Omaha HiLo
Introduction
Omaha HiLo HiLo High / Low is a variation of Texas Hold'Em, but contains
more possible outcomes, thereby making for some very competitive
and exciting games! The three main differences between Omaha HiLo HiLo
High / Low and Texas Hold'Em are:
In a game of Omaha HiLo HiLo High / Low, each player receives four pocket
cards (instead of two) to start.
At the showdown, each player must use exactly two of their
four pocket cards and combine them with exactly three of the
five communal cards.
In Omaha HiLo HiLo High / Low, the player with the highest hand wins
one half of the pot and the player with the lowest hand wins
the other half. However, it's not possible for a player to
form a low hand unless there are three or more unpaired community
cards ranking 8 or less.
Dealer Button
In front of a selected player is a silver disc called the
Dealer button. This disc displays which order the cards are
to be dealt (going clockwise). Before any cards are dealt,
the player immediately to the left of the dealer button must
post a 'small blind'. The player to his / her left must post
a 'big blind'.
Blinds
The 'small blind' player must post an amount equal to half
the minimum bet, e.g. £10 for a £20 game. Likewise,
the 'big blind' player must equal the minimum bet, e.g. £20
for a £20 game.
Blinds are placed in the pot to trigger the betting and give
all players an incentive to enter the hand. It also means
that the winner of the hand will always collect a pot rather
than nothing at all!
Top
Pocket Cards
Now it's time to play some cards. Four pocket (face down)
cards are dealt to each player – but remember –
only two of these cards can form part of your final hand.
1st round of betting
Once every player has received their pocket cards, the first
round of betting can begin. This begins with the player to
the left of the big blind and goes round in a clockwise direction.
Your betting depends on how well you think your hand will
fare against other players. The three choices are to:
Fold – decide that your cards aren't good enough to
win the hand
Call – match the big blind stake and stay in the betting
Raise – up the stakes, meaning your opponents will have
to match your amount or fold
Please note - the stakes can only be raised three times during
each round of betting. This (and the next) round of betting
is set at the lower level of table stakes. For example, in
a £5 / £10 game, all raises are increments of
£5.
Flop Cards
Now it's time for some more cards. Three are dealt face up
in the middle of the table. These are communal cards, i.e.
every player can use them to try and make the best hand possible.
2nd round of betting
We now have four pocket cards and three communal cards. It's
time for another round of betting! This begins with the player
to the left of the 'D' and continues in the same way as the
1st round. You have the same three initial choices and, again,
the stakes can only be raised on three occasions.
Turn Card
The suspense is mounting as a fourth communal card is dealt
face up in the middle of the table which is called the 'Turn'
card. Again, this can be used by every player to make their
hand as good as possible. At this point, you should be getting
an idea of how good your potential hand is.
3rd round of betting
The only difference between this round of betting and the
previous two is that this (and the next) round of betting
is set at the higher level of table stakes. For example, in
a £5 / £10 game, all raises are increments of
£10 instead of the previous £5.
River Card
Now it's time for the last card of the round, the all-important
River card! This is the fifth communal card and, like the
Flop cards & Turn card, is dealt face up in the middle
of the table.
4th round of betting
This is your last chance to bet, so no holding back –
you've come too far! The betting follows the same pattern
and stakes as the 3rd round. After the betting has ended,
we now have a final pot.
Showdown and Winners
You now have nine cards from which to choose:
4 Pocket Cards
3 Flop Cards
1 Turn Card
1 River Card
You must now select the highest or lowest five-card hand from
exactly two of your four pocket cards and three of the five
community cards. If you have:
Either the lowest hand or highest hand, you win half the pot
Both the highest and lowest hand, you win the whole pot
Please note - it's not possible for a player to form a low
hand unless there are three or more unpaired community cards
ranking 8 or less. If there aren't, the highest hand takes
the whole pot.
You may wonder how it's possible to have both the highest
and the lowest hands in a round of betting. Well, for starters,
straights and flushes are not counted against you when calculating
a low hand. Also note that an ace can count as a low card
as well as a high one.
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