Playing Tips for Tri-Star Omaha Poker

HOW TO PLAY TRI-STAR OMAHA POKER
Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 7 cards arranged with a single center card and 3 "hands" of 2 cards each radiating out from the center at the 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. Reveal the 3 outer cards (1,3,5), then the 3 inner cards (2,4,6,) and lastly the single center card (C), with a round of betting between.   Players make their hand by using exactly 2 of their hole cards plus 3 cards from any 2 arms. May be played high-low.
The cards from the board that may be used are: 12C43, 34C65, 56C21.

   1
   2
   C
      6    4
5 3

SUMMARY of ACTION
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Arrange board cards.
Bet
Reveal 3 cards (1,3,5)
Bet
Reveal 3 cards (2,4,6)
Bet
Reveal center card (C).
Bet
High only or Hi-Lo Cards Speak: Showdown
High-Low Declaration: Declare
Bet
Showdown

PLAYING TIPS for TRI-STAR OMAHA POKER
In Tri-Star Omaha poker there are total of 27 three card combinations on the board, nearly triple the number in "original" Omaha. With so many combinations in play there are a great many opportunities to draw the cards you want, and it is easier to draw big hands, both high and low. It also gives more opportunities for what started out as the best low hand to be counterfeited. On the other hand, with so many common cards to choose from, even a mediocre starting hand can emerge a winner.
How coordinated the board cards coupled with the number of cards in play will determine the usual winning hand. When a straight or flush is the best possible hand, you will want the best one. If playing high-low, you will want nothing less than the 2nd best low. Even that may not prove to be a winner as there are often multiple hole cards that make the nut low. When there is a pair or 2 on the board you will want at least one of the premium full houses.

STARTING HAND SELECTION
In Omaha based games, like Tri-Star Omaha, you want to have been dealt a hand that gives many possibilities for winning. 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.   Combining elements of good starting low and high hands gives you the best shot. Some examples of starting hands with both high and low potential: A♣ A ♥K♣ 2♥, K♥ K♠ 2♥ A♠, A♠ A♦2♦3♠.
For high having one or two high pair is a good start. (For example, A A♣ A♦ K♣ K♦ or A♣ A♦ K♣ Q♦). You will be dealt any 2 pair about 3% of the time and any one pair about 30%. Should you flop a set you now have a good draw to a full house or better. This will require a pair appearing on the board, which, with 7 board cards, is very likely. Be cautious if that pair is of a rank higher than your trips since you are very possibly up against a better full house. Straights are hardly ever the best possible hand so connected cards are only valuable if they can be played for low. Suited cards, preferably an ace with a small card to give both nut flush and low hand possibilities.    Trips in your hand are worthless since you can only use 2 cards.

For low 2A is the best start. 3A or 32 gives you a one card draw to the nuts. In fact, in Tri-Star Omaha having low cards that are even a 2 card draw to the nuts (4A, 42, 43) can be worth playing. Unfortunately, having only 2 low cards in your hand is a very vulnerable hand. There is a good chance that one of them will appear on the board. With all the cards out there, that may not necessarily ruin your low, but there is a good chance it will.   For that reason, a protected low like 32A or 42A is a far better starting 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 to add flush potential.

4 CARD LOW HAND PROBABILITIES or ODDS TABLE
Approximate chances of these LOW hands being dealt to you as your 4 hole cards.

4 Card Low Hand
A2XX
A3XX or 23XX
---
A23X
Any 4-low (3 cards)
Any 5-low (3 cards)
---
A234
Any 5-low (4 cards)
Any 6-low (4 cards)
Any 7-low (4 cards

Percent Probability
7.2%
14.4%
---
1.2%
3.6%
7.2%
---
0.09%
0.36%
0.9%
1.8%

Odds Probability
13:1
6:1
---
82:1
27:1
13:1
---
1110:1
277:1
110:1
55:1

THE BOARD CARDS
There are a high number of hand combinations available in Tri-Star Omaha poker. It can be complicated, so you need to pay close attention. You must also be aware of all the board cards in order to help you in assessing the likely winning hands. How coordinated the board cards are will dictate the likely winner will be and it will often be the best possible hand. Board cards will frequently have at least straight possibilities, but it is rare for a straight be the best hand. Flush possibilities are common. If there are no pairs on the board, you will want the nut flush. There is a good chance that a pair (or 2) will appear on the board, which means full house or quad very real possibilities and making flushes extremely vulnerable. A set of trips appearing on the board is a big longshot, but it bears mentioning this. If you hold a pair of aces in your hand you have a good full house, but it may not be enough. With 8 players there are a total of 28 cards held by the other 7 players so there is a good possibility (about 70%) that one of them has the case card in their hand. Additionally, if there is even 1 other card on the board that is of a rank higher than the trips a bigger full house is possible.