How to Play Hot and Cold Omaha Poker

PLAYING TIPS for HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER

HOW TO PLAY HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER:
Played like Omaha with this twist: Deal 5 cards down to each player. Before any betting each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table, leaving them with 4 hole cards. The discards are shuffled or mixed together. The 3 flop cards are drawn from these discarded cards. The turn and river cards are dealt from the remaining deck.
May be played high, high-low split or high-low eight or better.

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 flop.
Bet
Deal 1 card from deck as turn.
Bet
Deal 1 card from deck as river.
Bet
High only: Showdown
High-low split: Declare
Bet
Showdown

Hot & Cold Omaha combines features of Omaha and Omaha-5 (Hot Omaha). Three out of the 5 board cards in Hot & Cold Omaha poker have been seen and selected by the players. As a result, they are not random and there is some degree of predictability in what cards might appear in the flop. However, since the turn and river cards are dealt from the remaining unseen deck, they are random and, therefore, not predictable. This combination of features results in an interesting game where even the best pre-flop and post-flop decisions can be negated once the remaining cards are revealed.

PLAYING TIPS for HOT & COLD OMAHA POKER
In Hot & Cold Omaha the flop will consist of cards that have been seen and selected by the players. As we shall see, there is some level of predictability in what cards may appear in the flop (a condition we term "hot"). However, since the turn and river are dealt from the remaining deck, they are random and, therefore, not predictable (a condition we term "cold").

The main consideration and decision in Hot & Cold Omaha involve trying to strike a balance between these competing factors:
1. The card you discard pre-flop should be of some value to your hand if it re-appears in the flop.
2. The card you discard pre-flop should be of minimal value to your opponents if it re-appears in the flop.
3. The 4 cards you keep should be the ones your opponents are more likely to discard to the flop cards.

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.

Trips as hole cards improve your chances of making a set on the flop, by discarding one of those cards and hope it reappears in the flop. But, when that does not occur (which is more often than not) that advantage vanishes since that desired card is completely removed from further play. Be cautious, as low sets or low full houses can be vulnerable and could cost you a lot of money before you find out if they are a winner or merely second best.

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. Be careful if that pair is of a rank higher than your trips. Without additional coordination single pairs alone, even aces, (for example A♣ A♦ 7♠ 9♥) ♥) are not 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.

Three hole cards of the same suit improve your chances of making a flush. Your play would be to discard the lowest ranked card and hope it reappears on the board. But, their value, or lack of value, greatly depends on the ranks. With an ace as high card it's great. Suited to a king is OK. Anything less could be problematic. Drawing to something like a ten-high flush would be a poor starting hand decision.

Reasonable Hot & Cold Omaha Poker strategy is essentially the same as is used in Omaha. Favor starting hands that contain a pair, suited aces, other suited and/or connected cards or multiple Broadway cards. A pair, especially a low one, may be split to be kept with a suited ace. Your best bet is to play starting hands that can make 3 of a kind or better.

Starting hands for playing high-low split are discussed in a later section.

PROBABILITIES FOR 5 CARD HIGH HANDS
Approximate probabilities of being dealt these HIGH hands as your 5 hole cards

5 Card Hand
3 of a Kind
2 Pair
1 Pair

Percent Probability/Odds
2.11% (46:1)
4.75% (20:1)
42.3% (1.4:1)

PRE-FLOP STRATEGY INFLUENCES THE BOARD CARDS
In Omaha all of the board cards consist of random cards that come from the unseen deck. There is an equal chance that any card may appear. In contrast, the majority (3 out of 5 cards) of the board cards in Hot & Cold Omaha poker are not random. The flop 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.

The chance that the specific card you discard will come back into play on the flop is 37.5% in an 8 handed game or 43% in a 7 handed game. Whenever possible you will want to discard a card that will help your hand if it re-appears. For example, if you held 3 of a kind, this is the time to discard one of them as you would love to see it back on the board. Likewise, when holding 3 of the same suit Granted, you will not always have such clear-cut choices. Commonly, there will be contradictory pros and cons about what to keep and what to discard, but it is still the goal. Of course, since the turn and river cards are dealt from the unseen deck those cards are entirely random. The combination of some flop predictability coupled with the randomness of the turn and river make Hot & Cold Omaha an interesting and challenging game.

