Omaha Lo Poker

Omaha Lo Poker is the low hand version of Omaha. The absence of the high hand, as in split-pot games, makes the game seem dull by comparison, so that it is not played very much, either in card rooms or online.

Like regular Omaha (or Omaha Hi), and like Omaha Hi-Lo (or Omaha Hi-Lo), Omaha Lo begins with the dealing of four hole cards to each player. After a round of betting, there is a flop, followed by another betting round. Then the “turn” and the “river” cards are revealed, followed by the last two betting rounds.

The objective of Omaha Lo is to have the lowest possible poker hand. As in Hi-Lo, straights and flushes do not count, but such rules are frequently modified locally. If the straight rule is that straights count as a high hand, then the “nut” hand will be 2 through 7, as in Kansas City low ball. Usually the “qualifying hand” rule (eights or better) is relaxed, as over half the time there is no qualifying low hand under that rule.

Community card low hand poker has a problem than makes it less attractive than the other forms of low poker, which are based on draw and stud. In Omaha Lo, five of the nine cards are the same for each player and on the board. Three of them must enter into each player’s hand. Unless the hole cards have pairs or three of a kind, it will be fairly obvious which three cards will make the best low hand for every player. The winner will have two low, unmatched hole cards, and that will be that. Ties are fairly common.