Omaha Hi/Lo Rules
Omaha Hold’em, 8 or better high-low split was in definite need of shortening, so poker players commonly refer to it as Omaha/8 or Omaha hi/lo. As with any other game of poker, the rules are mostly simple, but mastering the game requires a talented, relentless student. Omaha is also thought to be the game of the future, with its popularity growing very quickly, and already outgrowing many 7 card stud populations.
Qualifying Low hands
In Omaha hi/lo, the pot can be a split pot if there is a qualifying low hand. To qualify as a low hand, the player must have five unpaired cards that are 8 or lower. An ace counts as the lowest card in a qualifying low hand, and flushes and straights do not effect the low value. The best “low” hand would be an ace through five straight (A2345). This hand is commonly called the “Bicycle.” It is entirely possible for a player to have the best low and best high hand. Take for example a player has A2456, all of spades. He has a spade flush as a high and and an Ace through 6 low hand. Players can even use different cards in their hand to make a separate low and high hand. If a player has both the best high and best low hand, he wins the entire pot, also called “scooping” the pot.
The Blinds and Dealer Button
Omaha is a fixed position game, like Texas Hold’em. Position is determined by who currently is sitting behind the dealer chip or button. The dealer chip moves clockwise around the table after each hand. The dealer has the advantage of acting last on every round except for the first, and wise poker players know the advantage this brings. Also like Texas Hold’em, we use blind bets to get the pot started. The first player to the left of the dealer puts in the small blind, which is usually half of the big blind. The player to the left of the small blind is required to put in the big blind, and this is generally equal to the small bet at the particular limit being played. For example, in a $10/$20 game of Omaha, the small blind would be $5 and the big blind $10.
The initial deal is where we see the major difference between Omaha and Texas Hold’em. In Omaha, each player is dealt four cards face down instead of two. However, only two of these cards are allowed to be used in creating the players hand. This must be kept in mind as the hand progresses! The four down cards is the greatest stimulant for action for the Omaha variation of poker, as it is not hard to find a nice hand when you are dealt 4 cards.
After everyone is dealt 4 cards face down, the player to the left of the big blind must either call the big blind, fold or raise. Each player acts in turn, folding, calling, raising or re-raising. The blinds are considered “live,” meaning that when the action gets to them in the first round of betting they can also fold, bet or raise.
The Flop
When betting action is completed on the first round, chips are raked into the pot and the dealer places 3 cards face up in the middle of the table. These are community cards, used by all players to create their best hand. Again, do not forget that you must use exactly 2 cards from your hand and three cards from the community board to create your best five card hand! A round of betting begins, starting with the player to the left of the dealer button.
The Turn
After betting action has concluded on the flop, another card is placed face up in the center of the table, called the Turn. This card is also a community card. Bets double on the Turn. In our game of $10/$20, while $10 bets were made before, we now have to be or raise $20 at a time.
The River
The final community card is placed face up in the center of the table, and the final round of betting takes place. We again use double bets on this round.
Showdown
When all bets are equalized on the River, a showdown occurs and the last player to make a bet or raise must turn over his down cards, revealing his best five card hand. If there was no betting on the final round, the first player still active to the immediate left of the dealer must show his hand. Each player in turn can either turn over his cards to reveal a better (or worse) hand, or muck his cards face down if he is the loser. Each player has to use exactly two of his hole cards and three cards from the community cards on the board. If there is no qualifying low hand, then the player with the highest ranking hand wins. If there is one or more qualifying low hands, then the player with the lowest qualifying low hand and the player with the highest ranking hand split the pot.
Notes and Frequently asked Questions
The best low hand is determined first by looking at the highest qualifying low card in each players qualifying hand. Someone with A2358 would say he had an “eight low.” His opponent meanwhile has A2357. He has a “seven low” and wins the low side of the pot, since his seven is lower than the first player’s 8. If the players have qualifying low cards of the same rank, we simply move down the chain of cards until one player’s card is lower than the other. Example: A2368 beats A2378. Player one would note that he has an eight-six low, while the loser holds an eight-seven. It’s not often to have two players who hold identical low hands, but it happens, and this results in a split of the low side of the pot.
Never forget: You form your hand using exactly 2 cards from your hole cards and 3 from the board.
You can use two of your cards to form a high and and two others to form a low hand. Keep all of your options and possible hands in mind!
An interesting event happens every now and then in Omaha hi/lo, and it is called “getting quartered.” This occurs when two players tie for the high side of the pot and a third player is the only one with a qualifying low hand. The low hand gets half the pot, and the two high hands split the high side, hence they only receive a fourth, or a “quarter” of the entire pot. The same thing occurs when two players have identical lows, and another player has the high hand. The high hand takes the high half of the pot and the two low hands split the low side of the pot. Getting quartered is almost always a bad thing, as you will tend to put more money into the pot than you will get out of it, unless there were a lot of players in the hand donating towards the pot from the beginning.
Texas Hold’em Rules
The basic rules for playing Texas Hold’em Poker are easy to learn. While becoming a great player will take hours of study and play, we have to start somewhere do we not? After learning the basics, be sure to read over our Texas Hold’em Strategy section and browse and ask questions in our forums to begin down the road to becoming a solid player. Finally, it is assumed that the reader knows the basic terms and definitions used in poker. If not, you can always check our poker terms glossary for clarification.
