How To Play Pot Limit Omaha

Chasing a simple flush in Texas Hold'em is a viable strategy that can win you some big pots, but in Omaha, you can be pretty much certain that another player has the Ace-high flush if you don't have it (or block it) yourself. All four cards must be working together. Any card that is the odd one out is hurting your hand. It's called a dangler. Grab our guide 10 Pot Limit Omaha Secrets Exposed for free by clicking HERE or on the image below!) Read more from Upswing Poker: Pot Limit Omaha Strategy Quiz – Only a PLO Expert Will Score 9/10. In pot-limit 5-card Omaha, the minimum bet is the size of big blind but unlike no-limit Omaha, players can only bet to the size of the pot. The minimum raise amount must be at least equal to the last bet or raise in the round while the maximum raise is determined by the size of the pot. How to play Pot Limit 5 –Card Omaha (PLO5).

Pot Limit Omaha Poker Basics How to Play Omaha Poker. Omaha Poker also is known as Omaha Hold’em is a community card poker game derived from Texas Hold’em. In its online poker version, players are dealt four private (hole) cards and five community cards are dealt face up on the table. As in hold'em or pot-limit Omaha, if a player bets and everyone folds before the showdown, the player wins the pot without having to show a hand. However, if the final bet is called and there is a.

The high-low split pot version of Omaha is a fun and exciting game, which we will refer to as Omaha/8. It is typically played as a fixed-limit game, but the pot-limit variety (known by the abbreviation PLO/8) is also popular, particularly online. The format, betting structure, and requirement to use two cards from your initial four hole cards, in conjunction with three cards from the board, is all the same as Omaha high but coupled with the addition of the best high and best low hands splitting the pot.

In our lesson on how to play Omaha we outlined that one major difference between Omaha and hold’em was the number of potential hands vying for the pot. In Omaha/8 that number remains constant as each hand still has six possibilities but now some of them are vying for the low end and others for the high. What this translates to is an action packed game with numerous bets and raises and large pots.

Omaha/8 Showdown Rules

Omaha/8 is a split pot game, which means that unless someone scoops the pot it will be split. There are two ways to scoop the entire pot. The first is to have both the best high and low hands. The other way is to possess the best high hand when no hand qualifies for the low.

The High Hand

The high hand in Omaha/8 is the identical to a winning hand in Omaha high. If there is no qualified low hand then the best high hand will win the pot.

Qualifying Low Hand

The rules for a qualifying low hand are as follows:

• Players may use any five cards in their hand for the low
• A low hand is five unpaired cards, no higher than an eight
• Aces are low for the low hand (and high for the high hand)
• Flushes and straights do not negatively impact the low hand

Ranking Low Hands

Low hands in Omaha/8 are ranked ‘top down’, from the highest card in the hand. For example is lower than . This is an example of a “7 low” versus an “8 low”.

If the highest card is equal in rank then the next highest card is used to determined the lowest hand. This means that is lower than because the second highest card among the five is lower. If the second highest card was the same then it would go to the third, fourth, and fifth card respectively. If players share the same low cards then the low half of the pot is split.

The best possible low hand in Omaha/8 is A-2-3-4-5, known as a ‘wheel’. Remember that low hands that are straights and flushes do not disqualify it from being low but, in fact, make it a two way hand and a candidate to scoop. While a Royal flush and a five high straight, called a wheel, would represent the best high and best low hands, the hand you really want at the showdown is a five high straight flush to scoop the pot with the best high and low hands.

Omaha/8 Hand Examples

The basic rules are the same as Omaha high, in that you must use two of your hole cards with three on the board.

In the above example a low hand is not possible because the board doesn’t contain three cards that are eight or lower. Only the best high hand will win. The nuts for this board would be someone holding Jack-Queen for the straight. With (which is an excellent starting hand in Omaha/8) you would use along with the on the board to make a high-hand of one pair.

