Poker Training Manual

GAME TRAINING MANUAL [Texas Hold’em/Omaha]

Nick Shepherd Director of Poker

12/19/11

[Poker]

Table of Contents Introduction to Poker.............................................................................................................................. 4 Ranking of the hands .............................................................................................................................. 6 Royal Flush .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Straight Flush ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Four of a kind ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Full House............................................................................................................................................ 6 Flush .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Straight ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Three of a Kind .................................................................................................................................... 7 Two Pairs ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Pair ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 High Card............................................................................................................................................. 7 Overview of the games ........................................................................................................................... 8 Texas Hold’em..................................................................................................................................... 8 How to Deal Texas Hold'em ................................................................................................................ 8 The Blinds ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Player Betting Options .................................................................................................................... 9 Pre-Flop ........................................................................................................................................... 9 The Flop........................................................................................................................................... 9 The Turn .......................................................................................................................................... 9 The River ......................................................................................................................................... 9 The Showdown.............................................................................................................................. 10 Limit, No Limit, Pot Limit and Mixed Texas Hold'em ........................................................................ 10 Limit Texas Hold'em ...................................................................................................................... 10 No Limit Texas Hold'em ................................................................................................................ 10 Pot Limit Texas Hold'em ............................................................................................................... 10 Mixed Texas Hold'em .................................................................................................................... 11 Omaha ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Types of Omaha Poker Games .......................................................................................................... 11 How to Deal Omaha Poker................................................................................................................ 11 Player Betting Options .................................................................................................................. 12 Pre-Flop ......................................................................................................................................... 12 The Flop......................................................................................................................................... 12 2

The Turn ........................................................................................................................................ 12 The River ....................................................................................................................................... 12 The Showdown.............................................................................................................................. 12 Limit, Pot Limit, No Limit Omaha ...................................................................................................... 13 Limit Omaha .................................................................................................................................. 13 Pot Limit Omaha ........................................................................................................................... 13 No Limit Omaha ............................................................................................................................ 13 Omaha Hi-Lo ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Types of Omaha Hi/Lo Games........................................................................................................... 15 Rules for Playing Omaha Hi/Lo ......................................................................................................... 15 Player Betting Options .................................................................................................................. 15 Pre-Flop ......................................................................................................................................... 15 The Flop......................................................................................................................................... 16 The Turn ........................................................................................................................................ 16 The River ....................................................................................................................................... 16 The Showdown.............................................................................................................................. 16 Limit, Pot Limit, No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo ............................................................................................ 16 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo ............................................................................................................................ 16 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo ...................................................................................................................... 16 No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo....................................................................................................................... 17

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Introduction to Poker The history of Poker is thought to have evolved over more than ten centuries from various games, all involving the basic principles of ranked card or domino combinations and the use of ‘bluffing’ to deceive opponents. One popular belief is that a game similar to poker was first invented by the Chinese sometime before 969 A.D, when The Emperor Mu-tsung is reported to have played "domino cards" with his wife on New Year’s Eve. Egyptians in the 12th & 13th centuries are known to have used a form of playing cards, and in 16th century Persia “Ganjifa” or “Treasure Cards” were used for a variety of betting games. A Ganjifa deck consisted of 96 elaborate cards, often made of paper thin slices of ivory or precious wood. The Persians played “As Nas” which utilized 25 cards, rounds of betting and hierarchical hand rankings. A French game named “Poque” and a German game named “Pochen” became very popular in the 17 & 18th centuries, both developed from the 16th century Spanish game called “Primero” which involved three cards being dealt to each player. Bluffing, or betting high stakes whilst holding poor cards to deceive opponents, was an integral part of the game. Primero dates back to 1526 and is often referred to as “poker’s mother” as it is the first confirmed version of a game directly related to modern day poker. French colonials imported the game to the new world when they arrived in Canada. Their beloved Poque was the national card game of France and from the beginning of the 18th century, when a hardy group of French-Canadian settlers founded New Orleans, it spread from the state of Louisiana up the Mississippi river and then throughout the whole country. In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to poker when in his writing he mentions rules to the "cheating game," being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game" quickly began to supplant the popular cardsharp game of 3-card Monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers embraced the new game as it was perceived as a more challenging and 'honest' gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card game. Green took more than a passing interest in the new game and took it upon himself to formally name and document the 'Cheating Game' in his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling': Poker was born. During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in just about every town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played. European influence of poker ended when the joker was introduced as a wild card in 1875. In just over two centuries, poker has never looked back. Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds to evolve numerous variations and sub-variations. There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene: 5 Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to the most popular game for almost a century.