The Dealer Chip
The dealer chip moves clockwise around the table after each hand, and is a very important part of the game because it signifies your position. Since Texas Hold’em is a “fixed postion” game, you will want to always pay attention to who is “on the button,” as it is often referred to. At the very beginning of a game or tournament, to determine who gets the privelege of being “on the button” first, the most common method is to deal everyone a card, with the highest ranking card being the dealer.
The Small Blind and Big Blind
Rather than use antes to get the action started in Texas Hold’em, we use what are called “the blinds.” These are placed into the pot before any cards are dealt, thus they are “blind bets,” putting money into the pot without knowing what will be dealt. Before the cards are dealt, the person to the immediate left of the dealer puts in the small blind. The small blind is generally equal to half of the big blind. The player immediately to the left of the small blind is required to put in the big blind. The big blind is generally equal to the small bet of the limit being played. For example if you were playing $2/$4 limit hold’em, the big blind would be $2 and the small blind $1.
I should point out that blind amounts are completely arbitrary. Some games even feature blinds and antes, or only one blind. When organizing your home game realize that the more money in the pot before cards are dealt, the more hotly contested each pot will be. David Sklansky, a popular and revered poker author notes that poker begins as a battle for the blinds and antes. Obviously then, the smaller the blinds, the less there is to battle for.
Betting Rounds
After the two blinds are put in, the dealer deals each player 2 cards face down, called “hole cards,” and the first round of betting begins. The first player to act in this round is the player immediately to the left of the big blind. He can call the amount of the big blind, fold or bet. Each player then acts in turn by either folding calling the current bet or raising. It is important to note here that the blinds are “live,” which simply means that when action gets around to them they to have the option of calling, folding or betting/raising.
After all betting action has finished, the dealer deals the “flop,” by placing 3 cards face up in the middle of the table. These cards are community cards which can be used by every player to better their hand. Another round of betting ensues.
The next round of action is called the “turn,” and the dealer places one more card face up in the center of the table. This is also a community card, and yet another round of betting takes place.
Finally we arrive at the “river,” as the dealer places a fifth card face up in the center of the table, and the final round of betting begins. After betting is finished on the river, the last person to make a bet or raise on the river must flip over his cards. Each player in turn compares his hand to this hand and if beaten has the option to “muck” or throw away his or her hand face down so that no one sees what they were holding. If someone has a better hand, obviously they must turn their cards over for the world to see! The best five-card poker hand wins, using any combination of your two hole cards and the five cards on the board.
One of the most commonly asked questions when setting up a home game is how many bets or raises are allowed in each round of betting. Generally, one bet and three raises are allowed, though some casinos and home games may prefer that if there are only two players still contesting the pot that bets and raises be unlimited.
Texas Holdem Strategy
Texas Holdem has quickly become the most popular casino poker game online or off. At any time, hundreds of real money Texas Hold’em tables are going at sites like PartyPoker.com, the largest online poker room on the Net. It is currently the game you will see televised in such events as the World Series of Poker and The World Poker Tour. Though Holdem looks and plays very simply, many experts agree that it is the most complex of poker games. Due to its complexity, the game can be kind or harsh to beginners and grizzled old warriors alike. The action is fast an furious, with more players, bets, raises and re-raises than many other typical poker games. Winners win big, losers lose big. These factors are the essence of what makes Texas Holdem so enjoyable, and therefore the King at the Casino.
The following is intended to be a basic introduction to and strategy for playing limit Texas Holdem online. For more in depth articles on this topic, check out our other articles in the General Strategy section, or visit our sister site, MasteringHoldem.com.
The Button
The button represents the dealer. In home games, no button is needed, as the cards are passed around the table and each player deals in turn. In the casino and in online poker tables, the dealer is a professional or a computer. Hence, the necessity of a “button”. The button moves clockwise around the table after each hand, and the player “on the button” gets his cards last and bets last in each round. Keeping up with the current location of the button is a huge consideration when determining positional strategy.
The Blinds
Texas Holdem has no ante. To force the action without an ante, Holdem uses blind bets. The first 2 players to the left of the button are forced to put in the blind bets. Typically, the first player puts in the small blind, equal to half of the minimum bet, while the second player puts in the big blind, equal to a full minimum bet. For example, in a game of $10/$20 limits, the small blind would be $5 and the big blind would be $10.
The Deal and Betting Rounds
Starting with the first player to the left of the button, each player is dealt 2 cards, face down, called pocket cards. The first two players to the left of the button posts the blinds, and the first round of betting ensues. The first action after the deal is taken by the player to the left of the big blind. He and subsequent players can choose to call the big blinds bet, fold or raise. In most Texas Holdem games, the blinds are live, which means that in the first round of betting, they get a chance to call, check or raise when the action moves around to them. In this sense, the big blind would be the last player to act after the dealing of the pocket cards.
The Flop
The flop is 3 cards laid face up in the center of the table. These cards serve as common cards. Another round of betting ensues, with the first remaining player to the left of the button starting the action.
The Turn
A single card is laid face up, next to the flop, for a total of 4 cards face up. Another betting round occurs, starting with the first player remaining to the left of the button.
The River
A final card is turned face up, bringing the total number of common cards face up on the board to 5. A final round of betting occurs, starting with the first player remaining to the left of the button.
Showdown
After betting is complete and if more than two players remain, a showdown occurs in which the winner is determined by the best five card hand possible using the 5 common cards and each players’ pocket cards. It is entirely possible for the best hand to be completely “on the board,” in which case the remaining players split the pot. It is also possible to have a “tie” in which the players with the same hand strengths split the pot.