Omaha Hi Lo Rules - Learn to Play Omaha Hi Lo

Courtesy of FullTilt Poker

Omaha high-lo is a variant of Omaha in which the pot is split between the holder of the highest hand and the holder of the lowest hand if that low hand is topped by no worse than an 8. If that restriction is not met, the entire pot goes to the holder of the highest hand. Also, the same hand can win both the high and the low half of the pot.

Playing Omaha Hi/Lo

Each hand of Omaha high-low starts with two blinds. Blinds are preliminary bets made by two players before cards are dealt for the purpose of stimulating action. Prior to cards being distributed, the player to the left of the button puts in chips equal to (usually) half the size of the minimum bet for the game. The player to that player's left puts in chips equal to the minimum bet for the game. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the small blind would be $1 and the big blind $2.

Sitting Down

When you first sit down at a table, you must wait for the big blind to arrive at your position. This happens naturally, because the button moves one position to the left (clockwise) after each hand. Alternatively, to get dealt in immediately, you can post, that is, put in a blind the same size as the big blind. If you post, you get dealt in right away and on succeeding hands. Each player must put both a small blind and a big blind into the pot once each per round. If you ever miss the blinds in a round, you must either wait for the big blind to get to you, or post both missed blinds. This you do at one time. An amount equal to the size of the big blind is part of your bet. (It plays for you.) An amount equal to the size of the small blind becomes part of the pot and is not part of your bet. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, if you miss the blinds and do not wait for the big blind to get to you to get back into play, you would put $3 into the pot, of which $2 would be considered part of your bet when it is your turn to act on the first round, and $1 would belong to the pot-to be won by the eventual winner of the pot.

First Round

When the blinds are in place, the dealer distributes four cards one at a time face down to each player, starting with the little blind. These four starting cards are called hole cards.

Each player starts with four hole cards instead of two (In fact, sometimes games are played where five or even six hole cards are dealt) Then the dealer places five cards face-up in the center of the table. These community cards are part of each player's hand, so each player has access to nine cards. In Omaha high-low, each player can potentially form two five-card hands, a high hand and a low hand. Each hand must adhere to the Omaha restrictions of using only two (no more, no less, but they can be any two) of the hole cards together with only three (no more, no less, but they can be any three) of the five community cards. A different two-card-plus-three-card combination can be use for the low hand and for the high hand. Given that, many more winning combinations are possible in Omaha high-low than in Omaha high. Accordingly, Omaha high-low hands often have more players and the pots are correspondingly larger.

If you can make both a high hand and a low hand-and this is often the case you choose the best five cards for your high hand and the best five cards for your low hand.

For example, your hole cards are Ad Kd 3s 2s. The board is Jd 4d 3c Qd 5h. Your best high hand would be an ace-high flush. You make this hand by using Ad Kd from your hand in combination with Jd 4d Qd on the board. Your best low hand would be a wheel. You make this hand by using Ad 2s from your hand in combination with 4d 3c 5h on the board. Both hands are the nuts (the best possible hand for a given situation). Having the best possible low and the best possible high in the same hand is called nut-nut. (You could possibly split the low half of the pot if anyone else has both an ace and a 2. In the case of one other player with that combination, you would get three-fourths of the pot.) This example shows two different sets of five cards being used to form high hand and low hand, while adhering to the Omaha restrictions. You can see more about combinations and what beats what in Hand Rankings.

Omaha high-lo, as any form of poker, is about betting. Omaha high-low has four betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game, of which Omaha high-low has three possibilities:

limit game
pot-limit game
no-limit game

The betting on the first round always starts with the player just to the left of the big blind. This position is sometimes called under the gun. In the picture below you are under the gun. As the first player, you have three choices. You can:

fold
open for the minimum (limp)
open for a raise

If you fold at any point, your cards are removed from play and you are out until the next hand, and you have no further interest in the pot. If you fold, the next player has the same choices. If everyone folds, including the small blind, the pot goes to the big blind, and the next hand is dealt.

