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Omaha Hi/ Low is a poker card game that is meant to be played with groups of people. It is a great way to meet new people or have a fun social night with friends. It has variations including Omaha 8 and Omaha Hi. It is similar to another popular poker game called Texas Hold 'Em. Most avid pokers players find it entertaining and fairly easy to teach to others young and old.
For Omaha Hi/ Low you will need a deck of cards, betting chips in various colors and a nice table and chairs that all your players can gather around and be able to see the cards easily. Dealing for Omaha Hi/ Low is probably the trickiest part of the game so it is important to educate everyone playing as everyone will at some point get a turn being a dealer. Each color of chip will be for a different amount of money.
During each full round of play, each player will ultimately get dealt four cards and then five cards will get dealt in the middle of the table, one each betting round of play. There are four total betting rounds. If a player decides to fold during any of the betting rounds, then they cannot resume play until a new full round has started. (When the dealer deals the four cards face down to each player.)
Also, at the beginning of each full round, the next person to the left will become the dealer. This allows for different players to be placing the blind bets each round.
The object of the game is for each player to create the best hand possible with two of the four cards in their hand and three of the five community cards, or cards laid face up in the middle of the table.
The name Hi/ Low comes in to play as players try to create these hands. Players may be trying to create the best "Hi" hand possible with their two and three combination or they may be trying to create the best "Low" hand possible.
In order to create the perfect Hi hand in this game all a player will do is consult basic poker playing rules for what hands are better than others. This includes full house, straights, flushes, four of a kind, etc. Obviously, the higher the number then the better the hand will be. With Hi hands, you can use any combinations of cards as long as at least one card is more than an 8.
A low hand, however, takes more thinking and a bit more skill. To qualify your hand as a low hand, all cards that you wish to use have to be a seven or below. This is why another name for this game is Omaha 8. Any hands that consist of all numbers below an eight can be considered for the best Low hand.
Typically in poker, a hand with lower numbers will not help you win any big monies. In Omaha Hi/ Low however you can win at least half the pot or sometimes the entire pot if you have been dealt a really great hand. Before you can win though you have to know how to play to get that winning hand!
To begin playing, the dealer will shuffle the cards and place four cards face down in front of each person. These cards should only be seen by the person they were given too and players should not show their cards to other players. There should also not be any switching of cards or substituting cards with the dealer. What you are dealt is what you work with, but remember that you will have 5 more cards eventually placed in the middle as well to create your hand!
Once all cards have been dealt, players can start betting. The two players to the left of the dealer will place "blind" bets first. Typically, blind bets are a designated amount set by all players and as play goes on, usually get larger.
Unfortunately, if it is your turn to place a blind bet then you must place the bet even if you have decided to not play that round. (If this happens to you, I would recommend going ahead and playing the first betting round since you have had to bet money already.) Typically, the person closest to the dealer will place a "small blind" bet of whatever the amount created by players and the next person places a "large blind" bet. In most cases, the small blind is about half the amount of the large blind.
The person who is after the first two blind bets will then choose to place their bet. If they want to bet they can or they can choose to not bet and "call." Calling means that you wish to remain in play but you do not want to place any bets on the table. Typically, as each betting round progresses, you will see more betting as players will be able to judge what there hand will look like after each flop of a card.
Bets will keep going around the table until everyone has either met the highest bid, folded (given their cards back to the dealer and sitting the round out) or raised the bet higher and all other players have met their bet.
Betting at this point is voluntary unless you are the small or large blind. Most poker players like to at least see the first few cards put on the table before they can judge if they will have a good hand or not.
Once betting is complete for the first round, the dealer will place three of the five cards in the middle of the table face up. Again, the first person to the left of the dealer will start bidding based on what hands they think they can now create. Betting goes all the way around the table until everyone has made a decision.
In the next round of betting, the dealer will only place one more card in the middle of the table. Betting will then go around the table as in previous rounds. At this point, there may be some players who have folded so betting just starts with the first person to the left of the dealer who is still playing. This will be repeated until the dealer has dealt all five cards on the table.
After the firth card has been placed on the table, the last round of betting will begin. Typically, this is when betting gets really exciting and competitive as all players now have a good idea of what kinds of hands they can create.
Again, to win the hand, a winner can only use two cards from the face down individual pile as well as three cards from the five cards on the table. You cannot use one card from your individual hand and four cards from the community hand, etc. Once all cards have been revealed, the dealer will survey everyone's hands and see who has the best hand or hands to win the pot of chips.
There are several different ways you can determine a winner. Typically when playing Hi/ Low you will have two different winners. One person has the best Hi hand and the other person has the best Low hand. Occasionally, the same person will be able to create the best hand for both.
There will always be a winner of the Hi hand but not always a player who qualifies for the low hand. Again, the Hi hand is the best poker hand. The low hand is the best hand available using the numbers 7 or below. Not everyone will qualify to have a low hand each round. You may even have a round where no one qualifies. In this case, the person who wins the high hand gets to keep the whole pot.
Keep in mind that a winning low hand could also be the winning Hi hand. You may have a great straight or flush with all low cards and end up winning because no other players can beat your flush even if it is with all low numbers. The Ace can be used as either a high card or a low card.
Obviously, it is ideal to try and get a winning low hand that is also a winning Hi hand. This will ensure that you will get the entire pot and will not have to share it with anyone. If you think you are going to have a good hand then bet some chips to help make the pot bigger. Sometimes betting too much or too little or nothing at all then all of a sudden betting a lot can tip off others that you have a great hand and they could fold.
Beware of any community cards that have runs in them such as a 8, 9, and 10. This could easily be made into a straight with multiple people have the right combinations. Also, community cards with runs in them including low cards (7 or below) are even more dangerous as players could easily be creating a great Low hand. However, if you are the one who can create this hand then your chances of getting the pot are increased!
Most players have a good idea of what kind of hand they will have after the flop. The flop is the second deal when the dealer places three of the five cards face up in the table. Many times you may think you will have a good hand, but in Hi/ Low since there are so many options and choices then many times you may get beat even if you think you have the best hand. This is all part of the fun of the game!
Just remember though if you run out of chips then you will not be able to play anymore. If once the flop occurs you think you will not be able to create a good hand then it may be a good time to fold.
If poker playing is new to you then it is a good idea to study your other players. Especially in a game like Omaha Hi/ Low when there are so many combinations that could be created, it is important to notice what others are doing. Studying a person's body language and movements as well as when they are betting and when they are not betting is important.
When it is your turn to bet, try to keep what is called a "poker" face. Do not show emotions or make certain body movements when cards are played as this may tip of others as to what kind of hand you have.
You will quickly pick up on how other play and the more you play with the same people, the more your chance of winning will be. You will know when to fold early or know when others are betting but they do not really have a good hand.
When teaching someone new to play Omaha Hi/ Low, always remember the large and small blinds at the beginning of each round. You would not use the large and small blind at the beginning of round two, three or four. The blinds help to enhance the pot and raise the stakes when betting. If a person is new to the game, then blinds are good to get them used to the betting process and will allow for future games to run more smoothly.
This game is great to play with friends or family at parties or other social events. You can play with as little or as many people as you like. The game tends to be more popular and exciting than Texas Hold 'Em as you have more options of play and combinations of hands with four cards face down as opposed to two. This also allows for more betting and more competition within each round and a fun evening.
Read more:
Texas Holdem Poker Game
Seven Card Stud Poker Game
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