Insurance in Hartford

While at a weeklong regional bridge tournament in Cromwell, Connecticut (a suburb of Hartford), we had numerous opportunities to make the 40-minute drive down Route 2 to Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun to play poker. Hartford is often referred to as the "insurance capital," as it's the home of many large insurance companies.

While playing, I was fortunate enough to hold a rare Omaha perfect "insurance" hand, which is unbeatable after the flop. A perfect low "insurance" hand is one in which you hold four prime low cards (aces through fives) and the fifth prime low card hits the flop with two other low cards.

With these rare hands, you can set your mind at ease, since you cannot be double counterfeited (the classic "Oh no!" Omaha disaster). And unlike many other low-hand situations in Omaha high-low, these hands are strictly "pull" hands, since you do not want to narrow the field.

While playing in a lively $5-$10 Omaha high-low game with a "kill" (if anyone scoops a pot of $100 or more, the stakes double on the next hand and the scooper posts an extra $10 blind), I was in next-to-last position and picked up A-2-4-5. With six other players in the pot, I raised before the flop.

We had seven-way action (I love that type of game), and I got a great low flop – 8-7-3. Note that not only did I have the nut low, I would have the nut low no matter what hit the board ("a truly unbreakable low") on the last two cards!

With these hands, your prime strategy should be to keep players in and build the pot. The first player bet, and there were three callers around to me. I raised. There was a call and a reraise (by an A-2, I found out later). Since everyone seemed as though they were going to call, I capped it. Everyone called. If I had thought that reraising would have folded anyone, I wouldn't have done so.

With five-way action, an ace hit the board, bringing grief to the other A-2. But I still had the nut low (now with the 4-2), and I also had aces for high.

The first player (with a set) led the betting again. Everyone called around to me; I raised. Everyone called except the A-2, who finally folded (he should have folded to the initial turn bet). Then, the player on my right reraised (with his 4-2) into the four-way action. Since a reraise by me might fold one or even two players, should I reraise?

Yes! Things had changed a bit. Now I had a clear reraise (cap) in order to exert pressure on the highs and perhaps fold some weak high holdings, thus promoting the high chances of my aces. So, I reraised – but they all called.

With four-way action, the river card was a 4! This "busted" the other 4-2, but I still had the nut low with my 5-2, which also made a wheel, A-2-3-4-5, which gave me a good chance for high, too (at this point, only a 6-5, which would make an 8-high straight, could beat me for high).

It was checked around to me. I suspected that I had a big scoop coming. I bet and the set of sevens and busted 4-2 both called. Needless to say, the next hand was a "kill" pot.

Note that this was one hand with which, after the flop, I did not have to fear the fickle finger of Omaha on the turn and river. And notice how fate neatly picked off my first two nut lows (but this time, fate had my full approval). Fortunately, I had the extra coverage, call it "whole life" protection on this hand, since I was fully insured against being outdrawn.

Hands like this, when you have both "insurance" cards after the flop, are rare. They are somewhat similar to when you have both (straight) "extension cards" in high Omaha.

Most often, these "insurance hands" occur after the fourth card, when you have the nut low and also hold the next-lowest "insurance card," which would make a nut low if one of your nut-low cards is counterfeited on the river. Having the "insurance card(s)" affects your odds and strategy, and often justifies your playing aggressively rather than conservatively.