Omaha Hi Lo Split Poker
Also known as Omaha 8 or Omaha eight or better, Omaha hi/lo is a popular form of Omaha. It's usually played either as a limit game, or a pot limit game.
Rules
To make a five-card hand, a player must use two hole cards and three community cards. Because Omaha hi/lo is a split pot game, players can use two different cards from their hand to make the best low hand than the cards they used to form the high hand.
For a hand to qualify for the low half of the pot, it must have five unpaired cards ranked eight or below. Because players can only use two of their hole cards, for a low hand to be possible, the community cards must contain at least three unpaired cards eight or below.
Players new to Omaha hi/lo often struggle to determine the strength of their low hand. A useful tip is to read the five cards backwards, like a number. The lowest number represents the lowest hand. Consider these examples:
A 2 3 4 5 54,321 The best possible lowest hand
A 2 3 4 6 64,321 The second best possible lowest hand
4 5 6 7 8 87,654 The worst possible lowest hand
Basic Strategy
As in all forms of poker, starting hands are a vital aspect of Omaha hi/lo strategy. Hands with four cards that work together in some way are often good, as are those with two suited cards, especially if one of them is an ace. Aces are important, as they can be high or low. Starting hands that have the ability to develop into ones that can win both halves of the pot are the best.
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