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Nevada made it a felony to run a betting game. However the Attorney General of California declared that draw poker was based upon skill and therefore the anti-gambling laws could not stop it. But stud poker was still deemed illegal as it was based solely on chance. With this decision, draw poker games developed and grew. This caused Nevada to reverse itself in 1931 and legalize casino gambling. 7 Card Stud then took over the throne shortly before WWII and maintained its position for about 40 years with the help of the new and thriving Las Vegas casino industry. Texas Hold’em, christened the ‘Cadillac of poker’ rose to prominence in the 1970's when it was featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker. Today, Texas Hold’em is indisputably the most frequently played and most popular poker game in the world, played in casinos and on home game tables the world over. Other variations such as Omaha, Stud Poker, Manila, Draw Poker and Razz are also popular, but nothing can compete with the thrill of No Limit Texas Hold’em. No Limit Texas Hold’em played at The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have been captivating television audiences to the point that there are now made for TV events such as the National Heads up Poker Championship and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions being filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time. Poker looks like it is here to stay and its popularity has never been as widespread or as quickly growing in India as it is right now. With the wealth of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging on and playing with other poker players from around the world, including the ever-growing online poker community in India, there is no time like the present to join the poker craze.

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Ranking of the hands

Royal Flush This is the highest poker hand. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack and ten, all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.

Straight Flush Five cards of the same suit in sequence - such as J- 10- 9- 8- 7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 54- 3- 2- A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush. The cards cannot "turn the corner": 4- 3- 2- A- K is not valid.

Four of a kind Four cards of the same rank - such as four queens. The fifth card can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as "quads", and in some parts of Europe it is called a "poker", though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher - so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. It can't happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.

Full House This consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank - for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as "sevens full" or more specifically "sevens on tens"). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.

Flush Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K- J- 9- 3- 2 beats KJ- 7- 6- 5 because the nine beats the seven.

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Straight Five cards of mixed suits in sequence - for example Q- J- 10- 9- 8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.

Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank plus two other cards. This combination is also known as Triplets or Trips. When comparing two threes of a kind the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.

Two Pairs A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards - so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 88-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats QQ-5-5-4.

Pair A pair is a hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal to compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.

High Card Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are also equal the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-6-4 because the jack beats the ten.

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Overview of the games Texas Hold’em Driven by the popularity of televised poker, particularly major events such as the European and Asian Poker Tours, Texas Hold'em (more commonly, ‘Hold'em’) has become the world’s most popular poker game, both in live casinos and online. Before you begin dealing Hold'em, you'll need to learn the rules. In Hold'em, each player is dealt two private cards (known as ‘hole cards’) that belong to them alone. Five community cards are dealt face-up, to form the ‘board’. All players in the game use these shared community cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to each make their best possible five-card poker hand. In Hold'em, a player may use any combination of the seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, using zero, one or two of their private hole cards. To view the rankings of poker hands, visit the poker hand ranks page. The four major variations of Hold'em at PokerStars are distinguished from each other by their betting limits:    

Limit Texas Hold'em: There is a pre-determined betting limit on each round of betting. No Limit Texas Hold'em: A player can bet any amount, up to all of their chips. Pot Limit Texas Hold'em: A player can bet any amount, up to the size of the pot. Mixed Texas Hold'em: The game switches between rounds of Limit Texas Hold'em and No Limit Texas Hold'em.

Each of these Hold'em variations are available to play on PokerStars for free (play money) or for real money.

