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This variation of poker follows the same rules as
Texas Hold'em poker, but with two significant exceptions:
1. Players are dealt four "pocket" cards instead of two.
2. Players must use two "pocket" cards and three "community" cards
to make their best high hand.
The principle is the same, but the two differences in the rules
demand a very different strategy and tactics for playing Omaha
Poker.
Hi/Low Variety
Omaha Hi/Low follows the same rules as regular Omaha, but there is
an additional way to win a share of the pot. The Hi' winner is the
player with the best poker hand, as in Omaha High Only.
However, in addition to a Hi winner, there can be aLow' winner as
well. The Low hand is a hand with 5 different cards below a 9. You
must use two pocket cards and three community cards to make a low
hand. For example, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 of any suit would be a Low hand.
The lowest Low hand is the Low winner. In case of a Low winner, the
pot is split 50/50 between the Low and High winner. In case of
multiple Low hands, the Low winner is determined by comparing the
highest of the low cards, then the second highest, etc. If the two
or more Low hands are equal, the Low pot is split between them.
Because there must be at least three different low cards (under 9)
on the board at the end to enable a qualifying low hand there may
not be a Low winner every hand. Also, a player may use different
pocket cards for Hi and for Low, from the four cards dealt to him
along with any three community cards, where again different cards
may be used for the high hand to the low hand. In Hi Low Omaha the
lowest possible hand is 5,4,3,2,A of any suits (flushes and
straights do not count against you for the low hand). Ace counts as
high and low and therefore the same ace can be used to make a high
hand and a low hand.
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