Omaha Hi Lo Poker Rules, Omaha Hi Lo Starting Hands

Learn Omaha Hi Lo poker rules by following a round of the game, from the Omaha Hi Lo starting hands to the showdown. This poker game follows the same rules as regular Omaha Hi but there is an additional way to win a share of the pot. The Hi winner is the player with the best poker hand, as in Omaha Hi poker only. But in addition to a High winner, there can be a Low winner. The Low hand is a hand with 5 different cards below a 9. You must use two pocket cards and three community cards to make a low hand. For example, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 of any suit would be a Low hand. The lowest Low hand is the Low winner, according to the Omaha Hi Lo rules.

In case of a Low winner, the pot is split 50/50 between the Low and High winner. In case of multiple Low hands, the Low winner is determined by comparing the highest of the low cards, then the second highest, etc. If the two or more Low hands are equal, the Low pot is split between the players.

Since there must be at least three different low cards (under 9) on the board at the end to enable a qualifying low hand it follows that there is no Low winner in every hand played. Quite often, there is only a High winner in Omaha Hi Lo. Also, a player may use different pocket cards for Hi and for Low, from the four cards dealt to him along with any three community cards, where again different cards will be used for the hi hand to the low hand according to the rules.

In Omaha Hi Lo the lowest possible hand is 5, 4, 3, 2, A of any suits (flushes and straights do not count against you for the low hand). Ace counts as high and low and therefore the same ace will often be used to make a high hand and a low hand, a frequent case when you play this game.

Provided below is an outline of a typical game round for limit poker, don’t miss the lecture on Texas Holdem poker rules in this online poker school.

Omaha Hi Lo Rules

Blinds:

The Omaha Hi Lo game begins with blinds being posted by the two players seated to the left of the dealer’s button. This is done before the players receive their cards in order to make sure that the player with the winning hand wins money. In every round that you play, the poker house dealer button moves to the next player clockwise so that players take turns posting blinds. The small blind is posted by the first player to the left, in the amount of half the minimum stake (e.g. $1 on a $2/$4 game). The big blind is posted by the second player to the left, in the amount equal to the full minimum stake (for example, $2 on a $2/$4 game).

Pocket Cards:

The four cards that are dealt face down once the blinds have been posted.

1st Betting Round:

The game begins in a clockwise direction as the players have the starting hands. The first bet is placed by the player sitting to the left of the big blind. At this stage, players can opt to either raise, call or fold. The minimum raise amount is equivalent to the table’s lower stake (for example, $2 on a $2/$4 game).

The Flop Cards:

The three flop cards are placed in the center of the table, face up. The flop cards are also known as community cards because each of the players can choose to use them in the hand that they play.

2nd Betting Round:

Bets are placed again according to the same rules as the first round.

The Turn Card:

At this stage of the Omaha Hi Lo game, another community card (the turn card) is placed in the center of the table, face up.

3rd Betting Round:

The third round bet rules differs from the first two rounds, in that players choosing to raise can only do so according to the higher stake (for example, $4 on a $2/$4 game).

The River Card:

The river card is the last community card to be placed face up in the center of the table.

4th Betting Round:

The fourth betting round is the last one that you play in the game and follows the same rules as the third betting round in Omaha Hi Lo.

Showdown in Omaha Hi Lo:

This is the final stage, the showdown in Omaha Hi Lo, where the winning hand is exposed. The pot is given to the player holding the best hand, made up of 5 cards that include various combinations of the two pocket cards and the community cards. If two players have hands of equal value (the best high hand, the best low hand), the pot is divided between them according rules. If the same player has a combination of cards that qualify as both the best high hand and the best low hand, the entire pot is awarded to the holder of that hand. As part of the strategy that they play, players have the option to either show their hand or to Muck which is to fold without showing one’s cards.

Start Again:

The next Omaha Hi Lo game starts with the dealer button moving clockwise to the next player on the left.

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