Omaha High Low Poker Game | Vernons.com

If Omaha High Poker had a brother, then Omaha High/Low it would be. What distinguishes the two is the five-card hand rule.

 

The Aim of the Game:

The aim of Omaha High/Low is to get the highest possible five-card hand or the lowest five-card hand.

Both are winning hands and share the profit in the pot.

 

The Lowest Possible Five-Card Hand:

• The five-card hand must be unpaired.


• Each card must be an eight or lower.


• The best low hand is made up of the “Wheel” which is a combination of the following values- 5, 4, 3, 2 and Ace (of any suit).

The Ground Rules:

Each player can choose whether to make up the ultimate high or low five-card hand once their pocket cards have been dealt. Remember, an Ace has dual value, high and low.

A high hand wins the pot outright when there are no declared low hands at the table.

Should a low hand win, then both the highest and the lowest five-card hands split the pot equally.

If, however, the table produces several low winners, then the hands are ranked accordingly and then the pot is shared between the two lowest hands.

 

The Omaha High/Low Table:

There can be up to 10 players at each table.

The round opens with the 12px Blinds and Big Blinds before the cards are dealt.

The player sitting to the immediate left of the dealer places the "12px Blind", while the player sitting two places from the dealer’s left places the "Big Blind".

Pocket Cards: Once the blinds are posted, players are dealt four pocket cards face-down.

 

Round 1:

The betting action opens with the player to the immediate left of the “Big Blind” position and continues clockwise around the table. Each player has the choice to either ‘raise’, ‘call’ or ‘fold’ their cards.

The highest possible raise during a first round of betting is equivalent to the lower of the table stake, i.e. $5 in a $5/$10 game.

 

The Flop:

Three community cards, known as the ‘Flop’ are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. Players can use these cards to assemble their ultimate five-card hand, be it high or low.  

 

Round 2:

The same rules apply as in Round 1 (see above), except the 12px Blind position opens the betting round and the dealer finishes it. The highest possible raise remains the same as the previous betting round, i.e. set to the lower table stake.

 

The Turn:

The fourth community card, known as “The Turn”, is dealt face up in the middle of the table.

 

Round 3:

The same betting rules apply as in Rounds 1 and 2 (see above), but the limit to which players can raise changes. The highest possible raise is now equivalent to the higher of the table stakes, i.e. $10 in a $5/$10 game.

 

The River:

A fifth community card, known as the "The River" is dealt face-up in the middle of the table.

 

Round 4:

The fourth round is the final betting round. The same rules apply as in Round 3 (see above).

 

The Showdown:

The best ranked hand at the table wins the pot. If you choose to fold, you do not have to show your cards. If, however, you are the last player to bet or raise, you must display your five-card hand on the table. The revealed hands are ranked and the player with the best five-card hand takes the pot.

 

Start Over:

When starting over, the “D” (Dealer) Button moves to the left.