Now that we understand how Pot-limit games work, we will learn about Omaha Hi/Lo. In Pot-limit Omaha Hi/Lo the betting amounts are the same as PLO.
Hi/Lo is an ever-growing format of poker where a player is also dealt four cards (hole cards). Again there are five and six card variants of the game which Maverick Poker may offer in the future. Whereas in PLO you can only use two of four cards dealt Hi/Lo is a little more complicated.
In Hi/Lo as the name suggests you are playing for a high hand and a low hand. If we revert to PLO8 going forwards from here on it may be easier to understand the differences between a high and a low hand. To qualify for a low hand there must be 3 community cards that consist of an 8 or below, you must again use two of your hole cards to make a five card combination.
In PLO8 an ace can be used as a high card and a low card. The strongest low hand in PLO8 is ace, two, three, four, five (A,2,3,4,5) AKA ‘a wheel’. This is also very strong as a high hand as you do have a straight. High hands hold the same value as we have explained above in each NLH and PLO.
More often than not if you have a wheel in PLO8 you have a good chance to scoop the pot. Scooping the pot means you have beaten your opponent because you have a better high hand (straight) and the best possible low hand (A2345).
There are many possibilities of chopping a pot which means you hold the best low hand and your opponent holds the best high hand. This is as it sounds. You will get half the total pot and your opponent will get the other half of the pot. A simple example of this is as follows:
Player A (you) is dealt Ace, Four, Six, Ten (A,4,6,10)
Player B (opponent) is dealt King, Queen, Ten, Nine (K,Q,10,9)
Community card (AKA ‘The Board’) shows King, King, Eight, Five, Three (K,K,8,5,3)
Player B has three of a kind kings with a queen 10 kicker. He does not qualify for a low hand as he doesn’t hold at least two cards in his hand with 8 or lower.
Player A wins the low as they have qualified for the low with Ace, Three, Four, Five, Six (A,3,4,5,6) your high hand is ace high. So the pot is chopped.
This leads on to a slightly more complicated situation in PLO8. As mentioned previously you must have 5 cards to qualify for the low. If the board had run out King, King, Eight, Six, Four (K,K,8,6,4) so with this board Player A’s hand is the following:
High Hand will be two pairs. Kings and sixes with an ace kicker (K,K,6,6,A)
Low hand will not qualify as you don’t have 5 unique low cards lower than an 8. As you have paired the six and the four this counterfeits the low hand. Player B would scoop the whole pot in this case as there are no low hands so the high hand wins everything this hand.
In cash games, Maverick Poker will take a very small % of the pot which is known as ‘Rake’. Maverick Poker strives to be the most competitive in the industry.
| Small Blind | Big Blind | Rake % | 2 Player Cap | 3-4 Player Cap | 5+ Player Cap |
| $0.02 | $0.05 | 4% | $0.50 | $0.50 | $0.75 |
| $0.05 | $0.10 | 4% | $0.50 | $0.50 | $0.75 |
| $0.10 | $0.25 | 4.30% | $0.50 | $0.75 | $1.25 |
| $0.25 | $0.50 | 4.30% | $0.50 | $1 | $1.75 |
| $0.50 | $1 | 4.50% | $0.75 | $1 | $2 |
| $1 | $2 | 4.50% | $0.75 | $1 | $2 |
| $2 | $5 | 4.80% | $1 | $1.50 | $3.00 |
| $5 | $10 | 4% | $1 | $1.50 | $2.75 |
| $10 | $20 | 3% | $1 | $1.50 | $2.75 |
| $25 | $50 | 2% | $1.50 | $2 | $5 |
| $50 | $100 | 2% | $2 | $3 | $5 |
Learn more poker rules for beginners and use these tips the next time you hit the tables!
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