Here is a hand that would qualify for both the high and the low:

In the above example the board contains three card no higher than an eight; the . The hole cards in this example are very strong. In Omaha/8 you can use any two of your cards for the low and any two for the high-hand. The can be used for the nut high hand (flush) and can be used for the nut low ( A-2-3-7-8). This is a prime candidate for scooping the pot.

If you’re unsure how to work out low hands, which can be confusing at first, then don’t worry. The key is to count backwards from the highest low card first. As mentioned, the best low hand is A-2-3-4-5 which is a five-low hand, which when counting backwards would obviously be 5-4-3-2-A. The next best low hand would be a six-low of 6-4-3-2-A, followed by 6-5-3-2-A, then 6-5-4-2-A, then 6-5-4-3-A and so on. The highest card is counted first and if there’s a tie the next highest low card is counted.

The split pot rule makes it a very different game to Omaha-high. But it’s important to stress that Omaha/8 is not a game of splits. Whilst the best high hand will win half the pot and the best low hand will win the other half; scooping the entire pot is the true object of this poker game.

This game seems to have polarized poker fans in so far as they either love it or have a disdain for it. I like to call those who love it Omaholics and you should be careful, for if you are just getting started in this addictive form of poker, you may well join their ranks.

By Tom 'TIME' Leonard

Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.

Omaha Poker Overview

Omaha is like Texas Hold'em. Each player receives four cards dealt face down. These cards are also called pocket cards. Like in Texas Hold'em, five cards are dealt face up on the table. The players can make combinations using only two of their four pocket cards and three of five common cards on the table.

Omaha Game Rules

Omaha can be played with as little as two players, up to a max of ten players. It is played with 52 card deck without joker. Each player receives 4 (four) cards, face down. These cards are known as pocket cards. Then, dealer hands out five community cards face up. The players can make combinations using only two of their four pocket cards and three of five common cards on the table. The best five-card poker hand wins the pot. The combinations and their ranking are the same as in Texas Hold'em.

Omaha High/Low Rules

Omaha High/Low rules are very similar to the rules of regular Omaha with only one exception: a pot is split equally between the best High and the best Low hands. A player is considered a winner if he has the best High hand. However, a player having the best low hand consisting of 5 cards of different values ranked 8 or lower can win half a pot.

The player play can make their combinations using only two of their four pocket cards and three of five common cards on the table.

If only one player has the best low hand, a pot will be split between him and a player with the best high hand. If there are several players with low hand, a winner is determined by the high card of the combination which is lowest card in this case then, the second high card, etc. If there are several players with equal low hands, their pot share is split between them evenly.

A player may play high and low hands simultaneously using two of his pocket cards and three of the common cards on the table. The best low hand consists of five, four, three, two and ace of any suits. The same ace may simultaneously be a part of high hand and low hand.

Game Types

Limit poker

In Limit poker Bet as well as Raise is agreed in advance. For example, in a 1/2 Limit game, both Bet and Bet Raise must be equal to 1. Not more or less. In last two rounds Bet and Raise must be equal to 2.

Pot Limit

In a play with Pot Limit the maximum value of Bet or Raise shouldn't exceed the current total amount in the pot.

For example: if the total amount in the pot in the middle of the table is 10 the first player to act in the betting round bets 10, the second player could bet a total of 30 - 10 for his portion of the call and raise by 20, the total amount of money in the pot when the action got to him, including his call. There is no cap to the number of raises in Pot-Limit poker games.

No Limit

In No Limit game there is any bet limit.

Every player makes any bet in any betting round. Minimum bet is equal to Big Blind.

Game Stages

The game is divided into four rounds of betting. Initial pot is forming by Blind Bet. The first player who takes place at the table becomes a dealer. The game starts from the position next to the dealer button, a round disk marks would be the dealer.

If players take place at the table simultaneously, on tournaments for example, each player receives straight one card face up. In this case the deal begins from the player to the left of the virtual dealer, and that player who receives the card of maximum value first, becomes a dealer. A dealer button moves clockwise from player to player with each round.

