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Omaha Variations
If you have chosen to learn the game of Omaha (which is actually a bit more challenging than Texas Hold ‘Em on some levels), then you should also know the variations of the game. Here is a list, and what you need to look for:
- Pot-limit Omaha: Sounds much like what you would imagine- a player’s bet is limited to whatever is in the pot. Other than that, the regular rules of Omaha apply- you must use two of your hole cards and three community cards to make your best five-card hand. The smallest bet you can make is equal to whatever the big blind is. But you are always limited to the pot size for the max bet, therefore there is no going all-in.
- Omaha Hi/Lo: This is also referred to as Omaha 8, Omaha8 or Omaha/8. The rules here are a little more complicated than your typical Omaha game. Basically, Hi-Lo gives a pot reward to both the best and worst hand at the table, which can make it a very exciting variation. In order to ‘qualify’ for the low pot, you must have your five card hand be five different numbers from 8s to Aces with no straights or flushes. The low pot qualifier who has the lowest of these ‘high’ cards is the winner of the pot. In case of a tie, the pot is split. The high pot hand is played the same as in regular Omaha, where the best five-card hand will always win. This can make for a very exciting time, as even a ‘bad’ hand that you would normally never call or bet with can still take home a pot. If nobody qualifies for the low hand, then the person with the high hand wins the entire pot.
Hi-Lo is played both in no-limit and limit games. For example, a $2/$4 limit Omaha Hi-Lo game means that there bets are in $2 increments. A no-limit one means that the minimum bet must be equal to the big blind but can be as much as all of a player’s chips for the max.
