How Hi – Low can you go?

I am still awe struck as to the popularity of No Limit Hold’em. I walk into Commerce casino and there are literally dozens of tables that are inhabited by Travel Channel (now GSN) watchers, and the waiting lists are off the charts. I often ask myself where all the money is coming from. However, the biggest question for me is, is that where the skill is?

Let me start by saying that as a professional poker player, when I walk into a casino to play my first priority is game selection. That’s not to say that I am looking to play a particular game, but I am looking for the weakest game in the house and that can cross many games at many blind structures.

That being said, I look around the casino and find many of the top players in games other than No Limit. So the question becomes, if the top players who have the opportunity to play in any game they want, why do they choose any game other than No Limit Hold’em?

Well in my mind the answer is simple. If you’re going to play cash games, why not play in a game where you have the biggest edge. So staying with Commerce as an example, let’s look at the board and see what games are being played.

It seems to me that the games where the most skill comes in to play are the high-low games, both Stud and Omaha. Maybe the better way to say it is that many players play these games incorrectly. Factually there are very few starting hands in Omaha Hi-low and if there’s a possible low out there, the low usually drives the betting.

In Stud 8 or better, there’s usually a lot of stealing on 3^rd street and the players with pocket Kings can’t seem to get away from it. Starting with a high hand in Stud 8 or Better is a recipe to create a small bankroll. I remember in the 2007 World Series of Poker Cash game section there were 6 Omaha Hi-Low games and 4 Stud High-low games at the 75-150 range. The answer to why is above, there are so few players who play them well.

Going back to Commerce where the daily savvy player has made this realization the games aren’t as plentiful, so the smarter players have turned to mix games, often including a few Hold’em variations to get the non skilled players to jump in the game. Then when the rotation turns to Stud 8 and Omaha 8 they pounce.

It’s becomes pretty obvious to me with the new popularity of H.O.R.S.E. in tournaments worldwide and the H.O.R.S.E. championship at the World Series of Poker tournament, it’s time to learn those games and join the skill set when it comes to cash games