Omaha Hi Lo Split Poker: Getting Quartered

Omaha Hi Lo, Betting Strategy
August 2 2008

In split pot games there’s a situation that can arise where you can have the nut hand, but still lose money. You may think that having the nut hand is always a winner, but when you and another player both have the nut hand you can lose three-quarters of the pot. It can also happen when there are three of you in the hand, and you share the nut hand with one player while the third player gets half the pot.

The most common situation where you will get quartered would be when you and another player have A-2. The board throws up a low hand and you end up splitting low, while a third player wins half the pot with the high hand. The most common high hand quarter situation would be the nut straight.

There isn’t really a defense against getting quartered; it’s not like you can fold the nut hand. It’s usually a small loss, but the rule of thumb is to continue to raise if there are four or more players in the hand. Getting quartered with four players in the hand usually proves to be profitable. If there are three or you’re heads-up in the hand, and you fear you are getting quartered, just call bets and don’t raise.

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