These are the basic rules and strategies for Omaha Hi Low Poker that you will find in most casinos worldwide. You have to grasp these basics no matter what level of competition you are in. This article is a great beginning for you but for more advanced play you need to spend a lot of time at the poker tables.
The game generally starts with 2-10 players and the pot is split between the player with the highest hand and the lowest hands. The players are dealt four hole cards and they must use two of them, and three of the community cards to make their hands. To qualify for a crack at the low half of the pot, you cannot have a card higher than an 8 in the hand. The ace can be used uptown or downtown.
In Omaha Hi Low poker the antes and the blinds are placed first then the dealer hands out the four hole cards. The player to the left of the second forced bet, called the big blind, gets to bid, check or fold. This goes around the table clockwise. The flop is dealt that is the first 3 of the community cards and following this is another round of betting. Next up is the turn card. Depending on the table limits, this bet starts at the minimum of the lower limit. After this the dealer places the final card, known as the “River” in the center of the table along with the rest of the community cards.
Once the betting is completed it is time for the showdown. Now what most players hope from here is to have the best hand/hands and taking the entire pot. Although it does happen it is not done very often. The high hand will split the pot with the low hand. One thing to keep in mind when playing is that there will definitely be a high winner in every hand but not all hands have a low winner; this is because the hands are set at cards with a value of 8 or less to win.
