Omaha High-Low Quiz #3

[Matt]

You are in the big blind with A:diamonds:Q:diamonds:3:clubs:6:hearts:. Three players limp, the small blind completes, and you check. You see all five community cards for free. The board is 6:spades: K:spades: K:hearts: 4:diamonds: 2:spades:, giving you the nut low. The small blind bets. What do you do?

[Matt]

I never got around to answering this question. A lot depends on the game. You should raise if you think a player with the same low hand will fold; good players will fold to a raise, rather than calling and getting quartered (i.e., splitting the low end of the pot). By raising, you avoid being quartered. You should make this move only against tight players.

If the game is aggressive, you should fold if you expect to get raised. You will lose money if one or more players hold the same low hand.

In this situation, you should call. Five players seeing the flop implies a loose game. You won't get another nut low hand to fold and you have virtually no chance of winning the high end of the pot. It's safe to assume that no one will raise after you, as everyone has played passively so far; aggressive players would have raised with their draws. You also have good position relative to the bettor, so you can easily fold if someone raises and he three-bets. Finally, flat-calling encourages losing hands to overcall, thus winning you more money if you split the pot or saving you money if you get quartered.

[Steve-O]

Call all day long.

It would be inconceivable for any player to fold the same low with at least 3 way action (bad players are never folding nut low). There is going to be 17 small bets in the pot, and it's costing him 4sb's to call, and win either 8.5 or 4.25 SB's. And there are players behind who may still call, since there would already be 3 players committed.

If my high was a little better I would raise hoping the initial raiser had A3xx and I could fold out a better high hand and get 3/4s, but, with a pair of sixes for high I want as many players calling that single bet as possible.