Blinds

Before a game starts, the two players to the left of the dealer make Blind Bets, so-called because they are made before the players have seen any cards. This is called 'posting the blinds'. The Blinds ensure that there is some money in the pot to play for at the very start of the game.

The player to the left of the dealer posts the Small Blind. The second player to the left of the dealer posts the Big Blind which is equal to the double Small Blind.

If player does not have enough chips to make Blind Bet, he stakes everything he has at once. Please see All-In.

If there are only two players in the game, Small Blind and Big Blind are posting also. In that case dealer posts Big Blind.

After that the first round begins.

Pre-Flop

Every player receives two cards back up. Each player can see his cards only. The player to the left of the player who posted Big Blind begins a round of betting. This player can:

• Call - match the amount bet in the big blind,
• Raise - increase the amount bet, or
• Fold - surrender his cards and stake in the game.

The same action can make each player when it is their turn to bet. When the betting returns to the player who made Big Blind, that player can not to increase the bet – Check – if it is equal to Big Blind in case if no one player doesn't Raise. However, if an opponent has raised, Big Blind has three options: he must call, raise or fold.

When all bets get equal, the initial pot is formed and the game turns to the next round Flop.

Flop

In this round dealer is facing up three of Community Cards, which players can use to make their five-card hand. These cards are called 'Flop'. Player who makes Small Blind begins the betting round. If he flop the cards, the betting round begins from the first player to the left of him who does not flop the cards. When all bets get equal, the game goes to the next round (Turn).

Turn

A fourth Community Card is dealt face up on the table. The third round of betting begins.

River

The fifth and final Community Card is dealt, and the final betting round is beginning.

How To Play Pot Limit Omaha Hi-lo

Showdown

When all bets get equal, it is time to show the cards.

The last player to bet or raise during the final betting round shows his cards first.

If during the last betting round all the remaining players are checking nobody betting, the first player to the left from dealer who did not discard is to show his cards first.

The other players reveal their cards moving clockwise around the table. If player's current hand is weaker than winning hand shown, he has the option to show or muck his cards.

How To Play Pot Limit Omaha Poker

In Omaha:

The best five-card hand takes the pot.

In Omaha High/Low:

A pot is split between best high hand and best low hand evenly. If no player has low hand, the entire pot goes to the player with High hand.

If two players share an identical hand, the pot is split.

Each player may claim the pot in forming of which he took part. Please see All-In.

Game-specific

Missed Blinds Policy

To prevent players from entering games in a late position to avoid placing blinds, you will have to post an initial fee, equal to Big Blind, or you can sit out and wait until Big Blind reaches your position.

Player can choose to:

• post Big Blind, or
• wait for Big Blind.
• Fold - surrender his cards and stake in the game.

If the player chooses to wait for Big Blind he will be sitting out and won't be able to join the action until Big Blind comes around to his position.

How To Play Pot Limit Omaha High Low

If the player were at the table and then sat out for a while and missed his Big Blind, he will also have to miss Small Blind and the dealer's button. If you missed the small and big blind, you will be required to post an amount equal to the big blind plus a 'dead' bet equal to the small blind.

How To Play Pot Limit Omaha Hi Low

All-In

How To Play Pot Limit Omaha

If the player finishes his chips he may not to fold the cards. The player can go All-In and bet all his chips. In this case the pot is divided into the Main pot and the Side pot. All the next bets are included to the Side pot. If the player which goes All-In did not win, the winner receives all chips (both the Main and Side pots). If the player who goes All-In wins, he receives the Main pot, but the Side pot is passed to the player having the second highest ranking Poker hand. If several players go All-In, the several Side pots can be created. If the player who accepted all All-In bets does not go All-In by himself, but appears to have the highest ranking hand when cards were revealed, he takes the Main pot as well as the all Side pots. If the highest ranking hand has the player who went All-In, he takes the pot or all pots which were created until he went All-In. Every All-In player having highest ranking hand can take only the pot (or pots) in forming of which he took part.