Omaha Hi/Lo

So, the first thing to understand about Internet Omaha Hi/Lo games is many of your opponents have poor judgement in terms of true value. People with poor value skills are good people to play against in big bet poker. That understanding should underlie everything you do in the game.

Omaha Hi/Lo Preflop

You want your low cards to be as low as possible as having 8-6 reduces any chances of you having the lowest poker hand to nil. The more poker players are in the poker hand the better you need your low hand to be if you are going to win.

The only reason you would not see it to the flop is if someone makes a ridiculously large bet. But given the loose nature of Omaha Hi/Lo Poker games, the high number of people who usually call, could make you calling as well worthwhile. This can affect your online poker strategy as well as your Omaha Hi/Lo Poker pre-flop strategy.

Before the flop comes you already what to be thinking of what could happen. What are your prospective chances of scooping the pot? Having an Ace aids your chances immensely as it can act as both a high and low card. Aces are generally the most powerful card in online poker.

Omaha Hi/Lo Flop

In Omaha Hi/Lo many people stay in the pot simply because they are looking for the low poker hand. This is not good Omaha Hi/Lo Poker flop strategy. If you have a good high hand and only one eligible low card appears on the flop you stand a good chance of winning the entire pot. Bet aggressively to make any low seekers staying in the pot pay for the privilege. You would be best off though waiting until you are positive that there can be no eligible low hand before going for it.

Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules

Split Pot To make both your best five card high hand, and your best five card low hand, using exactly two hole cards, and three board cards. You may use different hole cards (secret poker cards) in making your low hand then you used in making your high poker hand, so long as you use exactly two hole cards and three board cards for each. The player with the best high hand wins half the pot, and the player with the best low hand wins the other half. If there is no qualifying low hand, the player with the best high hand wins the entire poker pot.

A qualifying low hand is made with five cards that are all 8 or lower, an ace counting as the lowest. No pairs can exist in a low hand, but a straight and/or a flush may. The lowest possible hand is A2345. The highest possible qualifying low hand is 87654.

Note: Winning both the high and the low hand is called "scooping the pot".

Limit Omaha!

In limit Omaha Hi-lo; there are predetermined bets for each round. For example in a $10-$20 limit Omaha High-Low game, all bets and raises during the betting rounds before and immediately after the flop are $10, while bets for the turn and the river are $20. Typically the big blind in Internet limit Omaha Hi-Lo is equal to the bets required in the first two rounds, and the little blind is half a bet. In addition, all bets and raises must be greater than or equal to the previous bet or raise, with the exception of a player that is raising all in. If a poker player does raise all in, and that bet is not greater than or equal to the previous raise, then the door is not opened for the original raiser to reraise.

Pot Limit

Pot limit Omaha Hi-Lo rules are the same as fixed limit Omaha Hi-Lo rules, with the exception that the maximum bet is equal to the current pot size. A player may bet or raise any amount they wish, up to the amount that is currently in the pot. There are still minimum bets. If you’re playing 10-20 no limit Omaha Hi-Lo, for example, then you have to bet at least 20 dollars in the first two rounds, and at least 20 dollars in the latter two rounds. In addition, all bets and raises must be greater than or equal to the previous bet or raise, with the exception of a player that is raising all in. If a player does raise all in, and that bet is not greater than or equal to the previous raise, then the door is not opened for the original raiser to reraise.

Preflop- the poker cards are dealt

Two poker players post a blind! Before the cards are dealt, two players must post a blind bet. They are called blinds, because they haven't seen their poker cards yet. There is one small bet, the Small Blind, and one big bet, the Big Blind, usually double the small blind.
These bets aren't posted by anyone, but instead by the two players sitting on the left of the dealer. The task changes clockwise each round. In order to recognize the current dealer, a special chip is placed in front of the concerned poker player. This is called the Button or Dealer Button.

Ante

Omaha Hi-Lo occasionally has an ante (usually only in tournament play) where every player must place a specified amount in the pot prior to the beginning of each hand. The ante does not count toward any future bets.

Everyone receives four poker cards

Now each online poker player is dealt four poker cards and so begins the first round of betting. Do you have strong enough poker cards to commit chips or money, or will you throw away your poker cards?

When is it your turn to play? Click here for more info.