It’s easier to play a sample hand to teach you how to play rather than inject too many words, which may cloud and confuse. Omaha Hi Lo consists of three rounds.
While No Limit Texas Hold’em’s reign as the quintessential poker version due to its ties to the World Series of Poker’s main event and pop culture following thanks to movies like Rounders. However, like most poker variants, NL Texas Hold’em only offers players one way to win. What if I told you there was a game where each hand provides the table two chances to win? Omaha Hi Lo is gaining in popularity for this very reason.
This guide will walk you through the Hi Lo rules, how to play and share some strategy and tips.
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To understand the rules of Omaha Hi Lo, you must first learn regular Omaha, also known as Omaha hold’em or Omaha Hi. If you’re familiar with the standard rules Texas hold’em, the same basic premise applies. However, in regular Omaha poker, each player’s starting hand receives four down cards and is looking to build the best possible five-card poker hand from five community cards. Omaha Hi poker hand rankings look as you would expect.
The difference between Omaha Hi and Hi Lo is that instead of one pot going to one winner, the pot is split 50/50 and awarded to the player(s) with the best “high cards hand” and best “low cards hand”, but only if there is a qualifying low hand. We’ll explain that in a second.
When building your Hi and Lo hands, you can take any two of your four cards and combine them with three of the five community cards. When building the Hi, the rules rank the best as Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, and so on, while the Lo ranks their best cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. So, the Ace can be used both ways when building out your hands. Also, the two cards hole cards you choose DO NOT have to be the same.
If there’s a tie on Hi or Lo, the pots will be chopped (split) among the winners.
Note: most variations of Hi Lo apply an “8’s-or-better” on the Lo, which means the cards in the winning hand can’t be higher than an 8.
Remember, players can win two different ways in the same hand of Omaha Hi Lo.
Because there are so many ways to win making the odds very different from typical poker variants, you may want to study and observe before joining a table for real money.
If you are more familiar with other two hole-card poker variations, don’t assume your Hi Lo hand is all that great. With four hole cards, everybody else at the table has just as good of chance of building a strong Hi or Lo.
Be sure to see the flop, first three community cards, before raising.
If your four hole cards aren’t strong, it’s OK to fold after the flop.
The best hand is Ace-Ace-2-3 double-suited.
Bluffing isn’t an optimal strategy in Hi-Lo.
Omaha hi lo is a variation of the popular poker game Omaha / Omaha hold’em, in which players have an opportunity to win twice on each hand, the hi (strong hi hand) and the lo (strongest lo hand).
The best Omaha hi lo starting hands are A-A-2-3 double-suited followed by A-A-2-4 double-suited. Why? Because you’re in great position to win the Hi and Lo and “scoop” the pot.
The primary difference is the split pot that is awarded to the winner of the Hi (strongest high hand) and Lo (strongest low hand). While there are nuances within Hi Lo, like low hand typically must qualify, the same player can win both halves of the pot.
The best low hand in Omaha hi lo is 5-4-3-2-A off-suit and is sometimes referred to as wheel/bicycle.
It’s a royal flush, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 in the same suit.