How to Deal Texas Hold'em To learn to deal Hold'em we will be using a more hands-on method in the poker room. To start practicing your dealing skills you will be given a series of practical exercises, master these and you'll be dealing Hold'em in no time. However you will need to familiarize yourself with the rules of Hold'em first, so the following instructions will help. The Blinds In Hold'em, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the "small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played. In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15. In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $1/$2 Hold’em game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2). 8

Depending on the exact structure of the game, each player may also be required to post an ‘ante’ (another type of forced bet, usually smaller than either blind, posted by all players at the table) into the pot. Now, each player receives his or her two hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind). Player Betting Options In Hold'em, as with other forms of poker, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. Each poker player always has the option to fold, to discard their cards and give up any interest in the pot. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it. Pre-Flop After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table. Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit Hold'em, No Limit Hold'em, and Pot Limit Hold'em can be found below. Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot. The Flop Now, three cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. In Hold'em, the three cards on the flop are community cards, available to all players still in the hand. Betting on the flop begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise. The Turn When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Hold'em (and is sometimes also called ‘Fourth Street’). Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The River When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ or ‘Fifth Street’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in a Hold'em game. Betting again begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.

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The Showdown If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. Hold'em rules state that all suits are equal. After the pot is awarded, a new hand of Hold'em is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player, blinds and antes are once again posted, and new hands are dealt to each player.

Limit, No Limit, Pot Limit and Mixed Texas Hold'em Hold'em rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions: Limit Texas Hold'em Betting in Limit Hold'em is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Hold'em, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise). No Limit Texas Hold'em The minimum bet in No Limit Hold'em is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips. Minimum raise: In No Limit Hold'em, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table). In No Limit Hold'em, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed. Pot Limit Texas Hold'em The minimum bet in Pot Limit Hold'em is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot. Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot plus all bets on the table plus the amount the active player must first call before raising. Example: If the size of the pot is $100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, 10

a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call $100, or raise any amount between the minimum ($100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 - the raiser would first call $100, bringing the pot size to $300, and then raise $300 more, making a total bet of $400. In Pot Limit Hold'em, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed. Mixed Texas Hold'em In Mixed Hold'em, the game switches between rounds of Limit Hold'em and No Limit Hold'em. The blinds are typically increased when the game switches from No Limit to Limit, to ensure some consistency in the average pot size in each game. The betting rules on each round follow the rules for that game, as described above. In the PokerStars software, it’s not possible to bet less than the minimum or more than the maximum. The bet slider and bet window will only allow you to bet amounts within the allowed thresholds.

Omaha Omaha poker is an exciting game derived from Texas Hold'em. Each player is dealt four private cards ("hole cards") which belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use exactly three of the five community cards together with exactly two of their hole cards to make the best five-card poker hand. Remember, in Omaha you must use exactly two hole cards and exactly three board cards. No more, and no less. Follow this link to view the rankings of Omaha poker hands.

Types of Omaha Poker Games Limit Omaha Poker - There is a specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting. Pot Limit Omaha Poker - A player can bet what is in the pot (i.e. $100 into a $100 pot). No Limit Omaha Poker - A player can bet any amount, up to all of their chips. Below is a general explanation on how to play Omaha Poker. The basic rules for all Omaha variants are the same, with the exception of the different betting structures between them. More details on these different betting structures follow.

How to Deal Omaha Poker In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half of the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15. In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $1/$2 Omaha game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2).

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Betting then commences from the player to the left of the big blind. Now, each player receives their four hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind). Player Betting Options In Omaha, as with other forms of poker, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. Each poker player always has the option to fold, to discard their cards and give up any interest in the pot. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards), or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it. Pre-Flop After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table. Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit Hold'em, No Limit Hold'em, and Pot Limit Hold'em can be found below. Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot. The Flop After the first round of betting is complete, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. In Limit Omaha, all bets and raises occur in increments of the small bet (for example, $2 in a $2/$4 game). The Turn When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. In Limit Omaha, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, $4 in a $2/$4 game). The River When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in Omaha poker. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The Showdown If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. Remember: in Omaha, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards

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in combination with exactly three of the cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. After the pot is awarded, a new Omaha poker game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.

