Omaha Hi-Lo PokerOmaha Hi/Lo has become in recent years one of the most popular poker games, due to its fast-action nature and the big pots which can be won in a game.
Omaha Hi/Lo is a form of Omaha poker, in which the pot may be split between two players: the player with the highest ranking hand and the player with the lowest ranking hand. The game is also know as Omaha Eight Or Better, because a low hand should consist only of cards that rank eight or lower. If no player has a qualified low hand, the whole pot is given to the player with the highest ranking hand.
Like regular Omaha, four cards are given to the players face down and five cards are communal cards, put on the table faced up. A hand in Omaha must consist of two face down cards and three face up cards. A poker player may try and win both parts of the pot by succeeding in forming both the high hand and the low hand, using different card combinations.
How to play a game of Omaha Hi/Lo:Button and Blinds
Before a game of Omaha begins, the dealer position needs to be given to one of the players. A round disk called "button" picks the dealer for each hand, so that all the players around the table get to be dealers at some point of the game. The button rotates clockwise.
Once the button has chosen a dealer, "blinds" are posted. These are bets which are made before the cards are dealt to the players. The player sitting to the left of the dealer will post the "small blind", which will amount to half of the minimum bet. The player sitting left of the small blind will then post the "big blind", which will amount to the minimum bet. So if you are playing a $5-$10 game, the small blind will be $2.5 and the big blind will be $5.
The Rounds
Once both blinds are posted, the actual game begins. The dealer gives out four cards, faced down, to each of the players. He gives the first card to the small blind, and the last card to himself.
The player on the left of the big blind starts the first betting round. The round goes clockwise, and finishes at the big blind.
The player has the option of calling, thus matching the bet made by the big blind, raising that bet or folding and dropping out of the hand. The bets taken on the first and second rounds have a low limit minimum to them, and the bets taken on the third and fourth rounds have a high limit minimum bet. So if you are playing a $5-$10 game, the minimum bet for the first two rounds is $5 and the minimum bet for the last two rounds is $10.
After the first round of bets is finished, the dealer puts on the table the "flop" cards: three communal cards, put face-up. The player to the left of the dealer starts the second round of bets.
After the second round ends, a fourth community card is put face-up on the table. This card is call the "Turn". The third round of betting takes place.
Last Round and Showdown
The dealer then deals out the fifth and last card, faced up, otherwise know as the "river". The number of raises which may be made at the final round is usually limited up to three or four. If, however, it's a "heads-up" play, meaning that only two players are left. then there will not be a limit to the number of raises.
Following the final bet will be a showdown. The first player to show his hand is always the last player who showed strength when making a bet. A hand of Omaha must consist of two cards which were given to the player faced down, and three communal cards, which were set on the board face-up.
After the showdown the pot is either split in two and given to the highest hand and the lowest hand, or, if there is no qualified low hand, it will be given all to the highest hand. A player may try to win both halves of the pot by using different card combinations to compile both the high hand and the low hand.
In case of tied hands, the pot will be split. For example, if there is one high hand and two low hands, the high hand will receive half of the pot and each of the low hands will receive a quarter of the pot. (This is called "getting quartered", because the player received only a quarter of the pot.)
Joining a Table
If you wish to join a poker table which is already playing Omaha Hi/Lo, you need to put in the pot an amount equivalent to the big blind. After doing this you may join the game, and when it's your turn to be the big blind you need to bet the same amount again. You also have the possibility of waiting to join in until the position of big blind rotates to your seat. However, if you sit in a game and miss three blind rotations, you will be asked to leave the table. If you put the blind in the pot but "disappear" when it's your turn to act, your hand will be disqualified and you will not get your money back.
A QUALIFIED LOW HAND
A low hand in Omaha Hi/Lo must consist of cards which rank eight or below. A pair disqualifies a low hand.
The Ace card, which may be used as the highest card in the deck, may also be used as the lowest card on deck, ranking one. The best low hand in Omaha Hi/Lo is called the "wheel", and it is a straight of Ace to 5.
If two players show a low hand, the winner is the player who's highest card is lower. For example, player A has a hand of 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and player B has a hand of 8, 6, 5, 3, 2. Player A is the winner because his highest card, a 7, is lower than his opponents highest card, an 8.
If two low hand players tie in their highest card, than the next highest card is the deciding card. For example, player A has a hand of 8, 6, 5, 2, Ace and player B has a hand of 8, 6, 4, 3, 2. The first two high cards, the 8 and 6, are tied. So the next high card is the determining card. Player A has a 5 and player B a 4, therefore player B has the winning hand. (Sometimes players get confused in such situations because they see that player A has the lowest ranking card, which is an Ace. So it's important to remember that the deciding factor is the highest card in the hand, not the lowest.)
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