'High-Pair-Plus-Low' Hands

The 2001 spring National Bridge Tournament (national bridge tournaments are held three times a year) was held recently at the Kansas City Crown Plaza, one of the all-around nicest sites for a big convention.

After the evening sessions, hundreds of bridge players descended upon the half-dozen or more "riverboat casinos" (big boats that never leave their moorings) for some late-night fun and relaxation. Those of us who are poker-oriented chose the Ameristar Casino, which has a large, well-run poker room (about 20 tables).

During the 20 hours or so that I played in the $5-$10 Omaha high-low game with a kill, fate dealt me two rather rare "high-pair-plus-low" hands, which I consider to be marginally playable. Understand that high-pocket-pair hands are not usually "playable" (profitable in the long run) in Omaha high-low unless accompanied by two other 9-or-higher cards.

If you run a simulation (with, for example, Caro's Poker Probe) with pocket kings and two random cards against five random hands, the pocket kings hand wins only about 17.4 percent of the time (16.7 percent is average with six hands). For comparison, if you ran a simulation with an unsuited A-2 and two random cards against five random hands, the A-2 hand would win about 26.8 percent of the time.

But when a high pocket pair is accompanied by two prime low cards (5 or lower) and is double-suited, the hand is at least marginally profitable in most loose games.

First, I held pocket kings double-suited with a 4-2, which I know is "playable" from experience. If you simulated playing that hand against five random hands, the K-K-4-2 wins about 25.3 percent of the time (again, 16.7 percent is average, and an A-2 hand wins about 26.8 percent).

Several nights later, I picked up pocket queens also double-suited with a 4-2, which I believe is playable in most games. Note that pocket queens being less valuable than pocket kings is much less significant than queen-high flushes being more dangerous than king-high flushes. If simulated against five random hands, the Q-Q-4-2 wins about 23.3 percent of the time.

I made money with both hands. With the pocket kings, I ended up with a nut flush when the A came on the river, but unfortunately, the ace was the third low card, costing me half the pot.

The pocket queens hand flopped the K Q 3. I raised with my set, and then reraised – but there was still five-way action (unusual attendance for a "high flop")!

Fourth street brought the 7. Not only was there now a likely flush out against me, the spirited after-the-flop betting might have included pocket kings. There was a bet and a raise, for which I would have folded if I hadn't had a reasonable low draw also. I called confidently in four-way action and no one reraised.

An 8 hit the river. There was a bet, a fold, and a raise to me. But this raiser was known for his pressure ("promotional") betting. The chances of someone holding either an A-2 or A-4 initially were about 70 percent, but with only one low card in the flop and spirited betting, an A-2 or A-4 might have folded unless it also had working high cards. So, I braved it out and called with my "backdoor" low, knowing full well that my set of queens was now probably worthless.

Luckily, the raiser was in fact trying to promote a bad low (which went along with his bad flush), so I backed into half of the large pot. Understand that none of us like to be in these "fish in" situations, but that is all part of the game in Omaha high-low. Note that it is usually unwise to get involved in a "call down" in a situation where you might have to put in three or four double bets unless you have good reason to do so.

Also note that if the betting after the last card had been a bet (by the fourth-round raiser – presumably with the big flush) and a call, I might well have considered raising with my third-nut backdoor low (depending on the caller's propensities).

All in all, these rare "high-pair-plus-low" hands, when double-suited, seem to be at least marginally profitable or better.