Limit, Pot Limit, No Limit Omaha Omaha rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions: Limit Omaha Betting in Limit Omaha is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Omaha, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise). Pot Limit Omaha The minimum bet in Pot Limit Omaha is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot. Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising. Example: If the size of the pot is $100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call $100, or raise any amount between the minimum ($100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 - the raiser would first call $100, bringing the pot size to $300, and then raise $300 more, making a total bet of $400. In Pot Limit Omaha, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed. No Limit Omaha The minimum bet in No Limit Omaha is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips. Minimum raise: In No Limit Omaha, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table). In No Limit Omaha, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

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Omaha Hi-Lo Owing to its frequently large pots, Omaha Hi/Lo (also called "Omaha High Low", “Omaha H/L”, “Omaha/8” or "Omaha 8-or-better") has become a hugely popular game around the world. Each player in an Omaha Hi/Lo game is dealt four private cards ("hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use exactly two cards from their four hole cards in conjunction with exactly three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low - hence the name, Omaha Hi/Lo. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in Omaha Hi/Lo. Omaha Hi/Lo is played with an "8-or-better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be at least an 8-7-6-5-4 low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. Low hands in Omaha Hi/Lo are determined in exactly the same way they're determined in 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the entire pot. Omaha Hi/Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ or ‘California’ system for ranking low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against a hand, and Aces are always low, so the best possible hand is a "wheel": 5, 4, 3, 2, A. To help understand the ranks of low hands, the following sample qualifying low hands are ranked from least powerful (#1, will rarely win the low half of the pot) to most powerful (#10, the nuts): 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 8, 7, 6, 5, 3 8, 6, 4, 2, A 8, 4, 3, 2, A 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 7, 6, 5, 2, A 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 6, 4, 3, 2, A 5, 4, 3, 2, A Note that a low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. So for example, hand #9 is known as a ‘Six-low’ because its highest card is a Six. Hand #5 is a ‘Seven-low’, and Hand #1 is an ‘Eight-low’. In poker slang, you distinguish between close low hands by going further down the ranks, so hand #9 would be called a ‘Six-Four low’, which beats hand #8 a “Six-Five low”. Also remember that straights and flushes do not count against your low hand, so making a qualifying low that is also a straight or a flush is a very powerful hand, that could win both the high and low halves of the pot. That’s called a ‘scoop’.

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Types of Omaha Hi/Lo Games Omaha Hi/Lo can be played in the following formats: Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - Specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting. Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - Bets are limited to the amount of chips in the pot. No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - A player can bet all of the chips he has available. Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo - The game alternates between rounds of Limit and Pot-Limit. The blinds are increased when the game switches from Pot-Limit to Limit, to ensure that the stake levels are consistent.

Rules for Playing Omaha Hi/Lo In Omaha Hi/Lo, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the "small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played. In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15. In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $1/$2 Omaha Hi/Lo game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2). Now, each player receives their four hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind). Player Betting Options In Omaha Hi/Lo, as with other forms of poker, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. Each poker player always has the option to fold, to discard their cards and give up any interest in the pot. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it. Pre-Flop After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table. Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo can be found below.

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Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot. The Flop After the first round of betting is complete, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, all bets and raises on the flop are in increments of the small bet (for example, $2 in a $2/$4 game). The Turn When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, $4 in a $2/$4 game). The River When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The Showdown If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In all Omaha games, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with exactly three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low (i.e. is an eight low or better), the best hand(s) for high wins the whole pot. After the pot is awarded, a new Omaha Hi/Lo game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.

Limit, Pot Limit, No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Omaha Hi/Lo rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions:

Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Betting in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise).

Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo The minimum bet in Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.

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Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as any previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising. Example: If the size of the pot is $100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call $100, or raise any amount between the minimum ($100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 - the raiser would first call $100, bringing the pot size to $300, and then raise $300 more, making a total bet of $400. In Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo The minimum bet in No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips. Minimum raise: In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table). In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

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