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Game summary
Omaha is a nine-card hi-lo poker game that uses a dealer button, blinds and community cards.
Omaha poker is a form of Texas Hold'em, except the players are dealt 4 hole cards (face down) as their initial starting hand prior to the flop and five board cards as community cards. The community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table in the same manner as in Texas Hold'em with betting after each round.
Players play in turn clockwise. Two players to the left of the dealer button post blinds. There are 3 other betting rounds; the flop, the turn, and the river. The five community cards and their rankings are used by all active players.
After the final betting round, the players remaining in the hand will then show all their cards. To qualify for a winning low hand, a player must have five cards of 8 or lower with no pair using two from their hand and three from the board (community cards). Straights or flushes may be used for the low hand if all the cards are 8 or below.
How to play Omaha Poker Hi-Lo
Action starts with the first player to the left of the blinds beginning the betting. Players may bet, check, raise, or fold in turn. Community cards are then dealt face up in the center of the table in the same manner as in Texas Hold 'Em with betting after each round.
Players must use exactly 2 cards from their 4-card hand (initial hole cards) and 3 cards from the community cards to produce their best 5-card hand. The hole cards and the board cards are interchangeable for high or low. In order for there to be a low, there must be a combination of two cards from the player's hand and three from the board with a denomination of eight or smaller. Ace is low for this purpose. A wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is the best possible low and neither a straight nor a flush count against you for low.
In the showdown, the player must use two cards from his hand and three from the board exactly. Player may use different cards for high and low. After the final betting round, the players remaining in the hand will then show all their cards.
To qualify for a winning low hand, a player must have five cards of 8 or lower with no pair using two from their hand and three from the board. If there is no low, high will get the entire pot. If there is a qualifying low hand, it splits the pot with the winning high hand. Otherwise, the high hand takes the entire pot. In the event of ties, the pot will be split.
Omaha High Poker
There are two types of Omaha High games:
- Limit Omaha High (there is a specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting)
- Pot Limit Omaha High (a player can bet what is in the pot.)
Omaha Eight or Better
Omaha 8 or Better (also known as Omaha Hi/lo) is a popular poker game. Usually there are two types of Omaha 8 or Better games played:
- Limit Omaha 8 or Better (there is a specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting)
- Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better (a player can bet what is in the pot.)
The Ranking of Poker Hands
The ranking of poker hands based on probability starting from the highest are shown below.
There are 2,598,960 possible combinations of cards in a poker hand you can be dealt. In brackets next to the ranking of hands, are 1st the number of possible hands of that rank in 2,598,960 possible combinations, and 2nd your chances of getting one in percentage probability:
- Royal Flush (4 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.000154%)
- Straight Flush (36 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.00139%)
- Four of a Kind (624 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.0240%)
- Full House (3744 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.144%)
- Flush (5108 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.197%)
- Straight (10,200 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 0.392%)
- Three of a Kind (54912 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 2.11%)
- Two Pair (123,552 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 4.75%)
- Pair (1,098,240 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 42.26%)
- High Card (1,302,540 possible hands in 2,598,960. Chance to get one: 50.12%)
Poker articles
The peculiarities of winning poker, by Steve Larson
Reading opponents, by Steve Larson
Related links
Poker glossary (Terminology)
Poker books
Online Poker sites
How to join a poker site
Introduction to online poker rooms
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