Omaha Hi-Low (Also known as Omaha 8
or better)
Omaha H/L is a community card game. There are 5 community cards which every
player is allowed to use to make their hand.
How to play:
There is no ante, the deal will rotate around the table with the dealer being
signified by "The Button".
- Blinds are posted
- 4 pocket cards are dealt to each player
- Pre flop betting occurs
- The flop is dealt (3 community cards)
- A 2nd round of betting occurs
- The turn card is dealt (the 4th community card)
- A 3rd round of betting occurs
- The river card is dealt (the 5th community card)
- A final round of betting occurs
- Showdown occurs (hands must use 2 pocket cards and 3 community cards)
The two players immediately to the left of the dealer (the button) will post
blinds, the small blind typically 1/2 the minimum bet is posted by the player
immediately to the left of the dealer and the player who is 2 Players to the
left of the dealer will post the big blind, typically the minimum bet.
The dealer will deal the cards clockwise with each player with each player
receives 4 individual pocket cards (The player must use two of these card when
making a hand.) Omaha 8/b is also a split pot game, so half of the pot will be
awarded to the player with the highest hand and half of the pot will be awarded
to the player with the best qualifying low hand.
(Betting Round Occurs)
The Dealer will deal 3 community cards (The Flop)
(Betting Round Occurs)
The Dealer will deal 1 additional community card (Sixth Street)
(Betting Round Occurs)
The Dealer will deal the final community card (The River)
(Betting Round Occurs)
Showdown
Players are allowed to use exactly 2 pocket cards and exactly 3 community
cards for their best high hand and potentially 2 completely different pocket
cards and a different combination of 3 community cards for their best qualifying
low hand. One-half of the pot is awarded to the player with the best high
five-card hand. One-half of the pot is awarded to the player with the best
qualifying low five-card hand (could be the same person who one the high hand
pot.) If no one makes a qualifying low hand (a hand where the highest card is 8
or lower) the entire pot will be awarded to the high hand winner.
To make their best hand in Omaha h/l, players are allowed to use exactly 2
pocket cards and exactly 3 community cards for their best high hand and
potentially 2 completely different pocket cards and a different combination of 3
community cards for their best low hand.
| Pocket Cards |
Community Cards |
Best Hand Evaluation |
Best Low Hand Evaluation |
| As|Ah|3s|2d |
Ad|3d|5c|2c|10d |
As|Ah|Ad|5c|10d
Three Aces |
No qualifying low hand |
| 2s|4s|6c|10d |
Ad|3d|5c|2c|10d |
2s|3d|4s|5c|6c
6 Hi Straight |
Ad|2s|3d|4s|5c
Wheel - Lock low |
| Qd|10s|Jc|2d |
Ad|3d|5c|2c|10d |
Ad|Qd|10d|5d|2d
A - Q Flush |
No qualifying low hand |
| Kd|4d|4h|7d |
Ad|3d|5c|2c|10d |
Ad|Kd|10d|7d|3d
A - K Flush |
Ad|2c|3d|4d|7d |
Note that Player 4 (A - K Flush) and Player 2 (Wheel - Lock low) would split
the pot
Analysis:
Rather than showing you a "dream hand", this example shows how
Omaha can really make even the most seasoned poker player squirm.
Player one has a great hand to start, pocket Aces with the 2,3. To make
things even better ... he is has suited A,3 giving him a lock flush draw.
Player two has a marginal hand, really only drawing for a low. If Player 1
raises, it is possible that player two would fold depending on the stakes.
Player three has another marginal hand, the straight draw would seldom hold
up and the suited Qd 2d is only asking for trouble ... there is no possible low.
Player four is another marginal hand. The pocket fours usually won't help
unless there are four of a kind, the 4 - 7 is a very weak low card draw.
After the flop, Player 1 feels great - a four gives him a wheel, sitting on 3
aces. Player 2 has just readjusted his pace maker just being flopped a wheel
with a made straight. If Player 3 stays in, somebody run out and get fish food.
Player 4 is hoping for an A-K flush draw and by some miracle has a pretty good
7-5 low
After the turn, Player 1 is now cursing his luck ... Beautiful cards, but no
help still on trip aces, needing a four on the river for a wheel or a pair on
the board for Aces full. Player 2 realizes that another wheel is probable if any
other player has a four and either an Ace, 2, 3 or 5 ... If Player 3 is still
playing, throw in more fish food. ... Player 4 has a difficult decision, ride
out a marginal low, given the A,2,3,5 on the board and hope for a lock flush.