Another "dilemma" you may face in making this decision is that you do not have a card to discard that will help you were it to come back into play. When faced with this situation a player should consider what cards the other players are most likely to keep and try to discard one that is less likely to help an opponent's hand. Predicting what specific cards your opponents might keep is difficult, but it typically follows a trend. Playing high only is simple: Players are far more likely to keep their highest cards. The cards they are most likely to discard are low to middle ranked cards and any other card that is not well coordinated with their other three. Here is a summary of what other players are likely to do with each card. (Playing high-low split favors low card combinations and is covered later.)

Ace: As the highest card an ace will almost always be kept. May consider discarding only if not paired, not suited, not connected with other high cards (KQJT), they hold another pair. Even in those circumstances discarding an ace will almost certainly help another player if it reappears on the board. But they still have value when suited or connected to other cards in your hand.

A pocket pair of aces stands 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 occur on the flop. In all likelihood, you will have only the turn and river to make it happen, so you have cut your chances of making a set of aces by over half. (2 chances rather than 5.)

Broadway cards (Ten through King): Will typically be kept if suited, connected (including gapped) or paired. The higher the rank, the more likely it will be kept.

Medium ranked cards (9 through 6): Will often be discarded unless suited to ace or another high card, is paired or suited-connected. The lower the rank, the more likely it will be discarded.

Low ranked cards (5 through 2): Will discard unless suited to ace or another high card, paired or suited connected. The lower the rank, the more likely it will be discarded.

THERE IS STILL HOPE ON THE TURN or RIVER
Since the turn and river cards are dealt from the unseen deck there is always the hope that either (or both) of those cards will help you even if the flop does not. Since players are more inclined to discard similar ranked cards expect to see the board pair more often. As a result, anticipate more frequent full houses and quads occurring and fewer straights or flushes being winners.

PLAYING HOT & COLD OMAHA AS HIGH-LOW SPLIT
Playing High-Low Split will result in players adding the very lowest combinations to their starting hands. A suited ace adds a possible nut flush draw and is a very strong starting hand that has the potential of scooping the entire pot. High-low split tends to polarize the cards players are likely to retain. That is, they tend to keep the highest and very lowest ranks of cards. As a result, the cards more likely to be discarded are middle (4 - 9) ranked cards.

A "naked" A2 (A2XXX, where X = any card 4 to king) starts as the nut low. All it must do is void being counterfeited by the board. Other players rarely discard aces, so A2 is not likely to be harmed on the flop unless someone throws away a deuce. There is no such protection with the turn and river cards, either of which could ruin the hand. In an eight handed game if you are not dealt A2 there is a better than even chance someone else was.

A protected low of A23XX is an even better starting low. Pre-flop you would discard one of the odd (X) cards, leaving you with A23X. Now you have "insurance" in case an ace, deuce or trey appears on the board.

The perfect low starting hand is being dealt A234X (X = any card 5 to king). Pre-flop you would discard the odd (X) card, leaving you with A234. This is as much of a guaranteed winner you can get. Only if 3 of those four ranks show up in the board can it be ruined.

With any low card holdings other than A2 you need two things to happen to end up with the nut low. You must catch the exact card you need and you must also dodge being counterfeited by the board.

A3, the second best low, needs only a deuce on the board to make the nut low. There is a chance that a deuce may be discarded so its a starting hand worth playing. You may also catch a deuce on the turn or river. It might win by itself, though it is very tough to play it that way. An unimproved A3 is one of those classic hands that either wins a small pot or loses a big one. It also has about an equal chance of being counterfeited if someone dumps a 3 for the flop or an ace or 3 appears on the turn or river.

23 is also only a single card away from making the nut low. It needs to see an ace on the board to do so. Unfortunately, aces are rarely discarded, so 23 stands little chance to make the best low hand unless an ace appears from the deck on the turn or river. The same goes for any low hands that are 2 cards (one of which must be an ace) from the nut low, like 24 or 34. A4 suited is worth playing primarily for the nut flush possibility, although there is some slim additional hope it might make the nut low.

LOW HAND PROBABILITIES
Approximate chances of being dealt the following LOW cards in 5 cards.

5 Card Hand
A2 XXX
A3 XXX or 23 XXX

A23 XX
A24XX or A34XX or 234XX

A234X
A235X or A245X or A345X or 2345X

Percent Probability/Odds
12% (7.5:1)
24% (3:1)

2.4% (40:1)
7.2% (13:1)

0.45% (221:1)
1.8% (55:1)