Playing Omaha Hi/Lo Without Getting Stuck in the Middle
Posted on 15. Apr, 2010 by admin in Playing Tips
A confusing aspect of Omaha Poker for the beginner is the concept of the Hi/Lo game in which you can win by having either the highest hand or the lowest. Since you are working both combinations from the same hand and flop, without being allowed to use a card in both hand combinations at the same time has send many new players screaming from the table. However, fining that happy medium for your best possible low hand without disrupting your high hand is really a simple task.
In both combinations you must use two cards from your hand and three from the board. Since most Hi/Lo games have an eight or better limitation, the worst possible low hand is 8-7-6-5-4 with the best low hand being 5-4-3-2-1. When determining which of your cards to use for the low hand it is a good idea to view them as a single 5 digit number with your highest card at the left and building down from there. Remember you must use two of your hand cards for the high hand and the other two for the low, no combining allowed. Thus you may have a 5, but if the combination from the flop does not allow you to descend from there, you may have to use a higher card to start your low hand run.
Ultimately the lowest “number” wins the low pot. If you cannot form a decent hand for either high or low, calculating from what cards are available to create the bets winning potential for one or the other pots will give you better odds of not finishing the hand with a total loss of your wagered investment.