In what situations will you lose the low-pot in Omaha Hi/Lo while holding Ace-Deuce?

Question

In Omaha hi low, will holding an Ace and a Deuce card automatically give you the "nut low" hand in the event of a qualifying low hand?

Perhaps an Ace or 2 is on the board. Then the opponents won't need to hold that card to beat you. E.g. if board is A 4 6 7 8, and your opponent holds 23, then they will beat you. — Kenshin, Jul 29 '14 at 14:12
@Mew You have the start of a good answer there. Would you mind turning it into one ? — Radu Murzea, Jul 29 '14 at 14:35

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 02 '14 at 07:44

5

You can only lose the low hand if you get counterfeit (when a low card hits the board that also pairs one of your low cards), so that you don't hold the nut low on the river anymore.

If there is a low hand possible, and no A or 2 on the board, you always have the nut low. At worst, you will split the low pot if someone else also has a A2XX hand. With that said, it is possible to win a quarter of the whole pot (50% of low pot and 0% of high pot).

edited Aug 02 '14 at 07:44

Brandon DuRette

463
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answered Jul 29 '14 at 17:08

Martin Sheen

550
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I "won" a tenth of a pot once with A2. Lost about $20. – Lee Daniel Crocker Dec 09 '19 at 19:11

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 31 '14 at 15:53

3

Example:

You have A2, villain has A3.

Board is: 24567.

That gives you a low: A2456

Gives villain low: A2345

Basically, whenever one of your cards pairs, you might be in danger.

answered Jul 31 '14 at 15:53

Valentin Grégoire

387
1
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I would change that "might" to "probably are". – Lee Daniel Crocker Dec 09 '19 at 19:12
What if there is a pair on the board that duplicates a card in your hand. For example, two threes on the board and a three in your hand. Can you use on of the threes on the board to make a low hand? – jose1 Dec 09 '19 at 04:16

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 10 '15 at 00:58

A2 will be nut low when:

There are 3 or more different cards 8 of below on the board.
None of those three board cards is an A or 2.

It might still be nut low in other cases, for example where either the A or the 2 completes a wheel with 4 board cards.

But in most--not all--cases, nut low is the having in your hand the two lowest cards not on the board. Pairing your low cards is a bad thing in Omaha. That's why hands like A23, A24 are much better than those with "naked" A2--the extra low card is "counterfeit protection",

In what situations will you lose the low-pot in Omaha Hi/Lo while holding Ace-Deuce?

3 Answers3