In the previous article, we discussed how winners play to scoop the pot. Winners always keep an eye out on how well their cards are coordinated. Most of their edge comes from playing better preflop than their opponents would with their cards. In this article, we are looking at how to apply these general principles in selecting and playing specific starting hands. What should you look for when you are dealt a hand?

Certain cards are more important than others. Ace is the key card in high/low. It is a perfect scooping card in that it is the best high and low card. Here I will iterate an advice given by most other poker authors: as a beginner, you would not be losing much if you did not play any hands that do not have an ace in them. There are certain strong hands that do not have an ace in them (such as KK23 or KKJQ double-suited for example), but most of them are hard to play for a beginner. Stick with an ace when you’re starting out. You’ll be happier when you count your chips. In a ten-handed game, 40 cards are dealt out preflop. That’s close to 80% of the deck. This means that on average, there will be about three aces out preflop. If you do not have an ace, you are not only missing a key scoop card in your hand, but you are also increasing the chance that somebody else has it instead of you.

You will not become rich playing hands that can win either high or low. You should play scooping hands. In this particular section, we are looking at how to evaluate the low possibility only. Always keep in mind there is not always a low hand, but there is always a high hand.

What is the best two-card low combination to have in your hand? Clearly, A2. Many poker authors will tell you to play A2XX in any position under any circumstances. But this is simply wrong. A2XX is the most over-valued hand in high/low.

Suppose you are on the button. If a player raises in early position, two players call in middle position, and the fourth player in late position re-raises, your A2 with nothing else is simply not a hand that has a positive expectation. You are likely up against another A2, if not A23X or A2 with two other low cards, as well as hands with good high possibilities. This is a break-even situation for you at best. You should fold your A2XX without any hesitation.

Consider that the players in question hold the following hands:

Notice that your hand has the lowest EV, even lower than player #3’s junky hand. Many players entering the pot usually means that there are multiple low draws, with most aces out. Therefore A2XX, while a nut low drawing hand, is not always a playable hand.

Recall from a previous article that you want your cards co-ordinated as much as possible. With respect to low possibilities, this means having extra low cards that protect your hand against counterfeits. A23X and A24X both have excellent backups. Suppose you play A23X and the flop comes 27J. Your 2 is now counterfeited, but you still have a nut low draw using A3 as your low cards.

But what about hands such A3XX, A4XX, A5XX, A6XX…etc. as low possibilities?

Consider A6XX, A7XX, and A8XX to be junk. Don’t play them, they are very weak. You can’t make the nut low and will have to go against better lows nearly every time.

A5XX without other low cards (i.e. 2,3, or 4) is very marginal as a low hand. You will need exactly 2, 3, and 4 to make the nut low. If you don’t catch two of these on the flop, you will likely not be in a position to continue. Even if you do catch, your hand is not that great with nothing else going for it.

A4XX is a classical steamer’s hand. While slightly better than A5XX, it is still not playable unless you have other (good) low cards or high possibilities. Never play it for low alone in a full ring game out of position with somebody already in the pot.

A3XX is a good low hand but often overplayed. It is not an automatic call as many players think. In a well attended pot, you might easily be beat or quartered. Consider a flop of 58K. If there is lot of jamming in front of you, you are very likely drawing to a second best low.

In thinking about these hands, you should also consider the following factors:

• Counterfeit on later rounds – for example, with a hand A2JJ and the board 36QT2, your low is counterfeited on the river.

For beginners, it is probably best to expect the worst with a low draw. Don’t jam the pot early unless you have a premium draw with counterfeit protection. Nearly all low limit players will enter the pot with A2XX, and most will play dry A3XX in any position. You need to be smart when considering your low draw. Do you have high possibilities to go with it? Do you have counterfeit protection? Does it look like another player is drawing to the same nut low? high/low is not a mindless game, but requires careful reflection in order to play your hand in the best way.

In the next article, we will look at high possibilities.

Whether or not to play a hand is one of the most important decisions you will have to make on regular basis in high/low. You must make sure that your decision making ability in this respect is up to par since this is a frequent decision (i.e. you must make it every hand). If you make mistakes here, you will be making them often, costing yourself money most of the hands you play. You cannot be a winner without mastering preflop play in Omaha high/low.