (or at least not hurt) to your hand if it re-appears in the flop.
The 4 cards you keep should be the ones that more likely connect with the cards your opponents are most likely to discard.

STARTING HAND SELECTION
In Omaha based games you want to start with cards that gives many possibilities for winning. Since each player starts with 5 cards and can select the most advantageous cards to keep you should expect that stronger and better coordinated starting hands are present. This is especially true for low hands and it is not uncommon for 1 or more players to be starting with the best low. More pairs are also in play. All in all, it is much more probable that players are able to combine elements of both strong starting low and high hands. With 4 hole cards, there are 6 couples of 2 cards available. The more the couples are coordinated, the better the starting hand. Strong starting holdings are those that have multiple chances of leading to a winning full house, flush, straight or the best low.

For high a high pair or two is a good start, provided they are also coordinated to other cards. (For example A♣ A♦ 2♣ 3♦ or A♣ A♦ K♣ K♦) Out of your original 5 cards you will be dealt any 2 pair about 5% of the time and any one pair about 42%. Should you then flop a set you now have a good draw to a full house or better. Without additional coordination single pairs alone, even aces, (for example A♣ A♦ 7♠ 9♥) are not a good starting hands. Suited high connected cards are helpful for both straights and flushes. Unsuited connectors are best if they are high cards or low cards; middling connectors tend to make mediocre straights and lows. High suited cards, preferably an ace with a small card give both nut flush and low hand possibilities. If you catch a flush that is not the nuts be careful.

For low 2A is the best start and really the only one you want. 3A or 32 gives you a one card draw to the nuts, which you will hit about 40% of the time (but, your hand could still be ruined if one of your 2 hole cards appears on the board). Unfortunately, when you have only 2 low cards in your hand there is about a 60% probability that one of them will appear on the board. This does not always mean your low is counterfeited as there are other cards that could appear that save you. But, it does mean that there is a high probability it is. For that reason a protected low like 32A or 42A is a far better hand. Whenever you hold one of these low hands with an ace you'd prefer the ace to be suited to one of your other cards.

THE FLOP CARDS ARE DIFFERENT
In Omaha the flop, turn and river consist of random cards that come from the unseen deck. There is a equal chance that any card may appear. In contrast, half of the board cards in Double Hot & Cold Omaha poker are not random. The "hot" cards consists of cards that have been seen and selected by the players so it is more likely to contain some cards and less likely to contain others.

PREDICTING OTHERS' PLAY
While it is only partially helpful, it is still useful to think about what cards the other players will most likely keep and what cards will they most likely contribute to the board cards. The answer to the two questions are very important for they have influence on what you will do.

Unless they have given it some prior thought the average player is likely to view their hole cards the same way they do for Omaha. They will keep what they view as their 4 most favorable cards and discard what they think is the card that least coordinates with their other cards. If they do this they will often not consider if the card they discard will be helpful to another player. That will often lead to mistakes. Cards that players will most likely keep are any ace, very low cards (if playing high-low split), very high cards, pairs, suited and unsuited connected cards. The cards they are most likely to discard are middle ranked cards and any other card that is not well coordinated with their other four.
Here is a summary of what other players are likely to do with each card when playing high-low split versions of this game. Playing high only version is much simpler as players will keep their highest cards and discard lowest card unless it is paired or suited to an ace or king.

Ace - As both the highest and lowest card an ace is almost always kept. May consider discarding only if not paired, not suited, not connected with other high cards (KQJT), they have no low card, they hold 2 other pairs. Even in those circumstances discarding an ace will almost certainly help other players make a high hand, but will ruin unprotected low hands like A2 and A3.
2 - Will discard if they have no ace or 3, it is not paired, not suited to another high card (KQ).
3 - Will keep if they have a single ace or A2 (for "insurance), if it is suited to another high card or paired. Might keep if they have a single 2 without ace, though that is typically a mistake.
4 -Will discard unless suited to ace or other high card or paired. Might keep as "insurance" if holding A2 or A3.
5 through 10 - Will discard unless suited to ace or other high card, paired or suited connected.
Jack, Queen, King - Will keep if suited, connected (including gapped) or paired.

DETERMINING YOUR PLAY
Five of the cards that are discarded will come back into play. In an 8 handed game there is a 62.5% chance that the card a player discards will come into play. It is 71% for a 7 handed game. The first objective is that a player should try to keep cards that the other players are most likely to discard, especially pairs or the higher ranks of those cards. A second objective is to attempt to discard a card that will help his hand if it re-appears but be less likely to help an opponent. Granted, that is not always easy to do. There will often be contradictory pros and cons about what to keep and what to discard, but it is still the goal.
Of course, since the "cold" cards are dealt from the unseen deck those cards are entirely random. This gives players a chance at hitting the card(s) they need that are not likely to have been discarded. The combination of some predictability coupled with some randomness makes Double Hot & Cold Omaha an interesting and challenging game.
Obvious decisions for Double Hot & Cold Omaha is to always keep A2 for the nut low. Other players rarely discard aces so A2 is less likely to be counterfeited by the "hot" cards unless someone throws away a deuce. But, there is no such protection with the "cold" cards. So, if you were deal A23 you should keep all 3 cards for "insurance". In an eight handed game if you are not dealt A2 there is a better than even chance someone else was. A3 has a shot at becoming the nuts and might win on its own. It also has about an equal chance of being either ruined or improved. 32 stands a lesser chance of improvement, doing so only if an ace appears as a "cold" card. Any low hands that are 2 cards from the nuts (eg. A4) are even less likely to improve to the nuts.
Another obvious decision is discarding the 3rd card if you are dealt trips since you can only use 2 of your hole cards.

WHEN GOOD MAY NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH
There are some situations when hole cards, especially low ones, are appealing to play in Omaha, but are considerably less valuable in Double Hot & Cold Omaha. Here are some examples.
In Omaha A3 or 23 are only a single board card away from making the nut low. In Double Hot & Cold Omaha that is less likely to happen. You should expect that aces are rarely discarded so 23 is hardly ever going to make the best low hand unless the ace appears from the "cold" deck. If you hold A3 there is a chance that a deuce may be discarded so you could get lucky with it or catch a deuce as a "cold" card. It could also win by itself (though it is tough to bet it) but might just as easily be counterfeited if someone dumps a 3 in the discards or an ace or 3 appears as a "cold" card.
For high, a pocket pair of aces has less of a chance of becoming trips than any other pocket pair. Other players are very unlikely to discard an ace, so it will hardly ever appear as a "hot" card. In all likelihood, you will have only a "cold" card to make it happen, so you have cut your chances of making a set of aces by half.
Since players are more likely to discard similar ranked cards expect to see the board(s) pair commonly. As a result, expect more frequent full houses and quads occurring and fewer straights or flushes being winners.