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Omaha High Low Poker Rules

No Limit Omaha High Low poker rules differ only in that where limit games have a limit on what you can bet, the fact that it is no limit means simply that once the blinds have been met, any player can wager all his/her chips at any time in the game. There is still an ante increase as normal for competitions but the rules of the game are such that you can bet all your chips on any one hand.

General Game Rules

- Highest hand must split the pot with the lowest qualifying low hand

- Players must use 2 of their hole cards in combination with three from the board to make their highest and lowest hands

- Any two of the players four cards can be used for high, and any two can be used for low

- Aces can be played as either high or low

- In order to qualify for the low half of the pot the low hand must have no card over 8

- There is a three raise limit per round

Order of Play : Betting

Lets assume you are playing a $2/$4 stake Omaha no limit game. The person immediately left of the dealer button will post the small blind and the person on the next position left will post the big blind. This this case the small blind will be $2 and the big blind will be $4. These bets are automatic and the dealer button should move round the table clockwise so that everyone will have a turn to post the big then small blinds (thus giving no single player and advantage).

Once the big and small blinds have been met 4 down cards are dealt to each player. Each player who wants to stay in the hand must match the big blind, fold or raise. Should a player raise then the amount it is raised to must be matched by all who want to stay in the hand. In a no-limit game there is no maximum amount you can raise meaning that any player can push all their chips into the pot at any time.

The dealer then turns 3 cards up face up known as the flop. There is another round of betting. The player left of the button (who is still in the hand) is fist to act and the same principle is applied - each player must match the maximum bet by any one player. Once the round of betting is done there is another community card dealt face up known as the turn card.

There is a further round of betting and then the final community card is dealt known as the river card. There is a final round of betting and then showdown. The winner will be the player with the best poker hand. Remember you must use TWO cards in your hand (out of the 4 face down cards in your hand) in combination with any 3 cards on the board to make your best poker hand - you cannot use any other combination of cards .i.e. one hole card and 4 community card.

Here is an illustrated guide to the order of play:

All players are dealt 4 hole cards (pre flop - first round of betting)

The Flop (3 community cards dealt- second round of betting)

The Turn (4th community card- third round of betting)

The River (5th community card- fourth round of betting

Remember that throughout a no limit game there is no betting limit so you can move 'All In' at any time. Another consideration is the High Low rules. The high hand must split the pot with the best qualifying low hand. There is always a high hand winner but not always a low hand winner. On any occasion there is no low hand winner, the person with the best high hand will win the entire pot.

Top players are usually very selective about which hands that they play and will usually play the hands that give them a chance to win both the high and low hands. The following guide shows you what you should consider playing:

SOME TRIP ACES and TRIP DUECES - These only: 2AAA, 3AAA, 4AAA(S), 5AAA(S), 222A(S)
PAIR of ACES with LOW CARDS - AA23, AA44, AA35 etc.
PAIR of ACES SUITED with ANYTHING - Ah A Xh X
A2 with ANYTHING - A2XX
A3 with LOW CARDS - Paired or unpaired. A344,A345, A355
A3 - ACE SUITED with ANYTHING - Ad A Xd X
ACE SUITED with THREE UNPAIRED HIGH CARDS - Ac Jc Q K etc
FOUR UNPAIRED LOW CARDS - 2345
TWO HIGH PAIR DOUBLESUITED - Kh Kd Qh Qd etc

You should avoid playing the following hands:

Quads - (including) A A A A
Trip Threes thru Trip Kings - 3 3 3 X - K K K X
Three or more unpaired Middle Cards - X 6 7 9