Omaha Hi-Lo Guide

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Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is an inevitable part of online poker life. This type of poker is always sure to entice players with its huge pots and astonishing 16,000 hand combinations. First-time gamers may find the rules a little confusing at first; but if they read a guide that makes things clear, then their gaming experience will be much more pleasant.

The Notion

Omaha Hi-Lo is also called Seven Stud 8 or Better poker. There should be up to eight players. It’s very similar to Omaha Hi with just one exception – the pot is taken by both the player with the highest hand and the one with the lowest hand!

The player who shows the lowest hand has to have five cards with no pairs and these are ranked eight or below. So suppose you get a qualifying Seven-low if you hand consists of 7-6-4-2-A. Now when it comes to the high hand, the number of combinations is vast.

You have to form the five-card high hand and five-card low hand using combinations of the seven cards that were dealt to you. The highest and lowest hand wins. Omaha Hi-Lo is one of those draw poker games that has a lot of different variations you can win with.

Rules

The basics are the same as in pot-limit Omaha. Before the start of the game, every punter is supposed to put the obligatory sum into the pot. This so-called “ante” is determined by the game. Usually, it is ⅕ of the low limit bet amount. The amount of the ante is not counted  towards the future bets.

The first round starts with three cards being dealt to the players. There are two “down” (“door”, “third street”) cards and one “up” card. Each player shows one of the low cards, and the lowest one to the left side of the dealer should be brought in. This is counted as the first round bet, and if there are no players raising it, there is no need to contribute more to the pot.

Rounds

For those who google “Omaha Hi-Lo Rules”, there is an interesting surprise with the betting rounds. There are five of them. The first two deal only with low limit bets, and the rest of them deal with high limit ones. There are only three raises allowed per betting round. The game is as follows:

First round. The dealer gives three cards, with one low face-up card. The punter with the lowest one to the left of the dealer makes the first bet. There is then the possibility of placing ½ of the low limit bet or raising by placing the whole bet. When others start playing, they bet clockwise calling, raising or folding. You can raise only to the amount of the low bet.

Second round. Another face-up card is given and the highest hand has to decide on whether to raise, fold or call. In case of a tie, the highest hand to the left of the dealer is about to act. You also may choose between a low limit bet and high limit bet in this round, provided only you have a pair.

Third round. All bets should be of the high-level bet size, and everything happens just like in the previous round.

Fourth round. Poker players receive the sixth face-up card and proceed the same way as in the former round.

Fifth round. Players get the face-down card. The bets are done taking in accordance with the high limit size. If you have not folded after the last round of betting, you are not allowed to open hands and share the pot. The punter who was the last to bet is the first to open the cards. Then other players proceed clockwise. Participants choose whether to open the hand or muck it. Online poker sites offer an option to automatically muck the hand to conceal what you really played.

By the way, the round is called “street” and the game starts with the Third street and finishes with the Seventh.

Strategies

There are certain strategies for how to win the Omaha Hi-Lo. Because of Low and High hands, there are many opportunities to split the pot into half or win the whole sum. Most often it goes in the Pot Limit format. The pot is usually the same as the No Limit one. If you ever deal with Fixed Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, bear in mind the fact that your bet can’t go over 4 times the Big Blind.

The pre flop choice of the starting hands is the crucial issue in Omaha Hi-Lo. Make sure you memorize some of them before hitting the poker table.

Start Smart

There are several player hands that can help you make winning combinations. The main idea is to play the split-pot game going into the low and back into high. There is a list of the best starting hands that allow having qualifying low hand and high hand.

The best option for a winning hand is to have big pairs or other high cards, which allow you to make the best possible flush or straights.

As for the low side of the pot, a flush or straight have no real impact. The best low hand is 5-4-3-2-A, which is called the “wheel” or “bicycle.” This very same combination is a high straight in the high hand end of the game, which makes it very strong in the hand rankings.

Every game in Hi-Lo has an Eight qualifier. Remember to have five cards below Eight without any pairs.

Problematic Hands

A2 hands are quite alluring, but they can also conceal some pitfalls for players. If such a hand has no other low cards, then you need to watch out! If you play when the bet comes to you raised then you need to consider which possible outcomes of your opponents might end up disastrous for you. For instance, someone might have a nut flush draw or another A2 draw. In the latter option, you’ll get only ¼ of the pot.

The other problematic hand is AA without suited cards. The drawbacks of this hand include gaining only half of the pot, as someone will always have a better low hand than you. And when any of your competitors have a backdoor flush, then there is a risk you might lose the pot completely!

Small Blind Play

If the flop has prepared a good hand for you, this is where you can play good hands and marginal ones. The small blind can fold or call the big blind; but betting structure of the specific game in question will predetermine that.

Big Blind Play

Usually, the pot is not raised in Omaha Hi-Lo real money poker. This leaves big blind players with two options: to check and to raise. If you raise straight away, this will serve as a signal that you have a strong hand. Try to vary your game, and don’t forget that if the pot is raised, there is an option for the big blind to fold! Don’t try to play conservatively, and be sure to constantly check your good and bad hands.

Online

The option of playing online poker to help you develop your skills is always available for any person. Online gambling offers many variations of the Omaha Hi-Lo with high stakes, and this allows you to profit significantly. This is one of the most popular casino games and pot-limit games, both online and at live tournaments. Try some demo versions of it at a casino you trust and enjoy your game!

Best Questions and Answers About Omaha Hi-Lo

There are many questions when you start playing Omaha Hi-Lo, and some of them are answered here.

• What are the best starting hands in Omaha Hi-Lo?

The best starting hands would be those that have A2 with other low cards. The most popular are A-A-2-3 or A-A-2-4. The best ones are those that can make you go both high and low.

• What is the nut low hand in Omaha Hi-Lo?

The best low hand is 5-4-3-2-A called the “wheel’ or “bicycle.” Actually, any of the hands that go lower than 8 are considered to be good. Make sure all of the five cards are below the 8 qualifier.

• How to win at Omaha Hi-Lo?

There are several things you can do to succeed in the game:

1) Try not to raise before the flop too often.

2) Select the table and position carefully.

3) Always play premium starting hands.