Omaha Poker
Omaha poker follows the same rules as Texas Hold'em poker , but with two exceptions:
- Players are dealt four "pocket" cards instead of two
- Players must use two "pocket" cards and three "community" cards to make their best high hand
The principle is the same, but the two differences in the rules demand a very different strategy for playing Omaha Poker .
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi/Low follows the same rules as regular Omaha , 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 High Only. But in addition to a Hi 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. 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 them.
Because there must be at least three different low cards (under 9) on the board at the end to enable a qualifying low hand there may not be a Low winner every hand. 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 may be used for the high hand to the low hand.
In Hi Low Omaha 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 can be used to make a high hand and a low hand. |