On the river, Player one has cursed the very cloud he was born under having
gotten no help ... Player 2 is hoping he doesn't split the low too many ways and
that his baby straight holds up ... if Player 3 is still playing, throw in more
fish food ... Player 4 being realizes that without a pair on the board, her
flush is a lock.
Notes:
Player 1 is probably kicking himself ... thinking if he aggressively bet, or
better yet check raised before and after the flop that this was a hand that
could easily be taken by making it too expensive for Player 4 to chase ...
forgetting that Player 2 was flopped a wheel and there is no way to have gotten
him out and the trip Aces still lost to a wheel straight. Don't get to
emotionally involved ... there are times where the cards look great but your
just not going to win with them.
Player 2 was made on the flop, he should have capped the betting whenever
possible. If there are more than 4 players and you have a lock hand (NOT NEARLY
A LOCK!) then make sure you maximize your profits. If there are 3 players and
you are fighting another wheel, you can actually cost yourself money by raising
if you only get 25% of the pot. (If you have to split the low)
We will all see players like Player 3 who play 52 cards and wonder how there
good hands don't hold up ... be nice ...
Player 4 did win half the pot, but it might only be on loan ... many of your
serious Omaha players would have mucked the hand long before the final diamond
fell so she's either lucky or good.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you know what the best possible hand is for both
the High and Low hands... remember that you must use three cards from the
board so sometimes a straight or a flush will not be possible. I once
saw a player fold 3 Queens - The board was 2s,3d,7d,8c,Qc - and he got spooked
because of all the raising - 3 players had Ace, 4! Trip Queens was the lock high
hand.
Strategy:
There are many similarities between Omaha and Hold'em, but strategy is not
one of them. I have seen many great Hold'em players try to use Hold'em tactics
such as positional raises and raising on pocket Aces only to watch their
bankroll disappear. In Hold'em you have two personal cards ... but in Omaha, you
are dealt four personal cards - so there are many more combinations of cards.
You need to be more selective in Omaha although most players will try to catch
possible outs on the turn and the river. After the flop, you should determine
the best possible hand ... for both high and low ... and try to calculate the
number of outs - and only stay if the amount of money that can be won warrants
the risk:
Example:
Personal Cards: As - Ks - 3d - Kd
Flop: 4c - 5s -10s
Analysis:
The best possible hand at the flop is Trip 10's. There is no possible
straight and no flush.
You have several possible outs: On the turn you have the following outs.
- (9) A spade gives you the nut flush
- (4) A two gives you a straight and lock low - possible for both high and
low.
- (2) A King gives you a set - and a draw for a full house or quates
- Note - I don't count this towards an out but J-Q would give you the
highest straight.. If either the Jack or Queen were to fall on the turn -
then consider the outs for filling the straight.
The Turn: 3 c
Ok, the plot thickens
The best possible hand is now a straight - anyone with either an A-2 or a 2-6
or a 6-7 now has a made straight. It also puts anyone with two clubs on a club
flush with a flush draw - Expect anyone with A-2 to be raising.
Here are your possible outs:
- (9) A spade gives you the nut flush
- (4) A two gives you a straight and lock low - possible for both high and
low.
- Note that we no longer are concerned with the Kings - pulling the third
King would be of little use to us now.
So with that in mind - let's assume there were 6 players who saw the flop
after a raise. (3+3=6 x 6 = 36) and 4 players who called after the flop again
with a raise (3+3=6 x4 = 24) and 3 players who have called (6 x 3 = 18) and the
action is to you ... do you see the river card?
You are betting $6.00 for a possible return of what?
The pot will be $84.00 - so 50% for low is $42.00 - What are your odds of
winning low?
You have one lock out for low - (4) pulling a two on the river for a wheel.
Anyone else who was holding an Ace would also share that pot provided that they
had another low card (2,3,4,5) since you MUST PLAY TWO FROM YOU HAND. So the
odds of pulling the two would be 4/43 or about 1 in 11. Now I can run down the
odds for you but you need to understand that if you EVER have A-2 and the flop
creates a possible low ... you are playing for a lock hand. With that in mind -
The best you can possibly hope for is to tie for low. Since it is a split pot -
you will probably loose money on the low.
Now for the high.
There is no pair on the board - There is a probable draw for a spade flush
and a club flush - this assumes someone else has two clubs. If the board were to
pair - there is a lower probability that there would be a full house ... why ...
because most people tend to stay on higher pairs ...
So you have a 9/43 chance of pulling a flush or about 21%. Your
expected return would be $42 or about 7 for 1 ...
Some other thoughts -
Wouldn't the 2s be a great card - lock flush and a piece of the low -
Recognize what the lock hand is and if you have it RAISE ...
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