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Learn How To Play Poker

How to Play Omaha Hi-Lo Poker

From the player’s four individual (pocket) cards and the five community cards, use two pocket and three of the five community cards to make a five-card hand ranked higher than the hands of the other players, or a five-card hand ranked lower than the hands of the other players.

rule is abbreviation for Rules.

Dealing the Game of Omaha Hi/Lo

The object of Omaha Hi/Lo is to create a High hand using any two out of four pocket cards and three out of five community cards, and a Low hand using any two out of four pocket cards and three out of five community cards. 50% of the pot will be awarded to the best High hand and 50% of the pot will be awarded to the best Low hand. If there is no qualifying Low hand, the whole pot will be awarded to the best High hand.

To qualify as a Low hand, the hand must contain five unpaired cards ranked eight (8) or lower. Straights and flushes are not considered when evaluating low hands. The winning Low hand is the hand with the lowest high card. In case of a tie with the high card, the winning hand is the one with the next lowest high card and so on.

It is not possible to have a qualifying Low hand unless three of the community cards are ranked eight (8) or lower. Aces can be used as the lowest card. A player can use any two of his/her pocket cards for the High hand, and any two of his/her pocket cards for the Low hand.

Opening Deal:

Now that there is a Button and small and big blinds, the game is ready to deal. The dealer always deals from the player closest to the dealer's left. Moving clockwise around the table, the game will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt four cards face down. A round of betting will occur starting with the player seated to the left of the big blind.

How many raises will be allowed per betting round in fixed limit games?

rule The general poker rule is a "cap" of three raises allowed per betting round with three or more players. However, if there is a "heads up" situation whereby only two players remain in the game, then raises are unlimited.

Who Shows First?

rule The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who initiated the action or with the person who initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This simply means that whoever had the last action on the river must show his/her cards first.

Who Wins?

In the PlayNow.com poker room, "cards speak." That means the dealer will automatically find the best High hand and Low hand among the players' hands.

Omaha Hi/Lo Blind Rules

rule All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next deal of any game. However, during heads-up play, the button will alternate between the two players so that no player holds the button two hands in a row.

In the event there is a new player to the game, two options could then occur:

  1. If the new player is not seated in the big blind, then he/she may choose to "post" the big blind or "wait." If the player does post, then his/her wager is active. If the player chooses to "wait," he/she will have missed the blind. The missed blind must be reposted prior to the next hand.
  2. If the new player is seated in the big blind, then he/she is treated as such.
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