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Learn to Play Poker:
Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha is a great way to expand your horizons as a player. It is fast and in some respects more challenging than Texas Holdem. However, it plays in many ways just like Holdem.
Every player is dealt four hole cards. These cards remain hidden and are private. The first round of betting follows. Then the three community cards, "the flop", are dealt. These cards belong to all players in the hand. Any player can use them in making a hand. The second round of betting follows. Then the fourth community card, "the turn", is dealt. The third round of betting follows. Finally, the fifth community card, "the river", is dealt and the final round of betting takes place.
After the final round of betting, at the "showdown", all players still in the hand reveal their cards. The player with the best hand wins the pot. All hands are made by combining the four hole cards with the community cards. However, out of the four hole cards, two and only two cards have to be used to make a hand. So the player has to make a hand from two of the four hole cards and three of the five community cards.
Omaha High/Low
Omaha High/Low plays the same way as Omaha except that the pot is split between the "high hand" (best hand) and the "low hand" (worst hand).
You are already familiar with the idea of high hand: it is the best hand made from two of the four hole cards and three of the five community cards.
Understanding the idea of low hand is slightly trickier. The only cards that qualify for a low hand are: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Ace to 8).
For example: 7, 2, 3, A, and 9 does not qualify as a "low hand", because of the 9.
Sometimes, no player will make a low hand. Consequently, the player with the high hand will scoop the pot.
Out of the four hole cards, the player is free to choose two different cards to make a high hand and two different cards to make a low hand. They do not have to be the same two cards. For example if your hole cards are A, K, 9, 2, you can choose to play A and 2 as your low cards and A and K as your high cards.
While the omaha high/low rules may sound more complicated than rules of the other games, they are easy to pick up once you are at the table and have played a few hands.
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