Omaha Hi/Lo Poker - An Introduction

Omaha Hi/lo is a popular poker game amongst poker players and professional. It is also a very popular online game and is offered by nearly all online poker sites. Omaha Hi/Lo poker consists of 2 main versions. The first version is Limit Omaha Hi/lo. In this version there is a specific betting limit set for each round. The second version is called Pot Limit Omaha Hi/lo whereby the maximum amount a player can bet is determined by the size of the pot.

Players start with 4 "down" cards. As in holdem, there are 5 "community" cards which are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. Contestents must use 2 of their 4 community cards with 3 "up" cards to form the best possible hand. There is no need to qualify on the "High" side. The best possible high hand automatically wins half the pot and could win the whole pot depending on how the rest of the game unfolds. To win the "Low" part of the pot, the player must qualify hence the reason the game is also known as Omaha 8 or Better.

When play begins, the cards are dealt in a certain order and betting also takes place in a certain order. this order works as follows: The small blind is a forced bet made by the player to the immediate left of the dealer button. this bet initiates the first round of action. The big blind is a forced bet made by the player to the immediate left of the small blind. The small blind is usually a bet equal in size to 1 half the minimum be of the entire gamet, rounded down to the nearest full number. The big blind is a bet the same size to the game's minimum bet. It's important to note that players that missed blinds are required to post the small blind and the big blind once per round or their upon re-entering the game. In most online poker sites, the software will usually prompt you if you have missed the blinds and will prompt you to put in the correct amount. Players can also wait for the blind to get to their position and therefore sit out the rest of the hand. This is called coming in on the blind.

After the blinds, the dealer deals 4 cards to each player still participating in the hand, at this point, each player can see their onw two card but obviously cannot see their opponents cards. On the 1st round, betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind, who has 1 of 3 decisions to make: The player can call, raise, or fold. In the 1st round only, a contestant cannot check and still retain the hand. On the 1st round only, the player in the small blind acts after the dealer and the contestant in the big blind position acts after the small blind.

Once a betting round has begun, players must select one of the following options: check, call, fold or raise. If a player should choose 1 of the automatic options, the bet is issued automatically on the players next turn. If you select Sit Out or you close the window after a round has started, your bet will be judged as a fold. The player who has the big blind is given the option to raise, check, call, or fold when it is their turn. If no one has raised, the big blind has the option of checking or raising. In all succeeding, rounds apart from the first, the betting starts with the 1st active player to the left of the button, who has 1 of 3 choices to make: Check, bet, or fold. Until a bet actually takes place, each active player has the same options and choices to make. Once a bet i eventually put down, each player then has in turn 1 of 3 decision, call, raise, or fold.

Once all betting is finished, players make up the best five-card high or low hand that they can make from 2 of their 4 own cards and 3 of the 5 cards in the community. In Omaha Hi/Lo the pot is split 50-50 between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand, consisting of 5 cards of different values ranked 8 or lower. Straights and flushes are not counted against you when evaluating a low hand. However, they still apply for evaluating the high hand. Aces can be used both for high and low hands. Therefore, the best possible low hand is A, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which is also a straight for the high hand. It is possible for a player to win the whole pot if they have both the highest and lowest hands. In this case, 4 of these cards will be in their own possession and dealt as down cards, and 5 will be face up as community cards to be shared by all players. Therefore, if a player is dealt 4 kings down, only 2 of the kings count toward the final deciding hand. The remaining 3 cards must come from the cards in the community.

The player with the best 5-card hand and the player with the qualifying best low hand share the pot equally. Should more then one hand tie, the pot is split with any odd amount going to the player to the left of the dealer. Just like in Texas Hold'em, the button (dealers position) is moved clockwise around the poker table. This makes sure that every player can benefit from the advantage of being last to act once per every round. Like Hold'em, position is an important advantage with the player on the button being in the best position possible.