If you or anyone else opens, each succeeding player has three choices:

fold
call, that is, match the preceding bet
raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

Each player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet plus three raises. When the betting (also called action) gets to the blinds, they have the same choices. However, they already have chips in the pot, and those chips count towards their bet. For example, if, in a $2/$4 limit game, you had opened for $2, and two players had raised, the total bet would be $6. When it was the turn of the small blind, that player could fold. The player could call, by putting $5 into the pot. (He already has $1 in.) Or that player could raise, by putting $7 into the pot. This would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum. (Pot limit and no limit games have no cap on the number of bets that can be made.)

Similarly, the big blind, who already has $2 invested in the pot, gets in for $2 less. If there have been no raises when the bets gets to the big blind, that player has what is called the option. He can opt to raise, in which case each active player in turn is offered a choice of calling the raise or reraising-or folding. The big blind can also choose not to raise, which stops the betting for that round. The big blind in this option situation is known in poker parlance as a live blind.

Evaluating Your Cards

As you evaluate your cards, realize that since this is a high-low split game, good cards can be low cards as well as high cards. You want to end up with a hand that is best for either high or low-and, ideally, one that can win both high and low (scoop the pot). Keep in mind the qualifier. To end up with a low hand, your starting hand must contain at least two cards 8 or lower. Compared with seven stud high-low, Omaha high-low has a smaller proportion of pots split between high and low on the showdown. In seven stud high-low, since a player can use any five of his seven cards, the likelihood of a low hand is often quite high. An Omaha high-low pot, however, can have a low only if at least three of the community cards are 8 or lower-and even then, it sometimes happens that no player can make a low.

The Flop

Once the betting for the first round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals three cards face up in the center of the table. These first three of the community cards are called the flop.

The second round of betting takes place. In this round, the betting starts with the first active player (one who still has cards) to the left of the button. If the small blind called on the first round, that player would be first to act, even though he was next-to-last on the first round of betting. Only in the first round (sometimes called the preflop round) does the betting start elsewhere. In all rounds after the first, the first player has two choices:

check, that is, make no bet
bet, that is, make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except the first for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being checked around.

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

fold
call, that is, match the preceding bet
raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who checked has the preceding three choices. To check and then raise when the betting returns is known, reasonably enough, as check-raising. If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

The Turn

Once the betting for the second round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals one more card face up in the center of the table. This fourth of the community cards is called the turn.

The third round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the second round. In a limit game, in the third round and fourth rounds the betting usually proceeds in increments twice the size of the first two rounds.

The River

Once the betting for the third round is equalized, the dealer deals a fifth and final card face up in the center of the table. This last community card is called the river.

The fourth and final round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the two previous rounds.

Showdown

Once the betting for the fourth round is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards. The best high hand, comprised of the best five cards from among two of each player's four hole cards in combination with three of the community cards, wins half the pot. The best low hand (as long as one qualifies by consisting of five different cards 8 or lower), comprised of the best five cards from among two of each player's four hole cards in combination with three of the community cards, wins half the pot. Half the pot is awarded to the holder of each hand. If no hand qualifies for low, the entire pot is awarded to the holder of the highest hand. If the same player has a combinations of cards that qualify as both the best high hand and the best low hand the players wins the entire pot.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order.

The player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round must show first. (If there was no betting on the river, the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on the turn would be shown first on the showdown-and so on.) If the next active player has a better high or low hand than the one just shown (or ties), he shows his cards. If the next active player does not have either, the player has a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). Each remaining active player in turn is offered the same-either turning over the hand if it is better for high or low than (or tied with) any shown thus far or offering the choice of showing or mucking-and awards each half of the pot appropriately.

If the betting is not equalized on the final round, that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the player who made that uncalled bet wins the pot. This is the case on any previous round, as well. If it happens on earlier rounds, no further cards are dealt, because the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such case, one or more side pots are created. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.

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