Once you have studied Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules, the next step is to learn Omaha hi-lo hand rankings. In Omaha hi-lo, the pot is divided evenly between the high hand and the low hand.
The high hand ranking is similar to Texas Holdem and Omaha. Keep in mind that the ranking reflects how rare it is to form a hand. Let’s take a look at all the high hand rankings.
Omaha Hands Poker
Every beginning player, therefore, needs to understand the poker hand rankings to determine the strength of each player’s hand and, subsequently, the winner. In this guide, we present the Texas Hold’em hands order of value, from bottom to the highest hand in poker (the rankings apply to Omaha too). In Omaha poker a hand such as will only beat 59.84% of the time. This closeness in preflop hand strength is one factor leading to players playing more hands, seeing more flops, and PLO being more.
High Hand Rankings (ordered by increasing value)
| Hand | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 10. High card | Unrelated and unpaired cards | |
| 9. One pair | Two cards of the same rank | |
| 8. Two pair | Two different pairs | |
| 7. Three of a kind (or set) | Three cards of the same rank | |
| 6. Straight | Five consecutive cards | |
| 5. Flush | All cards of the same suit | |
| 4. Full house | Three of a kind with a pair | |
| 3. Four of a kind (or quads) | Four cards of the same rank | |
| 2. Straight flush | Five consecutive cards, all of the same suit | |
| 1. Royal flush | Ace-High Straight Flush |
Low and the Eight or Better Qualifier
Not all hands qualify for the low. Furthermore, if no player makes a low hand, the high wins the entire pot. A valid low hand consists of five different cards, so no pair, ranked eight or lower, with the ace counting as the lowest card. Straights and flushes are ignored, so the following hands are valid low hands.
Omaha Poker Starting Hands
Hands that contain any pair or any card nine to king do not qualify for the low. So the following hands do not count as low.
Low Hand Rankings
In a low hand, the lower the card denominations are, the stronger the hand is. Low hands are evaluated, starting from the highest rank card (remember, the ace counts as the lowest), in a top-down approach. The player with the lowest card from the top wins. If the cards are even, the second card from the top is taken into account, and so on.
For example, consider that Player A has 8♥5♠4♣3♥2♥, and Player B has 8♥6♠4♣2♥A♣. To determine who has the best low, we first compare the first cards starting from the top. As they both have an eight, the second card from the top is examined. Player A has the smallest, the five, so he wins. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Low Hand Examples (ordered by increasing value)
Omaha Poker Hands
| Example | Name |
|---|---|
| Worse qualifying low | |
| Eight high low | |
| Seven high low | |
| Seven high low | |
| Six high low | |
| Six high low | |
| The wheel, best possible low! |
Do you have any questions about Omaha hi-lo starting hands? Or more tips to add to this post? Let us know in the comments section below!